NFL Surprises and Disappointments this season

In My Humble Opinion
1

This is inspired by a poll question about the year’s biggest disappointment that was on ESPN last night.

Disappointments
[ul]
[li]The Jacksonville Jaguars – a team that were it not for their Tennessee Titans stumbling block would have probably made it to the Super Bowl last season. This season, they’ll be lucky to go .500.[/li][li]Mike Holmgren – It might just be me, but wasn’t he actually supposed to IMPROVE the team?[/li][li]Tampa Bay – After signing the Mouth with Legs, one would think their offense would have gotten a much-needed boost. It hasn’t happened.[/li][/ul]

Surprises
[ul]
[li]Daunte Culpepper – who the hell saw THAT coming?[/li][li]Corey Dillon breaking Walter Payton’s single-game rushing record – nuff said.[/li][li]The Oakland Raiders – how the hell do they keep winning?[/li][li]Mike Anderson – I’m thinking my grandma could get a 100-yard game or two if she played for Denver.[/li][li]Ricky Williams finally turning it on – and it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.[/li][/ul]

Any additions?

2

Quick question: How do you figure Ricky Williams to be a nice guy? Everything I’ve heard has been the opposite. I remember that last year he said he wouldn’t even consider voting for Ron Dayne for Heisman, because he broke HIS record. Said he’d vote for Major Applewhite as a safety precaution.

3

And along the lines of the OP (gotta stop hijacking…):

Disappointing
Tony Banks - Everything I’d heard about this guy was good.
Chiefs running game - non-existant
Dallas - not that I feel bad that they suck…

Suprises
Kurt Warner not falling into a sophmore slump
Miami’s Defense - where’d this team come from?
Detroit’s Running game - whodathunk so soon after Barry left it would rebound so much?

Still not sure what to think
Dennis Miller - Wha-huh?

4

Disappointments[ul][li]Fred Taylor and Doresy Levens being slowed with injuries[/li][li]Alstot/Dunn not doing nearly what was expected of them.[/li][li]Troy Aikman’s demise (though I personally am not disappointed with the Cowboys losing).[/li][li]The Rams defense getting almost as bad as their offense is good.[/li][li]The Bears, who some expected to be a sleeper team, falling on their faces.[/ul]Surprises[/li][ul][li]Tiki Barber and Ron Dayne becoming the best backfield in the NFL, supplanting the aforementioned Alstot/Dunn combo.[/li][li]The Rams offense getting better.[/li][li]The Vikings were the last team to lose a game.[/li][li]The Jets emerging as a legitimate Superbowl contender.[/ul][/li]__________________
Yer pal,
Satan

*I HAVE BEEN SMOKE-FREE FOR:
Six months, three weeks, one day, 20 hours, 4 minutes and 44 seconds.
8233 cigarettes not smoked, saving $1,029.18.
Extra life with Drain Bead: 4 weeks, 14 hours, 5 minutes.

David B used me as a cite!*

5

I’m pleased that the San Diego Chargers are still in the running to be the first team ever to go 0-16 in a season (Tampa Bay’s winless season was during the time when seasons only lasted 14 games, right?). I don’t hate the Chargers, but it would be neato to see it happen.

6

Totally agreed. I think Zach Thomas is working himself into a potential NFL Defensive MVP. They were on pace for all kind of defensive records this year, until he got hurt,and started missing games, and limping through others.

7

AFC East - I don’t really see a lot of surprises here. Contrary to statements made above, the Dolphins defense was one of the best last year as well. I guess the biggest surprise, IMHO, is the Miami offense which is quietly becoming a good unit with a bunch of journeymen at all the skill positions.

AFC Central - As mentioned, it’s hard to believe the Jags have fallen so far so fast. I’m also surprised that the Steelers are 5-3 at this point, but I expect them to fade. Biggest surprise? The Ravens offense, I can’t believe Billick can’t find a way to get them into the end zone. (Dillon was a surprise too, but seeing how Sports Illustrated predicted that the record could fall at any time three days before it did, it lost some of the luster for me.)

AFC West - I don’t see a lot of surprises here either. The Raiders are doing better than I would have though, but they’re just winning the close ones that they lost last year. Mike Anderson doesn’t surprise considering Olandis Gary came out of no where last year. As for the Chargers, it’s almost as tough to go 0-16 as it is 16-0 – I expect them to hang an upset on someone here pretty soon.

NFC East - The Giants at 6-2 are doing a little better than I thought they would, otherwise this division is pretty much right on par.

NFC Central - As mentioned above, Culpepper stepping right in to the Viking offense and, IMHO, making it better is a surprise. Tampa Bay’s current standing is disappointing, but this is about where they were this time last year, so it maight turn around in a hurry. I thought Chicago would be a better team this year, but it’s not happening.

NFC West - Not too surprising. Perhaps the biggest surprise is Faulk heading towards the TD’s in a season record (surprising because everyone scores on that offense, so you’d expect their wouldn’t be enough for one person to break the record). Also, I expected improvement from the Saints, but they’re looking like a playoff team at this point.

8

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Satan *
[li]The Bears, who some expected to be a sleeper team, falling on their faces…[/li][/QUOTE]

Shhhhhh…
They are sleeping. In fact, they’re in hibernation

9

How about last Monday night’s game. Jets v Miami, the longest Moday night game ever and the Jets scoring 30 points in one quater against one of the better defenses in the league. I live in the UK so I had to tape the game still have not seen the OT (they could not show it all live and so had to save it for this week).

As for disappointments, Tampa Bay must rank up there at the top. A team I like just aren’t firing. With the offensive potential and a defense including Warren Sapp, they should be better than 4-4 imho.

Rick

10

It’s not so much that the record was broken, it’s WHO did it. A Bengal?

11

Quick question: How do you figure Ricky Williams to be a nice guy? Everything I’ve heard has been the opposite. I remember that last year he said he wouldn’t even consider voting for Ron Dayne for Heisman, because he broke HIS record. Said he’d vote for Major Applewhite as a safety precaution.
=-=-=-=-=-

Williams isn’t a bad guy, although I feel he was painted as such last year and this off-season. What I heard happened with Dayne was this: Dayne asks him, “Are you going to be there when I break your record?” Williams responds, “Nah. I’m going to be in the pros.” Kind of funny, really; if some cocky junior was trying to big-time me over a record I set in college a year ago I’d probably respond the same way. As for Applewhite… they were team-mates so I can’t fault him there. Heisman voting usually looks like it takes place in the Bizarro dimension anyway.

After posing in that wedding dress (and getting hammered for it) and the character assassination that SI did on him, it’s good to see Ricky Williams have a solid year, knock off some of the goofy stuff he pulled last season and bond with his team-mates and the fans. The way he’s been playing for us this year, he’s been worth every pick.
Surprises:
– The high quality of the MNF games
– The lack of any impact offensive rookies so far
– The play of Derrick Alexander, Joe Horn and Brian Griese

Disappointments:
– The Jags playing awful ball and being on national TV every week
– Phil Luckett’s officiating crew (again)
– The play of Tony Banks, Curtis Enis and Carl Pickens

12

Very disappointing: Wade Phillips let Rob Johnson struggle along as Buffalo’s starting QB until an injury took him out. I never like to see a player get injured, but it’s a miracle it didn’t happen sooner. Having to watch Johnson’s “deer in the headlights” approach to football was giving me an ulcer.

Somewhat surprising: Dan Snyder’s aggressive spending and signing of free agents hasn’t resulted in a real powerhouse team (yet. I suppose it could still come together for the Skins).

13

Are you a Bills fan, delphica? That would be neat – I’m one of only two vocal Bills fans on the board.

And I totally agree with you. When Flutie was still injured, I was always deathly afraid of watching Rob Johnson go down. Every time he was sacked, I kept thinking “Alex Van Pelt” over and over. Not pretty.
Oh, and that was a great post, Holy Avenger! I forgot about the MNF nail-biters, and I’d not thought about the rookie play yet.

14

Drain - good list; but Corey Dillon has two of the top five all-time single-game rushing marks in NFL history, including the all-time mark for rookies. He hadn’t done anything outstanding like that lately, but the possibility had been there. He is so out of Cincinnati after this season as a free agent, and if he signs with a good team that could use a good RB, he will post ridiculous stats.

Everybody has listed most of the stuff I would have, so some of my stuff will be reiteration.

SURPRISES

Minnesota You figured they’d be a pretty good team with the skill players they have. But with Culpepper at QB; two key losses on the O-line via free agency and a defense that was supposed to be underwhelming, who thought they’d have the best record in the NFL at mid-season? Will Dennis Green ever get props as one of the best coaches in the game? What’s the guy have to do?

New York, New York The Giants had shown signs of coming back to earth, until their convincing thumping of Philly. But both Meadowlands tenants have exceeded expectations, even with people thinking the Jets would be pretty good.

Charlie Garner and Jeff Garcia have been saving my bacon all fantasy season long in my two leagues. Another coup from the fantasy free-agent scrap heap for Milo! They are poised to take the 49ers back to being a playoff force in seasons to come, if they get some help around them. (And if the NFL doesn’t give the 'Niners a Timberwolves/Joe Smith-like penalty for Carmen Policy’s salary cap malfeasance.)

Ricky Williams and the Saints Defense I thought Ricky Williams was poised to be another Rasham Salaam. Good for him that he’s proving me and many others wrong. And where the hell did the Saints get the Number One D in the NFL? I defy you to name three starters on it off the top of your head.

The Raiders. People laughed when they took a kicker and punter at the top of the draft. And the kicker, Mr. Date-Rape Drug, is actually not doing all that great, either. But they’re still arguably ruling the AFC along with Tennessee and, maybe, Indy.

Break up the … Steelers? 5-0 after an 0-3 start? Who saw this coming? And they still don’t have their QB situation figured out.
DISAPPOINTMENTS

Jaguars become Yugos This has been adequately covered. And I’d like to add that Mark Brunell is making every week in my fantasy league a challenge.

Tony Banks, and the Ravens scoring as often as me Hey, I always thought Banks was mediocre. But when you suck as bad as he has, you deserve mention as one of the NFL’s great disappointments. And the Ravens answer to turn things around is Trent Dilfer? Maybe they can work a trade with the Bungles and get Scott Mitchell, too. snicker

Keyshawn and the Bucs. Just give me the damn win! I profoundly dislike this team, though I can’t place my finger on why, exactly. I revel in their misfortune.

NFL quarterbacks in general Who’s putting up the big numbers? Warner was. And Garcia kind of is. And then there’s … um … WTF?

15

**Major disappointment **

Barry Sanders not coming out of retirement.

Pleasant surprise

Jeff García

16

Yep, big time Bills fan here, Buffalo born and bred, although I no longer live in Western NY. I actually like Van Pelt for keeping things steady in the 4th quarter if need be. He knows the players, and the O line will protect him (they seem to have little or no interest in Johnson, which is not good football on anyone’s part, but I’ve already rambled too far off topic). But I agree I was nervous as heck when Flutie was injured since Johnson seems a bit on the fragile side. I’m hoping last weekend’s win over the Jets wasn’t just a fluke, and that the team is hitting some sort of stride that will enable them to cope with the second half of this season.

I’m curious, who’s the other Bills fan?

17

SUPRISED! Not one NFL player has killed anyone at a drunken crack party yet this year! Too bad so much glory and attention is paid to these angry idiots evry sunday! Don’t the crazy dressed people know holloween is is only once a year. The circus of the new melinum I guess.

18

Disappointments:
The Bears–particularly their offense.
The Rams defense–What the hell happened to it? They were pretty good last year and didn’t lose that many players.
The Bucs–particularly Keyshawn.
The Jaguars–though some of this was foreseeable in the preseason when so many of their players got hurt
Ricky Dudley–bum

Surprises:
Culpepper–knew he was talented, but didn’t expect him to do so well this soon
Tiki Barber–why the hell couldn’t he have played like this when I owned him in a fantasy league years ago? Then again, Wheatley was a dog for me, too. What is it with Giant running backs?
The Jets–I thought the loss of Parcells would hurt
The Raiders–I’d heard they’d improved, but not this much
Jeff Garcia–so much for Giovanni Carmazzi
Warren Moon–that he’s still around
Lamar Smith–another RB that was a stiff when I owned him in my fantasy league

19

Why is Tony Banks a surprise? He always sucked for the Rams, now he sucks for the Ravens.

Likewise, Miami’s defense was tough last year, too. Their OFFENSE is the surprise.

20

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Drain Bead *
**

Well, Dillon’s always had that big play potential, as mentioned he has the rookie single game record at 246 yards. More surprising about him breaking the record, IMHO, was that he did it against the Broncos who at the time were allowing less than 70 yards per game on the ground, and he did it with no support of a passing game (2 passes completed for about 34 yards).