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Philadelphia comes into the group of teams played with the worst record. They sit at 2-4, but have played some very good teams.
So far, they have played the following teams:
at Packers - L 13-16
Redskins - L 12-20
Lions - W 56-21
at Giants L - 3-16
at Jets W 16-9
Bears L 16-19
They have played a very tough road schedule so far. @ GB, @ NY, and @ NY are three very tough places to play. It should also be noted that they lost to Chicago in a piss-poor fashion despite controlling the game (much like GB when they fell to Chicago). Philadelphia is a pretty decent team in my opinion who will finish around 8-8 despite the slow start.
Next, we played the Giants in New York. Talk about a tough game. This Giants team that we thought was so terrible and all guaranteed a win against is looking like the third or fourth best team in the NFC right now. After playing Dallas (the best team in the NFC), and Green Bay (arguably the second best team in the NFC), they have been on a tear and dominating opponents. They sit with a 5-2 record. They have played the following teams:
@ Dallas - L 35-45
Green Bay - L 13-35
@ Washington - W 24-17
Philadelphia - W 16-3
New York - W 35-24
@Atlanta - W 31-10
San Francisco - W 33-15
As you can see, they have played some quality teams in Philadelphia, Dallas, Green Bay, Washington and New York. This team is better than any of us imagined coming into week 2 and we should a whole lot better about that win.
Next, we played one of the most talented teams in San Diego. Sure, we caught them after a brutal week of traveling, but professional football players know how to sleep on planes and overcome these minor annoyances. Right now they're at 3-3 after a very tough schedule to start the year, but will likely end up being 11-5. They dominated a Broncos team that we play, and a team that just beat one of the NFL's best in the Steelers. The Raiders are a surprisingly tough team that we will have a battle against in a few weeks.
Chicago - W 14-3
@ New England - L 14-38
@ GB - L 24-31
Kansas City - L 16-30
Denver - W 41-3
Oakland - W 28-14
Early in the season everyone was asking "whats wrong with the Chargers". I say nothing was. They played a reigning super bowl representative in a tough game and won. That says a lot right there. They played as well as anyone has in Foxboro this year. They had a magnificant offensive day against Green Bay but they couldn't contain the hot hand of a 3 time MVP in GB. They should have beat KC. Otherwise, they have done well and dominated their opponents. This is a darn good team we have beaten so far.
Minnesota is a dangerous team. They're very young and inexperienced but they have some serious talent on their roster. So far they have been very inconsistent due to a lack of a quality quarterback. So far, they have only played two home games, and they cleaned up against the Falcons and lost to one of the best teams in the NFC in Green Bay. It is tough to win on the road, especially back-to-back-to-back. I suspect they will have better luck as the season wears on.
Atlanta - W 24-3
@ Detroit - L 17-20
@ Kansas City - L 10-13
Green Bay - L 16-23
@ Chicago - W 34-31
@ Dallas - L 14-24
That is a pretty darn tough schedule. Dallas, Chicago and Kansas City are very tough places to play. They did not fair as well against Green Bay at home, but they got the job done against Atlanta. I suspect they team will be about 8-8 when all is said and done. Talk about a monster first portion of the year! One thing to note is that Detroit is 3-0 at home. They beat Chicago and Minnesota at home. They're a tough place to play as well.
Chicago is a very good team who hasn't played great so far. They should have a better record than they do because they have more talent that most teams in the NFC. They are 3-4 with quality victories @GB and @Philadelphia. San Diego came to play opening week, and Detroit made an epic comeback despite Chicago controlling most of the game. They're much better than their record represents. Likewise, they probably should have beat Minnesota and lost to Philadelphia as both games were decided in the last minute.
@San Diego - L 3-14
Kansas City - W 20-10
Dallas - L 10-34
@ Detroit - L 27-37
@ GB - W 27-20
Minnesota - L 34-31
Philadelphia - W 19-16
Deceptively good team there. Tough opening schedule to start the year.
The Redskins are the third or fourth best team in the NFC. In my opinion they are right up there with the Giants and could potentially compete with Dallas. Most people say that they were the toughest test we played so far, but I would argue that San Diego was a tougher game and New York was also since it was in the NJ. So far, they're at 4-2 with a loss to us and a loss to the Giants.
Miami - W 16-13
@Philadelphia - W 20-12
New York - L 17-24
Detroit - W 34-3
@ GB - L 14-17
Arizona - W 21-19
As you can see, they're not a slouch by any stretch of the imagination. They lost to the arguably 2nd and 3rd best teams in the NFC. Other than that, they have taken care of business. I look forward to seeing them play Dallas. That should be an intense, physical game.
When taking out the games played against the Packers, the teams they have played have a combined winning percentage of 57%, or 18-14. That averages out to a 9 win team so it is not like they're beating a bunch of chumps. They're getting it done against fairly decent opposite.
Knowing their opposition averages out to winning more than half of the games they play, an average team would be 3-3 or 2-4 right now. We're 5-1 winning 83% of our games. That is pretty damn impressive.
If I was really motivated and wanted to go Fosco on it, I could calculate every teams %s and figure out who the good teams are and who the bad teams are, but I am fairly content and happy knowing that we're playing good ball and beating quality opponents.
So far, they have played the following teams:
at Packers - L 13-16
Redskins - L 12-20
Lions - W 56-21
at Giants L - 3-16
at Jets W 16-9
Bears L 16-19
They have played a very tough road schedule so far. @ GB, @ NY, and @ NY are three very tough places to play. It should also be noted that they lost to Chicago in a piss-poor fashion despite controlling the game (much like GB when they fell to Chicago). Philadelphia is a pretty decent team in my opinion who will finish around 8-8 despite the slow start.
Next, we played the Giants in New York. Talk about a tough game. This Giants team that we thought was so terrible and all guaranteed a win against is looking like the third or fourth best team in the NFC right now. After playing Dallas (the best team in the NFC), and Green Bay (arguably the second best team in the NFC), they have been on a tear and dominating opponents. They sit with a 5-2 record. They have played the following teams:
@ Dallas - L 35-45
Green Bay - L 13-35
@ Washington - W 24-17
Philadelphia - W 16-3
New York - W 35-24
@Atlanta - W 31-10
San Francisco - W 33-15
As you can see, they have played some quality teams in Philadelphia, Dallas, Green Bay, Washington and New York. This team is better than any of us imagined coming into week 2 and we should a whole lot better about that win.
Next, we played one of the most talented teams in San Diego. Sure, we caught them after a brutal week of traveling, but professional football players know how to sleep on planes and overcome these minor annoyances. Right now they're at 3-3 after a very tough schedule to start the year, but will likely end up being 11-5. They dominated a Broncos team that we play, and a team that just beat one of the NFL's best in the Steelers. The Raiders are a surprisingly tough team that we will have a battle against in a few weeks.
Chicago - W 14-3
@ New England - L 14-38
@ GB - L 24-31
Kansas City - L 16-30
Denver - W 41-3
Oakland - W 28-14
Early in the season everyone was asking "whats wrong with the Chargers". I say nothing was. They played a reigning super bowl representative in a tough game and won. That says a lot right there. They played as well as anyone has in Foxboro this year. They had a magnificant offensive day against Green Bay but they couldn't contain the hot hand of a 3 time MVP in GB. They should have beat KC. Otherwise, they have done well and dominated their opponents. This is a darn good team we have beaten so far.
Minnesota is a dangerous team. They're very young and inexperienced but they have some serious talent on their roster. So far they have been very inconsistent due to a lack of a quality quarterback. So far, they have only played two home games, and they cleaned up against the Falcons and lost to one of the best teams in the NFC in Green Bay. It is tough to win on the road, especially back-to-back-to-back. I suspect they will have better luck as the season wears on.
Atlanta - W 24-3
@ Detroit - L 17-20
@ Kansas City - L 10-13
Green Bay - L 16-23
@ Chicago - W 34-31
@ Dallas - L 14-24
That is a pretty darn tough schedule. Dallas, Chicago and Kansas City are very tough places to play. They did not fair as well against Green Bay at home, but they got the job done against Atlanta. I suspect they team will be about 8-8 when all is said and done. Talk about a monster first portion of the year! One thing to note is that Detroit is 3-0 at home. They beat Chicago and Minnesota at home. They're a tough place to play as well.
Chicago is a very good team who hasn't played great so far. They should have a better record than they do because they have more talent that most teams in the NFC. They are 3-4 with quality victories @GB and @Philadelphia. San Diego came to play opening week, and Detroit made an epic comeback despite Chicago controlling most of the game. They're much better than their record represents. Likewise, they probably should have beat Minnesota and lost to Philadelphia as both games were decided in the last minute.
@San Diego - L 3-14
Kansas City - W 20-10
Dallas - L 10-34
@ Detroit - L 27-37
@ GB - W 27-20
Minnesota - L 34-31
Philadelphia - W 19-16
Deceptively good team there. Tough opening schedule to start the year.
The Redskins are the third or fourth best team in the NFC. In my opinion they are right up there with the Giants and could potentially compete with Dallas. Most people say that they were the toughest test we played so far, but I would argue that San Diego was a tougher game and New York was also since it was in the NJ. So far, they're at 4-2 with a loss to us and a loss to the Giants.
Miami - W 16-13
@Philadelphia - W 20-12
New York - L 17-24
Detroit - W 34-3
@ GB - L 14-17
Arizona - W 21-19
As you can see, they're not a slouch by any stretch of the imagination. They lost to the arguably 2nd and 3rd best teams in the NFC. Other than that, they have taken care of business. I look forward to seeing them play Dallas. That should be an intense, physical game.
When taking out the games played against the Packers, the teams they have played have a combined winning percentage of 57%, or 18-14. That averages out to a 9 win team so it is not like they're beating a bunch of chumps. They're getting it done against fairly decent opposite.
Knowing their opposition averages out to winning more than half of the games they play, an average team would be 3-3 or 2-4 right now. We're 5-1 winning 83% of our games. That is pretty damn impressive.
If I was really motivated and wanted to go Fosco on it, I could calculate every teams %s and figure out who the good teams are and who the bad teams are, but I am fairly content and happy knowing that we're playing good ball and beating quality opponents.
. If we keep beating them no matter how they're playing, it doesn't really matter what they do the rest of the season, does it?
hopefully it keeps up.
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