Don't drink the water

OK, so there's really no hope for the Bears making the playoffs this year. In fact, they may not win more than three games this entire season. But let's forget about that purely idiotic prediction I made weeks ago and address the current issues at hand. Somebody has obviously slipped something into the NFL's water recently because things just aren't going as anybody predicted they would. This past week alone some of the most bizarre things took place on and off the field that have spawned the following --\nA top five list of the craziest things that happened in the NFL:\n5) Though it really isn't all too crazy by now, the New England Patriots extended their winning streak to 21 straight games. However, they beat a high-quality New York Jets squad that was undefeated going into last Sunday's game. With Tom Brady at the helm and the defense shutting teams down, it's just open road all the way to the Super Bowl.\n4) The Carolina Panthers, who, believe it or not, actually played in the Super Bowl last year, are now 1-5 on the year. With injuries to running backs Stephen Davis and DeShaun Foster along with wide receiver Steve Smith, the Panthers have gone from ferocious beasts of the NFC to the high school nerds everybody picks on. So much for quarterback Jake Delhomme, who throws out more picks than Pete Rose chips in Vegas.\n3) With perhaps the most potent offense in the NFL only a year ago, the Kansas City Chiefs have plummeted to the bottom of the league in the blink of an eye. Once again, though, in an act of craziness, they somehow managed to put up 56 points against the Atlanta Falcons. Not only that, but Priest Holmes tallied four of the Chiefs' NFL-record eight rushing touchdowns on the day. The Falcons had the No. 1 rush defense going into last Sunday's game -- so much for that. The Falcons' offense is non-existent this year, but at least Michael Vick acts like a real quarterback in his commercials.\n2) Let's give a round of applause to the Miami Dolphins everybody. OK, that's enough, they're still only 1-6. But at least they actually won a game this year. Ricky Williams is still begging for forgiveness, but it doesn't look like the Dolphins will give in anytime soon. They got their win, and they're happy. So there's no need to see those hideous dreadlocks around ever again.\n1) Finally, the craziest thing to happen this past week in the NFL: Jerry Rice was traded to the Seattle Seahawks. To add insult to his old age, the Oakland Raiders got a pathetic seventh-round draft pick in return for Rice. That's about as bad as it gets for the NFL's all-time leading receiver and a future Hall of Fame inductee. Rice obviously was very desperate to keep his career going. Maybe he's hoping by the time he's done playing, he'll be eligible for Social Security.\nWell, there you have it. Now I know there was plenty of stuff that happened in the NFL this past week, but these five things are just some of the craziest. At this rate, every year the league will give fans some new surprises. There's always the "Cinderella" team that makes it to the Super Bowl, a breakout player that goes from rags to riches and a head coach that takes a group of donkeys and makes them into stallions. This year is obviously no exception. \nI'll tell you one thing though: My NFL predictions for this year are finished.