NFL Week 3, 2010

Some of my thoughts on the NFL after week 3. Hopefully I'll be able to do one of these every other week or so.



I'll start off with straight up wins and losses. There are 5 teams with a 0-3 record, the Bills, Browns, Lions, Panthers, and 49ers. Without a doubt the biggest shock here are the 49ers. This was a team that most people had winning the division and getting over that hump and turning into a good team. Their defense, which was suppose to be the strong side of the team, has given up 87 points through 3 games, which is tied for last in the league, with the Bills. While the season is short, it looks like the 49ers season is almost over.

In terms of 3-0 teams, there are 3, the Steelers, Chiefs, and whoever wins the Packers/Bears game tonight (currently half-way through the 3rd quarter). Regardless of who wins the game tonight, the Chiefs are the most surprising team at 3-0. I thought this team would be battling for 3rd/4th in their division, and instead they are up by 2 games, and again, while it's early, the Chiefs look like they could be making a surprise playoff appearance this season.


Division Talk

The most intriguing division so far this season is without a doubt the AFC East. Outside of the Bills of course. The Jets, Dolphins, and Patriots are all 2-1, and as of right now, any of these teams could finish anywhere from 1st to 3rd in the division. For most divisions, even after just week 3, you could come up with a decent projection for who will win that division. But with the AFC East, it's hard to do that. All 3 teams have a different style of football. The Patriots have the top scoring offense, but their defense is terrible. If the offense doesn't score 30 points, they could lose the game. The Jets are the complete opposite, they have a great defense and an average offense. Most weeks if the Jets score 14 points they will win, but the problem will be scoring those points. And with the Dolphins, they aren't awesome at either offense or defense, but they do the little things right, and in football, that's all it takes to win. I can't even guess who will win this division, but I have a feeling that weeks 16 and 17, none of these teams will be resting their starters.


Surprises

Surprising Quarterback: Well, there are 2 candidates for this, but I think it has to go to Michael Vick. Everyone knew he would be doing some wildcat plays this season, but no one saw him starting and doing this good and having all the success that he is having. He is setting career highs in every category. He is on pace to throw for 4,000 yards. His previous career high is just 2,474. He is also on pace for 30 TDs, with his previous high being 20. While no one knows how long this magic will last, it's clear that as of right now, Michael Vick is back, and better than he ever has been.

Surprising Runningback: This one for sure goes to Darren McFadden. While Arian Foster certainly has surprised many, he was doing good at the end of last season, so it isn't all that surprising. McFadden's career high in rushing yards in his young career is 499. He already has 345 rushing yards through 3 games, and is also on pace for a career high in receiving yards.

Surprising Receiver: Well as of week 3, this goes to Brandon Lloyd. He only has 14 catches, but he is 2nd in receiving yards, 2nd in average yards per catch, 1st in catches over 20 yards, 2nd in catches over 40 yards, and 13 of his 14 catches have gone for a 1st down.


Superbowl Predictions

And to end this blog, I'll give 2 teams from each conference that are my Superbowl favorites as of right now. From the AFC, I'm going to have to go with the Colts and Patriots, with the edge going to the Colts. Both have great offenses, but as of right now, the Patriots defense is just too bad to stop other teams. The Patriots have played the 14th, 21st, and 32nd ranked offenses through 3 games, and have given up the 4th most points and 5th most yards. I don't know if that will get it done in the postseason.

And for the NFC, I'm going to have to go with the Eagles and Packers, with the edge going to the Packers. And again, it's because of the defense. The Eagles have an explosive offense, but the defense hasn't been great.