The NFL After 5 Weeks...

So where do we stand after five weeks of NFL action? In no particular order, we have:

- 2 undefeated teams

- 3 or 4 teams doing better than expected; 3-4 teams doing worse than expected

- The NFC East dominating professional football (of course, the roomofzen.com predicted this domination, so everyone who reads this blog is not surprised, right?)

- Off-the-field trouble in Big D, Cincy, St. Louis, and Oakland

- Al Davis looking like a Zombie from Night of the Living Dead

- Two of last year's best teams returning mediocrity (Pats and Indy)

- The Redskins with a legitimate shot to go 7-1

- TO about to combust

- Plaxico Burress acting like a damn fool

- Chad Johnson dating Pacman Jones' cousin

- Tony Gonzalez complaining about his reception record while his team is losing

Although I follow the NFC East rather closely, I do take notes on the rest of the NFL. Here are some of my notes after five weeks of action:

1) Big Ben is really showing some toughness this year. I know that sounds Madden-esque, but the guy has a sprained shoulder and a crappy offensive line. Instead of taking a few games off, Big Ben has played through the injury, led his team to victories, and not complained once. Furthermore, the guy went from being able to complete only five passes in practice to throwing for 300 yards in their victory over Baltimore. You also have to take into account how badly his offensive line has played. Big Ben gets sacked or hit at least five times a game. That makes Big Ben a badass in my mind.

2) I watched a Raven's press conference yesterday and their new coach, Jim Harbough, is awesome. Anyone who gives the media crap like Jim Harbough has my vote.

3) Miami is still not getting the credit they deserve. They beat the Pats and everyone called it an upset. Most commentators blamed it on Brady being injured. Then they beat the Chargers, and ESPN still calls it an upset. When will people realize that this team is legit, especially with Joey Porter anchoring their defense? He is like Zach Thomas in his prime -- aka nasty. They also have Parcells and we all know he's an evil genius.

4) Is there anyone more predictable than TO? Does it surprise you that he’s talking trash about his team despite being thrown at 18 times? It shouldn’t. The guy is a cancer. What a Bassbowl, as Simmons wrote in his column this week.

5) I said it once, and I'll say it again: what was Brad Childress thinking with Tavaris Jackson and now Gus Frerotte? For those of you who follow the NFL in the off-season, you will remember Childress gushing over Jackson during press-conferences. Childress was adamant about how Jackson would start and would be the player of the future for the Vikings. But anyone with half a brain could tell you otherwise. The guy is not very good. So now they have Frerotte and Childress is saying the same crap about “his confidence in Gus." I know they have AP and that takes stress off their passing game, but Gus Frerotte is not very good. In fact, if you like the Vikings, I promise you he’ll disappoint sooner rather than later; it's only a matter of time, Vikings fans. Take it from someone whose watched him over the years: there is a very good reason Gus is a backup and not a starter (until now). He will start losing games for the Vikings, just like he did for the Redskins.

6) The Titans are a huge surprise, but they have Jeff Fisher, so they'll continue to be consistently good like the Steelers were under Cowher. Again, you can’t underestimate the value of consistently good coaching in the NFL, even with teams that look average on paper. I know this is cliché, but no one seems to give their Coach credit for making a very average team play above their ability level.

7) The Redskins & Giants are playing better than expected. I would actually argue they’re the two best teams in football right now. For example, the Giants lose their best receiver, replace him with an average back-up, and still trounce the Seahawks while making the back-up look like Jerry Rice. The Redskins go on the road twice, handily beat division rivals, and then avoid turnovers for five straight weeks. Translation: I can’t wait until these teams play each other again.

8) Speaking of the Giants, what the heck is wrong with Plaxico Burress? First we go through the drama of Plax not getting his contract during the off-season. Then he gets his contract and gets injured. I know that’s not his fault, but soon after getting his contract, he shows up late to work and we find out that he’s been fined fifty times (!) by the Giants for breaking the rules. Of course you have to ask the question, “why did the Giants give this guy a contract extension?” And of course the answer is, “he is a top-tier, NFL receiver.” But now, according to footballguys.com, we learn about this:

"WR Plaxico Burress (NYG) has apparently been avoiding calls from Khoury Alternative Claims Management, a San Antonio-based third-party administrator trying to catch up with the Giants receiver about some damage he did to a rental car. Burress returned a Suburban on June 2 to Epic Car and Truck Rental in Clifton, N.J., with scratches and dents in the bumper. He paid $996.95 for the rental but owed another $1,759 in damages. Burress dropped the car off after hours and never informed anyone of the damages."

Anyone care to explain this behavior to me? Nick?

9) I know everyone in the media is writing off the Pats, but similar to the Titans, the Patriots will still benefit from world-class coaching. I know this is stating the obvious, but even without Brady, Bill Belichek will make this team competitive week after week. Then again, if they keep losing to the likes of the Dolphins, that theory may have to be modified. Maybe Tom Brady was the next incarnation of Joe Montana? Either way, I still hate the Pats and I'm glad they're back to average...where they belong!

Foil in the Oven: Week 5 Picks

How can I possibly show my face here again after last week's picks. I stand by my reasoning, as it has served me well in other weeks, and I will continue to pick games the way I always have. There's no way anybody could have predicted what went down in Week 4. Overall, it will probably be remembered more as a crazy college football weekend that marked the true beginning of the Rich Rodriguez and Houston Nutt eras. But, things were equally as crazy in the NFL. I got it wrong on many counts. Here's my shot at redemption....

Giants over Seahawks: It makes me really uncomfortable to see the Giants currently sitting atop the power rankings. Don't get me wrong, I think they're very good. And, as a Giants fan, I'm happy to see them finally getting the respect that they were denied in the offseason. But, I don't really feel like they've earned it yet. Two of their three wins have been against bottom feeders, the Bengals took them to overtime, and they didn't even play last week. I do have high hopes for this team, and I think the Bengals will give a lot of teams trouble on their way to 0-16. I just think the Giants have a lot more to prove. That being said, they're a lock to beat Seattle at home on Sunday.


Chargers over Dolphins: 2007 aside, the Dolphins split with the Patriots every year. That was a nice win for them in week 3, but we can't read too much into it. They can't throw the ball at all and their running game has been inconsistent. I think the Bolts win this one easily.


Panthers over Chiefs: The Chiefs finally showed some signs of life last week, making me look foolish for picking so definitively against them. I was particularly impressed with the play of Derrick Johnson. But, I'm still not convinced that they're anywhere near even being considered a middle of the road team.

Redskins over Eagles: I love what the Redskins are doing. They've looked great for the past three weeks. This game is really a draw for me. But, with Brian Westbrook's status still uncertain, I have to lean towards Washington.

Colts over Texans: Both of these teams have been extremely disappointing thus far. Fresh off their bye week, I expect the Colts to start turning things around.

Bears over Lions: One thing I took away from Chicago's Sunday night victory is that Kyle Orton isn't as bad as people think. He's not a game changer, but he's an accurate passer and he can move the chains. Watching him made me realize that I may haven't been giving this Bears' offense enough credit.


Packers over Falcons: Despite this lopsided loss, I'm sure Matt Ryan will always remember his first time playing at Lambeau Field.


Titans over Ravens: This should be a great game. I'd love to pick Baltimore, but I can't. The Ravens won't be able to run against the NFL's best defensive front. Joe Flacco has looked good, but I don't think he's ready to shoulder the load in this one.


Broncos over Buccaneers: I've never been the biggest Mike Shanahan fan. In the post-Clinton Portis era, he's always killed me in fantasy by refusing to indicate where he's leaning in terms of running backs. And, he's never really seemed to have any personality. But this press conference, in which he stated that Al Davis must like Lane Kiffin more than him, was awesome. Anybody who publicly mocks Al Davis is ok by me.


Cowboys over Bengals: I'm an Ocho Cinco fan, so I just need to acknowledge something here. People have been criticizing him for his poor play, and blaming his lack of production on his antics. Remember that he tore his labrum right before the season started. That injury, not his antics or namechange or anything else, is really what's affecting his play. This week, Chad told reporters in Dallas that he'd like nothing more than to team up with TO in Dallas. I think this would be great for the NFL and for me, as it would turn the Cowboys into even more of a circus. And, Jerry Jones might just be crazy enough to do it.

Note: Chad also said he would score, and then kiss the star in Dallas to show his respect for the Cowboys organization. He may do this, and the Bengals may give the Cowboys all they can handle (but I doubt it.....Dallas is too strong up front), but they won't win. They won't win next week either, or the week after that. I don't know why I'm so certain they will be 0-16. They just have that feel to them.


Bills over Cardinals: Last week I acknowledged that I thought the Cardinals might lose because they were on the East Coast, but that I was still picking them despite this reasoning. Obviously that was a mistake. So, maybe I should pick them this week since they are back in Arizona. But, I think the Bills are good enough to win on the West Coast. And, I think the loss of Anquan Boldin this week is too significant for the Cards to overcome.


49ers over Patriots: The Niners are at home, and I think Frank Gore will have a big day against this New England defense. Eventually I'll stop picking San Francisco to win every week. It hardly seems like an effective strategy. But, I like them over the Pats here.


Jaguars over Steelers: With the Steelers ground game being reduced to what it is, I can't pick them this week. A team that pass protects as poorly as Pittsburgh has this year needs to be able to run the ball. This could be a long day for Big Ben. But, look for this one to be close as I still love that Pittsburgh defense.


Saints over Vikings: I drafted Drew Brees early in all my fantasy leagues for a reason. He will tear apart the Vikings secondary to the tune of 400 yards (a number that has become somewhat common for him).




College Pick of the Week:


Wisconsin (+2.5) over Ohio State:

I love the 08 Badgers, and I think they will be out for blood after blowing a comfortable lead in Ann Arbor last week. Wisconsin's defense is the best in the nation at forcing turnovers (5 in one half against Michigan), and that means trouble for the young Terrell Pryor. The Badgers are without question the better team. And, this game is in Madison, which makes it a lock.

'Skins

A part of me will always resent Dan Snyder for the way he's run the Redskins since he bought the team in 1998. I won't bore you with the details, but suffice to say that I have serious issues with an owner who is a cross between George Steinbrenner and Jerry Jones.

Over the past few years, my festering hatred for the owner spilled over to the Redskins. Somehow Synder, through almost ten years of complete idiocy, mismanagement, and raised prices, has poisoned my love for the 'Skins. Gone are the fond memories of Darrel Green, RFK stadium, and those epic Philly beat downs of the 1990s.

But yesterday's win reminded me why I love the Redskins so much and why I can momentarily forget that Dan Snyder owns the Redskins. The Cowboys-Redskins rivalry, for anyone even vaguely familiar with the NFL, is the league's best rivalry. And yesterday's game was unbelievably awesome even if you hated both teams. Let's consider some facts about this game:

- The Redskins just beat the best team in the NFL, on the road, with a rookie coach. The rookie coach was also calling plays, a task he's never done before this season. Yes, Coach Zorn is an early favorite for Coach of the Year. And yes, we will move up in the power rankings because of this victory. I'm beginning to like the Jim Zorn era here in DC; very auspicious start.

- Assuming they don't meet again in the playoffs, this was the last Cowboys-Redskins match-up in Dallas stadium. I can't think of a better way to close down a stadium.

- The Eagles lost last night, the Cowboys beat the Eagles, and now we might face the Eagles next week without Brian Westbrook. Assuming we beat the Eagles, we'll have a shot at first place in the NFC East. That is, unless the Giants keep on winning.

- This was Coach Zorn's first road win and first win against Dallas. According to Fox, you have to go all the way back to 1971 to find a Redskins' head coach who beat the Cowboys on his first try. That includes George Allen and Joe Gibbs...decent company, I would say.

- The Redskins didn't sneak a victory past Dallas. They shutdown Owens for a half, shutdown Marion Barber, and managed to keep a lid on Jason Witten. On offense, despite poor pass protection, the Redskins moved the ball with consistency and found a way to convert in the red zone. (Red zone conversion and consistent ball movement were offensive features nonexistent under Gibbs 2.0) If we maintain this type of momentum, I see at least 9 wins in our future, if not more.

- My new favorite player, Chris Horton, had another amazing game. Horton is a rookie from UCLA and he went to De La Salle High School in New Orleans. He's already been the NFC's Defensive Player of the Week and thanks to his huge interception yesterday, the Redskins kept a lid on the Cowboys' offense down the stretch. I see a bright future for this guy. (And what's amazing is that Horton doesn't even start on the Redskins secondary. That should tell you a lot about our depth right now, assuming Springs stays healthy)

In summary, the win was an excellent moment for Coach Zorn and an excellent moment for a franchise embroiled in the Snyder quagmire. I know it's just Week 5, but if we beat the Eagles next week and the Giants lose, then the OFFICIAL Redskins bandwagon might have to make an appearance.