WASHINGTON — Remember back in Week 4 when the Green Bay Packers were
struggling and Aaron Rodgers told everyone to R-E-L-A-X?
Right now, cheeseheads are sitting in a hammock sipping piña coladas.
Including the Sunday Night dismantling of the division-rival Bears, Rodgers
has thrown for 20 touchdowns and only two interceptions in the 6 games since
that epic and memorable quote.
Last week, it was Ben Roethlisberger lighting up the archrival Ravens for 6
touchdowns. The week before that, Big Ben rang up another 6 scores.
Both men will likely end up in Canton one day but let’s be honest, folks. It’s
simply not as hard to throw touchdowns as it used to be.
Case in point: Johnny Unitas’ record of 47 straight games with a TD pass stood
for 52 years. On Sunday, Peyton Manning became the 3rd player in 3 years to
break it.
Speaking of Manning…his 29 touchdown passes this season currently leads the
league. That’s in just nine games. Did you know just 20 years ago, his 29 TDs
would’ve ranked fourth in the league over the course of all 16 regular season
games?
In that same 1994 season, Steve Young led the league in touchdown throws with
35. Four current QBs are on track to throw for over 40, with a couple others
also ahead of Young’s pace.
The same goes for yardage. Sticking with 1994, Drew Bledsoe led the league
with 4,555 passing yards, one of only three QBs to surpass 4,000 yards. Last
year, three quarterbacks surpassed Bledsoe’s mark, two of which threw for over
5,000 yards (which is now considered the new high water mark for single season
passing yardage).
I don’t say this to be Captain Obvious. I say this to suggest that perhaps we
shouldn’t go so crazy when we see a guy throw for so many touchdowns in a
game, especially now that the rules basically set it up so the truly elite
passers can put up such exorbitant numbers. It won’t be long before the record
of seven touchdowns in a game is broken — in fact, if Rodgers played deeper
into the game Sunday night, we’d have seen it then.
Hope you like touchdowns. Because this is the NFL’s new world order.
Now to order up the Week 10 NFL recap:
Browns 24
Bengals 3
This was the first time in nearly 28 years these two teams were both over .500
this late in the season…and it was every bit as lopsided as the December 1986
matchup. That’s thanks in large part to Andy
Dalton’s epic awful performance.
Meanwhile, Brian Hoyer might be the most popular non-LeBron in Cleveland for
helping the Browns snap a 17-game road losing streak in-division and for
winning 9 of the 12 games he’s started. He and Emma Stone have
something in common.
Chiefs 17
Bills 13
I’m sorry…did anyone catch what happened on the field? I was too busy
watching Andy Reid demonstrate his
omnipresence.
Megatron
Welcome back, Megatron. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
Dolphins 16
Lions 20
You may hail the long awaited return of Megatron, but I’m calling it Phase 2
of Reggie’s revenge. For the second time this season, “Reggae Bush” beat one
of his former teams and did very little to contribute to the win. Dude just
lives a charmed life.
Cowboys 31
Jaguars 17
Jerry Jones might think
Tony Romo has five more years in him, but having dealt with back issues I
can tell you: it’s not something you just rub dirt on and keep playing.
Nobody’s going to remember Romo rolling over a bad Jags team in London…he’s
going to have to show he can do this in the playoffs.
49ers 27
Saints 24 (OT)
This was the Saints’ first home loss with Drew Brees and Sean Payton on the
sidelines since 2010. Nice work by a San Francisco team accused of finishing
out the string so they can move on from Jim Harbaugh.
Titans 7
Ravens 21
Speaking of Harbaughs…did you John’s postgame comments in
Baltimore? The football gods simply must clear a path for a
Steelers/Ravens rematch in the playoffs…
Steelers 13
Jets 20
Ben Roethlisberger’s epic hot streak was halted by a defense that can’t take
the ball away, Michael Vick turned back the clock to his Madden ’04 form, and
the Jets actually won a game. The only explanation is Justin Bieber is the single worst NFL curse since
Tom Cruise’s visit to FedEx Field in 2006.
Falcons 27
Bucs 17
The more woeful Tampa looks, the more confident I am they’ll beat the Redskins
on Sunday…
Broncos 41
Raiders 17
Oakland started well, but couldn’t stop Peyton Manning from his league record
ninth career 5 TD game. Nine games into the season, we’re now on Raiders
Winless Watch: there’s only one sub-.500 team on their remaining schedule, so
that elusive first win of the season is likely going to have to come in the
form of a big upset.
Rams 14
Cardinals 31
Just when it was starting to look like the road to the Super Bowl in Arizona
might go through…Arizona, Carson Palmer blows out his knee just days after
signing a lucrative contract extension. Such a tough break for an already
snake-bitten franchise.
Giants 17
Seahawks 38
I’m not sure which was a bigger crime against humanity: Beast Mode mauling the
Giants defense for 140 yards and 4 TDs or an actual seahawk going
rogue and attacking fans.
Bears 14
Packers 55
To quote my friend and colleague Clinton Yates: “Whoever it was that said Jay
Cutler is just a modern day Jeff George was EXACTLY right.” That was me, CY.
I’ve been saying it for years…
Panthers 21
Eagles 45
Nice win, Philly. All three phases of the game scored touchdowns and you
dominated a 2013 playoff team. Just remember your playoff hopes rest on Mark
Sanchez. Who, in real life and in Madden, has proven to lack the tools to lead a team to a Super
Bowl.
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