Baltimore Ravens over Cleveland Browns
The Ravens
got a victory in a big opportunity for a letdown with a Thursday Night Game
against a weak team like Cleveland. The
Ravens’ defense came up with a pretty solid performance, coming up with a pick
6, shutting down the Browns’ running attack and forcing the Browns into multiple
long field goals attempts. The Browns
had another tough loss as they moved to 0-4 despite only being outscored by 25
points this season. The Browns are probably
going to win a few games later this season, but for now the torture of
Cleveland Browns fans continues.
San
Francisco 49ers over New York Jets
The 49ers
completely destroyed the Jets this week, and completely reinforced what
everyone is thinking about both teams.
The Jets are a poor offensive team that seriously misses the presence of
Darrell Revis and seems like its heading toward an implosion. They play on Monday Night Football next week
against the great Texans team, and if there was ever a time for a Tebow and
Sanchez debate to come to ahead then it would be next week. The 49ers returned to looking like the best
team in all of football. Their defense
put forth a dominant effort while the offense didn’t even play that well and
scored 34 points. They even ran some
Wildcat with Colin Kaepernick which just seemed like them toying with the Jets
and their Tebow experiment. The 49ers
are an awesome team and are going to put forth performances like this as the
season goes along.
St. Louis Rams over Seattle Seahawks
The Rams
were able to get a good win over a pretty solid Seahawks team as they try to
prove themselves as possible playoff contenders. I doubt that it’s possible but the Rams have
some underrated skill players and in a weaker year in the NFC probably would
compete for a playoff spot. The Seahawks
had a tough loss as they move to 0-2 on the road this season as they have to
prove that they are more than just a good home team. The defense and running game are really good
but Russell Wilson is going through understandable rookie struggles while the offense
doesn’t have any playmakers in the passing game to help him out.
Atlanta Falcons over Carolina Panthers
In a game
that seems to constitute everyone’s realization that Matt Ryan might in fact be
an elite quarterback. He has played like
an MVP this season and a game winning drive from the 1 yard line definitely
helps his case. While I don’t think this
team is quite a 4-0 team when it comes down to it, the team has played great
football so far to get where they are.
This team potentially could capture the NFC’s top seed for the 2nd
time in 3 years, an impressive accomplishment, and could prove important as the
team is a better playoff team. The most
notable thing to occur in the game is Ron Rivera’s decision to not go for it on
4th down. For a more detailed
explanation I recommend reading Bill Barnwell’s explanation at the bottom of this piece. The main point here is that a team that
prides itself on its running game, has 2 $50 million running backs, and the
best short yardage running quarterback in the league didn’t think it could get
one yard. It had more confidence in its
ability to stop Matt Ryan and the explosive Falcons’s offense, with a bad
defense, then it did in its spectacular running game to get one yard. That is a horrible decision that really shows
how coaches need to think some of their end of game strategies.
Minnesota
Vikings over Detroit Lions
The Vikings moved
to 3-1 in a big divisional win over the Detroit Lions that catapults them right
into the discussion of playoff contenders.
They won with 2 special teams touchdowns, something that can not be
counted on week in and week out but their defense played impressively. Adrian Peterson played a very good game while
Christian Ponder managed the game and didn’t make any crucial mistakes. The Lions on the other hand moved to 1-3 and
their season seems to be in a precarious position. This team should probably be 3-1 right now,
but they only have one win and the schedule only gets tougher from here. They have a much needed bye next week as
their offense just doesn’t look the same as last year’s unit that was right
behind the Saints, Patriots, and Packers all-time great units. The Lions have to get better coming off this
bye week if they are going to have any chance of making it to the postseason.
San Diego
Chargers over Kansas City Chiefs
The Chargers
prevent themselves from falling into their normal September funk with a
resounding victory to move to 3-1. The
only thing preventing that from happening is that I think that they have played
3 of the worst teams in football and just have taken advantage of an easy
schedule. The only top team that they
have played this season, the Falcons, destroyed them. The Chargers might be able to ride an easy
schedule into the playoffs, but I am not putting anything passed a team that is
coached by Norv Tuner. The Chiefs on the
other hand again looked like they might be the worst team in football. Their explosion against the Saints last week
had more to do with flaws with the Saints then their own talent. The team has major weaknesses on offense and
defense and I really can’t see the team getting any better as the season
progresses.
Houston Texans over Tennessee Titans
The Texans
again made their case that they are in fact the best team in all of football
with another resounding victory, this week over the Titans. This defense is probably the best in the AFC,
led by the front 7 and emerging super star JJ Watt, early favorite for Defense
Player of the Year. The offense is still
quite good with Matt Schaub, Arian Foster, and Andre Johnson leading the
team. I would still like to see them
play against another upper echelon team before I crown them best team in
football. The Titans had a rough game
this week as Jake Locker was knocked out early and the team struggled all game. While Locker still is a flawed quarterback
the team needs the athleticism he brings to the team if it is going to be
successful. On the bright side for
Titans fans, and some fantasy owners, Chris Johnson broke out of his slump on
rushing for 141 yards on 25 carries.
New England
Patriots over Buffalo Bills
I really don’t
know what to say about that game as a Bills fan. If there is one thing I cannot be objective
about week to week it is following the Bills, and judging their
performance. Right now I feel like the
team quit out there, especially defensively, and it just feels like a complete
joke. Ryan Fitzpatrick clearly isn’t the
long-term answer at quarterback and soon the franchise is going to have to move
in a different direction. The vaunted
defensive line that people have been raving over got pushed around on Sunday
and couldn’t get any pressure on Brady and were just physically punished in the
running game. I feel embarrassed to be a
fan of the team. The crazies part of
this whole situation is, the AFC isn’t that strong, and looking down the Bills
schedule, and they beat teams they are better than they could still make a
playoff run. The Patriots went out and
got a statement victory as the offense just decided to put on a clinic in the 2nd
half. Tom Brady came off as the classless jerk he always is, but the
team just looked awesome offensively.
They still have that great passing attack that can score with anybody
and seem to have the best Patriots running attack since the Corey Dillon
era. The team might be 2-2 right now,
but a quick look at the schedule suggests the record could improve greatly very
quickly.
Cincinnati
Bengals over Jacksonville Jaguars
The Bengals
continue their 2 season long stretch of using an easy schedule to beat up on
bad teams. They don’t have a truly
impressive win in the past 2 seasons and have a regular season record of 12-8
to show for it. While they should win
the next two weeks, the schedule gets considerably tougher after that as the
team tries to show it belongs among the best teams in the league. The Jaguars on the other hand are a team that’s
just pretty difficult to figure out. The
defense isn’t that good, while the offense seems to fluctuate depending on the
week. This team seems destined to finish
with one of the worst records in the NFL, but the real question will be after
the season, what to do at quarterback.
Denver Broncos over Oakland Raiders
Peyton
Manning played his best game as a Bronco in their dominating victory over the
Oakland Raiders. This is a team that is
beginning to take the shape of a playoff team and a strong contender for the
AFC West title and possibly a wild card spot.
I didn’t think that either Denver or San Diego was good enough to make the
playoffs outside of a divisional title before the season, but looking at the
lack of depth of teams in the AFC, there is a very good possibility that it
happens. Next week is a big test for
Denver though as they play New England and Manning’s biggest rival, the evil
Tom Brady. The Raiders on the other hand
frankly don’t look like that good a football team. The running game isn’t as explosive as last
year’s team, their quarterback is an over the hill Carson Palmer, while their
defense is just plain atrocious. The
Carson Palmer trade is looking worse and worse, and this team looks like it
could potentially be the worst team in all of football this year.
Arizona Cardinals over Miami Dolphins
At this
point I am completely convinced that the Cardinals are just a team full of Tim
Tebow’s. There were 6 fumbles on
Sunday, and the Cardinals miraculously found a way to recover all of them. Since week 9 of last season the team has went
11-2, with a record of 10-1 in games decided by 7 points or less. Since record in games decided by 7 points or
less always seem to regress to about a .500 record, or slightly above if you
have an elite quarterback, the Cardinals seem due for some regression. Good job for the Cardinals though as Kevin
Kolb was able to rally the team and they were able to put together another
miraculous victory. I don’t know how
long this model is sustainable but Cardinals fans should enjoy it while it
lasts. As for the Dolphins this team is
looking like it has a little more fight than many, myself included initially thought. This team might be 1-3 but has back to back overtime
losses against the Jets and Cardinals.
Ryan Tannehill while still making some classic rookie mistakes is
playing better than most thought he would this early in the season.
Green Bay Packers over New Orleans
Saints
Both of
these teams for the first time this season really looked like the teams they
were last year. Both offenses were electric
and really put forth great performances as the Packers were able to squeak out
the victory. The Packers got a big
victory over the Saints as the team tries to stay in the hunt in an
increasingly competitive NFC playoff picture.
I still don’t think the team is as good as last year’s team, or the team
from the season before and might have a really difficult time making the
playoffs. Right now the Saints season
seems to be just about over. While I think
as they get an interim coach back and that their record in close games will
improve, the Saints’ schedule is too difficult, and they have dug themselves in
too big of a hole to make the post season.
The defense is probably the worst in all of football and the offense
just isn’t as dangerous as last year’s unit.
Philadelphia Eagles over New York
Giants
The Eagles
were able to put together another extremely close victory as the team looks
like the least impressive 3 win team in all of football. The team committed to the run though and didn’t
commit any turnovers, the gameplan that will have to stick if they want to be
successful. The Eagles have a fairly
difficult stretch of games coming up and I see the team losing a few in a turnover
frenzy. The Giants had a tough loss in a
game they easily could have won. The
Giants seemed destined to be a 9 or 10 win football team, the big question is
will that be good enough to make the post season. If it is then the Giants automatically become
one of the most dangerous teams in the playoffs and could easily repeat the
formula they used to win the Super Bowl last season.
Chicago
Bears over Dallas Cowboys
The Bears
dominated the Cowboys in a game where the Bears looked better than they are and
the Cowboys looked worse. The Bears have
a great defense, probably top 5 in the NFL, and this unit is going to keep the
team in every single game they play. The
team has a quarterback in Jay Cutler, who can make throws nobody else can make
like this one to Devin Hester, or
can play a game like the one Tony Romo just played. I still see this Bears team as one of the NFC’s
best and really one of the favorites to make it to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys on the other hand moved to 2-2
after a horrific performance by Tony Romo.
They have a bye week than a difficult stretch of games after that, that
could easily make or break the team’s season.
Now on to Tony Romo’s performance, after Week 1 everyone was ready to
say that he had figured it out and had truly emerged. Now everyone is completely down on him
because of his struggles since then. I
see his play emerging substantially from here because while I think he is due
for a performance like this once in a while I still believe he is one of the
best quarterbacks in the league and someone who you can win a Super Bowl
with.
Stay Hungry
My Friends
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