Sorry for the delay. It’s been a busy week! I figured I’d pump this out real quick so I cover the basis for this week. I don’t wanna leave y’all hanging! So, let’s stack up the NFL 1-32 with mere hours to go before Week 6. (Disclaimer: because it’s so late and this is honestly last minute, I won’t be writing excerpts on each team. I’ll go back to doing that next week. Sorry!)
Packers (4-0) 
1
Chiefs (4-1) 
1
Seahawks (5-0) 
Titans (4-0) 4
Ravens (4-1) 1
Steelers (4-0) 1
Bills (4-0) 3
Rams (4-1) 1
Buccaneers (3-2) 4
Browns (4-1) 2
Patriots (2-2) 1
Saints (3-2) 1
Raiders (3-2) 2
Bears (4-1) 3
Colts (3-2) 2
Panthers (3-2) 2
Cardinals (3-2) 1
Dolphins (2-3) 4
49ers (2-3) 5
Cowboys (2-3) 2
Chargers (1-4) 2
Vikings (1-4) 2
Texans (1-4) 2
Eagles (1-3-1) 
Bengals (1-3-1) 2
Jaguars (1-4) 1
Lions (1-3) 1
Broncos (1-3) 1
Falcons (0-5) 3
Washington (1-4) 
Giants (0-5) 
Jets (0-5) 
This week showed us how dominant the top teams in the NFL are, and shuffled around the bottom of the league. Let’s stack up the teams 1-32 now that a quarter of the regular season is over.
Chiefs (4-0) Kansas City struggled offensively for a while on Monday evening against one of the best defenses in the league, to no fault of their own. Patriots HC Bill Belichick will always gameplan such that you struggle against him, especially with an extra day of planning. But that isn’t enough to make me bump this team down at all. They’re still at full strength and will continue to win games. This game against the Patriots might have been the toughest test they face this year. We’ll find out soon enough, as they take on the Bills in a couple weeks.
Packers (4-0) As I said yesterday, Aaron Rodgers is still a very bad man. The Packers QB thew 4 touchdowns in a dominating victory over the Falcons. Green Bay continues to look extremely solid on both sides of the ball, even when they’re missing their top 2 receivers. Who knew Robert Tonyan would be a viable weapon on offense? They’ll likely be getting WR Davante Adams back after their bye week. Next up for the Rodgers and the Pack: Tom Brady and the Buccaneers. I can’t wait to see that.
Seahawks (4-0) Seattle is still annoying me. QB Russell Wilson continues to cook, but this team continues to have no defense. They need to beat teams like Miami by more than just 8 points. I trust this team to win games for as long as Russ is the QB, but if they truly want to cement themselves as a Super Bowl contender, then they need to go out and get a pass rusher. They have Jamal Adams as an anchor in the secondary and Bobby Wagner as one in the box, but they have no presence on the defensive line. If they don’t find it, then the likes of Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers will have field days against this team.
Bills (4-0) Buffalo could honestly be higher than this, but I’m ok with keeping them at 4 for another week. QB Josh Allen has played every game this season masterfully, and WR Stefon Diggs is looking like one of the best offseason pickups in the NFL. Diggs now leads the NFL in receiving, and Allen is 2nd to only Cowboys QB Dak Prescott in passing yards (if only Dak didn’t love statpadding so much). The defense also showed up when it needed to on Sunday, forcing a turnover that led to a touchdown to all but ice the win for Buffalo. This team now faces back to back unbeaten teams in Tennessee and Kansas City. It’s time to see if the Bills are truly a contender.
Buccaneers (3-1) I’m starting to sound like a broken record here. The Bucs are improving every week, still. Tom Brady’s chemistry with his weapons offensively is increasing, still. This team did get off to a sluggish start on Sunday with a Brady pick 6 and the defense giving up bombs to Justin Herbert and the Chargers, but they controlled the game from being down 17 until the final whistle, in large part due to 5 Tom Brady TD passes. Now this team has shown us that they can play from behind, and they can win games with both their offense and their defense. I’m not sure what else I can say about this team. They are much better than anyone in the media is giving them credit for.
Ravens (3-1) Baltimore took the short trip down to Landover on Sunday for a contest with Washington and came out with a… somewhat unconvincing win. Yes the Ravens lead wire to wire, but they were gifted some short fields and got very lucky on a risky fake punt conversion when they were only up 7. They only outgained Washington by 7 yards on offense. It seemed like Washington was controlling the tempo for a while, but those aforementioned mistakes/gifts helped the Ravens put the game away early. It’s not like they needed to do much to win that game, but it was simply unconvincing. I’m sure they’ll be fine and blow out teams in these next few weeks, but I’ll have to see it myself before I bump them up again.
Steelers (3-0) 1The Steelers got COVID’d thanks to the Titans and now look ahead to taking on the cross-state rival Eagles. I think they should dispatch of Philly quite handily. This is a team that is still very good on both sides of the ball. And they now had an extra week off to rest and prepare. They’ll be fine
Titans (3-0) 2This team is lucky I bumped them up after almost ruining the league with COVID-19 issues. But they were the beneficiary of teams above them losing games. Not much I can say about the Titans here. I’m interested to see how they play against the Bills this weekend. That is, if they play against the Bills this weekend.
Rams (3-1) Going into Sunday’s game against the Giants, the Rams were 12.5 point favorites. They didn’t even score that many points until they were 54 minutes into the game. Yes, LA went home with a win, but it was very ugly, slow, and sluggish against arguably the worst team in football. It was very uncharacteristic of a team that had put on 3 consecutive impressive outings, especially offensively. I’m fairly confident in saying that this will be a one-time thing for a team coached by Sean McVay, but you never know. This week, they travel east again to take on a Washington team with a fairly solid defense. I personally hope they score 100.
Patriots (2-2) 3I will honestly admit that I am being very harsh on the Patriots this week. Their starting QB Cam Newton tested positive for COVID-19, leading to very poor QB play in KC on Monday night by backups Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham. This team looked absolutely fantastic defensively, and they probably would have won that game if Cam was healthy. Unfortunately, their terrific defensive performance meant nothing. But it has proven that this team can compete with anyone in the league as long as they have this defensive personnel and Bill Belichick wearing a headset. Star CB Stefon Gilmore did test positive for COVID-19 today, which could set the defense back just a bit, but I still think they’ll be fine in the long term.
Saints (2-2) 1The Saints finally got back to looking like the Saints on Sunday afternoon in Detroit. New Orleans got off to a slow start and found themselves in a 14-0 hole thanks to a tip drill INT by the Lions defense, but scored 35 straight from there on out and never looked back. Now this team gets WR Michael Thomas back ahead of a very intriguing Monday night showdown against one of the league’s most compelling teams in the Chargers, led by QB Justin Herbert. That should be quite a fun game to watch.
Browns (3-1) 5Cleveland’s rise to not only relevance, but stardom, is almost complete. This team has looked absolutely spectacular in the last 3 weeks, scoring 35, 34, and 49 points respectively. Their defense is also improving by the week, led by superstar DE Myles Garrett, who might be the best defensive player in football right now. Don’t let the defensive stats from Sunday’s game in Dallas fool you, since most of the Cowboys’ yards came in garbage time. This team is figuring out how to run their offense to perfection, especially by integrating WR Odell Beckham Jr. more. Star RB Nick Chubb unfortunately got placed on IR this week, but they still have a great back in Kareem Hunt to carry the load for the next month or so. HC Kevin Stefanski has figured out how to get things going on both sides of the ball in Cleveland, and it is working wonderfully.
Colts (3-1) 5I will now give Indianapolis all the credit they deserve. The Colts boast a defense that might be the best in football, even without S Malik Hooker. This team leads the NFL in PPG and YPG defensively and has given up just 18 points in the last 9 games. The Bears only put up 3 points the in the first 58 minutes against them on Sunday. The offense also continues to do its job by scoring however much they need to. QB Philip Rivers only has 1 TD in every game so far this year, but that formula works just fine because the defense is that good. This is certainly a playoff team that might contend with the Titans for the AFC South title.
49ers (2-2) 3Sunday night’s loss to Philadelphia was an inexcusable one for this 49ers team, but I’ll cut them some slack. They were missing their starting QB Jimmy Garoppolo and were extremely thin defensively, especially in the secondary. They did not get any help from QB Nick Mullens, who put up a stinker against a bad Eagles defense. Once Jimmy G comes back, this team will be fine and be back to winning games in normal fashion, which is why I’m still giving them the benefit of the doubt and keeping them up here.
Raiders (2-2) 1The silver and black fell victim to another tough loss against a great team on Sunday, so I wont’ penalize them too much. Buffalo is a very tough team to play, even at home, and the Raiders played them very close for most of the game. Even when the Bills made it a 2 score game late, Vegas almost mounted a comeback. I’m still very confident in what this team can do offensively, but their defense has looked very suspect this whole season. If they don’t tighten up defensively, then it will cost them many close games like on Sunday and could hurt their chances at a wild card spot.
Cardinals (2-2) 3As I said yesterday, it appears that the Cardinals were tricking us. Back-to-back losses against teams that they should have beaten easily if they played like the Cardinals of weeks 1 and 2. This team is still very talented on both sides of the ball and very well coached, but they are not playing like it at all right now. Hopefully for them, this is just a cold spell, and they’ll be back to winning games very soon. If not, then this is not a playoff team like we all thought a few weeks ago.
Bears (3-1) 2Chicago looked absolutely dreadful offensively against the Colts on Sunday. Yes, they were playing an elite defense, but only being to muster 11 points the whole game is a bit embarrassing. This team has talent all across the board, and they really should be playing a lot better than they are this season. The one thing they can’t seem to figure out is the QB position. I don’t think there is a clear cut right choice between Mitch Trubisky and Nick Foles, but regardless of who is under center, they should lead their team to better performances than what we saw at Soldier Field last week. It doesn’t get any easier, as they welcome Tom Brady and the Bucs into town on Thursday night for what will likely be another offensive struggle.
Panthers (2-2) 8Carolina is another team that I will start to give a lot more respect. After a slow start to 2020, this team has strung together back to back impressive wins against 2 good football teams. QB Teddy Bridgewater is playing some good football, even without his main weapon, RB Christian McCaffrey. HC Matt Rhule’s system is starting to take place and work very well. I can only imagine how well it’ll work once McCaffrey returns. I don’t think this is a playoff team, but they won’t be horrible by any means. They have impressed me.
Chargers (1-3) The Chargers did that thing where they almost win the game but then lose due to a series of unfortunate events for about the millionth time in franchise history. Los Angeles lost their 3rd consecutive game by 7 points or less. They looked to be in control after taking a 24-7 lead, but they got Tom Brady’d. Rookie QB Justin Herbert continues to look spectacular as he was throwing dime after dime downfield against a very solid Tampa secondary. Alas, it wasn’t enough once again. You can give the Chargers a new QB, move them to Los Angeles, give them new unis, and it still won’t matter. They will always be the Chargers.
Vikings (1-3) Minnesota finally got in the win column on Sunday against a reeling Texans team. It was a good win for a team that needed the confidence boost. QB Kirk Cousins is returning to form, and his WRs Adam Thielen and rookie Justin Jefferson are starting to put up some big numbers. RB Dalvin Cook is also continuing to do his thing as a top 5 rusher in the NFL. This team will be fine, and will likely still fight for a wild card spot this season, but they need to continue stringing together some wins. Sunday’s win was a step in the right direction.
Cowboys (1-3) 5I really don’t want to waste my time talking about this team. You can refer to yesterday’s excerpt about their game against Cleveland for how I feel about the Cowboys. In short: very talented offense, abysmal defense, head-scratching coaching decisions, and mind-boggling game trends. There is no reason for this team to start every game so lethargically just for them to statpad/”come back” in the end. It’s pretty exhausting, and I feel like they’re better than this. Of course, it doesn’t bother me, since I am ALL FOR Dallas losing games.
Dolphins (1-3) 1Miami put up a good fight against the Seahawks on Sunday, as every team seemingly does. It was a very “Ryan Fitzpatrick” game for the Dolphins and their current starting QB, resulting in calls from a lot of fans to start rookie QB Tua Tagovailoa. I don’t know if it’s time for that just yet, as they want Tua to learn the system first, but I do think his time is coming soon. Although this team has a lot of talent, it’s not like they will be competing or contending any time soon. Might as well wait it out with Tua, much like the Chiefs did with Mahomes a few years ago.
Bengals (1-2-1) 6Congratulations to QB Joe Burrow for getting his first NFL win. He was due. Burrow and the Bengals offense looked very good on Sunday, racking up over 500 yards of total offense. RB Joe Mixon had himself a day with 3 total touchdowns. If Burrow can consistently get this kind of help from the weapons around him, then this team will win a lot more games. Cincy fans have to be delighted that they have found their franchise QB. I am very happy for those fans, and for Burrow himself. Both parties deserve it.
Eagles (1-2-1) 4QB Carson Wentz and Philadelphia finally decided they wanted to win a football game this year, and it was honestly fairly impressive. Wentz led his team to a 4th quarter comeback victory surrounded by a bunch of practice squad players who honestly might have side hustles bagging groceries. Seriously, who the hell is Travis Fulgham? The Eagles did get some help from San Francisco QB Nick Mullens, who pretty much gifted them a victory in the 4th quarter. Philly now sits atop the NFC East, which isn’t very impressive, but a division lead regardless. Next up is a very tough Steelers team that will likely put the Birds back in their place.
Texans (0-4) 4Houston dropped to 0-4 after a very tough home loss against the previously-winless Vikings, and decided to finally HC/GM Bill O’Brien. I went into the move yesterday, so check that out for my in-depth reaction to that. Romeo Crennel now has the keys to the Texans car, and will look to keep it on the road for the next 12 weeks. Luckily for Houston, they still have good offensive talent and can get themselves a great new HC this offseason. Unluckily, they are completely deprived of 1st and 2nd round picks for the next 2 years. Perhaps they should make some moves to get those back. If not, it’ll be a long rebuild for this team.
Falcons (0-4) 4Atlanta lost their fourth game in four tries in 2020, but at least they did it in style. Seriously, those all-white unis looked absolutely gorgeous under the Lambeau lights. It was an expected blowout loss for the Falcons, but I did not expect their offense to look so lethargic. Maybe it was the 9pm start, maybe it was the long road trip, or maybe it was the lasting effect of back to back blown leads, but this team did not look good at all. I’ll still keep them above some other 1-win teams because I simply think they’re better than those teams, but slowly, week by week, the Falcons are proving me wrong.
Jaguars (1-3) 3Jacksonville is back to their losing ways, but I don’t think it’s anyone’s fault in particular. They have simply been playing better teams. QB Gardner Minshew II is still putting up big numbers, which means the Jaguars are left out of the Trevor Lawrence Sweepstakes™ for another week. Sunday’s game is a reflection of how much of this season has been and will go for the Jags: staying in the fight but coming out on the losing side. This team is a couple of pieces away from being truly competitive, but I don’t think they have it this year.
Lions (1-3) 3Detroit needs to make some changes. With Sunday’s loss after being up 14-0, the Lions became the first team in NFL history to lose 6 straight games in which they were up double digits. Yes, that definitely is in the nature of Detroit sports, but that doesn’t mean changes can’t be made to help remedy it. HC Matt Patricia is now 10-25-1 in his Lions tenure. It’s time for him to go. The Lions have some good pieces on offense, but have struggled mightily on defense in 2020. They need to improve that area of the team in this rebuild if they want to be competitive in the future. Based on this team’s history, I do not see it happening.
Broncos (1-3) 1Denver got their first win of 2020 in exciting fashion on Thursday night against the Jets behind a decent outing from temporary starting QB Brett Rypien. Of course, anyone can look good when they face a team like the Jets. This team is still pretty bad, but they showed a lot of good flashes, especially rookie WR Jerry Jeudy and new RB Melvin Gordon. They might be in some games this year, but I don’t expect them to win many more in 2020.
Washington (1-3) 3Good God in heaven, if I could rank this team 32nd I absolutely would. Today’s decision to bench QB Dwayne Haskins for the foreseeable future in favor of backup QB Kyle Allen is one of the most upsetting decisions this team has made in a very long time. Haskins is a guy that has now been through 3 head coaches (none of whom have wanted him), 3 systems, has not even started a full NFL season’s worth of games, has been ridiculed by fans and the media for playing “poorly” when he was getting the job done, and has now likely played his last game in a Washington uniform. He is coming off one of the best games of his career in which he played perfectly fine, despite what some people might have you believe because of a couple of checkdowns here and there. It’s not Haskins’ fault that OC Scott Turner’s plays and designs are absolutely awful and limit what this team can do on offense. And for someone who has been labeled as “careless with the football”, he has only had 1 multi-turnover game as a starter. Additionally, Haskins has absolutely nothing to work with. He has a true WR1 in Terry McLaurin, and that’s about it. His starting tight end is a converted QB for crying out loud. This move is a testament to the incompetence and impatience of HC Ron Rivera, who knew exactly what he was getting with Haskins at QB, and a franchise who refuses to develop their young QBs, so they leave them out to die. It’s absolutely disgusting and heinous. Now, Kyle Allen gets the keys to the offense. Allen is a true turnover machine, unlike Haskins (who has been turnover-less in 3 of 4 games in 2020). Allen was 2019’s WORST GRADED PASSER according to PFF, and had as bad as 4 INT games last season. He gets the chance because he “knows the system” better and because the NFC East is so bad that Rivera thinks this team can win enough games with Allen to win the division. Yes, the division is bad, but we were already in first place for almost the entire season with Haskins playing the way he was playing. His confidence was going up, his chemistry with his receivers was going up, and this team was poised to start winning again. Instead, we get Kyle Allen. I genuinely hope we lose every game that Allen starts, and Haskins is able to go somewhere that he can truly be appreciated and developed into a winning QB. It’s what he deserves. I will always love him and appreciate what he had to offer in DC. It’s a shame that Dan Snyder and Ron Rivera didn’t. Today is one of the saddest days in recent memory with this team, and I am embarrassed to be a Washington football fan right now.
Giants (0-4) The Giants put up a much better fight than I ever could have imagined they would on Sunday in Inglewood. They were in that game from start to finish, and it wasn’t until a Daniel Jones turnover in the final minute that they were officially out of it. As I said when talking about the Rams, I think this is a one-time thing, but still, it must be a good confidence boost to not get absolutely curbstomped. This team still isn’t winning any games anytime soon, and is a real contender in the Trevor Lawrence Sweepstakes™, but I am proud of the fight they put up this week.
Jets (0-4) Yeah. You know what it is. The New York Jets, Adam Gase torture victims, ruiners of Sam Darnold, leaders of the Trevor Lawrence Sweepstakes™, permanent residents of the #32 spot on Raza’s weekly power rankings. Why isn’t Adam Gase fired yet? Who knows. All I know is that Sam Darnold is being wasted, as is the time of Jets fans. I’m sure they’ll enjoy watching Joe Flacco start the next couple of games at QB.
All stats taken from ESPN.
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.
Chiefs (3-0) 2With 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.
Packers (3-0) 2The 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.
Seahawks (3-0) 1Seattle 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.
Bills (3-0) 2The 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.
Buccaneers (2-1) 4Tampa 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.
Ravens (2-1) 5Monday 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.
Patriots (2-1) 3The 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.
Steelers (3-0) 6I’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.
Rams (2-1) 5The 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.
Titans (3-0) 3The 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.
49ers (2-1) 2San 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.
Saints (1-2) 4I’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.
Cardinals (2-1) 2Arizona’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.
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.
Bears (3-0) 2Chicago 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.
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.
Browns (2-1) 1The 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.
Colts (2-1) 3Indianapolis 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.
Chargers (1-2) 4The 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.
Vikings (0-3) 2The 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.
Texans (0-3) 2The 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.
Falcons (0-3) 3The 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.
Dolphins (1-2) 3Miami 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.
Jaguars (1-2) 4Jacksonville 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.
Lions (1-2) 5The 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.
Panthers (1-2) 3Carolina 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.
Washington (1-2) 3Washington 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.
Eagles (0-2-1) 3Don’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.
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.
Broncos (0-3) 3The 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.
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.
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.
With 2 weeks of NFL play behind us, let’s stack up the teams 1-32 as we head into Week 3.
Ravens (2-0)There shouldn’t be any question in anyone’s mind about who the league’s best team is. Baltimore has proven that they are far and away better than any other squad in the NFL. They don’t even need their flashy offense to be a highlight machine to dominate teams, as their defense looks even better than it did last year. The addition of RB J.K. Dobbins has made their run game even more dynamic than a year ago. This team will be challenged by Kansas City this week, but it’s hard to see them coming up short. They’re just that dominant.
Seahawks (2-0)Seattle is easily the NFC’s best team so far this season, and it is largely thanks to their new strategy: “Let Russ Cook”. QB Russell Wilson looks like the best player in football and is easily the early MVP frontrunner. Any and every offensive piece just works with Russ. He has only two (2!) more incompletions than touchdowns this year, with 9 scores and 11 missed throws. The biggest problem with this team is that their pass rush is almost nonexistent, and that allows opposing QBs to tear them apart. They’ve given up nearly 850 passing yards in the first 2 weeks of the year. It’s a talented young secondary, but the Hawks will need their defensive linemen to do more if they want to get to Tampa in February.
Chiefs (2-0)The defending champs were stumbling in Los Angeles for over half of their game vs. the Chargers on Sunday, but were still able to emerge victorious thanks to some Mahomes magic and a Harrison Butker kicking masterclass. I would pump the brakes on any doubt or questions, as they were facing a QB that they didn’t prepare for at all and who exceeded expectations in his first NFL game. They’re still a great team on both sides of the ball. They’ll face their toughest test of the year this Monday night against Baltimore in what should be one of the best games this season.
Packers (2-0)The Pack attack is back. Green Bay’s offense has looked superb in the first 2 weeks of the season, scoring 85 total points. QB Aaron Rodgers looks as sharp as ever, even with a WR core made up of people who would be nobodies on any other squad (who would’ve known Marquez Valdes-Scantling would be one of the rising stars of 2020?). RB Aaron Jones has also been putting on a show week in and week out, proving himself to be one of the elite RBs in the league, both running and receiving. The NFC North doesn’t look as formidable as some of us may have thought, which will aid the Packers this year as they face a very difficult schedule. This Sunday’s showdown against New Orleans should be a fun one.
Rams (2-0)As I said in my Week 2 review, the Rams have figured out how to run their offense to perfection, and it looks amazing. QB Jared Goff has been rolling out left and right, hitting his targets and gashing defenses. Their run game looks very solid as well, led by rookie RB Cam Akers out of Florida State. LA’s defense needs no introduction, as headliners Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey have been making plays as they always do. The Rams needed to come out strong to start 2020 if they wanted to compete in the NFC West, the league’s toughest division, and they’ve done just that. Let’s see if they can keep it up.
Bills (2-0)The Buffalo Bills might be 2020’s most surprising team so far. Raise your hand if you thought Josh Allen would lead the league in passing through 2 weeks. I obviously can’t see you but I’ll assume your hand stayed down. The addition of WR Stefon Diggs has transformed this once-stagnant passing offense into a machine. When you combine the arm talent of Allen with the deep threat of Diggs, you get a match made in heaven. I’m very interested to see how this offense continues to play once they start playing better defenses. I’m giving Buffalo the benefit of the doubt after playing the Dolphins and Jets. I hope they don’t let me down.
Raiders (2-0)Speaking of surprising teams, the Las Vegas (still sounds weird, right?) Raiders have looked great to start 2020. Sitting at 2-0 after a Monday night upset victory over the Saints, the Raiders have a lot of people talking about them. Jon Gruden’s team has looked very good offensively, with Derek Carr maturing as a passer and Josh Jacobs carrying the load on the ground. If this team can continue gashing teams on offense and tighten up its defense (which is certainly the weak spot of the team), then the Raiders can definitely keep up in a very good AFC West and fight for a wild card spot.
Saints (1-1)I think Drew Brees misses Michael Thomas. The Saints offense still put up numbers in Monday night’s loss, but it was largely due to short passes and checkdowns. When Brees threw the ball downfield, the results weren’t very pretty. Their defense also struggled mightily in Vegas after playing very well against Tom Brady and the Bucs a week beforehand. I still think this team is very good (one of the best in the league in fact), but until the offense gets back in sync and the defense starts playing like they should, they’re going to be pegged down a notch.
Buccaneers (1-1)Tampa Bay got their first victory in the Tom Brady era on Sunday against a very bad Carolina team in convincing fashion. You can tell the chemistry on offense is going way up in Tampa, as Week 1 no-shows like Mike Evans and Leonard Fournette feasted on the Panthers defense. This team’s defense was already great, and the offense is getting sharper by the week. I didn’t want people to overreact to their Week 1 loss, and this is exactly why. This team is going to be playing some great football this season.
Patriots (1-1)Yes, the Brady-less Patriots are in the top 10. However, I don’t think I’m overrating them at all. If their Week 2 contest in Seattle was any indication of how the Cam Newton-led Patriots are going to play this season, I think they can beat anyone on any given Sunday. I guess we should’ve expected that from a team coached Bill Belichick. I think this team is very solid on both sides of the football, but could really use a deep threat to open up the offense a bit more. Even without one, Cam Newton had one of the best passing games of his career. If you were worried about New England once the GOAT left and Superman arrived, you were wrong.
Cardinals (2-0)The Cardinals might have been the team I was most excited to see play this season, and they have not disappointed one bit. 2nd year QB Kyler Murray has been playing so well that he’s garnering MVP talks. It helps that he now has arguably the best WR in football in DeAndre Hopkins catching his passes now. Kyler’s talents with his arm and legs is quickly making him one of the league’s most dynamic players. Their defense looks very sharp, with Chandler Jones making life hell for opposing quarterbacks, as he always does, and newly-paid safety Budda Baker flying all over the secondary. This is an exciting team with a young core and a very vibrant energy. I can’t wait to see what this year holds for them.
49ers (1-1)The 49ers were hit with more injuries in the first 2 weeks of the season than most teams will have in a whole year. With defensive linemen Nick Bosa and Soloman Thomas out for the year, the rest of the Niners defense is going to need to tighten up. Those players helped that defensive unit be the best in football a year ago. Without them, this team is bound to struggle against opposing offenses (although that certainly won’t be the case this week against the Giants). Offensively, star QB Jimmy Garoppolo, TE George Kittle, and RB Raheem Mostert will all miss extended time with various injuries. Kyle Shanahan will look to Nick Mullens to keep the ship together for the next couple of weeks. I think this team will be fine in time as they start to get healthy again, but for now, they will struggle.
Titans (2-0)You might think that Tennessee is a bit low for being 2-0, but I have my reasons. For one, this team looked half asleep in their Week 1 victory over the Broncos. They certainly woke up against Jacksonville last week, but I just feel like this team is too talented and too well-coached to have that game come down to a game-winning field goal with 90 seconds left. Ryan Tannehill has played extremely well so far, but this team has had to rely on Stephen Gostowski to kick 2 game-winning field goals in 2 games. Unless the Titans start to beat teams convincingly, as they should have these last 2 weeks, I’m not sure what to make of them.
Steelers (1-1)I have no idea what to make of the Pittsburgh Steelers, especially offensively. This team’s defense certainly speaks for itself, but the offense looks… weird? I think they’ve certainly played well for a unit that has missed its starting QB for over a year, but I also feel like they should be playing better. Their contest against Denver last week should not have been as close as it was. If they struggle against bad teams, I’m not sure how this team will fare against some of the giants of the AFC. I’ll have to wait and see.
Chargers (1-1)This rating has one major contingency: the Chargers starting QB. In Week 1 against Cincinnati, with Tyrod Taylor at the helm, the Chargers offense looked lifeless and dreary, despite getting the win. Last week against the Chiefs, with Justin Herbert under center, the Chargers offense looked alive and electric, despite losing the game in OT. Bolts HC Anthony Lynn insists that Taylor will remain the main signal caller, but I don’t think that it’s the right move based on what we’ve seen. This roster is too talented to not be led by someone who provides them the spark that they need. If Tyrod Taylor returns and this team looks pedestrian again, I think the choice becomes obvious.
Cowboys (1-1)You can get mad at me all you want, but this is the absolute highest I’m willing to put Dallas. This roster looks like one of the league’s best on paper, but they’ve given us a very weird sample to go off of in the first 2 weeks of the year. Against Los Angeles, the defense played alright, but the offense looked lifeless and stuck in the past. Against Atlanta, the defense was getting torn apart, and the offense ended up looking great after getting off to a slow start. However, I’m going to take what I saw from the Cowboys offense last week with a grain of salt, as the Falcons defense couldn’t stop a nosebleed with an entire box of tissues. Their special teams also looked atrocious with not one, but TWO failed fake punts. I need to see more complete performances from this team to show me that they’re better than I think they are.
Bears (2-0)The Bears are my lowest-ranked undefeated team after 2 weeks, and I don’t think I need to explain why. Yes this team hasn’t lost yet, but they’ve beaten 2 of the worst teams in football, and both games came down to getting a stop in the endzone on the final play. I do see a lot of improvement in QB Mitchell Trubisky’s play, but if the Bears were better, they wouldn’t have struggled with Detroit and New York as much as they did.
Browns (1-1)The Browns offense decided to wake up last Thursday night, and it looked great. QB Baker Mayfield played with confidence and threw the ball very well against the Bengals defense. WR Odell Beckham Jr. made a very nice touchdown catch that should get Browns fans everywhere excited. But this team’s strength is its run game, led by two studs in the backfield: Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Their defense giving up 30 points to an offense like Cincinnati’s is a bit concerning, but if their run game can play like it did last week on a consistent basis, then Cleveland is going to be in a lot of football games this year.
Falcons (0-2)Oh, Atlanta. Why must your sports teams be so cursed? The Falcons blew another 20+ point lead on Sunday against the Cowboys to drop to 0-2 on the young season. Despite that, I still think this is a good team, hence them being the highest-ranked winless team of the week. Matt Ryan and his WRs have looked very good in one of the league’s best aerial attacks. This team’s two biggest problems are defense and coaching. Atlanta’s defense has given up 78 points through 2 weeks, with QBs Russell Wilson and Dak Prescott airing it out with ease against their secondary. And HC Dan Quinn couldn’t keep a big lead even if he wanted to. This team will still win games this year, but Sunday’s loss will put a huge dent in their confidence going forward.
Jaguars (1-1)Who said Jacksonville would throw away the 2020 calendar and tank for Trevor Lawrence? This team has fought for all 60 minutes in back to back weeks, and could even be 2-0 right now. The Jaguars almost completed a double-digit 4th quarter comeback led by QB Gardner Minshew II, who probably has the best mustache in the world (and isn’t bad at singing Celine Dion either). This team is definitely very talented on both sides of the ball, as young studs like WR DJ Chark, LB Myles Jack, CB CJ Henderson, and more have been showing out. Will Jacksonville be picking very high next April? Probably. But this team will not go down easily at all.
Colts (1-1)The Colts formula for 2020 didn’t work out in Week 1, but it definitely did last Sunday: ask Philip Rivers to do his job, and let the defense do the rest. Rivers is certainly not doing anything flashy on offense, but Indy’s new starting RB Jonathan Taylor has been playing very well and carrying the offensive load on the ground. The stars of this team are certainly on their defense, as newcomer DeForest Buckner and all-pro LB Darius Leonard are shining in the front 7. Unfortunately, star safety Malik Hooker suffered a torn achilles on Sunday and will miss the season. This team is certainly good enough to compete on a weekly basis as a middle-of-the-pack squad in the AFC.
Vikings (0-2)The final year of QB Kirk Cousins’ contract is not off to the best start. Cousins played perhaps the worst game of his career on Sunday in Indianapolis, and Minnesota was blown out. Putting them this low might be a bit over-reactionary of me, because I still think this roster is very talented and has proven that in the past. But until Kirk Cousins plays like an $86 million quarterback, this team will struggle mightily.
Texans (0-2)How can you not feel bad for Deshaun Watson? Houston was blown out again on Sunday, albeit against the best team in the league, and there was nothing the star QB could do about it. I’m sure he would love to have the help of a star receiver like DeAndre Hopkins, but HC Bill O’Brien apparently doesn’t think so. This team can still win games against teams that aren’t elite, but I don’t think they can compete against the league’s best this year. We’ll have to see how they play against teams that aren’t the defending champions or the current Super Bowl favorites.
Washington (1-1)The Washington Football team showed us a very important truth on Sunday: they are who we thought they were. After an inspiring win in Week 1 against Philadelphia, Washington looked awful against the Cardinals. The defense, which was one of the league’s star units of Week 1, was gashed by Kyler Murray and the Arizona offense. The defensive line still looked very solid, but the secondary was all over the place, blowing coverages and missing several tackles. Safety Troy Apke was the weakest link on Sunday, missing assignments all over the secondary and getting embarrassed by Kyler any time he left the pocket. Offensively, Washington couldn’t get anything going until the final 10 minutes of the game, which was over at that point. QB Dwayne Haskins didn’t have time to breathe as Washington’s paper-like offensive line allowed 8 QB hits and 4 sacks while giving Haskins less than 2.5 seconds to throw. The committee of RBs didn’t look too shabby, but it still wasn’t nearly enough. Washington made the score look better than the game actually played out with a couple of late touchdowns, but this squad is simply not good enough to compete with competent teams. Maybe force-feeding Terry McLaurin on slant routes for 60 minutes is the best path to victory.
Eagles (0-2)Time is running out for HC Doug Pederson and QB Carson Wentz in Philadelphia. The Birds looked like their wings were clipped offensively for the second straight week, as Wentz threw 0 touchdowns and 2 more interceptions against the Rams defense. This is a team that looks uninspired on both sides of the football, and the league is starting to take notice. RB Miles Sanders has looked very sharp, but that cannot be said about anyone else in Philly right now. If #11 doesn’t improve his play and revert back to the Carson Wentz of old, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see rookie QB Jalen Hurts under center soon.
Dolphins (0-2)The Dolphins have played as expected with Ryan Fitzpatrick under center to start this season. They’re staying in ballgames, but not playing well enough to beat their opponents. Perhaps once rookie QB Tua Tagovailoa takes the reins, we’ll see the Dolphins winning games like these. Despite their 0-2 record, the Dolphins have a lot of bright spots on both sides of the ball that their fans should be very excited about. Their young talent is continuing to develop nicely, and big free agent signings are seeming to payoff. I think that Miami will be a very good team soon. But for now, they’re still trusting the process.
Broncos (0-2)Denver already didn’t look good to start the year, especially with star LB Von Miller getting hurt and being out for the season. But now, they’re facing a month without starting QB Drew Lock. Is it too early to stick a fork in this team? Jeff Driskel will be under center for the next several weeks, which doesn’t seem very inspiring. This seems to be another year where the Broncos will be struggling mightily and looking towards the offseason before it even begins.
Panthers (0-2)The Teddy Bridgewater experience in Carolina hasn’t gotten off to the best start. The Panthers are sitting at 0-2, although I think they could have easily won their Week 1 contest against the Raiders. Star RB Christian McCaffrey has predictably carried this team on his back, but an injury sustained against Tampa Bay on Sunday will sideline him for the next 2-4 weeks, so I don’t expect this team to be winning many, if any, games for a while.
Bengals (0-2)I don’t think Bengals fans are mad at all about being winless right now. Rookie QB and #1 overall pick Joe Burrow has somehow exceeded expectations through two weeks and kept this team in both games this year against solid opponents. Burrow certainly hasn’t looked like a rookie, which is even crazier considering the fact that this is one of the league’s rosters. Bengals fans should be very excited about this team’s future with Burrow under center, but they’ll need to surround him with more talent if they want to consistently win games. He can’t do it alone.
Lions (0-2)The Lions got off to a hot start on Sunday, but then decided they didn’t want to play anymore as they were crushed by their division rivals in Green Bay. Their defense was being toyed with by Aaron Rodgers and company, and their offense looked nonexistent after the first quarter. This team has talent, but it’s hard to see them winning many games this year. They’ll probably be down here for a long time.
Giants (0-2)The Giants were already one of the league’s worst teams, but with Sunday’s injury to star RB Saquon Barkley, they have become much worse. Barkley suffered a torn ACL against Chicago and will miss the remainder of the season. New York’s defense was already a bit questionable, but they could always rely on #26 on the other side of the ball. Now, I’m not sure what the Giants are going to do offensively. Signing RB Devonta Freeman certainly helps, but nobody can replace Saquon. It’s going to be a long year in New York, but perhaps it’ll even longer for the other team in the Big Apple.
Jets (0-2)Just as the Ravens were the no-doubt #1 team in the NFL, the Jets are the no-doubt #32 team. Riddled by offensive injuries, this team is just unwatchable in every aspect. QB Sam Darnold is struggling mightily, mainly because he has nobody to throw the ball to, and their defense looks like they spend all of pregame watching Trevor Lawrence highlights. HC Adam Gase is almost certainly on his way out of New York, and it’s a wonder how it has taken this long. But even a new HC isn’t gonna make this team better any time soon. They need divine intervention. And man, those uniforms are terrible.
Raza Talks Sports 