NFL Update: Week 5

So the NFL has entered its fifth week, or more, has more crawled into it. I don't know if is just me, but the overall quality of competition seems way down. Too many blow-outs and too little good play. This is the first year in awhile I can remember in which the overall field was this awful. Patriots look good, possibly the Seahawks, and maybe the Vikings. The rest seem unable to rise above expectations.

Speaking of not meeting expectations; goddamn the Panthers look terrible. It seems the past two years of the franchise were a mere dream. Its defense has gone from a shining example of excellence to being a sad, wet fart. I mean this team just cannot get out of its own way to win games. The Falcons offense destroyed 'em for over 500 yards of offense and Newton decides to play with so little caution that he turns his brain into Jell-O and makes the Panther's call up infamous former Brown's QB Derek Anderson to help them right the ship. Good luck with that.

That look you make when that 7-9 playoff season 3 years ago seems pretty good right now

Another team that deserves mentions is the Browns. Is it because they are awful? No. That is nothing new. They have been miserable to watch but this was supposed to be the year they started to turn it all around. The media was filled with claims that the Browns could be dangerous this year. They praised their hires, sung the songs of their new offensive look, and bowed before the miracle of the post-Manziel era. Well, now the Browns are on their 4th QB of the season and the only upside is Terrelle Pryor is playing a style of football that died around the time Eisenhower did. So much for the hype.

Recommended watching: A History of Bad Football: The Cleveland Browns. This will make all the media hype surrounding the Browns this past offseason look even more ridiculous.

When it comes to the broadcasting, it is awful like usual. However, in some ways, it is worse. The new ESPN Sunday NFL Countdown crew is utterly terrible overall. Matt Hasselbeck and Trent Dilfer lack any personality and seem to only serve as dry counterparts to the otherwise exciting duo of Charles Woodson and Randy Moss. Oh and the replacement for Mike Tirico in the booth for Monday Night Football is terrible as well. His commentary lacks Tirico's wit and passion. Whereas Tirico served as a foil to Gruden, the new guy's relationship with Gruden resembles more a paddle ball toy. Gruden's Beautiful Mind level obsession with numbers bouncing off of this old, pasty white dude. Its atrocious. 

Lets hope the return of Tom Brady brings peace to the football world.

Oh and one note on College Football:

To hell with this annoying ad campaign.