4B • THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
WEDNESDAY,OCT.24,2001
Surprises abound 6 weeks into 2001 football season
Ryan Greene Kansan sportswriter
We are now six weeks into the 2001 NFL season, and like every one of the previous 80 seasons, there are numerous surprising and disappointing squads.
This season has already shown more surprises and shocks than could have been expected in an entire 17-week schedule.
Not many would have predicted that the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens would be 3-3 at this point with losses to Cincinnati and Cleveland. Also, not many
would have thought that the Chicago Bears would be sitting atop the NFC Central division with a 4-1 record, and a defense that allows little more than eight points per game.
And who could have fathomed that the San Francisco 49ers, with one of the league's youngest and most inexperienced defenses, would be 4-1?
John Shuman, Red Oak, Iowa, sophomore, said he was delighted with his favorite
team, the Cleveland Browns.
"They go from having one of the worst records in the league to going atop their division at this time with a record of 4-2, and it was good to see them beat Baltimore after they ditched Cleveland for more money," Shuman said.
Brandon Bonfig, St. Paul, Minn., sophomore, also agreed that Cleveland has been the league's biggest surprise this year.
"It's just due to the fact that I don't think Tim Couch is that spectacular, they have no other big name players on their offense, and no one expected them to do
anything really this year," Bonfig said.
However, Bonfig's favorite team, the Minnesota Vikings, has stumbled out of the gate
with a 3-3 record. He said the Vikings were the biggest disappointment so far this season.
"We lost to Carolina, who is 1-4 with an offense that was horrid for the first few games with no running game whatsoever," Bonfig said. "I don't think anyone thought we'd be 3-3 by now."
When predicting which of the season's surprise teams has the best shot at the playoffs, Bonfig and Shuman both picked the San Diego Chargers.
Some sportswriters around the country are not been so sure.
Adam Schefter, a sportswriter from The Denver Post, said he could not pick just one surprise team at this point.
"We get surprised every Sunday," Scheffer said. "Washington beating Carolina, Cleveland beating Baltimore, Minnesota beating Green Bay, San Diego beating Denver, and that doesn't
even include a team like the Chicago Bears, who have just shot out to the front of their division here at the beginning."
Schefter identified one team as disappointing so far, but said it still had a chance to rebound.
"Tennessee. But once again, it looks like they're getting the season back together, and if they win Monday night against Pittsburgh, they could be back in it for a big playoff push, but I would say they have been the most disappointing to this point in the season," Schefter said.
Geoff Hobson, a writer for bengals.com, the official site of
the Cincinnati Bengals, puts Pittsburgh, San Diego, New England, and Cincinnati at the top of his list.
"I think with San Diego, they had a new regime coming in, a new front office, the quarterback situation had been a mess in the past, and things just automatically turned around." Hobson said. "And Pittsburgh, they have a
solid defense, a good safety in (Lee) Flowers,
and the story there is Kordell Stewart. He may struggle, but he just wins games.
(Jerome) Bettis' banged up knees are better, and the team is just
grinding out games. The Bengals have a new offensive system, they got a lot of free agents to help them out also. (Jon) Kitna has showed that if he has people around him, he can win games."
Hobson also said of this year's surprise teams, San Diego had the best shot at the playoffs.
"The formula to win in this league is pretty clear — a good defense and a running game. A good quarterback puts you over the top. With their defense and running game combined, along with Doug Flutie, it's no surprise they're winning more games," Hobson said.
Hobson's said Washington was the league's biggest disappointment this season, and added that the organization was not running an effective NFL franchise.
Kansas students and nationally recognized sportswriters agree that this NFL season has gotten off to a surprising start, and the next 11 weeks should continue to be a bumpy ride.
Contact Greene at 864-4858
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