Commentary:
Fall is here, which comes with the NFL season. We almost lost our season due to a lockout, but football is here, nonetheless.
The season started with a Thursday game of the past two defending champions, the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints with the Packers winning. That game was the first of five weeks of great football. I would have to say this season hasn’t disappointed, and there are plenty of surprises each week, and I’m pretty sure there is more to come.
In the NFC the defending champ Packers have started off fast with a 6-0 start. Right behind them a surprise team, the Detroit Lions, are 5-1. Who would have thought the Lions would be this good?
Also, under first-year coach Jim Harbaugh, the San Francisco 49ers have surprisingly started off fast with a 5-1 start and lead the NFC West. In the NFC East the Philadelphia Eagles started with the “dream team” expectations but have started a disappointing 2-4.
In the AFC, the Buffalo Bills, yes the Bills, are on top with a 4-2 record. Not far behind them are the New England Patriots and the San Diego Chargers, who are 4-1.
With Peyton Manning out for the season, the Indianapolis Colts have started out 0-6. With Manning out, the Houston Texans are trying to fill the void the Colts have left. They lead the AFC South with a 3-2 record.
It would seem the New York Jets coach Rex Ryan would predict his teams to win the Super Bowl every year, but the Jets have started off 2-3 and are third in the AFC East. We will have to see if teams like the Jets and Eagles can rebound from slow starts to earn the Super Bowl contender tags they came with into the season.
Early in the season, it looks as though Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is leading the MVP race with 2,031 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and three interceptions.
Speaking of stellar numbers, rookie quarterback Cam Newton has played brilliantly for the Carolina
Panthers with 1,847 passing yards and seven touchdowns. The sky is the limit for him and is the early favorite for rookie of the year. In Denver, it is finally Tebow time as the Broncos are sitting Kyle Orton in favor of Tebow. This is one of the most-anticipated starts by a player in recent memory.
The season is young and there is still a lot of football to be played. I am excited to see what happens for the rest of the season. Can teams like the Eagles and Jets step up their play and make the playoffs? Can teams like the Lions, Bills and 49ers continue these hot starts? We will just have to see as the season progresses.
