I was on-board with the NFL becoming a passing league. But over the last couple of seasons, it hasn't really been borne out, as coaches continue to do their jobs in an overly conservative manner, running the ball is still the way to go, and defense hasn't entirely been legislated out of the game as some might want you to believe.
I put most of the blame on the Seattle Seahawks for winning the Super Bowl a couple seasons ago. Had Denver won, I think we would be seeing a full-fledged passing league.
Since New England won after last season, I don't see much of a change. They're still the only team that plays confidently and matches their style to the opponent on the other side of the field. Could that have something to do with their coach? Most likely. Belichick has four Super Bowl's to his credit, the best QB in the league, and a bag full of onions. Yes, onions.
Speaking of the best QB in the league, most want to see that title given to Aaron Rodgers. I think he proved that he isn't when he wilted against Denver's defense Sunday night. We'll see how Brady does in a few weeks, but as of right now he's the best and the other top teams don't really have a guy that's in his league currently. I mean, would you take Cam Newton or Andy Dalton over Brady? How about Peyton Manning?
My picks were a little better than usual, but I still could have done more. I was 10-4 straight up; picking Tennessee, the Giants, and Green Bay doomed me to a worse week than I could have had. I didn't see Atlanta losing to Tampa Bay; that one was a surprise.
Here are the Rankings for Week 8:
1.) New England (7-0) [no change]
Without a doubt, the best team in the league with the best QB. They crushed Miami last Thursday and have gone 3-0 in the allegedly "stronger" AFC East. It may yet be stronger against other teams, but against the Pats it's mostly same-old same-old. The Pats have a nice stretch before facing off with Denver at the end of the month. 10-0 is not out of reach by any means.
Next opponent: vs. Washington (11/8)
2.) Denver (7-0) [+1]
It would be easy (and overly simplistic) to say that Peyton is "back". The defense played about as well as could be expected and this time it encouraged Peyton to go downfield more. He had some zip on his passes that hadn't really been there previously. All in all, it kind of seems like the perfect storm coming off a bye. We'll see how it all holds up as the season moves along.
Next opponent: at Indianapolis (11/8)
3.) Carolina (7-0) [+1]
What was looking like a dominant win turned into an OT squeaker that they really should have lost. The Panthers obviously have no interest in winning "pretty"; they run the ball as much or more than anyone else and delight in ugly games like the one played last night. Cam Newton is likely to get MVP consideration because of the gaudy record, but really hasn't done anything outside of the win at Seattle to deserve more than a few votes.
Next opponent: vs. Green Bay (11/8)
4.) Cincinnati (7-0) [+1]
Not the best showing against Pittsburgh, but the defense came up big late and Dalton got a TD pass right when he needed it to get the win. Now they're in prime-time for the first time this year, against the woeful Browns. The smart money would be on Cincinnati to win huge, and even though Dalton has looked more capable this season I still have my doubts.
Next opponent: vs. Cleveland (11/5)
5.) Green Bay (6-1) [-3]
Probably the worst game of Rodgers' career and now they have to head out to Carolina. I don't think there's any way he plays that poorly again, but given how Carolina just shut down Indianapolis, one never knows.
Next opponent: at Carolina (11/8)
6.) Arizona (6-2) [+1]
Down 20-7 against Cleveland, I thought they were sweating. It turns out to have been nothing in particular, but this team is clearly not as good as they were last season when they started 9-1 prior to Palmer getting injured. But now they get a week off before heading into Seattle. So that's good, I guess?
Next opponent: at Seattle (11/15)
7.) Atlanta (6-2) [-1]
Could this be the start of the free-fall for the Falcons? All I know is they looked bad winning against Tennessee and were worse in losing to Tampa Bay. Not exactly a recipe for building confidence, especially after that gaudy 5-0 start.
Next opponent: at San Francsico (11/8)
8.) Minnesota (5-2) [no change]
Adrian Peterson isn't scoring and Teddy Bridgewater doesn't look great. And yet, the Vikings are 5-2. In fact, their only loss since that dreadful showing in Week 1 was a game in Denver. So I guess there ought to be a sense of optimism around the team, but I can't help but think that they're a year away or maybe more depending on Bridgewater. He's not terribly consistent and when he's not going well he looks like he has no clue how to play QB at the NFL level.
Next opponent: vs. St. Louis (11/8)
9.) Oakland (4-3) [-]
Strong showing in the first half against the Jets, but they wilted in the second half and almost let the Jets back in it. Thankfully, the Jets' QB situation isn't among the best, or else they would have pulled it out. Now the Raiders head to Pittsburgh for what should be a winnable game. Then again, they'll be in the eastern time zone, so maybe not.
Next opponent: at Pittsburgh (11/8)
10.) St. Louis (4-3) [-]
I'm not sure what to think about St. Louis. The fact is that I do a top ten every week, and there are only eight good teams. The Rams have made hay against the previously strong NFC West (they are 3-0 so far), but have stunk it up against other teams. Who knows if they'll show up against Minnesota?
Next opponent: at Minnesota (11/8)
That's all for this week. See you next week.
