NBD - Week 10 Review A

Well, that was interesting.
I'm writing this around 1am Sunday night (Monday morning for the time nerd), about an hour after Bill Belichik's moronical decision to go for 4th and 2 with a little over two minutes remaining and a six-point lead from his own 28-yard line. This guy has been an enormous douchebag for years, but he's been relatively unassailable because his teams have always been so good. And part of their success has been based on their willingness to go for it on fourth down, so it's not like there's no precedent for that sort of thing. But in this situation it was just definitely the wrong call, and it gives our Belichick/Brady/Pats hatred a chance to spread its wings and take flight! Did you see Rodney Harrison in the post-game analysis? Dude was definitely almost crying. It was fantastic. Thank you, HD.
After the game, Belichick had a chance to take responsibility for the loss, maybe admit he'd made a mistake, maybe show a little humility. Did he? No, of course not. Bill's explanation: "We tried to win the game on that play, tried to pick it up right there... I thought we could have made that yard." I totally get making a risky decision to win a game, but here's my problem with that explanation: you were already winning. It seems to me you make that call to lose the game. That's the decision: between punting and letting your defense holding on to the win you already have, or going for it and risk giving probably the best prime-time quarterback in history a chance from 30 yards out. To me, the second option isn't "gutsy," it's just dumb. But you'll never get Belichick to admit that, because he's more stubborn and thick-headed than Elliott Toobin. Speaking of Elliott...


Mental Errors (101) defeat Globe de Aire Mi Equipo (90)
This game benefitted the most from the late-game shootout in Indianapolis. The table had been set for Globo victory earlier in the day thanks to Sidney Rice (20) and Philip Rivers (17). With only his kicker in double-figures after the 4 o'clocks were over, Elliott found himself trailing by almost 30 points, needing Tom Brady, Dallas Clark, and Reggie Wayne to make up that difference over Haller's Joseph Addai. When Addai scored the first touchdown of the game, that gap grew even wider, but there was still plenty of football to be played. The next four touchdowns were all Mental Errors, as Brady threw two touchdown passes to Randy Moss and a third to Julian Edelman, and Reggie Wayne caught one as well. When Belichick made his fateful decision and the Colts took over the ball, the score was Globo 89.04, Errors 93.11. It seemed inevitable that the Colts would score, it was only a matter of who would cross the goal line. If it was Joe Addai, the game was Haller's. If it went to Reggie Wayne or Dallas Clark , Elliott would claim the win. From the 14-yard line, Joseph Addai broke through the defensive front, streaking towards the end zone. Haller must have been positively tumid. But Addai was stopped one yard short, and was stuffed again on his subsequent attempt for the last run of a productive (19 pts) day . Bonerkill. Then the Mental Errors did what the Patriots could not: they closed it out. Manning connected with Wayne (25) on a short pass, and the rest is Sunday Night NBD history. Brady (26) connected for one more pass before the whistle was blown, but it was over, just like Haller's shot at the playoffs.

Burke City Giants (126) defeat Matt Ryan Loves Dogs (104)
Amazingly, more than one Toobin came from behind to emerge triumphant on Sunday night. In a situation that can only be described as incestuous, Michael's team features the wide receivers that Elliott's quarterback throws to, and Elliott's team features the wide receivers that Michael's quarterback throws to. I think it's absolutely precious, and I have no doubt that when these two watch football together there are many familial handshakes and pats on the back (whereas when me and my Dad watch together there is mostly cursing and occasional spitting). Anyways, Michael made much quicker work of his comeback, even though his deficit entering the Sunday night game was even greater (almost 44 points). Unlike in the previous game, however, Michael's opponent Koehler had already finished up for the day. He had built a respectable total on the equine haunches of Steven Jackson (24), who would probably be Adrian Peterson were he on a half-way decent team. Kurt Warner (22) had continued last week's touchdown bonanza with two more and a lot of yards, and even Lee Evans (17) had made a rare appearance in double digits. The opportunity for an MRLD victory was there, but with Peyton Manning (27) and Randy Moss (30) exploding early, it didn't take long for the Giants to match and exceed Koehler's point total. Also of note in this game: Jamaal Charles (18), looking like an upgrade over the Chiefs' dismissed Larry Johnson and Burke City's bye-weeked Brandon Jacobs.