Three Weeks In, and the NFL is a Jumbled Mess
Posted by: mwild in 1-Ready for Editing, 2-Ready for Final Edit, SportsBy Mike Wild, Sports Editor
So, we’ve had three weeks of NFL action, and I am officially confused.//
For starters, are the Jets really undefeated and in first place in the AFC East? The same Jets team that suffered a monumental end of season collapse last year because Brett Favre kept throwing the ball into triple coverage? Yes, the Jets, and their contingent of loathsome, miserable fans, are racking up wins while head coach Rex Ryan is ruffling feathers among the coaching ranks. After their convincing win over the Patriots in week two, the Jets look like the team to beat in the AFC East.//
In the AFC South, the Titans are anything but undefeated. Last year, the Titans surprised everybody when they went 13-3, won the AFC and clinched home field advantage for the playoffs. This season on the other hand, the Titans are 0-3, with losses to Pittsburgh, Houston and the Jets (err. . . Titans of New York). Even more surprising in the AFC South this year is that the Houston Texans are currently not in last place in the AFC South.//
Another big surprise to me is that as of the end of week 3, the Detroit Lions have the same record as the Pittsburgh Steelers. I don’t know what makes me happier. That my friends from Detroit rediscovered what it feels like to be happy on Monday mornings in fall, or that Steelers fans have to learn how I feel every Monday morning during fall. Oh who am I kidding? I love watching the Steelers lose.//
No seriously, I love it so much when the Steelers lose that I think an extra paragraph devoted to the topic is justified. In week two, the Steelers lost to the Bears because Jeff Reed missed two (not one, but two) field goals in the fourth quarter. In week three, the Cincinnati Bengals mounted an incredible fourth quarter touchdown drive. Carson Palmer capped off a 16 play, 71 yard drive when he connected with Andre Caldwell for a 4 yard touchdown pass to take the lead. Adding insult to injury, the Bengals converted for two points, and gave Pittsburgh the ball back with only 14 seconds left on the clock.//
Oh, and I just want to take a moment and applaud Chad Johnson for doing a choreographed Lambeau Leap in week two. It was really funny, even if he planted some Bengals fans in the front row to help him out.//
There is one thing that I am not confused about though. Terrell Owens is officially a bust in Buffalo. I’ve had my popcorn ready for three weeks, and all three of those weeks, the popcorn ended up getting thrown at the TV. According to my highly scientific record keeping of the T.O. experiment, he’s dropped more passes than he’s caught, and I don’t think he’s even gotten to 100 yards receiving for the season. His lone good play of the entire season came against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, when he managed to hold onto a 45 yard pass and score a touchdown. Again, he managed this feat against the worst defense in the league. In week three, up against New Orleans’ secondary, T.O. didn’t do anything. No literally, he didn’t catch a ball. It snapped his streak of 185 games with at least one reception, solidifying my opinion that T.O. is a $6 million distraction.//
Mike is a 3L and can be reached at Forum@Valpo.edu
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