Week 3: And We're Going to Overtime

Happy Monday (don't you hate it when people say that?)! I found out yesterday that even though I may be traveling on a Sunday, that doesn't mean that I can't still watch football. All you have to do is set up the personal hotspot on your iPhone, then tether your iPad to that hotspot, sign into your DirectTV NFL Sunday Ticket account and presto! you can watch all the games just like at home. Combine that with satellite radio and a second iPhone and my husband's Ford Fusion was turned into a mobile NFL command center that I didn't think was possible. But thank goodness it was because there were a lot of exciting games early on, and then an absolute sh$! show to end the day. In fact the Sunday Night match-up between the Patriots and Ravens was so amazing that we should start at the end.

I hate this guy. (Photo Credit: Larry Brown Sports)

- Did Bill Belichick just grab that ref?! Yes he did. It was the perfect end to an absolutely incredible game that they should make a movie about some day. It had everything you could ask for: history, tragedy, controversy, and just a little bit of violence. The drama surrounding the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens was already at a fever pitch as these 2 rivals were set for a rematch of last years AFC Championship match. But early Sunday morning Ravens Wide Receiver, Torrey Smith, learned that his younger brother had been killed in a motorcycle accident in Virginia. Smith, who helped raise his 6 younger siblings, drove to Virginia to be with his family but not before letting his coach, John Harbaugh, that he wanted to play against the Patriots that night. as the game started Smith could be seen wiping tears from his eyes on the sidelines and as I reached for my own kleenex I wondered how on Earth this kid was going to play in this game...and then he showed all of us. The next time I saw Torrey Smith he was catching a 25 yard touchdown pass from Joe Flacco to give the Ravens their first score of the night....in fact, Smith had 6 receptions, 127 yards, and 2 touchdowns. The Ravens still had their work cut out for them, the Patriots offense was doing a good job of moving the ball. Tom Brady completed 28 of 41 passes for 335 yards and a touchdown and they were up 30-21 early in the fourth quarter. But Joe Flacco and the Ravens were not done. Maybe they wanted revenge for their loss to the Patriots in the post season last year, maybe they wanted this for their teammate who had shown up in a big way despite a tragic personal loss, maybe a combination of both. whatever it was, the Ravens came up with a touchdown pass to (who else) Torrey Smith, and then their defense did their job by stopping the Patriots and getting the ball back so that Justin Tucker could kick a field goal so high over the upright that the refs had to call it good and the Ravens won 31-30. "Impress Him" Fact: The Patriots were saying that the final field goal kick was no good, but because the ball went over the upright it is not reviewable....hence the assault on the poor replacement ref.   The replacement refs played their roll as the villain pretty well, there were a total of 24 penalties, 14 of those went against the Ravens for 135 yards, proving that even when the odds were against them they seemed to have an angel looking over them last night.

Torrey Smith played a huge part in an emotional win for the Ravens (Photo Credit: Bettor.com)

As crazy as the Sunday Night game was, the stage seemed to be set for it all day. The wild storylines started with the early games where 3 out of nine games finished in overtime:

- The Tennessee Titans blew a 20-9 halftime lead against the Detroit Lions in the second half...and then things really got crazy. The Lions came out in the second half  and scored 18 straight points to make it 27-20. The Titans turned around and answered with 21 points of their own to make it 41-27. Well then those pesky Lions decided they were going to score 18 points in the last 14 seconds of the 4th quarter. Oh and did I mention they did that without starting quarterback, Matt Stafford who went out with a leg injury? So now we are in overtime, NFL OT rules are that if the first team scores a touchdown the game is over, if they score a field goal the other team will have a chance to score. The Titans scored a field goal first, giving the Lions the opportunity to either score a TD to win or go for the field goal to tie the game. Jim Schwartz decided he was tired of playing this game and went for the short touchdown instead of the tie....and it did not pay off. The Lions were stopped short of the goal line and the Titans won 44-41, their first win of the season. "Impress Him" Facts:  The Titans became the first team to score 5 TDs of 60 yards or longer in a single game. The Detroit Lions are the first team to score 14 points in under 18 seconds since 1983.

You're not the only one scratching your head over that call, Jim. (Photo Credit: Fox Sports North)

- Things continue to take a downward spiral for the New Orleans Saints. With 5:36 left in the third quarter, the Saints started to hand back the 18 point lead they had over the Kansas City Chiefs. Jamaal Charles ran 91 yards for a Chiefs touchdown....the longest running play in Chiefs' History. Chiefs kicker, Ryan Succop (yes, you pronounce that exactly as you think you do) added 3 field goals to the board to tie the game and send it into overtime where the Chiefs won 27-24. The Saints defense gave up over 500 yards in offense, Drew Brees was sacked 3 times by Justin Houston including one sack for a safety (2 points), he threw one interception and didn't get any points for the Saints in their last 6 possessions. The Chiefs picked up their first win of the season while the Saints continue to struggle with the absence of their head coach and the controversy surrounding their program. "Impress Him" Fact: The Saints are now 0-3, the last 0-3 team to make the playoffs was the 1998 Bills. On the other side of that Drew Brees had his 46th consecutive game with a touchdown pass....so there is that.

- The  New York Jets caught a break against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. After injuries left both teams without some key players (the Dolphins lost running back, Reggie Bush and the Jets lost cornerback Darrelle Revis, both to knee injuries) they seemed to find ways to fill the holes and traded scores back and forth. Dan Carpenter kicked a 41 yard field goal with 16 seconds left in regulation to tie the game for Miami. The Jets had the first possession of overtime and missed the field goal, giving the Dolphins the chance for the win....and then Dan Carpenter missed it. He missed it. So the Jets got it back and then THE JETS KICKER MISSED TOO!!! But hold on, what's that? Joe Philbin was trying to "ice the kicker" and called a time out before the Jets kicked it so they actually kicked it again. Are you f-ing kidding me (I am quoting a certain hubby)?? So they kicked it again and he made it. The Dolphins lose a heartbreaker at home 23-20. "Impress Him" Fact: The Jets offensive coordinator, Tony Sporano, was fired as the Dolphins head coach last year....so I am guessing this was a pretty sweet victory for him.

Other Notes:

- CJ Spiller, currently the leading rusher for the NFL, went out for the Bills on Sunday with an injured shoulder.

- The NFL and refs have been in negotiation talks over the past week, but no progress seems to be happening so players and coaches are going to have to continue to play the game with the refs they are dealt....and every week it is going to be harder and harder.

I feel like every week I talk about how crazy the games were, but every week it is true! Unlike in college football, NFL games count early on in the season and if the first 3 weeks are any indication of whats to come, we are in for some very interesting...and possibly scary football. Here's hoping that Bill Belichick learns how to keep his hands to himself.