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The Bottom Ten/NFL Week 8
By Gaylon Kent
The Writer's Shack
Controversy rages in the Bottom Ten this week as pollsters, never afraid to take a stand, rank two three-win teams while electing to leave out no less than four two-win teams, proving once again that B-10 pollsters never let a good line get in the way of an accurate survey. Or maybe they never let an accurate survey get in the way of a good line. They're still looking into that.
But with Tennessee, St. Louis and Tampa Bay all still winless having one or two wins may not make much of a difference in the race for The Dan Henning Trophy, symbolic of NFL Bottom Ten supremacy.
This week's fiasco, as the nags come out of the clubhouse turn:
1. Tennessee Titans (0-6; lost to New England 59-0) - With petition for extra week off vetoed by NFL, Titans get head start on upcoming bye week by not bothering to show up, rocketing to worst halftime deficit in NFL history, 45-0…B-10 pollsters regretting not showing some patience for having already used classic 'NFL warns Jeff Fisher if he wants to retain his seat on the Competition Committee he should field a competitive team' line...Next Loss: Jacksonville (Nov. 1)
2. St. Louis Rams (0-6; lost to Jacksonville 23-20 OT) - Rams show heart of B-10 champion, overcoming second halftime lead of season and late, game tying field goal to pull out the type of morale-depleting, heartbreaking loss that virtually insures B-10 medal stand finish…Next Loss: Indianapolis
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-6; lost to Carolina 28-21) - Buccaneers give up 267 rushing yards, but get bonus points for getting first third quarter points of season…Buccaneers so bad NFL not letting them play at home this week, fobbing them off on London, England, with future home games scheduled for Gdansk, Poland and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia…Next Loss: New England
4. Washington Redskins (2-4; lost to Kansas City ) - Once winless teams start thinning out, Redskins standing by for strong B-10 medal stand run…Opponents have a combined record of 0-14 at the time they played the Redskins and obliging Redskins have given no less than four (4) teams their first wins of the season…Redskins have not scored more than 17 points in a game this year, and twice have scored nine (9) or less…Next Loss: Philadelphia
5. Detroit Lions (1-5; lost to Green Bay 26-0) - Needing to show B-10 pollsters they are serious about strong B-10 run following the snapping of the second-best losing streak in NFL history, Lions lose 'statement game', with first shutout loss since 2001 while producing five (5) drives of three (3) or fewer yards to bring follow-up losing streak to three (3) games…Next Loss: St. Louis (Nov. 1)
6. Cleveland Browns (1-5; lost to Pittsburgh 27-14) - Browns fans beginning to think it was a bad idea to rejoin NFL with Browns well on their way to ninth losing season since rejoining NFL after 13th loss in last 15 games…Browns con Steelers into turning ball over four (4) times, but, in true B-10 fashion, convert them into zero (0) points, two fumbles, an interception of their own and a punt…Next Loss: Green Bay
7. NFC West (8-14) - With two first place teams only one game above .500 and winless St. Louis anchoring the bottom of this cesspool, NFC West current holders of Pete Rozelle Cup, issued to NFL's worst division…Next Loss: Relegation to SEC
8. Oakland Raiders (2-4; defeated Philadelphia 13-9) - Curious victory not so much a testament to coach Tom Cable's daily beatings of coaching staff but to how difficult it is to fly cross country and win in NFL as offense explodes for one (1) touchdown, 67 (67) yards rushing, seven (7) punts and two (2) interceptions…Next Loss: New York Jets
9. New York Jets (3-3; lost to Buffalo 16-13 OT) - After 3-0 start, Jets going down harder than a whore with the fleet in, impressively breaking a Bills' three game losing streak that had included losses to two teams that had been winless…Upcoming games at Oakland and vs. divisional foe Miami will be key to Jets B-10 chances…Next Loss: at Oakland
10. Jacksonville Jaguars - (3-3; defeated St. Louis 23-20 OT) - Jaguars head into bye week requiring gut check about how bad they want B-10 title…Jaguars have shutout loss to their credit, and two of three wins have come against winless teams, so potential for strong B-10 finish is there…Jaguars come out of bye week with key, losable games against Tennessee and Kansas City…Next Loss: Tennessee (Nov. 1)
This Week's Clash of the Titans: New York Jets at Oakland
This Is Don Criqui Reporting: San Diego at Kansas City
Let's Screw CBS III: Buffalo at Carolina
Strategies of the Great Coaches Series: "We went out and threw a fight on somebody and said, 'Enough. Let's play,"' - Oakland Raider head coach "Sugar" Tom Cable
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