After five weeks, time to sort out NFL
By DAVE GOLDBERG
AP Football Writer
October 7, 2002
When Miami beat New England 26-13, it sorted out the AFC East for the time being -- the Dolphins have the edge. ADVERTISEMENT
Yes, teams have played four or five games, but division leaders and league flops are being established in an NFL that's been nutty so far.
Example: The two preseason favorites, Pittsburgh and St. Louis, have won one game between them. And the AFC North, which includes Pittsburgh, might be won by a team that's 8-8 or worse, perhaps even Baltimore, written off before the season because of its salary cap losses.
One trend: As in most sports today (the NBA, the NHL, major league baseball), the power is in the West. The AFC West, for example, has the league's only unbeaten team, Oakland, and Kansas City is last with a 3-2 record.
A look at how the NFL shakes down five weeks into the season:
^AFC=
It's quite possible that both wild-card teams will come from the West, where Oakland is 4-0, and Denver and San Diego are each 4-1. Assuming the Chargers are a contender, the loser of the Miami-New England race in the East could miss the playoffs.
A good thing we beat the Pats and that we continue to beat the teams in our division. Can't afford to rely on wild-card.
By DAVE GOLDBERG
AP Football Writer
October 7, 2002
When Miami beat New England 26-13, it sorted out the AFC East for the time being -- the Dolphins have the edge. ADVERTISEMENT
Yes, teams have played four or five games, but division leaders and league flops are being established in an NFL that's been nutty so far.
Example: The two preseason favorites, Pittsburgh and St. Louis, have won one game between them. And the AFC North, which includes Pittsburgh, might be won by a team that's 8-8 or worse, perhaps even Baltimore, written off before the season because of its salary cap losses.
One trend: As in most sports today (the NBA, the NHL, major league baseball), the power is in the West. The AFC West, for example, has the league's only unbeaten team, Oakland, and Kansas City is last with a 3-2 record.
A look at how the NFL shakes down five weeks into the season:
^AFC=
It's quite possible that both wild-card teams will come from the West, where Oakland is 4-0, and Denver and San Diego are each 4-1. Assuming the Chargers are a contender, the loser of the Miami-New England race in the East could miss the playoffs.
A good thing we beat the Pats and that we continue to beat the teams in our division. Can't afford to rely on wild-card.