Week 4 Wrap Up: Parity is Dead

By Brett | Permalink | No Comments | October 2nd, 2006 | Trackback

We’re starting to notice something different about the NFL this year: we’re not hearing many commentators break off the traditional “Any Given Sunday” platitudes as much as in recent years, and we think it’s because the NFL is once again becoming three-tiered league.

There’s the handful of teams –six, maybe eight– that have a real shot of winning the Super Bowl, another 12 to 16 that might make the playoffs but won’t be a factor if they do, and then a bunch of lackluster, suck-ass teams that no one should ever be forced to watch. Cleveland vs. Oakland? Please. What a awful, awful game. Well, at least those poor saps that blew a high pick in their fantasy draft on guys LaMont Jordan and Ruben Droughns (we know a guy that took Droughns at #11…unfortunately, we’re not making that up) got at least one week of love.

Other Week 4 ramblings, in no particular order:

• Because the Bears are one of three 4-0 teams, and just placed a beatdown of mammoth proportions on the reigning NFC Champs on national TV, we’re not going to feel like homers for talking about them first. We observed pretty much the same thing that everyone did last night: the Bears defense is flat-out nasty. If Tommie Harris continues to play all season the way he has through 4 games, he’ll be considered the best defensive tackle in league. The guy is just unblockable at times.
• What can you say about the Pats? Those crotchety bastards up there in New England just keep finding new ways to win. This marked the beginning of the new power running era for the Pats.
• Cincinnati, on the other, will look back at the end of this season and see this game as the week in which wheels fell off of a season in which they realistically should’ve competed for the AFC Championship. This team has just had too many off the field incidents and too many injuries to stay competitive. They’re still probably good enough to get to the playoffs, but we’d be surprised if they win a game in January.
• Baltimore is 4-0, and the talking heads are gushing about Steve McNair. Our take? The guy really hasn’t looked that good, and great defense is still winning games for Baltimore. This is a good team….but not that good.
• You gotta hand it to the Raiders….they almost managed to fuck up their bid for a 0-16 season.
• Props to the Jets for almost pulling out a great win against the Colts. But everyone in the stadium knew they were dead in the water after the kick return that made it 28-24.
• New rule: No one is allowed to declare the Lions the ’sleeper pick to win the NFC North’ ever again. Every offseason, everyone gets excited about Detroit’s chances. Every year, they inevitably suck ass. We really thought their defense would be at least respectably mediocre this year. Silly us.
• The Saints, although outmatched by a hungry Carolina team, look like they’re coming to play every Sunday. They won’t be an easy out for anyone. I can’t help but think that they’re throwing a little too much at Reggie Bush, though, right off the bat. Bush looks a little hesitant, and our theory is that it’s because the Saints coaching staff may be asking him to line up in too many different positions, instead of just letting him be a running back and hand him the rock 7-10 times in a quarter. They’re not letting him get into any sort of flow.
• Yes, LJ went for over 100 and 2 TDs. But he had 30 carries, and the Chiefs were playing the 49ers. It’s looking like a long year in KC, where yards are going to be tough to come by. KC fans should enjoy the 41-0 ass-scrubbing that their boys just gays the 9ers….those type of games are going to be few and far between
• Who would’ve thought that Minnesota would become that team that has a stout defense, but can’t ever score enough points to win?
• Man, what a frustrating game for Jacksonville. The offense finally decides to show up, but the D gives up 36. Looks like Al Saunders is starting to figure it out a little in Washington.

That’s all we got for now. Back w/ the MNF liveblog in a couple hours.

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