Impressions & Depressions: Week 4

J-E-T-S, MESS, MESS, MESS!

First week without replacement refs and it wasn't as crazy. What a fiasco when it was. Looking back, it was awful. Especially from an anxiety standpoint. Will they cost the team the game? Will they not be tough on players which leads to injuring a star? With the regular refs the goal is back to winning. With the replacements it looks like the goal was surviving. Anyway, on to the impressions and depressions of week 4 in the NFL's 2012 season!

Impressions

• Minnesota: is it real? They appear to just be playing good football all around. It's paying dividends. All their 20 points came from special teams, their defense played tough and caused some turnovers, Adrien Peterson ran for over 100 yards, and Christian Ponder made some good throws to help seal the victory. Last week I thought they'd be back to their losing ways after beating the 49ers with the Lions up next, but I was wrong. Will they continue to build? Who knows, it's just nice to see good execution.

• This will probably be a recurring impression, but the NFC West is a dominant defensive division. I bet some of those games will bump out other games for a Sunday night spot on NBC as the season winds down. Those division games will be awesome if Rams-Seahawks on Sunday is a sign. But I'd also like to point out that the division has some bruising running backs: Steven Jackson, Marshawn Lynch, Brandon Jacobs, and Frank Gore. Beanie Wells is good too, but when's he coming back?

• Last week Cam Newton was a pouty loser. This week he wasn't. It was a valiant effort stained by his youth and inexperience as he fumbled what would have been the game-winning first down.

Depressions

• The Jets. The Mess. It's finally a completed project. They've finally purchased all the back pages of the New York newspapers. The Giants lost to the Jets finally and forever on this one. Is there any point in living anymore for Giants fans? Maybe the Jets should become a virtual team or a reality TV show? Or maybe the nonsense that is their circus should slowly become the team in the way that silly TV shows replaced music videos on MTV? Do they even want to play football? Goodell should hold a meeting with Woody Johnson and tell him where the line is and ask him what kind of decision he wants to make.

• If the Saints lose one more game I'm officially bringing back the Aints. 

• I thought I'd have a handle on the NFL with respect to how things shake out with the teams but too many are 2-2, the regular refs are back, and some teams are winning with average quarterbacks (Kevin Kolb; 4-0 Cardinals) and others are losing with record braking ones (Drew Brees; 0-4 Saints). I still think the Giants would beat the Eagles 7 out of 10 times and that the Patriots know how to win big against bad teams in the regular season.

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