A few thoughts of mine on the situational status of each team this week. These aren't my picks, necessarily, just thoughts. But I find it helpful to jot down this stuff and try to figure out when a team is angry, overlooking a current game, focused/unfocused on the opponent they play this week etc. And I type much faster than I write, so I may as well post it while I'm at it. 
NY Jets - Two subpar games, one of them a loss to a divisional opponent. Home to Dallas next.
New England - Lambasted for poor play in week 1; rebounded with convincing win over Eagles in week 2. @ Wash next.
My take - For the Jets it's win now or dig yourself into an enormous hole. I'm not really a proponent of teams winning when they "must" though. Pats could be a touch soft after a relatively easy win, no pressure on them now. Home opener for New England. Slight Jets lean to Neutral on this one.
Pittsburgh - Lopsided win, lopsided loss. Home to Tenn next.
Cincinnati - Embarrassed at home; fought hard but lost @ Oakland. @ Clev next.
My take - I guess what I am wondering is how do the Bengals react here? Was it a moral victory to play the Raiders that close, or a disappointment that they didn't get the job done? Steelers shouldn't overlook Cinci, coming off a loss and with a tougher opponent next. Still, nothing so convincing that it warrants a play.
Jacksonville - Blew a big lead @ Car, got toasted by the Bills. @ Houston next.
Indianapolis - Eeked out a win over what appears to be a weak Browns team. Dominant of Titans at home. @ New Orl next.
My take - Jax confidence should be at a low point after starting the season the way they have. Indy may be primed for a bit of a letdown after getting past Tennessee (a team many said they couldn't beat). Colts could be slightly overconfident.
Minnesota - Upset win @ GB; coasted & made mistakes but still put away the Bears. Home to SF next.
Detroit - Won shootout vs Ariz; smacked back to earth @ GB. @ Denver next, followed by @ SF.
My take - Minnesota made plenty of errors but an inept Bears team couldn't take advantage. SF's a big game on the horizon for a team that is suddenly being called (by some) the best in the NFC North. The Detroit Lions on the other hand shouldn't be viewed as much of an obstacle. The Lions are still learning how to win. GB is not an easy place to do it. Neither is Denver or San Fran (up next). Lions may view this as a winnable game in a tough stretch, while Vikes may not take it seriously til it's too late. Wouldn't be too shocked to see Detroit come away with a W.
New Orleans - Outclassed in Seattle; Texans played close to them for a while before the Saints pulled away. Vs Indy next.
Tennessee - Big home win vs Raiders; beaten soundly @ Indy. @ Pitt next.
My take - Tennessee limps into this game, wounded physically (McNair) and emotionally. They SHOULD be willing to make amends, but I question how good this team really is. The Saints have a lot of question marks too. They've played 2 good quarters out of 8 so far. I think New Orleans may have a bit of an advantage throwing the ball deep here. Taking the points is a bit tempting.
Tampa Bay - Big emotional win @ Philly; "blockfest" vs tough Carolina D. Bye week next.
Atlanta - Finally found a way to pull away from the Cowboys; blew a big lead and lost to Washington. @ Carolina next.
My take - LARGE advantage to Tampa Bay here I think. 1) Championship team off a loss to a (perceived) far-inferior team. Bucs don't like to be shown up; 2) Bucs on a bye, this is the only game they will have on their minds; 3) This should be by far the weakest defence the Bucs have faced all year; 4) Bucs may have been guilty of taking Carolina for granted last week, on a short week, after playing a team that has become a huge rival; 5) Vick's loss should finally be felt here. I'm a believer a team over-performs and pulls together for a game or two after losing their star. But over time, they cannot sustain that level of play without him. They've had 2 games without him now; 6) This is easily the best defence the Falcons have faced this year. Dallas was able to give Atlanta trouble for a while...TB should give them more; 7) How do the Falcons respond to gagging last week? Usually a choke like that has a detrimental effect on a team. All factors point to TB in my opinion.
Kansas City - Coasted to easy home wins vs SD and Pitt. @ Balt next.
Houston - Huge upset win @ Miami, followed up by somewhat lame effort @ New Orleans. Vs Jax next
My take - I think Houston has the edge here. Lots of hype about how good KC is (and I believe most of it!), but I am not sure this is the best spot for them here. Taking their act on the road for the first time, against arguably the best defence they have faced yet. Have to cover more than a TD. Houston on the other hand, I think they are a work in progress. Being at home in front of those rabid fans should help, unless KC silences them early. Looks like a team that KC could overlook. To top it off, I am still not sure about KC's D. After playing @ Mia and @ NO, this may be the softest D the Texans have seen yet...(debateable).
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NY Jets - Two subpar games, one of them a loss to a divisional opponent. Home to Dallas next.
New England - Lambasted for poor play in week 1; rebounded with convincing win over Eagles in week 2. @ Wash next.
My take - For the Jets it's win now or dig yourself into an enormous hole. I'm not really a proponent of teams winning when they "must" though. Pats could be a touch soft after a relatively easy win, no pressure on them now. Home opener for New England. Slight Jets lean to Neutral on this one.
Pittsburgh - Lopsided win, lopsided loss. Home to Tenn next.
Cincinnati - Embarrassed at home; fought hard but lost @ Oakland. @ Clev next.
My take - I guess what I am wondering is how do the Bengals react here? Was it a moral victory to play the Raiders that close, or a disappointment that they didn't get the job done? Steelers shouldn't overlook Cinci, coming off a loss and with a tougher opponent next. Still, nothing so convincing that it warrants a play.
Jacksonville - Blew a big lead @ Car, got toasted by the Bills. @ Houston next.
Indianapolis - Eeked out a win over what appears to be a weak Browns team. Dominant of Titans at home. @ New Orl next.
My take - Jax confidence should be at a low point after starting the season the way they have. Indy may be primed for a bit of a letdown after getting past Tennessee (a team many said they couldn't beat). Colts could be slightly overconfident.
Minnesota - Upset win @ GB; coasted & made mistakes but still put away the Bears. Home to SF next.
Detroit - Won shootout vs Ariz; smacked back to earth @ GB. @ Denver next, followed by @ SF.
My take - Minnesota made plenty of errors but an inept Bears team couldn't take advantage. SF's a big game on the horizon for a team that is suddenly being called (by some) the best in the NFC North. The Detroit Lions on the other hand shouldn't be viewed as much of an obstacle. The Lions are still learning how to win. GB is not an easy place to do it. Neither is Denver or San Fran (up next). Lions may view this as a winnable game in a tough stretch, while Vikes may not take it seriously til it's too late. Wouldn't be too shocked to see Detroit come away with a W.
New Orleans - Outclassed in Seattle; Texans played close to them for a while before the Saints pulled away. Vs Indy next.
Tennessee - Big home win vs Raiders; beaten soundly @ Indy. @ Pitt next.
My take - Tennessee limps into this game, wounded physically (McNair) and emotionally. They SHOULD be willing to make amends, but I question how good this team really is. The Saints have a lot of question marks too. They've played 2 good quarters out of 8 so far. I think New Orleans may have a bit of an advantage throwing the ball deep here. Taking the points is a bit tempting.
Tampa Bay - Big emotional win @ Philly; "blockfest" vs tough Carolina D. Bye week next.
Atlanta - Finally found a way to pull away from the Cowboys; blew a big lead and lost to Washington. @ Carolina next.
My take - LARGE advantage to Tampa Bay here I think. 1) Championship team off a loss to a (perceived) far-inferior team. Bucs don't like to be shown up; 2) Bucs on a bye, this is the only game they will have on their minds; 3) This should be by far the weakest defence the Bucs have faced all year; 4) Bucs may have been guilty of taking Carolina for granted last week, on a short week, after playing a team that has become a huge rival; 5) Vick's loss should finally be felt here. I'm a believer a team over-performs and pulls together for a game or two after losing their star. But over time, they cannot sustain that level of play without him. They've had 2 games without him now; 6) This is easily the best defence the Falcons have faced this year. Dallas was able to give Atlanta trouble for a while...TB should give them more; 7) How do the Falcons respond to gagging last week? Usually a choke like that has a detrimental effect on a team. All factors point to TB in my opinion.
Kansas City - Coasted to easy home wins vs SD and Pitt. @ Balt next.
Houston - Huge upset win @ Miami, followed up by somewhat lame effort @ New Orleans. Vs Jax next
My take - I think Houston has the edge here. Lots of hype about how good KC is (and I believe most of it!), but I am not sure this is the best spot for them here. Taking their act on the road for the first time, against arguably the best defence they have faced yet. Have to cover more than a TD. Houston on the other hand, I think they are a work in progress. Being at home in front of those rabid fans should help, unless KC silences them early. Looks like a team that KC could overlook. To top it off, I am still not sure about KC's D. After playing @ Mia and @ NO, this may be the softest D the Texans have seen yet...(debateable).
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