Before I start with the rankings, I just want to talk a bit about the magic that is the NFL, and more to it, the way it is scheduled and red zone and the like. None of this is exactly groundbreaking. RedZone has been a thing for nearly twenty years and has been amazing from Day 1. Yes, the few ads are annoying (and probably a harbinger of many ads in future), but red zone remains amazing, mostly because of days like yesterday.
That brief ten minutes where we had four blocked kicks that were all important, two of which run back for touchdowns, one of which resulted in teh Browns getting their shot to upset the unbeatable Packers, was just the perfection of RedZone. On paper heading into the week only one of those three dramatic games seemed to be good - but in the NFL not only do you never know when a game will be good (the Browns/Packers game a perfect example) but when you bundle 7/8/9/10 games in teh same window, in a sport this competitively balanced all things considered, you're just guaranteed to get 3-4 great games that all end around the same time. When they end in similarly amazing, once-in-a-year type ways, well, then you get what we got yesterday, where Scott Hanson led us brilliantly through an orgasm of football. The NFL never lets us down, neither does RedZone.
Ranking the 0-3 Teams
Tier I - The "2026 Is Only Three Months Away" Duo
6.) New Orleans Saints (0-3 = 47-90)
5.) Tennessee Titans (0-3 = 51-94)
There's always a few teams each year that no one expects to be good, that plays surprisingly frisky the first couple weeks but still loses, and then the losses become more of the routine and get worse and worse. The Saints and Titans both fit that for me. The Saints have a bright future in teh sense they've finally just let the cap madness wash all over them. For the Titans, still way too early to make any judgements on Cam Ward, but it may not be too early to make judgements on Brian Callahan the head coach, or at the very least the idea that just having Callahanii on your staff will give you a good OL.
Tier II - The "Least Coast" Trio
4.) New York Giants (0-3 = 52-83)
3.) Miami Dolphins (0-3 = 56-97)
2.) New York Jets (0-3 = 69-93)
Well, I really hope the Russ era is over. It needs to be after that one. What are they gaining by playing him vs letting Dart get real game reps. The defense is still quite good, so if Dart is competent, they could win a few games. Granted, they have four 3-0 teams over their next six games, which is hilarious. My guess is they play Wilson next week against the Chargers, and then Dart gets the call against the Saints the week after. The Dolphins playing "close" shows at minimum they haven't quit, though I still feel like Tyreek Hill is a drive or two away from loud quitting. Tua just seems broken - he was finally able to throw on teh run, but that arm is just shot. I don't really know where this ends, but on talent alone I still think they're the second best team in that division. For the Jets, a close loss with Tyrod Taylor is again another sign that this team really loves to play for Aaron Glenn. The defense is still excellent. Their run game remains good. I hope Fields can come back soon to at least see if he's anything real in that offense. They're better than their record, but may just lose a lot of close games.
Tier III - The "It Wasn't Supposed to go This Way" Uno
1.) Houston Texans (0-3 = 38-51)
Three games back in your division is rough, even if all three games were relatively close. That offense just seems so broken, and honestly at this point a lot of it is on Stroud. I get that the OL is a mess, but he's also just missing throws that he was hitting routinely in his rookie season. I liked their guts to fire Bobby Slowik, but I don't think it has gotten any better yet. The defense remains excellent however, and I have to think they'll score more than 20 points eventually. Giving up just 51 points in three games and being 0-3 is just insane.
Ranking the 1-2 Teams
10.) New England Patriots (1-2 = 60-68)
Other than maybe a big leap from Drake Maye, I never really understood what the Patriots hype was about. I guess a lot of it was about Vrabel, but how many times are we going to pretend McDaniels is any good without Brady? This team also plays so stupid - the fumbles, the penalties, a lot of it. The point differential isn't bad, but their win is against an 0-3 team. They've had a generally easy start to the season schedule wise and look no better than any of their opponents so far. I still do think Drake Maye can take that step up, but the Pats will absolutely need it.
9.) Cleveland Browns (1-2 = 46-68)
8.) Las Vegas Raiders (1-2 = 53-74)
One great unit can win you a few games. The Browns defense is awesome. They just dominated the Packers OL, and it was a lot more than just Myles Garrett. Their secondary had its best game of the year as well. That defense can win 5 games. They can win more than that if they just give up on this Joe Flacco experiment. He's just useless at this point of his career. For the Raiders, it's the offense, which still can have some incredible Geno moments. The OL is awful though and that will hold them back, especially them not letting Jeanty get any clean running starts - one of the absurd stats of the season so far is that he has negative yards before contact - they're just not giving him a chance.
7.) Atlanta Falcons (1-2 = 42-59)
6.) Carolina Panthers (1-2 = 62-53)
6.) Carolina Panthers (1-2 = 62-53)
In my heart and head, I think the Falcons are a better team than the Panthers, but I can't possibly rank the Falcons higher than Carolina after that embarrassment. What was that? The Falcons offense wasn't crazy in the first two games, but to get shutout by Carolina was hilariously bad. Penix's second interceptions was one of the worst throws I've seen a QB make this year. Hopefully they can just flash that game away. For the Panthers, I guess always good to get a win, but it's not like it really gave much answer to their biggest question: is Bryce Young any good? Yeah, a 16-24 for 121 yard game isn't going to do it for me.
5.) Dallas Cowboys (1-2 = 74-92)
I have no idea why the Cowboys aren't pushing the ball more - so many short, short throws by Dak in that game. Dak is having a great season. Everyone else on the team has been short, especially now if Lamb is out for any period of time. The defense is a disaster, and it's more than just losing Parsons. I feel bad for Dak at this point.
3.) Chicago Bears (1-2 = 76-93)
2.) Denver Broncos (1-2 = 68-64)
2.) Denver Broncos (1-2 = 68-64)
The Bears have to be ecstatic about that game. Now, it would be better seeing Caleb doing it against a defense that has any track record this season (for how good Caleb was on Sunday, Russell Wilson was better against that same defense...). But Caleb's arm talent is still generational. The best stat from that game is him not getting sacked. More of that please - which is on Caleb too. For the Broncos, the defense is still really great, but Sean Payton needs to instill some rhythm in that offense. Nix looks regressed compared to his level at the end of last season. The supposedly great supporting cast isn't necessarily helping either. They easily could be 3-0, but not executing late in games is another testament to a bit too many limitations still put on Nix.
2.) Kansas City Chiefs (1-2 = 60-56)
1.) Baltimore Ravens (1-2 = 111-96)
Hey, what do you know - these two play each other this week! Which means shockingly one of them will be 1-3. So, what to make of the Chiefs. They still don't look good - but they also lost to two teams currently 3-0 by one score. Granted, the Chiefs were probably outplayed by more than the score in both games, particularly the Chargers game. Thornton seems like a decent option for Mahomes, but the rest of that offense is still pretty broken. The defense has quietly been much improved the last two games. For the Ravens, the OL is a problem - I've never seen Lamar hounded more than that (even if it seemed to be some good coverage making him hold onto the ball). The defense though is a bigger one. They turned it aroudn on that side of the ball as the season went on last year, but will need maybe a more significant improvement this time around.
Ranking the 2-1 Teams
10.) Cincinnati Bengals (2-1 = 58-91)
9.) Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1 = 72-77)
8.) Minnesota Vikings (2-1 = 81-56)
For the most part, the 2-1 teams all seem better than teh 1-2 teams, but if we're going by current outlook, these three are the exceptions to me. The Bengals really have to hope that was a 1-game floor. Browning was decent in his 2023 return but this game just made him seem lost. Yes, the defensive TDs made it seem worse than it really was, but if Chase and Higgins don't go off, they're in trouble. The Steelers are 2-1 against a paper soft schedule, and Rodgers to me looks worse week by week. The defense finally showed some spark but if they weren't causing fumbles or sacks they were still porous. I still don't like the outlook even if they're above .500 still. For the Vikings, hard to know what to make of them - that was about as different two games back to back can be. Wentz looked OK, but they can't depend on Flores magic beans every week. Will be really interesting to see them against a real team... which their upcoming one against the Steelers may or may not be.
7.) Arizona Cardinals (2-1 = 62-51)
6.) Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1 = 70-51)
The Cardinals really let that game slip - to me it says a lot taht they've down to down not been nearly as good as they can, from Murray picks to Marvin Harrison Jr. drops to defensive mistakes, but they're still 2-1 and were one first down away from being 3-0. The NFC West will just be a nightmare all season but I do think the Cardinals have a high enough floor to stay relevant. Just not really sure about the ceiling. For teh Jags, it's similar in a way but luckily for them the AFC seems really down so far this year. For the Jags, being 2-1 with Lawrence still playing scattershot says a lot - the defense is for real. Hunter is doing a better job to me at this point as the #2 corner than at WR. Josh Hines-Allen looks phenomenal again. If Lawrence can pick it up with Brian Thomas and Hunter, they could be upwardly mobile.
5.) Los Angeles Rams (2-1 = 73-61)
4.) Seattle Seahawks (2-1 = 88-47)
4.) Seattle Seahawks (2-1 = 88-47)
3.) Washington Commanders (2-1 = 80-57)
The Rams really blew that one, but to me it's all about their offensive play calling in the second half. Especially once the Eagles showed some life on offense - McVay kept it way too conservative. The defense looked great again, but the cornerbacks could be a concern against teams that ahve better OLs to give them time. The Seahawks faced such little actual resistance from the Saints it's hard to know really what to take from that game. The biggest takeaway for me three games in is that Sam Darnold looks way more like the guy from the 14-2 start than the 0-2 finish. For the Commanders, great sign that they can take care of business so calmly and easily without Jayden Daniels. Their offseason is looking quite good now - even with Deebo who hasn't been amazing in the offense has been quietly brilliant on returns. Admittedly, the Raiders aren't the greatest test, but the Commanders without their star QB passed it so easily.
2.) Green Bay Packers (2-1 = 64-44)
1.) Detroit Lions (2-1 = 103-78)
1.) Detroit Lions (2-1 = 103-78)
So, the Packers being the greatest team of all time and unbeatable didn't last too long, huh? Yes, some of that was fluky, but there are some undercurrents of issues. The OL had a lot of challenges - not all defensive lines are as good as Cleveland's, but if a lot of pressure turns this offense to throw a bunch of checkdowns and screens that might be too much of an overcorrection. The offense wasn't exactly humming the first two weeks either. The defense remains special so far. I feel weird ranking the Lions ahead of the Packers, but Week 1 always has some weird stuff happen, and the Lions have now dominated the Bears and to be honest, kind of dominated the Ravens in Baltimore on all-black night (where the Ravens are roughly 45-1). The OL has really started to come around, but more excitingly, the DL has been sharp the last two games - they just rolled the Ravens. Just a great win, maybe to be honest the most impressive single win of the short season.
Ranking the 3-0 Teams
6.) San Francisco 49ers (3-0 = 59-49)
At some point the damn has to break with the injuries right? I guess in theory Purdy, Kittle, Aiyuk will be back at some point, but the defense was already missing starters from last year and now is without Nick Bosa for the year. This really is a repeat of 2020 (which last year was too to some degree). I hate to see it. I commend the resiliance of this team over three weeks but I fear we're reaching the breaking point. Granted, if Purdy, Kittle, Aiyuk come back quick and they can outscore teams enough.
5.) Los Angeles Chargers (3-0 = 70-50)
4.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-0 = 72-66)
3.) Indianapolis Colts (3-0 = 103-56)
I feel like this always happens - there's a few 3-0 teams that just don't make full sense. Granted, I predicted all three of them to make the playoffs (will ride that until I'm wrong!), but still there's always a few of these teams. I think all three have lasting power. The Buccaneers have won all three games by the skin of their teeth. The injuries are piling up, but they should have Wirfs and Godwin back soon. The OL reinforcements will really help. The Chargers defense remains really good, even without Khalil Mack. The secondary is playing at a special level. Jesse Minter is a special coach (and probably won't be long for that job). For teh Colts, being 3-0 is one thing, but a +47 point differential is something else. Yes, the two big wins were against 0-3 teams, but you shoudl dominate those teams, like the Colts did. The offense will cool down at some point of course, but with the varied weapons I still think their floor is high.
2.) Buffalo Bills (3-0 = 102-71)
1.) Philadelphia Eagles (3-0 = 77-63)
The champs remain undefeated, so as always they remain at my #1. To skip to them for a second, yes the fact all three wins have been fairly uninspiring is notable, but so is the life they showed in that dominant second half, and maybe an actual change to them letting Hurts actually throw 5+ yards past the line for once. For the Bills, says a lot if we're complaining about a 10-point win where they missed a field goal nad gave up a bunch of 3rd and Longs (which is generally not repeatable (in the sense the fact tehy were very good on 1st and 2nd down is just as meaningful). For the Bills defense, they'll too be getting some reinforcements from injury and suspension in upcoming weeks. The schedule is paper soft, so it will be interesting if complacency becomes an issue at any point.
Looking Ahead to Next Week's Games
16.) Carolina Panthers (1-2) @ New England Patriots (1-2) (1:00 - FOX)
15.) Tennessee Titans (0-3) @ Houston Texans (0-3) (1:00 - CBS)
14.) New York Jets (0-3) @ Miami Dolphins (0-3) (MNF - ESPN)
13.) New Orleans Saints (0-3) @ Buffalo Bills (3-0) (1:00 - CBS)
12.) Los Angeles Chargers (3-0) @ New York Giants (0-3) (1:00 - CBS)
12.) Los Angeles Chargers (3-0) @ New York Giants (0-3) (1:00 - CBS)
11.) Minnesota Vikings (2-1) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1) (9:30 - NFLN)
10.) Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) @ Denver Broncos (1-2) (MNF - ABC)
9.) Washington Commanders (2-1) @ Atlanta Falcons (1-2) (1:00 - CBS)
10.) Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) @ Denver Broncos (1-2) (MNF - ABC)
9.) Washington Commanders (2-1) @ Atlanta Falcons (1-2) (1:00 - CBS)
8.) Cleveland Browns (1-2) @ Detroit Lions (2-1) (1:00 - FOX)
7.) Chicago Bears (1-2) @ Las Vegas Raiders (1-2) (4:25 - CBS)
6.) Green Bay Packers (2-1) @ Dallas Cowboys (1-2) (SNF - NBC)
5.) Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1) @ San Francisco 49ers (3-0) (4:05 - FOX)
4.) Indianapolis Colts (3-0) @ Los Angeles Rams (2-1) (4:05 - FOX)
3.) Seattle Seahawks (2-1) @ Arizona Cardinals (2-1) (TNF - Prime)
2.) Philadelphia Eagles (3-0) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-0) (1:00 - FOX)
1.) Baltimore Ravens (1-2) @ Kansas City Chiefs (1-2) (4:25 - CBS)
