3. Contenders or pretenders
Eleven teams are either 2-0 or 0-2 after two weeks, excluding Indianapolis and Philadelphia who have a chance to go 0-2 and 2-0, respectively.
Those teams: Denver, Kansas City, Houston, Oakland, Tampa Bay, Carolina, Cincinnati, New Orleans, Jacksonville, Buffalo, New York Giants, and Arizona.
Among the teams we’re confident fit the “contender” category are Denver, Carolina, Cincinnati, Arizona, and perhaps Buffalo. You’d think the Saints would be in that spot, too, except they’re one of the five teams that are still winless. The Saints were projected to be an NFC contender and candidate to make the Super Bowl, but their defensive flaws have them looking awfully suspect early on.
