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!

Week 1 perspective served cold

Because we know you come here to "satisfy your appetite for attitude," each week the staff at the Grill Room will put together a Monday Menu featuring the finest opinion from the demons of deadline -- sports writers and columnists in every NFL city.

Our menu of choice cuts will offer you spicy perspective on Sunday's winning and losing teams.

If you want baloney and cheese, turn on ESPN and skedaddle. But if you're brave enough to read the writing on the wall, pull up a chair and dig in, while we crack open the morning paper.

In the Grill Room, we still love the newspaper business, even if it hates itself.

TODAY'S MENU:

(11) Atlanta 19
(21) Miami 7

• The Falcons are still flying high after winging their way into the playoffs a year ago.
• The smell of stinky fish littered the Georgia Dome Sunday. At least the bus left on time.
  

(18) Baltimore 38
(31) Kansas City 24

• QB Joe Flacco was Heaping praise Sunday on one of the Ravens most reliable veterans.
• The good, the bad, and the ugly: Kansas City was tough to figure after its roller-coaster loss to the Ravens.
  

(2) Philadelphia 38
(15) Carolina 10

• The Eagles were soaring on Sunday, until QB McNabb's injury brought them closer to earth.
• This Fox better get sly quick, if he wants to continue guarding his hen house.
  

(28) Denver 12
(17) Cincinnati 7

• The Broncos were shouting, "Amen!" Sunday after their prayers were answered in the final seconds
• The hapless Bengals topped even themselves with this beauty of a loss.
  

(8) Minnesota 34
(30) Cleveland 20

• The Vikings were playing Brian's song in their rout of the Browns on Sunday.
• Cleveland will tell you that Viking RB Adrian Peterson's performance was just sickening.
  

(23) N.Y. Jets 24
(12) Houston 7

• Rookie QM Mark Sanchez looked like a working Joe in his dandy debut.
• It's Ground Hog Day in Houston, where they've seen plenty of bad beginnings.
  

(6) Indianapolis 14
(25) Jacksonville 12

• Rookie coach Jim Caldwell proved Sunday he is the Colts' decider.
• Fact is, the Jaguars' one-man attack remains offensive.
  

(13) New Orleans 45
(32) Detroit 27

• QB Brees led his Saints to sloppy seconds, thirds, fourths...against the beleaguered Lion defense.
• QB Stafford shows all hope isn't lost, even if his new team just keeps losing.
  

(9) Dallas 34
(29) Tampa Bay 21

• Wonder Boy returns with some neat, new weapons.
• The Bucs have big problems, but quitting isn't one of them.
  

(20) San Francisco 20
(10) Arizona 16

• The 49ers showed they are prepared to be like Mike.
• San Francisco's play in the fourth quarter leaves Warner at the bottom of Hill.
  

(3) N.Y. Giants 23
(19) Washington 17

• Osi what the Giants have assembled on the defensive front.
• Haynesworth a 350-pound bust in opener.
  

(22) Seattle 28
(27) St. Louis 0

• Mora less, this guy's cool.
• Spags out to make his new team Ram-tough.
  

(16) Green Bay 21
(14) Chicago 15

• Packers expect more this year and get it.
• Cutler's (pictured) mouth is hard to Bear.
  

(*) Denotes the Grill Room's NFL 100-PROOF RANKING

(Associated Press photo)