Cut T.O. some slack

But only a little. We all are familiar with the sordid history of Terrell Owens, and everyone assumes it's only a matter of time before Evil T.O. rears his ugly head and starts trashing the Bills organization, and his teammates. But that day is not yet here, and reporters covering the Bills have no business trying to accelerate the process by baiting Owens with loaded, leading questions.

By now, Owens' post-game comments are pretty well known. He avoided questions about his frustration level and the play calling.

"I'm just going with the plays that are called," he said, over and over.

And that was about as well as he could have handled these idiotic questions. Nothing controversial, and nothing that could be twisted or taken out of context to be perceived as controversial.

There's no doubt reporters, and fans outside Buffalo, want to see the next T.O. implosion. But be patient. It'll come. The questions Owens faced on Sunday were inappropriate and had nothing to do with the game. No one would ask Wes Welker or Reggie Wayne those kinds of questions after a loss in which they had no receptions. Why? Because those guys aren't characters like Owens is. And if Owens isn't making noise on the field, he's expected to do so off of it.

But the fact is, Owens is a past-his-prime receiver on a bad football team. Why are people paying him this much attention?

Celtics in Newport

Last year, we got a number of people describing to us their brushes with fame when the Celtics were in town for training camp. We'd like to hear more. If you see any team members around - on Thames Street, in restaraunts, bars or clubs - let us know.

NFL musings through three weeks

All fans have their knee-jerk reactions to a bad loss or a big win, but there are no certainties through three weeks of the NFL season. Take, for example, the Denver Broncos. Despite all of the offseason hubbub, they’re 3-0 and sit atop the AFC West. Would I put them with the other six undefeated teams? Absolutely not.

I do, however, think the New York Giants are the best team in the NFL right now, their roommates, the Jets, are a serious contender in the AFC and that the Tennessee Titans won’t recover from an 0-3 start.

I think the Vikings — as I predicted before the start of the season — are bound for the Super Bowl, and the Patriots will meet them there despite plenty of talk from the national media. I think the 49ers will be a tough out in the playoffs, and the Cowboys will falter as usual.

I think that Peyton Manning is far and away the best quarterback in this league, and without much fanfare, is gaining ground on that oft-asked question: “Who’s the greatest quarterback of all time?”

In the AFC North, the defending champion Steelers will eventually right the ship, but not enough to catch the Ravens. After two wins over quality opponents, the clock is bound to strike 12 on the Bengals, and the Browns rank No. 2 in teams in complete disarray.

The dubious distinction for the No. 1 slot goes to the Raiders, who are 1-2 and can’t keep their hands off each other (coaches, not players).
The one team that baffles me a bit is the Saints. Yes, they’re 3-0 and they have a quality win over the Eagles, but I’m not sold on their defense. Offense can carry a team pretty far, but as the old cliché goes, defense wins championships.

One final point: When Randy Moss catches 10 passes for 116 yards, don’t accuse him of dogging it.

One more final point: Are fans in the nation’s capital just giving up on sports in general? Between the Redskins, the Nationals, the Orioles and the Wizards, little could be considered FAN-tastic.

R.I. HS Football Poll Week 3

Apparently La Salle's struggles with Rogers, which held the defending state champion to two touchdowns on Friday night, didn't scare voters, who kept the Rams in the No. 1 spot. Barrington continues to roll over opponents and stayed in the No. 2 spot. Things will come to a head this Friday, though, when Portsmouth, which dropped one spot after a two-point loss to No. 5 East Providence, hosts La Salle.

Middletown cruised past Central Falls, but the Islanders dropped a spot in the poll. Still, it is the top team in Division IV. Cranston West had the biggest jump in the week, going from No. 18 to No. 12. Tiverton, meanwhile, moved back into the poll at No. 19 after getting bounced last week.

1. La Salle (5) 157 1
2. Barrington (3) 155 2
3. South Kingstown 143 3
4. Cranston East 135 4
5. East Providence 130 5
6. West Warwick 108 8
7. Middletown 105 6
8. Portsmouth 96 7
9. Ponaganset 88 9
10t. Mount Hope 73 14
10t. Westerly 73 12
12. Cranston West 67 18
13. Hendricken 58 17
14. Woonsocket 53 11
15. Lincoln 37 16
16. Moses Brown 35 15
17. St. Raphael 33 13
18. Johnston 29 10
19. Tiverton 27 NR
20. Classical 24 20

Others receiving votes: Coventry 16, Hope 11, East Greenwich 9, Cumberland 8, Burrillville 3, Tolman 2, Scituate 1.

Participating publications: The Chariho Times, The Coventry Courier, The Cranston Herald, The East Greenwich Pendulum, The Narragansett Times, The Newport Daily News, The Northeast Independent, The North Kingstown Standard Times, The South County Independent, The Warwick Beacon, The Westerly Sun.

Brett freakin' Favre

It was precisely the kind of play that Brett Favre used to endear himself to Packers fans for 16 seasons. He dodges would-be tacklers, closes his eyes and heaves a pass that, at any other time in the game, would be ill advised.

More often than not, these passes don’t work. They are overthrown, knocked down or intercepted. But when they do work, no one remembers the ones that didn’t.

That’s why Vikings fans are, so far, elated that their team decided to sign a 40-year-old quarterback just before the start of the 2009 season.

I watched that final play — a last-second Favre touchdown pass to Greg Lewis in the back of the end zone to beat the 49ers — live, and as it unfolded, I assumed an interception was inevitable.

When Lewis caught the pass, it reminded me of all the similarly great plays during Favre’s career in Green Bay. But instead of jumping up and down and celebrating in my living room as I’d done so many times, my jaw was on the floor and I suddenly felt a little sick to my stomach.

There probably isn’t a player in sports I’ve ever rooted against as much as I’m rooting against Favre this season. And given my disdain for a certain team up in Massachusetts, that’s saying something.

But, as Patriots fans might recall, Favre and his new team started off pretty hot last year, too. In the second half of the season, however, Favre started to show his age and the Jets took a nosedive.

By the end of this season, Sunday’s miracle will be a distant memory, clouded by the 20 or so interceptions Favre is destined to throw in the final 13 regular-season games and another overall disappointing Vikings season.

Patriots beat Falcons 26-10

Moss finishes with over 100 yards in receptions, but I'm impressed with defense and especially with the O line - no sacks as Brady threw 42 times - and Taylor going over 100 yards for the 100th time in his career.
That four-and-1 run in the third quarter for a first down ... BIG!

Pats pass to a 26-10 lead

Big play. Brady has pretty much all day to throw as he steps up in the pocket and hits Baker down the right sideline for a 36-yard score on third-and-6 midway through the final quarter.
New England's up 16 points and a Pats defense with an extra step in its rush forces a three-and-out.
Bring on another bird to the Razor - the Ravens.

NE stalls

Up by 9 points with 13:09 left, Pats from their 33 could go a big way to a win with a sustained drive, which they've been doing most of the afternoon.
A Julian Edelman end around gains 5 yards, but he drops a pass over the middle on the next play and Brady overthrows Watson backup Chris Baker on the next.
This offense is still a real work in progress.

New England increases its lead to 19-10

How about Bill Belichick going for it on fourth-and-1 from the New England 25 with a 16-10 lead with five minutes left in the third quarter?
Morris gets the first down over the right side on a quick hit.
The O line must get confidence out of that.
Now it's fourth-and-3 from the Atlanta 37 with no backs with Brady. What a touch pass to Moss down the right sideline for 21 yards! Moss had his right hand up, asking for the ball, just a few strides into his route.
Atlanta challenges on the next play that Morris, ruled down after no gain, fumbled.
The ruling stands.
Now another Brady overthrow, this one to Watson, and a dump pass to Faulk for a short gain ends the third quarter ...
and opens the final 15 minutes with another Stephen Gostkowski field goal.
At least Atlanta's going to have to score more than one touchdown if it's going to stay unbeaten.

Pats add another field goal to lead 16-10

Another field goal, but another missed chance for a touchdown inside the red zone. The Pats came out running to start the second half, with the left side of the offensive line especially effective for Taylor and Sammy Morris.
But Pats can't punch it across, going for passes again at the end. Ben Watson makes a nice leaping grab down to the 4, but New England settles for another trey.
This lead looks shaky.

Pats hold slim halftime lead

Vince Wilfork goes down, is taken out, with Atlanta marching in a 10-10 game. But as Wilfork is escorted to the locker room, Falcons implode when Michael Turner fumbles and NE safety James Sanders recovers.
It takes a week to determine who has the ball. "Play the whistle!" Yeah, right.
Someday the networks will have a camera under the turf so we can view the mayhem in those scrambles.
It will make "Survivor" look like pattycake.
The forced fumble is made by Pats free safety Brandon McGOWAN!!!
Well, the Pats, with the ground game going pretty week, get a first down at the Falcons 15. But three incompletes mean a another field goal for a 13-10 halftime lead.
Wilfork (ankle)for the second half is questionable.
As is New England's deep passing for the first half.

Taylor-made 10-3 New England lead

How about those holes up the middle for Fred Taylor? New England's interior made it look easy. Taylor did have a forward-leaning, tackle-busting gainer of 19 yards, but I could have drove my '03 GT Hyundai those final eight yards and been untouched.
That's the running game the Pats have been looking for.

Pats tie it at 3-3

That was a bad overthrow over the middle for a wide-open Joey Galloway to start New England's first possession. And another, this one to Moss deep, but roughing-the-passer keeps the drive alive.
Laurence Maroney shows some good running inside and Brady steps up and delivers to Galloway, who is deep in the end zone.
Too deep. Hasn't he been around long enough to know where the back line is?
And that 3rd-and-goal from the 5 to Kevin Faulk for 2 yards?
Grrrr!
.

Falcons lead 3-0

Falcons begin what becomes a 12-play, 72-yard drive for a 3-0 lead with pass from Matt Ryan to Brian Finneran and ends - at least before the field goal - with an incompletion to Finneran.
Ryan growing up outside Philadelphia no doubt used to watch Finneran, a 9-year vet, play at Villanova.
Go Colonial Athletic Association!!!

New England hosts Atlanta

Greetings from Gillette. Light rain. 62 degrees. As feared Welker is inactive.