Saul: NFL season full of oddities

This NFL season has been an anomaly, to say the least.

After three weeks of football, there… This NFL season has been an anomaly, to say the least.

After three weeks of football, there are three NFL teams at 3-0: the Bills, the Lions and the Packers. No, you didn’t read that wrong. That list doesn’t include the Redskins, who are 2-0 heading into a Monday night showdown with the Cowboys.

Aside from the Packers, who won the Super Bowl last year with half their team on Injured Reserve, that group is pretty surprising considering none of the other teams were in the playoffs — or even in the playoff race — last season.

Not impressed? How about the Eagles, Colts and Vikings sitting at the bottom of their divisions? How about how Peyton Manning, Terrell Owens, Brett Favre and Randy Moss haven’t played in a NFL game so far this season? Even with those players out of the mix, NFL teams scored 172 touchdowns in the opening two weeks of the season — the most ever in NFL history.

Every six to 10 years there seems to be a serious power shift in the league, and we might be seeing that shift take place right now. No longer are the Colts, Steelers and Patriots sure bets week in and week out. This Sunday proved that the tides are turning: Tom Brady threw four interceptions in a loss to the Bills — he threw only four interceptions all of last season.

With that in mind, here are some probable outlooks for undefeated teams, defeated teams and fantasy disappointments.

Undefeated teams: Of the four teams still without a loss, the Packers are the only team that will hold on for any length of time.

Washington could easily be 2-1 by the time you read this article. A loss to the Cowboys on Monday night would be no surprise considering how inconsistent the two of these teams have been in the past. The Bills have come back from larger than 18-point deficits in the last two weeks, a pace no team can expect to keep up. They will also see the Eagles, Giants and Redskins in the coming weeks. The Lions look impressive so far, but the Bears, 49ers and Falcons could all pose problems for them in the coming weeks.

Note: Calvin Johnson looks absolutely unstoppable, and whether or not the numbers support it — and they do, since he’s up there in yards and leads the league in touchdowns — Johnson is simply not coverable.

The Packers are the champs, and look like the champs, and I’m not going to say otherwise until somebody finds a way to stop them.

Defeated teams: The Colts’ season is over. Good fight against the hometown Steelers, but good riddance to any playoff aspirations. I’ll be pulling for Peyton Manning in the 2012 season.

The Chiefs are last in points and 30^th in yards so far this season, and things aren’t going to get any better. Losing Jamaal Charles for the season was absolutely devastating — almost as devastating as the Colts losing Manning. Seriously, this guy was a freak last year, and the entire offense ran through him. Unfortunately, he’s gone, and so is any hope that fans of Kansas City will have something to root for this year.

Note: Pitt alum Jonathan Baldwin has yet to see the field since injuring his hand in a locker room fight during the preseason. It was reported he ran some routes in pre-game this week, but don’t expect him to be a factor anytime soon.

The winless Dolphins, Vikings and Rams are no surprise. None of these teams have anything close to a game-winning formula. If I had to pick one to get over the hump first, it’d be the Vikings. With Donovan McNabb and Adrian Peterson, I wouldn’t expect these guys to make it past week six without getting a win.

Honorary mention: The Philadelphia Eagles. For a “dream team,” this is looking pretty nightmarish. Good news came from camp today that Michael Vick’s “broken hand” was actually a blood vessel popped on the X-ray, something head coach Andy Reid said was common, although it seems like nobody has ever heard of it happening before. The diagnosis is a bruised hand, but Vick is still questionable for next week. He’s tough as nails, so I’d expect him to play — but a concussion and what we’ll call a “near-fracture” in his non-throwing hand is no way to start the season for the $100 million man.

Oh, and don’t think I didn’t see Victor Cruz punk Nnamdi Asomugha in the end zone on Sunday. For being the most valued free agent of the summer, Asomugha hasn’t done much to back up the five-year, $60 million contract the Eagles gave him. Don’t forget that this was the first time the Giants beat the Eagles in seven tries, either.

Fantasy Disappointments:

Michael Vick – Last year, Vick was breaking down fantasy point barriers and records left and right. So I guess the only place he could go was down. But still, I took the bait and drafted him in my league even though he hasn’t resembled a team MVP.

Chad Ochocinco – Yes, I know this was risky. Yes, I know Tom Brady spreads the ball out. Yes, I know many people said not to buy into him being a big part of the offense. But still: This is disappointing. Ochocinco has done close to nothing, and for how successful Brady and Moss were as a combo, I thought they’d at least have hooked up for a touchdown by now. He dropped a sure touchdown in Sunday’s loss to the Bills — something I never thought I’d see.

Chris Johnson — In my league, he has 11.4 points so far this season. He has 98 yards on the season and no touchdowns. He doesn’t even look like a starting running back. I drafted him thinking he’d be a sure thing, but after Manning went down I had to trade him away for Philip Rivers — and I’m glad I did. The first week was a fluke, the second week was a mystery, but the third week is consistent. I wouldn’t be surprised if he got it going later on in the season, but no matter what he does from here on out, he was a letdown.