Sorts of Sports

NFL Roundup

Editor's Note: E-Rep is back. Take your time with this one.

I’m sure by now you’ve all noticed it. We’ve played through 13 weeks of NFL games; surely enough of a sample size to realize this disturbing trend has hit every team in the league. Where have all the dominant defenses gone?

If you go by the numbers, the San Diego Chargers had the league’s best defense heading into Week 13. The Oakland Raiders marched into Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego and rushed for over 250 yards on the “best” defense in the league. You want to make a case for the Pittsburgh Steelers? I say look what Tom Brady and the Patriots did to them a few weeks ago in their own place. The New York Jets? Please, did you watch Monday night’s game?

In this crazy 2010 NFL season -more so than any other season I can ever remember- there does not seem to be a team with a truly dominant defense. You can look and find holes and weaknesses in almost every unit in the league. In 2010, defense will not win you a championship. What about the Baltimore Ravens? Do you remember a few weeks back when the Buffalo Bills moved up and down the field with ease on them and actually sent the game into overtime? 2010 may mark the season in which offenses took a huge step forward and defenses took a huge step backward.

Don’t you think it’s ironic that the team with the 32^nd ranked defense (DEAD LAST!) is the best team in the NFL? The New England Patriots hold the distinction of ranking dead last in almost all defensive categories and also boast the league’s youngest defensive unit. You wouldn’t know it if you watched Monday night’s game against the Jets. They held Mark Sanchez and his offense to 3 points. That’s right…3 points! This is just further proof that Bill Belichik is an amazing coach.

In 2010, numbers don’t matter. If you don’t have an offense that can move the ball up and down the field at will, then you’re not going anywhere. Although it’s been a down year for defenses, I still have faith in the Chicago Bears and New York Giants. The Bears have impressed me all season long and I think a rejuvenated Brian Urlacher and the addition of Julius Peppers have a lot to do with it. They will face their stiffest test this Sunday against Brady and the Patriots.

The Giants are a few healthy players away from having a similar defense to the one they had in 2007. They terrorized Donovan McNabb this past Sunday and ended his 4 game win streak against them. The Giants also figured out a way to contain Michael Vick the first time they played, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they do it again in the rematch and come away with a victory. Things always change in the playoffs and it’s going to be a matter of which of the top teams defenses decides to stiffen up, bear down, and play with some dominance.

Parity reigns supreme

In the past decade, parity has become a common thing in the NFL. With athletes becoming bigger, faster, smarter, and stronger it was only a matter of time before the playing field was leveled between the traditional powerhouses and doormats of the league. Coaching, schemes, and preparation has also become so sophisticated that it’s almost impossible for teams to gain a real advantage on their opponent. Sure you will get your blowouts here and there, but games in the NFL have gotten a lot closer in the past decade.

This season, the NFL has taken the parity theory and ramped it up a few notches. In what has become one of the tightly contested seasons in NFL history, no team holds more than a 1 game lead in its division over the 2^nd place team. There is no clear powerhouse or elite team in the NFL this season (although the Patriots and Falcons continue to make strong cases week by week). Whereas last season the Saints got to 13-0, while the Colts made it to 14-0. There was also a much larger pool of bad teams in the NFL last season. In a wild and wacky 2010, a sub-.500 team has a chance to win the putrid NFC West and host a home playoff game. It seems like a lot more teams are stuck right in the middle of the pack this season. In my opinion, it makes for a better product and the games take an added level of meaning every week.

The NFL has done a wonderful job of scheduling division games late in the season. This prevents teams from resting starters in the final weeks and allows the on-field product to be at its best. If you look at the standings right now and the remaining schedules for the top teams, then you will see that we are in for one of the craziest finishes in NFL history. Make sure you have your NFL rulebook handy because the amount of tiebreakers and playoff scenarios in the upcoming weeks will make your head spin. As a smart man once said, “That’s why they play the games.”

Quick Hits

-Are we really supposed to believe that the Colts are finished? Sure they may sit at 6-6 for the first time in the Peyton Manning era…and sure Manning has cost the team wins in the last 3 weeks, but can you ever count #18 out? The Colts finish with 3 division games out of their last 4. Two games against Tennessee and one against the Jags, while also heading out to Oakland for a game against the surprising Raiders. I can see the Colts with a clean sweep in those 4 games. The toughest test will come against the Jaguars, but they get them at home in the dome. Despite the awful play from Manning and the defense, and lack of a running game…I think #18 will prove why he’s the best in the game in these last 4 games.

-So after all the talk, the Jets clearly could not walk the walk. For those of you who followed my articles earlier in the season, you know that I was never a true believer of the Jets. I admitted that if they won this game on Monday night then they would earn the league’s respect and be considered a legit Super Bowl contender. What did they do? They didn’t even show up. A 45-3 shellacking by the hands of Brady and Belichik. It’s impossible to beat that duo twice in one year, but the Jets surely believed they were the team to do it. After a loss like that, how can you even feel like you’re a good team? Even at 9-3 you can’t feel too good about yourself. The Jets have had flimsy wins over the last month against the Broncos, Lions, Browns, and Texans. They could have easily lost all 4 of those games. Rex Ryan better get his boys in check. The team has 2 home games against division rivals Miami and Buffalo, but sandwiched in between those games are visits to Pittsburgh and Chicago. After watching Mark Sanchez perform in the frigid New England weather, can you feel confident as a Jets fan with him leading your team into hostile, cold environments in Pittsburgh and Chicago? The Jets had better get their act together because missing the playoffs is not entirely out of the question when you have the remaining schedule that they do.

-The NFC South race has been one of the most intriguing stories to follow in 2010. The Falcons seem to have firm control at 10-2. Two of their last four games come against the league’s worst team Carolina Panthers. They have a chance to lock up the division in two weeks on Monday night when they play the Saints in New Orleans. You know the Superdome will be rocking for that one and I would not rule out the defending champs winning that game and still even winning the division. Everyone laughed when Raheem Morris said the Bucs were the best team in the NFL, but Morris has gotten the last laugh with his team sitting at 7-5. The Bucs had a shot to gain ground in the South last Sunday, but fell short against the Falcons. The Bucs are young, talented, and headed in the right direction. Even if they don’t make the playoffs this year, the team should be happy with its accomplishments. Quarterback Josh Freeman has led his team on numerous 4^th quarter comebacks this season and he will only get better.

-Perhaps the most boring story has been the NFC West race. In a division where the 49’ers were supposed to run away with the crown, they still have a shot at 4-8. The Seahawks and Rams have been the division’s top teams and both sit at 6-6. The worst thing that could happen to the NFL is if one of these teams wins the division with a sub-.500 record. Let’s hope at least one of them makes it to 8-8. Chris Carmona would love to see the Rams win the division and finally make that Super Bowl run he’s been predicting for the last 4 seasons. The Week 17 game between the Rams and ‘Hawks may determine the division champ, but don’t rule the 49’ers out yet. They finish with 3 division games and a visit to San Diego which seems winnable at this point. Whoever ends up winning the West should consider themselves lucky and be prepared to lose to whoever visits them in the wild card round.

-Breaking News: Brett Favre may miss this Sunday’s game against the Giants! Who the hell am I kidding…no one cares. Unlike Tiger Woods and LeBron James who ruined their legacies quicker than anyone ever has, Favre has slowly ruined his legacy one excruciating week after the next. It started with the dreadful early season play, continued with the Jenn Sterger scandal, and has now continued with the tired act of “Favre is injured, will he play?”. I will not doubt Favre’s toughness, but he should have packed his bags and headed to Mississippi a long time ago. Head coach Leslie Frazier has said that #4 will decide if he will play or not. Of course Favre will decide…Frazier does not want to make the same mistakes his predecessor Brad Childress did. We all know Favre will play. That streak is the only thing he has going for him. On the other hand, it may be smart for Favre to take a seat on the bench and end his streak this week. The New York Giants have sent more QB’s to the DL more times than Wesley Snipes has evaded paying his taxes. If Favre wants to keep his body in one piece then he should strongly consider throwing on a pair of Wranglers, sitting on the bench and watch the Giants defense terrorize Tarvaris Jackson all day.

-I like the job Jason Garrett has done with the Dallas Cowboys thus far. The Cowboys are one Thanksgiving day strip from sitting at 5-7 and being undefeated under Garrett. Dallas still has to play the Eagles twice so they will definitely be looking to play spoiler and will have something to say about who wins the NFC East. I think if Garrett finishes with a winning record he deserves to come back as the head coach next season. The wins have come against quality opponents and the team has actually been playing with pride.

-Isn’t it scary how good Michael Vick has become? Now that he knows how to read a defense, stay in the pocket and make the deep throws on top of his running skills…he has become the most dangerous player in the league. It will be interesting to see if the Eagles decide to hold onto both Vick and Kevin Kolb in 2011. Kolb can easily start on other teams in the NFL, but Vick is not allowing him to see the field. Whatever the case, Andy Reid has found himself in an enviable position. It will be fun to watch what the Eagles do for the rest of the season and if Mike Vick can complete his redemption tour.

Look for my Week 14 picks later in the week…I’m out.