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As The Ball Bounces: Week 8

Bob George
Bob George on Twitter
Oct 29, 2003 at 5:00am ET

Quick now. Which NFL team drafted Owen Pochman, the 49ers kicker who missed two field goals and booted an overtime kickoff out of bounds? Ah, yes, your favorite team. The Patriots took him in 2000 as some competition for Adam Vinatieri, then cut him at the end of training camp. He landed with the New York Giants, which might explain his penchant for late game kickoffs that go out of bounds (read: Matt Bryant). Now, this poor fellow has been forced to hit the unemployment lines. We'll let him showcase himself on our stage as he prepares for his next job. He steps into one and it comes down at the seven-yard line to…

Bill Parcells sounds like he needs a new set of choppers. He sounds like he's 80-something years old.

That 31-0 loss to start the season is looking more and more like the biggest anomaly this side of Arizona beating San Francisco.

Put it another way: Rodney Harrison has a two-game lead over Lawyer Milloy.

I don't care if you put Carrot Top in at quarterback for Denver. They're still tough at home in that thin air, and the Patriots stink on Monday nights unless a division title is at stake.

Here's why the Chiefs are 8-0: Their offensive line has been intact for 24 straight games, longest current streak in the NFL and the longest in the league in 10 years.

If he doesn't get out of his play calling rut, Charlie Weis may become the next Grady Little in this area.

Tell me you didn't feel sorry for Drew Bledsoe Sunday night getting physically killed out there.

So, Chad Pennington's back. The Jets would have won if Vinny had stayed in.

On the docket for Weis this week: More Ben Coates routes for Daniel Graham, just to see if Sunday was a fluke. And by this we mean stuff like "getting held by three guys" and all that good stuff.

Geek of the week: Kenyatta Jones. You got some growing up to do, big guy.

On a serious note: The good people of San Diego are in our prayers. This writer knows firsthand what a lovely city they have. May the fires be put out quick, may no more lives be lost or disrupted, may their fair city, which gave Boston the greatest hitter the game has ever known, bounce back and embrace its slogan "America's Most Beautiful City".

On a not-so-serious note: They moved the Monday night Chargers-Dolphins game to Tempe, Arizona, as you well know. Admission was free, with donations going to relief efforts in San Diego. Our understanding is that you could give Cardinal fans free tickets, and you still wouldn't get them to come out and see Bill Bidwill's Bozos.

I mean, what do you expect from a franchise whose high water mark in history was a touchdown scored by the immortal Rod "Show Me The Money!" Tidwell? And that was in a movie, folks.

Face it. You don't remember the Cardinals' playoff win against Dallas. But you remember Jerry Maguire, don't you?

Okay, Bill Belichick. Next miracle: Winning in Invesco Field on a Monday night.

Hmmmm. 7-2 at the bye week? Perhaps the boys will show a bit more pep this week.

How bad is the NFC North? If the Browns had won, they would have moved into first place…with a 4-4 record.

Philadelphia fans can be just downright stupid sometimes. Booing Donovan McNabb is just plain brainless.

Back to school: Talk about shaking down the thunder and waking up the echoes. BC did just that, and the echoes of 1993 were heard all across Boston.

News flash: Ted Washington is back to running again. Ted Johnson is also not far away from coming back. Boo-yah.

Is this the same San Diego Charger team that whipped the Patriots last year down at the Q?

Look at that list of guys being subpoenaed in that steroid investigation, and see how many of them are Oakland Raiders. Anyone still feel bad over them losing that tuck rule call?

I mean, besides anyone in the northeast?

Larry Izzo's on that list. Say it ain't so, Izzo.

It doesn't speak well for Jay Fiedler's tenure as Dolphin quarterback when Brian Griese can come right in and lead the Fish offense the way he did Monday night.

There's a window of opportunity closing down in Jet Land. Something to do with a salary cap, we understand.

It's not too great to hear of all the reports coming out Houston about how well Greg Randall is doing, with our right tackle situation the way it is.

Remember him: He invented the head slap, instilled fear in opposing linemen, and even cowed rookie defensive lineman Lyle Alzado. Someday, Canton will open its doors to the great former Bronco named Rich "Tombstone" Jackson.

Message to Brian Billick: Without replay, the Patriots would not have played in Super Bowl XXXVI. Leave (censored) replay alone.

Here's to 2007, and to no more baseball in Pro Player Park.

You sure won't see Olindo Mare get in the way of that new stadium.

Dan Shaughnessy of the Globe tells often about the "reverse lock" theory. In football, it's what happens when Detroit winds up winning a road game.

Hats off to Corey Dillon, and his revolutionary new way to get out of having to play for those horrid Cincinnati Bengals.

It worked perfectly. Without him, the Bengals won.

If you have the Internet (well duh, if you didn't, you wouldn't be reading this column), lay off the Denver Post this week. Just trust me.

But if the Patriots win Monday night, go there first.


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