NFL Week 3 Random Tidbits

Note: This post comes from Dan, who will occasionally be writing here at YCS. He's a bit more put together than I am, with less of a gambling habit and more friends. Consider him the angel of YCS to my devil. He'll provide stronger writing about more standard topics and I'll continue to accuse the NFL of trying to fuck my life up with its parity and bullshit two-running back systems. Good day, y'all.

It would be a mistake to refer to Michael Vick’s latest performance as vintage Michael Vick. We’ve never seen this from the embattled quarterback. Not even when he was at the height of his popularity, leading the Atlanta Falcons to that famous road victory in the playoffs at Lambeau Field eight years ago. Vick now has the head to go with the raw talent that made him the face of the NFL and he’s sending a clear message to fans and the rest of the league: I’m back and there’s nothing you can do about it.

The new and improved Vick had arguably the best game of entire career on Sunday, throwing for 291 yards and three touchdowns and running for another score in Philadelphia’s 28-3 victory at Jacksonville. The 30 year old has now firmly implanted himself as the Eagle’s starter and is, without question, the biggest story of the three-week old season.

So can Vick lead a team to the Super Bowl? Previously, most pundits thought the answer was no. Vick was too reckless. He wasn’t consistent. He was still just as likely to throw a game-changing interception as he was a game-changing touchdown. But he also never played on a team as good as this Philadelphia team. He makes the Eagles already-solid offense elite and the team has always had a strong defense.

For the first time in his career, Vick doesn’t have to go at it alone. And with this supporting cast, a Super Bowl ring isn’t out of the question.

Vick’s jersey a hot commodity again
Vick will never again capture the popularity he had prior to his dog-fighting conviction, but that’s not stopping Eagles fans from purchasing his jersey. CNBC’s Darren Rovell is reporting that Vick’s number seven jersey will crack the top 15 best selling jerseys in the NFL by December.

Three years ago, Vick, who once had the NFL’s best selling jersey, became the first player to have his merchandise suspended by the league.

Coughlin on the hot seat?
Eli Manning was responsible for one of the ugliest throws a by a quarterback all weekend when he tried to left-hand it into the end zone in the first half of Sunday’s Giants/Titans game. New York wound up losing 29-10 at home and left head coach Tom Coughlin scratching his head over his quarterback’s poor play. If Manning’s woes continue, Coughlin might also be checking the classifieds for a new job.

The Giants are just 4-10 in their 14 games and many of those losses have come in blowout fashion. The team collapsed following a hot start last year and now looks like it could be in the cellar of the NFC East this season. Of course, Coughlin has one reason to be optimistic: The last time there were rumors about his dismissal, the Giants won the Super Bowl.

Chiefs have the winning look
New England-Midwest, also known as the Kansas City Chiefs, suddenly appear to be the favorite in the dismal AFC West. At 3-0, the team sits two games atop the division and now that the San Diego Chargers appear to be in turmoil, there is no reason why the Chiefs sneak into the playoffs.

And their doing it the same way the Patriots did it at the early part of this century. By drafting well, playing great defense and outcoaching their opponents. There are still questions about Matt Cassell at quarterback, but how quickly we forget that Tom Brady was also only supposed to manage games at the beginning.

You know how that turned out.

Cowboys look good; Vikings not so much
Facing must-win situations in week 3, both Dallas and Minnesota came out victorious. But while the Cowboys got an incredible performance from their defense to go with a balanced offensive attack, the Vikings had to leave wondering whether Brett Favre can still play quarterback at a high level.

Adrian Peterson carried the Minnesota offense as Favre had yet another awful week. Favre still hasn’t quite found a comfortable replacement for Sidney Rice, who went down in the preseason. You have to wonder just how long it will take for Favre to figure it out, especially considering that the every NFC North game will probably be a battle this season.

Pats should be concerned
When the Buffalo Bills offense puts up 30 points on your defense, you have to be worried. But what the New England Patriots should be more concerned about is what took place in the Sunday night game. That’s when Mark Sanchez suddenly became Joe Namath and the Jets offense looked every bit as talented as its defense. If Sanchez is becoming the franchise quarterback New York thought he would be, the Patriots can expect to be replaced atop the AFC East.

Still, it’s hard to count out a team with Tom Brady and Randy Moss. There is no question that the Patriots can score enough to make the playoffs. But the defense is as poor as any defense in the league and that’s not conducive to championship football.