What We Learned After Week 4 in the NFL

Drew Brees has something to say to all you Peyton Manning and Tom Brady supporters

     Week 4 was a wake up call for the public along with the NFL. This league is filled with professional athletes and great coaches who know how to overcome adversity along with adapting to a new "game." Teams have been very consistent for the most part in showing their weaknesses game by game, and after Week 4 we have no reason to believe that our favorite team is going to beat an opponent that it doesn't match up well with. No longer are we stuck with the "luck" game and saying that NFL contests are coming down to penalties, or who can kick the most 4th quarter field goals. Things are becoming very clear for the most part and it is clear as day which franchises know what they are doing on Sundays. With that said, here are the most intriguing story lines from each game played thus far:

AFC East

Tom Brady's rookie receivers are getting better each week

• The Patriots are getting better on offense as everyone expected. When Tom Brady has these young receivers in sync, you can expect a very dangerous team down the road
• Buffalo is riddled with injuries and it is showing. This team gives up too many big plays and doesn't provide enough. If it weren't for Joe Flacco playing so bad yesterday then Buffalo would have lost at home. They look like the 7-9 or 8-8 team I predicted before the pre-season started
• Geno Smith is still better than EJ Manuel. His overall skill set may not show now, but he has the winning mentality that most QB's in the NFL don't have. When Smith stops turning the ball over more than once a game and develops accuracy over the course of this season, the Jets will take off as long as the defense stays healthy. 9-7 is no longer a bold record prediction for New York
• Ryan Tanehill is exceeding everyone's expectations by leading his Dolphins to a 3-0 start. If they can stay healthy for 16 games on offense, this team is certainly in line to compete for a division title with the Patriots. Miami's defense is suffocating and although they gave up plenty of big plays to Atlanta, they did not break at the end of the game. The Dolphins are in store for a surprising season even though I see them losing to New Orleans tonight.

Joe Haden has become a shutdown corner for Cleveland

AFC North

• Cleveland's front office knows what they are doing. We have to trust GM Michael Lombardi and President Joe Banner based off results. They made a trade, trusted their 3rd string QB to start and have gone 2-0 against teams that they were NOT supposed to beat. What a front office, seriously.
• Baltimore has reason to worry. They have looked abysmal on the road not just in Denver, but Buffalo. When Joe Flacco stops playing like Jay Cutler and Ray Rice gets healthy then Baltimore should make a wild-card  run into the playoffs.
• As I said before the season, Andy Dalton is not going to take the Bengals to the Super Bowl. He barely had Cincinnati at .500 and I still believe they should have lost against the Packers last week. The Bengals might win this "average" division but they still look a team that won't win a post-season battle.
• Oh my goodness. Mike Tomlin what in the world has happened to your team? I falsely predicted the Steelers to win the division and now see how bad they really are. Warren Sapp was right...this team's defense is old and slow. There was absolutely no excuse for giving up all those yards to the 0-3 Minnesota Vikings. Tomlin is officially on the hot seat.

AFC South

JJ Watt showed you just how tough he is against the Seahawks last week

• Jacksonville is giving out a voucher for 2 free beers if you attend their home games. Holy cow they suck
• The Colts look like a team on a mission after losing to the Dolphins in Week 2. They are more physical and seem to be a threat to the Texans in this division. Chuck Pagano is one of the best coaches in the league and Andrew Luck is living up to his #1 draft pick status.
• Wait a second, the Titans are 3-1 and tied with the Colts at the top of the AFC South. So why aren't they getting the credit they deserve for this fast start? Because Ryan Fitzpatrick is about to start, and I predicted Jake Locker getting hurt this year before the season started. Tennessee has an excellent defense but every other aspect of their team looks average.
• Houston has a problem on its hands with Matt Schaub throwing pick 6's like it's his job. One of the best passers in the NFL has to show consistency and stop looking like a rookie at times. Houston should be 3-1 and the blame has to be pointed at their QB. However, TJ Yates is not the answer and Gary Kubiak knows it. It looks like the Texans won't make the Super Bowl after all.

Who thought the Broncos would be this dominant without Von Miller?

AFC West

• Peyton Manning is the best player in the NFL this year, hands down. I know that there are 12 games left in the season, but I have to agree with the analysts of NFL Network in their assessment of Manning. He looks better than Tom Brady did when the Pats went 16-0 and that is saying A LOT! Denver's D is still giving up 20 points a game but it doesn't matter as long as the offense can score at will. They MIGHT lose two games this year.
• Boy do the Chiefs have a good defense. Every week it seems like we are mentioning how good their defense is more and more, while the offense is getting better every week. Alex Smith may not be exciting but he is just what the Chiefs needed this year: a quarterback who doesn't get sacked 10 times and throws 2 interceptions per game.
• Oakland's Matt Flynn needs to be released. I don't know what Seattle or the Raiders saw in him to offer those big contracts, but he is not the person you want leading your team in today's NFL. And now the the inevitable injury big has bitten Darren McFadden it's time for the running game to get worse. Add that with the fact that Marcel Reese is hobbled with a knee injury and you can expect Oakland to go nowhere but downhill from here.
• San Diego should be 4-0 but they are 2-2 instead. What they do look like is a team that could earn a wild-card berth and surprise a good team in the playoffs. Antonio Gates and Philip Rivers must have both drank from the fountain of youth, as they look more fresh than any players on the field. The Chargers D is a little shaky but it should be enough to get 8-9 wins this season.

Justin Smith is the best D-Lineman in the NFC West

NFC West

• The St. Louis Rams might be the worst team in football. When the Jaguars come to town next week, I expect a dogfight in what should be a great match-up between two horrific franchises. The Rams have no running game whatsoever and when it's time to rely on the pass, Sam Bradford won't throw the ball further than 6 yards down the field. It doesn't help that St. Louis' defense isn't playing anywhere near the level they performed on last year. You might start to see the heads start rolling if the Rams lose to the Jags next Sunday.
• San Francisco is about to get back on track very soon. Even though Colin Kaepernick doesn't appear to be as dominant as he was last year, it's because of that "oh so real" sophomore slump. Remember, this is only his 2nd year starting and he didn't even start every game last year. Aldon Smith is absent and Patrick Willis continues to fight injuries this year, but that's not stopping their dominant defense. Just one look at the dominance that Justin Smith is once again establishing will show you how serious the 49ers really are.
• Seattle continues to go through their opponents with solid defense and a great quarterback. I can't say enough about Russell Wilson, seriously. Even though he had a down game against the Texans last week, that is to be expected from a 2nd year QB on the road...especially against a defense like Houston's. This team is on a roll and they will steam roll any opponent that doesn't show toughness
• Arizona barely squeaked by Tampa on the road for their 2nd win of the season but they are a much better team than that. Andre Ellington is starting to show people why Mike Mayock gave him a 2nd round grade while Rashard Mendenhall continues to be unimpressive, and the Cardinals get back their best defensive player on Sunday. You think that Pro Bowler Daryl Washington won't make Arizona that much better? You have another thing coming...

David Wilson is NOT the answer at RB for New York

NFC East

•  Dallas is so lucky that the division is awful this year. They couldn't beat Kansas City or San Diego on the road, which means they aren't ready to win a playoff game this year. I know it's early in the season, but there is something to be said about a team that can't win on the road with that much talent. Instead of expecting Dallas to put it all together, you can expect the Cowboys to stay average all season and win an atrocious division.
• Finally, the Redskins got a victory. The problem...it was against a team that allowed 7 sacks, 2 fumbles and a pick six. Don't expect the Skins to win another game on the road unless they are playing a division opponent. And it's not RGIII's fault. It's on the defense. As a result, expect Jim Haslett to be fired on Black Monday
• Boy does Chip Kelly have a good offense. Who knew that Michal Vick and the Eagles would look this good offensively and be SO bad on defense. It's almost like watching the Philadelphia's team last year, except their offensive stars are healthy. Philly's 2014 1st round pick might be an offensive player but hopefully their last 6 picks are on the defensive side of the ball...sheesh
• Tom Coughlin, what in the heck is going on within the Giants locker room? Coughlin always has been and always will be a great coach on the NFL level, so that tells you that there is a serious lack of talent and depth on the Giants roster. The two main problems with the Giants just so happen to be the keys to being successful in the NFL. Running the football and rushing the passer. Does this sound like any NY Giants team you have seen take the field??? Absolutely not. 

Luke Kuechly finally has help on the Panthers "now elite" defense

NFC South

• Carolina has one of the best front 7's in the NFL and you can thank their coach for that. Ron Rivera has always been known to keep great defenses, and it's great to see the Panthers D be so dominant. Now, it's up to Cam Newton to show some consistency on the offensive side of the ball. Even Newton is aware that the key to Carolina being successful depends on his level of play. It's time to step up or shut up, Cam.
• New Orleans is the team that I predicted them to be before the season started, except they have a MUCH better defense. Rob Ryan's talented defense has allowed Sean Payton and Drew Brees to step on the gas against their opponents, forcing them to play catch up all game. This is just what the doctor ordered for New Orleans fans. Who Dat?! Who Dat?! Who Dat say they gona beat them Saints?! LOL I couldn't help myself
• Tampa Bay's record is a direct reflection of how good Greg Schiano's coaching style fits in the NFL. NOT AT ALL. Although this methodology might work in college, it is proven not to work in the pros. There's a difference in being tough and hiding the fact that you didn't know what the heck you were getting into after getting a head coaching job in the NFL. Bucs, please fire your head coach. As good as the defense is, the fans don't deserve to put up with losing this many games in a row dating back to last season
• The Atlanta Falcons are 1-3. Huh? The same Falcons who had a big lead on the 49ers in the NFC Championship last season AT HOME?! Yes. The same Falcons. They carry the same bad defense and average run game that made them beatable last year. You think teams watched a lot of tape of the Seattle and 49ers games that the Falcons played in? You bet...

Nick Fairley is finally living up to his draft status

NFC North

• To be honest, I have never praised the Detroit Lions in my blog because they are my favorite team and that would be biased. And thanks to my passive writing about their season thus far, the Lions have cruised their way into a 3-1 record with dominant defense. Reggie Bush is helping more than anyone expected, but Detroit just simply dominates up front against other teams. Jim Schwartz experienced early success with the Lions 2 years ago so this isn't new territory for the head coach. And neither is losing 4 in a row. I'm holding judgement on Detroit until Week 12.
• Minnesota finally won a game and I believe it was because Christian Ponder wasn't the QB. I don't car what Leslie Frazier says about Ponder still being the starter. Matt Cassell gives this team the best chance to win now by far. Also, the defense looks worse than it has in 10 years. Time for Vikes to trade Adrian Peterson...just kidding.
• Green Bay started last season 2-2 so there is no reason to panic in Cheese Town. Aaron Rodgers is still the 3rd best QB in the NFL and Mike McCarthy is still a top 5 coach. I know that the Packers need to keep their running backs healthy to make a run at the Super Bowl, but I believe the depth will prove to be key in a playoff run this year. Look out NFC North, the Packers are about to get hot.
• Last Sunday Jay Cutler finally looked like, well...Jay Cutler. Now that he has gotten the monkey off his back and played a bad game, Chicago can finally live up to their realistic expectations. The Bears still possess a stout defense and enough play-makers on offense to cause teams headaches.  Last season I predicted 3 NFC North teams making the playoffs, and it's a shame that the Bears had to sit the post-season out with a 10-6 record. This year, I expect that to happen with the abysmal divisions in the rest of the NFC