DENVER - Go figure. Coming off a long weekend where stuffing one's self to the point of button-busting fullness is the norm, the Denver Broncos are leaner, meaner and hungrier than they were coming in.
More on them in a moment. First, my thoughts and observations from the NFL weekend that was.
The Indianapolis Colts (11-0) are jaw-droppingly good. They continue to step on landmines, and walk away unharmed. I still think they don't make it through the season unbeaten, but the only teams that are equipped to stop them are in the NFC. The Colts won't play either the Minnesota Vikings or the New Orleans Saints until early February, if at all.
On the topic of barely-believable escapes, how about Vince Young? The guy's career arc is looking less like anyone else in NFL history, and more like Lazarus.
Brett Favre and the Vikings are built for the postseason. With all due respect to the Colts, Saints, New England Patriots and whoever else, the Purple People Eaters II are my favorite to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. A stout defense, meat-grinder rushing attack and a big-play quarterback is a perfect mix.
As for the Broncos, despite some gaffs, they did everything they needed to do against the Giants to get their season back on track. They stuffed Brandon Jacobs repeatedly until he was a non-factor. They worked methodically on offense, and put points on the board. They were intense, focused and determined.
It really is amazing how in the NFL, fortunes can change so dramatically, so quickly. In no other league can the outcome of one regular season game do so much. The Broncos are now in the driver's seat to getting a postseason berth.
They remind me a lot of Jon and Kate Gosselin in reverse. Instead of plummeting into a spiral of misery, they're suddenly skyrocketing upwards. Instead of coming asunder when pressure and visibility mounted, they came together and triumphed. They took all of the trends of the previous month, and reversed them.
Go figure.
More on them in a moment. First, my thoughts and observations from the NFL weekend that was.
The Indianapolis Colts (11-0) are jaw-droppingly good. They continue to step on landmines, and walk away unharmed. I still think they don't make it through the season unbeaten, but the only teams that are equipped to stop them are in the NFC. The Colts won't play either the Minnesota Vikings or the New Orleans Saints until early February, if at all.
On the topic of barely-believable escapes, how about Vince Young? The guy's career arc is looking less like anyone else in NFL history, and more like Lazarus.
Brett Favre and the Vikings are built for the postseason. With all due respect to the Colts, Saints, New England Patriots and whoever else, the Purple People Eaters II are my favorite to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. A stout defense, meat-grinder rushing attack and a big-play quarterback is a perfect mix.
As for the Broncos, despite some gaffs, they did everything they needed to do against the Giants to get their season back on track. They stuffed Brandon Jacobs repeatedly until he was a non-factor. They worked methodically on offense, and put points on the board. They were intense, focused and determined.
It really is amazing how in the NFL, fortunes can change so dramatically, so quickly. In no other league can the outcome of one regular season game do so much. The Broncos are now in the driver's seat to getting a postseason berth.
They remind me a lot of Jon and Kate Gosselin in reverse. Instead of plummeting into a spiral of misery, they're suddenly skyrocketing upwards. Instead of coming asunder when pressure and visibility mounted, they came together and triumphed. They took all of the trends of the previous month, and reversed them.
Go figure.
