(TheUltimateSportsBlog.com)
Fresh out of the week three oven, here are your NFL hot takes.
1. Josh Norman is a Top 5 Cornerback
Cornerback is one of the toughest positions in the NFL to actually rate. They don’t rack up sacks or tackles for losses, they don’t make a ton of big hits, and 70-80% of the game is played away from them. Most great cornerbacks are considered great because they shutdown the top receiver on the other team and come up with timely interceptions.
That’s what Carolina’s Josh Norman has done in the first three weeks.
On Sunday, with the Saints driving for the potential game winning touchdown, Norman made a catch that everyone would still be talking about today had a wide receiver made it. He went full extension in the air and snatched the ball with two hands, keeping control as the receiver tried to finger it away, and maintaining control as he hit the ground. The interception sealed the game for the Panthers.
Norman now has two interceptions, one a pick six, and a forced fumble on the season.
When people tell you the top cornerbacks in the league, they’ll likely name Richard Sherman, Darrelle Revis, and Aqib Talib. The other two spots in the top five are up for debate. I’m here to tell you that Josh Norman belongs in one of those two spots. He started coming into his own at the end of last season and now he’s become a bonafide shutdown corner who can make the big play. He hasn’t been matched up with a true #1 wide receiver this year, but when that happens, my money is on Norman to keep that receiver in line.
2. The Cincinnati Bengals will win the AFC North
So this is going out on too much of a limb given that the Baltimore Ravens are 0-3, the Pittsburgh Steelers just lost Ben Roethlisberger for a month, and the Browns are the Browns.
I’m all in on the Bengals right now. Their defense is playing great, AJ Green is healthy, and Andy Dalton is no longer the worst ginger quarterback in the league. In previous years, they definitely would’ve lost Sunday’s game against Baltimore. But this Bengals team is different. This is a team with something to prove with a core that has been intact ever since they drafted Dalton five years ago.
I still don’t know if I trust them in the playoffs. After all, Marvin Lewis is still Marvin Lewis, but, barring injury, they should win the division and be able to try and get the playoff monkey off their back at home.
3. Seahawks, Colts, Eagles and Giants avoid 0-3 holes
Those four teams were expected to be playoff contenders this year and those four teams came into the week without a win. All of them avoided a 0-3 hole, but are they still considered contenders?
The Seahawks roughed up a terrible Bears team, missing their quarterback and top receiver, at home. This didn’t prove a whole lot to me, but there were a couple of positives. First, they got Kam Chancellor back on defense. He makes their secondary a lot better and takes pressure off of Richard Sherman. Second, they finally got Jimmy Graham involved in the offense. It was like a personal mission for Russell Wilson to make sure that Graham got the damn ball this week. That said, Marshawn Lynch is banged up and they still have to win on the road to prove how good they are. Week five at Cincinnati will be a big test for them.
The Colts were a little too happy on Sunday for my liking. They held on to beat a mediocre Titans team by two points and celebrated like they had just won the Super Bowl. I know that they were 0-2 and Chuck Pagano is coaching for his job, but they’ve always beat up on division opponents, so why was this win that much bigger? Their defense still sucks and Andrew Luck is still turning the ball over way too much. I’m not sold on the Colts.
The Eagles beat a good Jets team on the road, but that offense still isn’t clicking. They were helped out by Ryan Fitzpatrick turning the ball over three times and Brandon Marshall trying one of the dumbest plays in history, lateraling the ball to no one as he was going down. Sam Bradford continues to look horrible and Ryan Matthews contributed in the run game, but they aren’t paying him $40 million, so he’ll be the back-up once DeMarco Murray is healthy. I still think the Eagles are threats, but they need to make a statement against Washington this weekend.
The Giants might be in the best position of all the 1-2 contenders thanks in large part to the NFC East being a mess. That division is 100% up for grabs with the Cowboys losing Tony Romo, the Redskins not being good, and the Eagles struggling. The Giants have the best quarterback and best coach in the division, and sometimes that’s enough.
4. New England Patriots won’t go Undefeated
Right now the talk is that the New England Patriots will go undefeated. It started with Rodney Harrison and was echoed by Peter King and people on ESPN. It’s pretty premature considering that the team is 3-0 and there are still 13 games remaining. And I’m here to tell you that it shouldn’t even be a discussion.
Right now the Patriots look great, but they’ve only played one road game and have a couple of tough non-divisional games remaining. Plus, they’re in a very tough AFC East and they always get the other teams best shot. The Dolphins and the Jets always play them tough and Rex Ryan relishes the chance to coach against Bill Belichick, even though it usually ends bad for him.
Tom Brady is the best quarterback in history, Bill Belichick is one of the best coaches and I know that THEY’RE STILL PISSED OFF, but this team won’t go undefeated. They’ll still win the Super Bowl.
5. Let’s Talk About Arizona
Aside from the Patriots, the Cardinals might be the best team in the league. Granted, they’ve played three of the worst teams in the league, but none of those games have been competitive. They have the highest scoring offense and a top five defense. As long as Carson Palmer is healthy, this team is in very good shape. Larry Fitzgerald is playing like the Larry Fitzgerald of old, Chris Johnson is running hard and fast for the first time in forever, and the defense is very opportunistic.
The Rams defense will be a tough test for them this week, but if they’re able to score at least 21 points, their defense should have no problem shutting down the Rams poor offense.
Honestly, the Cardinals might not be challenged until they go to Seattle in week 10.
Quick Takes
*PANTHERS 3-0!!!!! Once again, they faced another terrible quarterback in Luke McCown, who had a really strong day until the Josh Norman interception, but a win is a win. Cam Newton has been spectacular this season. I know he has his detractors, but he is the offense in Carolina. They have a poor receiving core outside of tight end Greg Olsen, Jonathan Stewart isn’t running the ball well, and the offensive line isn’t great. Yet somehow they’re able to score enough points to win games.
*In other Panthers news, they traded for Jared Allen. Allen isn’t what he used to be, but he can’t be as bad as the Panthers front four was on Sunday. Now we just need to bring Steve Smith back at the trade deadline.
*Can we please fix this “completing the catch” nonsense? Tyler Eifert was robbed of a touchdown because the rule is stupid and made up on the spot. Maybe Roger Goddell should put more resources into making the game better and less complicated and less resources into trying to ruin the Patriots.
*Are the Packers REALLY PISSED OFF or are they just a good football team?
*The Dolphins need to blow up their entire coaching staff. They made a lot of good moves in the offseason, but it’s obvious that Joe Philbin is a mediocre at best head coach.
*Can we please have Johnny Manziel back in our lives?
*I was a fan of Derek Carr last season, he just had no help on offense. Now that they’ve given the ball to Latavius Murray and he has Amari Cooper to throw to, you’re seeing just how good he is. The Raiders won’t compete this year, but they could be in the playoff mix next season.
*Everyone can now exit the Chargers bandwagon.
*Remember when people thought Colin Kaepernick was a top five quarterback and not a product of Jim Harbaugh’s system?
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