Can Underachieving NFL Favorites Keep Pace with the Rest of the League?

October 21, 2008 by AlexV · Leave a Comment

Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys

Before the start of the 2008 NFL season there were four sure-fire Super Bowl favorites; the Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers, Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots. So far after seven weeks only the Patriots seem to have any type of competitive balance with a 4-2 record and only one game behind AFC East leading Buffalo Bills at 5-1.

The aforementioned teams have not faired so well and are a combined 10-10.

Even though Tony Romo is out, there is no excuse for the lack of effort the Cowboys showed in their 34-14 blowout in St. Louis. They have allowed two upstart teams, the Redskins and Cardinals, and a bottom-feeder in St. Louis get wins against them. Even though Romo was in against the two upstarts, he has averaged at least one turnover per game.

The Chargers have been the epitomy of inconsistency through seven games going loss, loss, win, win, loss, win, loss en-route to a 3-4 record. Traveling east has not helped them as they go forward three time zones every time. Now they have to go eight time zones to play the Saints in London this weekend!

The Colts are lucky they aren’t 1-5 instead of 3-3. Aside from blowing out the Baltimore Ravens 31-3 in week six, they had to overcome a 15-0 hole in Minnesota, and needed 21 points in the last four minutes of week five to beat the Texans.

Unlike the Patriots, the Cowboys are two games behind NFC East leading Giants at 5-1, the Chargers are essentially two games behind the AFC West leading Broncos (since the Broncos beat them), and the Colts are already three games behind the AFC South leading Titans. Now I ask… Do these three teams really sound like Championship Contenders?