The Lions still don't get it. OK, so you wait until midseason to sign Daunte Culpeeper, and then you throw him in immediately? How does that make any sense? Culpepper was available in the offseason, yet the Lions opted to go into the season with John Kitna and Dan Orlovsky at quarterback, with Drew Stanton as the third stringer. Now I'm not a Culpepper fan, to be honest with you. There are plenty of times where he's no better than Kitna as a quarterback, in my book. But his ceiling is definitely higher, and he is clearly better than Orlovsky. So I can see where them signing him. But why wait until now, after the mysterious dumping of Kitna to IR (even though he maintains he can play) and a few horrible weeks of Orlovsky? Could it be a money issue? Signing Culpepper in the summer would have probably required a signing bonus and a higher salary; waiting until midseason when he's out of alternatives is a lot cheaper. If this is the case, then that's just one more reason why the Lions are where they are right now.
Don't bury Dallas just yet:
I am a world class Cowboy hater and even I haven't written them off yet. Yes, they've struggled mightily as of late in losing four of their last five, but there are some details that need to be looked at. For one, they had to play their last three games without Tony Romo. Now Romo does his share pf picks but there's no doubt the Cowboys other QBs just do not have the skills that he does. Having Romo does matter against the NFC teams they have to face, and the other two tough games on their schedule against Pittsburgh and Baltimore. His presence alone gives them a chance to win those, and maybe even be the favorites in the home games. They have some heavy lifting ahead, but they're not dead yet.
Pittsburgh is your AFC darkhorse
And I'm not just saying that because they put a hurting on my Redskins. The AFC is a bastion of mediocrity all around, devoid of any team that I wold call a Super Bowl favorite. The Titans are 8-0, but are still relying on Kerry Collins and some doo-doo wide receivers; one day they will have to throw to win and it will be their undoing. Denver has no defense, the Pats are relying on Matt Cassel at QB, the Ravens have a rookie QB, and the Jets are too inconsistent. The two most talented teams, the Colts and Chargers, are dealing with injuries and may not even make the playoffs. The leaves the Steelers, who are probably the only team I can see putting together two or three straight solid games in the playoffs, which is what you need to do to get to the Super Bowl.
Michael Vick will play again!
I've said it a million times, and I'll say it again. When you consider the degree of suckitude that exists among the NFL quarterbacks, you can't deny that someone will give him a shot. We've already had fifty guys get major snaps at QB in the first nine weeks of the season, and now two more will get a chance in week 10. And remember, Vick was no worse than a middle of the pack starter; even if he falls off a little you still won't find 32 guys who are better than him.
