NFL: Week 4 knee-jerk reactions
October, 2, 2012
10/02/12
11:52
AM ET
By ESPN.com staff | ESPN.com
You’ve heard the chatter by the sports pundits and on the talk shows. Heck, you may have even heard it here. So are the knee-jerk reactions about your team based in reality? Our NFL bloggers weigh in.
NFC Knee-jerk Reactions | AFC Knee-jerk Reactions
WEEK 4
| Team | Knee-jerk reaction | Reality or not? |
|---|---|---|
| AFC EAST by James Walker | ||
 | Buffalo's defense allowed 52 points and is the worst group in the NFL. This is the biggest disappointment in the league. | It was an ugly performance, but I allow a free pass against the motivated Patriots. The defense is capable of playing better, and it will. The Bills can't do much worse. |
 | The Dolphins lost two overtime games and could be 3-1. This is a surprise playoff team in the making this season. | Not this year, Dolphins fans. Miami is a tough out, mostly because of its defense. But the team doesn't have enough playmakers to win consistently. |
 | The Patriots dropped 52 points on the Bills. Their offensive woes are a thing of the past. | New England's supposed offensive woes? Please. Pass protection was the issue, but the Patriots have more than enough skill players to thrive. |
 | The Jets are going nowhere fast. It's time to blow everything up and rebuild. | If the Jets don't make the playoffs this year -- and I don't think they will -- then it is time to start over. But getting younger won't be easy with the team tied into some bad contracts. |
| AFC WEST by Bill Williamson | ||
 | The Denver Broncos are ready to make a big push after a complete win against Oakland. Peyton Manning looked comfortable and Denver dominated on both sides of the ball. | The Broncos are clearly making strides as a team, but let's see how they navigate back-to-back road games at New England and San Diego before proclaiming Denver a serious contender. I need to see them beat some good teams. |
 | Matt Cassel cannot lead the Chiefs. His three-interception performance against the Chargers is proof he needs to be removed as the Chiefs' starting quarterback. | Not so fast. Yes, Cassel may be on track for being replaced after the season, but who is a better option? Brady Quinn? Ricky Stanzi? Until a quarterback arrives who is truly better equipped to lead Kansas City, Cassel should start. |
 | The Oakland defense is awful. It can't stop the run or the pass, and there's nothing positive to take from a 37-6 loss at Denver. | Things are not good on a defense some veterans recently boasted could be a top-five unit. But give this unit time to heal from injuries and for Dennis Allen's system to set in. This unit may never be great in 2012, but it's not a lost cause. |
 | Ryan Mathews cannot be trusted. The Chargers showed that by not starting him at Kansas City because of a key fumble in Week 3 | The Chargers believe in Mathews, but they want him to be held accountable. He responded to his benching by gaining some tough yards late in the game. Mathews remains a work in progress and the Chargers will push buttons when necessary. |
| AFC NORTH by Jamison Hensley | ||
 | The Ravens gave up more than 300 yards passing to Brandon Weeden. The secondary is suspect. What's going to happen when they play the likes of Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger and Tony Romo? | Passing the ball is the way to beat the Ravens. But it's as much the fault of the pass rush as the secondary. With no Terrell Suggs, Baltimore has given quarterbacks too much time to throw downfield. |
 | The Bengals aren't among the best teams in the league, even though they have a 3-1 record. None of their wins -- Browns, Redskins and Jaguars -- has been impressive. Cincinnati is going to get a reality check when it faces a playoff team again. | That's going a little too much to the extreme. Yes, the Bengals haven't had a signature win this season. But Cincinnati can only beat the teams that are on the schedule, and the Bengals are beating up on teams not in the upper echelon of the NFL. |
 | The only other winless team is the New Orleans Saints, who don't even have their head coach. The Browns need to get rid of their head coach, Pat Shurmur. This team is going nowhere fast. | The Browns have been more competitive this season, even if their record doesn't show it. Getting rid of Shurmur right now serves no purpose. Shurmur isn't the one dropping critical passes. |
 | The bye week came at the perfect time. The Steelers will look like the team that everyone expected when they get back safety Troy Polamalu and running back Rashard Mendenhall on Sunday. | There's no question that the return of these two veterans will help Pittsburgh get out of its early-season rut. The key is getting back Polamalu. The Steelers' defense is in desperate need of a playmaker. |
| AFC SOUTH by Paul Kuharsky | ||
 | Should Houston use the same parade route they used for the Rockets back when they won it all? How many diamonds should Bob McNair put in the Super Bowl rings? J.J. Watt shouldn't be just defensive MVP, he should be MVP. He shouldn't just be MVP of the NFL, he should be MVP of America. | Settle down just a little. Things are great. But the tougher competition is still to come. It's a long season and they need to be playing their best at the end, not at the beginning. So be excited, just not overly excited. |
 | Chuck Pagano was a one of the primary reasons to have hope about this season, and now he's in the hospital fighting leukemia. It's going to be hard for his guys to focus. Green Bay was going to shred our secondary no matter what. | Pagano would want them to focus on football and the Packers, and they've said the best way to show him their support out of the gate is to pull an upset and deliver him a game ball. Win or not, the Colts won't fall into self-pity. They'll rally for their ill coach and his stand-in, Bruce Arians. |
 | This team hasn't fixed a thing. Any progress is so tiny that it's ridiculous. Gene Smith started off as a foundation builder and talked all about strong lines. And the offensive line just gave up six sacks while the defensive line barely touched Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton. We were patient for a long time. That's over. | You know, it's hard to punch holes in that or offer some reassurance that offsets the overreaction. It's not really overreacting at this point. There are deep-seeded roster issues that coaching can't fix. |
 | This team is pitiful, heads need to roll and plans need to be made for a top-5 draft pick. The Titans lack fire, lack leadership, lack playmakers. They played better defense and got Chris Johnson going and still got absolutely destroyed in Houston. | The first four were always going to be rough because of the level of the competition. A road trip to Minnesota will tell the Titans a lot more about where they stand. You want to see a bad team making progress, and the defense and run game did just that. |
AFC EAST SCOREBOARD
ABOUT THIS BLOG
James Walker
Walker joined ESPN.com in 2008 after four seasons covering the NFL and NBA for the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch. He's a Temple graduate and Hyattsville, Md. native who lives in Miami.
You must be signed in to post a comment