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Yesterday I presented you with a list of the top 10 pleasant surprises in the NFL this year. And while that’s all well and good, today I think we’ll focus on those teams and players who have disappointed us. We anointed them with praise and high expectations only to watch them stumble through the first quarter of the NFL season — with a bleak outlook ahead.

10. Larry Johnson — Big contract extension this offseason, small play since. Not to mention he ripped the Chiefs’ coaching staff (though it wasn’t totally unjustifiable). Sorry, LJ, but a 3.3 yard per carry average isn’t getting it done for fantasy owners, or the Chiefs for that matter.

We’re through the first quarter of the season now and each of the NFL’s 32 teams has played at least 4 games. A few, such as Dallas, after pulling out a seemingly impossible win over the Bills Sunday, sit at 5-0. They are the elites.

But other teams have taken us by surprise. Other players, too. It’s time to celebrate those players and teams that have gone above and beyond the expectations we set for them, celebrate their accomplishments, and look forward to what the rest of the season has in store.

You’re going to see greatness here; you’ll see the ones truly blowing our minds.

After some heartening news that Ward was practicing Friday, it’s a bit disappointing to hear that he won’t be playing Sunday. The idea behind sitting him, however, makes a lot of sense. It just wouldn’t be smart to play Ward this early after he’s missed two weeks of practice. His greatest strength is his fearless attitude of running across the middle of the field. If he’s still uncertain how his knee will hold up, he’ll hold back and he’ll be a more ineffective receiver. Not to mention he might get hurt.

While Jake Delhomme continues to recover, it appears he’ll miss a second consecutive start. While John Fox hasn’t officially stated Jake Delhomme will miss the game, it seems likely David Carr will make the start.

Last week against Tampa Bay, Carr completed less than 50% of his passes and threw an interception. And his 3.8 yard per attempt average was pathetic, and the Panthers slipped to a 2-2 record.

This Sunday they’ll take on the Saints in New Orleans. They’ve been among the league’s most disappointing teams this season and they’ll be desperate for a victory. If they slip to 0-4, they’ll have a tough climb to return to the postseason, especially with the Buccaneers playing at the level they are right now.

After missing nearly two full weeks of practice Hines Ward is returning, today, and if all goes well, he’ll see playing time on Sunday against the Seahawks. His knee reportedly is healing and it is surrounded by less fluid, little enough that he might be able to make hard enough cuts on the field to run crisp routes.

If the wide receiver isn’t okay to play Sunday, he’ll be replaced by Nate Washington (again). But apparently he’s in control.

“All the coaches say, ‘Hey, it’s up to you,’ ” Ward said.

In some unfortunate news, though not totally unexpected, Denver running back Travis Henry has reportedly tested positive for marijuana. To all Travis Henry owners and Denver fans out there: ouch.

The experiment in Denver has officially failed; it was one of the chief reasons the move was considered a little sketchy. Risks were involved, but Denver was willing to take them because, while the Broncos might be able to plug anyone into their backfield and walk away successful, Henry brought a lot of talent to the table. Plus, he fit the system perfectly.

After a series of staggering defeats — and a pair of cracked ribs — the Rams are preparing to sit Marc Bulger this weekend in favor of Gus Frerotte.

“I was never going to pull myself out, I know that much,” Bulger said, when asked why he’s been playing this long with injury. “It’s real easy to play hurt when you’re winning, but it’s just not in me to pull myself out when we’re 0-4.

“It was going to have to be the coaches pulling me out, and that’s what happened.”

Without a doubt the Rams have had the NFL’s most disappointing offense this season, especially from a fantasy football perspective. The offense has stumbled and bumbled its way to an 0-4 record, scoring an average of only 9.8 points per game (how does that happen?), the worst offensive showing in the NFL this season.

When you watch the Patriots play, one thing becomes incredibly obvious: Randy Moss is good. Real good. And you get the impression that the guy throwing him the football knows a thing or two about playing in the NFL. In fact, you probably get the impression that the rapport they have is pure chemistry. It’s better than Manning-Harrison of today. It’s better than Palmer-Johnson. It’s the only unstoppable combo in football and the Patriots are taking complete advantage of it.

Now, I’m not saying that Randy Moss is the best wide receiver in football. Nor do I think that Brady is the league’s best quarterback. Those are toss-ups. But put those two in the same lineup and great things happen.

Before the season started, you probably assumed that the AFC West would shake down something like this: San Diego in first place, followed (in order) by Denver, Kansas City, and Oakland. Fast forward to today, four weeks into the season, and you probably have a hard time believing the Raiders, Broncos, and Chiefs are in a three way tie for first place while the Chargers are coming apart at the seams, dropping their past three games, two of which they were heavy favorites.

So what happened? Why the shift in dominance?

Looking at San Diego, it seems obvious that the coaching change from Marty “can’t win in the postseason” Schottenheimer to Norv “can’t win any time of the year” Turner was a bad move. It was criticized the day it was announced and things are only going to get worse unless the Chargers salvage the season and go on a tear to make the playoffs. Unlikely.

We’ve all come to accept that, although the NFL has more parity than any other major orcollegiate sports venue, the AFC is more dominant than the NFC. They’ve won 6 the past 7 Super Bowls and the AFC typically has a winning record in the regular season, as well.

But 2007 and beyond may see a shift in the dominance. Take a look at the NFC’s top 3 teams right now, in terms of talent and production: Dallas, Green Bay, and even Carolina. The first has one of the NFL’s best offenses, Green Bay has one of the league’s best yound defenses, and Carolina has a healthy blend of each. Point being, all three are strong enough to contend for a Super Bowl and all three are composed of young rosters.