Editor-in-Chief, Sports Editor, and Staff Writer
With
the first quarter of the NFL season coming to a close, teams are fighting for
footing in the standings. Here, we will discuss our opinions on the season so
far and give our predictions as to what is to come.
Which
teams have surprised you the most so far this season, either in a positive or
negative way?
AM: On a positive
note I would say that the Arizona Cardinals have impressed me the most thus
far. Even with Drew Stanton starting at quarterback, the team has found a way
to take down solid teams in San Diego and San Francisco to start the season
3-0. The Washington Redskins have been the biggest disappointment for me this
season; they were blown out by the Giants on Thursday night and with the injury
to Robert Griffin III, I don’t see them turning their season around.
MS: The Buffalo
Bills have really surprised me in a positive way. They are currently in 2nd
place, only a half game back in their division which includes the Patriots and
have played much better in four games than most people would have expected.
Also the Arizona Cardinals have impressed me. They are undefeated and have
beaten the Giants and 49ers with their backup QB Drew Stanton. Their defense
especially their secondary is one of the best in the league.
ML: Cleveland,
despite their 1-2 record, are actually a pretty good team this year. They have
contended with Baltimore and New Orleans in close games, showing they can keep
up with the best teams in the league. Conversely, Green Bay is reeling,
standing at 32nd in rushing yards allowed while their feature back
in Eddie Lacy only had 113 yards in the first three games.
What
are your thoughts on how the NFL and Roger Goodell have handled their rising
domestic violence issue?
AM: Many NFL
pundits are calling for Roger Goodell’s head, and they have fairly good reason
to do so. The way Goodell and the entire NFL have handled the Ray Rice
situation has been terrible. The new policy put in place regarding domestic
violence that stemmed from the Rice and Adrian Peterson situations seems just to
be a stopgap to try to ensure viewer retention, not a true effort to help
resolve the issue.
MS: This has just
been atrocious. Goodell has been inconsistent and not responsible. The Ray Rice
incident happened in February and it took the NFL seven months to take action.
When they did finally take action in was only a two game suspension which was
far too lenient. Goodell then put in a domestic abuse policy (Not sure why
there was not one to begin with) where a player receives six games for their
first offense, followed by an indefinite suspension for their second offense.
Then when the video came out Goodell completely abandoned the brand new policy
and suspended Rice indefinitely. Now with the reports coming out that the NFL
received the video far before the public saw it, this does not look like it
will end well for Goodell.
ML: The NFL has
handled the situation very poorly. Rice initially received only a two game
suspension. At the same time, kicker Matt Prater received four games for an
alcohol related substance abuse issue, giving the impression that beating your
wife is less of an offense than consuming alcohol. However, with Goodell
implementing his new domestic abuse policy, steps are being taken to address
the issue, although it hasn’t yet been solved.
On
a local note, what do you think about the Panthers’ chances of repeating as
division champions?
AM: Despite the
upcoming schedule and nagging injuries to their backfield, I think the Panthers
have as good as a shot as anyone to win the NFC South. Their biggest challenger
appears to be the Atlanta Falcons, but behind an outstanding defense and
quarterback Cam Newton, Carolina can become the first team to take home the
division in consecutive seasons.
MS: It is going to
be very hard for the Panthers to repeat as NFC South champions. In their next
seven games they play Chicago, Cincinnati, Green Bay, Seattle, New Orleans,
Philadelphia, and Atlanta. That is a gauntlet of a schedule and with the
injuries at RB and QB they are battling, it is going to be very hard to repeat
in a division where no team has repeated in the past decade.
ML: The Panthers’
chances are slim, only winning by six versus Tampa Bay and losing 37-19 against
Pittsburgh.
Who
is your three-games-into-the-season MVP?
AM: Matt Ryan has
been the best offensive player in my mind. He has put up superb numbers for the
Falcons (965 yards, 7 touchdowns, 105.1 passer rating), and led them to a 2-1
start to the season. On the defensive side, it’s hard to pick anybody outside
of J.J. Watt. He has been an absolute rock for the Texans this season,
displaying his usual defensive prowess and putting on a show with two
touchdowns through four games.
MS: On the
offensive side of the ball you can look at several running backs including Demarco
Murray, LeVeon Bell, and Marshawn Lynch, but when looking at who is most
valuable to their team it has got to be Russell Wilson. He may not put up the
biggest stats but the way he orchestrates that offense and leads the team is
huge. He also has the highest passer rating in the league (108.9) through three
games. On the defensive side of the ball it’s Kyle Fuller CB for the Chicago
Bears. He has stepped up in a big way for the Bears. Chicago recently lost
their number one defensive back Charles Tillman for the year so in steps Kyle
Fuller into the starting job. He has three interceptions in three games and has
made a huge impact on the Bears defense.
ML: Nick Foles.
With three touchdowns in a close game against Washington and top 5 in the league
in passing, Foles is the main contributor to the Eagles’ 3-0 record.
Who
do you think will win the Super Bowl based on the first quarter of the season?
AM: It is extremely
difficult to take any team over the Seattle Seahawks. Sure, they were beaten by
San Diego on the road, but this team is just too talented not to make a run at
a title. Their biggest competitors in the AFC will be the Broncos, Bengals, and
potentially San Diego. But no team has the capacity to take down the champions
in the playoffs.
MS: Right now the
Cincinnati Bengals are clicking on all cylinders. Andy Dalton has proven he can
win, AJ Green catches anything thrown his way, and their defense has been
stellar in the early stages of this season. The Broncos have not looked their
best and not nearly as good as last year so after three games it is looking
like the Bengals can contend with Denver in the AFC and possibly win a Super
Bowl.
ML: Cincinnati and
Seattle appear to be the top teams in either conference, but Seattle has yet to
falter and is still the top team in the league.
