This may be the streakiest year in NFL history.
At one end of the spectrum, you have the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints, both 12-0, the first time two teams have gone this deep into the season unbeaten.
At the other end, you have the Bucs, the Rams, the Lions and the Browns, who started the season a collective 0-20 and are currently 6-43.
In between those extremes, there have been some inexplicable reversals of fortune for a variety of teams.
The Titans started 0-6 and then reeled off five straight wins after changing their quarterback. The Broncos started 6-0, mystifying all those who predicted calamity, then came back to earth with a thud, losing four in a row.
The last of those four was to San Diego, which drifted through its first five games at 2-3, before rattling off their current seven-game win streak to take command of the AFC West.
What about the New York Giants, who many were calling the best team in football when they were 5-0? Four weeks later, when they had lost four in a row, the headlines were rather different.
And now we have witnessed the most baffling reversal of all that has befallen the Super Bowl champion Steelers.
They were cruising along at 5-2, neck-and-neck with Cincinnati, when the bottom fell out of their season, reaching rock bottom on Thursday night when they were embarrassed 13-6 by the Browns -- the same Browns who had lost 12 in a row against Pittsburgh. It was the defending Super Bowl champions' fifth consecutive loss and all but eliminates them from a playoff berth.
We knew Troy Polamalu was good, but is he that much of a difference-maker?
Perhaps what all this inconsistency proves is that even the best teams walk a perilously fine line in the depth department.
Two or three crucial injuries can sabotage the entire operation.
Still alive
Somehow, even after losing four games in a row and five of six, and doing it on merit, the Giants could go to sleep tonight tied for the NFC East division lead.
That's where things will stand if New York holds serve at home against Philadelphia and if the San Diego Chargers can upset the Dallas Cowboys in Texas, creating a three-way tie at 8-5.
"We didn't think we would have this chance," said Giants running back Brandon Jacobs.
"They couldn't kick us out when we were playing bad, so now they have to live with us."
Quick kicks
In 44 years of existence, the Atlanta Falcons have never had back-to-back winning seasons. Coming off a big turnaround season in 2008, it looked as if '09 would be the year but, alas, a defeat today at the hands of the Saints will push the Falcons back under .500 with just three games left ... Today's game against the Rams is a big watershed moment for Titans' Chris Johnson's bid for a 2,000-yard season. He's at 1,509 yards and a monster game against the defensively challenged Rams, who average 146 yards of rushing against, is not out of the question ... While Indianapolis and New Orleans chase unbeaten records, the Jacksonville Jaguars are chasing a perfect season (sort of) themselves. If things continue as they have, they will have all their home games blacked out, which is to say they have not sold out even one game, despite the fact they have a good chance at a wild-card playoff berth. Last week, they drew the smallest crowd in their history, 42,079. .... A scan of this week's official NFL injury report reveals the names of no fewer than 13 starting quarterbacks. Most of them will play, anyway.
KEN.FIDLIN@SUNMEDIA.CA
