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The Bottom Ten/NFL Week 8
By Gaylon Kent
The Writer's Shack
Coming back strong, tan and rested after a bye week!
It's difficult to go winless in the NFL, harder than it is to go undefeated, and there is still a long way to go, but with zero wins and league-best six-game losing streaks, both Cincinnati and Detroit are setting the pace in the race for the Dan Henning Trophy.
The usual warnings are issued, however. But watch out for Oakland, Miami and Cleveland. It's a long grueling B-10 campaign and it is almost inevitable that the Bengals and the Lions will stumble and win a couple. But especially watch out for Oakland.
This weeks mess, as the battle axes head into the backstretch:
1. Cincinnati Bengals (0-6; lost to NY Jets 26-14)
Mitigating Factors: Bengals offense sleepwalks through another one, mustering 171 total yards, including a whopping 43 on the ground…Bengals showing long-term B-10 mettle, already losing two games by a touchdown or less, and showing winning the close ones down the stretch shouldn't be a problem with an average margin of loss of 9.3 points per game.
Stat Sheet: Bengals offense ranks Next To Dead Last in NFL with 72.2 rushing yards per game and 227 total yards per game.
Next Loss: Pittsburgh
2. Detroit (0-5; lost at Minnesota 12-10)
Mitigating Factors: Lions show they are in B-10 race for long haul, giving away victory with key pass interference penalty, which led to game winning field goal…Exciting NFL contest features 17 punts, two touchdowns.
Boy, That Was Close: Three yard gain in fourth quarter gives Lions 100 rushing yards for the day, allowing them to have more rushing yards than penalty yards.
Next Loss: at Houston
3. Cleveland (Played NY Giants Monday night, after Bottom Ten deadline)
Mitigating Factors: Bengals, Lions file official protest with NFL, ESPN protesting allowing Browns to woo B-10 pollsters on national tee vee…Cleveland wins Jim Brown Plaque as last NFL team this season to get rushing touchdown.
Oh, Jesus H: Despite fact game played after B-10 deadline, pollsters confident Browns humiliated themselves enough on national, tee vee to warrant high ranking!
Next Loss: at Washington
4. Miami (2-4; lost at Houston 29-28)
Mitigating Factors: After consecutive wins over last years AFC Championship Game participants, Dolphins back in the high life with clutch loss to previously unvictoried Texans…Defense, as usual, key, giving up key first down on fourth and ten, followed by go-ahead touchdown with nine (9) seconds left in game.
Back In The High Life Again: Dolphin QB Chad Pennington overcomes great performance by Dolphins QB Chad Pennington by throwing key fourth quarter interception, only to have Texans fumble the ball back on the return.
Next Loss: Baltimore
5. Oakland (1-4; lost at New Orleans 34-3)
Mitigating Factors: Raiders lead 3-0 after first quarter, decide not bother with heart breaking, last second loss by giving up 34 unanswered points.
What The Hell's Going On Here? Raider interim coach Tom Cable, seeing the mess he's inherited, trying to give back both 'interim' and 'coach' titles and go back to being water boy.
Next Loss: NY Jets
Caught In The Lint Trap:
6. Kansas City (1-4) - Had bye week, but hoping momentum from shutout loss the week before carries through to this week's game vs. Tennessee.
7. O.J. Simpson - Finally convicted of something.
8. St. Louis (1-4) - Strong road win could fuel win streak that could hamper B-10 medal stand hopes. Watch out, guys.
9. NFC North - League's worst division has combined record of 9-14 and features three teams tied for first with 3-3 marks, Detroit Lions.
10. Houston (1-4) - Texans no longer winless, and games against Detroit, Cincinnati next two weeks key to B-10 medal stand hopes!
This Week's Clash of the Titans: Detroit at Houston
This Is Don Criqui Reporting: Just cut and paste the remaining Cincinnati Bengals schedule here
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