NFL musings through three weeks

All fans have their knee-jerk reactions to a bad loss or a big win, but there are no certainties through three weeks of the NFL season. Take, for example, the Denver Broncos. Despite all of the offseason hubbub, they’re 3-0 and sit atop the AFC West. Would I put them with the other six undefeated teams? Absolutely not.

I do, however, think the New York Giants are the best team in the NFL right now, their roommates, the Jets, are a serious contender in the AFC and that the Tennessee Titans won’t recover from an 0-3 start.

I think the Vikings — as I predicted before the start of the season — are bound for the Super Bowl, and the Patriots will meet them there despite plenty of talk from the national media. I think the 49ers will be a tough out in the playoffs, and the Cowboys will falter as usual.

I think that Peyton Manning is far and away the best quarterback in this league, and without much fanfare, is gaining ground on that oft-asked question: “Who’s the greatest quarterback of all time?”

In the AFC North, the defending champion Steelers will eventually right the ship, but not enough to catch the Ravens. After two wins over quality opponents, the clock is bound to strike 12 on the Bengals, and the Browns rank No. 2 in teams in complete disarray.

The dubious distinction for the No. 1 slot goes to the Raiders, who are 1-2 and can’t keep their hands off each other (coaches, not players).
The one team that baffles me a bit is the Saints. Yes, they’re 3-0 and they have a quality win over the Eagles, but I’m not sold on their defense. Offense can carry a team pretty far, but as the old cliché goes, defense wins championships.

One final point: When Randy Moss catches 10 passes for 116 yards, don’t accuse him of dogging it.

One more final point: Are fans in the nation’s capital just giving up on sports in general? Between the Redskins, the Nationals, the Orioles and the Wizards, little could be considered FAN-tastic.