I write this with the caveat that I moved into a new house yesterday and DirecTV isn't installing the dish until tomorrow. That means I had to watch the games at a sports bar. That means I was drunk for part of the game-watching as you cannot sit at a bar for six hours and order brunch only. (You're done with brunch in 20 minutes, and then you're taking up a space).

Moreover, the sports bar I wanted to go to was on Washington Blvd., and because of an ill-timed triathlon this morning, it was impossible to cross Venice Blvd. to get there. So I went to a sports bar I had been to at night after softball games on Pico called the San Francisco Saloon. The problem with the SF Saloon is though they have 10 TVs, they were ALL tuned to the Niners-Jets game. Even had that game been the second coming of 1981 Chargers-Dolphins playoff contest - which it most assuredly was not - it wasn't going to suffice for Sunday game-watching.

So I went across the street to where my car was parked, and noticed a bar/restaurant that was open at 10:30 am called Freddy Smalls. They had only two TVs, but I got to focus on two different games Falcons-Panthers (after Jets-Niners went south) and Patriots-Bills, and they made some kind of brisket, eggs and potatoes dish that's beyond the capacity of any sports bar to which I've been. (Sonny McLean's on Wilshire - which is a Red Sox/Pats bar - is the only one close).

In any event, I mention the foregoing as a disclaimer as I did not see most of the games, and I definitely didn't see the Sunday night game when the Giants boldly threw downfield to convert on fourth and inches only to give it right back on the next play with a senseless pick in the end zone. And even if I did see it initially, I've wiped clean any recollection of Ramses Barden committing offensive pass interference while already in field-goal range, or Tom Coughlin playing for the 54-yard field goal on third down, apparently confusing Lawrence Tynes with Sebastian Janikowski.

Ahmad Bradshaw ran well, has always been an excellent blocker and caught the ball well out of the backfield. Andre Brown looked good in limited action, but is not immediately a threat to Bradshaw's job. Given the explosiveness David Wilson showed on kickoffs, I'd imagine the Giants will want to work him into the offensive game plan as well.

Last week it was Barden, this week it was Domenik Hixon. Eli Manning is capable of making any of these guys into productive receivers and in fact, has four different 100-yard receivers this year (Barden, Hixon, Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz). I doubt that's happened very often over a full season on the same team, let alone in three games. Cruz is top-five in fantasy and probably isn't too far off in real life, given his quickness, hands and knack for getting open and running after the catch.

I know Santonio Holmes was hurt on the play, but you simply cannot just fling the ball onto the ground until you've been touched down or the ref blows the whistle. The only exception to this is if you're dead (and even then it's cowardly). Plus I'm pretty sure someone I was playing had the 49ers' defense.

I don't know what it is about facing a tough defense in a 38-14 blowout, but it really seems to work for Chris Johnson.

Stevan Ridley should be a top-10 back except that the Patriots either limit his snaps or get undrafted free after Brandon Bolden involved. It was nice to see Tom Brady still throwing into the end zone up 14 points with four minutes left. That was the Brady I paid for in the Stopa Law Firm auction.

I started C.J. Spiller over Ridley in one league, and while I regret the result, I'm okay with the decision. Spiller was the No. 1 back in the league heading into Week 4 despite missing three quarters, and he got eight carries (including a goal-line one which he fumbled) and two targets in a blowout. Just before the game there were some Bills beat writers speculating Spiller would be used solely as a decoy, but unless the writer gives his reasons beyond the obvious, you can safely ignore him. Team beat writers know many more facts about their teams than I do, but that doesn't make their speculative predictions any more reliable.

Incidentally, this game was very similar to last year's in New England when the Bills went up 21-0 and lost 49-21. When Tom Brady solves this defense, he solves the living shit out of it.

One defense Brady didn't solve at home was solved on the road by Ryan Tannehill. Maybe he'll be Big Ben to Luck and Griffin's Eli and Rivers. Very happy I plunked down $500 on Brian Hartline for biggest receiving yardage game of the year at a million to one. The 253 has a decent chance to hold up.

Green Bay was so upset about getting cheated by the refs in Seattle that they crushed a winless team at home by one point. I heard they got cheated again on a should-have-been Darren Sproles fumble, but when you're life and death at home with a team that lost to Carolina, Washington and the Chiefs, you're not doing anything special. So much for the added motivation angle.

Green Bay spreads the ball around so much that it hasn't had a 100-yard receiver this year. The Giants, by contrast, have five (including Victor Cruz twice).

A.J. Green demonstrates yet again why you want your superstar receiver to be the only game in town and deal with the added attention than have Roddy White with whom to share targets and occupy defenders.

Matt Ryan will get credit for his great comeback win over the hapless Panthers in the Georgia dome, but that game was nearly over until he hit on a hail mary to midfield that set up the final drive.

Michael Turner is not washed up and never really showed signs of being washed up, and I don't know why everyone was so excited about Jacquizz Rodgers this year.

I actually started Jackie Battle in the Vegas league, but that says more about how bad my team is than my fantasy insight. I would assume Ryan Mathews is a good buy-low target, but you probably can't get him cheaply, and he'll probably get hurt or fumble again.

Jeremy Maclin was non-existent coming off the hip injury. I always assume if they're probable and playing, they're fine, but maybe I need to downgrade them more. I sat DeSean Jackson for him in one PPR league.

Trent Richardson looked like a superstar Thursday night. Forget about the stats, he was fast enough to beat the Ravens defense around the corner for a score, pushed defenders back for extra yards after contact and seemed to have excellent hands. He even looked good picking up the blitz. I'd consider him a top-five back right now, ahead of Jamaal Charles and Marshawn Lynch.

Brandon Weeden looked awfully competent in Baltimore, delivering accurate balls, making decent decisions for the most part and playing behind what seemed like a pretty good offensive line. Greg Little's drop on a perfect throw with the Browns playing catch-up against a tough rival on the road was beyond inexcusable. Phil Dawson (and Connor Barth) are ridiculously good kickers from long range.

Anquan Boldin's one of those receivers you have to throw to even when he's not open. Either that or cut him because he's never open.

Seattle is the easiest team to handicap - take them at home, fade them on the road. Don't put more thought into it than that.