As The Ball Bounces: Week 3

Bob George

Sep 22, 2003 at 3:00am ET

Talk about redemption. From goat to gloat, we guess. Whichever way you look at it, it was nice to see Giant kicker Matt Bryant rebound from his mother of all botched kickoffs last Monday night and kick the overtime game winner at Washington. And this was after the Redskins completed a furious late rally to tie the game, sort of the exact opposite of last week. Our hats off to you, Matt, and we hereby extend to you the privilege of kicking off this week. Whoops, he meant to nail in deep center into the end zone, but the ball sails left…and out of bounds at the five.

Here's how Dick Enberg opened the CBS broadcast on Sunday: "From Woonsocket to Pawtucket, they're all here!"

Hmmm. Guess every Patriot fan on the planet lives within a 15-mile radius of Providence.

Or that Massachusetts folk aren't allowed in Gillette Stadium anymore.

Or that Enberg didn't spend enough time with Mapquest.

Nobody needs to tell Bill Belichick that the Patrick Ramsey he sees next week will in no way resemble the Patrick Ramsey he saw in August.

Next time Warren Sapp shakes that big booty of his in the end zone, someone flag him for 15 yards. Penalty? Gross obscenity.

Beating the Jets at home - aaah, finally. Take away the injuries and it sure felt great.

His side won anyway, but Jim Fassel could do for a few lessons in clock management.

Broken leg for Ted Washington? Oh, for the days when someone would say "Tape it up, quick! Get me back in!"

Nothing against the big guy. He's just real important, that's all.

Irony to end all ironies: The injury to Ty Law was so serious that it forced Belichick to have to play both rookie cornerbacks. The two of them lead the defense to another Super Bowl win. And it all started with an injury suffered at home against the Jets.

Geek of the week: Charlie Weis. Run the damn ball, sir.

Nice win by Seattle at home against the Rams. Here's hoping new dad Shawn Alexander thought more of his baby daughter Heaven, born earlier in the day.

Speaking of Seattle, I've eaten deli sandwiches which are wider than that new stadium of theirs.

Mike Martz is the dumbest offensive genius I've ever seen. Maybe he'll trade Marshall Faulk to the Patriots.

Judging from Sunday's game, yeah, Curtis Martin's lost a step.

Drat. Why does it have to be this year that the Patriots have to face the Redskins? Just when we thought Laveranues Coles was out of our hair for a while.

New theme for the 2003 Patriots: "Last man standing".

Jeez. The AFC backfield in Honolulu will be crowded. Jamal Lewis. Priest Holmes. Ouch.

Back to school: Hats off to Texas A&M and Virginia Tech for playing in that hurricane. The United States Postal Service is proud of you.

Not too many football fans know that Houston GM Charlie Casserly used to coach high school football in western Massachusetts in the mid-1970s.

By the way, during my senior year, we called him "Mr. Casserly".

You're a cruel hearted person if you hope that the Drew Bledsoe you saw Sunday night was the "Real Drew".

Thanks to the Snow Bowl, every time a quarterback's arm comes forward and it's a close call on fumble/no fumble, it will always be a huge deal.

That said, bad call, Walt Anderson. The wrong Walt refereed the game, I guess.

Cleveland wins at San Francisco. I refuse to believe that the Browns are that good.

Without Tim Couch starting at quarterback, no less.

Don't be too quick to put Indianapolis in the "easy win" column just yet. Belichick might still perplex Peyton Manning, but they're becoming an awfully dangerous club.

Honk if you forgot completely about Dewayne Robertson on Sunday.

Remember him: Hopefully things will change this weekend, but in the only win by the Patriots in their history against Washington, it was a career day for a running back named Josh Ashton. He was the key in the Patriots' 24-23 win over George Allen and his gang at Schaefer Stadium on October 1, 1972.

Bob Kraft has done all the right things as owner. Now, do one more right thing and get Gil and Gino on the Internet.

Here's to Willis McGahee's quick recovery. Travis Henry would look great in a Patriot uniform.

Right now, the only good thing about the San Diego Chargers is watching Katy Temple grace their pregame show.

It's not a good thing for the Patriots to see the Bills' defense get bested by a better one which could inflict more damage than what they got in Week 1.

But hey, by winning, the Fish put the Patriots in first place.

Take away Sebastian Janikowski's left leg, and what are you left with? A big, fat slob who's good for nothing except getting into trouble.

Worst fears realized? Ted Washington has a broken leg and Rosevelt Colvin might have to call it a career.

Dang. Oh well, go Red Sox.