After Four Weeks, What Do We Know About The NFL?
by Justin Carter
First things first– this is not a post about the domestic violence crisis in the NFL. I’m working on a longer essay right now about that & I want to leave those thoughts for that space, but I will say this– ROGER GOODELL SHOULD RESIGN & THE NFL NEEDS TO GET MORE SERIOUS ABOUT FIXING ITS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ISSUES.
Okay, moving on– four weeks are done. Every team has played at least three games (WHY IS WEEK FOUR A BYE WEEK? Theory: the NFL gave its best teams (Seattle & Denver) an early bye because it wants them to wear out later in the season. PARITY). What things do we know?
Dallas is shockingly decent.
Cowboy hater here, but with the Texans coming to Arlington this week (& with me being a new resident of the DFW area), I have to begrudgingly admit that Dallas isn’t terrible. Did they almost lose to the Rams? Yeah, yeah they did– but DeMarco Murray looks really, really good & that defense, expected to be the worst in the NFL, is– capable. Sure, the Saints have been bad on the road lately, but shutting New Orleans down in the first half & only giving up 17 in the game is impressive. Then again, their other good defensive performance was against the Titans, so—
The Titans are bad.
Blown out the past two weeks by the Colts &–
Cincinnati is somehow surviving.
— a Bengals team that is missing one of its top receivers, has its top TE missing, Andy Dalton at QB, & o yeah– LOST ITS OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIVE COORDINATORS. Lol, what? I can’t explain the Bengals success.
Speaking of those coordinators.
Mike Zimmer has the Vikings at 2-2, with the Adrian Peterson scandal swirling around (PPL, DO NOT HIT YOUR KIDS WITH TREE BRANCHES). Matt Asiata had three touchdowns yesterday ON MY FANTASY BENCH & Teddy Bridgewater looks good (& makes me mad that the Vikings snatched him one spot before Houston could).
Meanwhile, Jay Gruden is coaching a Washington team that is 1-3, lost its starting QB to an injury, & just got embarrassed by the Giants. Thing we know: Washington is not going to be competitive in the NFC East this year. Too inconsistent.
The Eagles offense will bounce back.
HORRIBLE game for Philly last night. Lesean McCoy is failing hard behind a bad offensive line, but Chip Kelly is Chip Kelly. Eagles offense will get it going.
Houston– o, Houston.
Ryan Fitzpatrick is a roller coaster & I don’t know when the track is going to break off in front of the car, but it is going to happen. Five INTs in the last two games after not throwing any the first two weeks. He’s doing JUST enough to get Houston to 3-1, but do I trust him in the shootout that this Dallas game is going to become? Nope. Do I trust Ryan Mallet? Probably not. Do I trust JJ Watt to go ahead & score more touchdowns somehow? Probably, yeah. Watt is the best defensive player in football & I am stoked that he has a pair of TDs this year. Bill O’Brien!!!!!!
Other random thoughts of mine, in list form.
- The Jets need to stick with Geno Smith. He’s young & he still has a chance. The Jets do NOT have a chance, even with Vick starting, of winning a Super Bowl. I love Vick (as a player) & he’s the better QB, but leave Geno in (unless he keeps cussing out the fans? But whatever, DO WHAT YOU WANT).
- Blake Bortles is not the bust I expected.
- Vincent Jackson– Fantasy team killer.
- SERIOUSLY SOMEONE TRADE ME A RUNNING BACK FOR VINCENT JACKSON. He’s going to get more productive with Mike Glennon at QB, right? TDs in consecutive games!
- Mike Glennon is the only starting QB that I can’t name off the top of my head. Someone says “who starts for Tampa” & I am like “UMM SOME GUY!”
- Arizona has to be a fluke, right?
- New Orleans has to be a fluke, right?
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I’m really worried New Orleans isn’t a fluke. The offensive struggles may be a little fluky, but that defense…. well, they are eleven humans on a football field. That’s about all you can say for them.