Evolutionary Theory

It’s week three, and the NFC West is the best division in football. The Cards shut down Tom Terrific and the Pats, the Seahawk’s defense humiliated Tony Romo and the Cowboys. Even the St. Louis Rams look like a powerhouse this week, besting RGIII and the ‘Skins in spite of another tremendous performance from their rookie.

Almost nothing is what it was projected to be, as usual. The only thing predictable about the NFL season is unpredictability. Not all is as it seems, and those who are unwilling or unable to adapt get left behind. Survival of the fittest is the only rule that the scab refs enforce with regularity.

Below is a list of teams that were supposed to be at the top of the food chain this year, but through two weeks have looked more like Neanderthals. They’re all missing a certain something that’s proving more vital than expected. It’s a segment I’ve dubbed: The Missing Link.

New Orleans Saints 0-2 (Sean Peyton)– It’s no secret that the Saints come into this year without long time head coach Sean Peyton and just about every member of the Defensive Coaching Staff from last season. The bounty scandal essentially gutted the Saint’s organization. Now they’re in a new system, with a new staff, but almost all of the same players. Long story short, there’s air in the pipes. There’s no telling how long it will take for the 0-2 Saints to right the ship and get back that flawless chemistry they’re known for, but barring injury- things will surely evolve.

Detroit Lions 1-1 (Jahvid Best)– Pettigrew dropping passes, Megatron on an end-zone famine and Stafford throwing pick after pick… Do the Lions stink this year? No, no they do not. A fluke of the 2012 schedule sent them right into the jaws of a newly renovated NFC West division, which has lunged ahead of the curve this season on the defensive side of the ball. The Rams added Cortland Finnegan and head coach Jeff Fisher; the 49ers and Seahawks are both top five defenses this year. Kevin Smith isn’t someone who inspires a lot of worry in the run game, and until Best recovers from injury, Smith’s the only show in town. When Best returns, look for teams to be forced to commit an extra linebacker or two to stopping the run, which will open up those deep routes that Calvin Johnson owners are expecting. Buy Lions low if you can.

Denver Broncos 1-1 (Peyton Manning Circa 2010)– Big time hype surrounded Peyton’s return to football this year and expectations were sky high, but on Monday Night, Peyton and the gang fell back to Earth with a resounding thud. The NFL moves at a lightning quick pace and teams adapt overnight. Peyton reads defenses and he might be the best in the league at that, but Atlanta’s secondary countered by crowding the line of scrimmage with their secondary time and time again, then dropping the safeties out into coverage after the snap. To say that it worked would be an understatement- Atlanta’s Defense scored four takeaways in the first quarter and never got beaten deep. Instead, they dared the Broncos to beat them with Willis McGahee and the Atlanta offense put up enough points to make the run-game a non-factor. Everybody (myself included) needs to take a step back from our collective hero worship of Peyton. This guy sat out an entire year of football with his neck injury and has said on record that he’s not the same player; last night, it showed. The Denver Broncos aren’t going to live up to the hype and Peyton isn’t the Signal-Caller he used to be. The talent is still there but it’s rusty. I’d say eight-and-eight is a reasonable expectation for the 2012 Broncos (which might actually be good enough to win that division).

Thanks for reading, I’ll try to do better next week.
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