6B SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2008
FANTASY FOOTBALL
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2008
Don't let this New Orleans Saint escape your lineup
The Titans and Giants remained unbeaten, and the weekend of games was capped by a big comeback by the Vikings on Monday night. Here are the rest of the headlines that stood out from week five in the NFL.
New Orleans Saints' Reggie Bush gets away from Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe in the second half on Monday. Bush returned two other punts for touchdowns in the half. Bush pleased fantasy owners, but the Vikings won 10-27.
WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN
New Orleans running back Reggie Bush may want the title of the song changed after marching into the end zone twice on Monday night. Bush had two punt returns for touchdowns in the game. He could have had a third if he had been able to keep his balance, but it wasn't enough, and the Saints lost on a late field goal by Minnesota. Quarterback Drew Brees scorched the Minnesota secondary with 330 passing yards and strong-armed a touchdown to wide receiver Devery Henderson, but the Saints are hearing sour notes as they prepare for a match-up with Oakland this weekend.
New Orleans has been able to move the ball on every team it has faced, but if the defense doesn't improve just a little, it could be a long season in an NFC South division, which is all about defense.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
RAISING ARIZONA
ESPN reports that Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner considered retiring after receiver Anquan Boldin was injured in a week four loss to the jets because he felt responsible. It's a good thing Warner didn't
Warnei
act though, because he has the Cardinals in prime position to win a weak NFC West. Nobody can stop his passing attack, and Warner racked up another 250 yards passing and two touchdowns
against the undefeated Bills on Sunday. Funny to think that they were considering starting Matt Leinart at quarterback before the season began. The Cardinals have greatly improved from last season and have to worry about only an inconsistent San Francisco team to challenge for the NFC West title.
THE INDIAN IN THE CUPBOARD
The Chiefs have proven from week one that they are the lesser of the two NFL teams with Native American mascots. As the Redskins continue to thrive in the NFC East, the Chiefs continue to stumble. There is no way to make a 34-0 loss at Carolina look good, especially when your team generates no offense. Running back Larry Johnson was held to two yards on seven carries. Yikes! Quarterbacks Damon Huard and Tyler Thigpen combined for 123 passing yards and two intercepts. Maybe if coach Herm Edwards locks his team in a cupboard and then opens it, the offense will magically come to life.
FEAR AND LOATHING IN SAN DIEGO
Should their fans legitimately hate their team more right now? Chargers fans have to be the most perplexed people in the sports world right now. Their team started the year with two last-second losses, one to a good Panthers team, one to the Broncos on an inadvertent whistle that blew a fumble dead. Now the Chargers have suffered a loss to the Dolphins because they generated no offense. The
Chargers really didn't make any mistakes on Sunday, but running back LaDainian Tomlinson had a poor outing with only 35 rushing yards and has only broken the 100-yard mark once this season. Quarterback Philip Rivers cannot carry this team, especially not with 159 yards passing and one touchdown, so the Chargers have a lot of issues to sort out before their game with New England this Sunday.
THE UNTOUCHABLES
NFC East right now?
Washington and Dallas have only one loss each and are sitting second and third in
Does anybody in the NFL want to play any team from the
the division because New York is still undefeated. The Eagles are in last because of losses to the Redskins and Cowboys, but
Manning
Giants quarterback Eli Manning sure looks like Prohibition agent Elliot Ness right now, as he puts the Giants in place to defend their championship and take down whatever Al Capone presents itself from the AFC.
one of their wins was against the Steelers, one of the best teams in the AFC.
GUNFIGHT AT THE OK CORRAL
The Colts and Texans put on a show on Sunday in Houston. The Texans appeared to be headed to
their first win of the season with a 27-10 lead with a little more than eight minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Key turnovers and the never-say-die attitude of Peyton Manning, doing his best Wyatt Earp gunslinger impersonation, led the Colts to the victory. Colts linebacker Gary Brackett returned a fumble for a touchdown and the defense got a late interception to seal the victory and put an end to the shootout.
Edited by Lauren Keith