The New York Jets entered the season as the loudest favorite in recent memory. Fueled by their HBO special, Hard Knocks, and loudmouths like Rex Ryan, Darrelle Revis and Braylon Edwards, the Jets have lived up to the hype, with some minor hiccups. Quarterback Mark Sanchez has been shaky and they have dropped two games. However, both losses came against playoff-caliber teams — the Packers and the aforementioned Ravens.
The Patriots are their own worst enemy. A month after trading away star wide receiver/troublemaker Randy Moss, they forgot to even show up against the Browns. They have managed to pull themselves into a virtual tie with the Jets, although New York currently owns the tiebreaker. If the Patriots can stop tripping over themselves, they could be poised for a deep playoff run.
The Baltimore Ravens’ defense is tougher than Cal “Iron Man” Ripken Jr. The defense has been there every game for nearly a decade, but what’s scary now is their offense is just as solid. Joe Flacco and Ray Rice have blossomed into elite NFL players in an incredibly short period, and the addition of Anquan Boldin cannot be understated. They suffered losses against the Bengals and the Pats. The game against New England was one of the best games of the season.
Then, there are the Steelers. Pittsburgh held it together without Ben Roethlisberger, but they haven’t reached the dominance of past seasons. James Harrison is in the news every week, whining about the NFL’s new stance on player safety, while big Ben has avoided the news like it was a blitzing linebacker. They have lost against division rival Baltimore and the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints.
Notable others include the Titans, Colts, Chiefs and Raiders, which are all over .500 at this time. The Chargers, a perennial playoff team, currently sit at 4-5.
