- At 7-1, Arizona surprisingly is sitting with the best record in the league, thanks to a great defense who has continued to play well despite some preseason injury losses. The offense does enough to get the job done. We'll find out more about them as they have tough games remaining against Detroit, San Francisco, and two against Seattle.
- After watching them get destroyed against the Chiefs on a Monday night game, I thought this year might actually be the beginning of the downfall of the Patriots. Turns out I was wrong. Tom Brady has gotten things figured out with his receivers, and the offense is rolling. He's probably the leader in the MVP race right now.
- Also, before the season I would have said the AFC East was a contender for the worst division in football.Now, its not so bad. Both Buffalo and Miami, who are each sitting at 5-3, have a good chance to make the playoffs thanks to strong defenses and improved quarterback play. (Getting to play the Jets twice also helps)
- Both South divisions are terrible. Indy will easily win the AFC South, while the NFC South will come down to two very average teams in the Saints and Panthers. I wouldn't be surprised if 8-8 won that division.
- There will be a very good team left out of the playoffs in the NFC. Division races in the East, North, and West should be competitive throughout the rest of the season. That will leave 4 teams fighting for 2 wild card spots. The East is between Philly and Dallas, who now both have QB injury concerns, the North is between the Packers and Lions, and there could be a lot on the line when they meet in week 17. 3 teams still have a shot in the West, although the 49ers will have to figure out things soon if they want a shot at the playoffs.
- I'll be interested to see if the Bears continue their freefall. They should have one of the most explosive offenses in the league, but turnovers continue to be an issue with Jay Cutler. If things don't turn around, I could see Trestman out as coach. I can't see them getting rid of Cutler because of his contract. As a Packer fan, I'm fine with that. Cutler loves to throw the ball to Packer DBs.
- The Packers' defense is going to have to force turnovers when it faces good teams. They have looked okay against average offenses like the Panthers. But whenever they go up against a good offense, it seems like the gameplan is to just hope Aaron Rodgers can outscore the other team. They just can't stop anyone who's good. Example: last game against New Orleans. The Patriots come to Lambeau later this month,and I think the Packers will have to put up at least 45 to win that game. If the defense doesn't improve, I can't see them making a deep playoff run.
- I'll admit I didn't think we'd make it to November and Johnny Football wouldn't be the starter for Cleveland. But Brian Hoyer has done a good enough job and has the Browns at 5-3 and in contention for a playoff spot. They somehow are finding ways to win.
- JJ Watt probably won't get the MVP, but he is making a case. He's had one of the best defensive seasons so far that I've ever seen. It's too bad he's stuck on a Texans team that doesn't have a starting-caliber quarterback.
- Seattle has been a bit of a surprise. After week 1, I thought they looked unbeatable. Since then, they have been less than impressive. They're still in good shape at 5-3, but some offseason losses are having a bigger impact than we may have expected.
- I'm getting sick of how many flags are called every game. It's becoming almost impossible to play defensive back in the NFL anymore.
AFC: East: Patriots NFC: East: Cowboys
North: Bengals North: Packers
South: Colts South: Saints
West: Broncos West: Cardinals
WC: Dolphins WC: Seahawks
WC: Steelers WC: Lions
AFC Champ: Patriots over Broncos NFC Champ: Cardinals over Cowboys
Super Bowl: Patriots over Cardinals
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