Inside the NFL | Perennial powerhouses New England and Indianapolis both fall in Week 3 action

    For two AFC powerhouses, the adage that history repeats itself came true in the worst of ways during Week 3, as the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts both fell victim to the silent assassination of cyclical events. Meanwhile, a defiance of the past has allowed several teams, including the Buffalo Bills and the Dallas Cowboys, to cement themselves among the league's best.
    Since Dec. 10, 2006, the lowly Miami Dolphins had posted just one victory, an overtime win over the Baltimore Ravens in 2007 and had lost 11 straight contests on the road. The Patriots, on the other hand, had not lost in 21 straight regular season games, an NFL-record. Sunday's contest changed all of that.
    New England, in its second game with lifelong backup QB Matt Cassel at the helm, was beaten, bruised and embarrassed at home Sunday by Miami, 38-13. To add insult to injury, Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter backed up his boisterous statement — that beating the Patriots "shouldn't be that hard" — by leading the defense with three sacks en route to a total shutdown of 2007's most productive offense.
    Ronnie Brown, fresh off a season-ending ACL tear, did everything shy of kicking the extra point for the Dolphin offense, exploding for a quartet of touchdowns on the ground to go along with 113 yards. The running back, who led the NFL in rushing yards before he got hurt last season, also tossed a 19-yard touchdown pass left-handed.
    So how did the Dolphins manage to slay the beast? The answer was found in a dash of creative coaching coupled with, yes, history. Brown's toss was just the amuse bouche to the smorgasbord of trickery designed by first-year coach Tony Sparano, who simply out-coached Bill Belichick, something almost unheard of in the ranks of NFL leaders. The Patriots had no answer for Sparano's brilliant offensive game plan, as six direct snaps led to four touchdowns for the Dolphins, the last of which was a 62-yard scamper by Brown.
    While Miami was clearly the superior team at Foxborough Stadium, one has to think that New England was destined to fall to the Dolphins. Before Sunday, the Patriots last lost during the regular season to the Dolphins in that game in December of 2006.
    Indianapolis, likewise, succumbed to a repetition of circumstance. In 2004, Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Josh Scobee's game-winner produced the Jags' only win at Indianapolis in the past four years. On Sunday, Scobee repeated his feat, booting a 53-yarder as time expired to send his team to a 23-21 victory. The reigning AFC South champion Colts now sit at 1-2 and have dropped both contests at home this season. 
    Quarterback Peyton Manning has been downright awful thus far, posting a QB rating of 73.1 through the first three contests. The last time Manning's rating dipped below 80 was during his rookie campaign, and his pace for a mere 16 touchdown passes is well below his career average.
    Manning, arguably the smartest quarterback in the NFL, will certainly turn things around. But with a banged-up offensive line missing its All-Pro center Jeff Saturday, the crippled Colts are in jeopardy of missing out on the AFC South title for the first time since 2003.
    With two of the supposedly strongest AFC teams losing in Week 3, other squads such as the Buffalo Bills saw an opportunity to reposition themselves atop their respective divisions. The eternally mediocre Bills escaped with a one-point win Sunday over the Oakland Raiders, 24-23, and for the first time since 1992 they are undefeated at this point in the season.
    With the Colts and the Patriots in a slide, Buffalo has positioned itself as one of only three 3-0 teams in the entire AFC, along with the Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans. QB Trent Edwards has been one of the most efficient quarterbacks this season, ranking fifth in completion percentage and sporting a QB rating over 90.
    More impressive, the Bills have been down in the fourth quarter each of the past two weeks, and each time Edwards has rallied his squad to victory. With a young roster — Buffalo has the sixth youngest team in the league — and an exciting running back in Marshawn Lynch, the Bills seem poised to rewrite history and put a team from New York state atop the AFC East for a change.
    Across the United States, the Dallas Cowboys moved to 3-0 following a 27-16 win over the Green Bay Packers — their first at Lambeau Field in six tries. Dallas looks like far and away the strongest team in the league, led by the efficient play of quarterback Tony Romo, who notched 260 yards passing and one touchdown Sunday, and RB Marion Barber, who hustled for 142 rushing yards and one score the same game.
    But if the Cowboys intend to bring a Super Bowl title back to the Lone Star State, they will not do it solely on the shoulders of their offensive stars but rather with the help of their deep bench, as exhibited against Green Bay. When the Packers shut down wideout Terrell Owens, Romo turned to undrafted receiver Miles Austin, a return specialist, who hauled in two catches for 115 yards and a score.
    If history decides to turn full circle and repeat itself once again, the always dangerous Patriots will be the ones still playing in January. It is never smart to doubt Belichick's ability to inspire his players, as his oft-used "No one respects us" tactic has never been more appropriate than now.
    New England was thoroughly humiliated on its home turf. But the loss should serve as ample motivation for a Patriot return to the postseason.