NFL: Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins Among Most Surprising Teams In 2010
This NFL season has already been packed full of surprises.
Among those surprises are the teams that find themselves undefeated after two weeks, and the teams that find themselves win-less after two weeks.
Who would have guessed that the Cowboys would be 0-2 and that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be 2-0?
So whose start to the season has been the most shocking?
7. Dallas Cowboys
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Maybe we shouldn't be surprised the Cowboys are 0-2.
They looked sluggish in the pre-season, and nothing has changed in the regular season.
This team has some of the best talent in the league, so why are they 0-2?
Well to be honest, it doesn't look like they care. Besides Tony Romo and Miles Austin, no one else has stood out. Period.
The rest of the team seems content to collect their paycheck and go home.
The Redskins and Bears aren't likely to be playoff teams, and two losses to begin the season against them has put Dallas in a deep hole.
Looking at the rest of their schedule, there are probably only three games they are 'expected' to win.
Its beginning to look like Wade Phillips's time in Dallas may be running out, and rightfully so.
The play calling, penalties, and lack of effort have been downright atrocious to watch. Something needs to change for Dallas, but it may already be too late for 2010.
6. Minnesota Vikings
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So far this year the Vikings have scored 19 points.
Think Brett Favre misses Sydney Rice and having a healthy Percy Harvin?
Favre looks old, well because, he is.
The Vikings should have been able to beat the Dolphins in Minnesota, but they couldn't overcome the Dolphins defense, and the poor coaching of Brad Childress.
Brett Favre's four turnovers didn't help either.
The Vikings should still make the playoffs. Everything is there so far, except for Favre.
Favre either needs to get going, or be replaced with someone who cares.
5. Houston Texans
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The Texans have the best 2-0 team on this list, but their fast start was still unexpected.
For most teams a season opener against the 2009 AFC Champions would mean a loss.
But an un-drafted running back by the name of Arian Foster had other plans as he ran for 231 yards and three touchdowns.
Matt Schaub barely played a part in the opening week victory, but he didn't need to. Even as Peyton Manning gashed the Texans defense for over 400 yards passing.
Fast forward to a road game against a revamped Washington Redskins team and you get a different story.
Here we got to see the resilience of this Texans squad. Down 17 points in the third quarter they rallied behind quarterback Matt Schaub's nearly 500 passing yards to force overtime.
The Texans even overcame a boneheaded coaching decision; Gary Kubiak opted to punt rather than kick a 52 yard field goal for the win.
That almost backfired as Redskins kicker Graham Gano booted a 52 yarder for the win. However, Kubiak had called a timeout just prior to the kick, and Gano missed the second attempt.
For the second week in a row, the Texans were able to overcome a 400 yard passer to win.
Will they be able to outshoot their opponents for an entire 16 game season? Matt Schaub and his offense are solid, but the defense needs to shore up.
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4. Miami Dolphins
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The Miami Dolphins were supposed to beat the Buffalo Bills.
And they did, but barely.
Their five point victory over the lowly Bills didn't exactly have 'Fins fans pumped about the 2010 season, but maybe it was more important than it looked.
The Dolphins hadn't won in Buffalo in years. Sometimes people underestimate how a rivalry can even the playing field, especially on the road.
So then the Dolphins went and upset the Vikings in their home.
Are these guys for real? Apparently.
The Vikings didn't lose at home in 2009, and that includes the playoffs. In a single game the Dolphins doubled Brett Favre's turnovers at home from 2009 by getting four out of him.
After some bizarre roster moves to end the pre-season (cutting veterans David Martin, Marques Douglas, and Charles Grant; starting Jason Allen over Sean Smith), and having some key players suffer from injuries (Will Allen is on the IR, Channing Crowder has missed both games), the Dolphins should be more than happy to be sitting at 2-0.
It is a heck of a lot better than the 0-3 the Dolphins started 2009 with. Now they have to hope the momentum carries over to an at home Sunday night match-up against the rival Jets.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
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One of the biggest questions entering this season was what would the Pittsburgh Steelers record be when they got Ben Roethlisberger back in Week 6.
Analysts said the Steelers would have to win at least two of those games to have a chance at the playoffs. A tough task considering three of their first four games were against teams with playoff aspirations.
Dennis Dixon and Charlie Batch certainly didn't fill Roethlisberger's shoes, but they didn't need to.
The Steelers' defense and special teams has been absolutely incredible, and they find themselves 2-0 after a home victory against the Falcons and a road victory against the Titans.
The Steelers have a bunch of winnable games on their schedule, and should be a playoff team if their defense maintains their current domination in 2010.
2. Kansas City Chiefs
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To begin their season, the Kansas City Chiefs stunned the San Diego Chargers.
Literally, stunned. Not just the Chargers, but all of football.
And that Matt Cassel guy had nothing to do with it.
The Chiefs used a huge run from running back Jamaal Charles and a 94 yard punt return from rookie Dexter McCluster to put points up against the Chargers.
The Chiefs defense was adequate in the win, but would that be enough to duplicate their success against the Browns?
Somehow, yes. But only because the Browns are downright awful.
Cassel gave the Chiefs another dismal game, and Jamaal Charles was no where to be found.
Their lone touchdown? It was scored by the defense.
The Chiefs are bad, but they're 2-0. And well, there is only one thing more surprising than that...
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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The Bucs are 2-0.
Say what?
Well like the Chiefs, one of those wins was against the Browns.
An ugly game in which the Bucs used three turnovers to barely beat the Browns by a field goal.
The worst part? Only 47,211 people showed up to watch the game. A season opener! By the way, that's 18,000 shy of capacity.
Then this week Tampa Bay stormed into Carolina, and came out with a somewhat convincing 13 point victory.
Carolina is a team that might be the NFL's new cellar dweller, but regardless the Bucs came away victorious.
Josh Freeman is almost starting to resemble an NFL quarterback, and he has a great receiver in Mike Williams.
Two touchdowns in two weeks isn't a bad way for Williams to kick off his career in the NFL.
Tampa Bay has some winnable games on their schedule, but it's way too soon to consider them a playoff team. Give it a few years.
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