Hostile
The Duke
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After every month of the NFL season, I'll be providing grades. Understand, these marks are based on how a team has performed, but still taking into consideration expectations going into the season, opponents they have played, etc.
It is not looking into the crystal ball for the future. It's a current status report.
Let's get to the good, bad, and the San Diego Chargers.
A+
New England — It's been an absolutely perfect quarter for Bill Belichick's boys. The Pats have beaten the Jets, Chargers, Bills and Bengals to a pulp. Tom Brady is the favorite for league MVP. Randy Moss has proven his critics (myself included) absolutely wrong with a dynamic first four games. Guys like Matt Light and the entire offensive line, Wes Welker, Sammy Morris, Ellis Hobbs and Jarvis Green have been outstanding.
Indianapolis — It's more than starting 4-0. It's the play of the offensive line with Tarik Glenn retired. It's Marlin Jackson and Tony Dungy's defense changing games with big hits and plays. It's Peyton Manning managing games brilliantly. It's Joseph Addai becoming a star. It's Dallas Clark dominating defenses. Starting off a season with New Orleans and Denver at home and road division games in Tennessee and Houston, I expected at least one loss. It's been an incredible quarter for the defending champs.
A
Dallas — The 4-0 Cowboys have really taken to Wade Phillips. Tony Romo is playing sensational football. Romo's rapport with Terrell Owens has made the duo unstoppable. Under Jason Garrett's leadership, Romo is using his tight end Jason Witten, who's en route to the Pro Bowl. Dallas' offensive line has been a pleasant surprise and the defense has improved every week. While Romo refused to call the Week 3 win in Chicago a "statement win," there is no question that by beating the defending NFC champs it validated the Cowboys as the conference's team to beat.
Green Bay — Brett Favre has stunned me with his precision. Behind a vastly improved offensive line, which received the game ball from after the big win against the Chargers, Favre's decision-making and fastball have been outstanding. He's actually back in the MVP conversation. And Favre's doing it without any kind of running game. The Packers' defense has flown around. Michael McCarthy leads first-quarter chatter for coach of the year for the way he preps his club and how he has coached up Favre.
Pittsburgh — Mike Tomlin's Steelers were flat-out flawless in the first three weeks. I can't criticize them for losing to a tough Arizona team on the road sans Hines Ward, especially after the way Pittsburgh simply pounded Cleveland, Buffalo and San Fran to start the season.
A-
Tennessee — I'd argue the best thing that happened to the Titans in the first quarter of the season was giving Jeff Fisher a contract extension. Vince Young, Keith Bulluck and Albert Haynesworth have carried Tennessee to a very impressive 2-1 start, with statement road wins against Jacksonville and New Orleans.
Seattle — In talking to Matt Hasselbeck on Monday, he couldn't stress enough how huge the win vs. division rival San Fran to improve to 3-1 on the season was. Their only loss was at Arizona, which doesn't look all that bad after Sunday. Hasselbeck, Deion Branch, Bobby Engram and Nate Burleson have done a really good job, as has the Seattle linebacker corps.
Tampa — Jon Gruden's club is an impressive 3-1, while physically dominating and humbling teams like New Orleans, St. Louis and Carolina. Monte Kiffin's defense, sparked by Barrett Ruud, is back to making game-changing plays. The hot start will come in handy now that the rock solid Luke Petitgout and Cadillac Williams are lost for the season.
Detroit — Lions defensive end Jared Devries agreed when we talked Monday that Detroit is winning games they wouldn't have won in the past. He gave Rod Marinelli all the credit for the 3-1 start. The play of the defensive line has been improved. Jon Kitna is the quintessential leader. Chalk up an impressive rebound game vs. the Bears after the Week 3 disaster in Philadelphia.
B+
Cleveland — I know, I know. I get the e-mails. I picked Cleveland to win three games. The Browns are arleady 2-2. And it's enormous to win games against division foes Cincinnati and Baltimore at home. The offensive line was strong against Baltimore, not allowing a sack. Derek Anderson has solidified the quarterback position, using Braylon Edwards amid a plethora of weapons. Rob Chudzinski has made a major difference as offensive coordinator. Can we please now take my guy Romeo Crennel off the hot seat? While the defense has been spotty, Leigh Bodden and Kamerion Wimbley have stepped up.
Arizona — Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson says the players knew how badly Ken Whisenhunt wanted to beat the Steelers. And they did it playing a Steelers brand of football: dominating in the trenches, stuffing the run, turning the opposition over, stoning the opposing offense on third down, and making key plays on offense. Arizona is 2-2, and could have easily been 4-0 with the new style. Wilson says the comeback on the road against Baltimore, even during a loss, gave this team confidence to build off of for the Steelers game.
B
Giants — Trailing 17-3 against the Commanders in Week 3, it all looked over. The game, the season and the Tom Coughlin era. But the Giants won that game as the defense tightened. Then it pounded Donovan McNabb with 12 sacks and improved to 2-2. Eli Manning, Derrick Ward and the Giants offensive line have been very impressive.
Oakland — How about Lane Kiffin! Players like Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard are gushing about his energy. Oakland has already equaled last year's win total. And the Raiders actually had great opportunities to be undefeated if they could've held on against Denver and Detroit. The run game and offensive line are better. The defense really needs to improve. And I picked Oakland to win three times in the first quarter.
B-
Houston — This team should be 3-1. The Texans had self-induced mistakes, costing the team the Atlanta game. Matt Schaub has been brilliant and has energized an entire organization and city.
C+
Kansas City — What do you know — they remember how to call and execute a forward pass in Kansas City! That was the key to both K.C.'s win against Minnesota and the stunner against San Diego. I've been incredibly impressed with the Kansas City defense since the Houston loss in Week 1.
C
Denver — For a team I picked to go to the playoffs, it's been a zany start. One last-second win, one OT victory thanks to a smart coach, one shocking home loss and a defeat in Indy. Travis Henry has been outstanding. The run defense has been the antithesis of outstanding.
Baltimore — This team is loaded with talent but hasn't looked the part in its 2-2 start. And in both wins (Jets and Cardinals), Brian Billick's team blew big leads. The Ravens were never in the Cleveland game. The Baltimore defense couldn't register one sack against the Browns. That's unacceptable for Baltimore, a squad that came in with legit Super Bowl aspirations. The Ravens can — and must — play much better.
San Francisco — This offense has just been horrendous. Mike Nolan's team beat Arizona and St. Louis on guts, guile and defense. You have to win your division home games and the Niners didn't in Week 4 versus the Seahawks.
C-
Carolina — Kris Jenkins is right. This team doesn't know how to deal with success. The Panthers are a maddening, inconsistent outfit. And let's be honest; they owe one of their two wins to DeAngelo Hall's meltdown.
Buffalo — The most snake-bit team in the NFL had a huge win over the Jets in Week 4 to finally catch a break. Trent Edwards looked outstanding, getting the ball to Lee Evans. Dick Jauron's team plays incredibly hard despite all the injuries and the tough schedule to start the season (Denver, Pittsburgh, New England).
Eagles — Sure this team is banged up. And that keeps us from giving the 1-3 Eagles a worse grade. As does the 50-point explosion on Detroit in Week 3. But the losses against Green Bay, Washington and the Giants showed unpredictable ineptitude in spots.
D
Atlanta — I am very impressed with Bobby Petrino and his staff under tough circumstances. Joey Harrington has really looked the part the past two weeks. That's coaching. Michael Jenkins and Roddy White have remembered they are first-round picks. That's coaching, Hue Jackson. The defense has made a lot of progress. That's coaching, Mike Zimmer.
Cincinnati — It's easy to talk about the Swiss cheese defense which was lit up like a Christmas tree during the Week 2 debacle in Cleveland. But how about the turnstile approach of the offensive line? Cincy's front five has given Carson Palmer no breathing room. And the club badly misses suspended Chris Henry.
Jets — They call him "Man-genius," but how smart is it not to run Thomas Jones against the 32nd-ranked run defense and not to pressure a rookie quarterback making his first NFL start? The New York defense has been poor in all four games, including in the win over Miami.
Minnesota — What exactly was Rick Spielman thinking about when he didn't bring in legit receivers this off-season? And Brad Childress — can you play Adrian Peterson on the final drive in Kansas City? Can you give Peterson more than 12 carries against Green Bay?
F
San Diego — There's good news for A.J. Smith. He has a healthy relationship with Norv Turner. I guess that's what matters in San Diego. But how do you lose at home to the Chiefs?
Chicago — Lovie Smith changed quarterbacks. But this team has bigger issues. Like Cedric Benson not even being a remotely adequate replacement for Thomas Jones. Or Bernard Berrian's hands. Or Ron Turner's play selection. Or the injuries to six signature defensive players. Other than that, it's been a good first quarter.
New Orleans — What's most alarming is the awful play of the offensive line, which was superb last season. The receivers haven't stepped up for Drew Brees and Reggie Bush has dropped two touchdown passes. The play of the defense has been disappointing.
Miami — This team stinks. How's that for analysis? Can you say it any differently or better?
St. Louis — Two losses at home to San Fran and Carolina? And that was when Steven Jackson was healthy? The Scott Linehan watch is officially on.
Incomplete
Washington — Joe Gibbs' team is 2-1. It could be 3-0. Or 1-2. Like a ref under the hood, I need more evidence. The win at Philadelphia was impressive. The blown loss, fueled by awful game management, to the Giants, was horrible. But Washington is much better than I thought during the preseason.
Jacksonville — The Jags looked bad in the loss to Tennessee when the Titans rammed the ball down their throats. Jacksonville didn't look the part in a win vs. Atlanta. David Garrard was clutch in a big win in Denver. I don't know what to think, yet.
It is not looking into the crystal ball for the future. It's a current status report.
Let's get to the good, bad, and the San Diego Chargers.
A+
New England — It's been an absolutely perfect quarter for Bill Belichick's boys. The Pats have beaten the Jets, Chargers, Bills and Bengals to a pulp. Tom Brady is the favorite for league MVP. Randy Moss has proven his critics (myself included) absolutely wrong with a dynamic first four games. Guys like Matt Light and the entire offensive line, Wes Welker, Sammy Morris, Ellis Hobbs and Jarvis Green have been outstanding.
Indianapolis — It's more than starting 4-0. It's the play of the offensive line with Tarik Glenn retired. It's Marlin Jackson and Tony Dungy's defense changing games with big hits and plays. It's Peyton Manning managing games brilliantly. It's Joseph Addai becoming a star. It's Dallas Clark dominating defenses. Starting off a season with New Orleans and Denver at home and road division games in Tennessee and Houston, I expected at least one loss. It's been an incredible quarter for the defending champs.
A
Dallas — The 4-0 Cowboys have really taken to Wade Phillips. Tony Romo is playing sensational football. Romo's rapport with Terrell Owens has made the duo unstoppable. Under Jason Garrett's leadership, Romo is using his tight end Jason Witten, who's en route to the Pro Bowl. Dallas' offensive line has been a pleasant surprise and the defense has improved every week. While Romo refused to call the Week 3 win in Chicago a "statement win," there is no question that by beating the defending NFC champs it validated the Cowboys as the conference's team to beat.
Green Bay — Brett Favre has stunned me with his precision. Behind a vastly improved offensive line, which received the game ball from after the big win against the Chargers, Favre's decision-making and fastball have been outstanding. He's actually back in the MVP conversation. And Favre's doing it without any kind of running game. The Packers' defense has flown around. Michael McCarthy leads first-quarter chatter for coach of the year for the way he preps his club and how he has coached up Favre.
Pittsburgh — Mike Tomlin's Steelers were flat-out flawless in the first three weeks. I can't criticize them for losing to a tough Arizona team on the road sans Hines Ward, especially after the way Pittsburgh simply pounded Cleveland, Buffalo and San Fran to start the season.
A-
Tennessee — I'd argue the best thing that happened to the Titans in the first quarter of the season was giving Jeff Fisher a contract extension. Vince Young, Keith Bulluck and Albert Haynesworth have carried Tennessee to a very impressive 2-1 start, with statement road wins against Jacksonville and New Orleans.
Seattle — In talking to Matt Hasselbeck on Monday, he couldn't stress enough how huge the win vs. division rival San Fran to improve to 3-1 on the season was. Their only loss was at Arizona, which doesn't look all that bad after Sunday. Hasselbeck, Deion Branch, Bobby Engram and Nate Burleson have done a really good job, as has the Seattle linebacker corps.
Tampa — Jon Gruden's club is an impressive 3-1, while physically dominating and humbling teams like New Orleans, St. Louis and Carolina. Monte Kiffin's defense, sparked by Barrett Ruud, is back to making game-changing plays. The hot start will come in handy now that the rock solid Luke Petitgout and Cadillac Williams are lost for the season.
Detroit — Lions defensive end Jared Devries agreed when we talked Monday that Detroit is winning games they wouldn't have won in the past. He gave Rod Marinelli all the credit for the 3-1 start. The play of the defensive line has been improved. Jon Kitna is the quintessential leader. Chalk up an impressive rebound game vs. the Bears after the Week 3 disaster in Philadelphia.
B+
Cleveland — I know, I know. I get the e-mails. I picked Cleveland to win three games. The Browns are arleady 2-2. And it's enormous to win games against division foes Cincinnati and Baltimore at home. The offensive line was strong against Baltimore, not allowing a sack. Derek Anderson has solidified the quarterback position, using Braylon Edwards amid a plethora of weapons. Rob Chudzinski has made a major difference as offensive coordinator. Can we please now take my guy Romeo Crennel off the hot seat? While the defense has been spotty, Leigh Bodden and Kamerion Wimbley have stepped up.
Arizona — Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson says the players knew how badly Ken Whisenhunt wanted to beat the Steelers. And they did it playing a Steelers brand of football: dominating in the trenches, stuffing the run, turning the opposition over, stoning the opposing offense on third down, and making key plays on offense. Arizona is 2-2, and could have easily been 4-0 with the new style. Wilson says the comeback on the road against Baltimore, even during a loss, gave this team confidence to build off of for the Steelers game.
B
Giants — Trailing 17-3 against the Commanders in Week 3, it all looked over. The game, the season and the Tom Coughlin era. But the Giants won that game as the defense tightened. Then it pounded Donovan McNabb with 12 sacks and improved to 2-2. Eli Manning, Derrick Ward and the Giants offensive line have been very impressive.
Oakland — How about Lane Kiffin! Players like Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard are gushing about his energy. Oakland has already equaled last year's win total. And the Raiders actually had great opportunities to be undefeated if they could've held on against Denver and Detroit. The run game and offensive line are better. The defense really needs to improve. And I picked Oakland to win three times in the first quarter.
B-
Houston — This team should be 3-1. The Texans had self-induced mistakes, costing the team the Atlanta game. Matt Schaub has been brilliant and has energized an entire organization and city.
C+
Kansas City — What do you know — they remember how to call and execute a forward pass in Kansas City! That was the key to both K.C.'s win against Minnesota and the stunner against San Diego. I've been incredibly impressed with the Kansas City defense since the Houston loss in Week 1.
C
Denver — For a team I picked to go to the playoffs, it's been a zany start. One last-second win, one OT victory thanks to a smart coach, one shocking home loss and a defeat in Indy. Travis Henry has been outstanding. The run defense has been the antithesis of outstanding.
Baltimore — This team is loaded with talent but hasn't looked the part in its 2-2 start. And in both wins (Jets and Cardinals), Brian Billick's team blew big leads. The Ravens were never in the Cleveland game. The Baltimore defense couldn't register one sack against the Browns. That's unacceptable for Baltimore, a squad that came in with legit Super Bowl aspirations. The Ravens can — and must — play much better.
San Francisco — This offense has just been horrendous. Mike Nolan's team beat Arizona and St. Louis on guts, guile and defense. You have to win your division home games and the Niners didn't in Week 4 versus the Seahawks.
C-
Carolina — Kris Jenkins is right. This team doesn't know how to deal with success. The Panthers are a maddening, inconsistent outfit. And let's be honest; they owe one of their two wins to DeAngelo Hall's meltdown.
Buffalo — The most snake-bit team in the NFL had a huge win over the Jets in Week 4 to finally catch a break. Trent Edwards looked outstanding, getting the ball to Lee Evans. Dick Jauron's team plays incredibly hard despite all the injuries and the tough schedule to start the season (Denver, Pittsburgh, New England).
Eagles — Sure this team is banged up. And that keeps us from giving the 1-3 Eagles a worse grade. As does the 50-point explosion on Detroit in Week 3. But the losses against Green Bay, Washington and the Giants showed unpredictable ineptitude in spots.
D
Atlanta — I am very impressed with Bobby Petrino and his staff under tough circumstances. Joey Harrington has really looked the part the past two weeks. That's coaching. Michael Jenkins and Roddy White have remembered they are first-round picks. That's coaching, Hue Jackson. The defense has made a lot of progress. That's coaching, Mike Zimmer.
Cincinnati — It's easy to talk about the Swiss cheese defense which was lit up like a Christmas tree during the Week 2 debacle in Cleveland. But how about the turnstile approach of the offensive line? Cincy's front five has given Carson Palmer no breathing room. And the club badly misses suspended Chris Henry.
Jets — They call him "Man-genius," but how smart is it not to run Thomas Jones against the 32nd-ranked run defense and not to pressure a rookie quarterback making his first NFL start? The New York defense has been poor in all four games, including in the win over Miami.
Minnesota — What exactly was Rick Spielman thinking about when he didn't bring in legit receivers this off-season? And Brad Childress — can you play Adrian Peterson on the final drive in Kansas City? Can you give Peterson more than 12 carries against Green Bay?
F
San Diego — There's good news for A.J. Smith. He has a healthy relationship with Norv Turner. I guess that's what matters in San Diego. But how do you lose at home to the Chiefs?
Chicago — Lovie Smith changed quarterbacks. But this team has bigger issues. Like Cedric Benson not even being a remotely adequate replacement for Thomas Jones. Or Bernard Berrian's hands. Or Ron Turner's play selection. Or the injuries to six signature defensive players. Other than that, it's been a good first quarter.
New Orleans — What's most alarming is the awful play of the offensive line, which was superb last season. The receivers haven't stepped up for Drew Brees and Reggie Bush has dropped two touchdown passes. The play of the defense has been disappointing.
Miami — This team stinks. How's that for analysis? Can you say it any differently or better?
St. Louis — Two losses at home to San Fran and Carolina? And that was when Steven Jackson was healthy? The Scott Linehan watch is officially on.
Incomplete
Washington — Joe Gibbs' team is 2-1. It could be 3-0. Or 1-2. Like a ref under the hood, I need more evidence. The win at Philadelphia was impressive. The blown loss, fueled by awful game management, to the Giants, was horrible. But Washington is much better than I thought during the preseason.
Jacksonville — The Jags looked bad in the loss to Tennessee when the Titans rammed the ball down their throats. Jacksonville didn't look the part in a win vs. Atlanta. David Garrard was clutch in a big win in Denver. I don't know what to think, yet.
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