While the National Football League is known to throw curveballs regularly, there are always a few weeks where surprises are at a minimum.
As each team entered its third game of the season, the pressure to deliver actually produced relatively straightforward outcomes. That is, the rich got richer, and the Seahawks, Eagles, and Colts stopped getting poorer.
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The powerhouses of the NFL remained intact in Week 3, and there was minimal shuffling. The Jaguars, Browns, and Redskins — previously making attempts to slide up the rankings — shifting back to their original positions, and the over-extended Jets and Cowboys saw their undefeated season receive its first blemish.
1. New England Patriots (LW: 1)
That was easy. But really, when is it difficult for the New England Patriots? Even with the potential for a ‘trap game’ looming, the Patriots hardly miss a beat, absolutely demolishing the over-matched Jaguars in Week 3. New England will enter its bye week with the league’s second-best scoring offense, a 3-0 record, and without winning a game by fewer than seven points.
2. Green Bay Packers (LW: 2)
The Green Bay Packers truly are unstoppable at home. Now 40-5-1 in their last 46 home games — including a Monday Night Football victory against the Chiefs — the Packers continue to dazzle. With their home field being a distinct advantage, they can legitimately set their sights on aiming for the top seed in the NFC. It may be early, but it appears as if Green Bay’s only challenge will be winning the conference.
3. Arizona Cardinals (LW: 5)
The Arizona Cardinals are not to be denied. Traveling home for what could have been a potential ‘trap game’ in Week 3, the Cardinals manhandled their division rivals from San Francisco, and improved to 3-0 on the young season. Every piece of the puzzle that helped form last year’s 9-1 start to the season looks to be firing on all cylinders, yet again.
4. Denver Broncos (LW: 3)
Despite the 3-0 record, the Denver Broncos have not looked like themselves in the early part of the 2015 season. Winning games without the use of the team’s vintage blowouts and high-powered offensive attack has made for more unorthodox victories, but the Broncos remain in the league’s upper echelon, regardless. Their recent string of playing games with actual tension in the fourth quarter suggests that a temporary skid might be on the horizon, but the Broncos look complete enough to survive, anyway.
5. Cincinnati Bengals (LW: 4)
The Cincinnati Bengals keep on winning, and each victory has proven to be more impressive than the last. After topping the Raiders and Chargers, Cincinnati survived any misstep that could have erased the early season momentum, and knocked off the Ravens on the road. In years past, the Bengals have fallen victim to a cannibalistic AFC North, but they currently look like the predators.
6. Atlanta Falcons (LW: 7)
This is the Atlanta Falcons we expect to see. Flooded with offensive talent, and now with a defensive-minded head coach covering the holes, the Falcons have jumped out to an impressive 3-0 record. Atlanta isn’t perfect, however, as the team still has given up points in bunches in all three games, but the Falcons are surging.
7. Buffalo Bills (LW: 15)
If Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan deserves credit for anything, it is the development of the team’s currently high-powered offense. Utilizing inexperienced veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor appropriately, Ryan has backed up most of his claims by jumping out to a 2-1 lead on the heels of a blowout in Miami. The road to the top of the AFC East still runs through New England, however, but the Bills look poised to pick off anyone that slips.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (LW: 8)
Nothing takes the wind out of the sails of a team that just won a football game more than a key injury. The Pittsburgh Steelers left St. Louis with a tough road win in Week 3, but will play the next handful of games without starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers have the offensive talent to stay afloat without Roethlisberger under normal circumstances, but backup-turned-starter Michael Vick presents a wild card. Vick has an unnatural propensity to turn the ball over — in his last 42 games, he has 29 interceptions and a whopping 31 fumbles. If the Steelers were gaining momentum prior to Roethlisberger’s injury, it may quickly be halted, without him.
9. Seattle Seahawks (LW: 11)
If the Seattle Seahawks could not beat the hobbled and horrific Chicago Bears in Week 3, the season would have been effectively over. As it stands, Seattle is still trying to find its stable point in the young season, and has looked largely underwhelming after three games. With the Arizona Cardinals currently dismantling teams on a weekly basis, the Seahawks need to solve their problems quickly if they want to keep pace in the division.
10. New York Jets (LW: 10)
If the New York Jets were ever to accept losing a game, it would have to be against a non-conference opponent on a short week following a Monday Night Football road victory. As the Jets returned to earth, the weaknesses of the previously stellar defense were exposed in Week 3, as Eagles running backs had a field day torching New York around — instead of in between — the tackles. Losses are expected for a team that was flying as high as the Jets, so the bigger question is, “How will they respond?”
11. Dallas Cowboys (LW: 9)
While the quarterback position is the single most important role on the football field, the sport is not so cut-and-dry as to have every outcome hinge on the man under center. When Tony Romo went down in Week 2, the Dallas Cowboys were not completely expected to crumble, but they were certainly ready to slip. The team made a valiant effort to stay in its Week 3 game against the Falcons, but the inability to keep pace with Atlanta’s scoring is indicative of the struggles that may come Dallas’ way.
12. Philadelphia Eagles (LW: 14)
The Philadelphia Eagles were not going to be an 0-3 team. With a victory at the Meadowlands against the Jets, the Eagles get in the win column and take the first strides towards recovery after an 0-2 start. Philadelphia was finally able to play its style of game, and was able to flex its muscles for the entire first half. There is still concern, however, as the Eagles have yet to play a full four quarters of better football than their opponents, but their flashes of brilliance is an indication of how dangerous they could be.
13. Carolina Panthers (LW: 18)
There is no team that has benefited from good fortune more than the Carolina Panthers. After winning a playoff game despite a losing record, last season, Carolina faced the Jaguars, Texans, and Saints — the three have a combined two wins — to begin the year. A 3-0 Panthers record is nothing more than circumstance, and the franchise doesn’t have the luxury of playing in a disgustingly weak division, this time.
14. Indianapolis Colts (LW: 16)
The Indianapolis Colts have feasted on a weak division for years, and appeared unaffected by another 0-2 start to their season. With an opportunity to make a quick statement that the AFC South still belongs to Indianapolis, the Colts struggled for the third consecutive game, only to finally come out victorious. At 1-2, Indianapolis has been a disappointment, to date, and the concerns are legitimate that the division might not be so easily won, this time.
15. Kansas City Chiefs (LW: 6)
Perhaps the Kansas City Chiefs will find success in the coming weeks — despite the losing record, they certainly have the talent to win games — but they have been dealt a terrible hand with scheduling. Playing the Broncos, Packers, and Bengals in consecutive weeks — in Green Bay and Cincinnati, nonetheless — makes the first quarter of the season nearly unmanageable, and Kansas City has rightfully struggled, so far. Unfortunately for the Chiefs, if they don’t start winning games — regardless of competition — it won’t matter which team they play down the road.
16. Miami Dolphins (LW: 12)
What is going on in Miami? The Miami Dolphins had arguably the best offseason of any team already capable of winning games, yet sit at 1-2 with only a win against the lowly Redskins to their name. With the Patriots at 3-0, and the Bills and Jets at 2-1, Miami has a massive uphill battle to fight if it doesn’t start winning games quickly.
17. San Diego Chargers (LW: 13)
The San Diego Chargers are a bowl of individual talents mixed with glaring weaknesses. Prone to falling victim to big plays on both sides of the ball, the Chargers’ only win came against a visiting Lions team in Week 1 that was even more likely to come undone. With the Broncos, Chiefs, and now Raiders all worthy divisional opponents, the Chargers may be the odd team out.
18. St. Louis Rams (LW: 17)
It was nice while it lasted in St. Louis. After a Week 1 upset of their divisional rivals from Seattle, the St. Louis Rams looked like they might have turned a corner and assembled a team capable of breaking an eleven-year drought without a winning record. Unable to capitalize on a depleted Steelers team, at home, in Week 3, the Rams proved that they are still not worth trusting just yet.
19. Minnesota Vikings (LW: 27)
It has looked awfully easy for the Minnesota Vikings to erase its Opening Day disaster and churn out back-to-back wins. On the legs of Adrian Peterson, the Vikings have hearkened back to their counterparts from the not-so-distant past, and won games via a powerful ground attack. More importantly, the Vikings may be cashing in on their future, developing into the team that many suggested could take a step forward in 2015.
20. Oakland Raiders (LW: 29)
Don’t look now, but the Oakland Raiders have some players. Wide receiver Amari Cooper has been every bit as electric as he looked in college, and quarterback Derek Carr appears to be developing exactly as a second-year player should. Of course, the Raiders’ two wins have come against the winless Ravens and 1-2 Browns, but Oakland deserves credit for finding ways to beat — and no longer be — the weaker team.
21. New York Giants (LW: 24)
The New York Giants had played better than their 0-2 record prior to Week 3 indicated. By handling the Redskins on Thursday Night Football, the Giants secure a much needed division win and help settle what was a rocky boat. Oddly enough, New York didn’t look as sharp in its win as it had throughout much of its losses, but the Giants needed to force their way out of the basement of the league, and they did.
22. Tennessee Titans (LW: 20)
The Tennessee Titans are no longer pushovers. Coming off the franchise’s worst season in two decades, the Titans have hit the ground running in 2015. Unfortunately for Tennessee, the team’s 1-2 record hardly inspires confidence, but the entire AFC South shares sits in the same position and has looked equally vulnerable. With the future being so bright in Tennessee — largely due to rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota — the Titans have every reason to believe they can compete, this season.
23. Baltimore Ravens (LW: 23)
The Baltimore Ravens are in trouble. Surviving in the AFC North is difficult enough, but fighting back towards the top of the pack with an 0-3 record and a divisional loss may be impossible. The Ravens had the unfortunate draw of traveling to Denver and Oakland before hosting the Bengals, but the Ravens are running out of excuses. More likely, they are simply in a ‘down year.’
24. Detroit Lions (LW: 19)
The Detroit Lions have taken a significant step backwards. After an eleven-win season and a playoff berth in 2014, the Lions have reverted back to the inconsistent franchise that cannot compete with the league’s best. Ranking in the bottom-third in both yards allowed defensively and yards gained offensively, the Lions have yet to figure this season out. With the Packers already looking like the obvious NFC North winner, Detroit may have already dug itself too deep a hole from which to emerge.
25. Houston Texans (LW: 32)
The Houston Texans had to win, eventually. Without running back Arian Foster and with no quarterback that inspires confidence, the Texans have had no other option but to lean on their defense to keep the team in games. Until Week 3, it wasn’t enough. Thankfully for Houston, the visiting Buccaneers were as hopeless on offense as the Texans usually are, and Houston landed its first victory of the season. It does not seem likely that many more on are in the cards.
26. Jacksonsville Jaguars (LW: 26)
The Jacksonville Jaguars may be ready to show signs of improvement in 2015, but they are still a far cry from being able to compete with the best. After a dismantling in New England in Week 3, the Jaguars will limp into Indianapolis to face a hungry Colts team. If Jacksonville wants to make a statement in the AFC South, now would be the time to step up.
27. Washington Redskins (LW: 21)
The expectations for the 2015 Washington Redskins season were understandably low. The team was caught in a quarterback controversy that ultimately ended with an injury to incumbent starter Robert Griffin III. Two weeks into the season, the Redskins had actually performed well, winning one game and losing another that was tightly contested. When they visited Metlife Stadium for a Thursday Night Football showdown with the Giants, the warts started to appear. Most likely, the team on display in Week 3 is the team that will take the field for the foreseeable future.
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (LW: 28)
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are lacking throughout their roster, and it looks like wins are going to be scarce. With that, 2015 is sure to be a learning experience for rookie quarterback Jameis Winston, and there is always the possibility that he emerges for a late-season push. Until then, Tampa bay is still trying to build a foundation.
29. San Francisco 49ers (LW: 25)
The San Francisco 49ers are flat-out terrible. The team’s Monday Night Football victory in Week 1 is now a memory of the distant past, and the 49ers have reverted to the team that many expected to see. Flawed from top to bottom and in the middle of a complete reconstruction, San Francisco should simply be looking for building blocks for the future.
30. New Orleans Saints (LW: 22)
As if the New Orleans Saints needed any more obstacles to overcome, quarterback Drew Brees missed the team’s Week 3 game with a shoulder injury. New Orleans had shown little in its first two games to warrant any belief that it would turn its season around, but the loss of Brees is crippling. The Saints have already been knocked out of this fight.
31. Cleveland Browns (LW: 30)
For a franchise with seven consecutive losing seasons, the Cleveland Browns have a knack for stealing attention. Cleveland opened the season with a singular drive that inspired hope in the team’s offense, only to have starting quarterback Josh McCown get knocked out of the game with an injury. Subsequently, the Browns won a game with their backup, then lost with the return of their starter. As the losses pile up, the conversations about the future at the quarterback position will get muddier.
32. Chicago Bears (LW: 31)
The Chicago Bears will be one of the worst teams in the league, all season. Whatever quarterback Jay Cutler brought to the table — arguments for or against Cutler as a franchise-worthy quarterback could be made from all angles — it was clearly lacking in his absence in Week 3. The Bears wouldn’t be going anywhere with him, at this point, but they are heading down without him.
