As I teased yesterday, we're three weeks into the NFL season now and we're getting a good sense of where every team is at and what kind of record we can expect....and much like every season, there are plenty of surprises....some of the good variety and of course, some bad....I present my Top 8 stories so far:
8) New Orleans Saints
We all knew after last year that the offense was going to be exciting and high-powered....Drew Brees has too many weapons at his disposal not to be successful, but the biggest problem was always their defense....this year, the defense has come through when necessary to allow them to start 3-0....
7) Denver Broncos
It was all doom and gloom predictions after the Jay Cutler trade with Chicago....no one expected much with Kyle Orton at the helm....but at the rate the Denver defense is going, Orton won't have to do much to win ball games....the Broncos are 3-0 and have only given up 16 points in the first 3 games, but is it fools gold? The first 3 opponents were Cincy, Cleveland and Oakland...
6) Arizona Cardinals
Much like we see in other sports, the team that ends up losing the championship game or series tends to have problems the following year and Arizona is joining the majority....their big weakness last year was their lack of a running game and yet, it's gotten worse this year....They only average 61 yards rushing a game, good for worst in the league!
5) Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals are 2-1 and their only loss is to the 3-0 Denver Broncos....oh yeah, their two wins this year are against Green Bay and the defending Super Bowl champs in the Steelers....the team may have the most improved defense in the league after acquiring safety Roy Williams from Dallas and choosing USC standout Rey Maualuga at the LB position...
4) Miami Dolphins
Everyone expected there to be a drop-off after such a terrific season a year ago.....the thought was that teams would be ready to take on the Dolphins instead of looking at them as a pushover and that the Wildcat wouldn't be as successful....Well, the pundits were right, but no one could have expected them to be this bad!
3) Pittsburgh Steelers
We all know the Steelers are known for defense, but unlike the championship seasons, the Steelers have managed to give away both of their losses in the fourth quarter, including an improbable loss to the Bengals last week....defending champs or not, you cannot play only 45-50 minutes and expect to win....
2) New York Jets
Much of the credit for their 3-0 start has been given to the NFL's newest GQ boy in Mark Sanchez, but just look a little closer and you can see that Rex Ryan had turned this defense from mediocre into a force....the addition of Bart Scott from Baltimore has been huge and Darrelle Revis has become the best cornerback in all of football....you just haven't heard of him yet....
1) Tennessee Titans
All the pundits suggested that the loss of Albert Haynesworth to Washington via free agency was not going to affect the team as regular folk might have suggested, but score one for the regular folk....last season, the Titans gave up less than 15 points a game....through three games this year, the Titans are giving up almost 10 points more....could they possibly miss the playoffs?
Alright, I've already decided tomorrow to talk about the Raptors as they start their camp here at Carleton University.....I'm starting to hear the Canadian media propaganda already and I just want to get it out there that this team is NOT going to be good as the media will suggest to you....until tomorrow!