It’s only Week 3 and the NFL already has provided plenty of great moments and stories.

You have the Jets emerging as a threat with rookie QB Mark Sanchez and the Ravens rolling right along with 2nd year QB Joe Flacco, but you also have the duds and the disappointments.

Lets have a look at all 32 AFC teams.

AFC EAST

1. New York Jets 3-0

It has been a great story for the Jets this season. Mark Sanchez has quieted the doubters, and has this team on their way to a playoff spot.

But not all the credit goes to Sanchez.

The defense has played phenomenally, giving up only 11 points a game, good for 2nd in the league. The run defense is 9th in the league, and the pass defense is 5th.

With a defense like that, and Sanchez consistently hitting Cotchery, this Jets team could take the division title.

2. New England Patriots 2-1

With the return of Tom Brady, many thought the Patriots would be back to their dominant selves again, but New England has shown some vulnerability.

Sure, their record is decent enough, and their ranks in the team stats are solid, but if you look at the games they have played New England has had some uncharacteristic trouble beating the opponent. Case in point: Week 1, when they almost lost to Buffalo, a team that is struggling on offense. This has me thinking it’s the defense that is holding the Patriots back.

Both Moss and Welker are dealing with nagging injuries, which could hinder the Patriots if they continue to linger. The Patriots will have a winning record, but they are not the 18-1 team they were in 2007.

3. Buffalo Bills 1-2

This was supposed to be a bounce back year for the optimistic Bills, but it has been the opposite.

The defense is playing terribly, T.O. has only 98 yards receiving in three games, and the team does not have a rushing TD.  Buffalo is going to have to step it up both offensively and defensively if they want to have a chance in this division.

4. Miami Dolphins 0-3

Probably the biggest letdown in the AFC so far.

After posting an 11-5 record in 2008, the team looked rejuvenated. This year, however, they are playing like the 1-15 team they were in 2007. 

Now that Chad Pennigton is out for the rest of the year, the team picked up now former Chiefs QB, Tyler Thigpen. Will Thigpen be the answer? I don’t see it happening.

Miami has dug itself in a huge hole in arguably the best division in the AFC. It will be a long season for the Dolphins and their fans.

AFC NORTH

1. Baltimore Ravens 3-0

This team is proving that last year wasn’t a fluke.

Joe Flacco is the real deal. He has driven this offense rather than just managing the game, something that makes me think this team could win the Super Bowl this year.

The defense is still the same dominate force, but now the Ravens don’t have to solely rely on their defense to make the big plays. Joe Flacco has developed a solid rapport with veteran Derick Mason, and if Flacco can continuously find Mason, watch out.

2. Cincinanti Bengals 2-1

Kind of a surprise to me that this team has a 2-1 record, but Cincinati has a knack for laying low and surprising you.

Carson Palmer isn’t having a spectacular year, but he is healthy, and that’s really what the team needs. Cedric Benson has been a sleeper this year, and Ochocinco is back to playing well.

The schedule has them playing some tough teams, but if everything continues we could see Cincy in the playoffs.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers 1-2

Pittsburgh probably didn’t see themselves being 1-2 after week 3 and in 3rd place, but that’s the way it has gone for the previous Super Bowl champs.

Their current 1-2 record is deceiving and should improve with their next 3 games coming against San Diego, Detroit, and Cleavland. I don’t see the Steelers failing to recover and not making the playoffs.

Big Ben is looking sharp and Willie Parker has finally found his footing in the running game. Look for the Steelers to win three weeks straight and get back on track.

4. Cleavland Browns 0-3

I don’t mean to diss on the Browns, but there are so many problems with this team right now, most noticeably the QB problem. Neither Brady Quinn nor Derek Anderson have shown themselves to be the answer, but you can’t just blame them.

The Browns’ O-line is non-existent, the WRs seem like they are not even on the field, and the defense is just awful. All of this makes the Browns the worst team in the NFL, as of week 3.  This looks like to be another disappointing year for the Browns.

AFC SOUTH

1. Indianapolis Colts 3-0

The Colts find themselves atop the division. Not much of a surprise there.

Peyton Manning really runs this team, something that he has been doing for years. The Colts are a dominant force in the league, and I like their chances of making it deep into the playoffs.

The rout of the Cardinals Monday night was a sign that the Colts are finally hitting their marks. Watch out NFL.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars 1-2

Jacksonville is a perfect example of a medicore team that just needs some more talent to become a good-to-great team. They are once again showing signs of being a .500 team, but’s I think it’s possible for the Jaguars to be a 9-7 team. 10-6 would be pushing it a little.

Just a little more talent, and this team could make a name for itself.

3. Houston Texans 1-2

Houston is a great example of an up-and-coming team.

With the duo of Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson, Houston can be dominating on offense. What’s killing them is their running game and their defense. Steve Slaton has yet to find his footing, and the defense is in the bottom four in three out of the four primary defensive stats.

Like Jacksonville, Houston is a team that just needs a little more talent. They have the offensive weapons, but they desperatly need the defensive weapons.

4. Tennessee Titans 0-3

The biggest shocker in the NFL is that the Titans are 0-3. I didn’t expect to post better numbers than last year, but I never expected to see them in last place and 0-3.

They are in a desperate place right now.

The Titans’ pass defense is ranked 29th, which could be the source of the problems. They are giving up 23 points a game, a little too high if this team wants to succeed.

They better find a cure fast before they dig themselves to deep into a hole.

AFC WEST

1. Denver Broncos 3-0

Denver has found its way back to the top of their division even after losing their star QB and having to deal with Brandon Marshall’s antics. Yet the Broncos have overcome those off-season problems.

The only problem the Broncos have is trying to sustain their current lead. Last year they blew their division lead, and I hope they are trying something different so that it does not happen again.

Kyle Orton is doing what he does best: winning football games. As long as they keep playing consistently, and not suffering any major injuries, the Broncos could easily win the AFC West title.

2. San Diego Chargers 2-1

San Diego has a great QB in Philip Rivers, but LT has yet to come back to his old ways.

LT is on the “DL” right now and the Chargers have yet to find a good replacement for him, which has led to the Chargers being second to last in rushing yards. Their inability to run the ball has been the main source of the Chargers not making it deep into the playoffs the past couple of years.

The defense remains steady, but far from great.

The Chargers need their running game back or there is little hope for this team to make the playoffs.

3. Oakland Raiders 1-2

The Raiders do have a win, but don’t expect many more.

This team can’t score if the players’ lives depended on it. JaMarcus Russell seems like another 1st pick bust. Darius Heyward-Bey has only one catch this year. These players just prove that the Raiders draft the worst possible guys.

Something is wrong with this organization. It needs to be revamped, and it needs to be done now.

4. Kansas City Chiefs 0-3

I wanted to believe in this team and I wanted them to succeed, but all they have shown is that they are still way behind.

They made the worst move in releasing Tony Gonzalez, who is the greatest TE to ever play. He was also their entire offense. Once he left, so did the offense.

Dwayne Bowe is showing promise, and Matt Cassel…well…we will just have to wait and see. Their O-line is just terrible, so it’s no wonder Casel can’t score. The defense is always on top of him.  

The Chiefs were hoping to compete this year, but thats not going to be possible this year. All I can say is wait ’til next year.

Stay tuned for the follow-up article about the NFC.

ProFootballinsight’s Kurt Fraschetti goes “10 Yards” with one of Cleveland’s (Ohio) radio Icon’s, Mark “Munch” Bishop.

PFI goes one on one with Munch about his career highlights, low-lights, his favorites, season outlook, thoughts on Eric Mangini and much more.

Many of you do know Mark “Munch” Bishop, but for those who do not, here is Munch’s background and bio according to espncleveland.com 

Mark “Munch” Bishop brings an energy and charisma to afternoon sports that can only be done by a true fan. He lives and dies with every local team and can talk as knowledgeably about the Browns of the Jim Brown or the Tim Couch era. Munch has been a household name in Cleveland Radio for more than 25 years and is known as a huge Buckeye supporter. Munch would tell you he has never worked a day in his life, although he is considered by many the hardest working guy in radio.

In addition to the above, Munch is currently the voice and face of espncleveland.com, ESPN Radio 850 KNR of Cleveland, and AM 1540 KNR2 of Cleveland. Munch is the current sports director for all of the above in addition to hosting “Munch on This” and “Munch in the Community.” Munch also hosts the Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns pre-game shows.

I am proud to announce Munch as the first in ProFootballinsight’s series of “10 Yards with…” A series and a category created for football fans by ProFootballinsight to bring them, the fans, closer to the sport they love and open an insight what they normally would not have on those they follow, see and hear.

In Munch’s 25 plus years in the business, his thoughts, observations and experiences are what had me captivated to Munch’s answers. See what Munch had to say about his history, the Cleveland Browns and more.

Click this link for the full interview

Kurt Fraschetti / Profootballinsight.net
MidwestSportsFans.com Senior Fantasy Football Writer
Kurt@ProFootballinsight.net

I just saw on the Cleveland Plain-Dealer website, as reported by Mary-Kay Cabot, that Browns head coach Romeo Crennel did not confirm, nor deny, that the altercation took place.

From the Cabot report:

Browns coach Romeo Crennel declined to confirm a report on WKYC Channel 3 that defensive lineman Shaun Smith punched quarterback Brady Quinn in the face last week in the weight room.

But Crennel also did not deny that the incident took place.

“If it happened, we’re keeping it in house,” Crennel said.

Interestingly, as Cabot points out, Romeo Crennel “would not say whether or not Smith was out (of the Bengals game) because of disciplinary action.”

“Shaun was inactive and generally all the inactive guys are coaches’ decisions,” said Crennel. “That was a coaches’ decision for him not to play. I’m not going to talk about family business.”

Crennel did acknowledge that Smith got into a heated confrontation with an offensive lineman at practice recently, but that to his knowledge it didn’t get physical.

“Guys get heated at practice,” he said. “There was some discussion (between Shaun and an offensive lineman).”

So, we have no official confirmation or denial that Shaun Smith punched Brady Quinn. And PFT reported earlier today that their sources said that Brady Quinn denied the rumors. However, we know that it was rumored that Shaun Smith was the player who Browns players said “quit” in the game this season against Denver. And we know that he has, at the very least, been involved in confrontations with other players.

And what kind of a statement is, “if it happened, we’re keeping it in house?” If it happened? Unfortunately for Romeo Crennel, if that was his attempt at diffusing the situation, I’m fairly certain it will only make it worse. If the alleged altercation between Brady Quinn and Shaun Smith did not happen, why would Romeo Crennel say anything other than, “It did not happen”? In this case, a waffling statement like, “If it happened, we’re keeping it in house” is about as good as just coming right out and saying it happened.

And Shaun Smith’s reputation for being a hot head is not going to help this rumor go away either. As the Browns should have learned from the Phil Savage email fiasco, it is usually better to just confront these issues and explain what happened. We all know that things get heated on NFL practice fields and in locker rooms. So it’s not like an altercation would be a surprise. What does not look good is trying to play games with the media and issuing vague statements hoping that the problem goes away. In the 24-hour, web-driven news cycle we live in, these stories go viral and the truth is eventually forced out.

If the altercation happened, and I think it is safe to make such an assumption based on the information available and Crennel’s unwillingness to issue a flat denial, you might as well take the lead so you can better frame the story from a perspective of authority. For the Browns front office, I think they’d have been better off with Romeo Crennel saying nothing. His non-denial denial is like throwing chum in the ocean, and now the media sharks and bloggers will be even more hungry for details on this story now, especially as the rumor seems to be gaining more and more steam in the direction of truth as today goes on.

To be fair to Dorsey, the Browns have not scored a touchdown in three games with three different starting quarterbacks. Last week, it was Derek Anderson at the helm in Cleveland’s 10-6 loss against Indianapolis, and two weeks ago Brady Quinn started in the 16-6 loss against the Houston Texans.

Quinn, despite wearing a splint wrapped by a bulky bandage, was on the sidelines, communicating with Dorsey via a headset: (“Hey, Ken, watch out! Titan coming from 12 o’clock! Duck! Run!” or “Hey, do you think we’ll be able to catch the Dallas-Pittsburgh game?”)

Despite Quinn’s helpful hints, Dorsey, who hasn’t had an NFL start in three years, went 22-of-43 for 150 yards and threw one interception.

Prior to the Browns latest debacle, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported that sources inside the Browns organization said that Marty Schottenheimer had the inside track in the race to replace Head Coach Romeo Crennel. But Marty’s reputation for not being able to get to the Super Bowl has caused some doubt of his suitability among the local media and Browns fans. Schottenheimer, 65, started his head coaching career in Cleveland in 1984.

Marty Schottenheimer was fired by the San Diego Chargers after a 14-2 season in 2006, and the Chargers have not contended, since. Marty also has the reputation of being very stubborn, especially when adding family members to his staff. It was pushing to hire brother Kurt that led to dissension in Cleveland; and word has it that Marty wants his son, Brian, involved in his next coaching job.

Mortensen’s report smacks of the Browns using the media to float its latest trial balloon up there for fans to see – and for Bill Cowher to see. Mortensen also reported, “Bill Cowher is a consideration, if he sent stronger signals that he is ready to return to coaching.”

In the meantime, what do the Browns do about their last three games against Philadelphia on Monday Night Football; Cincinnati, Dec. 21, and Pittsburgh on Dec. 28?

Although the score does not reflect this, the Browns defense played one of its best games Sunday in coming up with two interceptions and a fumble recovery, accounting for three Phil Dawson field goals.

Dorsey is gutsy, I’ll give him that, standing in a collapsing pocket until it is too late. He threw a 25-yarder to wide receiver Braylon Edwards – which Edwads caught – in the Browns very first possession Sunday.

But the best throw came from Joshua Cribbs, the Browns Everyman, who has returned kick-offs and punts for touchdowns, and Sunday, lined up eight times as a shotgun quarterback, running six times.

Finally, late in the fourth quarter, Cribbs, an ex-Kent State University running quarterback, threw deep to Edwards who managed to get one foot down inside the line. The Browns didn’t even challenge the call, leading one CBS analyst to say, “Cleveland is asleep at the switch.”

I agree. Okay, the season is lost, but this is the time to experiment with creative play-calling. Why not set up the flea-flicker? How about a fast-paced, no-huddle, shot-gun format? What do the 4-9 Browns have to lose?

If the Browns are gun shy about playing inexperienced pro quarterbacks, why not place an ad in the classifieds of NFL city newspapers:

“Wanted: NFL quarterback. Must have experience scoring from the Red Zone. Please email Randy.”

Hmmm…. I wonder what Vinny Testarverde is doing these days.

Here is the story. I’ll have more to discuss about this when I get home.

UPDATE: Instead of giving me own thoughts on this issue, I will let lifelong Browns fan Ryan Russell provide his thoughts, via a text message he sent me last night:

“Marty was my favorite coach ever. Trick plays, bitches. He was head coach the last time we were favored to with the AFC, and he made KC and San Diego into programs, if only for a moment. F–k that “big game” bullshit, Marty is older, wiser, and overdue for a dynasty.”

Sounds good to me. Even the most optimistic Romeo Crennel fan would have to now concede that not only will Romeo be gone next year, but that it will be a justified move. When the Dolphins were searching for a coach, and ultimately chose Cam “Camer” Cameron, I wanted them to grab Marty Schottenheimer. He is a tough, no-nonsense, old school coach would will fit in perfectly coming back to the AFC North.

As one very proud Browns fan told me yesterday, “We have talent, we just someone to coach it up.” Amen brother. Shh…don’t tell the guys over at www.cowher09.com, but I almost want Marty more than I want Bill Cowher. Marty doesn’t carry his longtime association with the Steelers, we wouldn’t have to listed to Steelers fan BS if and when we get to the top of the AFC North, and I think there would be a little extra motivation for Marty Schottenheimer to finish what he started in Cleveland.

No one knows if Marty Schottenheimer is interested in coaching the Browns, but I think his name should definitely be added to the short list if he is.

What are your initial thoughts of Marty Schottenheimer to the Browns?

(Update 12/2: Derek Anderson has a torn MCL.  He will not need surgery, but will need 4-6 recover, so his season is officially done as expected.)

I don’t think I’m going to post a recap of the Browns 10-6 loss to the Colts. Here is all you need to know: the defense played great, held Peyton Manning and the Colts offense to 3 points, and a fumble return for a touchdown by Robert Mathis was the difference in the game.

It was the same old story for the Browns: one side of the ball played well, while the other unit failed and cost the Browns at win at home.

Oh, and another one of our quarterbacks is out. (And, for the record, if that picture to the left doesn’t sum up the Browns’ 2008 season, I don’t know what does.)

ESPN is reporting that Derek Anderson suffered what is bring called an MCL sprain late in the 4th quarter. Ken Dorsey came in for Anderson and threw three straight incompletions on the final drive of the game.

In his post-game press conference, Romeo Crennel said that Anderson did not look good coming off the field and that he is not encouraged. Something tells me that Anderson’s injury is not the only thing that has Crennel discouraged this evening.

The injury to Derek Anderson comes on the heels of Brady Quinn being declared out of the year with a injury to his index finger. Earlier this week, we posted a Top 10 list of candidates to replace Brady Quinn at QB for the Browns. Derek Anderson was #1 on the list, but can now be crossed off.

The Browns really have no choice but to turn to Ken Dorsey at QB for the final four games. Joshua Cribbs has experience as a college quarterback, and the Browns signed Cowboys cast-off RIchard Bartell last week to be the emergency QB.

Unfortunately, the injury to Derek Anderson just adds to injury to insult that had already been added to injury and more insult. It has just been one of those seasons for the Browns in which everything that could go wrong has gone wrong.

With another QB injury, the thoughts of Michael Vick playing QB for the Browns don’t seem so bad or ridiculous anymore, now do they?

I’m going to cry. 4-8. How in the hell did his happen?

Why can’t 48 hours pass without some sort of controversial story about the Cleveland Browns?

Seriously.

ESPN.com is reporting that quarterback Brady Quinn, who has been suffering from an injured index finger on his throwing hand, has flown to Birmingham, Alabama to receive a second opinion on the severity of the injury from Dr. James Andrews.

You may know Dr. James Andrews from the 97,431 other stories in the past few years about athletes visiting him. This guy is like some sort of oracle or magical faith healer (or, just a really good orthopedic surgeon, I suppose). His name is also the most dreaded sound in the world of fantasy football. If your player is visiting Dr. James Andrews, it is rarely a good sign.

The news that Brady Quinn is traveling to see the magic doctor is surprising. While Romeo Crennel said that he thought Quinn’s injury was affecting his play somewhat on Sunday, resulting in Crennel benching Brady Quinn for Derek Anderson in the second half, Quinn steadfastly denied that the finger was a problem.

Yet, now he’s flying down to see Dr. James Andrews.

Hmm…not really sure what to make of this. The interesting part is that, according to the ESPN.com story, Quinn flew down to Alabama on his own initiative. The story does not say whether Quinn told the Browns he was going, but it certainly seems to allude to the possibility that he did not.

Honestly, it would not really surprise me if Quinn just went on his own. It was pretty obvious that he was pissed off that Crennel benched him on Sunday, and the Browns do not exactly have the most successful record when it comes to medical matters. Something tells me Brady did not want to be skipping over to the Cleveland Clinic in anything less than a HazMat suit.

It shall be interesting to see what comes of this. First off, hopefully the finger is okay and does not require any further surgery. Nothing against Derek Anderson (hell, I cheered when they put him in Sunday…before reflecting on it and realizing it was a poor decision) but the Browns need Brady Quinn to start the next five games. We have to see what we have in him, and he needs the experience. Any setback due to injury would be disastrous in terms of planning for next year.

Secondly, I will be interested to see if the Browns have a comment. It doesn’t exactly look good when your franchise QB is flying on his own to get second opinions on his injury and, ostensibly, not including the team in the decision.

Either way, the Browns play the Colts this weekend, and would get smoked even if John Elway was playing quarterback if the defense cannot do a better job against Peyton Manning than they did against…ugh…Sage Rosenfels. But hopefully Brady is back from Birmingham with a positive opinion of Dr. James Andrews. The Browns need him under center as they play out the string and plan for the future.

The Associated Press is reporting that Romeo Crennel has confirmed that Phil Savage did, in fact, send an email containing a expletive to a Browns fan who had emailed him repeatedly during the Browns-Bills Monday Night Football game.

Per the AP:

Coach Romeo Crennel confirmed Thursday that Savage sent the e-mail, which was first reported on sports blog deadspin.com.

Crennel says he understands Savage’s frustration and spoke with him Thursday about the incident. Crennel says it’s unfortunate that it happened, adding “in tough times, tough things happen.”

According to the report on Ohio.com:

”We all get frustrated at times,” Crennel said in his daily news conference.

He continued by saying people try to be ”professional” and hold it in, but ‘’sometimes things slip out.”

”It’s unfortunate that it slipped out,” Crennel said.

Interestingly, the Ohio.com report also states that WKNR’s Tony Rizzo said on the radio that he spoke to the fan, and the fan actually said that he deserved the email response from Phil Savage. He apparently later apologized to Savage after heading from the Browns GM.

I don’t really know what to say, other than I was obviously wrong in doubting this story when it first broke yesterday on Deadspin. I certainly think that my reasons for having doubt were well founded: this is out of character for Phil Savage (at least my impression of him), and it certainly does not make sense, and there was not any solid proof behind it that I could..

But when you read confirming quotes from the head coach, I’m not really sure there is anything else to say.

Looks like I picked the wrong story to call BS on.

As many of you know, last month I correctly predicted the upset special of the season (Browns over Giants). I would now like to take this opportunity to publicly guarantee that the Cleveland Browns will defeat the Buffalo Bills tonight on Monday Night Football.

Don’t ask me how I know this, or why I know this, just know that I am currently “one for one” in my Monday Night predictions; STILL PERFECT in layman’s terms.

Here’s what needs to happen for my streak of perfection to continue:

1. Browns secondary will dominate early. Safety Sean Jones will lay down a few punishing hits early, to let the Bills receivers know that he isn’t messing around. Look for a first half interception or two from either McDonald, Jones or Pool.
2. Running MEN. Jamal Lewis should get at LEAST 20 carries (Jerod for Offensive Coordinator in ‘09!) and punch in at least one touchdown tonight. Also look for screen passes to BOTH Lewis and Harrison to be effective.
3. Pretty-Boy QB. I must admit, i was not a fan of Brady Quinn in the beginning. I hate Notre Dame, Charlie Weis, and anything that has anything to do with the state of Indiana. My feelings began to change on draft day, though, when I learned that Quinn grew up in Ohio, and saw the photo of him dressed in a miniature Bernie Kosar Jersey. Last week, Quinn was impressive. In spite of the loss, AND in reference to it after the game. Look for Quinn to have around 280 yards passing, and two TD’s. ( I have a weird gut feeling that he may throw one INT, and rush for one TD)

MY PREDICTION:

Cleveland 24

Buffalo 17

ESPN.com has just reported that Cleveland Browns Pro Bowl TE Kellen Winslow has beeen suspended for one week without pay, including the Sunday game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Following the loss to the Washington Redskins, Kellen Winslow stated that he was unhappy with the way the Browns had handled his staph infection, stating he felt like “a piece of meat.” The suspension will cost K2 a reported $235,294, which is equal to one game check. Kellen Winslow will not be allowed to practice or attend team meetings this week.

(Update: Since the publishing of this post, Phil Savage has released an official statement on ClevelandBrowns.com. Follow the link to read it. Also, is it possible that the Drew Rosenhaus factor is at play here?)

Winslow’s loss will give those Cleveland Browns fans who claimed that the run game was more efficient with Kellen Winslow’s absence versus the Giants will get what they wished for this week against the Jaguars. If the Browns are productive on the ground in Jacksonville, those Cleveland fans may be onto something.

From the perspective of fantasy football owners, Steve Heiden is a formatable tight end who does not have Kellen Winslow-like big play ability, but does catch what ever hits his hands, and is a good red zone target.

In other NFL news, New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison will miss the remainder of the season, possibly ending the 15 year veterans career. The Boston Globe reported that Harrison tore his right quad muscle while attempting to tackle Jay Culter of the Broncos last night.

Sammy Morris, who also left last night’s game at the half, was listed as questionable for return for the New England Patriots. Reports out of New England state that Morris’s injury was not that serious and he was seen walking around the locker room after the Patriots win over the Broncos without a limp.

Check in with www.Midwestsportsfans.com for additional updates as they become available.

Kurt Fraschetti

profootballinsight@live.com