New York Jets: For Real?
Can Chad Pennington's arm hold strong for an entire season? So far so good, and a lot of doubters have been silenced. With Laveranues Coles close to leading the league in receiving yards (Marvin Harrison has three more yards), this team appears to be in much better shape than originally thought.
Are they a playoff team? Probably not. But they are a battle versus anyone they play. You can look as recently as their Week 2 matchup against the New England Patriots. This team will not quit in a game. If their young linemen continue to improve, they will be a force in the season's to come. Or until Pennington's arm falls off in Week 9.
Cincinnati Bengals: Character Issues
A road victory in Pittsburgh isn't easy, but the Bengals have had success two years in a row under coach Marvin Lewis. The celebration in Bengaldom has already begun. From Internet message boards to national media figures, the Bengals are being called one of the best teams in football, if not the best.
In fact, the party in Cincinnati began immediately following the game. Just ask Bengals second-year linebacker Odell Thurman. Even though he was banned for the first four games of 2006 season for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy and did not play or even attend the game, he sure did celebrate.
Thurman was arrested about 3 AM Monday — just hours after the Bengals beat division rival Pittsburgh 28-20.
Police said Thurman's blood alcohol was 0.18 percent at the time of his arrest. The legal limit is less than half of that. Good thing Chris Henry wasn't driving.
Chris Henry, along with rookie Reggie McNeal, both Bengals wide receivers, were in the vehicle when Thurman was arrested, but they could not be charged with anything.
Mr. Henry has been arrested four times, but has avoided jail time so far. After his two touchdown performance in Pittsburgh and his teammate's comparisons to Randy Moss, he was glad to have been the passenger for this one. Just thinking about being the driver must have made him sick to his stomach, as he puked out a passenger window during the traffic stop.
Henry pleaded guilty to marijuana possession in northern Kentucky, and most recently pleaded guilty to a weapon charge in Orlando, Florida. After Roger Goodell, the new commissioner in the NFL, stopped in Cincinnati the previous week to express the importance of individual conduct on and off the field, Henry surely would have faced a severe punishment.
As it stood, Mr. Thurman has been asked to clean out his locker as he will serve a season long suspension.
Recently, the Bengals have made several controversial personnel decisions. It was never a question of talent, but rather of character. According to Coach Lewis, "I am not pleased. It's not right, it's not what we stand for, it's not what the National Football League should represent."
You are correct, Coach, but please don't bring the entire league down with the troubles of your team. Sometimes, you get exactly what you draft.
Odell, now that probably seems like a harsh punishment to you, but consider this: the Steelers play the Bengals in Cincinnati on New Year's Eve. If the division is on the line, this could move to a night time affair (thanks to the new flexible scheduling). Now, thanks to Mr. Goodell freeing up some of your time, you can drink all day and night on New Years Eve. I suggest that you write Roger a thank you note now.
The Dallas T.O.'s
Now it doesn't make much sense to draft a player that has a troubled history, but there is a payoff to that. The theory is that under the right tutelage the player can turn into a fine professional young man.
That doesn't always pan out, but it is a completely different story when you pick a seasoned veteran that has dismantled two professional football teams.
Unfortunately, that's exactly what the Dallas Cowboys did. After Terrell Owens successfully ruined the San Francisco 49ers, vetoed a trade to the Baltimore Ravens, and trashed a Super Bowl-caliber Philadelphia Eagles team, you must've thought he was done.
Not a chance. His talent was worth the gamble. In fact, Jerry Jones is so excited with the additional media coverage that he has made a suggestion about the team name.
Rumor has it the Dallas Cowboys are going to switch the team name to "T.O." This name is simple, everyone knows what it stands for, and it is a lock to get into national headlines on a biweekly basis. Owner Jerry Jones said, "This is exactly what we have been looking for, this is why we brought T.O. here. We are laying off our marketing department as we do not need them anymore. Additionally, the star has been changed to an 'O.'"
In all seriousness, the latest T.O. news, a suicide attempt, was about as shocking as anything I have ever read regarding the NFL. You heard it here and you see it every time a camera is on T.O — the guy loves himself way too much to call it quits.
Is the NFC East Really the Toughest Division?
The toughest division in the National Football League could potentially put three of its four teams into the playoffs. This division is loaded with talent, excellent coaches, and for the first time in its history, parity.
Now, some of you might think this division is an obvious reference to the highly competitive NFC East. You would be dead wrong. Although it is a crap shoot for who will win the NFC East, this is not the toughest division.
First, let's define what is suggested by the word "toughest." Does this word suggest the division has to have an equally competitive playing field amongst all participants? Should the definition include teams with championship potential? The answer is yes to both. But another factor has to be which division could beat any other division head to head.
I'd take the AFC North over the NFC East any day. The Ravens are undefeated and looking to recreate their swagger on defense. The only difference from years past, they now have an offense to balance their attack. Their 3-0 record doesn't suggest much, as I discuss below, but if they can consistently produce like they have so far ... LOOK OUT.
The Bengals? They are the defending division champions and potentially were one player short of their own playoff run last season.
The Steelers? They are the defending world champions, need I say more? Yeah, yeah, I know. You are going to tell me they lost two weeks in a row. Once, on Monday night to the Jaguars where the offense was non-existent. Ben Roethlisberger had just come back from an injury and looked horrible. Then they blew a game against Cincinnati at home, while Big Ben threw three big interceptions.
This pattern is eerily similar to what happened to them last season. Horrible performance on Monday night football against the Colts (Ben also coming back from an injury), followed by a home loss to the Bengals where he threw three picks.
We all know what happened after that. The Steelers went on an unprecedented eight-game winning streak and didn't stop until they had their one for the thumb.
They will be okay.
As for the Browns? They unfortunately play in a very tough division. They are much better than their record indicates. Watch for them throughout the season.
New Orleans Saints: America's Team?
There is a God! Not a Saints fan, not even close. I even had Atlanta's defense in one of my fantasy football leagues (Victor Tan's "No Crying Unless You're Dying 2006"), but as the game went along, there I was rooting for the home team. A city such as New Orleans couldn't be more deserving. I never thought I was capable of rooting for another team, but watching the first punt get blocked and returned for a touchdown was a truly beautiful moment. Best Monday night game I have seen in a long time.
Baltimore Ravens: Not Sold Yet
Yes, they are undefeated. Yes, they have looked dominant at times. No, they are not the reincarnation of the 1985 Bears or even the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. Sure, they beat the snot out of Tampa Bay in Week 1, but the Bucs haven't looked sharp against anyone. Sure, they beat the Raiders convincingly, but wouldn't it have been more alarming if this game was close?
Kind of like last week's performance against the Cleveland Browns. It took an interception in the end zone and a 52-yard field goal by Matt Stover to beat the Cleveland Browns. So Baltimore, rather than buy your hotel and flight package to Miami, why don't you wait until the season plays out a little further.
Sure, you are off to a franchise-best 3-0 start, but let's not forget what happened the last time you started off with a franchise-best 7-4 record. I'll remind you just in case. Let's just say a second season collapse cost the team an opportunity to make the playoffs and continued throughout a 6-10 2005 performance. I am just not sold on them, but a victory against San Diego will be very telling of this team's postseason aspirations.
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