hardly any surprises this week.
-Jacksonville comes close but still loses to Indy, just like they always do
-Pittsburgh ran into a wall called Cincinnati, who is still missing their best pass rusher Odell Thurman due to off the field problems
-Cleveland knows Baltimore well enough to keep it close, but franchise player Matt Stover wins it for the Ravens
but for my money, here are the top five teams in the league:
1. San Diego. They'll find a way to lose five games this year, but that doesn't mean they aren't better than that. Maybe their defense won't fall apart late in the season
2. Cincinnati. Marvin Lewis has this team believing.
3. Indianapolis. I think their window shut last year, but what do I know? The following, actually: Indy will make it to the AFC championship game and Adam Vinatieri will lose the game for them. Because curses go beyond kickers, they follow teams.
4. Baltimore. They win ugly, and there's always one team on top that wins ugly. They'll be tested come playoffs, but Steve McNair and Derrick Mason look comfy playing as upgrades from the nobodies (sorry Dilfer) who held the job during the Super Bowl year.
5. Atlanta. I wanted to keep this list all AFC so badly, but I couldn't nudge the team for anyone else but ... oh wait, never mind.
The Real 5: Jacksonville. Tough enough, and I don't think that Donavin Darius gets enough credit. One of the holdovers from the expansion team, this guy is their Brian Dawkins. He gets fined 50K for leading with his helmet every year, but its comforting knowing that you can make a jump on a play and your hard hitting safety will cover your ass and get your man on the ground. He missed the entire year last year, an All-Pro, and they still went 12-4. Scary.
5a. OK, I'll give Atlanta some dap. Them running the option with Vick and Dunn is the most entertaining early season anomaly since Dante Hall was leading the league in scoring. And John Abraham is a beast; I shudder to think how well the Jets would be playing without them.
Speaking of which, my top underdog teams that I think can make it:
1. Niners. Just kidding, but there's always hoping (sigh).
2. Jets. Winning games is how you get it done, and just because Herm is gone doesn't mean his legacy won't last through one or two off seasons of free agency.
3.Carolina. The scary thing is that this is exactly where you don't want Carolina: down, pissed at themselves and with a healthy Steve smith. Watch for the Panthers to drop 40 on a 4-12 type team (New Orleans and Cleveland the next two weeks), get their swagger back, get healthy and finish the season 11-5.
Teams that won't win because I think they're cursed (see Portland Trailblazers, Philadelphia Eagles, Sacramento Kings):
1. Colts. Just a hunch, they remind me too much of the Buffalo Bills of the early 90's.
2. Bears. No real scoring threat. They'll melt against playoff defense.
3. Seahawks. No cohesion on the squad, no healthy Shaun Alexander, and I've always thought Matt Hasselbeck is the most overrated player in sports. Deion Branch is nice, but he's the only one that can hold onto the ball in important games. Double him and they get five drops a game.
4. The NFC East. Football's equivalent of the New York Yankees: big payrolls, flashy high profile stars and coaches, a constant playoff presence, and yet they haven't won a Super Bowl in ten years.
-Jacksonville comes close but still loses to Indy, just like they always do
-Pittsburgh ran into a wall called Cincinnati, who is still missing their best pass rusher Odell Thurman due to off the field problems
-Cleveland knows Baltimore well enough to keep it close, but franchise player Matt Stover wins it for the Ravens
but for my money, here are the top five teams in the league:
1. San Diego. They'll find a way to lose five games this year, but that doesn't mean they aren't better than that. Maybe their defense won't fall apart late in the season
2. Cincinnati. Marvin Lewis has this team believing.
3. Indianapolis. I think their window shut last year, but what do I know? The following, actually: Indy will make it to the AFC championship game and Adam Vinatieri will lose the game for them. Because curses go beyond kickers, they follow teams.
4. Baltimore. They win ugly, and there's always one team on top that wins ugly. They'll be tested come playoffs, but Steve McNair and Derrick Mason look comfy playing as upgrades from the nobodies (sorry Dilfer) who held the job during the Super Bowl year.
5. Atlanta. I wanted to keep this list all AFC so badly, but I couldn't nudge the team for anyone else but ... oh wait, never mind.
The Real 5: Jacksonville. Tough enough, and I don't think that Donavin Darius gets enough credit. One of the holdovers from the expansion team, this guy is their Brian Dawkins. He gets fined 50K for leading with his helmet every year, but its comforting knowing that you can make a jump on a play and your hard hitting safety will cover your ass and get your man on the ground. He missed the entire year last year, an All-Pro, and they still went 12-4. Scary.
5a. OK, I'll give Atlanta some dap. Them running the option with Vick and Dunn is the most entertaining early season anomaly since Dante Hall was leading the league in scoring. And John Abraham is a beast; I shudder to think how well the Jets would be playing without them.
Speaking of which, my top underdog teams that I think can make it:
1. Niners. Just kidding, but there's always hoping (sigh).
2. Jets. Winning games is how you get it done, and just because Herm is gone doesn't mean his legacy won't last through one or two off seasons of free agency.
3.Carolina. The scary thing is that this is exactly where you don't want Carolina: down, pissed at themselves and with a healthy Steve smith. Watch for the Panthers to drop 40 on a 4-12 type team (New Orleans and Cleveland the next two weeks), get their swagger back, get healthy and finish the season 11-5.
Teams that won't win because I think they're cursed (see Portland Trailblazers, Philadelphia Eagles, Sacramento Kings):
1. Colts. Just a hunch, they remind me too much of the Buffalo Bills of the early 90's.
2. Bears. No real scoring threat. They'll melt against playoff defense.
3. Seahawks. No cohesion on the squad, no healthy Shaun Alexander, and I've always thought Matt Hasselbeck is the most overrated player in sports. Deion Branch is nice, but he's the only one that can hold onto the ball in important games. Double him and they get five drops a game.
4. The NFC East. Football's equivalent of the New York Yankees: big payrolls, flashy high profile stars and coaches, a constant playoff presence, and yet they haven't won a Super Bowl in ten years.
