Week 6 in the NFL is over and we have the front runners we thought we would have (Jets, Colts, Patriots) and then we have the NFC.
Yes, one year after the Saints (4-2) had arguably the most inspirational Super Bowl win, the NFC is back to being the inferior conference in this year's NFL season. The Saints aren't having a bad season, but a loss to the Cardinals (3-2) had some worrying. The supposed clear NFC West winner, the San Francisco 49ers (1-5), have won only one game, and that was over an Oakland Raiders team that was offering every player on their team up as trade bait.
The Cowboys (1-4) are ridiculously bad, the Vikings (2-3) aren't much better, the Packers (3-3) have injuries, the Panthers (0-5) have yet to win a game and every team in the NFC West, void the above mentioned 49ers, have a winning or .500 record!
The AFC on the other hand has three teams with only one loss (Patriots, Jets, Steelers), and four teams with a record of four wins and two losses (Colts, Texans, Titans, Ravens).
As with any NFL season, there are surprises and disappointments:
NFL Three Big Surprises
(Yahoo! Sports)
1. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1): Ok, this team has dominated the past decade, so you may be thinking why are they a surprise. It's because Big Ben, their quarterback and leader, sat out the first four games, and they went 3-1 in those games.
Think about it. Dennis Dixon leads the team to a great victory over one of the best teams in the NFC in the Atlanta Falcons (4-2) in Week 1. Week 2, he gets hurt, and FOURTH-STRING QB Charlie Batch comes in as the defense causes seven turnovers in a victory over another four and two Tennessee Titans. Week 3, that same Batch dominates a good Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2) team.
The teams only loss was by three points to a very good Baltimore Ravens (4-2) team. Who was the quarterback in that game? Charlie Batch. Plug in Big Ben or even Dennis Dixon and things could go differently.
Roethlisberger was back this week and they easily got rid of the pesky Browns (1-5). Now that he is back for good, things are looking up for the team. The team travels to New Orleans in two weeks, and that game will be huge for both teams.
(Yahoo! Sports)
2. Kansas City Chiefs (3-2): What a year can do for a team and for a quarterback. Yes, their three wins are over a struggling Chargers (2-3) team, the Browns and the 49ers. But, I think what tells the most about this team is the last two weeks in which they lost. Their great defense limited Peyton Manning in a 10 point loss and if not for late heroics by the Texans, they would be 4-1.
Matt Cassel has put up respectable numbers - 850 passing, 7 TD, 3 INT. The ball has been passed around to many different people on the team. Rookie Dexter McCluster has had moments of greatness this season and the defense has been the star, holding every team under 20, minus the Texans.
With games coming up against Jacksonville (3-3), Buffalo (0-5) and at Oakland (2-4), the Chiefs can add to their resume and pose a real threat to crashing the playoffs. Plus, with the play of the other teams in the AFC West, the division championship is the Chiefs to lose.
(Yahoo! Sports)
3. St. Louis Rams (3-3): I know, I know. This team is only .500 on the season and got blown out by the Detroit Lions (1-5) one week ago. But, only six weeks into the season, they have already matched the win total I predicted for them for the entire season.
They have wins over a shaky Seattle Seahawk (3-2) team and the Chargers, but their biggest victory was over the Washington Redskins (3-3). The Redskins are a real playoff threat, and the Rams dominated them. The defense just wouldn't let the Redskins into the end zone, forcing them to kick three field goals. The other two losses were by a combined six points.
Sam Bradford, the number one pick in the 2010 NFL Draft has thrown for 1,357 yards, 7 TD and 8 INT. The interceptions will come with a first year quarterback entering a bad team. Time will fix that. With Steven Jackson in the backfield, this team has potential. They may not make the playoffs this year, but give them time, and they may again be The Greatest Show on Turf.
( Honorable Mentions: Tampa Bay (3-2), Miami (3-2), Philadelphia (4-2), Chicago (4-2) )
NFL Three Big Disappointments
(Yahoo! Sports)
1. Dallas Cowboys (1-4): Coming into this season, all the talks were about how the Dallas Cowboys could be the first team ever to play the Super Bowl in their home stadium.
So much for that.
I'll give it to them, they have faced five potential playoff teams, but their schedule doesn't get any easier from here. Their lone win was over the Houston Texans (4-2), and that game showed what this team was capable of doing. The next week, they couldn't contain Vince Young and the Titans defense.
It is easy to see that Tony Romo has no protection. The offensive line was a concern in the preseason, but everyone said don't worry. Should we start worrying now? Roy Williams is finally contributing, but that doesn't matter if they aren't scoring more points than the opposing team. Romo has been sacked seven times in five games, and has seven interceptions. His stats aren't terrible, but he doesn't have the time to throw.
This past week was the battle of survival against the Vikings. The Vikings won, and now the Cowboys are in panic mode. Is it too early to start looking for a new head coach?
(Yahoo! Sports)
2. San Diego Chargers (2-3): I wish I had a reason for why any of these top three teams were doing so bad, the Chargers included. They have one of the best young quarterbacks in Philip Rivers, who has over 2,000 passing yards and 12 touchdowns. They were suppose to have the next LT in Ryan Matthews, but he has been hindered by injuries.
All four of the Chargers losses have come to teams that had draft picks in the top 8 - Oakland, Seattle (3-2), Kansas City and St. Louis. Yes two of those teams are on my top surprise teams, but if every team who picked in the top 10 of a draft became excellent the next year, the league would be a mess every year. Oakland hasn't beaten San Diego in almost seven years. Seven years! Then they did.
The defense can't seem to stop too many people, and Shawn Merriman looks to be out the door. Dominate performances over the Jaguars (3-3) and the Cardinals (3-2) aren't that impressive. Their schedule doesn't get any easier. In the next three weeks they face New England, Tennessee and at Houston.
(Yahoo! Sports)
3. Minnesota Vikings (2-3): This team could be on its way off the list if it can win some games. Then again, it could be moving up as their next two games are at Green Bay and at New England.
Brett Favre came back to lead this team to the Super Bowl they thought they deserved last year. The offense last year was spectacular. This year, sub par. They have yet to put up over 30 points. Favre's numbers are pedestrian to say the least - 979 yards, 6 TD, 7 INT. The lack of a big threat wide receiver hurt the team early, but now that they picked up Randy Moss and with Sidney Rice hopefully coming back soon, the offense could be on its way back. Adrian Peterson has been great - 553 yards and 5 touchdowns, and has yet to put the ball on the ground. For a man who's career has been plagued by fumbles, this is an improvement.
The Vikings still have 11 games and with the struggles of the Packers, could still contend for the division title, but they need to start producing numbers. Their defense hasn't been terrible, but they could help by providing some pass coverage.
( Honorable Mentions: Carolina (0-5), San Francisco (1-5), Green Bay (3-3) )
One Quick Note on... James Harrison and Big Hits
(Yahoo! Sports)
James Harrison took out two Browns' receivers this weekend and continues to be one of the dirtiest players in the game. But, his hits were legal according to officials, as he was not penalized.
In a week that saw a Rutgers player get paralyzed after a devastating hit he administered and with DeSean Jackson having his second concussion in his short career, these kind of hits are becoming the topic of discussion. The NFL wants to look at helmet-to-helmet hits and hand out suspensions when necessary.
Harrison said he doesn't regret the hits, and said when he goes out to play, he wants to hurt opposing players. Not injure, but hurt.
"I don't want to injure anybody," Harrison said following Pittsburgh's 28-10 victory. "There's a big difference between being hurt and being injured. You get hurt, you shake it off and come back the next series or the next game. I try to hurt people."
Head Coach Tomlin supports his player, saying that he doesn't think Harrison did anything illegal, but also saying he supports penalties to helmet-to-helmet hits.
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