Nfl Tickets - Early Surprises

Here are some things that have surprised me through the first five weeks of the 2009 NFL season.

The Denver Broncos: The Broncos are an astounding 5-0 after trading their franchise quarterback this past offseason and nearly losing their top receiver as well. Josh McDaniels' first offseason as head coach looked like a train wreck at the time, but nobody is complaining about him now that he's led the team to five straight wins to start the season. Quarterback Kyle Orton has done a great job of protecting the ball and the team has been able to run the ball well with Correll Buckhalter and rookie Knowshon Moreno. Mike Nolan has done a fantastic job with the defense, one that was among the worst in the NFL last season. The Broncos may not win games with style, but they get the job done. Most people expected a really rough season in Denver, but they look like the frontrunners to win the AFC West now.

The Cincinnati Bengals: I thought the Bengals would be competitive this year, but I didn't think they'd be leading the AFC North five games into the season. The Bengals have already beaten each of their division rivals this season and are looking solid on both sides of the ball. Carson Palmer has gotten the passing game going, but the Bengals' best offensive player could very well be running back Cedric Benson. Cincinnati signed Benson last season after he was cast off from Chicago, labeled as a bust. But Benson is the NFL's leading rusher through five games and he looks to be the real deal. This offense is playing well, but the defense could be the better unit. A solid group last season, the defense is excelling now that they aren't being forced to spend so much time on the field. Whether the Bengals stay in the hunt all season or not, they're showing that they're not the team most people expected them to be.

The Tennessee Titans: The Titans were undefeated at this point in the 2008 season, but they're winless this year. The departure of Albert Haynesworth hurt the defense, but injures have plagued the unit as well. The offense had a great campaign last season, but Kerry Collins is not taking care of the ball the way he did last year and LenDale White has not been able to shoulder the short-yardage load on the ground like he did in 2008. This team has to start thinking about giving Vince Young another shot so they can at least see what they've got there.

The New York Jets: I loved what the Jets did in naming Rex Ryan as head coach, luring Bart Scott via free agency and drafting Mark Sanchez, but I didn't think they'd be competitive for a year or two. The Jets are looking solid this season, though, and this team definitely has a bright future. I'm not saying they'll be in the hunt for a Super Bowl berth in 2009, but they're definitely more competitive than most people anticipated.

Peyton Manning: Manning never ceases to amaze me. Just when I thought I couldn't be any more impressed with what this guy did, he one-ups himself. For years, people bought NFL tickets to see Manning throw to a talented group of established receivers. This year, Manning is throwing to relative no-names like Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon and making them look like stars. He's the frontrunner for MVP and the Colts are looking great.

by: Brent Warnken

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