Crazy Football Sunday

Yesterday's games took some strange turns and teams that usually lay low got some big headlines and teams that are usually powerhouses took some big hits. One thing that they all had in common...

THE REFS:

The games are longer. Replacement refs are spending more time on deciding on the penalties to avoid mistakes, which in turn is beginning to frustrate players and coaches. The NFL needs to address this soon and should not have set up the replacement officials for failure. The finger should be pointed at Roger Goodell and not replacement officials who are doing the best to their ability and level of training. The transition from college ball to the pros is a big leap and faster game. We need to get back up to speed. The NFL has stacks of cash, a new collective bargaining agreement needs to be made.

UNDERDOGS EMERGE: NFC West

One team: The Arizona Cardinals. Defeating the Philadelphia Eagles didn't seem like a challenge. The Cardinals are showing their true colors and are a flock of birds emerging not just as a top dog in the NFC West but in the league. One week earlier the Cardinals passed the New England Patriots 20-18 which surprised many. Granted it is Week 3, but they are proving to be legit. On deck for the Cardinals in Week 4 are the Miami Dolphins of which could be Reggie-less.

STUNNERS:

In the same NFC West Division that has awoke and proved to the entire league they are all willing and able to compete this season, the San Francisco 49ers added on to their already developed team from last season and came out strong in the first couple weeks demonstrating why defense wins games. But in a stunner game, the 49ers saw defeat against the Minnesota Vikings 24-13. It was the Vikings defense that shut the 49ers offense down in the first and fourth quarter.

CLOSE GAMES:

How many games went into overtime? Don't call it a comeback! There were three games that went into overtime. The Detroit Lions came back giving the Tennessee Titans a good scare tying it up at 41-41, but the Titans came through with the field goal taking the win. The Kansas City Chiefs and the New Orleans Saints as well as the New York Jets against the Miami Dolphins all went into OT as well. Once again, the games came down to field goals of which the Chiefs weighed down on the Saint's right column as they are now 0-3 in the NFC South.  The Jets claimed the victory over the Dolphins, but they both saw losses as Jet's All-Pro cornerback, Darrelle Revis, is out for the season with a a torn ACL and Doplhin's running back, Reggie Bush, injured his knee, but an MRI exam revealed no structural damage.

THE UNDEFEATED:

Just three teams remain undefeated after Sunday. The Houston Texans, Atlanta Falcons and the Arizona Cardinals are 3-0. The Texans and Falcons sit comfortably atop their divisions as the rest of their division are plagued with 1-2 records. The Cardinals are atop the NFC West and the San Francisco 49ers are chasing closely behind. It's still early, but these three teams are working all sides of the ball. The Cleveland Browns and the New Orleans Saints are on the other side of the spectrum at 0-3.