COLUMN: The NFL season has officially gone crazy
The NFL has to be the only professional sport in which the term “perennial powerhouse” means absolutely nothing.
This season is the perfect example.
Last year’s Super Bowl contestants, the Oakland Raiders and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, are a combined 7-13 after going 23-9 a year ago. The Bucs have at least been given some credit in that they have potential to be good.
But it should say something about the downfall of the Raiders when they beat a team that has now lost four straight (a.k.a. the Minnesota Vikings) – and it is considered a major upset.
Another team from the West, the Seattle Seahawks, is tied for first in the NFC West with the resurgent Rams, despite winning exactly two division titles in its 27 year
history.
And how about those Rams? Talk about bipolar. They go from nothing, to winning the Super Bowl, to losing in the first round, to playing in the Super Bowl, to losing nine games and now back to first place in their division.
This organization needs to make up its mind.
While we’re on the topic of being bipolar, let us not forget the San Francisco 49ers. They have impressive wins over the Bears, Rams and Bucs, but then they’ve lost to the dismal Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns, and were humiliated by the Vikings.
If you catch them on a good day, they’ll beat you by 20 (see second Rams game), but if you catch them on a bad day, they’ll lose the game for you (see first Rams game).
And speaking of teams which at least used to lose games for you, what is going on in Cincinnati?
The Bungles (I mean Bengals) haven’t finished better than last place in three years and they beat the last undefeated team in the league Sunday. And it gets better. If the playoffs started today, Cincinnati would represent the AFC North. That would be the first time playing in the postseason in 13 years.
Another team that has made its way from the depths this season is the Dallas Cowboys. With the help of legendary coach Bill Parcells, the Cowboys have found themselves in first place for the first time this late in the season since 1998. That was a year after the last time the Carolina Panthers saw themselves at the top of the standings in their division until this year.
The Panthers share the second best record in the NFL at 8-2 and are three games ahead of the nearest team in the NFC South.
There is plenty of evidence that the professional football world has been turned upside down this year. But if you have learned anything from this then you’ll know that at this time next year, all of these teams could be in last place again.
Bryan Hinton is a junior majoring in print journalism. Comments can be sent to bhhinton@cc.usu.edu.