Week 3 NFL Review

Thanks to NFL Red Zone, I can't claim to have watched a full non-Monday night regular season NFL game in over a year. That won't stop me from making a few observations on the season after 3 weeks of action.

• With AJ Hawk, Clay Matthews and Charles Woodson leading the way, I think Green Bay may have the best defense in the league. They were a trendy Super Bowl pick at the beginning of the year and I can certainly see why. Unlike other great defenses (or at least what I consider to be great defenses) in Baltimore, NY and Chicago, the Packers actually had an offense to match. However, the loss of Ryan Grant was HUGE as there run game is plain brutal right now. No way they go deep into the playoffs with Brandon Jackson as their lead back. They need to get Marshawn Lynch out of Buffalo.
• I don't know what to think of the Jets. I think they are a good team, but there is so much off the field stuff with them that it's hard to focus on the on-field product. I'm not sure how long LT can be the go-to back and you never know what you will get out of The Sanchise. They need to be a little more consistent on offense before I name them the AFC favorites
• The Panthers suck. They are just bad. Now I have stuck with them through their 1-15 season with Chris Weinke at the helm, but having Jimmy Claussen as the starter is demoralizing. I just really cannot stand that guy.
• Hindsight is 20-20, but I think we should have all expected the Cowboys to beat Houston. I'm not suggesting that Houston isn't good, because I think they actually have all the pieces to win the conference. No, what I am a suggesting is that Dallas was desparate. Even though it was only week 3, they needed the win more than the Texans did. In a league where most teams all have the same talent level, urgency often is the difference between winning and losing.
• There has been a lot written about the NFC West recently. I am not going to pile on and suggest that the NFL payoff rules be changed because someone will probably make the playoffs at 7-9. Yes, all four teams are terrible. Yes, it may not be fair that the have easier schedules than teams in the NFC East, but the bottom line is this: good teams win games. If you want to make the playoffs, you need to win your games. If a 10-6 misses out on the playoffs because a 7-9 happens to win a weak division, then suck it up and win 11 games next year? The point of the playoffs is to determine a champion. If you are not good enough to make it to the playoffs, how can you be good enough to win the Super Bowl. Just take care of your business and move on.
• Most pleasant surprise this season? Has to be the Kansas City Chiefs. They have a two headed monster at RB (potentially as good if not better than what Carolina had last year), a developing QB and a rapidly improving defense. Oh, and it doesn't hurt that SD and Denver are down this year meaning it is their division to lose.
• I wrote off the Eagles after week 1, saying that the Vick-Kolb controversy would kill the team. Right now there is no controversy -Vick is clearly the best guy for the job. However, I still stick by my statement as I think it is only time before Vick slips up -whether on the field or off - prompting Philly fans to call for his head. I still think it is inevitable.
• Is there a person in the NFL less exciting than Tom Coughlin?
• After 3 weeks, I think we might be looking at a Steelers-Saints Super Bowl. I know most people think the Saints are ripe for the picking, but I think they are just in a little funk right now. Hartley will straighten out his woes and Payton will find the right combination of RB to stay dangerous and balanced on offense. They are battled tested and won't go down that easily. As for the Steelers, if there is one team that can handle a mid-season QB change it is them. While most would agree that Big Ben needs to clean his act up off the field, he is one of the three best leaders in the NFL. The team should have no problem with the transition. Most thought a 2-2 record without Ben would be wonderful - I'm not sure anyone could have predicted 3-0 especially with Charlie Batch as the starter.