The NFL left us this week w/ no shortage of interesting stories and bylines from what was really a great weekend for football fans.  Ranging from record setting outings, quarterbacks feuding w/ their coaches or a head coach pulling one of the most boneheaded plays in recent history, the NFL is definitely the hottest discussion in sports this week – Tiger Woods’ indiscretions seem like a thing of the past already.

Two Cleveland Browns Set Records

I feel like starting off w/ some of the positive news that happened on Sunday, which took place in the game between the Cleveland Browns and the Kansas City Chiefs, which the Browns emerged from w/ a win (41-34).

Joshua Cribbs, the featured kick returner, scored not once, but two 100+ yard kickoff return touchdowns en-route to his 7th & 8th overall kickoff returns (NFL record).  Cribbs has become the league’s biggest return threat & he gets plenty tries at it w/ the Browns getting run over on a weekly basis.  It’s quite odd that the Chiefs continued to kick to Josh Cribbs – they had to know he could burn them.  After the first return, at the very least, Kansas City should have started kicking to the other returner or out of bounds.  It surely would’ve saved them some embarrassment and perhaps earned them the win.

Joshua Cribbs Kickoff Return Highlights

Jerome Harrison runs roughshod over the Chiefs weak defense in what amounted to the 3rd highest single-game rushing mark in NFL history.  Harrison finished the game w/ 3 TD’s and 286 yards, eclipsing former Browns’ star Jim Brown’s own record (237 yds) for the team.  Jerome Harrison not only passed Brown, but raised the bar on anyone else who might ever attempt to reach it. Oddly, Harrison didn’t care about passing Brown’s rushing mark, but rather had his attention on teammate (IR) Jamal Lewis record of 295 yds.

“I wanted to (match Jamal Lewis),” Harrison said of the former Brown, who, at 295 yards, has the second-highest single-game rushing total in league history. “I will say that. I wanted to get Jamal. He’s a great guy and been a great mentor to me, so to get him would have been awesome. To be in the same category as those other men is a true blessing.”

Jerome Harrison Breaks Browns Rushing Record

Both records provide a brief bright spot for a rough 2009 season for the Browns, who are anticipating firing 1st year coach Eric Mangini after the hiring of Jim Holmgren as Team President.

Chilly Feud in Minnesota

Before the Carolina Panthers finished off the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night, quarterback Brett Favre was reportedly asked to leave the game by head coach Brad Childress.  Favre, being the team’s leader and best shot at winning, said “no” to the request, essentially overriding the coach.

The whole situation, depending on who is speaking about it (Favre or Childress), revolves around the lack of production on the offensive side of the ball vs. a tough Panthers’ defensive line and more specifically, Julius Peppers.  Favre was routinely harassed and unable to get much done, so Childress claims he was going to put in Tavaris Jackson due to his mobility and ability to create plays w/ his legs, whereas Brett can’t do that.

One can’t necessarily blame Brett Favre for not coming out of the game – ask any player if they want to come out and they’ll say no – but showing up your coach is certainly not the way to make friends in Minnesota.  If the locker room isn’t already divided on Favre, the latest episode certainly helps push teammates closer to the edge (of distrust, etc.).

It remains to be seen whether the Vikings are controlled by Childress or Favre.  One thing is for sure… if they keep losing, Favre will receive the blame just as he did last year w/ the Jets during their fall from playoff contention in December.

Worst Play-call of the Year

Perhaps Jim Zorn was shoving his middle finger in owner Daniel Snyder’s face for openly discussing his replacement in front of him (the week before) or maybe he’s just not that good of a football coach.  Regardless, the play call to end the 1st half of Monday night’s game against the New York Giants was downright ludicrous.  You have to see the series of events and the final play to really understand just how dumb a move it was.

After lining up for in a standard 4th down formation, the Redskins quickly sent 6-7 players to the edge of the sideline for what appeared to be a trick play.  Tom Coughlin quickly called timeout for the Giants to stop the play from happening.

What happens next is pure stupidity… Zorn calls the same play again.  This time, the Giants are ready for it and rush the placeholder/kicker to kick his a**.  The ball is thrown up (think hail-mary) and ends up NY ball via interception.

Redskins Trick Play on MNF

Bill Belicheck’s call to go for it on 4th down that cost them the Colts game is damn near the dumbest play of the year, but I think Zorn’s “they smelled it out too quickly” play on MNF takes the cake.

Washington fans… say goodbye to the Zorn-meister.

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