We've moved...

To our clientele:

If you are looking for us, we've moved here.
Yeah, the rent's a bit higher in the new place, but that doesn't mean you'll pay one dime more.

So visit often. The attitude is on us.

-The Grill Room Management

Willkommen to the Stammtisch, Brett!

While the Grill Room caters to mostly an American audience, we do follow certain German traditions around this joint -- besides serving the best beer in the world.

Recently, we had the idea to move around the tables with the aim of positioning one in the finest location in the place. So, after a little work, we now have our Stammtisch. It is right next to the fireplace, has unfettered access to the bar, and offers a picturesque view of the storybook German countryside on the left and our 120-inch, big-screen TV on the right.

Of course, the Stammtisch is reserved for only our finest customers, and able consumers of our strong stuff.
In the last couple of weeks, that table's been a bit quiet, even if New Orleans' Bourbon Street contingent have been regulars.

Well, this week we've invited Brett Favre's Vikings up to join the Saints and Peyton Manning's all-too-polite Colts at our Stammtisch. What they accomplished in Green Bay last Sunday was mighty strong.

The table's plenty exclusive, but it's also plenty big, so we've extended an invitation to the defending champion Steelers to gather 'round next week, but only if they go to Denver and beat the Broncos Monday night. With incentive like that, how can they lose?

The gang around the Stammtisch will be watching.


THE STRONG STUFF

• 1 (1) New Orleans (99 proof, 7-0) With Carolina, St. Louis and Tampa Bay coming up, Saints won't play their next NFL game until the Patsies come calling on Nov. 30.
  
• 2 (2) Indianapolis (95 proof, 7-0) With Manning completely ineffective (31-48, 347 yds., 0 TDs), Colts had to go to RB Addai to throw clinching TD against 49ers.
• 3 (4) Minnesota (91 proof, 7-1) Favre and Peterson get the headlines, but Percy Harvin is the story.

WORTH A SHOT

• 4 (3) Pittsburgh (87 proof, 5-2) Ready to head to Denver Monday night to finish what Ravens started last Sunday.
  
• 5 (5) New England (85 proof, 5-2) After bye week spent in Florida with wife Gisele Bundchen, Tom Brady says his body feels great. And this is news...
  
• 6 (7) Philadelphia (84 proof, 5-2) Used scrimmage against Giants to prepare for confident Cowboys this Sunday.
• 7 (9) Baltimore (82 proof, 4-3) Put Denver in its proper place, and is fixin' to do the same with Cincy.
• 8 (10) Cincinnati (79 proof, 5-2) Used bye week to make sure all their fillings were properly glued in place with rock-'em, sock-'em Ravens coming to town for revenge.
• 9 (6) Denver (78 proof, 6-1) Took 'em eight weeks, but they are what we thought they were. OK, maybe they're just a little better...
• 10 (15) Dallas (77 proof, 5-2) Well, well, it's about time the Cowboys started their rise. Otherwise, how can they fall?
• 11 (13) Houston (76 proof, 5-3) Loss of TE Daniels, is a mighty downer to a team on the way up.
• 12 (11) Atlanta (74 proof, 4-3) After tough loss to Saints, Falcons will benefit from Obama's NFL bailout plan when they host his team on Sunday.

WATERED DOWN

• 13 (18) Chicago (66 proof, 4-3) This team has 9-7 written all over it.
• 14 (8) Arizona (65 proof, 4-3) Speaking of having 9-7 written all over it...
  
• 15 (16) San Diego (63 proof, 4-3) Had to play a full 60 minutes to put away awful Raiders. Lucky for them, they might need only half that to put away Giants Sunday.
• 16 (14) Green Bay (61 proof, 4-3) Rodgers holds the ball for 10 seconds in the pocket and O-Line gets rapped. Nice...
  
• 17 (12) N.Y. Giants (60 proof, 5-3) Defensive coach Sheridan vows to finally make an adjustment Sunday when he crosses his arms the other way on the sidelines.
• 18 (17) San Francisco (58 proof, 3-4) Just what Tennessee needs, an angry 49ers team at home this Sunday.
• 19 (19) Miami (57 proof, 3-4) Finally figured the best way to get the ball in Ted Ginn's hands -- don't throw it to him.

CHEAP STUFF

• 20 (20) N.Y. Jets (56 proof, 4-4) Buddy boy's Jets will spend bye week talking big to themselves, because frankly, nobody else is listening anymore.
  
• 21 (24) Carolina (55 proof, 3-4) Big win in Arizona Sunday, but Coach Fox won't last long holding his breath every time Delhomme drops back to pass -- even if it was only 14 times.
  

ROT GUT

• 22 (21) Jacksonville (50 proof, 3-4) Enough of this team already.
• 23 (23) Seattle (47 proof, 2-5) Just dumped Edgerrin James. There! That will fix it!
  
• 24 (22) Buffalo (45 proof, 3-5) The exciting Dick Jauron is heading to Norton, Kan., during the bye week, to kick seriously tail in a bingo tournament.
• 25 (25) Kansas City (39 proof, 1-6) Had a bye week Sunday and nobody noticed.
• 26 (26) Oakland (37 proof, 2-5) Coach Cable will join Jauron in Norton to make sure those blue-hairs pay up -- or else.
• 27 (30) Tennessee (30 proof, 1-6) Now that they've played that mighty Young trump card, what's next?
  
• 28 (27) Cleveland (29 proof, 1-7) After firing GM, Mangini warns owner he might be next.
• 29 (28) Tampa Bay (28 proof, 0-7) Why do we think they can beat Green Bay this week? Seriously, why?!
• 30 (31) Washington (19 proof, 2-5) After years of running the team into the ground, it has finally occurred to Dan Snyder things aren't going well. Will ya cut this guy off already.
  
• 31 (32) St. Louis (18 proof, 1-7) Into fourth day of 11-day drunk after winning Sunday.
• 32 (29) Detroit (15 proof, 1-6) Ahh, home...

(*) -- denotes last week's ranking.

Golf Hall setup is too easy

For a game that generally demands the highest standards and decorum, requirements for gaining entrance to the World Golf Hall of Fame have always seemed just a little too vague and a little too low to us in the Grill Room.

On Monday night, Lanny Wadkins, Jose Maria Olazabal and Christy O'Connor Sr. were inducted into golf's shrine to itself in St. Augustine, Fla.

These three gents join the likes of Tony Jacklin, Gene Littler and Larry Nelson -- to randomly pick just a few of the head-scratching members for no good reason at all -- as inductees.
It is not like these guys weren't good players. They were very good, in fact, but don't belong anywhere near the likes of Nicklaus, Palmer, Jones and Hogan in anything resembling a nod to greatness.

I guess this doesn't make it unlike so many of the other sports Halls these days. It seems like the NFL, for one, lowers its standards of greatness each year. Baseball has lately been called by some the Hall of Good, so maybe we're being a little hard on golf and the players it considers great. It just seems like more should be expected of the world's greatest game.

Wadkins was like players of more recent vintage, Fred Couples and Davis Love III, who had a ton of game and should have won more, but didn't. Mostly, that's because Wadkins had no back-off button on the golf course. It was said that he never saw a pin he didn't like. His go-for-broke approach no doubt speared him a few of his wins, but most likely cost him many more.

Wadkins managed to win a very respectable 21 tour events, including the 1977 PGA Championship, his one and only major. He also won the venerable U.S. Amateur, and was one of the United State's great Ryder Cup players, racking up an impressive 20-11-3 record in the event.

Wadkins, who will be 60 next month, has been pretty outspoken lately about not being included for induction earlier with contemporaries like Hubert Green and Nelson. In fact, Wadkins has never been shy about saying what's on his mind, which made his wishy-washy approach as the game's lead analyst on CBS all the more baffling.

CBS dumped him in 2007, after five languid years behind the mic. While he remains dumbfounded by this decision, he was clear about what Monday night's honor meant.

"To join this (Hall) and be a part of something with my heroes ... I am honored beyond belief," Wadkins said.

Frankly, I've always had a particularly soft spot for Olazabal (pictured), even if I do question his Hall-of-Fame credentials.

I named a dog after him once back when I was being paid to cover the sport a very long time ago. Yes, I realize that both of those developments are equally pathetic.

Olazabal the golfer, comes from a small fishing village in the north of Spain, has always carried himself like a gentleman and let his clubs do most of his talking in his prime. Olazabal the dog was a royal pain in the ass, who came from hell. (Sorry, I obviously have unresolved issues where this dog is concerned.)

Olazabal the golfer is best known for winning two Masters and partnering with countryman Seve Ballesteros in the Ryder Cup to rain terror on the Americans. The Spaniards were as responsible as any Euro not named Montgomerie for turning around that continent's fortunes in the bi-annual event. Ballesteros and Olazabal amassing a gaudy 11-2-2 record playing together, and
Olazabal sports a solid 18-8-2 overall record in the event.

In my book, Olazabal has been one of the two or three best putters in the game over the past 20 years or so, which mostly explains his stellar record on the slippery greens of Augusta.

Too often his game has gone sideways off the tee, however, or he would have undoubtedly improved on his record of 23 wins on the European Tour and six more on the PGA Tour.

Included in that PGA resume is one of the most impressive ball-striking exhibitions I have ever seen.
Olazabal won the 1990 World Series of Golf at Firestone Country Club by a whopping 12 strokes. The Spaniard, who was a mere 24 at the time, opened with a 61, and then lit the brute of a course up with three consecutive 67s, to finish an unheard of 26-under.
It's ironic that the long-distance runner-up in that event was none other than one Lanny Wadkins.

Admittedly, I know little about O'Connor, 84, beside what I've read. His record says he won 24 times on the European Tour and played in a mess of Ryder Cups. I'm sure the guy was a very good player, which is good enough these days to get a seat next to the game's greats.

A footnote: President Dwight D. Eisenhower was also posthumously admitted to the Hall Monday night. Eisenhower was the most prolific of all our golfing presidents, playing an estimated 800 rounds during his presidency. With apologies to the above three inductees, that is a statistic worth getting excited about!

Packer fans in purple haze

Justice can be hard to find in this cruel world, especially if you are digging around NFL stadiums on a Sunday afternoon.
Just ask any virtuous Green Bay fan who crowded into hallowed Lambeau Field yesterday.

When Brett Favre started his interesting road to retirement two seasons ago, he broke the hearts of Packer-backers everywhere. But he was certainly forgiven.
When he exited that road and landed as the quarterback of the hated Vikings this past summer, he did the unforgivable.

So there would be hell to pay, that was all there was to it.

The Packer Nation circled the date on their calendars when their once-favorite son would return, and then gathered 'round to bear witness to his beating.

Of course, they are still waiting.

With the Green Bay faithful expecting their team to dole out justice, Favre instead showed no conscience and delivered rockets to wide-open Vikings all over the joint. While the Green Bay faithful waited for quarterback Aaron Rodgers to take his place as the second-coming, the Viking defense showed no mercy and unceremoniously planted him in the Lambeau sod.

When it was finally over, the scoreboard read: Vikings 38, Green Bay 26.

If the disillusioned Green Bay fans learned anything at all yesterday, it's this: If you are looking for justice you'd best try a court, because in the NFL, baby, might still makes right.


Now onto a sampling of what the nation's sportswriters and columnists are saying about their football teams across every NFL city, because in the Grill Room we love the newspaper business, even if it hates itself.


(4) Minnesota 38
(14) Green Bay 26

• Gambling Vikings now running the table thanks to draft picks.
• Packers can't corral Favre, and that takes talent.

(9) Baltimore 30
(6) Denver 7

• Ravens back where they belong by putting Broncos where they should be.
  
• Broncos forget to put on game-faces for Halloween.

(13) Houston 31
(22) Buffalo 10

• These Texans lasso victories not excuses.
• Bills offense is nothing to shout about.
  

(18) Chicago 30
(27) Cleveland 6

• Bears neither good nor bad against the ugly Browns.
• If anger were a tool maybe Browns could fix this mess.
  

(15) Dallas 38
(23) Seattle 17

• Cowboys season goes forward with a look back at Philly.
• After another frightful loss, Seattle goes mad.
  

(32) St. Louis 17
(29) Detroit 10

• Rams win! Enough said.
• Detroit reclaims title as biggest loser.
  

(2) Indianapolis 18
(17) San Francisco 14

• Addai, not Manning, throws 49ers for a loss.
• At least things are becoming clear under center for 49ers.
  

(7) Philadelphia 40
(12) N.Y. Giants 17

• Giants knocked cold thanks to all those punches the Eagles landed...
• ...and now this embarrassing team doesn't even remember what it used to be.
  

(19) Miami 30
(20) N.Y. Jets 25

• Dolphins hit Jets right where it hurts -- in their big mouths...
• ...while Ryan's big ego swallows all common sense.
  

(16) San Diego 24
(26) Oakland 16

• Chargers kill QB, then time, and hold on for win.
• Isn't it time Davis dumped his Cable?
  

(30) Tennessee 30
(21) Jacksonville 13

• With first win, Titans are finally feeling Young again.
• Jaguars still blowing hot and cold.
  

(24) Carolina 34
(8) Arizona 21

• Jake comes up with a game he can believe in.
• When did Cards' pass game become so offensive?
  

(*) denotes NFL 100-proof ranking

Favre returns, jury awaits

Even though Brett Favre's return to Green Bay Sunday mercifully puts an end to what seems like 107 weeks of uber-hype, aren't you at least a little curious to see how it all plays out?

Don't you wonder how the salt-of-the-earth folks in Wisconsin will treat the man they once crowned their prince and savior? Because for all the good Favre did in Green Bay during his 16-year reign, is it possible he undid all of it, with his embarrassing, stuttering departure two years ago?

Understand that Green Bay was an NFL wasteland after the glory days of Vince Lombardi in the '60s. Between 1969 and 1991 the Packers had exactly five winning seasons, and appeared in the playoffs only twice.

Really, growing up and watching the once-great team's demise was a crime -- even if you weren't an ardent Packer-backer. Green Bay was the iconic team during the NFL's sonic rise in the 1960s.

The Packers represented all that was good about the sport, what with Lombardi manning the sidelines in his grey trench coat and fedora, a quarterback named Starr in command under center, and a Golden Boy named Paul Hornung running in the wake of the vaunted Packers' sweep.

Of course, all of this took place on the hallowed frozen tundra of Lambeau Field, under the gaze of their hearty fans, who breathed steam from behind their woolen ski masks, while supporting their team through the ice and cold.

The team's protracted fall in the '70s and '80s was like an endless Wisconsin winter.

Then Brett Favre arrived on the scene in 1992, like some comet.
Green Bay promptly rolled to a 9-7 record that year, and was on its way to becoming one of the dominant teams of the '90s.

The Packers ascent back to the top of the football world was complete when they won Super Bowl XXXI over Bill Parcells' Patriots.
The team promptly returned to the big game the very next year, when John Elway's somersault finally eclipsed all of those Favre-led Lambeau leaps, and pretty much ended Green Bay's short-lived, but welcome dominance.

Really, credit for Green Bay's turnaround should probably go first to general manager Ron Wolf, who in 1992 had the good sense to hire Mike Holmgren to lead the team. Holmgren then had the good sense to acquire Favre to run his offense.
And all three of them had the good sense to lasso the menacing Minister of Defense, Reggie White, the very next year, to form the final cornerstone of their mini-dynasty.

But, make no mistake about it, Favre was the seminal figure in Green Bay during this period of prosperity. No. 4 brought Green Bay back from the depths and to their rightful place on top of the NFL's burgeoning landscape. He never missed a game under center, and never lost the importance of what it meant to be Title Town's chosen son.

And when he thought he just couldn't hold the throne any longer, tears were shed, and he stepped down.

Then he didn't, and that's when the trouble started.
Favre's well-chronicled transition out of Green Bay was neither quick, quiet, nor classy.

After a rotten year with the Jets, Favre did it again and retired. And then he undid it again this summer, when he decided to give it another try with Green Bay rival, Minnesota.

When Favre trots onto Lambeau Field in a Vikings jersey Sunday, we'll find out if his legacy in Green Bay has been damaged beyond repair.

It's only fair that the Green Bay faithful decide this. And hopefully once and for all.

Lions-Rams: That '70s Show

When the St. Louis Rams take their sorry, 0-7 act on the road to stumble up against the almost-as-sorry, 1-5 Lions on Sunday, nostalgia will run as thick as the soot in the Motor City air.

St. Louis and Detroit...playing a meaningless mid-season football game...Shout it from the rooftops, friends, the NFL as we used to know it is back! Parity is dead, and a rebirth of the '70s is upon us!

All this harks to a time when our kids weren't too fat and our celebrities too thin; back when we actually believed the sludge which is Coors was a premium brew, if only because their boss told us it had water from the Rockies in it; back when newspapers were king and blogs were...well, they weren't.

Light up a smoke, close your eyes, and try to take a deep breath. Now open 'em. Pro football never looked so good, eh?

Once again we can take great comfort in knowing that when the Rams (of St. Louis Cardinals vintage), and the Lions of dependable Detroit bump up against our squad, a win is in the offing!
And when they bump into each other, well, another chapter of those wonderful NFL Follies won't be far behind.

Oh, for a short time, St. Louis of the Rams escaped its losing ways when they were quarterbacked by a guy named Warner and coached by a guy named Vermeil. They even ran an offense known as the "Greatest Show on Turf."
Thankfully, that act is long since dead, and now is some weird footnote in the annals of football history.

In fact, the Rams are so bad these days, NFL historians and are looking back over those glory years, to see if they really happened. Mysteriously, their alleged victory in Super Bowl XXXIV has vanished from the NFL Films archives altogether.
No, the city of St. Louis is back to ruining NFL franchises. Recently it even showed the masterful ability to make a martyr out of Rush Limbaugh, just for good measure.

Detroit, like the cars it produces, has proven to be a dependable loser for almost five decades now.

When a coach named Wayne Fontes threatened to turn them into something resembling winners in the early-'90s, Michiganders took great offense, and their unions acted swiftly and inappropriately, giving the guy a time-share next to Jimmy Hoffa.
Really, what ever happened to that dude? Fontes, we're talking about.

Last year, of course, the team outdid even itself and lost every single game it played. That misery finally ended this year, when President Obama sent his football team up there to bail 'em out with a win.
But there will be no big winning in Detroit. Even Obama can't handle that much change.

No, certain things must spin certain ways on this planet of ours, though must we be subjected to the indigestion that comes with watching the Lions play each and every Thanksgiving?

Ah, no matter. Things are starting to feel right again. If only the Saints would knock off this sudden penchant for winning we could really take a load off...

Take your pick

For informational purposes only...some picks for Week 8 action around the NFL brought to you by folks who most likely know as much about the game as you do:
ESPN
YAHOO!
CBS Sports
CNN/SI
NBC
SportingNews
AP

College:
SportingNews
CBS Sports
NBC

This Week's Grill Room NFL 100-PROOF lock: Arizona over Carolina, minus-8.5:
Well, last week we got back to serving dependable winners around here, when we recommended the angry, heavy favorite. The, Eagles, coming off their humiliating loss to the Raiders, were the choice to go into Washington and win with ease. They did, and now you are believing in us again.
Tampa, Washington and Kansas City all have an undeserved Sunday off, making the pickings a little more limited this time 'round.
So, this week we are going to offer up a happy, home favorite. The Arizona Cardinals have found some swagger and a swarming defense, while rolling to three straight wins. They are playing a confused, quarterback-less Carolina team, that somehow lost to Buffalo at home last week.
The Panthers fill out the anger part of our selection, but lose heavily to a Cardinal team that is three TDs better, 34-13.
Enjoy!
(Season record: 4-3)

Tape it up

• To get the latest on all the aches and breaks around the NFL go here.
• You don't think NFL players are crazy-tough? Take a look at this.
  
• The No. 1 Saints take a major hit in backfield.
  

TV Time
If you can't stop by the Grill Room, here's the college and pro football fare that's cooking on the tube this weekend:
(For our U.S. military viewers and their families overseas the games American Forces Network will be showing are in bold.)

COLLEGE:
Friday, Oct. 30
West Virginia at South Florida, 8 p.m., ESPN2

Saturday, Oct. 31
Iowa at Indiana, Noon, ESPN
Purdue at Wisconsin, Noon, ESPN2
Mississippi at Auburn, Noon, SEC
New Mexico State at Ohio State, Noon, Big Ten Network
Cincinnati at Syracuse, Noon, ESPNU
Georgia vs. Florida at Jacksonville, Fla., 3:30 p.m., CBS
Miami at Wake Forest, 3:30 p.m., ABC
Kansas at Texas Tech, 3:30 p.m., ABC
Michigan at Illinois, 3:30 p.m., ABC
California at Arizona State, 3:30 p.m., ABC
Central Michigan at Boston College, 3:30 p.m., ESPNU
Temple at Navy, 3:30 p.m., CBS CSN
Air Force at Colorado State, 4 p.m., Mtn.
UNLV at TCU, 4 p.m., Versus
Penn State at Northwestern, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
Eastern Michigan at Arkansas, 7 p.m., ESPNU
Washington State vs. Notre Dame at San Antonio, 7:30 p.m., NBC
New Mexico at San Diego State, 7:30 p.m., CBS CSN
South Carolina at Tennessee, 7:45 p.m., ESPN
Texas at Oklahoma State, 8 p.m., ABC
USC at Oregon, 8 p.m., ABC
Michigan State at Minnesota, 8 p.m., Big Ten Network
Wyoming at Utah, 8 p.m., Mtn.

Sunday, Nov. 1
Marshall at Central Florida, 8:15 p.m., ESPN

NFL:
Sunday, Nov. 1
(Byes: Cincinnati, Kansas City, New England, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Washington)
Denver at Baltimore 1 p.m., CBS
Houston at Buffalo 1 p.m., CBS
Cleveland at Chicago 1 p.m., CBS
Seattle at Dallas 1 p.m., FOX
St. Louis at Detroit 1 p.m., FOX
Minnesota at Green Bay 1 p.m., FOX
San Francisco at Indianapolis 1 p.m.. FOX
N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia 1 p.m., FOX
Miami at N.Y. Jets 1 p.m., CBS
Oakland at San Diego 4:05 p.m., CBS
Jacksonville at Tennessee 4:05 p.m., CBS
Minnesota at Green Bay 4:15 p.m., FOX, FOX
Carolina at Arizona 4:15 p.m., FOX

Monday, Nov. 2
Atlanta at New Orleans 8:30 p.m., ESPN

(All times EST)

Favre No. 5, followed by Big Bird

Remember the Sesame Street song, "One of these things is not like the other?"
OK, relax a little, eh? Yeah, we are using a Sesame Street song to make a point here. This is sports we're typing about, man, not astrophysics.

Anyway, Harris, the company behind all those polls, just released a list of the "Greatest Sports Stars of All Time."

Frankly, I have no real issues with nine out of the top 11. These things are subjective, but most of the important names are on there starting with Michael Jordan at No. 1.
His Airness is followed by Tiger Woods, Babe Ruth, Muhammad Ali, Brett Favre, Joe Montana, Wayne Gretzky, Peyton Manning, Ted Williams, and Hank Aaron and LeBron James, who tied for 10th.

Go ahead read over that again. -- Jordan, Woods, Ruth, Ali...Favre...

I know! Favre?! FAVRE?! Big Bird just passed out.

Again...Jordan, Woods, Ruth, Ali...Favre?! What are you frickin' kidding me?! This would be like rating the greatest presidents Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Jefferson, W. Bush, Adams, Truman...

This falls somewhere in the territory between sad and pathetic to me, because it speaks to the intelligence of the 2,293 dolts that participated in this online poll. Americans might be political neanderthals, and are not the sharpest blades in the box when it comes to all things outside the scope of their porch, but they generally are on top of it when it comes to sports.

How in the world is Brett Favre the fifth greatest at anything?! He's not even the fifth greatest football player of all time, much less all-time sports star, for crying out loud!

This survey, conducted over the course of one week in early October, also breaks down the greatest players in each individual sport.
Favre is the No. 1 football player followed by Jim Brown, Joe Montana, Walter Payton and Jerry Rice. Again, no arguing with the other four, though how Johnny Unitas didn't crack the top 5 is beyond me. It's also pretty bizarre that no defensive players rate top-5 status. Was there ever a better football player than Lawrence Taylor?

But back to our dull point...
Brett Favre is a talented, entertaining player, no doubt. Frankly, the guy has made some of the greatest plays I have ever seen on the football field, but he has also made some incredibly boneheaded plays, mostly because he too often throws into coverage.
He also has exactly one Super Bowl victory to his credit, so it's not as if these voters were able to make the case that he was a great winner in casting their ridiculous vote.

Montana, Unitas, Manning, and Dan Marino were/are hands down better quarterbacks than Favre ever was. I'd also gladly make the case for Tom Brady and Dan Fouts.

Further, Brett Favre has arguably never even been the greatest current quarterback at any point of his career. John Elway, and Steve Young were also chucking the ball during the height of Favre's NFL powers. You'd get no argument from me if you made the case that either of those guys were better than Favre.

No, any way you cut it, this one is a real head-scratcher.

It is clear that Favre's on-again, off-again retirement plans have not affected his legacy in a negative fashion, which is a surprise unto itself.

What's that saying about bad publicity being better than no publicity at all?
Who knows, maybe there's hope for W. yet? Nah...

Saints and Colts sipping success

As we head to the midpoint of the season, only two teams have proven themselves worthy of the Grill Room's best hooch.

But, my, aren't Indianapolis and New Orleans two very different customers!

The Saints? Well, they bust through the double-doors and act like they own the joint. Sure, this gregarious group takes some getting used to, and can get full-blown overbearing at times. Thing is, we notice nobody has the stones to throw down on 'em.
In fact, by night's end, people are actually buying THEM drinks! Did you see how generous those Dolphins were Sunday?!
Yeah, it's hard not to like these hard-drinking, hard-playing swashbucklers from Bourbon Street.

The Colts, on the other hand, are far more refined. They will politely engage the clientele in conversion, order a bottle of the good stuff, and tip like kings.
They always make the gentleman's play, and inevitably end up with the best-looking babes on their arms.
We also notice that after about 60 minutes with this good-lookin' crew, our lesser customers generally slink away from the bar feeling completely inadequate.

Yep, the Colts and Saints form quite the odd couple, but they are welcome in this joint anytime.

Prost, fellas!

THE STRONG STUFF

• 1 (1) New Orleans (99 proof, 6-0) Water boy stomped off in a huff when Brees didn't throw him a TD pass for the second straight week.
  
• 2 (2) Indianapolis (97 proof, 6-0) This club is the reason a half-cocked sportswriter at some point was the first to call a team, 'a well-oiled machine.'
  

WORTH A SHOT

• 3 (7) Pittsburgh (87 proof, 5-2) When you have play-makers on both sides of the ball you can overcome the occasional sloppy play.
  
• 4 (3) Minnesota (86 proof, 6-1) It's clear Favre had every intention of staying healthy enough to face Green Bay on Sunday. Did you see his duck-and-cover routine on Pittsburgh's two defensive scores in the 4th quarter?!
  
• 5 (8) New England (85 proof, 5-2) Get to enjoy their third straight bye week at home.
• 6 (4) Denver (84 proof, 6-0) Dropped two places during their week off, because the more you consider this team, the more it makes no sense.
• 7 (10) Philadelphia (83 proof, 4-2) Toyed with the Redskins and can take charge of the division with a win over the stumbling Giants Sunday.
• 8 (11) Arizona (82 proof, 4-2) This team is learning to play some good, hard-nosed defense, but will have to run the ball better to get back to the promised land.
  
• 9 (9) Baltimore (81 proof, 3-3) Anybody doubt they will beat Denver Sunday?
• 10 (15) Cincinnati (79 proof, 5-2) What we said last week: We'll predict for no good reason at all that the Bengals will shut down Cutler and the Bears Sunday. Actually they humiliated them.
  
• 11 (5) Atlanta (78 proof, 4-2) For a team that looks so complete, they obviously have holes. But where are they?
• 12 (6) N.Y. Giants (77 proof, 5-2) When the Saints and Cardinals stood right next to them, they found out these guys weren't Giants at all.
• 13 (14) Houston (75 proof, 4-3) Now that they are finally above .500, will they be afraid of heights?
• 14 (17) Green Bay (73 proof, 4-2) Have you heard? Brett Favre returns Sunday.
• 15 (18) Dallas (71 proof, 4-2) So the 'Boys have a new receiver who is Miles batter than T.O. Let the hype begin!
  

WATERED DOWN

• 16 (19) San Diego (68 proof, 3-3) We said it last week and we'll say it again: What an annoying team.
• 17 (13) San Francisco (65 proof, 3-3) If they don't want to be humiliated, better play two solid halves of football this weekend at Indianapolis -- and start Smith in both of them.
  
• 18 (12) Chicago (62 proof, 3-3) Jay Cutler equals Jeff George.

CHEAP STUFF

• 19 (16) Miami (60 proof, 2-4) Had the wounded Saints right where they wanted them, and then took their foot off their throat. These ain't your daddy's Saints.
  
• 20 (20) N.Y. Jets (59 proof, 4-3) Let me get this straight: Coach Buddy's Boy weighs in at well over 600 pounds, and has a problem with Sanchez eating a hot dog?!
  
• 21 (21) Jacksonville (55 proof, 3-3) Coming off a bye to play 0-6 Titans, who also had a bye. If they aren't careful in Nashville Sunday, it could be bye-bye to the Jaguars this year.

ROT GUT

• 22 (23) Buffalo (49 proof, 3-4) Moving around these rot-gut teams is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Buffalo is sinking more slowly -- for now.
• 23 (23) Seattle (47 proof, 2-4) Head to Dallas Sunday, where they will get a chance to read the 671st story about Miles Austin.
  
• 24 (22) Carolina (43 proof, 2-4) The NFC's version of the Tennessee Titans.
  
• 25 (25) Kansas City (39 proof, 1-6) Kansas City Star columnist Jason Whitlock just dropped a 500-pound verb on top of Coach Haley.
• 26 (26) Oakland (37 proof, 2-4) That this team has somehow managed two wins is pure silver-and-black magic.
• 27 (27) Cleveland (30 proof, 1-6) Mangini should be lucky Whitlock doesn't cover his team.
• 28 (28) Tampa Bay (28 proof, 0-7) Look at their schedule and tell me where a win comes from.
  
• 29 (29) Detroit (27 proof, 1-5) Do you really think Detroit is going to let St. Louis come into their home and abuse them Sunday? Huh?! Do you?! Yeah, we're not sure either...
• 30 (30) Tennessee (22 proof, 0-6) Coach Fisher is back to wearing a Titans jersey so he can feel what it's like to be a loser again.
• 31 (31) Washington (19 proof, 2-5) Dan Snyder has consented to pay to get Jim Zorn's stiff upper lip repaired.
  
• 32 (32) St. Louis (15 proof, 0-7) A loss to Lions Sunday gives them a clear shot to become NFL's all-time worst team.

(*) -- denotes last week's ranking.

What does Obama's golf game say?

Of all the witty things that have been said and written about golf over the years, there is one that is true above all:
Golf doesn't build character, it reveals it.

A colleague, but a better golfing partner, sent along this clip yesterday. It has to do with President Obama's fondness for the game, and the fact that in the first nine months of his new job, he has already played as many rounds of golf as the latest President Bush did during his first 34 months in office.

As this significant finding seeps across the Internet, expect it to spark the predictable nonsensical furor that has always been associated with presidents and golf. In this case, how could the man be playing this stupid game when the economy is in the toilet, we are fighting two wars, health care is broken beyond recognition, and to this day, there are STILL starving children in China?!

Frankly, who cares how much golf the guy plays. What we should be concerned about is what kind of player he is, and how he conducts himself on the golf course. This would really allow us to get to know the man behind the podium better.

Consider what we know of past presidents and their golf games...

Let's start with Dwight D. Eisenhower because he was the sitting president when I was born.
See how honest I am? What do you think that says about how I conduct myself on the golf course, eh?
OK, I'll shut up. Moving right along...

Eisenhower was the Babe Ruth of presidential golfers. During his eight years in office, Ike played over 800 rounds of golf. For the math-challenged, that is is over 100 rounds per year! This is a staggering number, no doubt, until you consider that America was just coming off of World War II and the Korean War. Americans needed to inhale some fresh air and take a well-deserved break in the 1950s, and our president helped lead by example on the links.

John F. Kennedy: Kennedy is said to have possessed the most elegant, athletic and graceful swing of all of our presidents. Elegant, athletic and graceful will land you lookers like Jacqueline Onassis -- and any other number of babes, no? He was also said to be a fierce competitor on the links, a trait which might, in part, explain how he became our youngest president elected to office. Er, besides daddy, Joe's, money, that is.

Lyndon B. Johnson: Didn't play much, and when he did, was said to be an awful player. It is not clear whether he sought help for his swing, but we do know he did not seek or accept his party's nomination to run for the presidency in 1968.

Richard M. Nixon: Was not the most athletic guy, and took the game up late in life. He was also not averse to the occasional one or nine mulligans over the course of a round. In a book by Don Van Natta Jr. on this very subject, he writes that Nixon was often caught on tape saying, "Oh, that didn't count," after knocking a tee ball well to the, er, left. His problems with tapes and the left were only beginning...

Gerald Ford: Next to Ike, nobody played the game as much as Ford. Ford is notorious for hitting spectators off the tee in pro-ams, but was actually a very good golfer. He had one of the great quotes on that sore subject: "I would like to deny all allegations by Bob Hope that during my last game of golf, I hit an eagle, a birdie, an elk and a moose."
Ford's honesty and candor made him the perfect guy to follow Nixon, eh?

Jimmy Carter: Did not play the game, so we'll turn this around: What did his presidency say about what kind of golfer he would have been? Well, he most likely would have been too far left off the tee, conceded too many putts to his opponents, and been late for his tee times because he was stuck in line waiting for gas.

Ronald Reagan: Well...Has been labeled a casual golfer, and in the '70s described the game as, 'a sissy, rich man's sport.' Of course, that came from the same guy who rode horses. Reagan's strength was most likely the ability to put bad shots and rounds out of his head. During his 1992 questioning about the Iran-Contra Scandal, he was also asked about the state of his game, to both questions he answered, "I don't remember the details at all."

George H.W. Bush: Played so quickly that he often described his time on the course as 'aerobic golf.' Seldom did one of his rounds last longer than three hours. With a battle ax like Barbara waiting for him at home, is it any wonder his pattern was to get on and off something as quickly as possible? Of course, his presidency was a quick one, too, as he served only four years.

Bill Clinton: Clinton loves the game and played 'a round' whenever he could. Seldom kept an honest scorecard, and was a notorious cheater on the golf course. Said he didn't see length as a prerequisite for a good game. OK, OK, seriously, this is like shooting fish in a barrel. You fill in the rest...

George W. Bush: Like daddy is a very quick player. Is said to be good off the tee but couldn't be bothered with pondering the nuances of the short game. Is not detail-oriented on the course. So he basically shot first and asked questions later.

Which brings us to our current president...

Van Natta Jr. has a piece on Obama's game in the latest issue of Golf Digest. In it he writes that, "Obama approaches the game in the same way that he conducts his politics -- maniacally methodical, aggressively competitive and devoutly risk-averse."

Oh, and he is also the first president to play the game from the left side.
I'm telling you, you can't make this stuff up.

Saints don't get AFC's memo

The AFC spent most of Sunday sending a powerful statement to the NFC.

By about 5:45 p.m. EST, and well into the day's second offering of games, the AFC had taken all the toss-up tilts between the rival leagues, and turned them into their own.
The Bengals had demolished the Bears, 45-10. Houston had knocked back a suddenly reeling 49ers club. Pittsburgh had played with fire, and then set ablaze Minnesota's undefeated season. Why Buffalo had even out-mediocre-d the Panthers in Carolina.

And now with its undefeated Saints being battered by middling Miami, 24-3, late in the first half, the NFC was preparing a message of surrender. But just before the white flag went up, Drew Brees' Saints put their league on their backs and picked themselves up off the Miami sod with a resounding leap.

As it turned out, Brees' gutsy TD on fourth down, and with only five seconds left in the half, ignited a 43-10 explosion that rocked Land Shark Stadium and sent the shell-shocked Dolphins players back-peddling to the safety of their locker room to ponder what in the world had just hit them.

New Orleans seemed to score from everywhere and anywhere; on offense or defense; through the air or on the ground...and Miami had no answer.

So, by the end of the day, and on behalf of the teetering NFC, the 6-0 Saints delivered the day's final rejoinder: Not so fast, baby!


Now onto a sampling of what the nation's sportswriters and columnists are saying about their football teams across every NFL city, because in the Grill Room we love the newspaper business, even if it hates itself.

(1) New Orleans 46
(16) Miami 34

• Brees leap of faith starts undefeated Saints on comeback trail.
• Miami punches out early.

(15) Cincinnati 45
(12) Chicago 10

• Brand-new Benson batters Bears then dashes talk of revenge.
• Shhhh...be careful or you might wake up hibernating Bears.
  

(17) Green Bay 31
(27) Cleveland 3

• Pack feast on the weak and get fat and happy.
• Maybe the Browns trailed throughout, but at least they can catch a cold.
  

(14) Houston 24
(13) San Francisco 21

• Kubiak passes on run to put away 49ers.
• Singletary got it half right when he went to QB Smith.
  

(19) San Diego 37
(25) Kansas City 7

• Chargers get healthy on sickly Chiefs.
• Haley's a good person, except he is a horrifically rotten coach.
  

(7) Pittsburgh 27
(3) Minnesota 17

• Steelers' defense answered the bell...
• ...and my, wasn't that Vikings' offense the generous guest.
  

(2) Indianapolis 42
(32) St. Louis 6

• With Sanders, Colts' defense is finger-licking good.
• Colts abruptly pull ladder out from underneath rising Rams.
  

(8) New England 35
(28) Tampa Bay 7

• Patriots duck in a rout around their site-seeing trip to London.
• It's time for pathetic Bucs to take 5.
  

(23) Buffalo 20
(22) Carolina 9

• Inept Panthers make local boy feel at home...
• ...and close the door on their season.
  

(20) N.Y. Jets 38
(26) Oakland 0

• Hot dog! Jets break three-game losing streak!
• Raiders stepping up, and out of another season.

(18) Dallas 37
(5) Atlanta 21

• Cowboys are Miles better without Owens.
• Falcons can't fly when they can't run.
  

(11) Arizona 24
(6) N.Y. Giants 17

• Cards' defense rises up and makes Giant strides.
• Giants better head back to drawing board to avoid another collapse.
  

(*) denotes NFL 100-proof ranking

(Associated Press photo)

Waiting on the beer and an upset

Is there a better time of year than the fall?
The leaves on the trees outside the Grill Room's swinging, double-doors are turning all shades of red and gold. The endless baseball season is rumored to be close to an end, and, no kidding, we even saw frost on the pumpkin this morning!

Best of all we are stuck right in the middle of another wonderful football season, and don't care if we ever get out. It just smells like football doesn't it?!

So, as we wait for the Pfungstadter Bier truck to deliver their liquid gold, and ready the joint for another busy weekend of America's game here in Germany, we'll throw a couple of appetizers at you to munch on...

Zorn on the Cob, alla Vinny
Things just got worse for Jim Zorn in Washington. On Friday, the Redskins coach was given the dreaded vote of confidence by one Vinny Cerrato, the guy with the name that sounds a lot more like a Sopranos' character than that of a dude with the gaudy title, vice president of football operations.

Cerrato, who has deftly avoided the media during his team's meltdown, instead used his very own radio program to assure everybody that Zorn was not getting whacked.

"Jim Zorn is the head of the Washington Redskins," Cerrato said with his fingers apparently crossed tight behind his back. "...and will be for the rest of the season, and hopefully into the future."

Hahahaha. You're laughing, too, right?

Let's face it, the odds are somewhere in the 1,000-to-1 range that Zorn will be back next year, and slightly less than that he survives the season. I mean, why even say this stuff?

Cerrato kept those fingers squeezed behind his back, when he said that the team covertly brought in NFL relic, Sherm Lewis, to relieve Zorn of his play-calling duties because he was only trying to 'help' Zorn.

Right, Vinny, and that knife in Zorn's back was stuck in there to help with his posture.

In true Washington fashion, Cerrato also went after the media during his radio program, saying that it had reported 'false rumors,' all the while declining to speak to those very reporters that planted the 'false rumors' after practice. Beautiful, eh?

Well, here's another false rumor, Vinny: Zorn will be on the sideline when the team plays its last game this year at San Diego.

As we've said many times in the Grill Room, our corrupt nation's capital finally has the team it deserves. Well done.

Bourbon Blues
Staying with the Soprano's theme...Make that the Sparano's theme...
Is there a more intriguing game on the schedule this weekend than New Orleans at Miami?

After an 0-3 start, Tony Sparano's Dolphins and their rising quarterback Chad Henne, rebounded to save their season by beating the Bills and the Jets.
Of course the Saints, ranked No. 1 in the NFL 100-Proof Rankings, have rolled to a 6-0 start on the heels of an improved defense and the best quarterback in the league not named Peyton, Drew Brees.

On Sunday, turn about could be fair play, because like the Saints before they bludgeoned the Giants last week, the Dolphins are coming off a bye, and have had two weeks to get healthy and prepare for New Orleans' potent attack.

You also have to believe that the 'Fins added a wrinkle or two to their Wildcat attack. It would come as no surprise to see backup QB Pat White throwing out of that formation Sunday.
We have to admit that ever since we were called out by GR regular Sam the Man for blasting the Wildcat a few weeks ago, we have kept two eyes on the Dolphins, and are coming around to this unconventional method of attacking defenses.

Even though New Orleans enters the game ranked fifth against the rush in the NFL and seem a good bet to douse the Wildcat, we say that stat is more than a little misleading.
Because the Saints have led virtually every game they've played this year, teams have been forced to throw the ball an inordinate amount of the time to get back in the game.

The Giants had some success on the ground last week, but were unable to stay there because of their defense's inept performance.

We have a funny feeling around here that Miami is going to run wild with a new scheme, and hand the befuddled Saints their first loss of the year.

Prost!

Jersey Jeff Fisher

Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher is a favorite around the Grill Room, but what in the hell was he thinking (or drinking) the other night when he showed up at a fundraiser wearing a Peyton Manning jersey?!

And don't bring that sports-fans-are-maniacal-and-need-to-lighten-up-a-little crap around here, to excuse the coach's bizarre behavior.
Yeah, sports fans are often completely and ridiculously over the top, but whether that's right or wrong has nothing to do with it. They just are and always have been. It's best we accept this as fact and move on.

Without these maniacal fans, sports as we know them, would dry up and go away. It's that simple.

So if I am a Titans fan, and I have lost hard-earned cash, and hair supporting this football team, I deserve better return on my money and loyalty than to see the guy who is coaching my team wearing a rival's jersey.

Tennessee is frickin' 0-6 this year, just lost, 59-0, and the guy who's job it is too pull them out of this mess, is yucking it up and making jokes at his team's expense?!

As the longest-tenured coach with one team in the NFL, and generally a stand-up guy, Fisher has earned a pass for this indiscretion, but he better know he's treading on very thin ice here, or the joke just might ultimately be on him.

And while you're chewing on that one, there are few other questions that are gnawing at us, starting with the never-ending nonsense in our nation's capital...

Even in a corrupt, sleazy city like Washington, don't you marvel at just how bad things are going for its football team?
Here's why we're asking:
Because the classy Steve Largent is the latest to weigh in on the dysfunction that passes for a football team in D.C.
The Hall-of-Fame receiver, was throwing lightning bolts at Redskins owner Dan Snyder during a radio interview earlier this week in Seattle.

Largent who used to catch passes thrown by Jim Zorn, the poor guy who is coaching the 'Skins, said, among many other things, "...in my opinion, and this is just totally my opinion -- Jim has never said this, never implied this -- I think what Daniel Snyder was trying to do (when he relieved Zorn of his play-calling duties) was to force Jim to resign so he was not liable for his contract any longer. And Jim is just not going to do that."

And Largent went on...

"[Zorn] inherited everything that he has to work with today and yet all the blame is being laid on his feet because he can't make them a Super Bowl champion, which I could have told you two years ago, they don't have a Super Bowl-quality team," Largent told KJR radio. "And so it doesn't matter how good a coach you have, you are not going to get there with the players the owner gives you.

"I know it's frustrating for Jim. He is making the best of it."

And on...

"I don't know what a Dan Snyder coach looks like and I don't think Dan Snyder knows what a Dan Snyder coach looks like, and that is fairly obvious now as he has been through about six head coaches in 10 years."

Largent's harsh assessment of the Redskins follows last week's roasting of the team by former players. Except the outspoken Redskins' retirees seemed more interested in putting most of the blame at Zorn's feet rather than at the owner's, who in some cases signs their paychecks.
They're all class in D.C., I tell ya.

Will ESPN see the forest through the trees when it televises Monday night's tilt between those hapless Redskins and the Eagles?
Here's why we're asking:
Because, bluntly, too often the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is all about the entertainment, at the expense of the programming, and viewers' intelligence.

Let's hope they don't play patty-cake with Snyder and his gang, or worse, ignore the whole sad affair altogether, and instead use their bright light to expose this sad circus, rather than play a part in it.

Is the Southeastern Conference looking down the barrel of a major scandal?
Here's why we're asking:
Because the news that the Southeastern Conference has suspended the officials who worked (over) last weekend's Arkansas-Florida game has the potential to become a full-blown tsunami.

Nothing, not even the average fan's waistline, is bigger in the South than college football. If there is even a hint that refs could be affecting the outcome of games with their whistles in order to fatten their wallets, it could get very ugly.

This is the second time this officiating crew made an awful call that directly impacted the outcome of a game. They also threw a flag in the Georgia-LSU game that set LSU up with great field position following a late TD by the Bulldogs.

The same kind of questionable call helped Florida to its win over the underdog Hogs last Saturday. In fact, the argument could be made the officials were inordinately leaning the Gators' way the entire day.

To be clear, we have no knowledge there has been any provable evidence, other than the shoddy officiating, that the fix was in on these games. However...If the SEC says they aren't looking into that possibility, they are completely full of it. They better be, because something smells around here.

Take your pick

For informational purposes only...some picks for Week 7 action around the NFL brought to you by folks who most likely know as much about the game as you do:
ESPN
YAHOO!
CBS Sports
CNN/SI
NBC
SportingNews
AP

College:

SportingNews
CBS Sports
NBC

This Week's Grill Room NFL 100-PROOF lock: Philadelphia over Washington, minus-6.5:
Well, we're not sure what to say. We've made a mess of things the last two weeks, and now you are wondering why you even frequent this joint.
We figure the only folks more embarrassed than the staff at the Grill Room, are the Philadelphia Eagles, who somehow found a way to lose at Oakland last Sunday.
Well, we figure the best way to start feeling good about ourselves again, is to bet on Philly feeling good about itself again after a rock 'em, sock 'em trip to the nation's capital.
The Eagles soar, 34-10.

(Season record: 3-3)

Tape it up

To get the latest on all the aches and breaks around the NFL go here.

TV Time
If you can't stop by the Grill Room, here's the college and pro football fare that's cooking on the tube this weekend:
(For our U.S. military viewers and their families overseas the games American Forces Network will be showing are in bold.)

COLLEGE:

Friday, Oct. 23
Rutgers at Army, 8 p.m., ESPN2

Saturday, Oct. 24
Minnesota at Ohio State, Noon, ESPN
Illinois at Purdue, Noon, ESPN2
Georgia Tech at Virginia, ACC
Indiana at Northwestern, Noon, Big Ten Network
Connecticut at West Virginia, Noon, ESPNU
S. Florida at Pittsburgh, ESPN-GP
Oklahoma State at Baylor, 12:30 p.m., Versus
Iowa State at Nebraska, 12:30 p.m., FSN
Tennessee at Alabama, 3:30 p.m., CBS
Boston College at Notre Dame, 3:30 p.m., NBC
Michigan at Penn State, 3:30 p.m., ABC
Clemson at Miami, 3:30 p.m., ABC
Oregon at Washington, 3:30 p.m., ABC
Oklahoma at Kansas, 3:30 p.m., ABC
Louisville at Cincinnati, 3:30 p.m., ESPNU
Wake Forest at Navy, 3:30 p.m., CBS CSN
Air Force at Utah, 4 p.m., Versus
San Diego State at Colorado State, 4 p.m., Mtn.
Vanderbilt at South Carolina, 7 p.m., ESPNU
Iowa at Michigan State, 7 p.m., Big Ten Network
Florida at Mississippi State, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Auburn at LSU, 7:30 p.m., ESPN2
TCU at BYU, 7:30 p.m., Versus
SMU at Houston, 7:30 p.m., CBS CSN
Texas at Missouri, 8 p.m., ABC
Oregon State at USC, 8 p.m., ABC
UNLV at New Mexico, 8 p.m., Mtn.
Arizona State at Stanford, 10:15 p.m., FSN
Fresno State at New Mexico State, 10:15 p.m., ESPNU

NFL:
Sunday, Oct. 25
(Byes: Baltimore Denver Detroit Jacksonville Seattle Tennessee)
Chicago at Cincinnati 1 p.m., FOX
Green Bay at Cleveland 1 p.m., FOX
San Francisco at Houston 1 p.m., FOX
San Diego at Kansas City 1 p.m., CBS
Minnesota at Pittsburgh 1 p.m., FOX
Indianapolis at St. Louis 1 p.m., CBS
New England vs. Tampa Bay at London 1 p.m., CBS
Buffalo at Carolina 4:05 p.m., CBS
N.Y. Jets at Oakland 4:05 p.m., CBS
Atlanta at Dallas 4:15 p.m., FOX
New Orleans at Miami 4:15 p.m., FOX
Arizona at N.Y. Giants 8:20 p.m., NBC

Monday, Oct. 26
Philadelphia at Washington 8:30 p.m., ESPN
(All times EST)