Shootouts Mark Week Seven

It's said that offenses are usually slower to develop than defenses. Rythym is critical, and with the NFL's constant player turnover it usually takes weeks for the proper chemistry to develop between offensive linemen, quarterbacks and their recievers.

It seems that time has come.

Of the first nine games played today, five of them had at least one team score 30 points. Kansas City led all teams so far with 42 points (a farcry from the woeful team that graced Arrowhead Stadium last season), with Atlanta and Tennessee coming up just short with 39 and 37, respectively. Titans wideout Kenny Britt had three touchdowns after playing in only three quarters against Philly, almost doubling his season stats with 225 receiving yards on seven grabs and setting an inauspcious record for the most points ever scored by an individual player against the Philidelphia Eagles.

Not all offenses played well, though, and the points came from the offensive side of the ball. The lowly Cleveland Browns took advantage of four Drew Brees interceptions (two returned for touchdowns by veteran linebacker David Bowens) to upset the defending champion Saints. The Chicago Bears turned the ball over six times in a loss to Washington, allowing Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall to tie the NFL record (with eight other players) for the most interceptions by a single player in one game.

Lastly, the Bills seems to have finally found a quarterback in that other guy from Harvard, Ryan Fitzpatrick. In seven games this season, Fitzpatrick has a quarterback rating of just under 100, having thrown for 969 yards, eleven scores, and only four interceptions. Keep in mind that this is the Buffalo Bills offense, so thriving in it to probably only just short of miraculous.