Parity in Today's NFL is Unparalleled



The NFL is KING Mainly Because of the Parity
In the League


Every year there are the front runners, the bottom feeders, and all those teams muddled in between.  However, does anyone else see what is going on in the NFL this season?  There aren't many front runners, and there aren't many bottom feeders.  No, the majority of the teams in today's NFL fall into the "mediocre" category.  However, do all of those team deserve the label of "mediocre"?  I'm sure that with due time the league will level itself out and the distance between the top teams and those not as talented will certainly take place, but for now, enjoy the ride of staying alive.  Its crazy to think that even teams that are 1-4 are technically still in the discussion, as long as they eventually hit their stride and start to string some wins together. 

Lets take a look at the "elite" teams and the "bottom feeders" first.  Most people would say that the elite teams in the NFL would be the Falcons (6-0), the Ravens (5-1), and the Texans (5-1), and some would say the Giants (4-2) would be included based on pedigree.  After that, almost every team in the NFL (including teams that are 4-2) have their issues.  The bottom feeders might be easier to diagnose.  The Chiefs (1-5), the Browns (1-5), and Jacksonville (1-4) all would be considered in the bottom feeder category, but even the Browns defeated the Bengals Sunday to wonder if they might crawl out of the basement, or at least show some promise.  The truly difficult thing is to make conclusions on every other team in the NFL. 

Look at just the teams that are 2-3 or 3-3 and you can make a case for a legitimate playoff team.  The Cowboys, Steelers, Broncos (as of this post being written on Monday),  and the Lions are all 2-3 and are teams with massive amounts of talent that could be capable of putting together a string of wins and being a contender by season's end.  The 3-3 teams are even more hard to distinguish.  Every team in the AFC East (Patriots, Jets, Bills, and Dolphins) are all 3-3.  Along side them are the Bengals, Packers, Rams, Eagles, Redskins, and potentially the San Diego Chargers.  Look at those rosters, and outside of the Rams, you see teams that are talented that could make a run.

If a team is 4-2 or better, their specific fan base will most likely make a case for their team to be mentioned in the "elite" category.  There are a couple teams that I would really hesitate on calling them "elite" even at a 4-2 record.  The Vikings, Cardinals, and even the Seahawks are teams that I doubt anyone would be surprised if they slipped up and fell out of contention. 

With the NFL amongst some of its greatest parity, its easy to say that NO TEAM is out of the race.  Good teams are losing to bad teams (Steelers losing to Titans) and the not so good teams are getting the breaks (Seattle Seahawks I'm looking at you).  Nonetheless, the next few weeks in the NFL are HUGE for alot of different teams.  Those 2-3 teams can't afford to go 2-4 depending on their division.  I've said this in the past, but nothing surprises me anymore in today's NFL.  I wouldn't be surprised if some of those "elite" teams I mentioned at the beginning of this post fall off, and some of those bottom feeders start to make a late season push.  Its the parity that the NFL hasn't seen in a long time, and it just makes the greatest game in the USA even greater...