NFL Week Four Thoughts

Still a few teams out there throwing me for a loss, though I think I'm getting a better handle on some of them.  Nothing too out of the ordinary, though I do have some complaints.

New York Jets def. Buffalo Bills


Was anybody really surprised by this one?

Cleveland Browns def. Cincinnati Bengals

This one surprised me, you can't even really blame it on turnovers, though the Bengals had two fumbles.  Games like this and the week one loss make me wonder about how long a coach like Marvin Lewis might last.

Baltimore Ravens def. Pittsburgh Steelers

And the AFC North continues to surprise.  Still, the Ravens have alleviated any fears their fans had about them stumbling in a year with high expectations.

Denver Broncos def. Tennessee Titans

Some late Kyle Orton magic finally turns a close one in my favor.  Who is that Kyle Orton we saw on Sunday, by the way, and where was he during 2005-08?  I'm still not sold on him being as good as some are saying, though, I'm going to need to see him play this way a full season before I get on his bandwagon.
Green Bay Packers def. Detroit Lions

I would've gladly taken a loss in pickems to see the Lions beat the Pack at Lambeau.  Still, I think the game says more about the Packers than it does about the Lions.  Everyone was raving about them going into the season, but they still seem to have the weaknesses that plagued the team in Arizona during last year's playoffs.

Atlanta Falcons def. San Francisco 49ers

Another close one in my favor, though this game perplexed even me.  Who are this year's Niners, and will they ever win a close one?  When all these losses are coming by close margins the focus naturally shifts tot eh coach.  The Falcons could end up making this type of win the theme of the season.

New Orleans Saints def. Carolina Panthers

The Saints are another team making close wins their forté.  I would've thought they'd be more dominant against a weak division rival, but their defense did play well nonetheless.
St. Louis Rams def. Seattle Seahawks

The Hawks are hot one day, cold the next.  What happened to rookie Earl Thomas in the span of one week?  The Hawks will get better with the addition of Lynch, but their up and down nature makes me think they won't contend down the stretch in Carrol's first season.  Who knows in the West, though?  On the flip side, rookie Sam Bradford is still looking like the best QB to come off the board at number one in a long while.
Jacksonville Jaguars def. Indianapolis Colts
The Colts aren't looking like the clutch team they normally are without all their weapons at receiver.  If they don't get healthy fast they could be looking at another upset next week.  The Jags shouldn't be celebrating just yet, if I were a Jacksonville fan I'd be wondering why they can't play the way they did against the Colts in every game.

Houston Texans def. Oakland Raiders

Bruce Gradkowski outthrew Matt Schaub?  Whoda thunk?  Still, the Raiders have problems and the Texans are on a mission this season.  They'd better not get too comfortable, though, or they could be looking at another January on the sidelines if the Colts decide to make a run.
Washington Redskins def. Philadelphia Eagles

I based my prediction on Vick being healthy, and I stand by it.  I really would have liked to see this game with Vick in the entire time, would've been more interesting.  The Eagles are in trouble as long as he's out.

San Diego Chargers def. Arizona Cardinals

Look who decided to show up and play this week, it's the Dr. Jekyll San Diego Chargers!
New York Giants def. Chicago Bears

I have to give credit to the Giants' pass rushers, but we really should've abandoned the deep drops early on.  Cutler also wasn't finding open targets, and I think the real stars of the night were the Giants' D-backs keeping our receivers covered and allowing their linemen to get pressure.

I have to go on a mini-rant here, after the loss everyone's talking about how bad the Bears were against the run, after four weeks of being first in the league they're suddenly the worst after one bad game.  To me, the Bears defense looked great in that game, you can't ask for more than what they did.  They held the Giants to three points for most of the game, they put pressure on Eli and generated turnovers, and they played the way everyone expects a good defense to play.  They only broke down against the run in the second half, and that can be attributed to being on the field for so long.  The Bears' offense was something like oh for six on third down, they couldn't sustain a drive to save their lives.  You can't ask a defense to stay out there that long and constantly get back on the field and still pitch a shutout, they wear down eventually.  They're still a great defense, and they'll prove it against DeAngelo Williams in Carolina.  Football fans nowadays are deluded by a fantasy-type mindset, all they see are numbers.  You have to go beyond that to understand a game.

New England Patriots def. Miami Dolphins

What happened to the Miami defense?  What happened to the New England defense?  I thought their roles would be flip-flopped, but was I ever wrong.  Some of that can be attributed to bad special teams by the Dolphins, but both defenses this year are making a habit of showing up big in certain games and getting burned in others.