{"id":383,"date":"2009-09-23T13:01:46","date_gmt":"2009-09-23T17:01:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.broadstreetbelievers.com\/?p=383"},"modified":"2009-09-23T13:03:48","modified_gmt":"2009-09-23T17:03:48","slug":"is-it-possible-to-know-any-less-about-an-nfl-team-after-two-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/?p=383","title":{"rendered":"Is It Possible to Know Any LESS About an NFL Team After Two Games?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Now, I know it’s only two weeks into the season, so no fanbase really knows<\/em> anything about their team (and I do cringe at the knee-jerk reactions that take place this time of year), but some fanbases are pretty sure about certain aspects of their teams, and just about all of them have, at least, some impression of their teams.\u00a0 Saints fans are pretty sure that their team\u00a0has a potent offense.\u00a0 Jets fans are pretty\u00a0certain that their defense is stout.\u00a0 Fans of the Bucs, Rams, and Chiefs are probably pretty confident that their teams stink.\u00a0 All three Jacksonville fans are probably convinced that their team is heading for Los Angeles sooner rather than later.\u00a0 But, what do we Eagles fans know?\u00a0 Anything?\u00a0 I’m not sure we even have any impressions of our team after two games.<\/p>\n

So, the Eagles have\u00a0split their first two games against Carolina on the road and New Orleans at home.\u00a0 Sounds perfectly logical.\u00a0 It is what I would have predicted.\u00a0 Given these opening games, no matter who they shook out, 2-0 would have been fantastic and 0-2 would have been relatively scary.\u00a0 So, the record is not surprising–and goes along in telling us nothing<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The defense looked very, very <\/em>good Week One against what should be a pretty good Carolina offense–Jake Delhomme notwithstanding–particularly at home.\u00a0 The Panthers were 12-4 last year and 8-0 at home, and they have every offensive starter back from a year ago.\u00a0 The defense forced seven turnovers and, aside from a touchdown on the opening drive, basically pitched a shutout.<\/p>\n

Then, the defense looked very, very <\/em>bad Week Two against New Orleans.\u00a0 Now, is it simply the fact that, right now, no one is going to stop Drew Brees and Company in decent conditions?\u00a0 Or, are there problems with the defense?\u00a0 The linebackers that looked SO good against the Panthers looked just as bad against New Orleans.\u00a0 After the first game, you would say that Stewart Bradley’s loss was not big.\u00a0 After the New Orleans game, you are lamenting that loss.<\/p>\n

So, is the defense good and New Orleans is just great (the Saints did score 45 in Week One)?\u00a0 Is the defense bad and Carolina just had a\u00a0bad day (Delhomme did turn it over 6 times against a bad Arizona defense in the playoffs last year, and the Panthers did just lose to Atlanta this week)?\u00a0 Or, do we know nothing <\/em>about the defense and its new coordinator, new\/old middle linebacker, and brand-spanking-new free safety (a guy who has never played safety in his life and is replacing the best free safety of my lifetime)?<\/p>\n

And, what if I told you that we know even less <\/em>about the offense than we do about the defense?\u00a0 Even in racking up 38 points against Carolina with the first-string QB in there, I don’t think we learned anything about this offense in Week One.\u00a0 When you get the benefit of SEVEN turnovers, you better put\u00a0up 30+ points.\u00a0 \u00a0But, do any of these numbers jump out at you:\u00a0 Westbrook, leading rusher with 64 yards.\u00a0 McNabb, leading passer with 79 yards.\u00a0 Brent Celek, leading receiver with 37 yards.\u00a0 Here are their\u00a04 scoring drives (not including the punt return TD and fumble return TD):<\/p>\n