Well boys and girls, we have reached the quarter pole of the NFL season. Four weeks in and we have that parity everyone seems so fond of – five undefeated teams and four teams still searching for their first win. As with any journey, we have to ask ourselves how did we get here? And where are we going?
Let’s take a look at all eight teams and examine their road map:
Seattle Seahawks (4-0): Seattle is off to the best start in franchise history. Russell Wilson has that certain magic about him that was last seen in a third-round pick by the name of Joe Montana. In short, Russell makes the game look easy just like Joe Cool. Wilson, along with the Legion of Boom defense, would love to chart all playoff routes through the Pacific Northwest. Would you want your team playing at Seattle in front of the 12th man in the postseason? Didn’t think so.
Pittsburgh Steelers (0-4): The Steeler faithful might want to cover their eyes with those Terrible Towels. An offensive line that can’t protect Big Ben and an aging defense that can’t buy a turnover (zero in four games). That’s not a winning combination, as those four season-opening defeats prove. But cheer up, yinz guys! There’s always the Pirates.
Jacksonville Jaguars (0-4): Jacksonville is the largest U.S. city in land area. The Jags, under first-year coach Gus Bradley, better buckle up as they cruise around this big city. It’s going to be a bumpy ride on the way to the 2014 NFL draft.
Kansas City Chiefs (4-0): Linebacker Derrick Johnson and safety Eric Berry are rewarding new coach Andy Reid and his quarterback who refuses to turn the ball over with plenty of help in that category on the other side of the ball. I think they’ll be tailgating in the Arrowhead parking lot in January.
New Orleans Saints (4-0): Sean Payton is back, head straight to Bourbon Street and collect $200 in beads as you pass Go. Rex Ryan cashed in his get-out-of-Dallas free card, but didn’t leave his attitude behind. Ryan’s rejuvenated the defense and Drew Brees provides the offensive magic.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-4): The Bucs stop here! What looked to be a team on the move now looks lost on the high seas and Josh Freeman was forced to walk the plank. No matter how much you invest in your defense, you have to be able to score in the NFL to win. The Bucs are averaging 11 points per game, just ahead of the Jags. Don’t expect the home team light up the scoreboard in Florida unless you’re near South Beach.
New York Giants (0-4): Say it ain’t so, Big Blue! No map needed to get to the Super Bowl, with it in the G-Men’s backyard, and suddenly Eli Manning has turned into the anti-Alex Smith, Tom Coughlin looks worn out and that NASCAR pass rush can’t get out of the pits. But, crazy as it may seem, 8-8 may win the NFC East. Don’t count them out yet.
Denver Broncos (4-0): Denver is situated a mile above sea level at the base of the Rocky Mountains, and Peyton Manning is throwing touchdowns at a pace that will take your breath away even quicker than the altitude. Von Miller returns after Week 6 to a defense that will become even more sack happy.
New England Patriots (4-0): The Pats have been down this road before with 4-0 starts and trips to the Super Bowl. Tom Brady, the winningest QB in the Super Bowl era, operates behind a very talented offensive line. Aqib Talib as the shutdown corner leads a defense that sports some of the best young talent in the NFL. However, losing Vince Wilfork to an Achilles tear will be a bump in the road Bill Belichick will have to smooth over.
– James Lofton
James Lofton is the analyst for WestwoodOne’s coverage of Sunday Night Football. This week, you can find James in San Francisco where the 2-2 49ers host the nearly 4-0 Houston Texans, who just missed out on the perfect start in overtime last Sunday. Coverage begins at 7:30 PM Eastern. Following the conclusion of that broadcast, we’ll send you across the Bay for the Chargers-Raiders game in Oakland. Kickoff on that one is 11:35 PM Eastern (8:35 PM Pacific).
