Bianca Long
Every year, as football fans
and sports analysts, we pretty much know what teams in the National Football
League are going to be good, and which ones aren’t. There are the teams that
get off to a good start, but eventually work their way back to the bottom, in
their respective places.
There are also the teams that surprise us by how good
(and sometimes bad) they are playing. Halfway through the 2014 season, there
are several teams that seem to have a new identity, going against the NFL ‘s
status quo.
Going into this year’s
football season, can you honestly say that you knew that the Cowboys were going
to be as good as they are? Granted,
they have always been a fairly decent football team, but this year the Cowboys
seem to be more than just decent. No one knows for sure how long this Cowboy
luck is going to last, but one thing is for sure, the team is playing at a very
high level, and have their eyes set on the Division Title.
And what about the Arizona Cardinals?
Despite having several key injuries, Arizona seems to have a good grip on the
NFC West, and are currently the division leaders.
Of course there are the
teams that you expect to be good. The Broncos, Packers, Colts, and Patriots all
seem to be living up to preseason expectations, and are in their respective
places thus far. On the other side of the coin, teams such as the Raiders,
Jaguars, and Browns just cannot seem to work their way up from the bottom.
But the shocking aspect of
this season, are the teams that seem to have found their way to an unfamiliar
spot at the bottom.
Take the defending-champs
for instance. The Seahawks just don’t seem to have the same fire that they had
a year ago on offense and defense. Now
think about the 49ers. ESPN analysts originally had them ranked among the top
five in the league in preseason rankings, but now they are not even
considered a threat due to numerous key injuries.
And let’s not forget about
the NFC South. The New Orleans Saints lead the division despite only having four wins. At this point, it is safe to say that every team in that division is
playing bad football, despite the high-caliber players that the division has.
One thing is for sure; this season
has been full of records, upsets, and surprises that go against all of our
predictions. The only thing that we can do now, is sit back and watch as the
second half of the season unfolds.