NFL 2007 Week 3: NFC Edition

NFC East: Oh, how I wish it wasn’t true. I don’t think the Cowboys have quite hit their toughest challengers this season but, looking at their schedule right now, they don’t have a lot of tough games coming up at any point in the season, so they’ll keep looking better and better until they fall apart, which I’m still keeping hope alive for. Romo and Owens beamed with arrogance after Sunday night’s game. You’ve got to love a successful Cowboys; they’re the kind of team that can really make a guy sick. Hopefully, the Eagles can keep their upturn going to spoil some glory for them. Philly looked so much better this week than previously; really like two different teams. Though it’s not the anomaly the Cleveland extravaganza was, they are clearly not the powerhouse they appeared to be. On a side note, if these teams are going to wear their retro uniforms from that long ago, they really need to go all the way and have them made out of wool again. As it stood, they didn’t look old, they just looked bad. Finally, in the battle for the crappiest in the division, New York tried hard to lose, but couldn’t quite manage it. To be fair, the Redskins did everything they could to let it slip between their fingers, including committing the stupidest call in the NFC of the week (Gibbs is second only to Shanahan for tops in the league this week) by having Ladell Betts stay in on the goal line at the end of the game. I know that Portis isn’t what he was before the injuries but, really, why are you paying money for star players when you keep them on the sidelines during game deciding situations? This call is simply absurd.

NFC North: Now, after three weeks, I have to admit that the Packers are the best in the North. That is less a testament to their prowess than their terrible division, but they are 3-0, and that’s all that counts, I guess. It’s hard to gauge how well they did against San Diego, because they’re falling apart so dramatically, but they certainly slowed that offense down and, once again, exposed the Chargers’ offensive scheme. The Griese era has officially begun in Chicago, and Bears fans are rejoicing. I like Griese and think he did pretty well in Denver, but he’s really no great shakes and they’ve decided after three weeks to throw this season in the trash. Who will they be pining for, however, when Griese trips over his dog again? I’m just not sure drunks make good quarterbacks. Maybe I’m wrong, there’s always Joe Namath. I wanted to think that Minnesota was turning it around, and they still have a great defense, but the offense just isn’t there, and my hopes for them are falling fast. Only putting up ten points against KC’s defense is pretty damning, and it doesn’t get a lot easier than that for them this year, so they may be done before they get started. Now it looks like the Cowboys may have to contend with the Kitna-led Lions for supremacy in heaven. Ever since his “miracle” comeback, there’s been little talk about the Lions that doesn’t involve Kitna and his fervent belief in God. That’s fine, and maybe Jesus helped him come back from the concussion, but Jesus didn’t help them stop the Eagles on any level and he sure won’t help Kitna with the early-onset Alzheimer’s.

NFC South: I wasn’t expecting to say call the South the worst division in the conference, since that’s been the North for years, but here we are with two teams that could be 0-3 and two teams that rightfully are. Houston’s not lamenting the loss of David Carr, but the Panthers may be regretting picking him up. It’s still undecided whether Delhomme will be able to play on Sunday but, if not, the Buccaneers are going to tear through David Carr like he’s still with the Texans. Tampa’s defense destroyed the Rams last week, and are starting to look like an impressive group. They were able to exploit the huge holes developing in St. Louis’ line and did a good overall job. The offense is still leaving a lot to be desired, and Cadillac’s driving them nowhere, but as long as the defense holds as they have, they will be very hard to beat. Then we have the Saints, who continue to prove that they were a flash in the pan. It’s hard to imagine a team looking worse than New Orleans did on Monday and, with the loss of Deuce, they are forced to have Bush wash out while carrying the load. Too bad they don’t have a real pass attack, because there aren’t going to be too many forward runs.

NFC West: While these teams have a lot of work to do to be as bad as the South, they’re trying their best. It’s shocking to see the Rams performing so poorly, but a lot of that is the result of line problems. But, without a defense and without Jackson performing on any level (and now hurt), they are looking worse and worse all the time. The Seahawks are the best in the division, but they’d be pretty mediocre in any other division (except the South, of course). The best thing to say about them is that they actually look like a team trying to win, which is better than can be said for any other team here. San Francisco, for all the hype, look as bad as ever. Frank Gore, despite the cool name, has offered nothing and, now that Vernon Davis is hurt, they don’t even have their main passing threat, and will continue to fail. Those poor Cardinals, who continually look like they should be good, are little more than they ever were. Only half of their vaunted receiving duo is doing anything and Edgerrin James just can’t get anything going behind that line. Will Whisenhunt still have a job after another losing season and forcing his quarterbacks into a wishy-washy committee system? The odds are looking worse every week.