OK, four weeks into another injury riddled and genuinely odd (albeit wildly entertaining) NFL season, and we’re starting to get an idea about contenders and pretenders. Today, I would like to focus on the New York teams and their respective division races.
NFC East
The New York football Giants looked dismal in weeks 1 and 2, and I truly thought it may be a lost season for Big Blue. Surely, it would be the season that finally ushered curmudgeonly Tom Coughlin out the door (is it me, or does this guy belong in a trash can on Sesame Street?…but I digress). Instead, the offense of new OC Ben McAdoo is really starting to click…to the tune of 75 points in it’s last two games. It’s a testament to Coughlin that he was able to introduce a new system with a gaggle of new players and get the ship righted after just 2 weeks. Kudos to you Oscar the Grouch.
To my eye, this division is going to come down to the G-Men and the Cowboys, but when it’s crunch time, who do you trust? Eli Manning’s got a couple of rings. Tony Romo has got a couple of the most egregious playoff meltdowns in NFL history. So go Big Blue!
The Eagles are enigmatic. Defensive Coordinators seem to have caught up to Chip Kelly’s hurry-up offense and even a defensive and special teams performance for the ages weren’t enough to get Philly past the Niners last week.
As for Washington, they’ll be lucky to win 6 games with Cousin’s behind center.
AFC East
Things are not so rosy for the co-tenants of MetLife stadium. In fact, if you listen to the New York media, the sky is falling all around HC Rex Ryan and GM John Idzik. I, for one, don’t share their dire perspective. There are a couple of reasons for NYJ fans not to lose heart.
- The Jets have had a chance to win every game this year, and they’ve played some pretty good teams. They gave away the Green Bay game and the referees took the Bears game away from them
- No one in the division has better than a 2-2 record (1 game ahead of the Jets)
- Most importantly, who in the AFC East scares you?
The mighty New England Patriots are 2-2, and they’ve won those two games by scheme alone. The talent level is way off this year, and we’re starting to see that even Tom Brady can’t do anything without the Offensive Line that gave him hours to sit back and pick defenses apart.
Miami has some talent, but is riddled with inconsistency. Without a real playoff push, this could be the end for Jerry Philbin.
The Bills are also in a bit of disarray. They just benched sophomore phenom EJ Manuel and got journeyman Kyle Orton out of mothballs to try to right the ship, but even with some more consistent QB play, the Bills are not a playoff team.
I suppose this is my long-winded way of saying that the first quarter of the season is in the books, and the Giants are poised to make a great push for the division title. A week 5 win in San Diego (a city traditionally kind the visiting Jets), could be a great deodorant for the Jets and moreover for beleaguered signal caller, Geno Smith!
Enjoy the games and feel free to start or join a pool at TheOfficePool.com