Week 3 isn't the end of the world nor is it the end of the NFL season, but it certainly is when we can start to notice trends, anomalies, and ultimately make inferences about what we think is permanent or just early season swoons. For a lot of teams, these issues are correctable and can be fixed in time for October and November when teams really need to find their stride. For example, the Patriots' wide receiver problems are correctable. They have Julian Edelman coming back in two weeks and Josh Gordon, once healthy, will provide a valuable downfield threat for them. So the depth issues they had on Sunday night at the position can be fixed. The Eagles' issues are correctable. Although they won, they didn't look good because they just got their starting QB back after he was sidelined due to an ACL/LCL tear. They'll get through their early season swoons and be back on track soon. The Raiders lack of depth at the defensive interior positions are issues I do not think are correctable since they have been the same problem for them three weeks in a row and the team hasn’t been able to fix them yet; despite Jon Gruden saying they need to find a way to fix them. These are just some examples of what we have started to see as this early NFL season unfolds. Perhaps the Packers aren't that bad, they just keep getting some unfortunate calls. Maybe it isn’t the end of the world for the Bills or the Vikings? Maybe it is? Let's find out. This week I'm not only going to recap the games, but also assess whether I think what we have seen so far this season is a trend and what I believe is permanent and temporary about each team. But first, the official rankings:
32. Cardinals. They finally put in Josh Rosen!! Too bad it was with 2 minutes left in the game and forced him to try to put together a game winning drive. Obviously it did not go well.
Trends: With Rosen starting next week, the Cardinals can see what they have in him and the objective of this season is to find out if he can be a franchise Quarterback so that they can decide their future moves.
31. Texans. We may have overreacted (guilty as charged) last year to Deshaun Watson's early success as the starting Quarterback. I still think he can have a successful career, but us overrating Watson has caused us to also overate the Texans as a whole. On paper, their defense seems like it should be one of the best in the NFL. So far this season, they are far from them. JJ Watt was the only one who showed up for the defense (he had 3 sacks) as they surrendered 27 points to a Giants team who struggled to put together one solid drive last week against the Cowboys.
Trends: Penalties have killed the Texans so far this year, especially this last week. Multiple holding calls and false starts killed any offensive momentum they tried to create. They rank in the top 10 in penalties through three weeks (24 for 182 yards). This has caused them problems and has contributed to them losing games.
30. Raiders. Tell me if you've heard this one before: Jon Gruden still hasn't won a game in over 10 years. Derek Carr had a second week in a row where he actually looked pretty good at QB, besides a bad miscue with Amari Cooper that led to an interception, he made some accurate deep throws (especially to Jordy Nelson in the first half). Once again, their defensive front 7 was lacking in both depth and a pass rush as they allowed Ryan Tanehill all day to throw. This week, like last week it was because their players were gassed in the second half since they couldn't substitute in and out to catch their breaths. The Dolphins looked like a faster team all around in the second half. A reoccurring trend for this team.
Trends: The Raiders have been outscored 64-7 in the second half of games this year. This is due to three main factors: poor or lack of 2nd half adjustments, lack of depth, and poor conditioning. The Raiders have displayed all three of these things so far this season they will continue to do so for the rest of this year.
29. Cowboys. It's really a shame you didn’t get Earl Thomas when you had the chance. He won't be was good as he was this week all year (3 interceptions including the game clinching one), but man it must hurt to watch if you're a Cowboys fan. You flirted with him in the offseason and, by many trusted sources, he wanted to play for you guys. It's too bad he made your QB look silly. Speaking of looking silly, Prescott looked uncomfortable in the pocket and couldn't find his receivers on offense as he continued to struggle in his first season post Dez/Witten season.
Trends: This offense isn't fixable. Even though Prescott only threw his first interception of the season this weekend, their inability to move the ball has been their biggest weakness because it exposes all of their other ones. It exposes their below average defense (who lost Sean Lee this week) and hinders Elliot's explosive offensive talent. This offensive struggle isn't all on Prescott either. His offensive line is just as accountable for their struggles. They just don't give him enough him enough time to set up big plays and throw the ball down field. Maybe they can correct these issues, but I am of the belief offensive line issues takes multiple games to work out. They don't just suddenly work after one week.
28. Seahawks. I was really pleased with Seattle's offensive line this week! They protected Wilson well (on average he had 2.78 seconds to get the ball off) and they even had a good running game (Carson rushed for 102 yards). Their defense also looked like the old school legion of boom. I think it had to do with Cam Chancellor being the 12th man flag raiser this week. Even Pete Carrol said this was their perfect game. "This is how we want to play" he said, which is something I couldn’t agree more with.
Trends: Them being able to play their best game starts and ends with Russell Wilson. If he has time to make plays, run around, and keep drives alive then this team can get out of their 1-2 hole. However, that comes from their offensive line as much as it does Wilson. He can only go a little farther (which is pretty far) than them when they play poorly. I don’t think they can keep up this week of success every week, but if they even play half as well as this during the season then Russell Wilson can take care of the rest.
27. Bills. Nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills! (Boomer clip) I'm still confident that this team isn't good, but for one week, invigorated by the otherworld performance of Josh Allen, the Bills acted like one. They came out early and drove the ball down field on the Vikings making it seem like they were the ones who were in the NFC Championship last year. LeSean McCoy couldn’t help but smile on the sideline as he watched his team throttle a team that was the most heavily favored in one week since 1995 (-16.5 points). Josh Allen showed off every skill that made him such a prized prospect at Wyoming. He was quick, big, mobile, had a cannon of an arm, and had a demeanor that made him look like a franchise QB.
Trends: I am ready to declare that Josh Allen is good. He had some really good moment last week and even better ones this week. So far this season, he is trending in the right direction. Plus the Bills didn’t have anyone retire at halftime! Another accomplishment! (although that could be an anomaly).
26. 49ers. The 49ers worst fears were confirmed Monday morning when Adam Schefter reported that Jimmy G tore his ACL Sunday.
Now their season is essentially over and, barring a miraculous run by CJ Beathard, they will start looking to next season. It sucks to say that so early on, but unless Beathard plays ever worldly or the 49ers make a trade for someone like Teddy Bridgewater, they're going to struggle on offense. At least, CJ's brother Tucker (country music artist), will get plenty of exposure and as a 49ers fan you can listen to his music to make yourselves feel better.
Trends: Unless they make a trade for a starting caliber QB, the 49ers can expect to go down, down, down for the rest of this season. Their lack of playmakers was exposed again on Sunday, and they'll be exposed even more going forward. In other note, Richard Sherman went down too, which means they are lacking in their secondary as well. I really feel back for 49ers fans.
25. Giants. When the Giants are clicking on offense, they're actually pretty fun to watch. It's nice to see Eli have protection every now and then because he gets the ball to Odell Beckham Jr which opens up their run game and give Saquon Barkley the ability to get out in the open field where he's so dangerous. Overall though I still don't believe the Giants are that good because their offensive line problems still exist and, although they had a nice week, I don't think they can keep it up week to week.
Trends: Saquon Barkley is really, really good. He'll be just fine. Their offensive line is going to be inconsistent this season and their defensive secondary, when it's committed to excellence is one of the best in the league. I think this is a team that we will have to judge week to week because there are going to be a lot of ups and downs with them this season.
24. Jets. Although many will focus on Sam Darnold's turnovers again. We need to remember that he was turnover prone in college and that it would be a process before he becomes the NFL Quarterback we all expect him to be. Darnold didn't play that bad for a short week and playing against a good secondary on the road. Give him credit for making this a good game and competing on the road in a tough atmosphere. Their defense was once again good. They limited Tyrod Taylor when he started and allowed the Jets to bounce out to a quick 14-0 lead at the beginning of the game. Despite the loss, there is some optimism to be had. They also played in the best Thursday Night Football game ever. Thank you for making this game fun and not having it be miserable like we all thought it would be.
Trends: I don't think we can accurately make a prediction about this team yet. The only thing that has been consistent for two weeks now is that Sam Darnold, while talented, is turnover prone as a rookie.
23. Colts. Andrew Luck looked decent again and made a multitude of accurate, short passes. What was pretty concerning was that when the Colts needed a Hail Mary they brought in Jacoby Brissett cold off the bench. It made me think that, while Andrew Luck appears to be healthy and his shoulder is better than it has been in years, is not nearly strong enough to be taken seriously as a deep ball quarterback.
Trends: The Colts have shown to be a tough out each week and are a team that's physical and competitive. Those are recipes for success in the NFL and a solid culture to build around. They won't win many games because of their lack of talent, but teams aren't going to want to play them week to week because of hard a win will be to come by.
22. Browns. Tyrod Taylor is dead! Long live Baker Mayfield! The Browns switched to Baker Mayfield after Tyrod Taylor's leg injury at the end of the 2nd quarter and Baker immediately moved the ball down field. He threw a really good ball and was reading the defenses to perfection. He recognized blitzes incredibly well, made adjustments, and threw the ball to the right receivers. A couple passes were a little behind his receivers, but unbelievable performance overall. This game was simply electric and so exciting. He was fun and was slinging the ball downfield like he did in college! This atmosphere felt different on Thursday night in Cleveland. Baker made Thursday Night Football fun! Unlock the Bug Light Fridges!!
Trends: Their secondary is for real. Their defense so far through three weeks has kept them in games and put them in positions to win games. Their offense is inconsistent and will continue to be throughout the season.
21. Titans. Apparently the Titans own the Jaguars. They simply cannot lose to them no matter what happens. Jaguars had a historic offensive performance the week prior, and then came out to score 6 measly points. The Titans lost their backup Gabbert to a concussion and their starter Marcus Mariota stepped right in. He led them down field after Gabbert's injury and created 3 scoring opportunities (all field goals) for them. The Titans have the Jaguars' number and if they could play them every week they'd be okay with that.
Trends: The Titans' defense has been the recipe for their success this season as they've allowed the 5th fewest points this year which has allowed them to stay in games and enable Succop to hit back to back go ahead/game winner field goals.
20. Lions. We all knew that the Lions has a solid receiving core in Golladay, Golden Tate, and Marvin Jones Jr, but compared to the Patriots' core, they looked like the best in the NFL. Who knows though? Maybe they are that good. Their runningback trio also was dominant all game long as the Lions seamlessly moved the ball down field on every single drive. This was the best game the Lions have played all season long and they have come a really far way from their embarrassing loss to the Jets on Monday Night Football Week 1.
Trends: The Lions have a great offense and that will continue this season. The Lions have some solid playmakers on defense that can change games, but it will be their offense that has been great so far this season and will need to carry them.
19. Falcons. Unlike weeks 1 and 2, the Falcons actually found RedZone success as they scored 4 touchdowns in that area of the field, including 2 to rookie Calvin Ridley who revealed himself as just another devastating weapon defenses have to think about when playing the Falcons. Despite the loss, this was a promising outcome after the last couple weeks when they couldn't seem to score consistently from within the 20 yard line. However, their offense wasn't perfect. Once again Julio Jones was invisible for most of the game, except for one big reception in the 2nd half. This was partially due to both Ridley having such a good game and the Saints doing their best to stop Jones.
Trends: The Falcon's receiving core is good and it'll only get better once Freeman comes back next week. However, I'm sure they'll have another stinker of a game this season and make me eat these words. You can always count on the Falcons letting you down somehow.
18. Redskins. Adrian Peterson had himself a throwback day during a rain filled afternoon in our nation's capital. It was pretty cool to see the old him for one week. I don't think this will happen again next week, but it's always nice to see aging veterans like him have a throwback game every now and then. Like some other losses this week, this was more of a reflection on how limited the Packers were, not as much how well the Redskins played.
Trends: Peterson can't sustain this one week throwback, but it helped them get the job done this week. Besides that, there isn't much else you can figure out about this team based off of the first three weeks.
17. Steelers. The Steelers are a team just waiting to combust. They had a 30-10 lead in the 2nd half against the Buccaneers and squeezed out a 30-27 game because of their own issues. On a 4th down punt, Steelers' punter Bryan Anger pinned the Bucs on their own 1 yard line, but, due to a Heyward-Bay illegal shift penalty and then an unsportsmanlike penalty in response to his previous one, the Bucs then started at the 20. This is just a small snapshot of the chaos of the Steelers. Luckily it didn’t come back to bite them last night, but with all of the LeVeon Bell, Big Ben, and Antonio Brown drama, you have to wonder when it will finally all come crashing down.
Trends: This Steelers team has a better chance of beating itself than most other NFL teams do. I have a feeling that if they didn’t win yesterday, we'd see some serious internal strife make its way out to the media. They won, so luckily that won't happen for a few more weeks. I feel like it's coming though.
16. Panthers. Their defense finally brought Andy Dalton back down to Earth and forced him to throw 4 interceptions as Christian McCaffrey had the best game of his career (rushing for 184 yards). Cam Newton rushed for 4 touchdowns and the Panthers were clicking on all cylinders as they dealt the Bengals their first loss.
Trends: The Panthers' run game which was their strength last year (4th overall) seems to be carrying their offense again this year as they now rank 1st overall at 166 yards per game. This run game I believe is sustainable and can continue to help them win games this year.
15. Packers. The biggest controversy from this game was Clay Matthew's "roughing the passer" hit on Alex Smith. A play that was "by the letter of the law" correct according to every former official on the NFL's payroll, but by any person with two eyes it clearly not roughing the passer. Clay Matthews couldn't do too much more that what he did to avoid that play. On a micro level, that was a problem for the Packers. On a macro level, their sub-par defense made Alex Smith look like Patrick Mahomes and Adrian Peterson look like his old Minnesota self.
Trends: The rain this week hobbled Aaron Rodgers and prevented him from keeping the Packers in the game. His injury from Week 1 will continue to hobble the Packers and they will only go as far as he can take them. If he is hampered like this again next week, then the Packers are in trouble.
14. Vikings. Earlier this week, the Bill's Twitter page messed up and mistakenly identified Minnesota as Illinois. If I was the Vikings, I'm wish that the team had made the mistake too and they didn’t show up for this game. It was as embarrassing of a loss and you can have. Not only did the Bills pile it on early and often offensively, but the Vikings had absolutely no response offensively and looked foolish trying to keep up with Josh Allen.
Trends: Like multiple teams, inconsistency is their only consistent trait. I'm not surprised the offense is still trying to find itself, but I'm surprised the defense hasn't been nearly as good as it was last year considering it's still essentially the same players from last year.
13. Chargers. Well their offense wasn’t the problem, their defense was this week. However, who can blame them? They have had the best performance any team has had against the Rams defense this year which is something to hang their hat on. Mike Williams had his coming out party, but may have injured his shoulder so add him to the list of Chargers' playmakers that are injured week to week.
Trends: Their best strength so far is still their receiving core and running game with Melvin Gordon. Their defense will get better once Joey Bosa returns next month and gives them a solid pass rush.
12. Bears. Da Bears! Every week there is a game that's tough to sit through. This game was that one this week. The Bears didn’t score a touchdown until the 2nd half and Mitch Trubisky looked below average again. He's still young, but watching Mahomes each week makes me wonder what the Bears were thinking trading up for him while Mahomes was still available.
Trends: The Bears defense can be an all time great defense, but if Trubisky can be even an average Quarterback and make important throws when he needs to then the Bears won't make it farther than the first round of the playoffs. The Bears defense has been good all year and will allow the offense to stay in all their games, but if Trubisky can't make the throws they need then they won't win as many as they should.
11. Ravens. Ball control was key for the Ravens and great pass protection by their offensive line allowed Joe Flacco all day to complete passes to receivers and keep plays alive. The Ravens kept marching down field and kept drives alive which wore down the Bronco's defense and kept their offense off the field. Their special teams was about as bad as their line was good though. They had two punts blocked and missed a field goal
Trends: The Ravens are as inconsistent as anyone this year and they have also had a fairly easy schedule to start this year which concerns me going forward. That being said, a consistent offensive line and a stalwart defense can help hide some of those other offensive inconsistencies.
10. Patriots. Even Tom Brady couldn’t make his minimal receiving core look good on Sunday night. The Patriots only had 3 receivers listed on their roster and to contrast that, had 3 missing key defenders. This seemed like a game that the Pats were just hoping to get out of. If they won good for them, if not, then they just needed to not have another injury. It was still a sad performance to watch from a Hall of Fame Quarterback, but I will not worry about the Pats unless this happens midway through October.
Trends: This is classic September Patriots. They almost never play well this early on in the season, but I have genuine concerns about their defense. It has looked slow all season and seems to be lacking playmakers that are necessary to create turnovers in today's NFL. I am not sure how they can correct the defense which is why I just do not think the Patriots have what it takes to make it as far as they did last year.
9. Broncos. Denver's offense couldn't stay on the field long enough to put together any good drives which means that, although they only turned over the ball once, it was a costly one. The Ravens' offense sustained drive after drive which basically kept the Broncos' offense off the field the entire 2nd half.
Trends: Their offensive issues I was concerned about reared their head this weekend. They didn't put together any good drives after the first quarter. I have a feeling that their offense will be a problem going forward this year.
8. Buccaneers. Just when you thought Fitzmagic was dead (3 first half interceptions), he had a little bit left in the bottle and almost mounted a massive comeback against the Steelers.
Although this was certainly a "market correction" for Ryan Fitzpatrick this game he still became the first QB to throw 400 yards in 3 games in a row. I never thought we'd be saying that. As disappointing as it was to see them lose you have to be optimistic about the Bucs year so far. They did what they needed to do with Jameis out.
Trends: Keep riding Fitzpatrick hot hand until you can't anymore. The Bucs are going to make Winston earn the starting job back as they should. I also don't think this hot start for the Bucs will continue. Their offense will cool off and so will their winning.
7. Bengals. They finally lost! Not that I root for teams to lose, but I was worried that after their 2-0 start I was going to have to declare the Bengals as good if they won this week in Carolina. I will continue to be skeptical of them until they prove me otherwise.
Trends: I just don't believe that they can sustain this hot offensive start they showed off in Weeks 1 and 2. This showed itself this week as, Andy Dalton threw four picks and the Bengals offense cooled off a bit. They are still top 6 in the NFL in PPG and top 3 in receiving touchdowns, but I don’t see that continuing with the rest of the schedule this season.
6. Saints. Drew Brees set the record for most career completions on Sunday and pulled off a Cam Newton like spin move to avoid two tacklers in the endzone to score a game tying touchdown to force overtime. Their offense was clicking on all cylinders and made me feel much better about their chances for sustained success this season. After committing 4 turnovers in weeks 1 and 2, they had none this week which was good because they needed every single possession to beat the Falcons. Their turnover differential is still 27th in the NFL, but they're moving in the right direction.
Trends: Their defense needs to create more turnovers like they did last year. Clearly their offense is playing well (I expect it to stay on track the rest of this season) , but unless their defense can follow suit, they'll be in plenty of shootouts this year.
5. Jaguars. After a historic week offensively, the Jaguars put up another historic week. This time in the complete opposite direction. This was as ground out/slow down game as much as it could be. The Titans purposely made this one ugly and the Jaguars couldn't muster enough offense to fight back.
Trends: Their offense, which seemed to be on track last week, proved to be widely inconsistent this week. Last week analysts and experts claimed that the Jaguars didn't need Leonard Fournette as much as we may think they do because their passing game was so great. That was proven wrong this week. Their offense starts with their run game which they need to establish if they want to be an offense that'll be taken seriously this season.
4. Dolphins: The best Quarterback in this game Sunday turned out the be Albert Wilson who threw a 52 yard trick play touchdown to essentially win the game for the Dolphins. This team has turned out to be a pleasant surprise this season. Tannehill has looked like a starting Quarterback finding 8 receivers and Xavien Howard was the star on the defensive side of the ball as he deflected 3 passes and 2 picks.
Trends: The Dolphins are starting the season strong and I think, because of their defense (especially their secondary with 7 interceptions), they can be a legitimate threat to contend for the AFC East with New England. We will find out a lot next week when they travel there. They've lost nine games in a row in New England, but if they can end that streak next week, then we will have to take them seriously.
3. Eagles. Carson Wentz played for the first time in over a year and he looked like it during the game. Multiple snap fumbles and some passing that was certainly below average. However, rest assure, it's only the first game and you still have a few more weeks to get over a Superbowl hangover. On top of that, the team is starting to feel like underdogs with the Rams being the love of the NFC.
Trends: The Eagles are right where they want to be and will only get better throughout this season.
2. Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes is unreal. I'm sure at some point this hot streak will end, but I want to enjoy it as much as possible until that happens. For the third week in a row, he showed off that he can make any throw possible. He missed a couple receivers deep down field because he overthrew them, but he had a killer first half before cooling off a bit in the second. I'm worried that when Mahomes does cool off (because he will at some point), the Chiefs are going to start losing games. The Chief's defense (even after Jimmy G went down) was bad in the second half, and a lot like Pittsburgh last week, allowed the 49ers to climb back into the game.
Trends: Mahomes is good but he will cool off at some point. The Chief's poor defense is being disguised by Mahomes' excellent play. Once his play comes back down to Earth, then they're defense will have to step up. Hopefully they're ready for that challenge.
1. Rams. I'm just going to say what I said last week. The Rams are really good. Their defense is probably even better than their offense which is scary. The only thing that can beat them are injuries. Unfortunately, that happened to Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib this week. I believe they were cursed by the Chargers this week since they are usually the most frequently injured team in the NFL.
Trends: The Rams will miss their starting corners for several weeks but if they can get them healthy for the playoffs then they'll be back to full strength right in time for their playoff push. The Rams are still the team to beat this year and that wont change unless they have even more injuries this season.
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