Bill Parcells has given me my favorite quote of all-time, saying of QB Tony Romo, "Let's not get out the anointing oils just yet," after Romo had a good game early in his career. I have incorporated it into my daily life, using it any time I feel like someone is overreacting to any given situation. It never fails to get a laugh.
Parcells also had another, less comical, saying that also stuck with me: "You are only as good as your record."
He's absolutely right. It really doesn't matter what the stats say or what kind of bad luck you might have, after four games you've had plenty of time to impose your will on teams. A team's record at this point gives a good indication of how well they've played so far.
That doesn't mean that teams have fully revealed their true colors yet. There are still plenty of questions surrounding each team. Luckily, I've had my finger on the pulse of NFL cities and I have taken the time to answer some of the fans frequently asked questions for each team in the NFC, with AFC questions answered later in the week.
NFC WEST
ARIZONA CARDNIALS (2-2)
Who is our quarterback?
Your quarterback is Kurt Warner. Or Matt Leinart. Until they figure it out, the Cards will just switch it up every couple drives. It even looks ridiculous when I type that. I can't believe Ken Wisenhunt is actually using the revolving door QB system. It's even harder to believe that it actually worked against the Steelers. Wisenhunt better figure something out in the next two weeks against St. Louis and Carolina, because they follow those games up with a stretch of three games against teams with only one loss (Washington, Tampa Bay, and Detroit).
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (2-2)
Wasn't Darrell Jackson supposed to be a number one receiver?
I think so. They didn't exactly give him Nate Clemons money (Clemens had his first INT with the Niners Sunday), but I'm quite sure that he got more than the going rate for someone who is averaging just 51 yards per game and hasn't scored a touchdown yet. It's not his fault that the passing game has been terrible, but the best thing for a young QB is to have a go-to guy. Jackson was brought in to be that guy, and so far, he hasn't stepped up. Judging by Trent Dilfer's performance Sunday against Seattle, if Alex smith is out for any extended period of time, the 49ers will have quite an early pick to address this need in April.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (3-1)
Are we going to win the division again?
Definitely. If it wasn't for a botched handoff against the Cardinals they'd be undefeated. Both the 49ers and Cardinals look better than they did a year ago, but neither has advanced to the point that they are better than the Seahawks. Unless Shaun Alexander's injury is more serious than the team is letting on, there is no way I can see this team not winning the division.
ST. LOUIS RAMS (0-4)
Can we have Mike Martz back?
Actually, wouldn't this be an interesting scenario? Let's say that the Rams finish with two wins this season and finish with the top overall pick. They fire Scott Linehan after the season and bring Martz back from Detroit. Then they draft a quarterback with the first pick, let him play one year as the backup to Marc Bulger and learn the system, and start year two of the second Martz regime with a year under his belt and a coach who insists on throwing every play.
If it wasn't for the whole fans-and-management-both-despise-him angle, I'd say this might actually work.
NFC NORTH
DETROIT LIONS (3-1)
What would Jesus do?
Not only did God perform a miracle and allow Jon Kitna to return from a concussion and lead the Lions to a come from behind victory against Minnesota, it must have also been Him on the opposite end of the green dot sending in the plays in the fourth quarter as the Lions put up an NFL-record 34 points in the final quarter of play Sunday to defeat the Bears. Playing in the worst division in the league and having the man upstairs on your side is a pretty good combination. If they weren't the Lions, I'd say that they have a decent chance of making the playoffs for the first time since 1999.
CHICAGO BEARS (1-3)
Who is our quarterback?
Stop copying Arizona. And your quarterback is Brian Griese. Lovie Smith made it clear that the change was from Grossman was permanent. Then he showed his confidence by allowing Griese to throw 52 times Sunday, with predictably ill-fated results. Chicago is a team that has made a living the last few years winning in spite of, not because of, their quarterback. They played without four defensive starters Sunday. If they can get healthy and start holding teams to around 13 points per game again, they can still comeback by going back to playing for a Devin Hester special teams TD and one big play. Although I guess the more you look at it, that wasn't such a good strategy after all. Maybe the clock has officially started ticking on the Bears' run.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (1-3)
Is it a good thing when your best player is a rookie?
Not at all. Adrian Peterson has been really good this season, and I like how they are using him. But it says something about your team when your most consistent player is a rookie. There are plenty of holes on this team, but at least they have one less position to upgrade. Only 21 more left to improve.
GREEN BAY PACKERS (4-0)
Does Brett Favre have another Super Bowl run left in him?
Only the state of Wisconsin and maybe John Madden would think so. Favre has been outstanding this year, but a deep playoff run seems unlikely. They've squeaked out some close games against bad teams, but your new touchdown king is also the interception king. Overall, Favre is going to make more plays than mistakes with his risk taking. He has his entire career. But he's not going to be as good all season as he is right now and he's probably not going to be as bad as most had predicted. Good teams are going to make him pay for his mistakes, and his supporting cast isn't good enough or experienced enough to pickup the slack. Things could even out quickly with games against play-making defenses like Chicago, Washington, and Denver coming up.
NFC SOUTH
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (0-3)
What is the world is wrong?
Everything. The offense got worse. The defense got worse. Deuce McAllister is done for the year. What a perfect time for a bye week. Normally, I don't think it is good to have the first bye week because that means you have a longer stretch of games than everyone else that you have to keep everyone healthy. But this team desperately needed a week to regroup, refocus, reenergize, or whatever you want to call it. Anything but a winning streak right now spells disaster for this season.
ATLANTA FALCONS (1-3)
There wasn't much we could do about this, right?
NFL coaches are as meticulous a group of people as you'll ever meet. But I'm not sure that there is any team in the league who was a game plan for "What to do in case your franchise quarterback gets arrested right before training camp." You take your medicine for signing Joey Harrington and move on to next year.
CAROLINA PANTHERS (2-2)
Where'd Steve Smith go?
Smith has dropped a few balls the past two weeks, so he is certainly contributing to his own lack of production. But how can he put up such huge numbers with Jake Delhomme in and completely disappear with David Carr at QB? Aren't they running the same offense that gets him the ball all the time when Delhomme is in there? Sorry to answer your question with a question, but that one stumps me, too.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (3-1)
Is our defense back to the level it was at a few years ago?
We'll find out this week when you travel to Indy. If you can continue to dominate that side of the ball against the Colts, then I'll be a believer. If not, the reality may be that you played some bad teams and are in for a dose of reality the next three games when the Colts, Titans, and Lions line up in front of you.
NFC EAST
New York Giants (2-2)
Which weighs us down more: our coach, quarterback, running game, or defense?
Manning has put up decent but not great numbers. The running backs have scored a few touchdowns, but haven't exactly been Thunder and Lightning all over again. The defense had been brutal for three weeks, then came out and put up an NFL-record 12 sacks in Week 4. Tom Coughlin seems to have the ultimate love/hate relationship with his team (with more emphasis on the latter), but somehow keeps them afloat every year. I guess when you have inconsistency from top to bottom, you find yourself only able to win half the time. That would explain 8-8 last year and 2-2 this year.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (1-3)
Do you think Kevin Curtis secretly has issues with the stereotypes about white wide receivers, but doesn't want to steal Donovan McNabb's thunder?
Yes.
WASHINGTON REDSKINS (2-1)
Were the first two games a fluke, or was it a fluke loss against the Giants?
Washington has been the toughest team a get a feel for. They had the bye in Week 4, so they have only played three games, two of which were very close and could have gone either way. They went 1-1 in those games. If QB Jason Campbell can minimize his mistakes, they have a chance to win a lot of close games with that defense and running game. If not, they'll lose to teams they should beat like they did against New York. I'm going to give my magic eight-ball answer here and tell you to ask again later.
DALLAS COWBOYS (4-0)
Are we a legitimate contender in the NFC?
I've got no reason to assume otherwise. They have the best average margin of victory in the league for any team besides the Patriots. They have the second highest rated quarterback. They have a lethal running back combo in Julius Jones and Marion Barber III. They have one of the best tight ends in the league. They have one of the best wide receivers in the league when he is behaving. They have a play-making defense. But with all that being said, there are still 12 games left. A lot can happen in that time.
Let's not get the anointing oils out just yet.
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