New Country, Same Garbage Football

The Patriots are good and the Bucs are terrible, in any language. Wait, they speak American over there?

•Patriots 35, Buccaneers 7. Reader Eric calls our attention to a comment left on a British newspaper's story on the game:

As far as I can see American football is a marathon of budweiser adverts occasionally interrupted by some "talented bloke" chucking a rugby-like ball to some Billy Whizz halfway up the pitch, intent on scoring points for catching it while a couple of beefcakes try to put him in a wheelchair for the rest of his life."

I can't really take issue with that summary, but I also don't see it as a negative thing. What is a negative thing is this specific example of American football. The Pats scored on a pick-six on the Bucs' opening possession, and never looked back.

•Steelers 27, Vikings 17.There's the Brett Favre we know and love. Down three points and driving, Favre fumbled for a 77-yard TD return. Following Percy Harvin's Devin Hester impersonation, Minnesota was again down three points and driving, when Keyaron Fox picked off a deflected ball for a game-sealing, 88 yard touchdown. Another undefeated team down.

•Texans 24, 49ers 21. A 21-0 lead at halftime led to Shaun Hill being benched, and then this one got interesting. Alex Smith found Vernon Davis in the end zone three times, but couldn't complete the comeback. Steve Slaton had TDs on the ground and in the air.

•Colts 42, Rams 6. No Reggie Wayne, no Donald Brown? No problem. Seriously, no problems whatsoever for Indy, who got touchdowns from people named Chad Simpson and Jacob Lacey, who I assume are fans they plucked out of the stands.

•Chargers 37, Chiefs 7. Remember when this used to be a rivalry? Now it's like a nonconference college game, just meant to make your team look good. San Diego picked off three passes and Rivers threw for three touchdowns.

•Packers 31, Browns 3. Green Bay was firing on all cylinders, but that's not much of an accomplishment against the Browns. Aaron Rodgers was 15/20 for 246 yards and 3 TDs, and Ryan Grant rushed for 148.