With 3 weeks of NFL play behind us, teams have started to come into their own and show us who they are. Let’s stack up the teams 1-32 as we head into Week 4.
1 – 
Chiefs (3-0) 
2
With Monday night’s win over Baltimore, Kansas City cemented themselves as the best team in football. QB Patrick Mahomes put on a show against the defense that many believed was the league’s best with 5 total TDs, including several dimes and even a throw to an offensive lineman. The Chiefs defense has also looked very sharp through 3 weeks, holding opponents to 20 points in every game this season. Next week presents a very difficult challenge with a revamped Patriots team. I expect it to be one of the Chiefs’ toughest games this season, as Bill Belichick never makes it easy.
2 – 
Packers (3-0) 2
The Packers’ Sunday night win in the Superdome was a statement victory. To me, they have proved to be the NFC’s best team over Seattle because they have a defense that can actually get stops. QB Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the Green Bay offense has looked as sharp as ever, and are still yet to turn the ball over this season. Oh, and WR Davante Adams is still on his way back. I would take this team to beat anyone in the NFL not named Kansas City.
3 – 
Seahawks (3-0) 
1
Seattle is getting bumped down a spot this week because their defense continues to be one of the worst in football. This team would be 0-3 right now if Russell Wilson wasn’t under center. The Seahawks secondary has given up 450, 397, and 472 yards in each game this season. This team has won all 3 of those games, but that can only last for so long. Russ and the offense need help on the other side of the football, and they need it badly. If this team doesn’t make a move for a pass rusher or an addition in the secondary, then it’ll hinder their run at a championship tremendously.
4 – 
Bills (3-0) 2
The Bills are still unbeaten, and Josh Allen is still slinging it with proficiency. Yes, the Bills blew a 28-3 lead and were a very questionable DPI call away from losing on Sunday, but they showed how dominant they can be and that they can pull out a W in tight games. The toughest games are still ahead of this team, but I think they’ll be favored to win a lot of them. You might think I’m putting this team a little too high, but Buffalo looks very solid on both sides of the ball to me. I’d take them to beat every team I put below them.
5 – 
Buccaneers (2-1) 4
Tampa Bay continues looking better by the week. Yes, the last 2 weeks they have beaten 2 pretty bad teams, but they have looked great doing it. Offensive chemistry between QB Tom Brady and his receivers is still only going up, and they have one of the best defenses in football. As I said last week, the questions and doubts about this team are slowly being put to rest. Don’t be surprised at all if the NFC runs through Tampa in January.
6 – 
Ravens (2-1) 5
Monday night’s loss to the Chiefs was a rough trip back to Earth for the Ravens. They hadn’t lost in the regular season in 14 games until Mahomes and Co. rolled into town. It was an ugly loss for Baltimore, as the only bright spot of the game was a 1st quarter kick return touchdown. There’s no shame in getting beat by the best team in the league, and the Ravens will still finish this year as one of the NFL’s top teams. But for now, I’ll bring them down a bit. Luckily for them, they get a charity game against the team down the Beltway this Sunday.
7 – 
Patriots (2-1) 3
The Patriots continue to get better and play better on a weekly basis. The offense, which was very unfamiliar and questionable a few weeks ago, is now dynamic as ever, changing from week to week depending on the opponent. And of course New England’s defense needs no introduction. The Patriots’ performances this season is a testament to the coaching and culture of this team. They face their toughest test of the year next week as they travel to Kansas City in what should be a great game.
8 – 
Steelers (3-0) 6
I’m probably underrating Pittsburgh here, but I still don’t know what to make of them until they play a good team. Yes, the Steelers are 3-0, but every team they have played this season is currently winless. They also struggled on both sides of the ball to start last week’s game against the Texans. I think this team is very good, especially defensively. You could tell me that this is the best defense in football and I’d probably agree with you. But they’ve played 3 of the worst offenses in football so far. This week they play a fellow unbeaten team in Tennessee. Their performance on Sunday will be a good benchmark for what this team truly is.
9 – 
Rams (2-1) 5
The Rams probably should have won on Sunday. But, they were also getting destroyed for half the game. Yes, coming back from 28-3 down is impressive, but getting down that much in the first place is a bit of a concern. I admire the way this team fought back and almost won, but I can’t ignore the way they started. I don’t really have any worries about this team going forward, but they cannot afford to start that slow against the likes of Seattle and Tampa Bay.
10 – 
Titans (3-0) 3
The Titans are 3-0 behind 3 game winning kicks from Stephen Gostowski. It seems that, no matter what, this team always finds a way to win. Mike Vrabel’s coaching and leadership, as well as spectacular play from their stars in all 3 phases of the game have led this team to 6 wins in their last 7 games dating back to last year (including the playoffs). This is one of the most well-rounded teams in the league, and it has shown in all of their games this year. They face their toughest test of the young season this weekend as they take on Pittsburgh, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they eeked out of that one with a W. It’s the nature of this team.
11 – 
49ers (2-1) 2
San Francisco walked into MetLife Stadium and dominated a New York team for the 2nd consecutive week, although this week they did it without…. anyone? Of course the 49ers still had good players out there, but it seemed like they were rolling out the backups like it was a Week 17. The dictionary-length injury report didn’t seem to rattle this team as they took the Giants out back. If this week showed anything, it’s that this team is deep and well-coached out. They will still be viable this season, even with their long-term injuries.
12 – 
Saints (1-2) 4
I’m not entirely sure what happened to the Saints secondary, but they have been getting carved up this season. They looked solid in Week 1, but Derek Carr and Aaron Rodgers have made them look pedestrian. On the other side of the football, QB Drew Brees still refuses to throw the ball down the field. A shocking 65% of Brees’ passing yards this season are after the catch. RB Alvin Kamara has 22 catches in the last 2 games because he’s the easiest target to check down to. Yes, Kamara is nothing short of spectacular, but it’s not a winning strategy in this league. Perhaps the return of WR Michael Thomas can get this offense back track. The Saints need to tighten up on both sides of the ball fast. Luckily, they play a soft schedule these next few weeks to help them get back on track.
13 – 
Cardinals (2-1) 2
Arizona’s loss to the Lions on Sunday was inexcusable and surely demoralizing. The Cards should played better have won that game by all means on paper. Every team struggles against a bad team every now and then, so I won’t knock them too much for it, but this team is either not as good as we thought or maybe I’m not giving Detroit enough respect. Either way, I still have faith in this team to win many games this season. I hope they don’t prove me wrong.
14 – 
Raiders (2-1) 7
I may or may not have gotten a bit too amped up about Vegas after their statement Week 2 victory over the Saints. The Raiders struggled mightily against the Patriots in Foxboro on Sunday. This defense has not shown up for 2 of their 3 games this year, and it hasn’t helped their offense. QB Derek Carr and company had a hard time getting things going as time went on vs. New England. Going from west to east and having to play a great team at 1pm EST is never easy, so I won’t lose that much sleep over this loss, but this week was a bit of a reality check for me with the Raiders.
15 – 
Bears (3-0) 2
Chicago is somehow 3-0 on the backs of 2 ridiculous 4th quarter comebacks in the first 3 weeks of the year. This team was down 16 when they decided to bench QB Mitchell Trubisky in favor of Nick Foles, and it paid dividends as the former Super Bowl MVP led the team to a remarkable comeback victory last Sunday in Atlanta. This team is probably 3 plays away from being 0-3, but wins are wins. I still don’t think this team is elite by any means, but perhaps with Foles at the helm, they can win more games than we all thought they would.
16 – 
Cowboys (1-2) 
The Cowboys are kind of just running around out there. They snatched defeat from the jaws of victory last Sunday in Seattle thanks to awful play all game long from their defense and turnovers from their offense. Dallas’ attack is very strong, there is no doubt about that. QB Dak Prescott threw for 400+ yards again against the Seahawks, but this offense still turns the ball over too much, and it leads to points for their opponents. Perhaps if they were more disciplined with the football, they’d have an easier time winning games. This team will be fine if they can fix their mistakes and tighten up defensively. It needs to start this week against Cleveland.
17 – 
Browns (2-1) 1
The Browns were practically handed a W last week against Washington thanks to 4 Football Team turnovers that led to 24 points. Still, it seems like HC Kevan Stefanski has figured out a winning formula for his team. They don’t have to ask QB Baker Mayfield to do much, just make the throws he needs to make. The game will be won on the ground with RBs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Let them carry the load, drain the clock, tire out the defense, and the Browns will score points. If they can keep that up consistently, then this team will win a lot more games.
18 – 
Colts (2-1) 3
Indianapolis got what every team in the NFL wants on Sunday: a game against the Jets. The Colts cruised to a victory against New York like everyone has and will this season. Their defense continued looking like one of the league’s best, picking off Sam Darnold 3 times, including 2 pick sixes. Of course the Jets will make any team look good, but I know that this is a solid Colts team. Their defense speaks for itself, and their offense seems to be getting better every week, especially on the ground. I said a week ago that I like this team to be a solid middle-of-the-pack team in the AFC, but I can see them potentially giving Tennessee fits atop the AFC South. We’ll have to wait and see.
19 – 
Chargers (1-2) 4
The 49ers injuries are getting a lot of press, but not a lot of people are talking about the Chargers injury problems. This team has been riddled with injuries all across the board this season, and it has hindered them greatly. They didn’t look nearly as good on either side of the ball against Carolina as they did against Kansas City. QB Justin Herbert and WR Keenan Allen are still putting up great numbers, but it’s not enough to carry this team. They lost a very winnable game last week, which will set this team back. This week they can bounce back, but they have to face Tom Brady and the Bucs. Won’t be easy sledding for the Bolts.
20 – 
Vikings (0-3) 2
The Minnesota Vikings are still winless. And yes, I am bumping this up this week. The Vikings, like the team below them, are getting the benefit of the doubt from me, and are the beneficiary of teams below them being really bad. As I said a week ago, I think this team is much better than their record would suggest, and I believe that wholeheartedly. They battled for 60 minutes against the Titans, and were a missed 2 point conversion away from walking out with their first win of the season. This team is very talented on both sides of the ball, and they will break out of this slump very soon. It could be this week, as they play another team with a goose egg in the win column.
21 – 
Texans (0-3) 2
The Texans have lost their 3rd game in 3 weeks, all to teams ranked in this article’s top 8. Most teams in this league would be 0-3 right now if they played Houston’s schedule. However, this team looks very uninspired. Even with a 14-3 lead last week against the Steelers, it never felt like the game belonged to the Texans. The departure of DeAndre Hopkins has left a hole that is seemingly not fillable. If they don’t get things going in the next few weeks, it might be time to clean house in Houston.
22 – 
Falcons (0-3) 3
The Atlanta Falcons are better than this. I know they are. They are better than another blown lead. It’s a very good, very talented team, especially offensively. They are simply being held back by one of the worst head coaches in football. There isn’t a lot about Dan Quinn that I can say that hasn’t already been said by someone else. He simply needs to go. This team should be 2-1 and competing in the NFC South. Instead, they have become the laughingstock of the NFL. Poor, poor Matt Ryan.
23 – 
Dolphins (1-2) 3
Miami QB Ryan Fitzpatrick had a historically great game on Thursday night in Jacksonville. The 37 year old completed 90% of his passes and had 3 total touchdowns in the Dolphins’ blowout win over the Jaguars. This team finally played a complete game after showing flashes of what they can do against New England and Buffalo. This team has the talent on both sides of the ball to continue being competitive this year, even if they aren’t starting rookie QB Tua Tagovailoa. Let’s see how much Fitz has left in the tank.
24 – 
Jaguars (1-2) 4
Jacksonville was dominated in all facets on Thursday night, getting a reality check from their cross-state rivals. Every player in those all-teal uniforms struggled greatly, except for rookie RB James Robinson, who seems to be an emerging fantasy star. The Jaguars looked like the team we thought they would be, but I don’t suspect that to last for the whole season. This team has shown us flashes of competitiveness, so I doubt that they’ll get blown out like this many times again this year. If they do, then perhaps we were right about them the whole time.
25 – 
Lions (1-2) 5
The Lions pulled off what was perhaps the upset of the week on Sunday. QB Matt Stafford willed his team to victory with a game winning drive in Arizona after opposing QB Kyler Murray struggled all game long. The Lions took advantage of the Cardinals’ mistakes, including 3 interceptions, to win their first game of 2020. It was a much needed win for a team that hasn’t seen many under HC Matt Patricia. I don’t think this team will win many games this year, but if Sunday’s game was any indication, I think they’ll fight week in and week out. It wouldn’t shock me if the Lions give other top teams fits this year.
26 – 
Panthers (1-2) 3
Carolina got their first win of 2020 on Sunday in Inglewood, but came very close to losing. It was a hard fought game from wire to wire, that was almost won by the Chargers on a miracle play. QB Teddy Bridgewater did what he needed to do, as the Panthers were able to be productive in RB Christian McCaffrey’s absence. They were the beneficiary of some turnovers by the Chargers offense, but took advantage when needed to. This is an average to below average team, and I expect them to play more like they did this week than they did in the first 2 weeks of the year.
27 – 
Washington (1-2) 3
Washington played fairly well all around on Sunday in Cleveland. The biggest issue all game long was QB Dwayne Haskins and his 4 turnovers, including 3 very bad interceptions, that led to 24 Browns points. The team actually looked good in many other facets, but couldn’t overcome the mistakes on offense. Defensively, Washington suffered a couple of demoralizing injuries. Rising star DL Matt Ioannidis suffered a torn bicep and will miss the rest of the season. #2 overall pick DE Chase Young strained his groin, but will likely only miss a game or two. Washington hosts Baltimore this week, where things could get ugly fast, unless Dwayne Haskins improves his play.
28 – 
Eagles (0-2-1) 3
Don’t let the brand, the name, the city, the history, or anything else fool you. This team is horrible. QB Carson Wentz is off to the worst start of his career with a league-high 6 interceptions. According to HC Doug Pederson, Wentz hasn’t even mastered the playbook yet. He’s in his 5th year as the starting QB. This team looks absolutely lifeless, and couldn’t even muster a win against one of the league’s worst teams in Cincinnati. Their mistakes and lack of discipline in OT costed them a chance to get their first win of the year. This doesn’t look like a team that wants to fight for anything, even in the worst division in football. I’m ready to stick a fork in them.
29 – 
Bengals (0-2-1)
The Bengals snatched a tie from the jaws of both victory and defeat on Sunday in Philadelphia. All Cincy needed was a stop on the Eagles’ final drive in regulation for a win, but couldn’t stop Carson Wentz from reaching the endzone. In OT, they couldn’t do a thing, and walked out of Philly with a tie. It was a rough game for the Bengals, especially for QB Joe Burrow. Burrow fought until the end, no thanks to his offensive line. Burrow was sacked 8 times on Sunday, and took some tough hits. He still never quit, but wasn’t rewarded with his first career win. At this rate he’ll get it in no time.
30 – 
Broncos (0-3) 3
The Broncos are one of the most injury-riddled teams in football, and playing Tampa Bay isn’t exactly a consolation prize for that. There’s no shame in losing to one of the best teams in football while missing many of your star players. I won’t knock Denver too much for that. This team is just bad. Injuries or no injuries, it’s not a good team right now. The Broncos are in rebuilding mode, and will likely struggle for the majority of the season. They won’t be competitive for the next few weeks until they get QB Drew Lock back, and for the majority of that time span, they’ll likely be down here.
31 – 
Giants (0-3)
How… just how… do you not only lose to the 49ers, who were missing seemingly their whole team, but get embarrassed at home in the process? The Joe Judge era in New York is off to a horrible start as this team looks completely uninspired, unmotivated, and lifeless, especially without RB Saquon Barkley. It’s quickly becoming apparent that it might be time to move off of QB Daniel Jones and enter the Trevor Lawrence Sweepstakes™. I expect the Giants, and their NY counterpart, to be down here for the entire season.
32 – 
Jets (0-3)
This one needs no explanation. The New York Jets might be the worst team in professional sports. 3 games, 3 blowout losses. HC Adam Gase needs to go ASAP. QB Sam Darnold is unfortunately not the answer. The uniforms are just God awful. This team is in 1st place in the Trevor Lawrence Sweepstakes™ by a large margin right now, and it will likely remain that way for the next 3 months. Can’t help but feel horrible for Jets fans.
All stats are taken from ESPN.
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