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 Chris Mortensen talks with ESPN's Trey Wingo about news around the NFL.
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Dan Patrick Show
If needed, will the Rams suit up Chris Mortensen at kicker? Mort goes inside the Rams.
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Dan Patrick Show
Pick your poison. Chris Mortensen looks at Daunte Culpepper and the Vikings' 6-0 start.
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Week 8: Surprise! Vikes, not Rams, the lone unbeaten
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Jets 40, Dolphins 37 (OT): Wow. I don't think I have ever seen anything like the final quarter of this one, when the Jets registered 30 points and 20 first downs against one of the best defensive units in the NFL.
|  | | Jets quarterback Vinny Testaverde lifts lineman Jumbo Elliott after Elliott's improbable TD catch. |
Maybe the Jets ought to try to steal a page from the Yankees -- go with a Roger Clemens-like starter (Ray Lucas) and a Mariano Rivera-like closer (Vinny Testaverde). Testaverde was having a fairly miserable evening again through three quarters, then put on an incredible display of poise and accuracy under the most urgent conditions. So many kudos to so many Jets. There's Testaverde. There's rookie wide receiver Laveranues Coles, who made memorable plays after having many forgettable moments. Wayne Chrebet was, well, Wayne Chrebet. Curtis Martin made clutch catches. Richie Anderson may be the most unsung hero in the NFL; what a grab he made on fourth down near the goal line. But how about offensive coordinator Dan Henning? His formations continually got the Jets in favorable matchups with the Dolphins (Jerry Wilson surely knows how to spell "Chrebet" after seeing the back of the Jets' jersey). Henning also came up with a gem -- Jumbo Elliott catching a TD pass? What was overlooked was a heroic performance by the offensive line, combined with Henning's protection schemes. Testaverde barely got touched and was sacked just once in 59 pass attempts. The Jets had heroes on the defensive side, most notably Marcus Coleman, whose third interception led to John Hall's game-winning field goal in overtime. Coleman's interception also underscored the one flaw in Miami's performance. The Dolphins got away from Lamar Smith and the running game. The Jets seemed to be sucking wind in overtime and were having trouble stopping Smith on the few carries he got late in the game. It's possible offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, who deserves plaudits for his game plan that punctured the Jets' vaunted defense, overreached at the end. Jay Fiedler had already played to the max, and I'm not sure he was thinking all that clearly after getting dinged by Brian Cox late in the game. The Dolphins' defense surely is in shock. Frankly, a lot of people were stunned Monday night by this terrific epic.
Chiefs 54, Rams 34: On our Sunday show, I took the position that these were ideal conditions for the Rams to lose their first game (road, outdoors, grass and rain) but that the Chiefs needed to play Marty Schottenheimer football to pull it off -- meaning, they had to pound the football, something that had been lacking in the Kansas City game. Oops. Chiefs coach Gunther Cunningham made a loud and clear statement during and after the game that he doesn't want to play Schottenheimer football. The Chiefs kept going over the top with Elvis Grbac, and then Warren Moon, and basically delivered the kill shots. The offense scored 40 points, but a defensive TD and a special team score made this a game for the books. The Chiefs matched the Rams in passing yards (362), but also saw Kimble Anders pick up 102 yards rushing on just 13 carries. Now you know why Rams coach Mike Martz never felt comfortable with the status of his defense, which has now allowed a whopping 228 points in seven games -- an average of 32.5 per contest. Enter Bud Carson, who now comes out of retirement to see if his defensive genius can fix what ails this lackluster unit. Kurt Warner's broken pinky means his run for more individual records goes by the wayside, but the Rams' offense is in good hands with Trent Green. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if the Rams' psyche is bruised by the KO in KC. For the Chiefs, perhaps this will be a catapault as they take to the road for five of their next six games, including three straight.
Titans 14, Ravens 6: Yes, the Ravens have a problem. They can't score TDs, they don't know whether they have a quarterback, and they trail the Titans by two games in the AFC Central race. You also wonder whether Baltimore will have a divided locker room (offense vs. defense) after a game in which Tennessee was held to just seven first downs. But that's also the beauty of the defending AFC champion Titans, who can beat you a variety of ways, even with Eddie George missing after the first series with a sprained knee. This time, the defense produced five sacks and four interceptions. Linebacker Randall Godfrey, a pretty nice free agent pickup, had two picks, giving the Titans a huge touchdown on a 24-yard return in the third quarter. The Titans' D also rattled the Ravens into several ballhandling mishaps. Yet, surely the Ravens would have won this game with two or three key offensive plays. Tony Banks actually had his best outing of a four-game TD drought -- except he threw three INTs. Trent Dilfer finally made his debut for the Ravens, but I'm not sure I saw anything that would inspire an offensive turnaround. I now wonder whether Ravens coach Brian Billick should consider what I once thought was impossible -- turn over a playoff-caliber team to rookie QB Chris Redman, who was the most impressive passer in the Baltimore training camp and preseason. After all, the Vikings are doing just fine with a "rookie" in Daunte Culpepper. True, that's a stretch, but the Ravens are desperate.
Vikings 31, Bills 27: You do know that one of the league's MVP candidates is Daunte Culpepper, right? It was Culpepper who kept his poise and brought the Vikings from behind on a day when Doug Flutie was working his magic on the Buffalo side. Culepper's 39-yard TD pass to Randy Moss -- whose catch at the rear of the end zone was far more difficult than he made it look -- overcame a 27-21 deficit. So, did anybody out there predict that the Vikings would be the only unbeaten team in the NFL at this stage? Culpepper threw three more TDs and just one interception and posted 31 points against an excellent defense. Sure, it's nice to have Moss and Cris Carter (7 catches, 107 yards, 2 TDs), but Culpepper is playing with the poise of a veteran. As for the Bills, tough loss, but I must say that what struck me about Flutie running the show again is that Buffalo just looked a lot more efficient on offense. They looked in rhythm. They ran the ball well (120 yards). Flutie was only sacked once. Let's see what happens against the Jets next Sunday.
Colts 30, Patriots 23: This was a classic case of the Colts' trio of Peyton Manning, Edgerrin James and Marvin Harrison making big plays on borrowed time -- just 20:29 to be exact. The Patriots dominated on many fronts. They ran the ball well -- by the way, rookie J.R. Redmond (22 carries, 97 yards), the team's second-round pick from Arizona State looks like he may solve their running back problem. But Manning and Harrison deflated the Pats on two big pass plays and James (124 yards on 20 carries) finished them off. The Colts' defense may not have the same problems as the Rams' D, but it is not a comfortable way to play football.
Redskins 35, Jaguars 16: Honestly, I know the Jaguars had a lot of people out with injuries, but the Redskins have had the same problems and they have shown character. The Jaguars clearly have lost their way and their confidence. Quarterback Mark Brunell didn't get any help from top draft pick R.J. Soward, subbing for Jimmy Smith, but I thought Brunell had plenty of chances to make plays in this game, and he didn't get the job done.
|  | | Before leaving Sunday's game, Rams QB Kurt Warner had his worst half of the season -- 15-for-25 for 185 yards. |
Bengals 31, Broncos 21: Which is worse, losing to the Bengals or giving up 407 yards rushing? The Broncos did both. Great day for Corey Dillon, but the Denver D put on one of the poorest exhibitions of tackling in recent memory. This was a great win for the Bengals, but a ridiculous loss for the Broncos.
Saints 21, Falcons 19: Ricky Williams' 156 yards and three TDs ... hmmm, Mike Ditka justified? The Saints' 4-3 mark is again testimony to the work of first-year coach Jim Haslett and staff. Look out, the Saints are just two games behind the Rams in the NFC West. The Falcons are a huge disappoinment.
Panthers 34, 49ers 16: Reggie White had a players-only meeting on the field after Carolina's practice on Wednesday. He must have preached a terrific sermon.
Cowboys 48, Cardinals 7: Just look at the Cowboys' stats -- 40 rushes, 200 yards, just 147 yards passing by Troy Aikman. That was the absolute proper response to last week's disaster in New York. Cards coach Vince Tobin obviously will be looking for work soon.
Eagles 13, Bears 9: I must admit, I barely paid attention. But the Eagles are 5-3 with a critical game against Giants coming up.
Raiders 31, Seahawks 3: Jon Gruden's Raiders are headed in one direction, Mike Holmgren's Seahawks in another. Tyrone Wheatley and the Raiders' O-line mauled Seattle. They get to maul the Chargers next Sunday night.
Steelers 22, Browns 0: Thank you, Bill Cowher. Kordell Stewart definitely needed to take over the reins, especially with a key AFC Central game against the Ravens on deck.
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