Another week down in this still young NFL season. Yet, we are getting a still clearer picture of some of the newer trends that are occurring thus far.
There were a lot of unusual outcomes and upsets yesterday. In the early morning game (for us in the United States), the Baltimore Ravens took their supposedly elite defense to London to try and contain the Jacksonville Jaguars, but they were completely sliced up and wound up on the wrong side of a complete blowout. The Steelers went to Soldier Field, but they fell short in Chicago. The Bills stopped the Broncos up in Buffalo. Carolina, now playing without star tight end Olsen, fell short against the Saints. The Titans toppled Seattle, who are looking a lot less like an elite team, or even a pretty good team, with each passing week. The high-flying Raiders were grounded in Washington.
And then there were some near misses. The Texans almost knocked off the Patriots, until a comeback effort in the final minutes. The Packers were tested by the Bengals, but also pulled through in the end.
Baltimore at Jacksonville 44, Baltimore 7 - Jacksonville destroyed the Ravens here. It was not even much of a game, really! Ravens fans celebrated once their team finally got on the board, but by then, it was far too little and much too late. At the beginning of the season, Baltimore's defense figured itself to be not only an elite unit, but one that might just be historically good. Well, maybe, but there was no trace of that in this game, as they got completely picked apart. This should serve as a slice of humble pie for them, and they now need to pick up the pieces and get back to work next week. As for the Jaguars, a 2-1 record after three weeks, with wins coming against Houston and Baltimore? If you are a fan of this team, you have reason to feel pretty confident early in the season! My pick: Wildly Inaccurate
There were a lot of unusual outcomes and upsets yesterday. In the early morning game (for us in the United States), the Baltimore Ravens took their supposedly elite defense to London to try and contain the Jacksonville Jaguars, but they were completely sliced up and wound up on the wrong side of a complete blowout. The Steelers went to Soldier Field, but they fell short in Chicago. The Bills stopped the Broncos up in Buffalo. Carolina, now playing without star tight end Olsen, fell short against the Saints. The Titans toppled Seattle, who are looking a lot less like an elite team, or even a pretty good team, with each passing week. The high-flying Raiders were grounded in Washington.
And then there were some near misses. The Texans almost knocked off the Patriots, until a comeback effort in the final minutes. The Packers were tested by the Bengals, but also pulled through in the end.
Baltimore at Jacksonville 44, Baltimore 7 - Jacksonville destroyed the Ravens here. It was not even much of a game, really! Ravens fans celebrated once their team finally got on the board, but by then, it was far too little and much too late. At the beginning of the season, Baltimore's defense figured itself to be not only an elite unit, but one that might just be historically good. Well, maybe, but there was no trace of that in this game, as they got completely picked apart. This should serve as a slice of humble pie for them, and they now need to pick up the pieces and get back to work next week. As for the Jaguars, a 2-1 record after three weeks, with wins coming against Houston and Baltimore? If you are a fan of this team, you have reason to feel pretty confident early in the season! My pick: Wildly Inaccurate
Atlanta 30, Detroit 26 - At the beginning of the season, I assumed that the Falcons would either be really good, or really bad this season. They were an unknown quantity, because it was a mystery to me how they would respond to that epic collapse in last year's Super Bowl, when they were so close to winning it all, only to have it snatched from them (although they helped in the process). So far, the Falcons look like they are going to be really, really good. They escaped with a win in Chicago, something that the Steelers failed to do yesterday. Then, they demolished Green Bay, and get past a tough Detroit team on the road. They are the only NFC team remaining with an undefeated mark, and they and their fans have to feel good about this season thus far. For the Lions, a disappointing outcome, but they fought hard, and still are looking good this season. This was as good a game as expected by both teams! My pick: Inaccurate
Indianapolis 31, Cleveland 28 - Two winless teams faced off, both obviously needing a win. I picked the Browns, but this was a "pick 'em" kind of a game. You kind of had to figure that neither pick was safe, because of how poorly both teams looked thus far. So, it makes me wonder what I was thinking, picking the Browns, and naturally, they disappointed. The Colts beat them, although it was more like they outlasted them, building up a sizable lead, and then hanging on at the very end. My pick; Inaccurate
Buffalo 26, Denver 16 - Buffalo earned a tough win against a previously unbeaten opponent. The Bills defense was especially effective at shutting Denver's offense down, while the Bills managed to put a decent amount of points up on the board. Home field advantage proved huge, as Buffalo is indeed a tough place to play. Not sure that the Bills would have won had this game been played up in Denver, with the high altitude. A solid win for the Bills, who are tied atop the AFC East with the Pats, both of whom have a 2-1 record. My pick: Inaccurate
New England 36, Houston 33 - The Patriots were flirting with a loss, and a seemingly disastrous (for them) 1-2 mark. Instead, they managed to pull through in the end against a surprisingly tough Houston team. The Texans really were pushing New England to the max, and looked for much, if not most, of the game like they were going to win. But indeed, not surprisingly, New England pulled off the comeback to earn another "W" that more or less keeps them on pace with most people's expectations thus far. A tough loss for Houston, and you have to wonder how much of a moral win it is or is not, since they seem incapable of beating the Pats no matter what they do. My pick: Accurate
N.Y. Jets 20, Miami 6 - Well, the Jets earned a victory, and before the Giants ever did, for that matter. In fact, it seemed like they were going to shit the Dolphins out, as they led 20-0 until the final minutes of the game. A solid win for the Jets, who showed that despite everything, their defense is still tough as always. For the Dolphins, they got wiped out a week after barely surviving a scare against San Diego. What looked like it was working during a win last weekend (Cutler as quarterback) was not looking so good this weekend. A good solid win for Gang Green, a tough and disappointing loss for Miami. My pick: Inaccurate
New Orleans 34, Carolina 13 - I predicted an upset here, but I could not have expected that the Saints would go into Carolina and blow the Panthers out. Yet, that is what happened, and the Panthers look suddenly very pedestrian again, even with this being their only loss thus far. They came out flat and stayed there, and you have to wonder now just how much the loss of Olsen has hurt them psychologically already. They need to bounce back, because they should be better than this. As for the Saints, what a win for them! Now, they need to continue playing at such a high level. My pick: Accurate
Philadelphia 27, N.Y. Giants 24 - On the way to the beach, my son and I stopped at a Stewart's Shop, where he had his first ever banana split. They had the Giants game on, and the Giants fell behind 14-0 while we were watching. The offense looked terrible, until they reached the red zone for the second time in the game. They gambled on 4th and 2, and they lost. Had they gone for a field goal, as I personally wanted them to do, they very well might have won, as they lost by a field goal in the end. But on a positive side, the offense finally started to show some signs of life late in the second half. Still too little, too late in the end. The Eagles earn an expected victory, and are 2-1. The Giants remained winless despite some positive signs, and are 0-3. My pick: Accurate
Chicago 23, Pittsburgh 17/Final OT - This was probably the biggest and most shocking upset of this past weekend filled with upsets. The Bears, who have been one of the worst teams in the league these last few years - knocked off the Steelers, who have been one of the best teams these last few years. Chicago had a sizable 17-7 lead, until Pittsburgh started mounting a comeback. At that point, surely, many people probably were like me, figuring that the Steelers had gotten off to a bad start and flirted with a letdown loss, but would find a way to get it done when the chips were down. However, the game went into overtime, and it was the Bears, and not the Steelers, who managed to pull off the stunning victory. Chicago's first win and Pittsburgh's first loss. What a game! My pick: Inaccurate
Minnesota 34, Tampa Bay 17 - Okay, I really underestimated the power of Minnesota's home field advantage here. The Vikings have always been tough to beat at home, and expecting the Bucs, a team just trying to get back into the habit of winning, to pull this one off seems, in retrospect, a bit unrealistic. The Vikings won, and did so convincingly. It is part of the growing pains for a young Tampa team, but also a testament to how good Minnesota can be, when they are at their best. A solid win for the Vikings, who may have a shot at the playoffs, or even a division title, if they keep playing this way. My pick: Inaccurate
Tennessee 33, Seattle 27- This one was tough to call. Admittedly, I expected Seattle to win, although that was off the strength of their recent seasons, particularly their two Super Bowl appearances, which were not that long ago. Not sure if this team aged in a hurry, or what exactly happened, but they are nowhere near the same level of team that they were in those salad days. They still can be tough, but they have not played an especially impressive game yet this season. And the Titans, in the meantime, feel very much like an up and coming kind of team, and they earned a solid win here in this one. Home field advantage probably helped. My pick: Inaccurate
Green Bay 27, Cincinnati 24 - Cincy came out ready to play in this one! The Bengals looked primed for a big-time upset at Lambeau. Yet, once again, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers found a way to turn a sure loss into an amazing comeback win. They needed it, too, after being beaten down in Atlanta last week, especially with the Vikings and Lions coming on, and even perhaps the Bears being tougher than most expected them to be. A great win for the Packers, and another demoralizing loss for the Bengals. My pick: Accurate
Kansas City 24, L.A. Chargers 10 - Kansas City remained unbeaten, and are now the only remaining undefeated team in the AFC, and one of only two already in the entire NFL (the Falcons being the other unbeaten team). They won a solid road game, a divisional game, and are now alone atop the AFC West, with both the Broncos and the Raiders dropping their first games. As for the Chargers, yet another loss in what is a growing list of disappointments and heartbreaks, as the move to Los Angeles continues to be rocky. I ever heard that they are rethinking the move, and that there are whispers of relocating back to San Diego. What a mess for the Chargers! My pick: Accurate
Washington 27, Oakland 10 - I fell asleep well before this game was over after getting home later than expected from the beach. When I tuned in, Washington was up, 21-0, and the defense was pounding Oakland's normally potent offense. But they did not look especially good or dangerous in this game. Carr showed visibly his frustrations numerous times, and the gameplan that Washington put in place, and executed nearly to perfection, exposed some weaknesses for the Raiders. My pick: Inaccurate
Dallas 28, Arizona 17 - Dallas looked very good, once again. Recovering nicely from that disappointing loss last weekend, the 'Boys looked much like they did last year - powerful offensive line and running game, and a stifling defense when needed. The Cardinals - a team that was not far from Super Bowl contention two years ago, but who has looked decidedly mediocre ever since - once again looked like a struggling team. Home field advantage was not decisive for them. Dallas managed to hang onto a tough lead, and even expanded it when the opportunity presented itself, revealing a killer instinct that might be a sign of what they are capable of. Very solid win for Dallas, another setback for Arizona. My pick: Forgot to Make One!
Dallas 28, Arizona 17 - Dallas looked very good, once again. Recovering nicely from that disappointing loss last weekend, the 'Boys looked much like they did last year - powerful offensive line and running game, and a stifling defense when needed. The Cardinals - a team that was not far from Super Bowl contention two years ago, but who has looked decidedly mediocre ever since - once again looked like a struggling team. Home field advantage was not decisive for them. Dallas managed to hang onto a tough lead, and even expanded it when the opportunity presented itself, revealing a killer instinct that might be a sign of what they are capable of. Very solid win for Dallas, another setback for Arizona. My pick: Forgot to Make One!
No comments:
Post a Comment