I thought questions were going to be answered, instead there are more than ever. Who are the Chiefs really, are they just playing bad teams or are they as good as their record? Who are the Giants, or Niners, or Texans for that matter? It's turning out to be a crazy season, but I'll just focus on what I can see.
Kansas City Chiefs def. San Francisco 49ers
I thought I had these teams figured out, but I obviously don't. I'm starting to think KC is the real deal, San Francisco did almost get a win over the defending Superbowl champs. Still, I won't get ahead of myself, both teams could sink or swim going forward.
Dallas Cowboys def. Houston Texans
This is another one I didn't see coming. I expected Dallas to come out of their funk sooner or later, but I didn't expect it to be against the red-hot Texans at home. This makes me wary about Houston going forward, the Cowboys exposed their weakness and that is consistent pressure. Still, they did beat Indy and that counts for something. As for Dallas, no need to get excited yet, they have to win in their division before I get back on their bandwagon.
Tennessee Titans def. New York Giants
The biggest surprise for me in this game was how poorly the Giants played. They gave the game away, made bad mistakes, and were just plain sloppy. I have to think that's not going to be the case going forward, but I'll be worried about picking them until I see improvement.
Pittsburgh Steelers def. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Who says you need a franchise quarterback to win games? Batch did have a good performance, though some of his throws did make wince. Still, the Steelers are for real. Tampa also didn't look that bad against the Steelers, and Freeman in particular is coming along nicely.
Minnesota Vikings def. Detroit Lions
I'm a little surprised Minnesota was as successful rushing against Detroit as they were, Detroit's been looking good against the run up until now. Minnesota shouldn't get too excited, though, Shaun Hill passed all over them and they still have problems with their passing game.
Atlanta Falcons def. New Orleans Saints
Another game I did not see coming. The Saints might not be as good as I had initially suspected, I expected them to have an easy time with the Falcons. I especially don't expect the Saints to lose when Drew Brees throws for 365 yards. Still, the Saints look like they might have problems against the run. Atlanta proved it can hang with New Orleans, but I wouldn't crown them Division Champs just yet. Their next meeting should be an interesting one.
Baltimore Ravens def. Cleveland Browns
No surprise, the Ravens are good and the Browns are bad.
New England Patriots def. Buffalo Bills
Again, not much of a surprise. C.J. Spiller proved again just how good he is, but that's not news to anyone. The Bills will be a good team when they finally get a quarterback and a line, but right now they're just bad. The game also makes me think New England might not be all they're cracked up to be.
Cincinnati Bengals def. Carolina Panthers
Cincy's back, and Carolina is looking for a new head coach. The AFC North should be an amazing division to watch when the playoff race gets close, the NFC South not so much.
St. Louis Rams def. Washington Redskins
This game was a surprise, but Sam Bradford is earning his first pick pay more than any other player in recent history. When Steven Jackson gets back on track they should start to at least win a couple games, but because he's out the team coming out of this one looking the best is the Redskins. Donovan can carry that team if they give him just a bit more support in key areas.
Philadelphia Eagles def. Jacksonville Jaguars
I said the Eagles were the weakest team in the NFC East going in to the season, but mostly because they had an unproven quarterback. With Michael Vick behind the wheel this offense is clicking in a big way, and the defense ain't playing bad either. The rest of the division should watch out, that is unless Andy Reid decides to put Kolb back in as the starter.
Seattle Seahawks def. San Diego Chargers
The strange thing about this week, you're seeing a lot of quarterbacks throwing for huge yards and leading the game in passing and still coming out on the losing side. The Seahawks are for real, any team that can beat Phillip Rivers on a 400+ yard day is ready to play. If I were San Diego I'd be slightly worried about my pass defense.
Arizona Cardinals def. Oakland Raiders
I've been let down by kickers a bit more often this week than I'd prefer. I stand with my assessment of both teams, they can both win games but will probably finish around the .500 or lower mark.
Indianapolis Colts def. Denver Broncos
Red zone offense was a problem for Denver, though I was impressed at how they played the run. Impressive game by Indy.
New York Jets def. Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins let me down here, but the Jets played a great game. Anyone who's saying they fell off hasn't been watching them play.
Chicago Bears def. Green Bay Packers
There are only two things that could make saying I told you so better, saying it about one of my upset picks and saying it about a Bears win. I get to say it about both, so it's a pretty good week. The thing I like about the Bears, they find ways to win. In the Dallas game they made adjustments, in the Green Bay game they made the most out of every play. They're getting decent pressure on the quarterback and forcing turnovers, that's a formula for success. And to all the cheeseheads saying the Packers gave the game away, there was no question the Bears won that one. Unlike the New York game, the Packers penalties were caused by the Bears, not by stupid mistakes. Most of them were instances of them holding Peppers, which is just as good as a sack. Peppers may not be racking up the sacks, but he's making an impact.
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