JAGUARS After roughing up the Eagles just a tad, the Jags come home this weekend to play an upstart, feisty Titan squad. I don’t think anyone expected to see what occurred last weekend in Philly. The Jaguars simply dominated the Eagles, on the line of scrimmage and on the ground, establishing themselves in ways we haven’t seen in a long, long time. That was solid, blue-collar, old-school football you saw last weekend, my friends. Jacksonville pulled an attitude that came out of no where, and brought home an impressive victory.
And now the Jags will hit the gridiron to take on the Titans, who have won their last two ballgames and are trying to establish an identity of their own. Tennessee has struggled this season, as we have all seen, but in the last two weeks, have done some things to show they have talent and ability, and now carry a 2-5 record. Titan QB Vince Young has been the star of this team. He came into the NFL after leading his Longhorns to a college championship. He has skills, although still young and inexperienced, but he is entertaining, nonetheless. He leads a team that can play, and so the Jaguars must be aware of what this squad can do.
It remains to be seen whether we see Byron Leftwich or David Garrard play QB. What makes this interesting is how each player has such a different style of play. Either guy changes the offense and the team personality completely. Its up to you to decide which you think is better? We’ll see Sunday.
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE The unbeaten Colts go to Massachusetts on Sunday to play the Patriots. This should certainly be an intriguing game, in many respects. Indy played a solid game in defeating the Broncos in Denver last weekend, while the Pats have re-established themselves, coming off their victory Monday night against the Vikings. I think it is fair to say these are the two best teams in the AFC, for sure. If I’m a Patriot fan, I’m feeling good having watched my boys come around. If I’m a Colt fan, I’m a little leery, especially about the Indy defense, which is a little porous. If Tom Brady dissects the Colts like he did the Vikes, then Indianapolis has more work to do before they reach the Super Bowl.
For so many years, we’ve seen the Redskins and Cowboys do battle, building up a great rivalry complete with memorable games. This weekend, they renew that rivalry, and we’ll get to see Dallas QB Tony Romo show us what’s in the tank. He had a decent game in beating the Panthers. It certainly seems as if his best friend is non other than Terrell Owens, now considered his go-to guy. T.O. has proven to be Romo’s security blanket, while he does what he has to in becoming more acclimated to playing.
Meanwhile, Washington will have to come up with some big plays to beat Dallas, especially with this game in D.C. The Skins need this game to boost their confidence, or else they have a slim chance at the playoffs.
Also this weekend, the 2-5 Pittsburgh Steelers, who are reeling and in desperate need of a win, host the nasty Denver Broncos, which may not be a good thing. Pittsburgh simply isn’t what they were last year, without question. Ben Roethlisberger’s marquee lifestyle has certainly hit the skids.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL If you are observing, a lot of games this season aren’t as lopsided as they have been in the past. Games are competitive, with an occasional upset showing up almost on a weekly basis. Last week it was Southern Cal losing to the Oregon State Beavers, after coughing up four turnovers! It has made things that much more interesting as we get closer to sorting out who will be playing in what bowl games.
We do know that the winner of the Michigan/Ohio State on November 18th will be in the mythical championship. Who they play is another story. We could possibly see an undefeated Big East squad making a push to be in the ‘Big One’. We might also see another seven or eight major teams with only one loss making a case to say they are worthy of being there at the end. It is going to make for a tremendous amount of controversy and discussion, without question. While there are some decent games of note this weekend, things are fairly tame of local interest. The Florida Gators go to Nashville to play Vanderbilt. They should be OK. Likewise, Georgia goes to Kentucky and should pick up a ‘W’. The Seminoles host Virginia and would like a win, but these days we have no idea what Florida State is all about. And how about the Miami Hurricanes, who this weekend are an UNDERDOG AT HOME against Virginia Tech! Is that not totally obscure? I’m telling you right now that Larry Coker is on thin ice, without question.
Tom Weppel talks trash on Thursdays from 7-8 p.m. on WIOJ-AM 1010, and on SportsAvengers.com 24/7.
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