After week on of the NFL season has come to a close, let’s take a look at who was good, who was bad, and who was really bad:
The Good
Dallas Cowboys: Hands down the most talented team in the NFL, and with the addition of Adam Jones they only got better. Though I was not thrilled, they shut down an explosive Browns offense, holding them to a measly ten points. Marion Barber ran all over an improved defensive line (until he left the game) and Tony Romo looked like he was playing against the practice squad. The passing game looked good, though its hard to judge when playing such a poor pass defense. No doubt the team to beat in the NFC, and really the entire NFL.
Tennessee Titans: The offense looked strong against a very physical Jacksonville team, particularly rushing. The defense looked even stronger, putting forth seven sacks of Vinc Young and shutting down the running game, holding them to 31 total yards rushing. Young left the game and is expected to be out two to four weeks, which will obviously hurt. Good thing they got that division win early.
Pittsburgh Steelers: As much as I hate to admit, the black and gold looked very strong as they destroyed a decent Houston Texan team. Big Ben looked dominant, even more so did Willie Parker. The defense looked pretty good overall, holding the Texans to 71 yard rushing, but giving up 202 yard through the air. With Tom Brady sitting on the sideline, this is the team to beat in the AFC.
Philadelphia Eagles: I’m hesitant to say that the Eagles did a great job on Sunday only because they played a team that ESPN recently ranked as the worst in the NFL (and rightfully so). Regardless, they held the Rams to three points and did not give up a single third down conversion (which is impressively good for the Eagles and impressively bad for the Rams). McNabb looked as strong as ever, throwing for 361 yards. Brian Westbrook looked solid as well. This may be the team closest to rivaling the Cowboys.
The Bad
New England Patriots: What’s there to say? The Pats lost Tom Brady and with it any hopes of returning to the Super Bowl. They may still make the playoffs – their defense is solid, Maroni is a solid running back, and really Matt Cassel didn’t do all bad – 13/18 for 152 yards and one touchdown (zero interceptions) is decent, but nowhere near the level that should be expected when the Kansas City Chiefs come to Foxborough. There is hope for the Patriots (largely due to a very weak division), but barely squeaking by the Chiefs at home is not a good start.
St. Louis Rams: The Rams got spanked. Big time. And while it is true that they got spanked by one of the better teams in the NFL, it was by an absurd amount. Only scoring three points isn’t near as pathetic as going 0/11 on third down conversions. At least nobody expected them to be good…
The Ugly
The Detroit Lions: The Detroit Lions should be ashamed of themselves right now. They lost to the Atlanta Falcons. I repeat – the Atlanta Falcons. Rookie Quarterback. New coach. This team was supposed to be as bad as Miami was last year. All this isn’t to downplay the Falcons. They played a ballsy game. The Lions have no excuse though.
Cincinnati Bengals: This team should be so much better than they are. Chad “Ochocinco” is one of the best wide receivers in the league. Carson Palmer is one of the best quarter backs in the league. That combination alone should give them a chance to win more ballgames than they do. This week they lost to the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens were one of the worst teams in the league last year (in fact they were the only team the lowly Dolphins beat). Cincinnati should have been able to pull this one out, but just like in past seasons they are not living up to the talent level they have.
