Random Observations...

❡ Mark Brunell completed 22 straight passes today, setting an NFL record. FOX showed the stat on screen after the 22nd pass, and, of course, Brunell threw two imcompletions immediately afterwards. Nice job, FOX Sports. Point of tangency: Clinton Portis finished with 164 combined yards and 2 TDs, but on the long shuffle pass and a pitch inside the 5 (in which he got to the outside but was tripped up at the 1), he did not look as fast as usual. Maybe he's just not up to full game speed yet. Maybe he's still playing at 80%. Maybe it's hard to get excited to play the Texans. I'm not sure which one it is.



❡ Uually in Columbia, either the Chiefs or the Rams are playing at 1 pm. Not today. The Chiefs had a bye week, and the Rams are playing at 4. It's very strange to be in a sports bar where the loudest folks are Packers or Bengals fans.



❡ Did anyone notice that Miami and Tennesse were playing today? I was in a bar with no less than 35 TVs, and there wasn't a single one tuned to that game.



❡I'm still not sure why FOX has their pregame show on the road. I don't know anyone -- not even here in Columbia -- who loves Joe Buck so much that he/she'd tune in just for him. FOX should just move the show back to L.A. and let Curt Menefee host. And please, can we get one guy to host the show and to provide the in-game updates? This Buck-Menefee-Chris Rose trifecta just isn't working.



❡I still get a good laugh out of hearing the words, 'Now let's show you the Arizona Cardinals defense.'



❡ A funny sequence in the Rams-Cardinals game: Matt Turk's punt dies at the 1 yard line, followed by a shot of Turk raising his hands towards the sky, followed by the announcer saying, 'Give all the praise there to...', followed by a fleeting moment in which I thought the announcer was going to commend Jesus, followed by the disappointing words ...'Tye Hill, corner out of Clemson.'



❡ Is there a worse feeling than waking up late Sunday and realizing that you haven't changed your fantasy team, and then watching as T.J. Houshmanzadeh and Nate Burleson combine for 3 TDs as they sit on your bench?



❡ Mizzou is in the top 25. Colorado is next week. I'm trying not to get too excited, but.... Tigers!



❡ Speaking of which, why'd Maryland drop out of the 'Also Receiving Votes' category in both polls? What, that 14-10 win over Florida International wasn't impressive enough for the voters?