Congratulations Mike Mussina!

There is nobody with more class in the game of baseball than Mike Mussina.

The veteran right-hander, who goes about his business quietly, won his 20th game of the 2008 season. It is the first time that Mussina has won 20 in his 18th year career with the Orioles and Yankees.

Mussina pitched six brilliant innings against the hated Boston Red Sox, surrendering only three hits in just 74 pitches.

Mariano Rivera, who has stirred up controversy over his mysterious shoulder injury, locked up the save for Mussina. It was Rivera's 39th.

The deciding runs came in the fourth inning as Xavier Nady blasted a three-run homerun to give New York a 3-0 lead. They won 6-2.

This is a bittersweet moment for a Yankee team that has played badly in 2008 and needs to regroup big time for 2009.

LOST: Story of the 2008 New York Mets

MARLINS 4, METS 2

SHEA STADIUM 1964-2008

Well, the Mets have done it again. They have accomplished something only a team run by an incompetent General Manager, Omar Minaya, can do; furthermore, they have accomplished something where the players never come up big in the clutch, i.e. David Wright, Carlos Delgado, Jose Reyes, Aaron Heilman, and on and on and on, can accomplish. They have accomplished something where they fire a manager, Willie Randolph, who brought the team out of the depths of last place in the NL East to first place, only to blame him for his players' lack of effort, when it was really their shortcomings, can accomplish.

Yes, the Mutts sent Shea Stadium out in style with an another excruciating defeat, losing 4-2 to the Marlins, costing them any hope of making it to the postseason. The Brewers beat the Cubs earlier in the day, 3-1, to clinch the Wild Card.

Like last year, Met fans were sitting with looks of angst, clasping their hands in prayer, hoping that the gods of baseball would shine on them. Lets face it, the way these players on the Mets treat their fans, Met fans must be the most abused fans in baseball history, which is why after 22 years of misery since 1986, the fans have become a cynical group.

In the sixth, Oliver Perez imploded, as he always does, giving up two runs to make it 2-0 Fish. Think the Mets will give Perez a big contract next month? I don't think so.

The Mets tied it in the bottom of the inning as Carlos Beltran, the only clutch player on the team, blasted a two run jack into the bleachers to tie the game. His homer was the last by a Met in Shea Stadium history.

Finally, the Marlins exploded on Minaya's prized possesions: Scott Schoeneweis and Luis Ayala. First, Wes Helms homered off Schoeneweis to make it 3-2 Fish. Then, Dan Uggla homered off Ayala to make it 4-2.

In the ninth, with a runner on and two out, Ryan Chruch got one into right center. The fans stood, hoping for it to leave the park, instead the ball fell into the glove of Cameron Maybin to end the game and the Mets season.

Now the Mets have to start over. They have to rip this team apart, piece by piece, and begin anew because this is two staight years that the Mets choked.

Favre Sets New Personal Record

JETS 56

CARDINALS 35

If you like arena football then this was the game for you. Brett Favre and Kurt Warner did not disappoint; the pair of veteran QB's put on a clinic in Sunday afternoon's ballgame, as the Jets beat the Cardinals 56-35. The game marked a new record for Favre since he threw six touchdown passes; the most he has thrown in a game. It was also the first time since 1986 that the Jets scored 50+ points in a game.
The Jets were excellent in the first half, playing crisp, sound football on both sides of the ball. The defense confused Warner, rushing him with different blitz packages and forcing five turnovers in the game' first 30 minutes.

In the second quarter, Favre and the Jets got the party started. First,Favre hit Laveranues Coles from the 12 yards out to give New York a 7-0 lead.

On Arizona's next possesion, Warner was picked off by Darrell Revis, who took it 32 yards into the endzone for a 14-0 lead.

After another Warner interception, Favre found Coles again;, this time from 34 yards out to make it 21 to 0.

Favre hit Coles once more before halftime, this one a lob from the two yard line to make it 31-0.

The Jets had a 34-0 into the half. Should be a walk in the park, right?

Not exactly. Arizona got red hot in the second half and moved the ball efficently on the Jets' overrated defense, scoring 35 unanswered points.

First, Edgerin James completed a six play, 58 yard drive to open the half with a touchdown to make it 34-7. After the Jets went three and out on their opeing drive, Arizona took the ball right down the Jets' throats.

On a drive that took 13 plays and 76 yards, James finished it again with a touchdown to make it 34-13. Arizona converted the two point conversion to cut the deficit to 19.

Arizona went for the onside kick and recovered it and proceeded to drive down the field, as Warner hit wide open receivers, like Larry Fitzgerald and Jerheme Urban, to move the ball. Tim Hightower took it in from one yard out to make it 34-21.

Finally, the Jets got the ball back, and Favre wasted no time. The Jets went on a 12 play 80 yard drive that ended in a 17 yard touchdown to Jerricho Cothery to make it 41-21.

Arizona responded, as Warner hit Anquain Boldin from eight yards out to make it 41-28.

Favre would not relent, leading his troops all the way down the field as fast as possible,hitting a wide open Jerricho Cothery from 40 yards out to make it 48-28.

But that was not enough, for the defense allowed the Cardinals to move down the field again, ending with a 14 yard touchdown from Warner to Urban to make it 48-35 with 4:49 to go.

The Jets had to run the clock, but Jay Feeley missed his second field goal of the game, giving Arizona the ball back with 3:09 to go.

It was here that the Jet defense finally put on a defense. Warner was pressured and sacked by David Bowens; as a result, Warner fumbled the ball and it was recovered by Calvin Pace, giving the Jets great field positon at the Cardinals 25 yard line.

Favre ended it with his sixth touchdown pass of the day, a career high, hitting Dustin Keller from 24 yards out; 56-35 J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets.

Phillies Win NL East

The Phillies have beaten the Washington Nationals 4-3 in Philadelphia to capture their second straight NL East title. This is also the second straight September, where Philly capitalized off a Mets choke job to win the division.

The Phillies will host either the LA Dodgers or Milwukee Brewers in the Divsion Series, set to begin the middle of next week.

Super Santana Saves Mets Skins

METS 2

MARLINS 0

This is why the Mets paid him $137 million dollars in February. This is why Omar Minaya and the Mets desperately wanted him all off-season. This is why he is considered the best pitcher in baseball today.

Johan Santana pitched an absolute gem today against the Florida Marlins. He threw a complete game shutout, his third complete game of the year. Yet, this one was much more special. This one came with the Mets season on the line. They needed Santana to be Superman and he was.

Three days ago the Mets ace threw 125 pitches in seven innings against the Cubs. The next day reports said that Santana told manager Jerry Manuel that he wanted the ball for today's game. He got, with Manuel hoping to get at least 105 pitches out of him on short rest. He threw 117 pitches, and with each pitch he got better. If the game went into extra innings, Santana probably would have demanded to pitch; he was red-hot and is only one who can save the Mets from themselves.

Santana struck out nine Marlin batters, making each batter look completely stupid as they were all out in front of Santana's leathal pitches.

As the final out was recored in the glove of Endy Chavez, Shea Stadium broke in a roucus cheer, perhaps for the final time ever. Santana then took the game ball, kissed it and hurled it into the stands, and tipped his cap to the crowd as he walked toward the showers.

Not a bad day's work if you can get it.

If God somehow lets the Mets into the postseason tomorrow night, Santana probably will start against the Cubs in game one of the Division Series. If not, then this will be the last time we see the ace until next April - boy did he leave a lasting memory for all Met fans and closed out Shea the only way he could.

NOTE: The Mets now still trail Milwaukee for the wild card, and need the Brewers to lose today to force a tie. If both teams are tied after tomorrow there will be a one game playoff on Monday.

Yankees Management Not On Same Page

Clearly the Yankees need to get on the same page on Mariano Rivera's mysterious shoulder injury. GM Brian Cashman had to apoligize for his manager Joe Giradi for getting information wrong on Rivera's status.

On Thursday Girardi said that Rivera was taking an MRI as part of a routine post-season exam before checking out for the season. Cashman disagreed saying that Rivera requested a test.

Either way, Rivera probably won't pitch again this year, nor should he since the Yankees are long out of the post-season race. There is no need to have Rivera risk further injury in garbage time games.

As for this debacle of he said he said between Girardi and Cashman it is idiotic. So Girardi didn't get all the information? There was nothing he could do, when he is up in Toronto managing a game, while Rivera and Cashman are in New York getting the tests done.

The Yankee management needs to grow up and start working together to fix this mess that was 2008.

OH NO! Mets Fall Apart Again!

MARLINS 6

METS 1

Yes Met fans, start spreading the news! The Mets are falling out of it ... Again!

The Mets completely imploded Friday night in a game they had to have against the rival Florida Marlins. The Marlins won 6-1 in front of a sparse and stunned Shea Stadium crowd. Some way to celebrate the final weekend at Shea, eh?

The Mets never gave themselves a chance in this one, as Mike Pelfrey continues his struggles against this Florida ballclub. He is now 1-5 all time vs. the Fish.

In the first inning, Hanley Ramirez singled on a ground ball to start the game. Moments later, John Baker singled down the left field line well enough for Ramirez to score the opening run. Jorge Cantu doubled to move Baker to third. Dan Uggla grounded out to short, but that was enough to get Baker home from thrid. 2-0, Marlins.

Chris Volstad absolutely baffled the Metropolitans, throwing six brilliant innings, surrendering only an unearned run. Volstad finished the season with a 6-4 record and a sparkling 2.88 ERA.

In the sixth, Florida finished Pelfrey's night when Josh Willingham smacked a homerun off the foul pole in left to make it 3-1.

The Marlins finally broke it wide open in the seventh. Bobby Parnell walked Luis Gonzalez, threw a wild pitch and allowed Ramirez to single up the middle to drive in pinch runner Brett Carroll to score.

Aaron Heilman came in and walked the bases loaded, and then proceeded to walk Williangham to bring home Ramirez to make it 5-1 FLA.

Jerry Manuel said in his press confernce that "we really put ourselves in a tough spot." And they sure are in a tough spot. The Phillies won their game against the Nationals to give themselves a two game lead for the division, all but clinching it with two to play. If Philly wins or the Mets lose tomorrow, the Phillies can party on a Saturday night.

The Brewers, meanwhile, are currently destroying the Chicago Cubs, the same Cubs team that gave the Mets all they could handle during the week, 5-1 in the eighth. If the Brew Crew holds on to win, the Mets will then be a game out of the wild card.

In case you are wondering, Johan Santana WILL pitch tomorrow night. Tomorrow night is clearly the final game of the 2008 season. If the Mets win, they will live to see another day, if they lose, then Sunday, Shea will be an empty and hostile ballpark as the Mets welcome back alumni for the closing of the Stadium.

Cohen's Week 4 NFL Picks

Believe it or not, we are now offically a quarter into the NFL season. It's a big week for some teams, as positioning inside divisions begin.

Cardinals (2-1) @ Jets (1-2): The Cardinals are coming off a bad loss in Washington last Sunday, but they may have made the best strategic move of the week for the Jets game. The Cards decided to stay on the East Coast all week to prepare, instead of flying back to Arizona and then back to New Jersey. Add that to the leathal weapons of Larry Fitzgerald, Anquain Boldin at receiver and the resurgance of veteran quarterback Kurt Warner, the Cards might actually be for real this year.

The Jets on the other hand are a total mess. Brett Favre is recovering from an ankle injury he suffered last week, and the lack of communication between head coach Eric Mangini and his players has heads scratching. CARDINALS 34, JETS 20.

Vikings (1-2) @ Titans (3-0): The Vikings finally got a win last week vs. Carolina, and the move to Gus Ferrotte, doesn't look like a bad move ... so far. Ferrotte has been a journeyman failure wherever he has gone, and to think that he will re-engerize the Vikings is an absolute joke. As for Tennessee, they have the best D in the league and Kerry Collins is doing a nice job in place of nut case Vince Young. TITANS 17, VIKINGS 10.

Packers (2-1) @ Buccaneers (2-1): Even though it is early in the season, this game could have huge playoff implications. The Packers are desperate for a win after Sunday night's debacle against the Cowboys. Aaron Rodgers looked average in the loss, and he needs to step it up this week in a big road game. The Bucs are flying right now after a big win in Chicago last week; Brian Griese has looked solid; the running game is good. The question is, with all the age on the Bucs, can they last the long haul? BUCCANEERS 20, PACKERS 17.

Bills (3-0) @ Rams (0-3): This game has "TRAP" written all over it for the Bills. The Bills are riding high right now after starting 3-0 this season. Trent Edwards has been good, Marshawn Lynch has been great, and the defense is very good, but the Bills had to come from behind to beat the dysfunctional Raiders; how will they do this week against a Rams team that everyone expects to lay down and die? UPSET SPECIAL: RAMS 30, BILLS 23.

Redskins (2-1) @ Cowboys (3-0): The Skins have really looked good the last two weeks spanking the Saints and Cardinals, but when they faced a real defense in week one against the Giants, they looked awful. The Cowboys are known for having a high-powered offense, but their defense really looked good last week against a talented Green Bay offense. COWBOYS 45, REDSKINS 17.

Eagles (2-1) @ Bears (1-2): The Bears need help. After beating up the suddenly punchless Colts in week one, the Bears have come crashing back to Earth. Kyle Orton looks like ... well ... um ... Kyle Orton. The offense stinks in CHI town, but that's nothing new for the Bears. If kick-returner Devin Hester is to miss this one, the Bears can forget about their chances against the physical Eagles.

As for Philly, they are riding high as well. Donavon McNabb has been great this year, but if the running back Brian Westbrook is still bothered by a leg injury, this game will be tighter than it should be.Expect to see Orton eating lots of grass in this one. EAGLES 19, BEARS 9.

Mets Actually Win A Game

METS 7

CUBS 6

It may not feel like much, considering what has happened to this team over the last three weeks, but tonights win against the Cubs was very important. The Mets came back from a 6-3 hole that Pedro Martinez put them into to beat the Cubs 7-6 and get to within a game of the Phillies for first in the NL East, and assuring them at least a tie with Milwaukee for the wild card.

With the Mets down 3-1 in the fourth inning, Ryan Church, who has been really struggling, finally came through with a double to right to bring home David Wright and Carlos Beltran to tie the game at three.

But, Martinez put the Mets into a huge hole. In the sixth he surrendered a single to Feliex Pie and walked Ryan Theriot. Jerry Mannuel, not liking what he was getting from Martinez pulled the struggling right-hander for lefty Ricardo Rincon. As a result Michael Hoffpauir provided some power as he blasted his second homerun of the night, this one a three-run blast to give Chicago a 6-3 lead. Two of those runs were charged to Martinez.

Still, the Mets would not go away. They fought back - something they have done a lot in 2008, but not lately. David Wright and Carlos Beltran singled. Chruch followed with a single of his own to load them up for Ramon Martinez, of all people. The rookie Martinez came through as he pasted a single between short and thrid, bringing home Beltran to make it 6-5.

Moments later Robinson Cancel scratched a single to right. Chruch came chugging around the muddy infield toward homeplate. The throw to home was on line and Chruch looked like a dead duck, but he manuvered around the catcher and slide into home hands first before the tag to tie the game at six .

Finally in the tenth, with Jose Reyes on second and Carlos Delgado on first, Carlos Beltran delievered with a shot that bounced off the glove of first baseman Derek Lee, and trickled down the right field line. Reyes came dancing into home as the celebration begun.

The Mets survived for at least one more night. It is still a tentative moment at best however.

Cohen's Top 10 NFL Rankings

Three weeks have come and gone, and we have a big shakeup in the top 10 standings. The Steelers, that I ranked number one for the past two weeks, are out of the top spot after their horrendous effort against the Eagles. The Giants are no longer number two . .. but are they number one?

1) DALLAS COWBOYS (3-0) - Now I am convinced the Cowboys are for real. They may have all the pompous All-Stars, but the Boys know how to walk the walk while talking the talk. Impressive effort in Green Bay last week; they should roll over Washington on Sunday.

2) TENNESSEE TITANS (3-0)- One word: DEFENSE! The Titans have the best defense in the league this year. They are first in points allowed (9.7 per game), second in total defense (240.3 yards per game) and they lead the league in interceptions with seven. Watch out; this team could get on a roll fast, and Kerry Collins is managing the game really well for the offense.

3) DENVER BRONCOS (3-0) - The Broncos know how to score points. Jay Cutler is second in the league in passing with 914 yards passing, with eight touchdowns and two picks. His receiving corps is proving to be very solid, with Brandon Marshall leading receivers with 24 catches this season. Now, can they play some defense?

4) N.Y. GIANTS (3-0) - The G-Men got really lucky last Sunday against the Bengals. If it weren't for the Bengals miscommunicating at the Giants five yard line with 25 seconds to go, the Bengals would have won 27-23. Anyway, Eli Manning continues to show the world why he is the Super Bowl MVP, leading another comeback and telling bum reciever Plaxico Burress to go scratch after the receiver was suspended for skipping practice on Monday.

5) BUFFALO BILLS (3-0) - Last year Trent Edwards showed glimpses that he is going to be a good quarterback; now, he is really showing it off, leading the Bills all the way back from a 23-14 deficit to beat the Raiders 24-23 in the final seconds. The Bills have a solid offense with Lee Evans and Laurencey Maroney providing support and a stout defense. Sounds like the Bills of the early 1990's doesn't it?

6) PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (2-1) - The Eagles are really good. The birds are sixth in the league in total offense, as Donavan McNabb continues to find his stroke again with a bunch of promising young receivers. Defensively, the Eagles came back to life last week against the Steelers, knocking out Ben Rothelisberger with an arm injury and smacking backup Byron Leftwich in the Adam's apple. Key: Brian Westrbook's health; can he go after getting injured last week?

7) PITTSBURGH STEELERS (2-1) - They got roughed up against the Eagles, but are still one of the AFC's elite teams. They should rebound nicely against an overrated Ravens team on Monday Night.

8) Green Bay Packers (2-1) - The Pack got exposed last week against Dallas, and they need to bounce back this week in Tampa Bay, or red flags will start come up about whether this team is soft against good teams.

9) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2) - Here come the Jags. The Jaguars were left for dead after a 0-2 start, but a huge comeback victory against the rival Colts should get the Jaguars moving again. They have struggled offensivley. Fred Taylor has only 148 yards rushing and Maurice Jones Drew has only 137. If these two get going, the Jags will be as difficult to deal with as they were last year.

10) TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (2-1) - The Bucs look like a good team this year. They are ranked sixth in the league in offense with 372.3 yards per game. Brian Griese has played well; his effort in a comeback win at Chicago was impressive. If the Bucs can get their 26th rank Defense working again, the Bucs will be back ... for good.

Mets Season On the Brink

CUBS 9

METS 6

When a team has two different bases loaded opportunities late in a ballgame, it is expected to capitalize on those situations and score some runs. That is a fundamental principle of baseball, a fundamental principle that the New York Metropolitans DO NOT live by.

The Mets had two different bases loaded situations late in their Wednesday night game against the Chicago Cubs and came away with only one run, as the Cubs came all the way back to beat up the Mets 9-6 at Shea Stadium...THE CHICAGO WAY.

With the game tied at one in the third, Carlos Delgado belted a grand slam homerun to left center to give New York a 5-1 lead. It appeared that this was the blow that the Mets would need to carry them through this game, but that was not to be the case.

In the fifth, the Cubs came right back. Ryan Theriot singled to left, and Derek Lee and Aramis Ramirez walked. Oliver Perez clearly had no command at this point. He ended up walking five batters in this game, two of which came in this inning.

Mark DeRosa, who homered in the second, doubled to left to bring home Theriot and Lee. cutting the Met lead to 5-3. Duaner Sanchez was brought in to relieve Perez after this hit.

Sanchez didn't fair any better when Reed Johnson singled to bring in Ramirez and pinch runner Kasuke Fukudome to tie the game.

Still, the Mets had chances. In the bottom of the fifth, Marlon Anderson walked and David Wright singled to put runners on first and third for Carlos Delgado. But, Delgado flied out to center to end any possible threat.

The Cubs took advantage. In the seventh, Alfonso Soriano doubled to left to bring home Ronny Cedeno to give Chicago a 6-5 lead.

In the bottom of the inning, the Mets had another shot. September call-up Ramon Martinez doubled and Jose Reyes reached on a bunt single. But, Dan Murphy lined into a double play and David Wright flew out to end the inning.

In the eighth, the Mets had another chance. After Delgado doubled, Carlos Beltran singled to center. Delgado had a clear chance to score the tying run but was held up by the thrid base coach in a terrible call.

As a result, Ryan Church struck out and Ramon Castro grounded out to Ramirez, putting the Mets in a two out hole. Lou Pinella decided to walk Endy Chavez to load them up for the rookie Martinez; nonetheless, pitcher Jeff Samardzija walked Martinez to tie the game.

The Mets STILL had a chance. But Reyes grounded out to end the threat. Game tied at six.

The Mets got ONE MORE chance! In the ninth, Muprhy tripled to right center, as the ball got past Fukadome. Delgado and Beltran were intentionally walked to load them up with one out.

Turned out to be a great decision. Church grounded out into a fielder's choice, as Murphy was tagged out at home. Castro followed up with a swinging strike out to end yet another opportunity.

The Cubs did the Mets in in the tenth. Theriot singled to center to start it off. Later, Lee doubled down the right field line to bring in Theriot for the go-ahead run. Moments later,Ramirez told everyone to drive home safely as he ripped a two-run homerun into the outfield bleachers: 9-6 Chicago.

The loss is a devastating one. The Brewers beat the Pirates 4-2, behind C.C. Sabathia, to draw even with the Mets for the wild card. The Mets also wasted an opportunity to catch Philadelphia. The Phillies got blown out by Atlanta 10-4 and maintain a game and a half lead on the Mets.

If the Mets miss the playoffs, this game against Chicago will be THE story of the 2008 season.

Brewers Keep Pressure On Mets

BREWERS 7

PIRATES 5

The Brewers will not go away without a fight. The once perceived dead Brewer team is starting to catch fire, coming back three times in a game against Pittsburgh, beating the Pirates 7-5 in Milwaukee. With the win, the Brewers remain a game behind the Mets for the NL Wild Card.

In the seventh inning, with the Pirates up 3-2, Mike Cameron laced a double to the left field corner to drive in two Brewers giving Milwaukee a 4-3 lead.

The Pirates came back; Steve Pearce hit a two run homerun off of ex-Met Guillermo Mota. Pittsburgh regained the lead 5-4.

But, the Brewers came back again. In the bottom of the eighth, Jason Kendell hit his 29 double of the year to drive in the tying run. Finally in the ninth, Prince Fielder blasted a two run to right for the walk-off win.

Curveball: Omar Minaya Gets Contract Extension

A story was leaked today by SI's and SNY's Jon Heyman reporting that the Mets have re-signed GM Omar Minaya to a four year contract extension but would not confirm it officially until the season was officially over.

What does that mean? The Mets can rip up the contract and take it back if the Metropolitans complete another choke job?

Signing Minaya to an extension is a complete joke.

If the Mets collapse again this year, Minaya deserves all of the blame. He is the one who gave long term contracts to the useless Pedro Martinez, injured Mosies Alou, and ineffective Luis Castillo. He is also the one who is responsible for building one of biggest jokes of a bullpen in the major leagues. For example, after the 2006 season, Minaya opted not to re-sign Chad Bradford, who pitched great for the Mets in their division title winning year, and instead signed Scott Schoeneweis to a major three-year deal. In case you're wondering, Bradford has pitched well in split time with the Orioles and Rays; Schoeneweis has been an absolute disaster!!

Furthermore, it will make absoulutely no sense at all if the Mets fire Jerry Manuel and the coaching staff at the end of the year and not fire Minaya if this teams falls apart. Such a move would show that the Mets front office is indeed clueless, which is what many were thinking when they fired Willie Randolph at 3:00 in the morning on June 17.

If Minaya remains on board in 2009 and beyond, nothing will change for the Mets. Minaya will continue to stock the team up with overpriced free-agents and has-beens and never-was players and the Mets will continue to stink it up in overhyped mediocrity.

Mets Staying Alive...For Now

METS 6

CUBS 2

It's the understatement of the year, but the Mets needed to win this one ... badly. The Mets who were two and a half behind the Phillies for first in the NL East, and clinging to a one game lead over Milwaukee in the wild card, needed Johan Santana to be the ace they paid for in early Feburary.

Santana did not disappoint. He threw his highest pitch count of his career, 125 pitches and each one of them was filled with oxygen for a Met team that appears ready to die at any moment.

After a rough start, Santana settled down, as he usually does, and painted a Picasso. He went eight innings, surrendered only seven hits, two runs and struck out ten Cubs to earn his 15 win of the season.

Offensively, it took the Mets a while to get going. In fact, Chicago had a 2-0 lead going into the bottom of the fifth, and it appeared that the Mets would choke with their ace on the hill. But that was not the case.

Santana singled to center to get things going in the fifth. Two batters later, David Wright drove in Santana and Nick Evans to tie the game at two.

In the sixth, the Mets exploded. Carlos Delgado led off with a double. Ramon Castro grounded to the pitcher Chad Gaudin, but Gaudin threw the ball away on the relay to first allowing Delgado to score from third. 3-2 Metropolitans. Ryan Chruch and Dan Murphy followed with back-to-back singles to load the bases. Santana came up and battled in a 10 pitch at-bat. He grounded into a force play, as Castro was tagged out at home, and Santana was ruled safe at first.

Jose Reyes tripled to right to clear the bases, giving the Mets a 6-2 lead.

That was all Santana needed as he cruised for the rest of the night. Luis Ayala got the save.

Meantime, the Phillies lost to Atlanta 3-2, so the Phillies lead over the Mets is now down to a game and a half with five to play. Milwaukee is losing to Pittsburgh 3-2 in the seventh inning. If Milwaukee loses, the Mets lead in the wild card is up to two games, all but clinching it with five to play.

Curse Of The Jets May Bite Favre

Just when you thought it was safe to be a Jets fan ... news came today that quarterback Brett Favre has an ankle injury, but it is not serious enough to end the quarterback's string of 256 straight starts.

Apparently, Favre rolled on his ankle in last night's shameful 48-29 disater in San Diego, Monday night.

It was not a good night for Favre and the Jets, as the quaterback put his new team in a huge hole with key interceptions in the first half; one of which was returned for a touchdown by Antonio Cramartie to give San Diego a 17-7 lead.

Still, Favre threw for 271 yards and three touchdowns, but most of those stats came in garbage time in the fourth quarter. Favre is expected to start against the highly talented and very impressive Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Even with Favre's apparent injury, the quarterback has played with worse. He has had several nicks and dents and still finds a way to play. Most notably was a thumb injury he suffered a few season's ago, where the quarterback had to have a gigantic bandage wrapped around his thumb but still found a way to throw the ball.

If Favre should miss time, he will join a long list of Jet quarterbacks to suffer crippling injuries. In 1997, Glenn Foley suffered a season ending injury in a game against the Bears, putting the Jets season back in the hands of unreliable Neil O'Donnell. The Jets missed the playoffs.

Vinny Testaverde blew out his Achilles tendon in the second quarter of the first game of the 1999 season, ending his season and the Jets.

Chad Pennington had a career full of injures that ranged from a broken hand in 2003 to a severe shoulder injuries in 2004 and 2005, both of which required surgery, and an ankle injury last season.

Eric Mangini has a lot explaining to do. After the Jets scored a touchdown to cut the San Diego lead to 17-14, he decided to go for an onside-kick at the start of the second quarter. The play blew up in Mangini's face, as San Diego recovered the kick and proceeded to score a touchdown to all but ice the game at 24-14.

Mangini's decision was clearly one of the dumbest decisions in NFL history. Why would anyone kick an onside kick early in a football game? It doesn't make sense; it's not like the Jets were desperate at that point in time. This is the second consecutive week where Mangini's play calling has cost the Jets a ballgame. Not good!

TOP STORY: Brown & Pennington Destroy Patriots

DOLPHINS 38

PATRIOTS 13

Maybe Jets coach Eric Mangini should take some pointers from Dolphins coach Tony Sparano; when you play the Patriots, who do not have Tom Brady, you play to win the game, and you do it aggressively.

The Dolphins rolled into Foxboro Mass. and demolished the New England Patriots 38-13 in one of the most dominating performances I have seen in years. Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown was the star of the show as he rushed for 113 yards and four touchdowns, and he threw for a touchdown himself, a 19 yard completion to Anthony Fasano in the third quarter.

Several times in this game, the Fish lined up with ex-Jet Chad Pennington at receiver, and Brown behind center in the shot-gun, and each time the Dolphins scored. On the opening Dolphin drive that started with a interception by New England QB Matt Cassell, Brown scored from two yards out to give the Fish a 7-0 lead.

In the second quarter, Brown, once again lined up behind center and took the direct snap up the middle for a 15 yard touchdown, 14-3 Dolphins.

Brown added one more before halftime, this one from five yards out to give Miami a dominating 21-6 advantage.

It wasn't only Brown who was having success against the Patriots, Chad Pennington was having fun as well; unlike his ex-teammates in Jersey a week ago, Chad picked the Patriots apart. In fact, he looked fantastic. Pennington went 17 for 20 for 226 yards. Most of his passes were slants up the middle to wide open receivers like Fassano, Ted Ginn Jr. and Greg Camarillo.

Pennington's accuracy between the 20's helped Miami move the ball into positon for Brown to do his work in the red zone.

In the third, the Dolphins, again lined up with Brown at quarterback. The Patriots were expecting a run, but this time, Brown pulled off the half-back option pass and hit a wide open Fassano for the touchdown.

Brown added one more for good measure, taking off for 62 yards in the fourth quarter, as the Fish took a 35-13 lead.

The Patriots looked pathetic on this afternoon. Matt Cassel was awful, completing only 19 of 31 passes for 131 yards; he was also sacked three times. Randy Moss had another quiet afternoon with only four catches for 25 yards. It's only a matter of time before Moss blows up and starts throwing Cassel, Belichick and teamates under the bus like he did in Minnesota and Oakland.

The loss snapped a 21 regular season game winning streak for the Pats. It also was New England's first loss at home since the Jets beat the Patriots 17-14 in November of 2006. The Dolphins win, snapped a string of 17 losses in their last 18 games going back to last season. Also the Fish were the last team to beat the Patriots in the regular season, beating New England 21-0 at the end of the 2006 regular season.

Met Mess Continues

BRAVES 7

METS 6

If the Mets make it to the playoffs don't expect them to be there for very long. In fact, their presence in the postseason may be so shortlived that you will forget that they were even there.

With a 4-3 lead the Mets bullpen was at it again. The Mets built their lead thanks to Carlos Delgado and David Wright. Delgado doubled to right in the first inning to drive home Wright, giving New York a 1-0 lead. In the second, Wright hit his 32 homer of the year; this one was a two-run shot to give the Mets a 4-0 lead.

Then, it fell apart. In the seventh, with Scott Schoeneweis pitching, Casey Kotchman lined a single to right center to drive in Omar Infante to tie the game at four. Joe Smith came in, but it didn't get any better. Jeff Franceour tripled to bring in pinch runner Brad Lillibridge; 5-4 Atlanta.

Aaron Heilman came in and things got worse. Heilman walked Chipper Jones intentionally to load the bases for Martin Prado, and Prado made Heilman pay when he doubled to right field to drive home two Braves; 7-4 Atlanta.

I assume at this point that even if the Mets offer Jerry Manuel a contract extension, he might turn it down, considering how AWFUL, HORRENDOUS, TERRIBLE, MISERABLE, PATHETIC, AND OFFENSIVE, this pitching staff is.

The Mets tried to do something in the ninth, Delgado hit a two run homerun to cut the def icit to one, but Damion Easely, who just came off the DL, struck out swinging to end the ballgame.

The Brewers won their game, cutting the Mets lead in the Wild Card to a game one and a half. Oh, by the way, Philadelphia has a 2-0 lead on Florida in the fourth inning.

Giants Outlast Fiesty Bengals

GIANTS 26

BENGALS 23

OVERTIME

This was supposed to be another lay up for the Giants; instead, the G-Men are lucky to be 3-0 at this moment. The Bengals came into this game and played crisp, mistake-free football and nearly beat the Giants in Giants Stadium, Sunday afternoon.

Carson Palmer, who was sacked six times by Giant defenders, two of which came from Fred Robbins, still found ways to pick apart the Giants' secondary, especially late in the game. With New York up 16-13 in the fourth quarter, the Bengals started their comeback. On a first and five, Chris Perry rushed for six yards to give Cincy a new first down at their own forty. On the next play, Palmer hit Chad Johnson for a seven yard completion. Palmer then hit T.J. Houshmandzadeh for five more, and back to Johnson for 16 yards.

Now at the Giants 17, Palmer hit Houshmandzadeh again for the touchdown and a stunning 20-16 lead.

But the Giants came back. Eli Manning, who before this drive had a rather underwelming ballgame, hit Steve Smith for 15 yards on a huge third down conversion. Derek Ward took matters into his own hands rushing for 14 yards to put the ball at the Bengals 17 yard line. Three plays later, Manning hit Kevin Boss for the touchdown. Much had been made about Boss's lack of receptions so far this year. Today, he had two, including the biggest of the game.

Still, the Bengals would not go away. Palmer drove the Bengals all the way down the field in the final 1:30. In fact, Palmer even hit Antohy Chatam at the Giant 14. Chatam spun out of a tackle and nearly scored the winning touchdown, but he was finally brought down at the two yard line. The Bengals were running out of time at this point and were forced to settle for a field goal to send the game into OT.

After both teams exchanged unproductive drives, the Giants got the ball with another chance to win. Manning's biggest passes of the day came on this drive. He hit Plaxico Burress down the sideline for 28 yards, and then hit Amani Toomer for 31 yards to put the G-Men at the Bengal seven yard line. The Giants finally kicked the game winner to end a breathtaking afternoon of football.

Bills Top Raiders; 3-0 First Time Since 1992

BILLS 24

RAIDERS 23

The Buffalo Bills are red hot! After falling behind the Oakland Raiders by a score of 16-7 late in the third, Trent Edwards and Marshawn Lynch brought Buffalo all the way back for the win.

At the start of the fourth quarter, Buffalo completed a 14 play 8 minute drive that was finished off by Lynch, who scored from three yards out. 16-14, Oakland. Key plays on the drive included Edwards completing a 17 yard pass to Lynch on the second play of the drive. Later, Edwards hit Reggie Royal for 18 yards and Rosco Parrish for 12 more to put Buffalo at the Oakland 32. Edwards hit Jake Reed on a 18 yard slant to put Buffalo at the fourteen. Lynch took it from there, scoring the TD.

Still, the Raiders would not shrink under pressure. Jamarcus Russell hit Jerome Higgins for an 84 yard touchdown to give Oakland a comanding 23-14 lead.

On Buffalo's next drive, Edwards went four of five and led the Bills all the way down to field. Edwards hit his favorite target, Lee Evans, twice on the drive, one for 13 yards and another for 16 to set Buffalo up at the 14 yard line. Finally, Edwards hit Parrish from 14 yards out for the touchdown. 23-21, Raiders.

After an Oakland punt, Lynch took over rushing for 19 yards on Buffalo's final drive. It set up Ryan Lindell with a 38 yard field goal attempt, which he nailed to give Buffalo a one point victory and sole possesion of first place in the AFC East.

Cohen's Week 3 Picks

It is now week 3 in a league where they play for pay. Let's make some picks before another exciting week of NFL action opens up.

Bengals (0-2) @ Giants (2-0): Another cream puff on the Giants schedule. Wow! I always thought teams that won the Super Bowl should get the toughest schedule the next year? Not the G-Men. This one should be easy; smack Carson Palmer around a little bit. Shove dirt into Chad Johnson's mouth and a couple of touchdowns by Eli Manning, Brandon Jacobs and Co. and fans can go home before half time. GIANTS 34, BENGALS 14.

Steelers (2-0) @ Eagles (2-0): Great matchup in week three. In a way it is a shame to have these two play so early in the season; it would have been more fun if there were more on the line other than remaining undefeated for another week. Anyway, the Eagles have found a way to score with a bunch of no-name receivers, and Donavan McNabb is healthy again. As for Pittsburgh,it is business as usual after thumping two bad teams in a row. It won't be so easy this week. EAGLES 24, STEELERS 21.

Jaguars (0-2) @ Colts (1-1): If you had told me that when these two teams play in week three they would be fighting to keep their season alive, I would have thought you were drunk. Well, that is the case here. Another loss and the Jaguars can start thinking about the 2009 draft in April. David Garrard has been awful and is showing the world why he was a back-up quarterback before last season. As for the Colts, they got lucky last week in Minnesota. If it weren't for the Vikings playing ... well ... like the Vikings, the Colts would be 0-2 as well. Peyton and Co. need to play a complete game soon, or the concerns about this team will continue to mount. COLTS 20, JAGUARS 17.

Cowboys (2-0) @ Packers (2-0): The Cowboys got really lucky last week against Philadelphia. If the Eagles hadn't played horrendous defense, the Boys would have suffered an awful defeat. Even though they scored 41 points, it was the most nondescript offensive output I have seen in years. As for Green Bay, they are rolling right now. Aaron Rodgers has looked fantastic, but facing the Cowboys will be his first true test. If the game were in Dallas, I wouldn't give the Pack a shot here, but the game is Green Bay, so ... PACKERS 28, COWBOYS 21.

Jets (1-1) @ Chargers (0-2): The Jets did everything they could to lose last week against New England. Can someone tell Eric Mangini that Brett Favre is HIS quarterback, NOT Chad Pennington. Let Favre run the game the way he sees fit; if you do, the Jets may actually win a game before the calendar turns to 2009. The Chargers are really pissed off; they have lost two games in a row on the final play, and should be extra motivated to come out and really spank someone on national TV. Sorry, Jets bend over! CHARGERS 38, JETS 14.

Johan Is The Man

METS 7

NATIONALS 2

If the Mets somehow find a way to squeak into this year's post season, it will not be because of the bullpen or anything the Mets do offensively; it will because of the arm of Johan Santana. When the Mets needed him the most, Santana was there to save the Mets from even more public humiliation Thursday night when he pitched a seven inning gem against the Washington Nationals.

Santana allowed only eight hits and a run in his seven innings of work. He was dominant at times, striking out eight Nats on the night. He improves his overall record to 14-7 with a 2.65 ERA.

Offensively, the Mets did just enough. Jose Reyes, who has played with his head in the sand for the month of September, led the game off with a double. Dan Murphy singled to center to drive Reyes in, to give New York a 1-0 lead.

In the second, the Mets really got it going, as Biran Schnieder blasted his eighth homer of the year to right. Santana followed with his fifth double of the year, and Reyes drove home Santana with a signle past the second baseman. 3-0 Mets.

In the third, Carlos Beltran laced a triple to right to drive home Carlos Delgado, and Ryan Church singled to drive in Beltran, to give New York a commanding 5-0 lead.

Still, the star of the night was Schneider. In the sixth, he capped off the Mets offensive burst, with another solo shot, his ninth of the year, to give the Mets a 6-0 lead.

The bullpen held on this time, as Pedro Feliciano manufactured a double play in the ninth to end it. The Mets now lead the Milwaukee Brewers by one and a half games for the NL Wild Card but still trail Philadlephia by a half game in the East.

Yankees & Mets Reveal 2009 Schedules

We know that the 2008 season is basically over for the Yankees, and the Mets are doing everything they can to make sure that they, too, will have a cold October in 2008, but that doesn't mean there is nothing to look forward to in a few months for both ball clubs.

The schedules are out early for the 2009 season. Usually, the schedules are not revealed until late November, but, I guess, with the opening of two new ballparks, the Mets and Yanks couldn't help themselves.

The Bombers will open the "New" Yankee Stadium on April 14 against the Cleveland Indians. The Mets, on the other hand, will open Citi Field on April 13 against the San Diego Padres, not the LA Dodgers, which would have been more fitting, considering Citi Field looks a lot like Ebbets Field, the old home of the Brooklyn Dodgers.

The Yankees open 2009 officially on April 7 in Baltimore, while the Mets start in Cincinnati on April 7. Oddly enough, the season will open a week later than usual.

As for interleague: the Yankees will welcome the Phillies, Nationals and Mets into New Yankee Stadium. The Bombers will also travel to Citi Field to play the Mets and will also visit the Marlins and Braves.

Meanwhile, the Mets will play host to the Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays and will visit the Red Sox and Orioles. The Mets will not see the Blue Jays; instead, they will get an extra series against their former division rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals.

View Yankee Schedule

View Mets Schedule

Cohen's Top 10 Power Rankings

With two weeks now in the books, we are beginning to see some patterns this year. So called elite teams, like the Jaguars, Seahawks and Chargers, are in for long seasons; you can't count out the New England Patriots, even without Tom Brady, they have too much talent; and, can the Jets draw up a playbook that lets Brett Favre be Brett Favre? Here are the rankings after two weeks:

1) Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0) - Not an impressive win in Cleveland, but a win nonetheless. The Steelers stout defense and solid offense puts them over their AFC counterparts, and any good team the NFC has to offer.

2) N.Y. Giants (2-0)- The Steelers match up well with any NFC team except this one. The Giants are rolling over their opponents and look sharper than last year's team that won it all. An easy schedule could have the G-Men at 6-0 before they play the Steelers at the end of October.

3) Dallas Cowboys (2-0) - This much we know about the Boys; they can score at will, but play absoultely no defense. Not exactly the kind of formula you want to use when competing in the NFC East. Cowboys are in for a rude awakening this week in Green Bay.

4) Buffalo Bills (2-0) - Wow! The Bills have jumped up to number 4, and if they keep beating up good teams, they will jump to number one. Great job by a gritty and gutsy young football team to go into Jacksonville and beat up a once formidable Jaguars. The Bills are going places in 2008 so watch out!

5) Denver Broncos (2-0) -Okay, okay; so the referees screwed up in the Denver/San Diego game and basically awarded Denver a victory, but you still have to be impressed by the emergence of Jay Cutler and the receivers on this offense. They are starting to look like the Broncos of old, and with an favorable schedule over the next four weeks, they can really pad their lead in the Western division.

6) Green Bay Packers (2-0) - I am really impressed with Aaron Rodgers; the kid is starting to make people in Wisconsin forget about Brett Favre. Rodgers torched the Lions a week ago, throwing bombs all over the field to wide open receivers and Green Bay won 48-25. Again, just too much talent for Green Bay to not be successful.

7) Carolina Panthers (2-0) - Another come from behind win against the Bears has the Panthers roaring at 2-0. It appears that, for the first time in a few years, they are totally healthy, and, if that's the case, the Cats should be favored to win the South.

8) New England Patriots (2-0) - Who needs Tom Brady? The Patriots made it clear on Sunday that it doesn't matter who is driving the car, there are just too many good parts on that Mustang for it not to work well. All Matt Cassel has to do is drive the game, while the likes of Randy Moss, Laurence Maroney, Wes Welker and Co. will do the rest.

9) Philadlephia Eagles (1-1) - Hey, the Eagles have found an offense!! Rolling up 37 points in Big D was a step in the right direction for the Eagles. Donovan McNabb looks healthy for the first time in three years, and that is not good for NFC opponents.

10) Tennessee Titans (2-0) - They may have lost Vince Young, but that may prove to be a good thing because Young's head is too much in the clouds for him to focus on winning. Still, Young's teammates are focused and have allowed only 17 points in two games. If the Indy Colts are not carefull, the Titans could emerge victorious in the AFC South.

Mets Are At It Again

Here we go again with the New York Mets. After a three game sweep of the Brewers in early September, the Mets had a 4.5 game lead on Philaldelphia for first place in the NL Eastern Division.

Now, after losing two of three to the Phillies, losing two of three to Atlanta and losing the opener to Washington this week, the Mets find themselves just a half game in front of the surging Phillies.

The Mets were in prime position to erase the ghosts of 2007, but it appears that those ghosts are as alive now as they were last year. The Mets put forth a mediocre effort last night in Washington. Pedro Martinez was awful, giving up four runs in just five innings, and it is obvious that he doesn't have it anymore.

Maybe the Mets just don't have it anymore. It doesn't matter who the manager is, the players on this team are experts at choking away big leads. They deserve a PhD in the effort. The bullpen is awful, as many know. Second base has been a rollercoaster all year with Luis Castillo, Damion Easley and Argenis Reyes swapping for starts.

Yet, the difference between this team and last year's team is that up to this point, the 2008 Mets have given us effort. They have tried their best to erase the memories of last August and September. Whenever they are down, they seem to bounce back, i.e., Carlos Beltran's grand slam in Florida on August 28 to give the Mets a huge win after they suffered a huge loss the previous night.

Carlos Delgado has been clutch throughout the second half, hitting once clutch homer after another. Fernando Tatis has been a godsend, hitting 11 homers and 45 RBI as a reserve player in left for the injured Mosies Alou. Brian Schnieder and Ryan Church have proven to be stable acquisitions that have solidified right field and the catcher's position. Johan Satana has been brilliant and Mike Pelfrey has been Amazin'.

Yet, the Mets find themselves in the same position as last year.

If they blow it now, it will be a bigger heartbreak than 2007. In 2007, you could see it coming. Whether it was watching the Mets get blasted on the West Coast in June and July of 2007, or Billy Wagner blowing a 10-8 Met lead in Philadelphia only to see the Mets lose 11-10 in late August 2007. The handwriting was on the wall last year; it is not in 2008 - meaning anything but a division title and the postseason will be a HUGE, MEGA, ULTRA disappointment and a clear statement that a new regime will have to be in place in 2009.

Undisciplined Jets Foul It Up

PATRIOTS 19

JETS 10

So your opponent is missing its star quarterback; you have a star quarterback, and a team you revamped, dishing out $140 million in the process, so how to do you screw it up? You play stupid, undisciplined and plain out pathetic football.

The Jets were punished for six crucial penalties that cost them 60 yards, and several important plays of positive yardage that could have put them in position to score more than 10 points.

It was just pathetic. Four times the Jets were called for fouls on their opening drive of the third quarter when they had a chance to get back in the game. On the first two plays of the drive, the Jets were called for a ten yard and a five yard penalty that put them in a second and 23 on their own ten yard line. It got so ridiculous that the Jets were asking Brett Favre to heave up one 20 yard throw after another just to make up the yards.

At one point, he connected with Chansi Stuckey on a beautiful rope down the sideline for 28 yards that would have put the Jets at the Patriots 25, but Stuckey was called for offensive pass interference; he had shoved Randell Gay to the ground before making the catch. Eventually, Favre was picked off on the drive because his arm must have been ready to fall off.

Add to the misery, the Jets on their opening drive of the game ended in failure; new-comer Jay Feeley missed a cheap-shot field goal that would have given the Jets a 3-0 lead and needed momentum. Laverneous Coles did nothing to change the headlines that he openly misses Chad Pennington and is dogging it intentionally. Coles dropped three catchable balls that were in his grasp. Coles usually never drops anything, but today he dropped three balls.

As for the Patriots, they really did nothing to win the game. Matt Cassel was decent; he had his moments. He connected mostly to Wes Welker and Kevin Faulk on the sidelines but really could not avoid the constant pressure the Jets defense put on him. The Jets sacked Cassel three times, and even held Laurence Maroney to just 16 yards rushing on eight carries.

This loss is brutal for the Jets; they had it all in front of them and had chances very early in the game to win. If they had scored on their opening drive of the game and had the crowd behind them, Cassel and the Pats may have shrunk under the pressure and may not have driven down the field for a go-ahead field goal that made it 3-0.

If the Jets hadn't committed a million penalties, they could have easily scored 20 points in this game, good enough to win. If Jay Feeley and Ben Graham weren't kicking the football as if they were kicking a boulder, then, perhaps, the Jets would have had better field positon and three points to keep the game interesting.

A lot of if's! A lot of shoulda, coulda, woulda ... but it doesn't matter, it's a loss. The Jets are in big trouble. Any hopes of making the playoffs are now dangling in midair.

With the Buffalo Bills blowing over elite teams like the Seahawks and Jaguars, and the Patriots looking, well, like the Patriots, the Jets chances of winning the division or grabbing a wild card look a lot harder. They better win in San Diego on Monday, if not, maybe Favre should re-consider his retirement plans.

Giants Maul Rams

GIANTS 41

RAMS 13

It was just another wonderful Sunday afternoon for the Giants. A nice easy walk in the park, you might say. The Giants blew the doors off the St. Louis Rams and blew the roof off at the Edward Jones Dome, with a 41-13 victory to improve to 2-0.

Eli Manning was, well, fantastic!!!! Manning went 20 of 29 for 260 yards and three touchdowns. It's pretty obvious that with a Super Bowl under his belt, Manning is now a different player. The old Eli might have thrown up a goose egg in this game, but not the New Eli, who is the reigning Super Bowl MVP!

The G-Men wasted no time in setting the tone for this day. With 6:11 to go in the first, Manning hit Plaxico Burress from 33 yards out for the TD and a 7-0 lead. The Giants and Rams swapped field goals in the second quarter, but the Giants still led 13-6 into the break.

Once the second half started, the Giants welcomed everyone back to their seats, as Mannig hit Amani Toomer right down the middle from the 10 yard line to take a 20-6 lead.

But, the Rams tried to make it interesting. Marc Bulger hit Tory Holt for a 45 yard sprint to cut the Giants lead to a single touchdown. Now the Giants had to sweat it out a bit.

Did I say sweat? I am sorry, that is not even in the Giants vocabulary! Manning answered as he drilled a pass to Amhad Bradshaw from 18 yards out to give the Giants a 27-13 lead. Later in the fourth quarter, Justin Tuck picked off a Bulger pass and took it to the house to all but put this game away, 34-13 GGGGGGGG-Men! The Giants are 2-0 and are well on their way to rolling back to the postseason. Next week: Home against the pathetic Cincinnati Bengals. Yawn! Another win!

Niese Injects Mets Witn Needed Boost

METS 5

BRAVES 0

Jonathan Niese has been praised as the Mets top pitching prospect in their minor league system over the last year, and tonight the lefty showed New York exactly why the Mets organization has praised him with so much hype.

Niese, who looks like a skinny college kid, not your typical muscular major league pitcher, overpowered the Atlanta Braves for eight shutout innings. He threw 116 pitches in the effort, and after popping out Kelly Johnson to end the eighth, it appeared that Niese still had enough in the tank to complete the effort. Still, eight innings was enough. Niese struck out seven Braves, walked two and surrendered only seven hits. Excellent job by a kid making only his second major league start.

Offensively, the Mets brought out the thunder; something they did not do in game one. In the first, with Ryan Church on, David Wright blasted a two run shot to the right of the apple in center field to give New York a 2-0 lead. It was Wright's 29th homer of the year. He is one homerun away from tying a career high.

Carlos Beltran singled to left and later stole third. Fernando Tatis drove in Beltran with a shot to center, handing the Mets a 3-0 lead.

Jose Reyes, who was popping balls up throughout game one, finally got into one, launching a solo shot into the bleachers to give the Mets a 4-0 lead.

Beltran closed out the scoring in the seventh with a solo blast of his own, this one landing in the visitor's bullpen in left.

The Mets re-extend their lead over the Phillies to 2.5 games in the NL East. The Mets look to win the rubber game tomorrow afternoon at 1:00. Oliver Perez will make the start for New York.

Phillies Closing In On Mets & Brewers

PHILLIES 7

BREWERS 3

The Phillies are not dead yet! In fact, they are very much alive in both the NL East race and the NL Wild Card race. Tonight the Phillies destroyed the Brewers to take game two of a four game series at Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia.

The Phillies wasted no time in this one. With Jimmy Rollins on base with a lead-off single; Chase Utley doubled to right field to drive home Rollins to give Philadelphia a quick 1-0 lead. Later in the innning, Shane Victorino drove home Jason Werth, as he punched a single to left. 2-0 Phillies.

The Phillies added on in the second. Rollins lead off with a double and Utley hit an infield single to the pitcher's mound. Werth walked, and Ryan Howard broke it open with a single to left. Driving home both Rollins and Utley.

Fast forward to the sixth inning, and Rollins delivered again. This time Rollins blasted a two-run homerun to right field givng the the Phillies a 7-2 lead, all but ending the game.

The Phillies now trail the Brewers by exactly two games for the Wild Card. They also trail the Mets by two games in the NL East. The Phillies and Brewers will play a day/night double-headertomorrow, becuase of Friday's turential rainstorms that ravaged the country.

Santana & Pen Fall Apart

BRAVES 3

METS 2

Not exactly what the Mets needed in an important double header at Shea Stadium today. The Mets struggled to scratch out runs and struggled to get outs in the first game against the Atlanta Braves, losing 3-2.

The Mets had a 2-0 lead going into the sixth inning and a chance to find more. With the bases loaded, Braves pitcher Mike Hampton went 3-0 on Damion Easley. It appeared that he was in danger of walking in a run, or, maybe, the Mets could get a big base hit to drive in a few more runs to give Johan Santana more room to work his magic. Neither happened. Easley grounded into a double play to kill the Mets chances and give Atlanta hope.

In the eighth, Santana lost control of his game. He gave up singles to Brian McCann and Yunel Escobar. Jerry Manuel had no choice but to pull Santana at this point. His pitch count was too high and the Mets needed outs. Scott Schoenwise came in and procceeded to give up a single to Casey Kotchman to load the basesfor the Braves.

Manuel came out again and replaced Schoenwise with Brian Stokes. Stokes has been reliable of late but was not tonight. He surrendered a two-run RBI single to Jeff Francouer, tying the game at two. Stokes later surrendered a sacrifice fly to Omar Infante, allowing Kotchman to score with the winning run.

The Mets loss is huge. The Phillies won their game against Milwaukee and have now trimmed the Mets lead to two games. At least the Mets have something of a net; if the Brewers keep losing the Mets could always settle for the wild card if the Phillies pull the division title away for the second straight season.

Watch Out Jersey Deer, Here Comes Favre

In a rather strange and even funny exerpt from an interview he had with Steve Mariucci, Brett Favre tells his former quarterback's coach about how much he enjoys being a New Jersey resident and a member of the Jets.

Favre sounds like a kid in the candy store replaying to Mariucci the conversations GM Mike Tannenbaum had with Favre back in early August about coming to the Jets. Tannebaum, apparently, promised Favre all the mountains, farms and hunting gruond he could want, including deer he could hunt. Favre even tells Mariucci, jokingly, that he might start looking for deer to shoot around the facility in Florahm Park NJ.

Watch this zany video from NFL.com

Cohen's Week 2 Picks of the Week

Wow! That was one hell of a week one, heh? Not only did the AFC Champion New England Patriots lose Tom Brady for the entire season, his loss has changed the landscape of the entire league. Now, teams like the Jets, Bills and Broncos have hope of making a serious playoff push. For those considered the elite in the AFC, i.e. San Diego, Pittsburgh and Indianapolis, this is an opportunity to take full control of the AFC.

Even the NFC is looking good. Carolina and Chicago shocked San Diego and Indianapolis last week; the Giants are playing like Champs and the Cowboys and Eagles look like they will be awesome in 2008. So let's make some picks for week 2.

Bills (1-0) @ Jaguars (0-1): The Bills destroyed the Seahawks last week as speical teams played a huge role in the victory. Rosco Perish might turn into the next big return man in the league; especially,if he keeps making incredible run backs for touchdowns. The Jaguars are in desperate need of a win. David Garrard threw two picks last week in a loss to Tennessee. To make matters worse, the Jags lost to Kerry Collins, not Vince Young who had to leave the game with a knee injury. Expect the Jags to come out with a different mentaility this week. JAGUARS 23, BILLS 10.

Colts (0-1) @ Vikings (0-1): This game is very interesting. The Colts looked old in their 29-13 loss to the Bears in Indianapolis, and now they have to travel to Minnesota to play another stingy defense. Not exactly what Peyton Manning needs in his return from off-season knee surgery. The Colts will have to play a lot crisper if they are to win this one. The Vikings played well in a loss to Green Bay, but mental mistakes (penalties and turnovers) cost Minnesota any hope of winning the game. The big question for the Vikings is whether quarterback Tarvaris Jackson can play a solid game without throwing interceptions and making mistakes. VIKINGS 27, COLTS 20.

Giants (1-0) @ Rams (0-1): Umm. There is not much to say here. The Giants looked really sharp for two quarters of their opener against the Skins but struggled to move the ball the rest of the night. That won't be a problem in St. Louis against a defense that let a bunch of no-name receivers in Philly rip them to pieces. GIANTS 35, RAMS 10.

PATRIOTS (1-0) @ JETS (1-0): Okay Jets; here is your chance to step on the throat of your most hated rival. Before Tom Brady was the QB for New England, the Jets won seven of nine meetings between the two teams from 1997-2001. Ever since Brady took over in week 3 of the 2001 season, the Jets are 2-12 against New England. Well, there is no Brady for this game, and the Jets have Brett Favre. So it should be a different script; shouldn't it? Don't take Matt Cassell too lightly; he did look good last week in New England's win vs. Kansas City, and he does have Randy Moss to throw to. JETS 27, PATRIOTS 17.

Chargers (0-1) @ Broncos (1-0): Looks like Jay Cutler has finally arrived. The third-year-pro threw for 300 yards in a blowout win at Oakland on Monday night, but remember, it was the Raiders. Still, I don't think it will matter. The Chargers are hurting right now. Shawn Merriman is out for the season with two torn ligaments in his knee, and a few other Chargers (Antonio Cramartie, LaDanlian Tomlinson, and Antonio Gates) are hurting as well but should play. The Bolts are in big trouble if they lose this one. It is not easy to pull off a second half comeback in a season, but it is even harder doing it for two straight seasons. BRONCOS 27, CHARGERS 24.

Michael's Prediction Record 2-3 .400. Last Week 2-3 .400.

Cohen's Top 10 NFL Power Rankings

1) Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) - Blew out Houston and it appears they won't stop there with a weak division to feast off of.
2) Dallas Cowboys (1-0) - Their convincing win over the struggling Browns showed America that the Boys are indeed focused on the prize. Big challenge in the next two weeks: home vs. Philadelphia and at Green Bay.
3) N.Y. Giants (1-0) - They are the World Champs and are still one of the league's elite until someone stops them. With an easy schedule until Halloween, the Giants will be rolling in 2008.
4) New Orleans Saints (1-0) - Came all the way back to beat the Buccaneers in a huge home game. It might be a preview of things to come for the Saints in 2008.
5) Carolina Panthers (1-0) - It's easy to forget that the Panthers were an NFC favorite to go to the Super Bowl in 2005 and 2006. Well, they are back after a improbable victory in San Diego as Jake Delhome won the game with a touhdown pass in the final two seconds of the game. Watch out if they stay healthy.
6) Chicago Bears (1-0) - Every year people expect the Bears to fold, but each year they suprise everyone and make a postseason charge. Shocking the Colts in Week One was a good start in that direction.
7) N.Y. Jets (1-0) - What a difference Brett Favre is making in New York. The Jets offense played crisp football for three quarters. In the fourth quarter, they had to sweat things out a bit, but the play of corners Dwight Lowery, Darrell Revis and linebacker Calvin Pace has this defense playing at a high level. With Tom Brady out for the Pats, the Jets are now one of the AFC favorites.
8) Buffalo Bills (1-0) - The Bills were a tough team to beat last year, this year they look even better. Beating up an elite team like the Seahawks was a good start in the right direction. The Bills have a good future for 2008, especially with Tom Brady out for the Patriots.
9) Green Bay Packers (1-0) - Impressive start for Aaron Rodgers. The kid looked like a seasoned veteran in his first NFL start against a good Vikings defense. The Packers, with veteran talent, should be fine in 2008.
10) San Diego Chargers (0-1) - Even though they lost in the final seconds to Carolina, the Chargers look like they will be very good this year. Phillip Rivers was slinging the ball all over the field in week one, and, defensivley, they are too talented not to figure out how to live without Shawn Merriman.

Beltran & Delgado Spur Mets Comeback

METS 10

NATIONALS 8

A year ago if the Mets let a 5-2 lead suddenly become a 7-5 Nationals lead, they probably would have curled into a fetal position and lost the game. This year's team is the complete opposite. The Mets fought back in a night of bad pitching from Oliver Perez to beat the last place Nats 10-8 at Shea Stadium, Tuesday night.

Once again, Carlos Delgado was at the center of the victory. If you asked any Met fan in April what numbers they thought Delgado would put up this year, they probably would tell you that he would hit maybe 17 to 20 homers and 85-90 RBI. Well, he has proven everyone wrong.

Since the end of July, Delgado has 24 homeruns and 68 RBI. He now has 35 homers and 103 RBI on the year, and he has tied Dave Kingman for most multi-homerun games in a single season. Kingman had seven multi-homer games in 1976. Delgado, with his performance tonight, tied that mark.

With the game tied at two in the third inning, the Mets put on their hitting shoes. Ryan Church blasted his 12th homer of the year to right field to give the Mets a 3-2 lead. David Wright followed with a single, and Carlos Beltran doubled. Wright tried to score on Beltran's double, but he was tagged out at home. Delgado then came up and lifted the pitch all the way to center field for a two-run homerun to give New York a 5-2 lead.

Oliver Perez couldn't hold it. In the fourth, he walked Aaron Boone and gave up a single to Will Nieves. Alex Gonzalez then laced a base hit to left to drive home Boone to make it 5-3. Next the Nationals pulled even at five. Former Met Anderson Hernandez got some revenge on his former team, when he singled to center field driving in both Nieves and Gonzalez.

Perez was pulled from the game after he gave up a single to Christian Guzman. Nelson Figueroa came in and it didn't get better for the Mets. Ryan Zimmerman singled up the middle driving in the go-ahead run. Lastings Milledge, also got some revenge on the Mets, lacing a single up the middle as well to drive in Guzman, giving the Nats a 7-5 lead.

Still, the Mets tried to get back into the game. In the fourth inning, with Brian Schnieder and Jose Reyes on base, Church grounded out into an RBI as he dribbled the ball to second. Schnieder had enough time to come in from third and scored to cut the Nationals lead to 7-6.

Lastly, David Wright, who has struggled all year with runners in scoring position, delivered a game tying hit, as he flicked the ball to left field drivng in Reyes.

The Nationals would not relent. With Brandon Knight pitching for the Mets, the bottom of the Nationals order teed off the minor leaguer. Nieves walked and Pete Orr singled to make this very interesting. Hernandez capped it off with another base hit, this one good enough to drive home Nieves for the lead.

Again the Mets had to comeback. With Chruch on base, Carlos Beltran blasted a two run shot that just cleared the wall in left center in front of the bleachers. The homerun gave New York a 9-8 lead. Finally, Delgado put an exclimation point on the evening belting a solo shot that bounced off the strikeout scoreboard in the Mets bullpen. 10-8 New York.

Joe Smith, Scott Schoenwies, Brian Stokes and Luis Ayala combined to shutdown Washington in the final three innings of the game for the win. The Mets are still two games in front of Philadelphia for first in the NL East.