National Football Post Reacts to Bloguin Week 3 NFL

You said last week, that if the Jets won this week you would jump on the bandwagon. Is this the case or are you still thinking they'll crash back to earth?

A: There isn’t one negative thing that can be said about the Jets right now.  They’ve won three big games with a rookie quarterback and a great defense.  The key to the win over Tennessee was their ability to force turnovers.  They made the Titans cough it up four times and cashed in for a total of 14 points.

I’d actually have them ranked about the Vikings right now.

Given that Sanchez is 3-0, Stafford got a win for the Lions, and that Ryan and Flacco are having great second years, do you think there is strong evidence that supports starting rookie qb's earlier in their career?

A: It’s tough to say no.  Head coaches used to wait a few weeks before starting rookie QBs rather than throw them to the wolves in fear of rattling their confidence.  The key is to let the quarterback know that they are the starter no matter what.  The four quarterbacks you mentioned have done an excellent job of preparing themselves and learning how to take what the defense gives them.

Looking at the teams at the bottom of the rankings (Rams and Browns), do you foresee these teams drafting a QB in round 1 next year (McCoy or Bradford)? If you are Oakland when do you start to give up on JaMarcus Russell?

A: Cleveland and St. Louis never should have passed on Sanchez, so I think you will see both of these teams going after quarterbacks next year.

Oakland is an enigma.  The organization is not run the way most front offices are.  Think about it.  The Raiders got rid of Jeff Garcia because they didn’t want the fans booing Russell and calling for his replacement.  They are a mess right now and you never know what they are going to do.  Unless there is a QB coming out next year that can run a 4.3, look for them to make yet another mistake.

Teams 10-15 were a logjam in terms of how close their rankings were. How would rank those teams? Who makes and misses the playoffs out of that bunch?

A: I’d rank them as follows:

San Diego (Division winner, playoffs)

Cincinnati (No playoffs)

Chicago (Wildcard, playoffs)

San Francisco (Division winner, playoffs)

Green Bay (No playoffs)

Dallas (No playoffs)

This is a tough group to rank but the Chargers are the best of the bunch.  They are difficult to defend against and they can play enough defense to win games.  The Bengals are balling right now and I think they will contend right up until the end, but they won’t be better than the Ravens and will likely miss out on a wild card.  The Bears are going to get better as the year goes on.  I love Green Bay’s offense, but the defense and o-line are suspect.  Watch how Minnesota’s front-four manhandles them on Monday night.

There isn’t much about the Cowboys that impresses me.  They let the Giants come into their house and get a win and they couldn’t bury a mediocre Carolina team.

San Francisco is playing inspired, physical football.  They should be 3-0 right now.

If you were buying low and selling high, what teams would buy and sell this week?

A: I’d buy the Steelers at No. 16.  They deserve to be ranked there, but they will come back up the boards, especially when they get Polamalu back.

It’s tough to find a team to sell this week, but if I have to pick, I’ll go with the Vikings at No.5.  A ranking that high indicates that they are a force in the NFL and will likely win at least one playoff game.  I see them folding late and getting bounced in the first round.  They should be 2-1, not 3-0.

Team most overrated in the rankings? Team most underrated in the rankings?

A: I think the Packers are overrated at No. 10 right now.  There are a few teams below them that they would have a tough time beating.  Their offensive line is going to hurt them this year.  Put on any tape of a Packers game this year and check out how often Rodgers is under pressure.  Not good.

The Bengals are underrated at No. 14.  This is a team that is playing well on both sides of the ball.  They are one fluke play from being 3-0.  Remember, they just knocked off the defending champs and went into Lambeau the week before and blasted the Packers.

There are 3 games pitting top ten teams against each other (Baltimore vs. NE,  Jets vs. Saints, Packers vs. Vikings) Who you got winning these big games?

A: All three of these games are going to be a real treat to watch.  I’m glad the Eagles are on the bye this weekend.  Since I don’t have to cover the game, I’ll be able to sit in front of a plasma with a cold beer and just enjoy.

My picks:

Saints over Jets:  Home field advantage will be huge for New Orleans.  Drew Brees has the best QB rating in the NFL right now against the blitz. The No. 1 blitzing team in the league? The New York Jets.

Vikings over Packers:  As I mentioned above, the Packers offensive line will not be able to protect Rodgers enough in this one.  Minnesota is very physical and tough to block up front.

Pats over Ravens:  I love the Ravens this year, but I never pick against the Hoodie.  He is so good at taking away what teams do best.  Last week the Patriots took Tony G and Roddy White completely off the map.  New England forces you to play left-handed.

Are the 0-3 teams pretty much done playoff wise? Do we pencil in the 3-0 teams into the playoffs?

A: No and No.  However, the 0-3 teams will have a tougher time coming back then the 3-0 teams will have blowing it.  The top five in the power rankings are all going to the playoffs.  I wouldn’t pencil in the Jets just yet, but they deserve a hell of a lot of credit for what they are doing.