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FSFL Week 6 Recaps
The Browns are in trouble. The switch from Bernie Kosar to Bill Nelson didn't fix the Browns' turnover issues, as Nelson threw three picks to detract from a 300-yard, 3 TD performance and the 49ers improved to 5-1 with a big win in Cleveland. The victory gave San Francisco a 3-game lead in the NFC West, while the Browns fell to 1-4 in the AFC North. Jim Brown carried 13 times for 83 yards, but again was sidelined as the Browns played from behind.
Another quarterback change didn't change the results, as the Seahawks' shift to Rick Mirer from Jon Kitna didn't stop Seattle from remaining winless. Mirer was solid (21-for-29, 1 TD, 1 INT), but his interception was taken the distance by the Bengals' Ken Riley and the Seahawks' pass defense was picked apart by Ken Anderson for 316 yards and 3 TDs.
After a stalwart effort in handing the Chiefs their first loss of the season a week ago in a 10-7 win, the Vikings had
an easier task in dealing with the Bears, who fell to 0-6, despite the return of Bobby Douglass. But Douglass is a runner not a thrower, and his 91 yards passing weren't going to put any fear in the Vikes' defense, which contained Gale Sayers (17 carries, 76 yards). The Bears mustered only 198 offensive yards and found the touchdown only on a 43-yard interception return from Dick Butkus. Minnesota is 4-2.
Nobody in or around the FSFL knows yet who the real Dallas Cowboys are. They dropped a pair to both New York teams to open the season, then struggled to defeat the Cardinals before handing the Patriots their first loss. But then they got smacked by the 49ers, only to bounce back with their best defensive performance of the season against the Chargers, who were coming off a bye. Emmit Smith rushed for 94 yards and a score and Dallas picked off Tobin Rote twice to head into their bye week at 3-3.
The Buffalo Bills will get O.J. Simpson back next week, and not a moment too soon. After starting 4-0, the Bills have now dropped two straight since losing their star halfback late in a Week 4 win over the Dolphins. But credit the Giants, who have won three straight to take over the NFC East lead at 4-2. The Bills held them to 39 yards rushing, but Kerry Collins threw for 315 yards and two touchdowns as Big Blue upset the Bills in Buffalo.
The Raiders are for real! Oakland won its fourth straight and third in a row in dramatic fashion, following up a 3-point win over the Chargers and a last minute win over the Packers with an overtime victory over the Patriots as Ken Stabler threw his third TD of the game, a 6-yard strike to Tim Brown, for the OT win after Nnamdi Asomugha picked off Tom Brady on the Pats' opening drive of the overtime period. It was only the second interception thrown by Brady this season. The Raiders are 5-1, the Pats are 4-2.
It wasn't a marquee matchup, but one of the best games of the FSFL season went down in Los Angeles, where the Cardinals sent the Rams to their third straight defeat when Jay Feely hit a 52-yard field goal as time expired to silence the crown in Los Angeles. The Rams settled for three red zone field goals and allowed the Cardinals' David Johnson to run for 153 yards and a score. Jim Hart completed 20-of-28 for 288, 2 TDs and an interception. Both teams now sit at 2-4, meaning the 49ers have a 3-game lead 6 games into the season.
In Week 1, the Detroit Lions tested the Kansas City Chiefs, who have gone on to be a favorite in the AFC. All the Lions have tested since then is their fans' patience. The Lions have dropped four straight to fall to 1-5, and have scored 22 points over those four games. Rodney Peete was to take over for Scott Mitchell, but Peete was injured during practice and Mitchell got a one-week reprieve. He responded by throwing two picks and getting sacked five times, a performance so bad it let the Bucs cruise to victory despite Jameis Winston throwing four interceptions.
The Texans started off poised for the upset, taking a 10-0 lead at the end of one quarter. But the FSFL's worst defense was exposed as the Saints put up 426 of offense, while the Texans mustered only 158 yards and eight first downs. George Rogers carried 21 times with 95 yards and a score and Danny Abromowicz had 107 yards receiving as the Saints improved to 4-2. The Texans are 0-6.
The Jets almost doubled their scoring average as the Eagles' road struggles continued. Philly has won both home games but fell to 1-3 on the road as they allowed 146 yards rushing and could never get a big play despite converting 10 third downs in the game. New York avoided falling to 1-5 and putting themselves in a real hole with the Pats and Bills both at 4-2. Instead, New York is two games back heading into the bye week before the Battle For New York against the Giants in Week 8.
Jerry Glanville's Oilers don't want the bye week this week, but they'll be forced to take it and pump the brakes on a team that is rolling at the moment. The Ravens have caught a lot of attention as one of the surprises of the early season, but the Oilers exposed all their blemishes in a rout in Tennessee. Earl Campbell rushed for 128 yards and a score, Derrick Henry added two rushing touchdowns and George Blanda threw for three TDs as the Oilers clicked from start to finish. That extended to the defense too, which picked off Tony Banks three times. Tennessee is 5-1, Baltimore falls to 4-2.
Is the bloom coming off the Colts' rose, or have we perhaps underestimated Jacksonville. The Jags, expected to be one of the worst teams in the FSFL, dropped their first two games - including one to the Colts - before defeating the lowly Texans and then the Falcons. But they went into Buffalo and dealt the Bills their first loss a week ago, and now stunned the Colts - who were 4-0 before last week. The Jaguars are in the top 10 in only two categories: Fewest giveaways, where they rank 10th, and most takeaways, where they rank 4th.
The Broncos put a scare into a Kansas City squad coming off its first loss, a 10-7 war of attrition in Minnesota. Champ Bailey's pick-6 of Steve DeBerg helped keep Denver close and Jake Plummer avoided the turnovers that have plagued him. But the Chiefs sacked him six times and Priest Holmes was a horse, carrying 27 times for 103 yards and a touchdown. Denver got within a field goal but Kansas City recovered a late onside kick and survived to get to 5-1 in the league's best division. Denver is 3-3. The teams meet in Denver in two weeks.
The Panthers' Luke Kuechly had a sack, an interception and 11 tackles to lead a fantastic performance by a Panthers defense that has now allowed 13 points or fewer in four of its six games, mirroring its 4-2 record. They are 4th in scoring, 2nd in fewest points allowed. But three of their four wins are against the Seahawks, Lions and Dolphins - a combined 2-15. Carolina gets a bye this week before trying to keep it rolling against another patsy, the 0-6 Texans.
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