Week 5 — Mon, 10 Oct 2005

From: Jeff
To: mnf@doobie.com
Subject: It's Monday...

...and there's only one team that's still undefeated.

Yep, the Indianapolis Colts came to Candlestick yesterday, and crushed our poor 49ers 28-3. Rookie quarterback Alex Smith started and finished this game (his first as a starter) and the Colts defense were glad to introduce him to the NFL. Sadly, Smith is still not really ready for the NFL. His numbers tell the story (9-23 for 74 yards, 0 TD, 4 interceptions, 5 sacks, one fumble). The Colts go to 5-0, the Niners fall to 1-4.

But what about the other undefeated teams?

Well, the clock finally caught up to the Washington Redskins, who fell to Denver in what appears to have been an outstanding game in the rain/sleet mixture so common to Denver. (I haven't seen it yet, 'cause we skipped town this weekend, but it's on my Tivo). Late in the game, the Redskins put together a 94 yard drive ending in a touchdown with 1:04 to go... but a Denver linebacker knocked down Marc Brunell's 2 point conversion pass, leaving the score 21-19, Denver. The 'skins fall to 3-1, Denver goes to 4-1.

Amazingly enough, Vinnie Testaverde and the Jets managed to eek out a 14-12 victory over the offensively-challenged Buccaneers. Tampa Bay's leading running back, Carnell "Cadillac" Williams, is out with a leg injury, and without him, the Bucs offense just never got started. This was Testaverde's first game at home after coming out of retirement two weeks ago to become the Jets fourth-string QB. He was greeted with a standing O by the Jets fans who still believe, and by all accounts, it looks like they might have something to believe in -- if the 41 year old passer can stay healthy. With the win, the Jets go to 2-3, Tampa Bay is 4-1.

And then, there are the Bengals. They still look like a good football team, and have a great season ahead of them. But last night in Jacksonville, the Jaguars defense handed Cincinnati its first loss 23-20. Despite the close score, the Jaguars had the game under control most of the game (in fact, the Bengals never held the lead). The Bengals go to 4-1 (which is their best start since 1988, when they won the super bowl). The Jaguars are 3-2.

But what about the other end of the spectrum? Just as there is only one remaining undefeated team, there is also just one winless team: 0-4 Houston.

Yep, the lowly Texans lost again on Sunday, this time to the uninspiring Tennessee Titans (who used to be... right, the HOUSTON Oilers) 34-20. Both teams looked dreadful. The Titans appear to suck slightly less. The Titans are now 2-3. Houston is 0-4, and playing Seattle next week.

And if they're the only ones left, that means that Green Bay won. Yes, the Packers finally found their first win this week over the displaced New Orleans Saints. The Saints really never had a chance in this game, kicking a field goal in the opening minutes, which turned out to be their only points of the afternoon. The game ended 52-3 Packers. New Orleans falls to 2-3. Green Bay is 1-4.

And then there's tonight's game...

Tonight, the 2-1 Pittsburgh Steelers travel to sunny San Diego to take on the 2-2 Chargers on the natural grass surface of the 71,000 seat Qualcomm stadium. Growing good turf in San Diego's arid climate is surprisingly difficult, and the groundskeepers at Qualcomm have settled on a surface made mostly of Tifway 419, a hybrid bermuda grass, with some sort of ryegrass overseeded. The Tifway apparently is too brown in the San Diego heat, and while it provides a good surface for the players, the rye provides the green that the TV cameras are looking for.

This game is something of a coming-out party for the Chargers, who have rather quietly emerged as one of the NFLs better teams this year, despite its 2-2 record. If they win tonight, after knocking off the Patriots last week, they will officially announce themselves as a contender.

The Game:
Pittsburgh Steelers at
San Diego Chargers
Qualcomm Stadium (formerly Jack Murphy, formerly San Diego Stadium)
9449 Friars Road
San Diego, CA

The Line:

The Chargers are favored by three. The over/under is 46.5.

The almost-ready-to-recover Smart Money is 2-7 for the season. Tonight it takes the Over and the Chargers.

The Bar:

Tonight, we're again competing with Baseball for the TeeVees and speakers in most watering holes, so our best bet is to find a place with the right combination of big-screens, Guinness, and SF Chronicle sports writers.

The Chieftain
198 Fifth Street (@Howard)
Steps from the 27 bus, a block from the 14 Mission.
A couple blocks from the Powell St Station.

Kickoff is at 6:00, The first pitch is thrown around 5:00.

See you there?

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