The Home Stretch

While this was a rare Sunday sans Eagles, there was plenty of football to go around with notable battles in the AFC East and North Divisions and important matchups for the NFC South.

But as stated in yesterdays Monday Hangover post, our official season preview has had some hits, and well, some misses. Regardless, I think the NFL game that spoke the most volumes this weekend was last night's dismantling of the New York Jets.

Sidenote: as an Eagles fan, I'm supposed to hate every other team in the league, right? And when the Eagles are playing those teams, I do indeed hate them. But I'm also somewhat of a misnomer, because I enjoy watching the New England Patriots. The underdogs of the early 2000's, no one ever talks about the Patriots (outside of their year of perfection) and they almost always fly under the "experts" radar. You hear more about the Colts and Cowboys at the beginning of the season than you do about the Pats. I hear Brett Favre's name more than you ever hear Tom Brady's. You just do. That's why I kinda like the Pats. They sneak up on you. Then with just four games left, they're "suddenly" the best team in the NFL.

Now when the Eagles and Pats met in the Super Bowl a few years back, I of course, rooted for the Eagles. No doubt about it. But still, it irks me when no one ever gives a thought to this team despite winning 3 championships in the decade and narrowly missing another.

With that Pats embarrassment of the "pretender" Jets last night, I think the only true elite teams in the AFC are the Pats and Steelers.

The NFC is more a conundrum. The Eagles, Falcons, Giants, Saints, Bears, and Packers have all separated themselves from the rest of the league. Unfortunately, due to the lowly NFC West, one of these teams will miss the postseason entirely. I don't think there is a clear elite, but unfortunately, for those thinking the Eagles are that team, think again. The defense has been exposed for a few weeks in a row now and the Eagles could easily lose to the other five teams I mentioned if they met those clubs in the playoffs. Also, I'm sticking with my gut and I think the Packers are still the best team in this conference. Despite the rash of injuries and inconsistent play throughout the season, I think they have the scariest team and most legitimate shot at reaching the Super Bowl.