NFL: Separating the contenders from the pretenders
This NFL season has had some surprises come along. Some teams who we thought would have a good season are struggling to keep up. Other teams that were not expected to do anything are suddenly on top.
Now that the season is a quarter old, we see some patterns forming. Of course, there is still plenty of football left, so a lot can change between now and the end of the season, but we can try to predict what may happen.
There are a variety of reasons why a team is can be a pretender. It could be that the schedule is favorable on the front end, having that team play weak teams at home. What will happen on the back end, however, when that team has to play tougher teams, and play more on the road?
Some teams have also gotten good play out of certain players or units that was not expected? Will that player or will that unit come back down to earth? Or will they come back down to earth?
It’s time to look at some of the top teams in the NFL right now. Which are the contenders, and which are the pretenders?