Week 9 Wrap-up

Everything you needed to know about Week 9, all written out for your reading pleasure. If you read nothing else of this post, please read the bit about the Ravens Steelers game at the end. I've tried to let it go, but I'm tired of hearing it. Joe Flacco and the Ravens have earned some respect, and it's time to give it to them. 

Dolphins v. Chiefs (31-3)

The Dolphins finally won a game. I’m not going to brag too much about how I picked them to win this game, but there it is. At any rate, they finally won. Though it’s been coming for a while (many of their games have been close theses last few weeks, I don’t know how much positives can be taken from it. Yes, they beat the Chiefs, who have resurged and are fighting. However, I still don’t believe the chiefs are a true contender, so that’s that. Tony Sparano can’t breathe a sigh of relief yet. He’s got one monkey off his back, but he needs to prove this wasn’t a one-time deal. For now though, congratulations Miami, you earned it.

Broncos v. Raiders (38-24)

Tim Tebow, where do you come from? One week you stink so badly everyone is calling for your head, the next week you’re off the charts. Make up your mind. This kind of inconsistency can really hurt a team. However, there is the issue of who they were playing. The Lions and the Raiders are not the same two teams. The Lions are a power team, poised to make a run at the playoffs. The Raiders are also an inconsistent team with a struggling quarterback. All that being said, Tebow did play well. The debate isn’t over yet, and won’t be until the end of the season. Even then, it probably won’t be. Get ready for the rollercoaster Denver.

Giants v. Patriots (24-20)

A rematch of Super Bowl XLII, the Patriots have been itching for this game since. However, they once again let the Giants get them on the last drive. The Giants, after that strange loss to the Seahawks, have been playing quite well. They’ve got a tough schedule coming up, but it appears as if they are up to the task. Expect the Giants to come out swinging for the last remainder of the season and possibly win the NFC East. Is it finally time to take the Patriots off their pedestal as the best team in the AFC? Yes, it is. For the last few years the Patriots have been on the downslide, since that home playoff loss to the Ravens. Not in the regular season, but for sure in the playoffs. And now it seems to be occurring in the regular season as well. With the Bills and Jets coming up in the division behind them, New England needs to act fast to save their playoff hopes.

Packers v. Chargers (45-38)

The Packers are the only undefeated team left at the halfway point of the season. People are crowning them the Super Bowl champs again. But after seeing this game, I’m not quite ready to go that far. Where was the defense? The hallowed defense that kept them in and won them so many games last year. Where are they? Sure they created turnovers against the Chargers, but they let them come back and have a true chance to win. Fix it, Green Bay and maybe you can fulfill the dream of another perfect season. I’m still trying to create that bandwagon…but we’ll see how long it lasts. Be glad Aaron Rodgers can put up 50 points by himself.

Ravens v. Steelers  (23-20)

I’m going to go all over this one because it’s a big deal. A really big deal. Ravens Steelers, possibly the best rivalry of the NFL today. This game did not disappoint. It had everything –a close score, a last second drive and good defense. But this time, the RAVENS came out on top. Not the Steelers. It was Joe Flacco who led the last minute drive to win the game, threw the perfect pass and kept it all together. It is time for people, especially the Steelers players, to lay off Joe Flacco. I’m so tired of hearing that he’s a mediocre QB and that he can never win a Super Bowl. Newsflash, Pittsburgh players, he just beat you. Twice. AGAIN. Stop saying that he’s not good enough. Clearly, he is. Every QB has bad games and moments where things just don’t click. You trying to tell me Ben Roethlisberger hasn’t had those games? I know he has, because at least one came against the Ravens at the beginning of the season. Every QB, even the great ones, have games where things don’t work out. Where they look bad. But Joe Flacco has led his team to the playoffs in each of his first three seasons. Not too shabby. I know he hasn’t won a Super Bowl yet, but it took Peyton Manning, possibly the greatest QB of all time, if not certainly of our age, almost ten seasons to win a Super Bowl. Oh, and he lost one. Does that make him not an elite QB? Of course not. Long story short, lay off Flacco and start giving the Ravens the respect they’ve earned.