Another Case Of Deja Vu

We’ve seen this before. The Arizona Cardinals last season had a 6-3 start, but finished the season with an 8-8 record. Now I’m not saying they are going to have that kind of a fall again, but they are starting the season as one of the best teams in the league. One factor is due to the defense and its health. Chandler Jones was lost early in the season in 2020. He’s been a huge factor in their 4-0 start this year. The offense is humming as expected and they haven’t seen a big game from WR DeAndre Hopkins yet. His Week 1 performance has been his best so far this season. I’m only cautioning the expectations for now. We need to see them keep this up in November and December.

Playing With A Chip On Their Shoulder

There’s something different about the Buffalo Bills this season. It isn’t that they’ve had two shutouts against mediocre teams. It isn’t that they’ve scored 35 or more points in every game since their Week 1 loss at home to the Pittsburgh Steelers. What’s different about them is that their confidence hasn’t wained one bit since that Week 1 loss. They’ve actually gotten more confident. To the point where that loss actually helped them. This could prove valuable as they head to Kansas City for a Sunday night AFC Championship game rematch. Buffalo is a scary good team right now and they know it.

So Week 1 Was A Fluke Then?

I don’t know what to believe with the New Orleans Saints this year. Was their Week 1 win against Green Bay them at their best? Did their performance at home against the New York Giants this last week show what’s to come the rest of the season? With the Carolina Panthers having a solid start to the season, it’s added a new wrinkle to the NFC South. There are now three teams with playoff aspirations right now. There are still plenty of games left, but the Saints have already lost one game to Carolina and still have Tampa Bay to contend with. They need to fix their flaws quickly or it will be a .500 season at best.