So much for competitive balance.
Parity? A rarity.
It was Sunday, at least, as six NFL teams won by at least four touchdowns.
Green Bay beat Cleveland by 28, New England beat Tampa Bay by 28, San Diego beat Kansas City by 30, Cincinnati beat Chicago by 35, Indianapolis beat St. Louis by 36 and the New York Jets beat Oakland by 38.
“You never want to lose at home, and you never want to lose in this fashion,” Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel said after a 37-7 loss to the Chargers. “It’s going to be a hard film to watch.”
At least he doesn’t play for the Raiders, who were blanked 38-0. That brings the season total to seven shutouts throughout the league. Heading into Week 7, the six shutouts were the league’s most through the first six weeks since 1994.
But not all games that begin as blowouts end that way.
Ask the Miami Dolphins. They had a three-touchdown advantage at home against New Orleans on Sunday, becoming the first team this season to take a lead against the undefeated Saints.
It didn’t last. Drew Brees overcame his worst day of the season — three interceptions and five sacks — to direct the Saints to a 46-34 victory. Leaning more on the run than the pass, the NFL’s highest-scoring team topped 40 points for the fourth time.
In collecting their sixth consecutive victory, the Saints joined the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos as the only remaining teams unblemished in their right-hand columns. That marks the first time in league history there have been three undefeated teams through the opening seven weeks of the season.
The NFL might not have the on-any-given-Sunday feel it has in some seasons. But you won’t hear those three teams complaining.
Recognize him? UCLA’s Spencer Havner tried for three seasons to break into the league as a linebacker, first with Washington, then with Green Bay. No luck.
He didn’t need a new career path, just a new position. He switched to tight end for the Packers before this season and Sunday scored his first touchdown as a pro. He caught a short pass from Aaron Rodgers, turned up the sideline and dived into the end zone for a 45-yard TD.
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Blast from the past: The 49ers were looking for an offensive surge heading into their game in Houston, and they thought the return of running back Frank Gore would provide one. Or maybe it would be the debut of rookie receiver Michael Crabtree that would give them that boost.
Instead, San Francisco got scoring help from the most unexpected of places: forgotten top pick Alex Smith. With Shaun Hill struggling, Smith came off the bench in the second half to throw three touchdown passes and almost lead the 49ers back. Almost.
Mirror, mirror: When the 5-0 Colts played at the 0-5 Rams, it was the 12th time in the modern era in which an undefeated team that is 5-0 or better played a winless team that is 0-5 or worse. One of those winless teams wound up winning that game — the 0-5 Giants beat the 5-0 Buccaneers in 1979.
Brett Familiar: From gunslinger to game manager … and back again. After making it through the first six games of the season with just two interceptions, Minnesota’s Brett Favre looked like the old high-risk, high-reward gambler in Pittsburgh. He had 51 pass attempts for 334 yards, both season highs, but had two turnovers that were returned for touchdowns.
Did we just see that? The Jets dominated the Raiders so thoroughly that at one point during the blowout, Jets rookie Mark Sanchez was spotted on the bench discreetly eating a hot dog. Sanchez has always said he’s a hungry player, and, hey, a guy’s got to eat.
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Octo-Tom
In the second quarter in London, New England opened a 21-0 lead on the Buccaneers. That, coupled with a 59-0 victory over the Titans a week before, means the Tom Brady-led Patriots had outscored those opponents 80-0.
Not since the 1985 Bears had any team run up an 80-0 tab on any one opponent or consecutive opponents. That team, of course, went on to win the Super Bowl.
— Sam Farmer
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