Monday, September 21, 2009
One of the things that's great about football is that there isn't too much of it. This means that each game takes on a particular importance, and this ratchets up the tension. (I get the same feeling during the World Series, when it seems like each pitch is critical, but baseball's pleasures are usually more leisurely.) I approached last week's Bills/New England game with a attitude of resignation and shocked is probably not too strong a word for how I felt watching it. What did that game tell us? That if he gets some favorable calls and a couple of lucky breaks, and if he has nine months Dick Jauron can come up with a game plan that will come close to beating the best coached team in the league? Bad teams find a way to lose, and that was my first reaction last week, but now I'm not so sure. Yesterday's game felt important because it seemed like the sort of game a team on the rise ought to win. The second week of the NFL season is fun because it acts as a kind of lens to view the first week through. Although Bils fans were unhappy with Week One, I think we can now say that New England fans have greater cause for concern. Watching Belichick on the sidelines you could see that he was frustrated. Watching Brady on the final drive you could see that he still burns with the knowledge of what he has to do, but it isn't as easy as it was two years ago. Will he get it back? I wouldn't bet against it, but the rest of the Pats are getting older too. We might be looking at a shift in the AFC East. Losing to the Jets has to have New England fans freaking out. You could make the case that the Jets win against Houston is more or less the equivalent of the Bills beating Tampa, but I don't buy it-- the Jets won on the road against Houston, and then played a tough defensive game at home to beat the Pats. I hate to say it, but they look like a team that is on the rise, and I wouldn't be surprised if its the Jets' defense that wins the division for them. Going into next week the Jets have the Titans at home, a game they should win. The Bills have New Orleans at home, and I'd say that's a longshot. The Saints look like one of the five best teams in the league to me. Hard to say what advantage home field will bring-- not so much is my guess. New England gets the Falcons at home, which should mean that they will be 2-1. And Miami, who have the Colts tonight, get the Chargers next week, and the Bills the week after that. It could be Columbus Day before Miami gets a win.
