The Good: Eight weeks in to the NFL season and we are starting to see the contenders separate themselves from the pretenders. We’re down to one undefeated team, the Atlanta Falcons at 7-0. Interestingly though, they are rarely the team mentioned as the best in the NFL. The one loss Houston Texans tend to get more credit, along with the one loss Chicago Bears, and the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants. After a slow start, it looks like New England Patriots are getting their act together. They have three losses on the season, but appear poised to dominate their division.

The Bad: First up on this list is the Detroit Lions. A young, brash team coming off a playoff berth is in last place in the NFC North. The Lions are 3-4 and have been outscored by their opponents so far. Three games out of first and facing a tough schedule makes me think that this Lions team won’t see the postseason this year. We can’t get through the bad without mentioning Philadelphia either. The Eagles are a mess, with controversy around the QB, head coach, and the defense. With Michael Vick and Andy Reid fighting for their jobs, most of the country has already given up on them. Finally, I have to mention the New York Jets. Mark Sanchez isn’t getting it done, but the team is wary of putting in the backup, Tim Tebow, to try and lead a turnaround. Under .500 and in danger of not making the playoffs, this team needs a face lift.

The Ugly: Let’s start with the New Orleans Saints. Sure, there was plenty of controversy surrounding the team this year, and they don’t really have a head coach. However, they still have Drew Brees, and the Super Bowl is in New Orleans this year. I thought that would be motivation enough to contend for the division title and try to become the first team to make the Super Bowl a true home game. Unfortunately, they are 2-5, and their defense looks anything but super. Next on the list is the Carolina Panthers. Cam Newton is having a rough season, and the team is only 1-6. They won 6 games last year, and in the offseason, Ryan Kalil took out a full page ad in the newspaper guaranteeing a super bowl for this team. Nice try Ryan, but you tricked yourself and your fans into thinking your team could get it done this year. Instead, they are among the lowest scoring and most disappointing teams in the NFL.

Good thing there are still 9 weeks left before the regular season ends. Every team still has a chance to change their fortune.

All of the predictions and preseason statistics are out the window now that the ball is in the air and the NFL season is underway. One of the major story lines of the preseason was the use of the replacement refs. I’ll be the first to admit I like seeing Ed “Hercules” Hochuli calling games, but realistically, the refs shouldn’t be a part of the outcome. In boxing, the saying goes “the ref did a great job if you didn’t notice him in the ring.” I feel much the same about football. With the exception of giving the Seattle Seahawks an extra time out last Sunday, I really didn’t notice the replacement refs too much. So that’s a plus for the NFL, but could be troublesome for the referees who are looking for leverage in their negotiations.

So that just leaves me with football to recap. After one week, teams that won shouldn’t get carried away and think Super Bowl, but teams that lost shouldn’t go out and burn their new Nike NFL jersey either. There is plenty of optimism for fans of the Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots, Houston Texans and the Atlanta Falcons. Those teams won convincingly and have fans excited for the season. The next bunch of teams got the victory, but the jury is stil out. Those teams include the Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccanneers, and the Denver Broncos just to name a few. Of the losers, fans of the Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants, and New Orleans Saints have to be scratching their heads. What went so wrong that they started off 0-1? What if they lose this weekend and start the season 0-2? Since 1990, teams that start the season 0-2 make the playoffs less than 14% of the time. That’s a massive mountain to climb, which means that there are a number of teams that will be essentially playing for their season this weekend.

Best of luck to every team this weekend. I just want to see good football (and a Bears win). Regardless of who you cheer for, we’ll keep you up to date on what’s going on this season, as well as offer you the best selection of fashionable fan gear around. If you don’t believe me, click here to shop your NFL team and see for yourself.

Kenny Britt rides off after suffering a season ending injury. (Jae S. Lee / AP)

This guest post is by Marmaone of Mar’s View from the Stands.

Here we are football fans, we asked for it and we got it. The NFL Lockout ended in late July and the season started on time. But two weeks in and all I can really think about is the rash of players not actually playing. Now to be fair, injuries are a part of the game. Every year teams find themselves in a state of readjustment due to a low hit on a QB, cracked ribs, ankle strain, the list goes on; but something about this young 2011 season has me thinking – how much did the lockout affect all these early injuries?

Keep in mind that during the lockout players weren’t allowed to have contact with their coaches, trainers or facilities. While these guys are big boys and I’m sure work out hard, many times a week – this is a team game that employs these personnel for a reason. Teams need structure, OTA’s, practices to gel as a unit, to build on field chemistry, to learn the playbook, to AVOID injury – and for months, they received none of that.

Before the season even started Peyton Manning had surgery, which we’ve since learned will end his season and Arian Foster sat out Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury that has plagued him since preseason. The NY Giants started their season without a majority of their defensive starters. Kickers and punters haven’t been exempt from the injury bug either with the Saints K Garrett Hartley hurt in a preseason game and out for an extended period of time. I could go on and on with a list of the NFL’s version of a MASH unit though I’m sure you get the point.

Only time will tell if teams are able to overcome and minimize the injuries. One can only wonder at this point if the lockout did in fact have a direct cause and effect to the number of injuries but the evidence is certainly building a strong case.

We all knew it had to end some time. The question was whether Brett Favre’s consecutive game streak would end at his (final) retirement, or if an illness or injury would slow him down. Today, we find out that The Streak will end at 297 consecutive games started. Brett Favre is on the Vikings inactive list for tonight’s game against the New York Giants. For the first time since September 27, 1992, an NFL game will start with Brett Favre on the sidelines.

The Streak is the second longest in the history of the NFL, and by far the longest of any QB in league history. Only Jeff Feagles had a longer streak of consecutive games started, which ended last year at an amazing 352 games. I must mention though, Jeff Feagles is a punter… 352 games is still 352 games, but with only one bar on his facemask, it is clear that punters aren’t in the NFL for their tackling ability. I still applaud the longevity and the effort.

Back to Brett though. His 297 consecutive games streak began with the Green Bay Packers, traveled to the New York Jets, and ended up with the Minnesota Vikings after a few more retirement announcements. He has gone on record to say that he will not play again next year. With a sprained shoulder and a team that is out of playoff contention, we may have all seen the last of Brett Favre in an NFL uniform. The Vikings, who started the season as a Super Bowl XLV contender, are now reduced to Tavaris Jackson as their starter, and will probably face considerable QB questions in the offseason. If this is the end, I will say thanks for the memories.

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