It is folly to make absolute judgments in the NFL after three weeks. But this is a gut reaction:
THEY’RE IN BIG TROUBLE
The 0-3 New York Football Giants are in big trouble.
Here’s why:
The formula that won Super Bowls XLII and XLVI — Eli Manning and the pass rush — is in disarray. The offensive line personnel appears to have been misjudged. If you can’t run the football and you can’t protect the quarterback, you might see a salsa from Tom Coughlin before you see one from Victor Cruz. Manning, who will be stopped on a TKO if the beatdowns continue, talked after the 38-0 loss to the Panthers about maybe integrating some screen passes into the offense to slow the pass rush. Good idea! Why didn’t we see some of that in the first half in Carolina? Kevin Gilbride should have made the in-game adjustment.
If you can’t get to the opposing quarterback — and if Jason Pierre-Paul can’t, no one can — then this secondary has no chance in this quarterback-driven league. All those big butts GM Jerry Reese imported to dominate the line of scrimmage? They’re getting those big butts handed to them. David Wilson’s fumbling is suddenly the least of their woes.
And here is an alarming trend: Dating back to the end of the 2012 season, when the Giants shrank to the occasion with a playoff berth on the line, they have lost 34-0, 33-14, 36-31 and 38-0 in their past four games on the road. They recorded four sacks in those four games.
From a pass-rush standpoint, they miss Osi Umenyiora more than they thought they would. From a toughness and intangibles standpoint, they miss Ahmad Bradshaw more than they thought they would.
Where is the pride? Where is the fight? Where is the toughness?
The one saving grace: the division is the worst in the league.
GM Jerry Reese put everyone on notice in the summer, because three out of four playoff misses is not the standard. Neither is four out of five. There is no way Coughlin, whose contract ends in 2014, will want to go out like this … is there?
The 0-3 Steelers are in big trouble. Mike Tomlin is as clueless about how to solve this as Coughlin is. Mike Wallace bolting to Miami didn’t help, but the killer was losing center Maurkice Pouncey for the season. Big Ben Roethlisberger looks shell-shocked at times running for his life, and what he would give if he could trade offensive coordinator Todd Haley for Bruce Arians. Perhaps the return of TE Heath Miller and RB Le’Veon Bell will help, but how much? The aging defense (no turnovers) is no Steel Curtain.
The 0-3 Redskins are in big trouble. RG 0-3 looked somewhat more like his dynamic self against the Lions, but he is nowhere close to recapturing his magic after missing the preseason. The knee is still hampering him mentally and emotionally. Defenses no longer fear the read option, so RG 0-3 will need to make the transition to pocket quarterback, especially when Jim Haslett’s horrific defense forces him to play catchup.
The 0-3 Vikings are in big trouble. If you can’t beat Brian Hoyer at home when you’re 0-2, enuf said.
The 0-3 Bucs are in big trouble. They need a new quarterback and a new coach. Money doesn’t buy happiness, right, Darrelle?
Coughlin and Mike Shanahan have two Super Bowl rings, and Tomlin has one. No one expected elite head coaches like these to face crises like these. But they are.
THEY’RE FOR REAL
The 3-0 Saints are for real. The return of Sean Payton from his one-year Bountygate suspension is the Falcons’ worst nightmare. Who Dat coordinating that maligned defense? Rob Ryan, the other Son of Buddy. Drew Brees may not have a running game that scares anyone, but he’s still Drew Brees, and he does have matchup nightmare TE Jimmy Graham.
The 3-0 Chiefs are for real. Wait until David Baas and the interior of the Giants offensive line tries to move Dontari Poe and keep Justin Houston (7.5 sacks) and Tamba Hali off Eli Manning. Stability at head coach (Andy Reid) and quarterback now (Alex Smith) means everything.
The 3-0 Seahawks are for real. But you already knew that. Pete Carroll won’t need any assistance from the zebras this year, replacement or otherwise. Russell Wilson grows with each passing week.
The 2-0 Broncos are for real. But you already knew that when you watched the new and improved Peyton Manning.
The 3-0 Patriots are for real. Bill Belichick and Tom Brady received a gift from the schedule-makers (Bills, Jets, Bucs) and have held the fort with Rob Gronkowski now ready to return and Kenbrell Thompkins beginning to earn Brady’s trust. The defense has stepped up, albeit against EJ Manuel, Geno Smith and Josh Freeman.
The 3-0 Dolphins are for real. Ryan Tannehill is growing up quickly, and deep threat Mike Wallace means you better sleep on Brian Hartline. And quarterbacks better start ducking when No. 1 draft Dion Jordan becomes Cameron Wake’s full-time predator bookend.
The 2-1 Colts are for real. Andrew Luck will be even more dangerous with Trent Richardson in the backfield.
The 2-1 Bengals are for real. Coming back to beat the Packers shows they are ready to take that next step and have learned how to win. Giovani Bernard is a security blanket/weapon for Andy Dalton when Dalton isn’t targeting A.J. Green. Best defensive line in football.
THEY’RE NOT NECESSARILY FOR REAL
The 3-0 Bears are not necessarily for real. Marc Trestman has made a better decision-maker out of Jay Cutler, who has never played better in the fourth quarter, and should have silenced any remaining critics about his toughness and leadership when he tried to obliterate Steelers DB Robert Golden on a mad crunch-time scramble. Mel Tucker inherited an opportunistic defense that is even better without Brian Urlacher. Are the Packers losing their stranglehold on the division? DISCOUNT DAAABLE CHECK. Not so fast. Cutler is still guilty until proven innocent.
The 2-1 Cowboys are not necessarily for real. Not ready to trust that DeMarco Murray can stay healthy, and of course not ready to trust Tony Romo, another guilty until proven innocent guy, in the big spot.
The 2-1 Titans are not necessarily for real. Not ready to trust Jake Locker either. Look for more no-huddle hurry-up after Locker went 7-for-8 for 79 yards on a game-winning 99-yard TD drive against Chargers.
THEY’LL BE BACK
The 1-2 Packers will be back. That sideline tiff between Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy reminded me of Phil Simms and Bill Parcells in Indianapolis. A heat-of-battle thing between two champion competitors. Rookie RB Eddie Lacy didn’t play against the Bengals; he can’t help the defense, but he’ll give A-Rod some balance. The return of CB Casey Hayward and S Morgan Burnett will help the defense, though. When push comes to shove, when you have a quarterback like this, shootouts are never a bad thing.
The 1-2 49ers will be back. Jim Harbaugh is an elite coach, he’ll figure this out, though Frank Gore can’t be blamed for railing at Harbaugh after being neglected in the second half of a 27-7 loss to the Colts. Colin Kaepernick’s read option is a diminished threat as defenses dare him to beat them with his arm, a task complicated by the loss of Michael Crabtree and TE Vernon Davis missing Sunday. It’s Anquan Boldin & the Miracles right now.
“He doesn’t have anybody that can take the top off the defense,” Jeff Garcia said.
The loss in Seattle knocked some swagger out of these boys, the Colts bullied them, and OLB Aldon Smith’s rehab stint means more pressure on defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, especially if MLB Patrick Willis (groin) is out against the Rams Thursday night.
The 1-2 Falcons will be back. Even with five sacks, even with another 100-yard game from Julio Jones, they found a way to lose to the Dolphins. Matty Ice will right the ship, and Steven Jackson will be back soon to help.
Good Ship Schiano an utter wreck for Bucs
Things are falling apart quickly in Tampa, so much so the Buccaneers’ situation demands close observation in the wake of a hideous 23-3 road loss to the Patriots on Sunday that dropped them to 0-3.
Greg Schiano’s team had six different possessions inside the New England 40-yard line, but came away with a grand total of three points in yet another display of quarterback Josh Freeman’s stunning regression.
Freeman is having an awful year, completing just 46 percent of his passes with just two TDs in his first three games. Freeman hasn’t been helped by star running back Doug Martin being bottled up, but the third-year passer is rapidly running out of excuses.
The same might be said for Schiano himself. The former Rutgers coach and his taskmaster style continue to be an irritant, especially for the Bucs’ veteran players, and the locker room appears to be turning against him rapidly.
Despite later backtracking in typical Darrelle Revis style, Revis obviously is no fan of Schiano’s — and you can be sure Revis isn’t alone. There also appears to be tension between Schiano and GM Mark Domenik, so Schiano’s list of defenders is shrinking rapidly.
How much longer Schiano will have Tampa’s owners — the circumspect Glazer family — in his corner will be fascinating to watch.
A Lambeau leap ripe for second-guessing
Mike McCarthy had egg on his face after sending rookie RB Johnathan Franklin on a run up the middle on fourth-and-inches at the Bengals 30 with four minutes left and a 30-27 lead. Facing fourth-and-inches at Cincinnati’s 30-yard line, McCarthy decided to go for it. But not with an Aaron Rodgers quarterback sneak.
“It was based on probability,” McCarthy said. “You think it’s going to be close, so it was an inches play. We had a couple things going on, it was something that we talked about. Obviously, we thought we could convert it.”
Franklin jumped and fumbled and Terence Newman had a game-deciding 58-yard TD return.
Rams can’t bank on Bradford
There is no shortage of candidates when you’re talking about the unluckiest player in the NFL, but the league’s luckiest continues to be Sam Bradford.
The Rams quarterback was the last No. 1 overall pick before the most recent collective bargaining agreement dramatically scaled back rookie contracts and signing bonuses, and his mediocre — at best — performance continues to make the owners look shrewd for getting those deals under control.
Bradford landed a huge contract ($78 million over six years, including a staggering $50 million guaranteed), but St. Louis has gotten relatively little in return while Bradford’s 2010 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award is looking more and more like an accident.
Case in point: Sunday’s 31-7 loss to the Cowboys that dropped the Rams to 1-2. Bradford couldn’t have been more pedestrian, completing 29 of his 48 passes for a mere 240 yards and a TD while enduring six sacks.
Bradford doesn’t make a lot of backbreaking mistakes, but he doesn’t make many plays, either. The Rams have never made the playoffs with him as the starter, and his career 78.0 passer rating puts him in Mark Sanchez territory.
Bradford counts a whopping $12.5 million against the Rams’ cap this year, and still has two more years left on his deal. It would be financially ruinous to get rid of him, so Bradford isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Unfortunately for the Rams, they aren’t, either.
Colon plays scout for Jets’ O-line
Jets guard Willie Colon said last week he believes the Jets can take the division.
“It’s funny, after that came out, my Twitter blew up – – people calling me ‘stupid, moron, you’re an idiot, you’re a fat jerk,’ and I got MF’d [chuckle], and I laughed, ‘cause I’m like, ‘How do you want me to feel?’ ” Colon revealed after Jets 27, Bills 20.
Colon would not to gloat over the fact that the Jets are not the New York football team in crisis.
“All I know is the Giants are a couple of championships ahead of us, so we have a lot of work to do,” Colon said.
Colon, who is the kind of brawler the Giants could use on their offensive line, assessed his offensive linemates:
LT D’Brickashaw Ferguson: “A mechanic. Every opponent he goes against, he comes into with a game plan, almost like a fighter.”
LG Vladimir Ducasse: “His upside is through the roof. He’s strong, very athletic for his size.”
C Nick Mangold: “The brain of the whole line, of the whole offense, so to speak. There’s not a blitz he can’t pick up.”
RT Austin Howard: “Tremendous upside, for a guy that big, the way he bends and moves his feet, it’s amazing.”
Willie Colon: “Everybody knows what I bring to the table — I’m always gonna be the tough, back-room brawler, I’m always gonna go out there and play my tail off. If I gotta be the enforcer, that’s what I have to do.”
Pioli’s picks paying off for Chiefs
A lot of good it will do him now, but some of Scott Pioli’s moves are really starting to pay off for the Chiefs.
Pioli couldn’t pick a decent coach or quarterback in four years as GM in Kansas City, which along with his ability to alienate explains why he’s now the former GM, but it looks as if Pioli left behind a terrific gift basket for Andy Reid on defense.
Pioli’s knack for picking defensive players has been on display throughout the Chiefs’ 3-0 start, especially in their 26-16 win over the Eagles last Thursday in Reid’s return to Philadelphia.
Not only did 2011 third-round pick Justin Houston — a Pro Bowl alternate last season — have a game for the ages with 4 1/2 sacks, a forced fumble and three pass breakups, but safety Eric Berry also had an interception return for a touchdown and tackle Dontari Poe continued to be virtually unblockable inside.
Berry and Poe were first-round picks under Pioli who hadn’t really lived up to that billing before Pioli was essentially fired last January after the Chiefs posted a 2-14 record, but they are getting the job done under Reid and helping to form the nucleus of what looks like one of the league’s top defenses.
Pioli, a former Jets and Patriots executive as well as Bill Parcells’ son-in-law, is now an analyst for NBC’s Sunday night NFL coverage. Fans in Kansas City detested Pioli him so much they flew banners over Arrowhead Stadium demanding his firing, but even his biggest detractors would have to admit his legacy isn’t looking nearly as bad as it did just a few months ago.
Raising a red flag
The coach’s challenge can be quite a challenge for some coaches, and Rex Ryan admitted he needs to do better than leaving himself without one in the fourth quarter, when his defense could have recovered an EJ Manuel fumble. Mike Munchak was luckier in a fourth-quarter comeback victory over the Chargers. The Titans coach unsuccessfully challenged a Nate Washington drop that would have meant first-and-goal and lost a second challenge when video failed to overturn a Washington sideline catch that was ruled out of bounds. “Those calls are hard,” Munchak said. “Luckily we didn’t need the timeouts at the end.”
In the penalty box
The flags were flying Sunday, but no one was calling the zebras over-officious jerks. There were a franchise-high 20 penalties for 168 yards from the Jets, and the Texans were nabbed 14 times for 113 yards in their loss to the Ravens, who were also undisciplined (10-87). The Titans managed to overcome 11 penalties worth 116 yards. Kudos to Chuck Pagano, whose Colts committed one penalty for 10 yards in their victory over the 49ers.
Names of the game
In the matchup between Browns TE Jordan Cameron (3 TD catches) and Saints DE Cameron Jordan (2 sacks), give the edge to Cameron.