Pack meeting little resistance

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© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 2, 2001

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- They have scored more points than the vaunted St. Louis Rams and surrendered fewer than the hapless Washington Redskins have in a single quarter. And no one has scored on them after halftime.

But is the Pack really back?

Green Bay certainly has put up impressive numbers so far. Its 93 points scored and its 13 points allowed lead the league. And its victory over Carolina on Sunday was its seventh straight dating to last season.

But all that is tempered by the quality, or lack thereof, of its opponents, who have a combined record of 1-7 (Detroit 0-2, Washington 0-3 and Carolina 1-2).

Next up is Tampa Bay (1-1), which is coming off a loss against previously winless Minnesota but should provide the Packers with their toughest test thus far.

"This is the kind of momentum that we need," Packers guard Marco Rivera said of the team's 3-0 start. "We've got to go out there and take care of business."

WONDERING WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN: Too bad about Jamal Anderson. The Falcons are off to a decent start at 2-1 and have Chicago, New England and Dallas among their next five games. They were poised to go at least 5-3 by midseason. Now, who knows?

HOUSE OF DOOM: Here's a scary thought if Rams quarterback Kurt Warner stays healthy all season.

The Rams' toughest remaining games -- Giants, Saints, Bucs, 49ers and Colts -- are all in St. Louis except for their second date with the Saints. And the Rams are 16-0 at home when Warner starts.

OUCH!: Look for the NFL to crack down on vicious hits to the quarterback after several incidents Sunday.

Jacksonville's Mark Brunell was drilled by Cleveland rookie Gerard Warren after a fumble, making his status this week uncertain. Seattle's Trent Dilfer was popped by Oakland's Elijah Alexander, leaving Dilfer dazed.

The Sunday before, Miami's Jay Fiedler was hit by two Raiders as he went into a hook slide.

Penalties weren't called on any of those plays, but you better believe the league is paying close attention. At least, it will if Brunell has anything to say about it.

"I think it was a cheap shot," Brunell said of Warren's helmet-to-helmet shot. "After seeing it, there's no question."

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Washington receiver Michael Westbrook, talking about the Redskins' blowout loss to Kansas City: "It was the most embarrassing thing I can remember."

NERVOUS IN CLEVELAND: If Cleveland fans are less than giddy about the team's win over Jacksonville, which pushed the Browns to 2-1, it's with good reason.

The Browns started 2-1 last season, then lost seven straight and 12 of their next 13 to finish 3-13.

FIELD OF BAD DREAMS: The groundskeepers at Carolina's Ericsson Stadium apparently didn't learn anything from Philadelphia's well-documented field problems.

The Panthers' field Sunday was in terrible shape, leading to huge divots and terrible footing.

"You didn't want to plant because you're scared you'll hurt yourself," Packers safety Darren Sharper said.

The problem was that the Panthers resodded the field with Bermuda and rye grass during the offseason. When it didn't fully take, it was resodded again between the hash marks less than a month ago.

- Information from other news organizations was used in this report.

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