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In 2002, the Seattle Seahawks moved from the AFC to the NFC when the NFL realigned after the addition of the Houston Texans. Talk about a good career move. Two years ago, the Seahawks made the Super Bowl, a feat they failed to achieve in 25 seasons in the AFC. Last week, the Seahawks lost to the Arizona Cardinals to fall to 1-1 heading into today's game against the visiting Bengals. Nobody in the Pacific Northwest is panicking. The conventional wisdom is that Seattle is a safe bet to return to the playoffs for the fifth straight season. Last week, the Bengals lost to Cleveland to fall to 1-1. Already in Cincinnati, there is concern about the Bengals' playoff viability, and not just because of the defensive collapse that allowed the Browns to ring up 51 points. The AFC, whose champion has won the past four Super Bowls, has become so competitive that even an early season slip-up can have major consequences. An upset loss to then-winless Tampa Bay last season cost the Bengals a playoff appearance. "We said after that game we were going to kick ourselves for losing that one," defensive tackle John Thornton said. "It's sort of the same thing about last week. It'll make it tougher for us."
If anything, the AFC looks even more loaded this year. Indianapolis, New England and San Diego look to be the class of the conference. Pittsburgh and Denver are 2-0. Baltimore remains formidable. Jacksonville and Tennessee could be dangerous. Even the Texans are 2-0. So for the Bengals, it's not far-fetched to say that today's game is more important than the typical interconference, early season game. The Patriots visit next week, and the Bengals don't want to contemplate heading into their bye week 1-3. In the AFC, that qualifies as staring into the abyss. "If you lose in the AFC, it's tough," Thornton said. "You've got to go make it up big time because you've got to go beat a team you're not supposed to beat." Contrast that to Seattle running back Shaun Alexander's attitude toward today's game. "It's a big game, but nobody's going to sink the ship if the game doesn't go one way or another," he said. "Our Super Bowl year, we started off 2-2 and then won 11 straight. It's a time to check your oil, see where you're at. No one is going to throw the ship in if it goes the wrong way." That's because every NFC contender looks flawed. Defending champ Chicago has Rex Grossman as its quarterback. Dallas has looked impressive, against weak competition. Green Bay, Detroit, Washington and San Francisco are undefeated but hardly strike fear in anyone. "In general, you've got more margin for error over there," Thornton said of the NFC. "You can get in with 9-7 or 8-8, easily. You can win your division, too. It's tough over here, man. A lot of good teams will be sitting home in the AFC." After what happened in Cleveland, the jury's still out whether the Bengals are a good team. But unlike in the AFC, even that may not be enough to survive past December. A victory today over the Seahawks could prove to make all the difference. Columbus Disptach http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2007/09/23/bengals_afc0922.ART_ART_09-23-07_C5_1Q7VQ30.html?sid=101 |
