My anthology of NFL observations: Week 11

It was great weekend for the football fan in me!!!

• It was an early start with Thursdays game between Brett Favre's Jets and.........umm, don't know if I should say Matt Cassel's Patriots. I can't stand the Pats but Matt "the replacement" Cassel is playing his tail off. If he keeps it up, he'll be in line to earn some serious coin for his next contract.
• My Packers won in a convincing way! So glad the running game finally made a statement. Ryan Grant ran for his second hundred yard game of the season and I hope he can continue the trend. This is a biased statement that I am about to make but I think my boys are the sleeper team to win the Lombardi trophy this year.
  
• Another team to watch out for is the Pittsburgh Steelers. They always play well enough to get the "W." They have one of the NFL's toughest schedules and are currently sitting atop the AFC North with a 7-3 record. Trivia tidbit here: the Steelers/Chargers 11-10 score was the first time in NFL history that the score of a game has ended as such. Wow!!! I find that fascinating.
• Can anyone figure out why the Cowboys aren't winning convincingly. Blame the defence all you want but the offence is not running on all cylinders and the reason why befuddles me. Hopefully the return of Tony Romo and their bye week coming up will give them time to work out all the kinks and allow Romo to put in some time with Roy Williams. Williams playing across from the most narcissistic player in all of sports should make the offence as potent as we all expected.
• Who's the NFL's most valuable player at this point? Kurt Warner gets my vote. That old dawg can still toss 'em with the best of 'em. Doesn't hurt to have arguably the best weapons on offence in the league. Boldin, Fitzgerald and Hightower are a quarterbacks wet dream. Kerry Collins gets my vote as runners up. 10-0 ain't no joke people. Someone on that team needs to get some props. Without Collins, their record wouldn't be what it is.
• I didn't forget about the defending champs. Great defence and a very good offence simply means all signs are pointing towards a return to the Superbowl. Every team in the league should copy the Giants running formula. Get a bruising back that's light on his feet and loves punishing defensive backs. Brandon Jacobs is like a wheelbarrow with a motor; filled with cement, going downhill. Also get two tough, lightening quick backs that can juke a safety out of his cleats. Good luck stopping them. Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw can start for almost any team in the league.
• On a final note. I can't wait to see what the Browns will be like with Brady Quinn against the Buffalo Bills tonight. The Bills need this win after dropping four of their last five games. I look for them to keep the pressure on Quinn to see if he can withstand the pressure blitz. I say the former Notre Dame stand out will have a good game. Maybe he'll throw pick or two but nonetheless a good outing and a win.

Ps. My rookie of the year so far: MATT RYAN. Dude can play!!!

Sportacularly yours,

The Vicarious Athlete