The Story So Far... Chapter 2

“Forecasting is the art of saying what will happen, and then explaining why it didn't” Anonymous 

With the ushering in of week 9 of the 2011 campaign, we now begin to approach the business end of the NFL season. As the weeks mount the playoff picture comes into focus and the pieces start to fall into place; every victory moves a team closer to a coveted playoff spot and every loss takes them that much further away.

However, at this stage of the season the picture is far from clear and there is still an uneasy feeling when stopping to think about what we really do ‘know’. Brit Coast Offense is prepared to go as far as saying that the Packers are good and the Colts are bad. This however sheds little, if any, light on which teams will be left fighting it out in January.

Brit Coast Offense was previously intrigued with the developing storylines surrounding the Colts, Lions and Vikes:

As intimated above the story with the Colts is not so interesting, they are just plain bad, very, very bad.

After decades of dissapointment Lions fans can hold their heads high and for once have rational expectations of their team’s success. In spite of this, the jury is still very much out on the Lions. Megatron is having a Pro Bowl season and is certainly in the conversation when discussing the best receivers in the league, Suh is always poised to reac havoc on opposing lines and quarterbacks and the team as a whole looks to have approached the 2011 season with renewed vigour. However, there are still a few hurdles to clear; after their week 9 bye the Lions face an unforgiving schedule with the Bears, Saints and Vikings all potential candidates to hand the Lions a loss, oh and they play the Packers... twice. Add to this the fact that Matthew Stafford, based on his short NFL tenure to date, is only ever one hit away from the IR list and Lions fans are still in with a chance of having their high hopes dashed.

As for the Vikings - well as predicted Ponder has been named the starter and looks comfortable under centre. The job is Ponder’s to lose; say what you will about McNabb, but there can be no question that he is the consummate professional, there will be no power struggles or distracting dramas in the locker room from No 5. The switch to Ponder also seems to have jolted the Vikes offence into another gear and may well prove to be the move that saved the Vikes their season, and Leslie Frasier his job. In other developments AP and Jared Allen have moved up to lead the league in rushing (798yds) and sacks (12.5) respectively. The Vikings have the pieces in place to be succesful, and a legitimate chance of a long playoff run - the only thing that can get in the way of the Vikings is the Vikings.

The remaining weeks of the NFL season present themselves as arguably the most intriguing for a while, as at this stage the permutations of playoff teams are vast. There are a few that Brit Coast Offense will be keeping a particular eye on.

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Who Wins the Beast?

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Presently the New York Giants (5-2) sit atop the NFC East but in the next five weeks they face the Patriots, 49ers, Eagles, Saints, and Packers; there are going to be a few more additions in New York's loss column as a result. The opportunity to nudge ahead presents itself, but for whom?

The Redskins had some flashes of promise early on in the season but they soon settled into their losing ways, Beck & Co will not be leading the Skins to Superbowl glory. The Cowboys are enticing candidates, particularly when considering their talent-laden roster; but talent has never been their issue. The Cowboys have been too erratic this season and unless there inconsistent performances are promptly turned around they will miss out on the playoffs.  

That leaves us with the Eagles. As a proud citizen of the ‘Bleed Green Nation’ the Eagles have been considered with as much objectivity as I can muster. Their dominant performance over the Cowboys showcased the sort of Eagles team that everyone believed was assembled over the off-season. More importantly than proving the naysayers wrong, victory over the Cowboys would have shown the Eagles players what they are capable of. The hope is that the Eagles' win is the product of a late turn to form, which they maintain through the rest of the season, and not just the sprinkling of Andy Reid post bye week magic.

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The Bay of Good Hope

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Whilst the NFC West is home to two of the NFL’s most storied franchises, it has in recent years deteriorated; let us not forget we are only a year removed from the Seahawks clinching the division and a playoff berth with a losing record (7-9). However the success of the 49ers is not just a case of being the best of the worst, they hold the second best record in the NFC, tarnished only by a loss at home to the Cowboys (by a mere 3 points). 


With surprising victories at the Lions and Eagles, and the dismantling of the Buccaneers in week 5, the 49ers have seemingly emerged as legitimate contenders. At 6 -1 the team has won as many games as they did all last year, and as five of the teams' remaining nine games are against their lacklustre division opponents the 49ers are on the road to being crowned division champions. Whilst undoubtedly the team can rely on Gore’s production through the remainder of the regular season, come January the production that matters most is that of your QB. Do the 49ers make it to the playoffs for the first time in almost a decade? – sure why not. Does Alex Smith out-play Aaron Rodgers, Michael Vick and Drew Brees? – not likely. The 49ers will be playing in January but Alex Smith will not be leading his team to the all-important game in February.