As The Ball Bounces: Week 1

Bob George

Sep 9, 2003 at 3:00am ET

John Hall beats his old team on Thursday night. How fresh. It wasn't like the 53-yard classic which beat Oakland in 2001 to give the Patriots the two seed, but it made the Jets feel like the Patriots felt when Lawyer Milloy helped cause that interception. As a Patriot fan, it got your season off to a rollicking start. So, we'll let Hall do the honors in kicking off our second season of our weekly lighthearted look at the NFL. Naturally, his strong leg booms the ball out of the end zone. Touchback, ball at the 20, and away we go.

You feeling any pressure, Rodney Harrison?

Duplicitous? Okay, maybe. But pond scum? Come on.

It's really quite funny. Without Bill Belichick, nobody would ever use the word duplicitous. It's just like without Bill Parcells, nobody would ever use the word disingenuous.

Someone needs to wise up and realize that Kordell Stewart is not about throwing the football.

Hmmm. Did any of you look at the Week 2 matchup between New England and Philadelphia and wonder if both teams would go into that game with zero points scored between them?

The MNF crew was right on when they called both the Patriots and the Eagles "wounded animals".

Geek of the Week: The guy who released Milloy.

It's time to give Kevin Faulk the ball. Literally.

Unfortunately, we are all too familiar with the tenet that speed does not begat talent at wide receiver. The Patriots proved that with Tony Simmons and Donald Hayes. They may continue to prove it with Deion Branch and Bethel Johnson.

Warren Sapp caught a 14-yard flat pass Monday night. Man, that should be illegal.

Again, we'll gladly take back Greg Spires.

And number 36 for Buffalo.

You know the Patriots weren't ready to play Sunday when Drew Bledsoe looked totally confident and in control against a Belichick defense.

Back to school: Maurice Clarett will hopefully find out soon that the NFL is not the NBA.

Surprising stat of the week: The Eagles getting shut out in their stadium debut was the fourth occurrence of this feat since World War II. The others were the Packers in 1953 (County Stadium, not Lambeau), the Saints in 1975 (Superdome) and the second incarnation of the Cleveland Browns (their eponymous stadium) three years ago.

Feel bad, Patriot Nation? Fish Nation feels worse.

And you can bet your boots that Dave Wannstedt will lose more popularity contests in south Florida than Bill Belichick will in southeast Massachusetts.

I'd really like to see Ray Lewis live up to all the shtick his commercials project.

What Lewis has to remember is that no one man can do it all by himself.

Just ask Dick Butkus about his postseason history.

Remember him: Chuck Bednarik, the best known of the two-way players and the guy who laid the big stick on Frank Gifford. If the former Eagle center-linebacker ever starts up a "tough guy school", my son's there.

I have to wonder if Bednarik has ever heard of Manny Ramirez, and if so, what's his take on his missing Yankee games because he has a sore throat?

Wonder if there are any delusional Houston Texan fans out there who think that this is the year that, for the first time in Super Bowl history, one of the combatants will be playing in their home crib.

It makes you wonder. With all the Super Bowls Miami used to be in, howcum it was never in a year when Miami hosted the big shebang?

Has Kurt Warner seen the end of his good days in the NFL?

Whatever hurt the Patriots felt on Sunday, it will pale to what Giants fans will feel when they see Parcells come home to Joisey on Sunday as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

Put it this way. Did you feel jilted after Super Bowl XXXI? For Giants fans to see Parcells as coach of the 'Boys, we're talking something like Roger Clemens pitching for the Yankees. Giant Nation will tell Patriot Nation to sit down and shut up in a New York minute.

Emmitt Smith riding into the sunset as a Cardinal reminds many of us old geezers of Johnny Unitas and his days as a Charger.

Heck, maybe it's not that bad. In 1973 Unitas was treated like a punching bag all year long. He exceeded 40,000 yards passing, then hung up his spikes for good. He deserved a better swan song.

Nobody ever has said that cheese smells good. The last two games at Lambeau Field have Packer fans thinking that their home team is more rank than Limburger.

The one person who needs to put Milloy behind him, believe it or not, is Tom Brady.

Face it, if the Patriots don't score, it won't matter what Rosey or Rich or Big Ted do.

Oh, heck. Why complain or worry? Things are okay. Bills are 1-0. Patriots, Jets and Dolphins are all 0-1. It's gonna be a fun season.