Mondays Have Purpose Again

I sprang for NFL Game Pass, again so I can follow the Patriots' march towards Arlington, Texas.

Nice first game for the Patriots. The first half was all Pats. The third quarter, with the exception of Brandon Tate's 97 yard kick off return, belonged to Cincinnati. New England only ran three plays in the entire quarter. The Pats defense appeared more than gassed and struggled to contain the run.

The Cats had a rough first half. Their first five possessions went: punt, punt, punt, fumble and interception. Cincinnati punter Mike Nugent (no word on any possible relation to The Motorcity Madman) was busy. Nugent's career long 54 yard field goal accounted for Cincinnati's only points in the first half.

Quotables

"Somebody say, "Hey guys, the season has started."
-CBS commentator, Phil Simms on the Cincy defense after Fred Taylor ripped off a 24 yard run

"Ochocinco . . . "

I was amazed with the ease that Chad Johnson's new legal moniker was rolling off both Simm's and his partner Jim Nance's tongues. I mean really, how can you take that seriously. Johnson definitely still has it at 32 years old, though a lot of his stats were accrued after the Patriots had the game in hand.

~"It'll get the crowd back into it, if they(Cincinnati) take it down and score."
-Phil Simms during a Cincinnati Bengals' drive

Um Phil, did you forget the game was being played in New England?

"Coach Cowher . . ."
-Jim Nance referring to NFL Today Analyst and Former Pittsburg Steelers head coach Bill Cowher

I suppose if you win a Super Bowl (Super Bowl XL) and have as much success (141-90-1) as Bill Cowher did you've earned the right to be called Coach in perpetuity but he's in the studio now and it strikes me as a little bit WWE.