No Certainties in this NFL

In a NFL weekend chalk full of upsets, no result was as surprising as Monday-night’s lopsided matchup. The previously invincible Super Bowl champion New York Giants were dealt a harsh lesson in the landscape of today’s NFL, losing 35-14 to the offensively challenged Cleveland Browns. This eyebrow raising result is only the latest of what is becoming a topsy-turvy league in which the unexpected is becoming the norm.

Early returns on this season have ensured a couple of things. First, there are no great teams around the league anymore. From one week to the next, few teams are able to maintain an elite level consistently, dominating one game then falling on their face in the next. Tom Coughlin’s Giants were the gold standard of the NFL as the defending champions with a gaudy 4-0 record where they won each game by an average of 20 points. At the quarter point in the season, the New York Giants were the only thing that could be counted on. In their first primetime game of the season, New York made a mockery of the game, and raised doubts everywhere. Eli Manning threw three interceptions, including a pick-six that sealed the deal in the fourth, and the punishing defense surrendered 454 yards to a unit that couldn’t crack 250 entering the contest.

Secondly, nobody and nothing can be taken for granted. Peyton Manning has been the closest thing to a 30-touchdown pass guy for the last decade, and his Colts have owned the regular season, becoming the first team ever to win 12 or more games in five straight years. Early this year, however, everything was thrown upside down. Manning looked like a rookie that held out of training camp and didn’t know what the hell was going on, while his team christened their gaudy new stadium with an embarrassing loss to the Bears on opening night. The Colts were a battered, bruised, and badly beaten team on that night. Ever since then, they have struggled to get their mojo back.

How did we get to this position?

It started in Week 1 with the season-ending injury to MVP Tom Brady, an unbelieveable turn of events that gave every team out there a chance. His ailment has only confirmed the notion of him being the league’s most important player, and is the single biggest reason that everything around the league has been hit or miss. Without the face of the franchise, the swagger of the New England Patriots has been shattered, and they are scrambling to pick up the pieces. They could do know wrong in winning their first 18 games last year, but since then they’re a mortal 3-3, and even Bill Belichick is starting to get worried. In two of their last three games, the Dolphins and Chargers have dominated Belichick’s team. The champions of the AFC and the NFL’s Evil Empire have no relief in sight and will struggle to make the playoffs with their aging squad.

The madness continued throughout September, and hasn’t stopped in October. The Tennessee Titans are the only undefeated team left in the league, and are being led by a backup quarterback in Kerry Collins. It’s not like Collins is tearing up the league, either. He’s the 24th rated quarterback in the league (73.1) and has the same amount of touchdowns (3) as interceptions. He’s thriving in his role of game manager, but not playing like your ordinary championship QB. While Brady is recuperating from knee surgery, and Peyton Manning works toward finding his rhythm – he finally looked like himself last week – Collins is the leader of the strongest team around. Welcome to the NFL where craziness happens.

The Falcons organization was reeling after its franchise player and coach turned their back on them, but has retooled with promising Matt Ryan and smart investment Michael Turner. Together, they have worked in synergy to turn the fortunes of this franchise around quickly. Many in Atlanta were ready to admit that the foundation was being laid to build a winner, but that it would take time to get competitive again. With the cold-as-ice Ryan, and the bruising Turner, their time to be a winner is right now, and their 4-2 record is no fluke. Ryan has won in Lambeau, and led a game winning, last second drive in his last two starts. Pretty impressive notches on the resume to say the least.

Tennessee and Atlanta have been joined by fellow surprise division leaders in Buffalo, Arizona, and Denver giving us a total of five peculiar playoff contenders through the first six weeks of the season. This startling discovery has left trendy picks like the Colts, Saints, and Patriots floundering as they fight for their playoff lives. Don’t expect the final 10 weeks of the season to correct itself either; the cannibalism the league is experiencing is going to make every week’s set of games a coin flip.