Can anyone figure out this league?
The Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs are undefeated while the Washington Redskins, Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants are off to a combined 0-9 start.
The San Francisco 49ers have been outscored 56-10 over the last two weeks and the New Orleans Saints have looked unstoppable on defence.
Just like we all thought, right?
Here are our 10 biggest takeaways from another unpredictable Sunday of NFL action:
Aldon Smith takes the field
When the Seattle Seahawks were getting hit with PED penalties earlier in the off-season, Jim Harbaugh famously quoted legendary Michigan coach Bo Schembechler and said he wants his team to be “above reproach.” Well, Jim, was it above reproach to play Aldon Smith just days after picking up his second DUI charge? What kind of message did that send to the team? Under the CBA, the 49ers couldn’t have technically suspended Smith but it was hypocritical and inexcusable to give Smith a free pass and let him play Sunday. If he needed help, why not help him right away? Worst of all, the 49ers didn’t even pick up a win and may be without Smith, Patrick Willis and Vernon Davis on Thursday night. This is the first real adversity of the Harbaugh era.
What happened to the dominant NFC?
In a year where the balance of power was supposed to shift, the AFC has proved doubters wrong and owned the NFC to start the season. AFC teams went 6-2 over NFC teams in Week 3 and now boast an 11-3 record on the season. The NFC was expected to be a far superior conference, but only five NFC teams currently have winning records and just one of those five—Seattle—made the post-season last year. It remains to be seen if this trend will continue, but it’s easily been the biggest surprise of the first three weeks.
So much for the Browns tanking
Wasn’t the Trent Richardson trade supposed to signal the end of the Browns season? Guess not. The Browns went on the road and beat a playoff team from 2012 with their third-string quarterback. Brian Hoyer provided the necessary spark for an anemic offence, and Cleveland even converted on a fake punt and fake field goal. Many around the NFL were shocked with the Browns come-from-behind victory, including the daughter of Adrian Peterson, who had some choice words for her father after the loss.
Where did those Colts come from?
Chuck Pagano finally saw the team he has been trying to build in Indianapolis. The Colts physically dominated San Francisco on both lines and kept Colin Kaepernick in check throughout their impressive road win. Thus far under Pagano, the Colts have been successful because of the heroics of Andrew Luck but Sunday we finally witnessed the all-around game the coach has been building towards since he arrived last season. This looked more like Luck’s Stanford team than the lousy Colts that hadn’t been able to stop the run or protect the passer in the first two weeks.
Will Greg Schiano survive the season?
Jacksonville aside, has there been a more underwhelming team than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? On paper, Tampa Bay looked primed to be a playoff contender this season but so far they haven’t been able to get out of their own way. Josh Freeman has been horrible but the majority of the blame needs to be directed at head coach Greg Schiano. His conservative play calling already cost Tampa Bay a key divisional victory in Week 2 and it appears that his players are starting to tune him out. It’s a mystery why they’re using so much zone coverage when they just paid a huge price to acquire lockdown corner Darrelle Revis. Schiano’s poor leadership has been a major reason why the Bucs are off to a 0-3 start. He may not survive the season if this keeps up.
EJ Manuel crashes back to earth
Some thought the comeback victory over Carolina would be the start of special in Buffalo but the Bills looked like the same old Bills against the Jets. Last week’s hero, EJ Manuel, looked uncomfortable in New York and struggled with accuracy and decision making in the loss. He only completed 19 of 42 passes for an average of just 5.2 yards per play. We know the Bills are bringing Manuel along slowly but they need to dial up more high-percentage passes and stop relying on deep balls. It’s not the best formula for a rookie quarterback on the road. He made too many mental mistakes and it was a tough one to watch.
Dallas needs to ride DeMarco Murray
Everyone’s aware of Tony Romo’s history of blunders, so it was no surprise to see the Cowboys ride DeMarco Murray in Sunday’s victory. The Cowboys made Bill Callahan the primary play caller this off-season so Dallas could become more of a running team and Sunday was the first evidence that their plan may have serious upside. Murray ran wild over St. Louis, going for 175 yards and a touchdown just two years after setting a franchise rushing record against the Rams as a rookie. A consistent running game would do a world of good for the Cowboys, who now look like the obvious favourites in the dreadful NFC East. They need to continue to stick with this balanced attack and not rely on Romo to carry the load.
Marc Trestman’s impact on Jay Cutler
In my pre-season predictions for sportsnet.ca, I chose Marc Trestman as the coach of the year and his impact can’t be understated through the first three weeks. Trestman has made Jay Cutler significantly more comfortable in the pocket as the Bears quarterback is on pace for career-highs in completion percentage and touchdowns and most importantly, a career-low in sacks. The former Als coach has done wonders with quarterbacks throughout his career and the undefeated Bears and Cutler are already reaping the dividends.
Jake Locker’s arrival
Jake Locker’s pro career has been erratic at his best—but the third-year pivot finally had his coming out party. The Titans needed the huge step forward they got from Locker, who threw for 299 yards and led a game-winning 94-yard drive in the final minute against the Chargers. Locker has always shown he can get it done with his legs but his last-second touchdown pass to Justin Hunter offered a glimpse of the enormous potential he showed at the University of Washington. If Locker can build off this kind of performance, the Titans could be a surprise playoff contender in the AFC South.
Is it time for the Vikings to start Matt Cassel?
I never thought I’d be saying this but it’s time for the Vikings to make a quarterback switch and make Matt Cassel the starter. The fans in Minnesota were chanting for Cassel on Sunday because of how poor Ponder has looked in their three-game losing skid. It’s become apparent that Ponder isn’t the franchise guy that GM Rick Spielman thought he could be and it’s worth seeing what Cassel can do with this offence. Ponder isn’t the only issue (offensive line, secondary, etc.) but he’s proven to be incapable of leading a team without a dominant effort from Adrian Peterson on the ground. If you can’t beat Cleveland at home, who are you going to beat? The Vikings must find a new quarterback after the season—but in the short term, it’s worth seeing what you have in the backup.
