After three weeks of play, some NFC teams have emerged while others have been exposed. Here are my thoughts on all of the teams in the Eagles' conference at this early point in the season.
Dallas (3-0) – The Cowboys are the class of the division. Tony Romo is making millions for himself with each completion and each quality performance. He was outstanding in his performance against the Bears. Romo weaved his way through the Chicago pass rush and completed pinpoint passes downfield. I still think he does too much free lancing and I could see him getting his head knocked off by wandering a round in the pocket so much. But right now he’s on his game and leading the Cowboys to the top of the NFC. I would have to say they’re the best right now.
I like the way Marion Barber runs with such an attitude. He runs mean like a middle linebacker. Though the tough running will likely shorten his carrier, I like his style of play. The combination of Julius Jones and Barber give Dallas a great combination. I’d like to see the Eagles get a quality back to work along with Brian Westbrook.
Green Bay (3-0) – Finally somebody is coaching Brett Favre. Their defense is outstanding but until this season, they’ve been letting His Honor Brett throw away games and seasons. Head coach Mike McCarthy finally stepped to Brett called him out for being undisciplined and sloppy with his decision making. Favre is now making good decisions with the football and taking advantage of his opportunities while leading the Pack to a 3-0 record.
That defensive front seven is a beast and among the best in the game. I think they may be the best in the NFC. Middle linebacker Nick Barnett has stepped his game up. He’s always had the athletic ability to be great but it seems his experience has kicked in and allowed him anticipate throws. He seems to get the jump on everything. They probably have the two most athletic starting safeties in the league.
Chicago (1-2) – How bad does Rex Grossman have to play before Lovie Smith benches him? Grossman is one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL and he’s mistake prone. I don’t’ see how Smith can trot him out there again this week. The Cowboys also found a weakness in that Tampa Two when they ran all those trail routes across the middle in the second half. Injuries to playmakers Mike Brown and Lance Briggs had them playing with their hands tied behind their backs against the Cowboys. The Bears still have covered that route. It may force the Bears to play another coverage more often. Lovie had no answer for Terrell Owens on those crossing routes.
Seattle (2-1) – The Seahawks are still one of the better teams in the NFC because they’ve got experience at quarterback and halfback. It’s ironic that this duo cost them a game by messing up an audible at the end of a game. However, Shaun Alexander has a cracked wrist so more of the weight will be shifted over to Matt Hasselbeck. He'll have to step up his game to keep Seattle in the hunt.
Carolina (2-1) – Jake Delhomme has shocked me with his play so far this season. He’s having a great year with a lot of help from Steve Smith. I was expecting him to feel the pressure from having former #1 pick David Carr on the team. He looked awful in the preseason but he’s come to life now that the regular season is here. Now, that Delhomme is banged up, Carr may have to step up and continue to get the ball to Carolina's playmakers. If tailback Deshaun Foster continues to play like he did this past Sunday, Carr should be just fine if he is called upon.
Philadelphia (1-2) – The Eagles got their offense going against the pathetic Detroit Lions defense. Their offensive line finally played up to billing. Westbrook had room to run and McNabb had plenty of time to deliver the football. The game plan which put the receivers in motion and helped them get off the press technique freed up Kevin Curtis and he went wild. Their offense isn’t unstoppable but if they can get L.J. Smith back it will make them even more explosive. The defense still needs to improve against the past. The sooner Lito Sheppard and Brian Dawkins are back, the more we can expect from this unit if they continue to pressure the passer like they did against Detriot.
Tampa Bay (2-1) – Life is good right now for the Bucs. The running game is functioning and Jeff Garcia is doing the job with a high completion rate and no interceptions. Surprisingly the Tampa Bay defense has gained a new life with the new additions. Rookie Gaines Adams and the linebackers have all been playing great. We’ll find out even more about them when they battle the Panthers this Sunday. I don’t think Garcia can get the job done if somebody shuts down their running game. But regardless, they may be a playoff team.
San Francisco (2-1) – This is a very talented young team. They’re not there yet because quarterback, Alex Smith hasn’t developed his game to the level which is going to carry them when Frank Gore isn’t running for big yardage. That defense they have is going to get better and better. Rookie middle linebacker Patrick Willis is every thing the doctor ordered. He’s got the athleticism of a defensive back and he packs a punch.
Arizona (1-2) – Right now Matt Leinart is coming up small in Arizona. Leinart seems to have lost his confidence and I’m sad to say I don’t like what I’m seeing out of him right now. He’s acting like he doesn’t have any heart. Kurt Warner has taken over for Matt and isn’t the kind of guy who will be working against the youngster behind his back. Their talented young receivers haven’t been as reliable when they’ve been challenged. The 49ers outstanding cornerback combo outplayed Fitzgerald and Boldin in week 1. I will give them a pass because they’ve played against some of the best in the business in their first three games. I like their defensive front and strong safety. This has become a physical team which is a major change from past Arizona teams.
New York (1-2) – Eli Manning has been very sharp in the first three games but he’s thrown too many interceptions. Backup running back Ward has stepped in and provided a couple of great performances. But those two have received little support from rest of the offense. They’ve dropped too many balls. On defense, the team showed much improvement over the first two weeks in their game against the Skins on Sunday. They will have to bring their best performance of the season this week if they want to keep the Eagles from lighting up the scoreboard.
Atlanta (1-2) – How bad can things get for the Falcons? Joey Harrington played one of his better games on Sunday yet they still found a way to lose. This franchise will be hurting for a while. Overrated Atlanta cornerback DeAngelo Hall lost his temper on Sunday and gave the game to the Panthers by getting a costly penalty. Hall will have some money taken out of his pocket. Hall has the speed and quickness to be a shut down corner but his technique is wanting. Meanwhile, the running game isn’t what it used to be with the threat of Michael Vick in the mix.
Detroit (2-1) – Jon Kitna is rolling up the yards but he and the pass-happy madman Mike Martz will always struggle because they turn the ball over too much. Martz also doesn’t care about the health of his quarterbacks. He’ll send everybody out in his routes and get the QB killed. I’ve been told that he refuses to allow the QB to dump the ball to his running backs. On the defensive side, the secondary coverage against the Eagles on Sunday was some of the worst I’ve ever seen.
Washington (2-1) – The Redskins have a strong running game, but their passing game with Jason Campbell is hit and miss. Campbell is a young signal caller so this is understandable. They need better performances from Clinton Portis and his backup Ladell Betts to be dominant. The defense has played well but seemed to wear down against the Giants on Sunday. I could see their defensive front wearing down as the season continues.
Minnesota (1-2) – The Vikings are getting by with an outstanding running game and terrific defense. It’s nearly impossible to run the ball against them because of their monster defensive tackles. Their running game is powerful and ferocious but their quarterbacking is just as bad. I don’t’ know what Brad Childress was thinking but he needs to trade for him a decent QB and stop wasting all the team’s talent. Tarvaris Jackson and Brooks Bollinger are not good enough to lead a team to the playoffs.
New Orleans (0-3) – The covers have been pulled off of Drew Brees and we see how he plays without run support. He is a dependent quarterback who isn’t getting the support of the offensive line or the team’s running game. The Saints offensive line is getting their butts kicked and that’s why they can’t run or throw the ball. With Deuce McAllister out they don’t have a power back who can get those tough yards on must run downs like 3rd and one. Brees is a good accurate passer but he’s not a great playmaker, who can buy time and give mediocre receivers a chance to get open. Most of their receivers are possession receivers. They don’t have guys who scare defenses with their speed.
St. Louis (0-3) – St. Louis has relied on their big strike offense but they’re not getting the quality play on the offensive line and Marc Bulger isn’t the same quarterback with pressure in his face. Other than some small holes that they opened up this past Sunday, they weren’t giving Stephen Jackson any room to operate. Now that Jackson is out for at least one week with a groin injury, rookie Brian Leonard will have to step in and succeed where Jackson had been struggling thus far this season. I hope the rookie for Rutgers does well, but given their offensive line play thus far it’s not looking too good right now. Likewise, future Hall of Famers Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce will likely see less than stellar results, due to the underperforming offensive line.
