The NFC this year has been full of surprises. Teams once thought to be too dominate to lose are having trouble finding ways to win, while teams thought too mediocre to be relevant are suddenly turning into play-off contenders. It's unclear if this flip flop trend will continue, but I can tell you for sure that by season's end, some fans will be utterly shocked at their teams outcome, good or bad.
Let's start with some of the teams that were considered locks to win their respective divisions, namely the Dallas Cowboys (1-4) , San Francisco 49ers (1-5), and Green Bay Packers (3-3).
Dallas: Who would have thought for all the bark this team had for there to be no bite behind it? Well, that's what it seems like anyway. The Cowboys, in fact, are top 10 in offense and defense, and their special teams is not too atrocious, but they are bottom 10 in wins, with only one. What the hell? It's not often those two statistical references occur in the same sentence. The bottom line is that the Cowboy's are so careless with the ball, and undisciplined in their execution, that they CAN'T win. There is no excuse for them to beat themselves like that, and the window of opportunity for Dallas to even make the Wild Card is closing quickly. I chose them as the favorites in the NFC East, and they have certainly proved me wrong.
Let's start with some of the teams that were considered locks to win their respective divisions, namely the Dallas Cowboys (1-4) , San Francisco 49ers (1-5), and Green Bay Packers (3-3).
Dallas: Who would have thought for all the bark this team had for there to be no bite behind it? Well, that's what it seems like anyway. The Cowboys, in fact, are top 10 in offense and defense, and their special teams is not too atrocious, but they are bottom 10 in wins, with only one. What the hell? It's not often those two statistical references occur in the same sentence. The bottom line is that the Cowboy's are so careless with the ball, and undisciplined in their execution, that they CAN'T win. There is no excuse for them to beat themselves like that, and the window of opportunity for Dallas to even make the Wild Card is closing quickly. I chose them as the favorites in the NFC East, and they have certainly proved me wrong.
San Francisco: The Niners weren't really being predicted to be a dominant team, but they seemed like the best team in a weak division. I don't know if anyone predicted this kind of start though. With only one win, they are quickly becoming a laughing stock. The below average play of quarterback Alex Smith has been a factor, as well as the ineffective play of their defense, who given up the 6th most points in the NFL. Coach Mike Singletary is now on the hotseat, and will have to pull of something big to keep his job. But only two wins behind their division leader, hope is not all lost, but time is running out.
Green Bay: Some might say that Green Bay's problems have been caused by injury, but the simple fact is that the Pack has just not been winning games like expected. Aaron Rodgers has not been scoring like crazy, and the defense has not been shut down like last year. True, they have lost super-star TE Jermicheal Finely to injury, but even before he was gone, they still had problems getting the ball to Greg Jennings. Since losing Ryan Grant to an ankle injury, they have not been able to run the ball effectively, which only further dampers the effectiveness of their offense. While it still too early to count the Pack out, they certainly don't look like a Super Bowl contender right now.
On the flip side, there have been some surprising teams emerging as the result of the above teams woes. Now, while it is still WAY to early to call ANY of these teams legit contenders, they do deserve some recognition as respectable teams.
Chicago: I personally had the Bears ranked 3rd in the NFC North, behind the aforementioned Packers and the Vikings. They have been a surprise to the entire league. They were the last undefeated team in the NFC and are currently sitting at 4-2, on top of the NFC North. Their offense is nothing overly special, but their defense is top 10, and has helped carry this team to their current record. I'm not ready to call the Bears a Super Bowl contender because their pass blocking is absolutely dreadful. Jay Cutler has gotten sacked so many times it makes his, and my, head spin. At this rate, of close to 4 sacks a game, Cutler won't make it to the end of the season, and without Cutler, this offense is nothing.
Tampa Bay: The Buccs are nowhere close to being dominant, especially after a two game losing streak, but they are 3-2 right now, and are showing some potential. Before this season, I couldn't see them getting more than four or five wins and I still cant see them making .500, but I would say that six or seven wins might be more realistic. Tampa Bay is not top 10 in any major offensive or defensive category and are in a tough division, which is why I remain pessimistic of them getting to the playoffs. However, other teams should learn not to undervalue the Buccs, or risk losing to them.
Seattle and St. Louis: If the teams in the NFC West have taught us anything, it's to not go to sleep on teams that weren't very good last year. The Rams and the Seahawks combined for 6 wins last year. So far in 5-6 games this year (5 for the Seahawks, 6 for the Rams) the both have 3 wins. Three wins is not overly impressive at this point, but it shows that they are finding ways to win games. Ram's rookie quarterback Sam Bradford is looking like he was well worth the first overall pick as he continues to sling the ball over defenses, while the Seahawk's big play ability on offense, defense and special teams help them win games.
No comments:
Post a Comment