Challenges

Week 6 Games:

Carolina Panthers (1-5) 17 at Atlanta Falcons (3-3) 31

Philadelphia Eagles (2-4) 20 at Washington Redskins (3-2) 13

St. Louis Rams (0-5) 3 at Green Bay Packers (6-0) 24

Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5) 13 at Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) 17

Buffalo Bills (4-2) 24 at New York Giants (4-2) 27

San Francisco 49ers (5-1) 25 at Detroit Lions (5-1) 19

Indianapolis Colts (0-6) 17 at Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) 27

Cleveland Browns (2-3) 17 at Oakland Raiders (4-2) 24

Houston Texans (3-3) 14 at Baltimore Ravens (4-1) 29

NewOrleansSaints (4-2) 20 at TampaBayBuccaneers (4-2) 26

Dallas Cowboys (2-3) 16 at New England Patriots (5-1) 20

Minnesota Vikings (1-5) 10 at Chicago Bears (3-3) 39

Miami Dolphins (0-5) 6 at New York Jets (3-3) 24

Week 6 Byes:

(1-4) Arizona Cardinals

(1-4) Denver Broncos

(2-3) Kansas City Chiefs

(4-1) San Diego Chargers

(2-3) Seattle Seahawks

(3-2) Tennessee Titans

After six weeks of regular season play, one team remains undefeated (Green Bay Packers: 6-0) and three teams have not yet won a game (Indianapolis Colts: 0-6, Miami Dolphins: 0-5, St. Louis Rams: 0-5).

The Bye weeks began in Week 5, so the records are starting to look uneven as those teams who have had their bye week have one less game played. By the end of the season, all teams will have played 16 games over the course of 17 weeks.

The term for today is Challenge, and it has two parts.

Challenge - Part 1: My husband and I (Buffalo Bills and NewYork Giants fans, respectively) went to a local sports bar to watch the game. I am happy to root for the Bills as long as they are not playing the Giants. That not being the case on Sunday, I was happy my Giants won. Had they lost, I would have been happy for the Bills. When a couple has different teams they root for, it can be a challenge when the teams play each other; being adults, we make it work. (We also have practice with hockey; the New York Yankees are the only team we both like.)

Challenge - Part 2: During the Buffalo Bills at New York Giants game, NY head coach Tom Coughlin threw the red Challenge flag in the third quarter. He was challenging the call that QB Eli Manning’s pass to WR Mario Manningham was incomplete. The stakes? A touchdown, and at least 6 more points. The officials reviewed the play, and because there was no compelling evidence to overturn the original call (incomplete pass), the play stood as called. The Giants lost a timeout, which is the price a team pays if they lose a challenge.

If a team’s challenge is successful, meaning that after review the ruling on the field is overturned, they do not lose a timeout. In this case, a successful challenge would have meant that after reviewing the play, had the officials felt that Manningham demonstrated control of the ball throughout the play, the play would have been called a complete pass, touchdown, and the Giants next play would have been to kick the extra point.

Each team has the opportunity to throw the challenge flag twice in a game, as long as they have a timeout remaining. If a team loses the challenge, they forfeit a timeout; if they have no timeouts remaining, they have nothing to forfeit.

If a team uses both challenges successfully in a game, they are given a third challenge. This third challenge can be used as long as the team has at least one timeout left.

Challenges are not used during the last two minutes of the 2^nd and 4^th quarters; during these final two minutes of each half, officials automatically review any questionable plays (this is called a “booth review”).

As we head into the middle of the season, we are starting to see how the playoff picture may be shaping up. What teams will be able to sustain a winning record, what teams have the depth to win despite injuries to key players, and what teams can turn a losing record around? That’s the beauty and fun of football, seeing how it all plays out.