"The main reason why you've gotta love the NFL"

This Sunday was exactly why, despite the zillions of commercials, despite the endless Fox promos, despite Joe Buck broadcasting football games, you've got to love the NFL.

Can I say unpredictable?

Yes I can, because that's exactly what the NFL is. I'm no gambling man (don't worry, Mom), but if I was, the NFL would be the absolute last league I'd bet on.

Tell me, and let's be honest here: Who would have picked the Jets (4-4; now 5-4) to beat the Patriots (6-2; 6-3) in Foxboro Sunday? Who would have picked the Browns (2-6; 3-6) to win in Atlanta (5-3; 5-4)? Who would have laid down dough on Miami (2-6; 3-6) to knock off Kansas City (5-3; 5-4)? Ok, I can believe that one, since the Fins ended the Bears perfect season last weekend.

But, then again, does momentum mean anything - and I mean ANYTHING - in this league? The answer is no. A resounding no.

The Redskins were coming off an emotionally bizarre last-second win over the Cowboys. And they got thumped by the Eagles, 27-3, who ended a three-game losing streak. Jacksonville was coming off a 37-7 drubbing of Tennessee, so of course it went out and laid an egg at home against a Houston team that lost quarterback David Carr mid-game.

So obviously momentum means about as much as a third-string punter. And so does a good record, except for when it comes to qualifying for the playoffs. On a given day, a 2-6 team can beat a 6-2 team (oops, sorry for giving it away: yes the Steelers, who were somehow four-point favorites, knocked off the Saints to keep their playoff hopes alive).

After Sunday's games, I have a new respect for NFL experts who can actually pick the games at 60 or 70 percent. Anything above that is phenomenal.

Yes, there are a few certainties in the NFL - such as, the Lions and Cardinals are going to interminably stink regardless of how nice their stadiums are. But, at the same time, wasn't it those 1-6 Lions who drilled 5-2 Atlanta last week? And didn't Arizona have a huge lead against an undefeated Bears squad about a month back before pulling an epic collapse.

Just goes to show that in the NFL, where commercials come before and after kickoffs, wins, on the other hand, are hard to come by.

On any given Sunday.