Wednesday, September 21, 2011

An Unfamiliar Dream or A Familiar Nightmare?

The NFL season is two weeks in and new teams have come onto the surface looking to become legitimate contenders in today's NFL, the most notable teams are the Detroit Lions and the Buffalo Bills.

Both teams are 2-0 to start the season, and have performed at a high level, completing their last game with impressive wins. In week 2, the Lions demolished a debacle of a Kansas City Chiefs team by a score of 48-3. Quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for 294 yards,  four touchdowns and completed 59 percent of his passes in the win over the Chiefs. Also, the Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson caught the ball three times for two touchdowns. The game was well over with by the start of the fourth quarter (27-3 after three quarters), but the Lions looked as if they had something to prove by scoring 21 more points in the fourth to finish the onslaught. In the past this team has failed to rise to the occasion and become a true contender, but things are looking to become promising this season.

On the other side, in the AFC conference, the Bills have opened many eyes with their unblemished 2-0 record. The Bills have been on the losing end of the AFC East division for the past few seasons, but are tied for first this year. The have the league's No. 1 scoring and rushing offense (39.5 points per game and 193 yards per game) so far. In week 2, the Bills completely erased a 21-3 halftime deficit against the Oakland Raiders with a game-winning touchdown drive giving them the 38-35 victory in the closing seconds of the game.

If the Bills can prove that they can hang with the New England Patriots (week 3 match up) and the New York Jets, then this is a team who will continue to experience their unfamiliar dream. As far as the Lions go, they are a team to be wrecking with, and they will be right there at the end of the season looking to bust open the playoff door (if they don't open it up weeks before).

The NFL is full of surprises and is very unpredictable, so let's see if these two teams, as well as the other up and coming franchises, can take the next step to becoming a playoff team.