NFL: 2009 sensational surprises include Saints, others

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By Chase Trichell

The 2009 NFL season has its perennial "no duhs" and statistical paradigms. Peyton Manning leads the league with the highest quarterback rating, the Indianapolis Colts are atop the AFC South and the New England Patriots are first in the AFC East. Andre Johnson leads the NFL in receiving yards, the Detroit Lions are at the bottom of their division and Brett Favre is playing for yet another team. So, have there been any surprises this NFL season?

We'll start with some individual players. Matt Schaub, who has thrown for more than 3,000 yards only once in his previous five seasons, leads the NFL in passing yards (2,074) and touchdowns (16). Schaub has passed for over 300 yards in four of his first seven games and is on pace to throw for 4,800 yards and nearly 40 touchdowns. Now, from one surprising quarterback to another...

Jake Delhomme has been a good NFL quarterback for years. However, for topical performances, fantasy football ownership often indicates who's hot and who's not. As of week seven, Delhomme is owned by a measly 12.6% of fantasy owners. Why? Delhomme has passed for under 200 yards in three of six games and less than 80 yards twice. He currently has the 32nd best quarterback rating in the NFL.

Then there's Miles Austin. In the past two weeks, Austin has nearly trumped his total receiving yards during his first three seasons. From 2006 to 2008, Austin accrued 354 yards and three touchdowns. In 2009, Austin has 502 yards and five touchdowns. Since being named a starter two games ago, Austin has 421 yards and four touchdowns. Fantasy ownership: 95.6%.

Cedric Benson is perhaps the most surprising player of the 2009 season. In his first four NFL seasons, Benson averaged 585 yards per year and had a career high of 747 rushing yards. Through week seven, Benson leads the entire NFL in rushing with 720 yards. From one of the biggest surprises of the season to one of the biggest busts of the season, introducing Terrell Owens.

Owens could be the best receiver of this decade but is experiencing his worst season since the 90's. T.O. has had at least 1,000 yards receiving in eight of the last nine seasons. However, his 18 receptions for 242 yards and one touchdown this seasons rank him 71st in the NFL, which is behind most tight ends.

How about the "other" Steve Smith, the New York Giants' Steve Smith, the three year man out of USC? Smith had one touchdown and 637 yards in his first two NFL seasons. In 2009, Smith has already accounted for four touchdowns and 594 yards, which is the third most in the league. Smith is 38 yards behind Andre Johnson and just eight yards behind Hines Ward.

The Kansas City Chiefs are a dismal 1-6 in 2009 and their poster child, Larry Johnson, may be on his way out. Johnson has only rushed for 358 yards in seven games, has a season high of 83 yards and averages just 51 yards per game. L.J. has been suspended until Nov. 9 for using racial slurs during an interview.

The most surprising teams this NFL season have been the Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints and Tennessee Titans. The Titans, which started the 2008 season 10-0 and finished with the NFL's best record at 13-3, are 0-6 this season and have finally decided to go back to Vince Young. Whether or not he can save Tennessee's sinking ship is unknown.

As for the Denver Broncos, Kyle Orton has already righted their ship. The Broncos went 8-8 last season before swapping Jay Cutler for Kyle Orton, who has thrown nine touchdowns versus just one interception this season. Right now, Denver is 6-0 and that trade is looking pretty good.

Despite having the NFL's most prolific offense in 2008, the New Orleans Saints only managed to go 7-9. Therefore, it comes as no surprise Drew Brees has the NFL's third highest quarterback rating and is on pace to throw for more than 4,500 yards and nearly 40 touchdowns.

Want a surprise? The New Orleans Saints are No. 11 in total defense and strong safety Darren Sharper leads the NFL in interceptions with six, of which three he returned for touchdowns. Most importantly, the Saints are 6-0 and haven't won a game by less than 12 points. With the offense averaging 40 points per game and the defense ball hawking, the sky's limit for New Orleans.

Originally Published: Issue 822 - November 4, 2009

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