What's My Q?

Not a terrible Monday Night Football game this week. It helps if you mute your television and have a copy of the newest Maxim on hand. I guess MNF has gotten to the point where if the score isn't 37-0 early in the third quarter, it's a good game.

Once the Vikings went up 20-13 late in the fourth, you knew fourth-string QB Dave Grohl had no chance of engineering a 90-yard, game-tying drive in 2½ minutes, but to heave a bomb from midfield into double coverage in the end zone on 2nd down? Not the best idea in a must-win game. Wait, that was Kyle Orton at quarterback? Are you sure? Where were the Foo Fighters Monday night? I need this double-checked.

And by the way, this is my third post to this blog, the Must-Win Blog, and I just want to clarify something. This really was a must-win game for the Bears. My definition of a must-win game is where a team must win or their season and/or hopes to make the playoffs officially end. The Bears are officially out of the playoffs. Mike and the Mad Dog's definition of a must-win game is an 0-1 team going into Week 2 needing a W after a tough loss in Week 1. Big difference. I think the Chargers lost 4 "must-win games" this season before clinching their division.

I realize there's a pressure to make every single game seem important, but they're really not. Chances are if you tune into a game and expect it to be great, you'll be disappointed a few hours later. Most games aren't great. That's why we have ESPN Classic. Or that's why we used to have ESPN Classic. I think now it's for American Gladiators and Arli$$ reruns and rodeo and soccer matches that don't get ratings on ESPN2.

But anyway, that's the reason for the name.

Back to the MNF game for a second. I don't care what anyone has said about Tarvaris Jackson in the past month or two; he's terrible. He's Anthony Wright with a cooler first name and an equally common last name. Three interceptions, no touchdowns and a fumble lost. He's awful.

They say that the goaltender in hockey is the single most important player on any team sport. I'm not much of a hockey fan these days but after seeing Rex Grossman in the Super Bowl last season, Eli Manning and the Giants at 9-5 and Jackson and the Vikings at 8-6 this season and Trent Dilfer with a Super Bowl ring that wasn't pawned off by Alonzo Thomas or Joe Gilliam, I would have to agree. I would rather have Martin Brodeur than Manning behind center for the G-Men this Sunday in Buffalo. Elisp can man the crease for the Devils in Calgary.

I've taken it easy on Eli since he came into the league, partly because I'm a Giants fan and partly because we've made the playoffs the last two years and control our own destiny this year, but he's getting tougher and tougher to stick up for each week. He needs to step up this weekend in Buffalo. At least throw a spiral. Can you imagine the poor kids who pay money to go to the Manning Passing Academy and end up with Eli as an instructor? Half of the kids leave the academy 100% better, half of 'em leave off their back foot.

During the game on Sunday, the Redskins' defense started to act like that stupid dog in Duck Hunt. Each time a Giants receiver dropped one of Eli's ducks, they just stood up from behind the bushes, laughing.

In other NFL news, the Cowboys' Roy Williams was suspended for one week without pay for his third horse-collar tackle of the season. To recap, Williams was suspended for a game for a type of tackle that wasn't illegal a few years ago until he broke the leg of someone who then ended up being on his team. T.O. ends up on the short end of both sticks. Works for me.