NFL Week 4: What We Learned

Published on 30-Sep-2013 by Stacey Mickles

Football - NFL    NFL Daily Review

Share this article


NFL Week 4: What We Learned

As we close out Week 4 of the NFL season, we see that while some things change, some remain the same (see Cowboys and Patriots), so let's get into it:

The Cowboys are still the Cowboys ... Just when you thought Dallas was finally coming into its own, the Cowboys lose a tough one at San Diego after leading by 11 points in the second quarter. This time, you can't blame Tony Romo, who actually had a good game and was about to bring the Boys' closer to a happy result when yet another turnover occurred and effectively killed their last drive. Listen, until the Cowboys get a better coach, they will be an average team. The good news is that the Cowboys are in the NFC East.

The Steelers and Giants aren't very good ... How can these two Super Bowl-winning franchises be this bad? The Steelers, at least, showed some life in their loss to the Minnesota Vikings, but age and lack of playmakers have caught up with them. Where are the playmakers for the Steelers? The Giants' main problem is poor play. There seems to be a lack of urgency with them, like they seem to think they can turn it on and off. Right now, it's off. 'Way off. They are the worst team in a bad division, and that's saying something.

The Patriots are lucky to be 4-0 ... Yes, I said it. The New England Patriots are lucky to be 4-0. They should've lost to the Jets the first game of the season, should've lost at Buffalo, and were lucky to escape with their lives last night at Atlanta. Don't get me wrong, the Patriots aren't a bad team, but they aren't great, either. Eventually, all these close calls twill catch up to them ... maybe.

Atlanta Falcons can't finish games ... As if this is a news flash to anyone. The Falcons should have a better record, but there's no killer instinct. That was obvious in Week 1 against the Saints, when just like last night, they were in the red zone with just a few ticks left on the clock and couldn't punch the ball in. This is becoming a pattern with the Falcons. If they don't correct it soon, they can join Tony Gonzalez in January and do what he's done for 16 of his first 17 seasons: watch the playoffs on TV.

Is Peyton Manning the best of all time? ... We have this discussion every year about Peyton Manning; is he the best of all-time? You can definitely make an argument either way. He's a no-brainer Hall of Famer, but is he better than Joe Montana? No, only because Montana has more championships. But is he the best passer of all-time? Yes. He achieved that distinction years ago; plus, unlike Dan Marino, Peyton has won a Super Bowl. 

As we head into Week 5, these questions will be worth pondering over a favorite libation: 

  • Can the Cowboys upset the Broncos?
  • Can the Falcons bounce back against the Jets?
  • And whose defense is worse, the Giants or the Eagles?

Tune in next week, when we see how Jacksonville responds to playing in front of a live audience again, how they can corner the market on bad quarterbacks by signing Tim Tebow, and how they have an uncanny ability to send fans home happy after a game (hint: it's the other team's fans).

Oh yes, and then there's the Flying Karamazov Brothers of the NFL:
tipdrill

Click on a photo to enlarge.