It is hard to think that the NFL regular season is already seven weeks old. The first week of the season felt like yesterday, but the season has a way of going so fast it’s hard to keep up at times. With that being said, there are many good teams and many bad ones so far, but some of the teams that are currently in first place in their division are not worthy of this honor. This article will breakdown each current division leader and tell whether they have what it takes to be a true contender or not.
AFC
New England Patriots (AFC East): Going into this season, the Patriots had the most drama surrounding themselves as any team in the league due to the “Deflategate” scandal. The Patriots have silenced all of their critics so far this season by going 6-0 and barely even coming close to losing a game. Quarterback Tom Brady, who recently remarked that he wants to play another ten years in the NFL, is playing better than ever and leading his team to victories as usual. Their defense could use some work, but the team’s offense is good enough to keep them in every game they play.
The Patriots face a bit of a tough matchup this Thursday night against the rejuvenated Miami Dolphins, but don’t be surprised if it turns into a blowout and New England wins again. This team is definitely for real and the rest of the league should watch out for them.
Cincinnati Bengals (AFC North): One of the biggest disappointments in the NFL every year is that the Bengals can never get out of the first round of the playoffs. Since Marvin Lewis has been their coach, they have never won a playoff game. This has caused many people to debate why he still is the head coach in Cincinnati. The Bengals are currently 6-0 and seem to be one of the best teams in the league. Quarterback Andy Dalton is playing very efficient and the running game is running smoothly with Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard.
They face a tough matchup in Week 8 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who will most likely have their quarterback Ben Roethlisberger back from injury. For now this team is for real, but they need to go deep in the playoffs this season to quiet all of the critics.
Indianapolis Colts (AFC South): The Colts had very high expectations heading into this season after making it to the AFC Championship Game last season, where they lost to the Patriots. However, the team has failed to live up to these expectations by only being 3-4 after the first seven weeks.
Andrew Luck, who was one of the best quarterbacks in the league last season, has been hurt all year and is not himself. They have had a seemingly tough schedule, but only having three wins so far is not acceptable. Being in the AFC South, possibly the worst division in the NFL, is keeping their hopes of a playoff berth alive. If it wasn’t for that, this team wouldn’t stand much of a chance. This team is not for real at this moment.
Denver Broncos (AFC West): Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning’s declining statistics has been the talk of everyone this season. The future Hall of Famer is having one of his worst statistical years of his career, as he currently has more interceptions than touchdowns and his accuracy is not what it once was. However, Manning has made big plays when needed during the season.
The Broncos defense has kept the team in games all year, which makes many critics claim that the defense is saving the team in every game. This is part true and false, as the offense still has many weapons and comes up big when it is crunch time. The Broncos are 6-0 and are for real, but they face a very tough matchup this week against the Green Bay Packers.
NFC
New York Giants (NFC East): This may be the most up-for-grabs division in the league, as none of the teams seem to be very good and no team is jumping out to a big lead. The Giants currently sit at first with a 4-3 record after beating the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday. The Philadelphia Eagles are inconsistent of late and the Cowboys have been plagued by injuries. Even the Washington Redskins are still alive in this division with a 3-3 record.
This division will probably go back and forth all year and no one really knows who will win it. As far as the Giants go, they are not for real.
Green Bay Packers (NFC North): One of the most impressive teams in the NFL this year has been the Packers, who are currently 6-0. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is not playing as great as his usual self, but he is still playing well and making big plays. The defense has also been good this season, led by Julius Peppers and Clay Matthews. Running back Eddie Lacy has struggled, but backup James Starks has played well.
As noted earlier, the Packers go on the road to play the Broncos this Sunday night, which should be the best game of the week. As far as being for real or not, the Packers are in fact, for real.
Carolina Panthers (NFC South): No team in the league has won more consecutive regular season games than the Panthers, who won the last four games of last year and the first six of this year. Even though, they haven’t faced many good teams, this is an impressive feat, nonetheless. Quarterback Cam Newton is having a very good season and the defense is playing like one of the best in the league.
The Atlanta Falcons only trail the Panthers by a half-game in the division, but the Falcons have struggled somewhat lately, meaning Carolina should have a good grasp on the division. The Panthers face the Colts at home on Monday night, which should be a relatively easy win. Being 6-0 and winning ten straight regular season games in the NFL is not an easy thing to do, so the Panthers are indeed for real.
Arizona Cardinals (NFC West): If it wasn’t for quarterback Carson Palmer tearing his ACL last year, the Cardinals may have advanced deep in the playoffs. This year seems to be different, as the Cards are off to a 5-2 start and look to be one of the best teams in the NFC. They had a big win on Monday night against the unlucky Baltimore Ravens and this week they travel to face the 2-5 Cleveland Browns.
Defense has been the key for the Cardinals this season. They have one of the best secondaries in the league, as Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu have been shutting down receivers. Running back Chris Johnson is also having a surprise year for this team, who hasn’t had a good running back in a long time. A good offense and an even better defense makes the Cardinals a for real team.
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