AFC EAST Power Rankings
1. New York Jets 2-1 (Lost to BAL)
2. Miami Dolphins 2-1 (Lost to NYJ)
3. New England Patriots 2-1 (Lost to NYJ)
4. Buffalo Bills 0-3
I’m sure Bills fans are collectively saying good riddance to QB Trent Edwards. How the Bills figured just a month ago that he was the one to lead them is really a head scratcher. He always looked overwhelmed and unprepared. Remember a while back the Bills got off to a 5-1 start, then he got hurt, and was never the same. I would be surprised if he found employment in the NFL again. That’s how awful he had become.
The Jets have taken the early lead in the division with back-to-back wins over Miami and New England. The win over Miami was even more impressive considering they were visiting, and without super star corner Darrelle Revis. As a result, WR Brandon Marshall was able to do what he was brought to South Florida to for: 10 catches, 166 yards and a TD.
This week is interesting as for the second straight week the division plays each other. By Sunday evening each team will have played each other, and we as observers will have better insight as to who the favorite will be going forward. Next Monday night Miami hosts New England. Expect the Patriots to win a close low scoring game.
AFC NORTH
1. Pittsburgh Steelers 3-0
2. Cincinnati Bengals 2-1 (lost to NE)
3. Baltimore Ravens 2-1 (Lost to CIN)
4. Cleveland Browns 0-3
All three of Pittsburgh’s opponents thus far are 2-1, only losing to Pittsburgh. This week division rival Baltimore comes visiting for what promises to be a showcase of blue collar smash mouth football. One of the league’s premier rivalries, games are often decided by a field goal, as was the case with both last year.
Hometown boy Charlie Batch led Pittsburgh to an easy win over Tampa Bay and Baltimore is next in the last game before Big Ben’s return. The Browns played the Ravens tough but they usually play division opponents tough once or twice a year. WR Anauan Boldin has already paid huge dividends for the Ravens. The Bengals beat Baltimore in a defensive gem of a game two weeks ago, and shut down Carolina 20-7 last week. They have rebounded nicely from an opening week blowout loss to NE.
AFC SOUTH
1. Houston Texans 2-1 (Lost to DAL)
2. Indianapolis Colts 2-1 (Lost to HOU)
3. Tennessee Titans 2-1 (Lost to PIT)
4. Jacksonville Jaguars 1-2
Houston’s loss to Dallas wasn’t a big deal in the big scheme of things, but what a win would have done was stamp them as legitimate contenders. Wide reciever Andre Johnson’s injured ankle is no doubt of bigger concern. Indianapolis continues to roll as do the Titans, who handled the Giants with surprising ease.
AFC WEST
1. Kansas City Chiefs 3-0
2. San Diego Chargers 1-2
3. Denver Broncos 1-2
4. Oakland Raiders 1-2
Is Kansas City’s great start an abberation or a sign of things to come? I will say that I do not expect the Chiefs to make the playoffs. They opened eyes with a complete game win against San Diego in week one, a game in which I remarked they had several factors working in their favor (home opener, primetime lights, Chargers missing WR Jackson and OT McNeill). Then they went out and won again, then this past Sunday absolutely smashed a San Fran team nobody thought they would beat. And they did with 400-plus yards of offense. No bells, no whistles, just pure talent by the likes of QB Matt Cassell, WR Dexter McCluster and rookie TE Tony Moeki, whose one-handed TD catch was the Sportscenter play of the week. Convential wisdom cautions me against believing in a team so unproven. Just once can I think of a team as unproven going on to win by season’s end, and that was Kurt Warner’s ‘98 Rams. I do see the Chargers rebounding to take hold of the division this year. The Chiefs have a bye before back-to-back games against Indianapolis and Houston. If they win even one of those games, I’ll be a believer.
NFC EAST
1. Philadelphia Eagles 2-1 (Lost to GB)
2. Washington Redskins 1-2
3. Dallas Cowboys 1-2
4. New York Giants 1-2l
Tony Romo for all the criticism he receives, is a top shelf quarterback. I did say he may not be a good leader, but his talent is unquestionable. His new target WR Dez Bryant has the jersey, swag, stature and skill set of Michael Irvin. Though Houston was Vegas’ odds on favorite, many insiders would have viewed a Houston win as a coming out party of sorts for a neophyte franchise lacking in historic lore. The interstate battle was closely contested in the first half, but Dallas’ veteran squad overwhelmed the Texans in every facet of the game after the half. They are back on track after losing to really close games. After the bye expect Dallas to look very much like most expected them to in the preseason.
I really don’t have the time or know where to begin talking about how well Eagles QB Michael Vick has done for himself. His performance against Jacksonville was beyond impressive, he looked like one of the best in the game. He has people talking of him as the early frontrunner for MVP. The Eagles face the Redskins this week. That’s right, the return of QB Donovan McNabb, who held down the Philly organization for 11 years. He was hands down the best QB in franchise history in leading them to four NFC championship game and a Super Bowl appearance. Philly is 6 point favorites.
NFC NORTH
1. Chicago Bears 3-0
2. Green Bay Packers 2-1 (Lost to CHI)
3. Minnesota Vikings 1-2
4. Detroit Lions 0-3
The Bears may have found their man in QB Jay Cutler, tho he still has played errectic at times. Chicago’s 3-0 start is part luck (they REALLY did lose to Detroit), part credit to strong special teams and the acquisition of DE Julius Peppers, who has played lights out. This is still the black and blue division, even with the transition to all-out passing games.
I did pick the Packers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl but the loss of RB Ryan Grant really hurts, the extent of which we probably have yet to see.
Minnesota can rely on a strong ground game as can the Bears. This will be interesting to watch as the season goes on because the top three in this division are really good. I do think Minnesota and Green Bay are still better than Chicago, but that is not guaranteed as the Bears displayed Monday night. Huge win.
NFC SOUTH
1. Atlanta Falcons 2-1 (Lost to PIT)
2. New Orleans Saints 2-1 (Lost to ATL)
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2-1 (Lost to PIT)
4. Carolina Panthers 0-3
Once the NFL season starts it speeds by, and so much goes on in the 32 team league that much can get overlooked. Atlanta just beat the last two NFC champs, 41-7 over AZ and a hard fought OT win over rival New Orleans (The Saints kicker blew the game missing a sure shot 29-yarder). Their lone loss remember was in OT to unbeaten Pittsburgh. This Falcons team may be the one nobody is paying attention to, that gels at the right time and surprises some people. Runningback Michael Turner is off to a great start to the season and appears be back to his 2008 form (1,690 yards), following his injury shortened season a year ago. Tony Gonzalez, the NFL record holder for yards, catches and TD’s by a TE, is the new ageless wonder and continues to perform at the highest level. His saavy, leadership and experience is an invaluable asset, one which money cannot buy. Also speaking of the offense, WR Roddy White has 3-straight 1,000 yard seasons and is really entering his prime as an athlete. He allows the Falcons to keep defenses honest and respect the deep ball, rather than stack the box against Turner.
After 3 weeks the Falcons have the league’s No. 2 rush offense and is 6th in scoring
Then there’s QB Matt Ryan, now in his third season, who has yet to make anyone suggest he is anything but a top-flight franchise player. The guy has a Celebrity putt-putt family fun night in ATL and is generally well-liked and unblemished in the football community. He was the guy team brass went to when they decided to dump Michael Vick, the one guy who made them legitimate for a half decade.
The Falcons have winless San Fran and Cleveland coming up, before what promises to be an insane atmosphere three weeks from now when they travel to Philly to take on Michael Vick and the Eagles. That promises to be a huge game which I honestly would pay to see. I can foresee wings and beer right now!
The Saints are 2-1 and really should be 3-0. However, as with nearly all Super Bowl winners, they have been challenged tooth and nail and have had to earn every yard. It’s gotta be incredibly difficult to rise to the occasion week after week as the hunted, but the Saints do have the talent to overcome. It will be interesting to see if they are able to stay playing their A or B game for 13 more weeks. This week they are 13 ½ favorites over winless Carolina, who has officially given the keys to rookie QB Jimmy Clausen. As long as they can contain, that Panther run game, I don’t think they’ll have much trouble getting back on track.
NFC WEST
1. Seattle Seahawks 2-1
2. Arizona Cardinals 2-1
3. St. Louis Rams 1-2
4. San Francisco 49ers 0-3
This division is the weakest in the league (by far, I think), though I can’t totally write off the Singletary-led Niners from challenging the surprisingly solid Seahawks just yet.
Dating back 20 years, the Cardinals had just one winning season prior to winning back-to-back division titles on the strength of a Kurt Warner led passing attack. Gone are key contributors Warner, WR Anquan Boldin, and defensive captain LB Karlos Dansby. Boldin and Dansby are chasing a rings in Baltimore and Miami, respectively, while Warner retired. Coach Ken Whisenhunt and others must have seen something to believe the team would be better without QB Matt Leinart, but Derek Andersen has played really terrible. Thrown in the fact the defense also lost a starting cornerback and got whooped 41-7 last week by Atlanta, and it becomes clear this team has went from contender back to bottom feeder fast.
The Rams won 1 game last year, two in ’08 and 3 in ’07. So they are in the midst of rebuilding and cannot be expected to be competitive in any capacity for a couple years.
Meanwhile the Seahwaks have a solid if not above avg. defense, le by one of the league’s top linebaacking units. They also have great speed on offense, a veteran leader in QB Matt Hasselbeck, and a coach in Pete Carroll with a chip on his shoulder returning to the NFL following unprecedented (yet somewhat illegal!) success at USC. He failed miserably in his previous stint in the pro’s and I think that will rub off well on the organization as a whole. All that said, after just three weeks the Seahwaks appear to be shoe-ins for the division crown, by default if not for talent.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
NFL Week 2
1. Tony Romo is not a good leaderFollowing their close loss to Chicago which dropped them to a surprising 0-2, Dallas QB Tony Romo said “It makes you wonder if you’re ever going to win a game.” Throughout his career it’s statements such as these that have led people to conclude he is not a top flight leader. Can you imagine Peyton Manning saying that? Or Brett Favre, Big Ben, Tom Brady, Donovan McNabb or Drew Brees? Of course not. In the circus that is the NFL, Dallas is and will always be a magnified fishbowl, and Romo needs to man up and take the bull by the horns so to speak, like a real Cowboy. Otherwise, this will just be a good team on paper that never materializes into the champions they were predicted to be. He’s obviously go the tools to go down in history statistically, but as one observer suggested, at times it appears Romo’s head is not totally immersed in the game. No doubt there is a lot of pressure on his shoulders having now held the reigns for a 5th season in Big D. We’ll see how this develops.
2. Kevin Kolb has big shoes to fillOnce again Michael Vick played great. However coach Andy Reid has publicly expressed his allegiance to Kevin Kolb. The Eagles have scored 52 points in the last 6 quarters with Vick under center. I understand an organization doing what they can to prevent a controversy, but Kolb already has a lot to live up to following Donovan McNabb. Now he has to prove he can do better than Vick, the only QB in league history to surpass 1,000 yards rushing in a season? The man who brought a subpar Atlanta attack within a game of the Super Bowl? Good luck (unproven) Mr. Kolb.
3. Steelers line backing tradition alive and wellSince ‘94 the Steelers have been a model of consistency advancing to three Super Bowls, winning two (in ‘05 and ‘08), and three other AFC title games. As of week two of the 2010 season, Pittsburgh is once again playing lights out defense. Safety Troy Polamalu has returned after missing most all of last season and intercepted passes in each game. The 09 Madden cover boy looks to have completely healed. 2008 Super Bowl hero and NFL Defensive MVP James Harrison had 10 tackles, 2 sacks and 2 forced fumbles against visiting Tennessee Sunday, who came in as 5 ½ point favorites.
Let me put Sunday’s defensive performance in perspective for you. Tennessee’s Chris Johnson (fresh off a 2,000 yard season) had a string of 12-straight 100-yd games prior to Sunday’s game. He was held to just 35 yards on 16 carries. QB Vince Young, who led the Titans to nine straight wins, was benched for poor play.
Most figured the Steelers needed to be at 2-2 when Big Ben returns to be in position to make a playoff push. The team’s early performance has changed opinions more than a little bit in regards to team potential, and all but silenced the notion that Big Ben’s absence would doom the season.
I have been a Steelers fan since the 1986 season. Then they were at their lowest point in the last three decades. They were a few years removed from the last retirements of the 70’s era, and far from the dominance of 1994-present. That said I have seen a lot of football through the years, and watching highlights Sunday had me thinking this group of linebackers (which goes 6 deep) might have what it takes to put together the best season in team history.
The Steelers became competitive in the early 90’s fielding especially tough defenses built around (then rare) frenetic 3-4 blitz packages, directed by Hall of Fame defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau. From 1994 to last Sunday, Pittsburgh has consistently fielded title contending units led by some of the best linebackers in the league.
No franchise in major pro sports can boast as rich a legacy at one position. Consider the pedigree:
Jack Lambert (‘74-‘84)
9 Pro Bowls, 7 first team All-Pro
75th Anniversary team
1970s All-decade team
1980s All-decade team
Jack Ham (‘71-‘82)
8 Pro Bowls; 6 first team All-Pro, 2 second team All Pro
75th Anniversary all time team
1970s All decade team
Andy Russell (‘66-‘76)7 Pro Bowls, 1 first team All-pro 3 second team All Pro
David Little (81-92) 1 Pro Bowl
Greg Lloyd (‘88-‘97)
5 Pro Bowls 3 first team All-Pro
Chad Brown (’93-’96; ‘06)3 Pro Bowls 2 first team All-Pro
Kevin Greene (’93-’95)5 Pro Bowls, 3 first team All Pro
‘96 defensive Player of the Year (w/ Carolina)
1990s All-Decade team
Hardy Nickerson (87-92)5 Pro Bowls
1990s All-Decade team (Became a monster with Tampa Bay)
Mike Vrabel (‘97-’00) 1 pro bowl 1 all pro (Became major part of New England Championship squads)
Jason Gildon (‘94-’03) 3 pro bowl 1 all-pro
Joey Porter (99-06)4 Pro Bowl 1 All Pro 3 second team All Pro
2000s All decade team
Lawrence Timmons 07-present
James Farrior 02-present2 Pro Bowls 1 first team All Pro
James Harrison 02, 04-Present3 pro bowl; 2 first team all pro; 1 second team All Pro
2008 Defensive Player of the Year (Only started for 3 full seasons)
Lamarr Woodley 07-present1 Pro Bowl, 1 second team all pro
So the 2010 Steelers have James Harrison, Lawrence Timmons, James Farrior and Lamarr Woodley for starters, and SuperBowl vet Larry Foote joining rookies Thaddeus Gibson and Jason Worilds as reserves. In addition, 5 other starters on defense have been with the team at least five years:
DT Casey Hampton 01-present
DE Aaron Smith 99-present
CB Ike Taylor 03-present
SS Troy Polamalu 03-present
DE Brett Keisel 02-present
FS Ryan Clark is in his fifth year with the team and CB Bryant McFadden is in his second stint with the team’s system. I wanted to make the case early, that this defense has a Super look. A seventh Super Bowl and 3 in 6 years looks a like a real possibility.
4. Miami and NY is a huge Week 3 game I am really looking forward to this week’s primetime game between Miami and NY Jets. QB Mark Sanchez finally had the green light to throw all over the field and NY made an early statement defeating New England in sound fashion. ON the other side, Miami put together a spirited effort to defeat Minnesota. Both teams are built in similar fashion, with a nucleus of young fast defenders. Whoever wins this matchup will be in the drivers seat for the Division.
2. Kevin Kolb has big shoes to fillOnce again Michael Vick played great. However coach Andy Reid has publicly expressed his allegiance to Kevin Kolb. The Eagles have scored 52 points in the last 6 quarters with Vick under center. I understand an organization doing what they can to prevent a controversy, but Kolb already has a lot to live up to following Donovan McNabb. Now he has to prove he can do better than Vick, the only QB in league history to surpass 1,000 yards rushing in a season? The man who brought a subpar Atlanta attack within a game of the Super Bowl? Good luck (unproven) Mr. Kolb.
3. Steelers line backing tradition alive and wellSince ‘94 the Steelers have been a model of consistency advancing to three Super Bowls, winning two (in ‘05 and ‘08), and three other AFC title games. As of week two of the 2010 season, Pittsburgh is once again playing lights out defense. Safety Troy Polamalu has returned after missing most all of last season and intercepted passes in each game. The 09 Madden cover boy looks to have completely healed. 2008 Super Bowl hero and NFL Defensive MVP James Harrison had 10 tackles, 2 sacks and 2 forced fumbles against visiting Tennessee Sunday, who came in as 5 ½ point favorites.
Let me put Sunday’s defensive performance in perspective for you. Tennessee’s Chris Johnson (fresh off a 2,000 yard season) had a string of 12-straight 100-yd games prior to Sunday’s game. He was held to just 35 yards on 16 carries. QB Vince Young, who led the Titans to nine straight wins, was benched for poor play.
Most figured the Steelers needed to be at 2-2 when Big Ben returns to be in position to make a playoff push. The team’s early performance has changed opinions more than a little bit in regards to team potential, and all but silenced the notion that Big Ben’s absence would doom the season.
I have been a Steelers fan since the 1986 season. Then they were at their lowest point in the last three decades. They were a few years removed from the last retirements of the 70’s era, and far from the dominance of 1994-present. That said I have seen a lot of football through the years, and watching highlights Sunday had me thinking this group of linebackers (which goes 6 deep) might have what it takes to put together the best season in team history.
The Steelers became competitive in the early 90’s fielding especially tough defenses built around (then rare) frenetic 3-4 blitz packages, directed by Hall of Fame defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau. From 1994 to last Sunday, Pittsburgh has consistently fielded title contending units led by some of the best linebackers in the league.
No franchise in major pro sports can boast as rich a legacy at one position. Consider the pedigree:
Jack Lambert (‘74-‘84)
9 Pro Bowls, 7 first team All-Pro
75th Anniversary team
1970s All-decade team
1980s All-decade team
Jack Ham (‘71-‘82)
8 Pro Bowls; 6 first team All-Pro, 2 second team All Pro
75th Anniversary all time team
1970s All decade team
Andy Russell (‘66-‘76)7 Pro Bowls, 1 first team All-pro 3 second team All Pro
David Little (81-92) 1 Pro Bowl
Greg Lloyd (‘88-‘97)
5 Pro Bowls 3 first team All-Pro
Chad Brown (’93-’96; ‘06)3 Pro Bowls 2 first team All-Pro
Kevin Greene (’93-’95)5 Pro Bowls, 3 first team All Pro
‘96 defensive Player of the Year (w/ Carolina)
1990s All-Decade team
Hardy Nickerson (87-92)5 Pro Bowls
1990s All-Decade team (Became a monster with Tampa Bay)
Mike Vrabel (‘97-’00) 1 pro bowl 1 all pro (Became major part of New England Championship squads)
Jason Gildon (‘94-’03) 3 pro bowl 1 all-pro
Joey Porter (99-06)4 Pro Bowl 1 All Pro 3 second team All Pro
2000s All decade team
Lawrence Timmons 07-present
James Farrior 02-present2 Pro Bowls 1 first team All Pro
James Harrison 02, 04-Present3 pro bowl; 2 first team all pro; 1 second team All Pro
2008 Defensive Player of the Year (Only started for 3 full seasons)
Lamarr Woodley 07-present1 Pro Bowl, 1 second team all pro
So the 2010 Steelers have James Harrison, Lawrence Timmons, James Farrior and Lamarr Woodley for starters, and SuperBowl vet Larry Foote joining rookies Thaddeus Gibson and Jason Worilds as reserves. In addition, 5 other starters on defense have been with the team at least five years:
DT Casey Hampton 01-present
DE Aaron Smith 99-present
CB Ike Taylor 03-present
SS Troy Polamalu 03-present
DE Brett Keisel 02-present
FS Ryan Clark is in his fifth year with the team and CB Bryant McFadden is in his second stint with the team’s system. I wanted to make the case early, that this defense has a Super look. A seventh Super Bowl and 3 in 6 years looks a like a real possibility.
4. Miami and NY is a huge Week 3 game I am really looking forward to this week’s primetime game between Miami and NY Jets. QB Mark Sanchez finally had the green light to throw all over the field and NY made an early statement defeating New England in sound fashion. ON the other side, Miami put together a spirited effort to defeat Minnesota. Both teams are built in similar fashion, with a nucleus of young fast defenders. Whoever wins this matchup will be in the drivers seat for the Division.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
NFL Week 1 Takes
Chiefs defeat AFC West Kings in solid MNF showing
Chiefs rookies McCluster, Eric Berry, Javier Arenas and Moeki contributed big and no doubt the rain helped but that defense played inspired ball for 3 quarters and did just enough late to pull off the upset of the weekend….Arenas and McCluster looked like reincarnations of the original X-factor Dante Hall, and brought the crowd to their feet on nearly every return.
Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson , back-to-back No. 3 overall picks @ DT..finally played big and the defense was flying all over the field….SD’s experience began to overcome KC’s youthful exuberance when Rivers found a wide open Legedu Naanee on the second TD. The blown coverage would be inexcusable, were it not for the fact the extra attention being paid to Antonio Gates was so successful most of the evening.
SD holdouts WR Vincent Jackson and LT Marcus McNeill definitely hurt the team’s overall chemistry. Arrowhead was actually a volatile environment. The fired up effort in their first game in a new stadium was nice to see as a fan of the game. However, it was a downpour for most of the game and the KC offense failed to convert their first 8 3rd down conversions. Conventional wisdom suggests they will be very hard pressed to consistently repeat their performance as the year progresses. But hey, I do like a good underdog story.Really though, Kevin Kolb is guaranteed the job?
What reason do the Eagles have to rush Kolb back with a Pro-Bowl veteran who led a team to within a game of the SB, and helmed the franchise to the tune of league leading jersey sales and icon status? The guy had one 300-yd game against an undermanned chiefs team last season. What else has he done? Vick ran for over 100 yards in just half a game, and nearly pulled off a come from behind win in electrifying fashion. Does anyone else think the Eagles fans want some more of that?
Texans may be the dark horse for the AFC. Seriously.
The Texans manhandled the Colts, whose run defense has never qualified as solid sans the playoff run in their Super Bowl winning 06 season. What a game (team record 230 yds) and story for second year RB Arian Foster. His 33 carries alone were eye opening for a player most avid fans had not heard of until recent weeks. Google his story its awesome... Remember when the Texans drafted freak of nature DE Mario Williams #1 ahead of Reggie Bush? Hard to believe how much opinions on that have changed. Williams harassed #18 and along with DT Amobi Okoye whose just 23 entering his 3rd season, Pro Bowl MLB Demeco Ryans and currently suspended OLB Brian Cushing, the Texans have the nucleus of a defense capable of competing with playoff caliber offenses.
The Patriots aren’t going anywhere The Patriots looked like they are back to their normal selves following their win over a high-hopes Bengals team. They were up 31-7 after Ben Tate’s KO return to open the second half. While Pittsburgh’s Hines Ward is regarded widely as the greatest slot reciever in history, Wes Welker is making a strong case for consideration, albeit with an entirely different skill set. Whereas Ward is a productive throwback who plays with the mentality of a fullback, Welker caught 123 passes (second most in league history) last season despite missing four games. The man had surgery on his knee just 8 months ago and Sunday he scored two Tds. A healthy Welker is key for NE’s offense.
Randy Moss was obviously lacking in taste with his timing regarding his 15-minute address of his contract situation, but as ESPN’s analysts pointed out the fans did not see his positive locker room address to teammates following NE’s win. He remains by all accounts a team leader and influential presence on an increasingly younger team. While the Jets and their various offseason moves garnered all the preseason attention, Belicheck and the boys (no-name defense and all) came out looking like the best team in football on the opening weekend.
Chiefs rookies McCluster, Eric Berry, Javier Arenas and Moeki contributed big and no doubt the rain helped but that defense played inspired ball for 3 quarters and did just enough late to pull off the upset of the weekend….Arenas and McCluster looked like reincarnations of the original X-factor Dante Hall, and brought the crowd to their feet on nearly every return.
Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson , back-to-back No. 3 overall picks @ DT..finally played big and the defense was flying all over the field….SD’s experience began to overcome KC’s youthful exuberance when Rivers found a wide open Legedu Naanee on the second TD. The blown coverage would be inexcusable, were it not for the fact the extra attention being paid to Antonio Gates was so successful most of the evening.
SD holdouts WR Vincent Jackson and LT Marcus McNeill definitely hurt the team’s overall chemistry. Arrowhead was actually a volatile environment. The fired up effort in their first game in a new stadium was nice to see as a fan of the game. However, it was a downpour for most of the game and the KC offense failed to convert their first 8 3rd down conversions. Conventional wisdom suggests they will be very hard pressed to consistently repeat their performance as the year progresses. But hey, I do like a good underdog story.Really though, Kevin Kolb is guaranteed the job?
What reason do the Eagles have to rush Kolb back with a Pro-Bowl veteran who led a team to within a game of the SB, and helmed the franchise to the tune of league leading jersey sales and icon status? The guy had one 300-yd game against an undermanned chiefs team last season. What else has he done? Vick ran for over 100 yards in just half a game, and nearly pulled off a come from behind win in electrifying fashion. Does anyone else think the Eagles fans want some more of that?
Texans may be the dark horse for the AFC. Seriously.
The Texans manhandled the Colts, whose run defense has never qualified as solid sans the playoff run in their Super Bowl winning 06 season. What a game (team record 230 yds) and story for second year RB Arian Foster. His 33 carries alone were eye opening for a player most avid fans had not heard of until recent weeks. Google his story its awesome... Remember when the Texans drafted freak of nature DE Mario Williams #1 ahead of Reggie Bush? Hard to believe how much opinions on that have changed. Williams harassed #18 and along with DT Amobi Okoye whose just 23 entering his 3rd season, Pro Bowl MLB Demeco Ryans and currently suspended OLB Brian Cushing, the Texans have the nucleus of a defense capable of competing with playoff caliber offenses.
The Patriots aren’t going anywhere The Patriots looked like they are back to their normal selves following their win over a high-hopes Bengals team. They were up 31-7 after Ben Tate’s KO return to open the second half. While Pittsburgh’s Hines Ward is regarded widely as the greatest slot reciever in history, Wes Welker is making a strong case for consideration, albeit with an entirely different skill set. Whereas Ward is a productive throwback who plays with the mentality of a fullback, Welker caught 123 passes (second most in league history) last season despite missing four games. The man had surgery on his knee just 8 months ago and Sunday he scored two Tds. A healthy Welker is key for NE’s offense.
Randy Moss was obviously lacking in taste with his timing regarding his 15-minute address of his contract situation, but as ESPN’s analysts pointed out the fans did not see his positive locker room address to teammates following NE’s win. He remains by all accounts a team leader and influential presence on an increasingly younger team. While the Jets and their various offseason moves garnered all the preseason attention, Belicheck and the boys (no-name defense and all) came out looking like the best team in football on the opening weekend.
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