The Burning 7: The Colts Are Terrible

Honestly not the most entertaining week in the NFL despite some marquee matchups and divisional battles. But hey it's only week 1. Sometimes it's ok to temper down the expectations a bit once in awhile.

Anyway this is the return of The Burning 7. Only from this moment on it will be NFL centric. The Burning 7 (or TB7 for short) will represent my seven observations that caught my attention from week to week in the National Football League.

Lets not waste any more time. Just got in from North Carolina a few hours ago with zero sleep and dealing with a wild four year old and a heavily teething five month old who drools more than a single cloud that delivers rain.

Lord help me.


1. The Colts are awful.

I said this before the season even started. Before Andrew Luck's injury that is now rumored to keep him out multiple weeks. Indy has been sliding fast since 2014. Former General Manager Ryan Grigson who was fired during the offseason definitely shares part of the blame. Yet that issue was remedied. Everything from this moment on will fall squarely on head coach Chuck Pagano. Nice guy. Maybe not the right guy for this franchise moving forward. Don't get me wrong -- I am rooting for him. I just can't see him surviving 2017. But then again Jim Irsay is the owner. The element of surprise is in play.
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2. The Packers made a huge statement in their win over the Seahawks.

If Green Bay's defense can actually play that consistent this season, the Pack might actually win the Super Bowl this year. That is not hyperbole. Notice I didn't even mention Aaron Rodgers.

3. Shut up with the "Patriots are in trouble" narratives. You sound stupid.

I won't say much here but you are a moron if you're one of those voices. Not to mention at any point in that loss vs. Kansas City, New England was still in position to take back control of the contest. Let's have some perspective here. I'll need to see a larger sample size before I can react.

4. WTF Bengals?

Call me crazy but that performance Andy Dalton turned up Sunday is the worst I've ever seen from him. Question is this: are the Bengals that bad now or are the Ravens on their way back?

5. The Buffalo Bills are alone in first place in the AFC East.

Hey #BillsMafia. Celebrate for a week. But remember two things.

1. You beat a Jets tea. who I believe are the worst team in the entire NFL and have a legitimate shot at going 0-16

2. The Patriots will not play as bad as they did in Week 1 on a consistent basis.

3. The Dolphins didn't even play this weekend.

Me thinks it will be a short lived time at the top. Enjoy while you can.

6. I truly believe Carson Wentz will be a top 10 quarterback in the NFL within the next two seasons.

I have been leading the Carson Wentz bandwagon from the very beginning. I really believe he can become a poor man's Aaron Rodgers. He can extend the play with his legs. He has a decent enough arm. He has the right head space to be a top tier quarterback in this league. Great start to the 2017 season with a huge divisional road win vs. their rival Washington Redskins.

7. Are we sure Eli Manning is even good anymore?

As a diehard New York Giants fan of 30 years, it really pains me to get to this place. But we are here. Are we sure Eli Manning is able to consistently lead this team any longer to the promise land? For years I've always pushed back on that notion mainly cause of personal bias and the good he has done for the Giants franchise. Two Super Bowl titles against the dynasty that is the New England Patriots do give you an pretty long leash. The problem is that it's been over 5 years since the Giants last won the Super Bowl. While you can credit the Giants for returning to the postseason last year for the first time since Super Bowl 46, it's the inconsistencies that have started the questions about Eli. Add in the narrative that Odell Beckham Jr. has more or less on his own help pad Eli's numbers in the last three seasons. Nights like Sunday where OBJ doesn't dress you can see where he is missed. Eli Manning isn't the same quarterback. That is troublesome. Big storyline to watch the rest of the 2017 season.