With one game left in the regular season of the NFl, it's time to break down the season.
Things we've learned this season:
- The Jets are definitely not for real.
- The Lions' future is bright
- The AFC West is pitiful
- Likewise is the AFC South
- The AFC lacks a real dominant team
- The NFC was 2-3 dominant teams
The Jets got grounded by their crosstown rival, the Giants. There's nothing much to say about the Jets except for the fact that Mark Sanchez is NOT the answer at quaterback. The only way they make the playoffs is with a lot of help from other teams...and they have to beat Miami, which is much improved compared to the beginning of the season. As long as Sanchez is running the Jets offense, they're not going to win a Super Bowl and they're going to struggle getting into the playoffs in future season. The future isn't looking to bright in New York.
On the other hand, in Detroit, the Lions' future is looking really good. They have come a long, long way from going 0-16. Unlike other perrenial bottom dwellers, the Lions have put their early draft picks to good use; they've drafted a solid quaterback, a deadly receiver, and hungry defensive line. It's a shame that they're in the same division as arguably the best team in the NFL, the Green Bay Packers.
The AFC west is horrible. There is talent in this division with the Raiders and Chargers but talent alone isn't enough in this league. The Raiders were hit pretty hard by the loss of Darren McFadden, but even with the loss of McFadden, the Raiders should have been set for the playoffs. Instead, they decided to not show up in Miami and got blown out, and blew a two possession lead in the fourth quarter to the Lions. Inconsistency and lack of discipline have hurt the Raiders. They Raiders began the season hot, lost Jason Campbell, got Carson Palmer, and then looked promising for awhile before dropping the gauntlet for three consecutive weeks. Perhaps the only thing consistent about the Raiders is committing penalties - lots of them. The Raiders are merely four penalties shy on breaking the single season record for penalties. Had the team been consistent and committed less penalties, they would be resting for the playoffs right now. Instead they have to count on a Denver loss and need to beat the Chargers. So much for controlling they're own fate.
The Denver Broncos were galloping along with Tim Tebow until someone took out their steam. Tebow committed only two turnovers in his first starts but has committed four in his last game alone. The Broncos have a long way to go to be a good team, but hey, they can go to the playoffs with a win.
With the injury to Matt Schuab, the Texans all of a sudden don't look too good. Yes, they're defense is solid. Yes, they have arguably the best running back duo in the NFL. But you simply can't win playoff games with a third string quaterback, sorry. This playoff bound Texan team is the same team which lost to the lowly Colts who are 2-13. The Colts are horrible. They're only hope is to lose again, get the number one draft choice, get Andrew Luck, or hope the aging Peyton Manning is back to full strength next year. The other teams in the division, Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars aren't all the good either. The Titans are decent, and the Jaguars have a way to go before they become contenders.
As a whole, the AFC lacks a real contender. The Patriots are good, but are totally beatable because of a porous pass defense. The Ravens have played pretty poorly in a couple games this year. The Steelers are playing with a crippled Big Ben. The rest of the AFC varies from decent to average to downright horrible.
However in the the NFC, there is two to three real contenders. The Green Bay Packers have one loss and Aaron Rodgers at the helm. Need is say more? The Saints are playing great football and that's due to Drew Brees having a MVP-type season. The 49ers are interesting. Yes, they have played better than other teams in the league and have a rock solid defense. But I'm hesitant to call them a real contender because of Alex Smith. Would you want him to have to throw the ball to win a game? I wouldn't.
As the season comes to a close, we've learned a lot. They playoffs should definitely be interesting this year.
