Atlanta Falcon Running Back Michael Turner - Image Credited to Wikipedia User Jesse Staples
Carolina Panthers – the Carolina Panthers were on most everyone’s list of teams in the NFC that were expected to do quite well this season. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart had such impressive statistics in 2008 that it became quite difficult to ignore them any longer. Going into 2009, Williams and Stewart knew that they would be facing not only teams stacking the run, but the second toughest schedule in the entire NFL. Thus far, the Panthers running game has been derailed primarily because quarterback Jake Delhomme has been unable to throw the ball to his own team. In spite of the horrible quarterback play so far, the Panthers find themselves with a two-game winning streak and are a win at Buffalo away from being at .500.
what is even more telling about the Panthers is that Williams and Stewart are beginning to show signs of exploding. In week six game against Tampa Bay, Williams rushed for two touchdowns on 150+ yards rushing while Stewart had one touchdown and also broke the century mark. This marked the first time either running back had topped 100 yards in a game this season. Granted, the Bucs are far from top level competition. Still it is clear that these two running backs have yet to show the best they have to offer in 2009. This makes Carolina a team to look out for in the weeks to come.
Green Bay Packers - The Packers have actually been rather good so far this season. In particular, quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been lights out in his second year under center for the pack. The Packers have suffered a good bit of injuries as well as some unfortunate luck to start the season slow. Most everyone that follows NFL football would concede that the Packers are a candidate to explode at any time.
San Francisco 49ers - San Francisco has been a team that has surprised everyone, and so imagining them improving might be a stretch. The reason for San Francisco getting better is simply about one player — Michael Crabtree. The first-round draft pick up the San Francisco 49ers is set to make his NFL debut during week seven after finally signing with the team. If the 49ers were able to perform as well as they have without him, it stands to reason that they should be even better with him. Crabtree is a special player and should be a great playmaker for the 49ers.
Dallas Cowboys - Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys have been pretty much a train wreck in 2009. It seems that every single week the Cowboys find a new way to put questions in the minds of the NFL experts. In particular, Tony Romo has not played up to expectations to say the least. In some ways this may actually benefit the Cowboys. With the emergence of wide receiver Miles Austin, the Cowboys now have a certified playmaker to take the heat off of Roy Williams and Romo. It remains to be seen whether the Cowboys can put it all together, but their talent level is simply too high to continue on the same track.
Atlanta Falcons - The Atlanta Falcons are currently in second place in the NFC South trailing only the undefeated New Orleans Saints. While they are winning football games, they are not doing so in the way in which they were expected to. The running game with Michael Turner has not been up to par this season. This is primarily a problem because Atlanta is definitely a running football team. On the bright side, quarterback Matt Ryan and free-agent signing Tony Gonzalez have developed a very special passing connection. As the season wears on, it is only a matter of time before Turner and that Atlanta offensive line start to gel. When they do the Falcons may not play second fiddle to anyone.
If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS. Subscribe here to NFL picks and predictions!
Will Mark Sanchez Be The Next Big Thing?
On the surface it would appear that Sanchez has been the best in a landslide, but much of that has to do with the players around him. Sanchez is 3-0 as a starter in his brief NFL career, but his defense has as much to do with that as anything that he has done. Do not get me wrong – Sanchez has looked fantastic so far. The thing about Sanchez that is shocking to me is how poised he has been. The guy never looks rattled, and that is a sign of a future NFL superstar at such a young age. He has a quarterback rating of just below 90 which is great and has only thrown 2 picks against 4 Touchdowns. Again, that is impressive.
Stafford has had his moments as well. The problem that Stafford faces is that he plays for the Lions. This guy is already being thrown into situations that create character or destroys young quarterbacks. Thus far, he has stood up quite well though the stats do not seem like it. He is 1-2 with a quarterback rating of 57.0. He has also thrown two touchdowns and 5 picks. This is partly because they have played from behind all season with the exception of that lone win against the Redskins.
All in all, the competition is pretty darn close. I do give the nod to Sanchez for one reason. He has shown an ability to throw the deep ball as he has three passes over 40 yds so far. While not mind boggling, this is certainly respectable for an NFL rookie quarterback that is only now getting their feet wet.
Who will be the better quarterback in the end is anybody’s guess, but I have a feeling they will both be around for a very long time. These are two great young talents. Hopefully they are not snake bitten by their respective teams. They are for real.
