What a difference two weeks of regular season NFL games makes.
[adinserter block=”2″]The New York Giants cannot play defense in two losses to Dallas and Atlanta. The Cowboys lose Dez Bryant and Tony Romo in consecutive weeks – and they still win. The Philadelphia Eagles look like world beaters in preseason, and look like beaten eggs in two losses to start the season. And if that isn’t enough, the Washington Redskins are trying to make it work with Kirk Cousins behind center, Jay Gruden calling the shots and Robert Griffin III pouting on the sidelines.
And this is just the drama coming out of the NFC East, or in this case, the NFC Least.
Who would have thought the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback, Blake Bortles, would at one point on Sunday have more yards rushing than DeMarco Murray. It’s a strange, strange world we are all living in and while all of this is happening, Tom Brady is laughing all the way, making this season his own personal way of silencing critics and claiming another Super Bowl title.
For those reasons alone, the NFL has never been more exciting. And it should get better now that we have all settled in to see why a 0-2 Seattle team is still a threat to make the playoffs and a 0-2 New Orleans Saints team could signal the last year Sean Payton roams the sidelines in The Big Easy.
Here are some general thoughts on what has taken place so far.
Jimmy Graham must have lost his way now that he is in Seattle. The former All-Pro tight end has been blocking more than he did as a member of the Saints, so his stat line isn’t what we are used to. Fans have even taken out an advertisement, looking for his lost production.
The Brandon Weeden Era in Dallas begins this week. I don’t expect it to last and could we see an RGIII move from Washington to Big D? It’s very possible, but I am more intrigued in the chance, although slight, that Jerry Jones might take a look at Tim Tebow.
Peyton Manning is certainly not the player he was, and this could be the final season we see No. 18 in uniform – anywhere. The Broncos offense looked like a shadow of itself. Look for Manning to throw for 4,000 yards again, but he will look more like a veteran of failing skill than strong triumph.
If anyone noticed, the Atlanta Falcons are 2-0 on the young season and rookie Dan Quinn looks like he was the best choice of the new coaching hires so far. The NFC South appears to be in flux with change. The Falcons have had two poor seasons, but that all looks like it is about to change.
[adinserter block=”2″]Aaron Rodgers continues to light it up and prove he is the best quarterback in the NFL. One of my friends called him a maestro for how he orchestrates the Packers offense. I love watching Rodgers in the pocket and then moving in motion. Makes you forget he waited his time before Brett Favre.
Johnny Manziel actually looked solid against Tennessee. Does this mean Johnny Football is alive and well in Cleveland? Why don’t we wait until next week to decide if the improvement is real or a mirage?
The NFL is made up of teams that are all .500. Some ascend to be 12-4, others fall to 4-12. If we learned anything the past two weeks what we saw before the start of the season is not necessarily what happens once the season starts.
Those are just a few thoughts. I’m sure we can come up with a few more next week.
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