By Bob Bonett
1) New England Patriots (6-3)
2) New York Jets (6-3)
Nine games into the 2007-08 season, the Patriots were undefeated, showcasing the most dominant offense in NFL history. This year, the ‘O’ is anything but, and the days of 30-point victories are long gone.
The big difference? This season in Foxboro, the Pats are leaning on rookie RB Ben Jarvus Green-Ellis and Matt Cassel instead of the unstoppable Tom Brady-to-Randy Moss connection. New England is back in first though, and last week’s victory continued to show that Bill Belichick has this team playoff-bound thanks to mistake-free football and an improving defense (although the loss of LB Adalius Thomas for the season is killer).
For Gang Green, the opposite is true. New York has already surpassed last year’s win total, and is coming off of a franchise-record 44-point win over St. Louis.
The offense in New York is still not where it needs to be to make the Jets a Super Bowl contender. Brett Favre is not yet ready to carry the team should the circumstances demand it, Thomas Jones continues to look streaky, and the offensive line, as great as it looked last week, is still porous at times. On the defensive side of the ball, Kris Jenkins is anchoring the best run-stoppers in the business, and the defensive backs have a few playmakers amongst them, including Abram Elam and Darrelle Revis.
Thursday night’s game should be a thriller. And, in true Jets/Pats fashion, the gamesmanship has already kicked in, with the Jets signing former New England CB Ty Law. (Don’t be surprised to see a counterpunch from the Patriots’ corner: the Jets just cut Justin Miller, and I’m sure Belichick would love to hear some of Gang Green’s defensive schemes.)
At this point, it is anybody’s guess as to how the game will unfold. Can Jones back up his best game as a Jet against New York’s archrival? Can Cassel avoid the turnover bug against one of the best takeaway units in the NFL? As much as it hurts, I can’t see New York getting over the hump, with the Pats taking home the victory by less than a touchdown.
3) Miami Dolphins (5-4)
Beating a 2-7 team by just two points may not turn too many heads on paper, but the Dolphins managed to escape with yet another victory, this time over the ‘Hawks, thereby keeping pace with the Jets and Patriots.
If Williams can somehow be parlayed into an impact player on the ‘Phins, head coach Tony Sparano will have himself a high-throttle offense. Wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. is slowly but surely emerging into a legitimate threat, Ronnie Brown should be should be considered a real candidate for MVP, and Chad Pennington, sure as the sky is blue, maintains his role as one of the most proficient passers in the game.
Cupcake No. 2 in as many weeks comes up next for the Dolphins as they welcome the Raiders to Dolphin Stadium; Bill Parcells will make sure the team doesn’t overlook Oakland with the Pats up next.
4) Buffalo Bills (5-4)
The Bills had their shot with three consecutive divisional games against the Dolphins, Jets and Patriots. Instead of pulling away from the divisional pack, Buffalo came away from the three-week stretch winless, and is now stumbling along at 5-4.
The offense has been completely out of sync the last three weeks, with Marshawn Lynch totaling just over 30 yards per game during the losing streak. Fortunately for Buffalo, they can conceivably fight their way back into contention with games against the Browns, Chiefs and ‘Niners coming up. But if Trent Edwards can’t quarterback his team to a divisional victory, it will once again be a long offseason in Buffalo.
1) New York Giants (8-1)
The past two weeks, New York has done everything in their power to lose a game. First against Dallas, the team was careless with the ball, and Eli Manning struggled early and often. Then against Philly, with the Eagles lacking a run attack and Donovan McNabb having trouble with his accuracy, the G-Men refused to put the nail in the coffin and were forced to go down to the wire in a game they could have taken easily.
Fortunately for New York, in each game the defense has come to the rescue to ensure the G-Men keep rolling along. New York is now two games clear of Washington at 8-1, with the New York media jumping on the Giants’ bandwagon.
In the eyes of seemingly every football pundit, the Giants are unbeatable right now. Which means what? Be ready for a letdown Sunday. The offense has been sloppy, and against a red-hot, cutthroat defense like Baltimore’s, they will pay. In other words, get ready for a big-time upset at the hands of Ray Lewis and the Ravens.
2) Washington Redskins (6-3)
The week off for Washington served its purpose in allowing Jim Zorn and Co. to lick their wounds after being embarrassed by Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, Clinton Portis is having trouble straightening his leg, won’t practice until Friday, and will be a gametime decision against Dallas.
The ‘Skins are 2-1 in the division, the second best mark among the four NFC East teams; Dallas is one game back at 1-2. A win over Dallas will give Washington a huge leg-up on finishing second to the Giants. However, without Portis, the offense will sputter, and the ‘Boys will be back in town.
3) Dallas Cowboys (5-4)
Romo’s back. For Dallas fans reeling from the team’s recent cold streak, there are no two more powerful words.
The Brad Johnson and Brooks Bollinger experiment did not exactly go according to plan for Wade Phillips, as the ‘Boys pulled their own version of the Buffalo Bills, collapsing from a dominant 4-1 start to a very mediocre 5-4. Granted, Terrell Owens said the team’s problems started before Romo went down, but any issues Dallas may have been experiencing were magnified by the absence of their quarterback.
Call Sunday’s game a pick ’em. With no Portis, Dallas should manage to bounce back off the schneid, even with a not-so-full-strength Romo. With Portis, Dallas will need their franchise signal-caller to step up quick, and prevent the team from dipping to .500.
4) Philadelphia Eagles (5-4)
I guess I wasn’t alone with my prediction, as Philly entered their game against Big Blue as three-point favorites. But after seeing them blow opportunity after opportunity against the Giants, it’s clear that Philly needs more than McNabb and Westbrook to be counted among the NFL elite.
At 0-3 in the division, the Eagles need to play perfect football down the stretch, and with road trips to Baltimore, New York and Washington left, it’s going to take a heck of an effort from Andy Reid’s crew to play their way back into postseason contention. Is it possible? Absolutely, but not if Westbrook fails to crack 30 yards again.
The Eagles get a tune-up this week in Cincinnati against the second-worst team in the business – sorry, Lions – so look for the offense to get their groove back after struggling at Lincoln Financial last Sunday.