Mexico City Braces for Impact

Carlos Copernicus, once a college football player in Mexico, says no one will care that no Mexicans are playing in the first NFL game on foreign turf to be played on Sunday when the Cardinals and 49ers will match up.

The population of Mexico's ancient capital exceeds eighteen million. The NFL says there are over twenty million fans of pro football in Mexico and another 25 million Mexican-Americans who count themselves as NFL fans.

Football Results - Week 3

• Dallas 34, San Francisco 31
• New England 23, Pittsburgh 20
• San Diego 45, N.Y. Giants 23
• Denver 30, Kansas City 10
• Atlanta 24, Buffalo 16
• Miami 27, Carolina 24
• Minnesota 33, New Orleans 16
• Philadelphia 23, Oakland 20
• Tampa Bay 17, Green Bay 16
• St. Louis 31, Tennessee 27
• Seattle 37, Arizona 12
• Cincinnati 24, Chicago 7
• Indianapolis 13, Cleveland 6
• Jacksonville 26, N.Y. Jets 20 (OT)

Crunch Football - Manning Faces Chargers

Eli Manning realises it might not have been "the right thing to do" when 'turned down' the San Diego Chargers as first pick in last year's draft. He eventually traded to the Giants.

He still hasn't really explained his decision, other than preferred location, and many believed Manning was trying to be 'bigger' than the system itself. "It was my decision," said Manning, "and I felt strongly about it. I knew I was going to get criticized and harrassed about it, and I was willing to go through that."

On Sunday night he faces for the first time as NYG QB the city, fans and team that he 'dissed'. It could get tough for him.

Many San Diego players feel that he disrespected them, their city, the NFL and the draft system as a whole. It could be that some payback is coming...

Steelers Patriots Play it Again..

Tune in to Sunday's reprise of last season's AFC Championship Game, when the New England Patriots visit the Pittsburgh Steelers. It should be a good one.

Despite losing at Carolina last weekend, that gave them season stats of 1-1, the Patriots will remember how they dismantled the Steelers 41-27 last time out, which took them to the Super Bowl.

QB Tom Brady for the Pats isn't too concerned about last weeks loss.

"You have to move on," he said. "We realize that we lost and we were disappointed... and frustrated after the game...I don't think we can really say, 'We've really got to play well this week because we lost last week....you've got to play well every week."

The Steelers done well the first two weeks, beating Tennessee 34-7 and Houston 27-7.
but when Ben Roethlisberger looks at the Patriots, he remembers the painful lessons from last season's meetings.

"You never see the same thing twice," he said. "What you see in one game you are not going to get the next game. It is tough to game-plan against a team that throws so many things at you..."

Tune in Sunday.

King Darius Out for Season

Jacksonville safety Donovin Darius will be out for the rest of the season after tearing a knee ligament in the game against Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

The 'classic' injury was to his anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee sustained during a punt return. The knee will need surgery.

It could prove to be a big setback for Jacksonville's much respected defense.

The Show Mustn't Go On...

Everyone meant well last night at Giants Stadium but you couldn't help but feel that the Saints were somewhat patronised - something that as Americans we do better than any other nation in the world - by all the pomp and show...

"This is not about a football game," said Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, "It's about the NFL and the Saints making a statement as to what we stand for as far as rebuilding in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast region."

But really it was about a football game. What, winning suddenly didn't matter yesterday night? Thousands of fund raisers are going on around the country and it was nice for the NFL to do their bit, but this is game time, week 2, the road to Super Bowl XL and it was nothing more or less than a football game even if millions were raised from the accompanying telethon.

New York won the day 27-10 with Saints slowed by penalties and turnovers.

The Saints felt Monday night's bizarre "home" opener was unfair from the start.

"They made this seem like the Super Bowl," QB Aaron Brooks told the Associated Press of the NFL. "We played a team that outplayed us today, but it was way overdone. Setting up a stage, traveling here, it was uncalled for...try not to patronize us next time....saying we're playing a home game."

"We were in the visiting locker room, on the visiting field. It seemed like an away game." said coach Jim Haslett.

It was just another game....

Redskins Scalp Cowboys

Mark Brunell, QB for The Washington Redskins fired two long range touchdown passes to Santana Moss within seventy seconds in the dying stages of the fourth quarter to snatch a 14-13 win at Texas Stadium.

It was only their second win in sixteen against the Cowboys and their first two touchdowns of the season.

The Cowboys let themselves down with bad clock management.

Monday Night Football

GIANTS V SAINTS

New Orleans Saints will wear their own strip at their 'home' game in Giants Stadium tonight and their emblem will be displayed in one end zone. The entertainment has been chosen for its 'Big Easy' feel.

The Saints have become the favourite team for neutral fans in America and each time they take the field we are reminded of the devastation caused by Katrina.

Playing on the road should not worry the Saints. In recent seasons their road wins outnumber their home wins.

Last week the Giants were not able to contain Larry Fitzgerald, who had a game-high thirteen catches for 155 yards and a touchdown. The Giants defensive backs could have their hands full this week against a talented group of Saints receivers.

It will be interesting to see how impressive last weeks big score win for the Giants over the Arizona Cardinals really was..


REDSKINS V COWBOYS

Washington face Dallas at Texas Stadium on Monday Night in what will prove to be a big challenge.

The Redskins have not had much luck against the Cowboys in recent seasons, with only one victory in the last fifteen meetings and no wins in Dallas in ten years. The Redskins hope to end that losing streak tonight.

There are a few other things to consider in this game re the coaches.

Redskins coach Gibbs and Cowboys coach Parcells are big rivals and two of the most successful coaches in the history of the game. They have five Superbowl victories and seven conference titles between them. They are both in the top five among active coaches in victories - Gibbs is third and Parcells second.

Panthers Overcome Pats

New England Patriots spent the better part of Sunday afternoon scrathching around for proof of why they are defending Superbowl champions. They never really found what they were looking for and the Carolina Panthers came out on top 27-17.

"We made too many mistakes in all phases of the game," said Pats coach Bill Belichick, of the team's fifth loss the last 40 regular-season and playoff games. "We've got to do a better job of coaching and a better job of playing."

Panthers Lie In Wait

Bill Belichick's abilities are so highly respected that the game plan he designed when he was defensive co-ordinator for the Giants, which led to the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV, is permanently displayed at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Belichick takes his abilities and his team to Carolina on Sunday in what promises to be tough game. The Panthers will want to bounce back from their narrow defeat last week to New Orleans and also may feel they have the team this season to gain revenge for their Super Bowl XXXVIII loss in 2004.

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Weights and Measures...

Ever wondered how big or how heavy the NFL players that you see on the TV really are?
On week one rosters there were 272 players weighing 200 pounds or less, 315 players under 6-feet tall and 338 players weighing at least 300 pounds.

McNabb Doubt for Week 2

McNabb's status for Phialdelphia's next game is now in doubt after he took a helmet-first blow to his torso from Falcons' Chad Lavalais. He is said to be suffering from a bruised chest.

It is difficult to assess an injury when the game is still going on as adrenalin will carry you a long way - the day after is when pain comes home to roost. McNabb was a lot more sore on Tuesday than he had been the night before, according to coach Andy Reid.

Week 2 - Pro Football Schedule

September 18

Baltimore at Tennessee 1:00 pm ET
Detroit at Chicago 1:00 pm ET
Minnesota at Cincinnati 1:00 pm ET
San Francisco at Philadelphia 1:00 pm ET
Buffalo at Tampa Bay 1:00 pm ET
Jacksonville at Indianapolis 1:00 pm ET
New England at Carolina 1:00 pm ET
Pittsburgh at Houston 1:00 pm ET
St. Louis at Arizona 4:05 pm ET
Atlanta at Seattle 4:05 pm ET
Miami at New York 4:15 pm ET
San Diego at Denver 4:15 pm ET
Cleveland at Green Bay 4:15 pm ET
Kansas City at Oakland 8:30 pm ET

September 19
New York at New Orleans 7:30 pm ET
Washington at Dallas 9:00 pm ET

Saints Rise Above Katrina...

New Orleans overcame their fierce rivals Carolina ,in their own back yard, in a hard fought 23-20 victory on Sunday. It was not supposed to be - with many pundits predicting an easy victory for the Panthers who had already been tipped as potential superbowl contenders.

New Orleans have a team of experienced players and veterans and if there is one team in the league that can manage the level of emotion that was evident pre-game - then arguably it would be the Saints.

The team held together in a difficult time and who is to say that the Saints, homeless like many of the their city's residents in that they have no 'home turf', can't put together a decent season based on the unity and spirit on display on Sunday in Carolina.

Feud Resolved..

Owens has said that he has spoken to McNabb and that the two Eagles stars are "getting along just fine."

Owens added, "We both have a mutual respect for each other and I think we probably understand that both of us may have been wrong in the situation, but that's between Donovan and I,".

(Just don't get tired in SuperBowl XL Donovan....)

Razor Still Gives Edge to Patriots

The Patriots stretched their home winning streak to 21 at Gillette Stadium (known as "The Razor") last night by beating the Raiders 30-20. The game was tight at times and it was clear that the Patriots still have a few personnel that need to settle in to the unit. But there can be little doubt that settle they will and improvement upon improvement could again be seen throughout this season.

At times Brady was laughing and smiling and really seemed as if he was still in the pre-season. The rest of the league beware when he decides to get serious...

Who Will He Throw To?

Daunte Culpepper starts this season without Randy Moss as his main receiver - in the season opener against Tampa Bay.

Moss was traded by the Vikings after the team got bored with Moss's on and off field antics. In return they got linebacker Napoleon Harris and two draft picks, including a first round selection..

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Time to End Feud

Terrell Owens wants to end his feud with team 'mate' McNabb. Owens and McNabb haven't been friendly throughout the preseason, but the wide receiver said in an interview on ESPN that he will to talk to McNabb before Philadelphia's season opener at Atlanta on Monday night.
"It's not that I hate Donovan...I don't hate him at all," Owens said, speaking publicly for the first time since a one-week exile from training camp three weeks ago. "I was just disappointed in a few things..." He was referring to McNabb's alleged fatigue in the Super Bowl loss against the Patriots last season.

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Detroit Lions Lose Key Man

Detroit's only victory of the pre-season came at great cost when backup quarterback Jeff Garcia broke his left leg. Garcia was carted off and tests showed that he had broken his fibula and possibly sprained his ankle.