NFL week 6 wrap-up

You have to love how the NFL is so consistently inconsistent. Week after week, the experts are proved wrong and crazy things happen in this league, from upsets to wild finishes. Here are what I thought were Sunday's top story lines.

Rookie QB is a winner?

Perhaps the craziest finish of all was the Chicago Bears vs. Atlanta Falcons game where 13 points were scored in the final 2 minutes of the game. Atlanta squeaked out with the win at home 22-20 and new Atlanta QB Matt Ryan brings brings up the legitimate question...is he the real deal? He's not exactly a top fantasy pick with his stats, but he's wining games. Don't look now but Atlanta (who finished last place last year) is currently leading the division at 4-2.

Dallas Disappointment

Probably the biggest upset of the day was Dallas falling to the Arizona Cardinals in overtime. It was a back and forth game where both teams looked pretty impressive at times. Arizona took a solid 2-game lead in the division with the win and Dallas fell to a tie for 2nd place in the tough NFC East division. I can't help but have major doubts about this Dallas team that was supposed to be dominant but has looked less than impressive the last 3 games. They lost badly to the Redskins in Week 4, just managed to beat the terrible Bengals last week and then lost Arizona this week. Tony Romo surprisingly played a near mistake-free game but the defense and special teams gave up too many big plays, including the game winning blocked punt TD in overtime to win it for the Cards.

How the West was won...no seriously, how?

Speaking of the Cardinals leading the NFC West, what is up with that random geographic grouping of four NFL teams? Seriously, when you think about it divisions in football are pretty random, so how is the NFC West so bad year after year. Sure, the Cardinals lead at 4-2, but they always seem to fall apart later in the season when it matters. But who else is there? The 2-4 49ers had their chance Sunday, but they blew a 9-point lead into the 4th quarter thanks to some poor decisions by QB J.T. O'Sullivan and questionable coaching decisions down the stretch. Seattle and St. Louis are even further in the whole at 1-4, but for different reasons. The Rams are just bad. Bad coaching and worse players. The Seahawks are getting old and are riddled with injuries. QB Matt Hasselbeck has sore back from carrying the team on his shoulders for so long and the undersized defense is being badly exposed for what it really is...mediocre at best. Bottom line, whoever ends up winning this division and backing their way into the playoffs isn't going anywhere anyway, so what difference does it make?

Patriots get Charged

I think you have to question Patriots head coach Bill Belichick's theory of staying on the west coast all week long due to playing in San Francisco and San Diego in back-to-back games. Sunday night against the Chargers, they simply looked un-alert and uninspired. Maybe it was just a revitalized Chargers team, but the Patriots got hammered 30-10 in this game and you can't help but wonder if it had to do with the extended west coast visit.

Indy back on track

Hold back your doubts on the Colts for just a little while. Their defense looked very questionable these past few weeks and Peyton Manning looked like he hadn't fully recovered from that off-season knee surgery he had. That wasn't the case Sunday, as the Colts looked like the team everyone expects to see. Efficient offense and feisty defense that forces turnovers. The Colts still have work to do to catch up to 5-0 Tennessee in the division, but at 3-2, Indianapolis is right in the thick of things.

Da' Raaaiders

Sorry to any Raider fans out there, but it looks like new head coach Tom Cable wasn't the answer. Owner Al Davis might have to fire him as well after the beatdown they took against the Saints Sunday. A 34-3 loss dropped the Raiders to 1-4 on the year and still two superbowl titles short of Al Davis retiring. It's going to be a long road ahead for the silver and black.