Four weeks into the NFL season, there have been some excellent teams, some awful teams, and certainly a lot of surprise teams. Today, we will be ranking every single one of them, from the best to the Dolphins.
The Super Bowl Contenders
1. New England Patriots(4-0)
The Pats have been up to their usual dominance, and are one of the three undefeated teams remaining. Their defense is playing lights out, and has only allowed one touchdown all season. Devin McCourty and Jamie Collins both have legitimate cases for defensive player of the year right now, and Kyle Van Noy is coming off a defensive player of the week award. While Tom Brady looked extremely bad against Buffalo last week, he will likely iron things out. Excluding the Bills game, the Pats offense was unstoppable too.
2. Kansas City Chiefs(4-0)
Patrick Mahomes and company have also continued their dominance from last season. The Chiefs are also yet to lose a game, but have not defeated other teams like the Patriots have. Kansas City edged out victories against both Baltimore and Detroit, and yet, their offense does not looked like it can be stopped. Mahomes is the early MVP favorite, and Kansas City is almost guaranteed to have a top two seed in the AFC.
3. New Orleans Saints(3-1)
The Saints have been surprisingly good without Drew Brees. They beat the Seahawks and the Cowboys, and don't have too many challenging games up ahead. Teddy Bridgewater has shown that he is definitely capable of starting for an NFL team, and has led the Saints offense very well. New Orleans is currently leading their division and if they can stay like that until Brees returns, the Saints could be back for another Super Bowl run.
4. Chicago Bears(3-1)
After an ugly loss to the Packers in week one, the Bears defense steadied itself and has been of a tear. Most recently, they stifled the Vikings passing attack and made Kirk Cousins look like he's overpaid(wait, he is). Minnesota did them a favor by injuring Mitch Trubisky, and Chase Daniel played extremely average in relief. Thankfully, that is all he has to do in order for the Bears to succeed.
5. Los Angeles Rams(3-1)
The Rams were brought back to Earth after a shootout loss against the Buccaneers. Regardless, they have tons of talent and are a very good team. If they want to continue winning, they might need to get Todd Gurley more involved in the offense. The all-pro running back has less than 50 touches and just 216 rushing yards on the season.
6. Green Bay Packers(3-1)
The Packers have played very well under new head coach Matt LaFleur. They are two yards away from being 4-0, but even though they lost to the Eagles, Green Bay proved that they are a good team. For once, their defense is actually carrying their weight, and Aaron Rodgers is not being forced to do everything for them. The Packers have a very good chance of making the playoffs this year, especially with the amount of injuries that are restricting teams in the NFC.
7. Dallas Cowboys(3-1)
Dallas might be ranked higher if they could have beaten their only competent opponent so far. The offense was terrible the whole day against the Saints, and lost despite the defense not even allowing a touchdown. Nevertheless, Dak Prescott is playing quality football, and the Cowboys are a force to be reckoned with.
The Playoff Contenders
8. Seattle Seahawks(3-1)
Seattle's trade for Jadeveon Clowney back in August in turning out to be a genius move. The former Texans defensive end got a pick six last week against the Cardinals, and is wreaking havoc on opposing offensive lines. Russell Wilson is also playing very well, and it looks as if though Seattle has finally moved away from their run, run, pass formula that never worked. Seattle certainly has playoff potential, but in a tough division, it might be hard to reach that far.
9. Philadelphia Eagles(2-2)
Philly is one of the most talented teams in the entire league. They are stacked at every position(except for maybe cornerback), and are capable of putting points on the board at any time. However, they always seem to catch the injury bug. Their victory over the Packers last week was potentially season saving, as now they are tied for second in the NFC East, and a couple victories will get them back in the driver's seat. If they right ship soon enough, then the Eagles definitely will be placed in the tier above this one.
10. San Fransisco 49ers(3-0)
Receivers of the completely pointless week four bye week, the 49ers remain undefeated. Their next two games(Browns and Rams) will likely tell if they are a legitimate playoff contender, or just the beneficiary of an easy schedule to start the year. If they do play well, the playoffs are certainly within reach for them, although in a division with the Seahawks and Rams, it'll be a tough road.
11. Buffalo Bills(3-1)
The Bills have a top three defense in the league, and a surprisingly good offense. Sophomore quarterback Josh Allen has played very well, although he might have suffered a concussion against the Pats last week. If he had stayed in the game, Buffalo could very well have beaten the Patriots, and been 4-0. Despite the loss, they are the favorite for one of the wild card spots in the AFC.
12. Detroit Lions(2-1-1)
Detroit played out of their minds against Kansas City last week, but barely lost. Unlike most of the other teams ranked above them, they have played very good teams(Chargers, Eagles, Chiefs), and almost beat them all. With an easier schedule coming up, Detroit has the chance of earning a playoff berth. That would require them to play better than either the Packers or Bears to finish the season.
13. Los Angeles Chargers(2-2)
The Chargers, who were my pick to win the Super Bowl, have not played up to their expectations this year. They lost to both the Lions and the Texans, and barely defeated the Colts. They will definitely benefit from Melvin Gordon returning from his holdout, but will need to turn things around quickly to ensure they stay in playoff contention.
14. Cleveland Browns(2-2)
The Browns, who were the team with possibly the highest expectations this season, have got off to a rocky start. They were embarrassed by the Titans and lost to the Rams, but their dominating victory over Baltimore last day was a step in the right direction. Cleveland has all the potential in the world, and definitely can make the playoffs, but will need to win more consistently in order to do that.
15. Baltimore Ravens(2-2)
Wow, Baltimore sure fell fast. A couple weeks ago, the Ravens were cruising at 2-0, and looked like one of the best teams in the league. Then, their comeback efforts fell short against the Chiefs, and they were destroyed by the Browns. While the Ravens still are almost a playoff lock, they will need to step up their play a bit, especially on the defensive end. Their 'bend but do not break' strategy is not working out.
16. Houston Texans(2-2)
The Texans have been surprisingly bad this season. They are a couple inches away from being 1-3, and find themselves in a four way tie for the division lead. Head coach Bill O'Brien has been killing them with awful coaching and play calling, including a questionable trick play last week where DeAndre Hopkins threw the ball(it was picked off). They remain the most talented team in the AFC South, but they must up their playing level to prove it.
Good, but probably not Good Enough
17. Carolina Panthers(2-2)
Apparently, Kyle Allen is what the Panthers needed to win the game. He has done pretty much exactly what the Panthers need him to do: Be a game manager, throw a couple touchdowns, and most importantly, feed Christian McCaffery. The Stanford product is the offensive player of the year favorite and has been filling up the stat sheet. Kyle Allen is 3-0 as a starter in the NFL(he won week 17 last year), and might be the long term answer for the Panthers.
18. Jacksonville Jaguars(2-2)
Minshew Mania is for real everybody. He has been quite a surprise for everyone, especially the Jaguars. The mustached QB has led the Jags to victories in the last two games, and the Jags likely should be 3-1 if it weren't for a questionable two point conversion decision with the Jaguars down one against the Texans in week two. If Jalen Ramsey returns from his "injury", Duval could move up a tier.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers(2-2)
Tampa's offense played to its full potential last week. In their 55 point outing, Jameis Winston played like how he should always play. Their defense, led by undrafted free agent acquisition Shaquil Barrett, has been surprisingly good, but inconsistent. If Tampa becomes more consistent in pretty much all fields, they can also make a playoff push.
20. Indianapolis Colts(2-2)
The Colts were put into a bad spot when Andrew Luck retired out of the blue, but have managed alright. They have shown weaknesses though, especially in their loss to the Raiders last week. The defense will need to step up a bit for them to win more.
21. Tennessee Titans(2-2)
It feels like the Titans play awfully against not very good teams, but decide to play to their full potential against all the good teams. They have beat Cleveland and Atlanta so far, but Marcus Mariota has shown real flaws in his game. He will need to fix those if he wants an extension this summer.
22. New York Giants(2-2)
Daniel Jones, am I right? The laughed at quarterback as taken the league by storm the past two weeks, leading the Giants to wins in his first two starts. While he played relatively easy opponents, he will face a good test this week against the Vikings. So far, it looks like Danny Dimes might be here to stay.
23. Oakland Raiders(2-2)
The Raiders woke up from an offensive slumber last week to handle the Colts with surprising ease. They have played quite well given their expectations, and tight end Darren Waller is an absolute stud. However, in a very competitive division, the playoff are far out of reach.
The Disappointments
24. Minnesota Vikings(2-2)
Sure, the Vikings are 2-2. But what an ugly 2-2 it has been. Kirk Cousins looks like Blake Bortles, and is turning out to be one of the worst decisions the Vikings could have made. Both Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs are upset with the team, and rightfully so, as the Vikes have averaged less than 25 passing attempts per game. If it weren’t for Dalvin Cook carrying the offense, Minnesota might be one of the worst teams in the league.
25. Atlanta Falcons(1-3)
The Falcons are supposed to be good. They have all the talent in the world, a stable quarterback, and good coaches. Yet, they find themselves at a measly 1-3, mostly because of their first half play. Atlanta seems to dig itself into a deep hole every game, and by the time they put together a comeback, it is always too late. In a wide open division, the Falcons should not be last place.
26. Pittsburgh Steelers(1-3)
OK, so this one isn't entirely Pittsburgh's fault. Their season has certainly been disappointing, but that can mostly be put towards Ben Roethlisberger's season ending injury. However, the Mason Rudolph led Steelers have not had too much success. Their only win has been against a miserable Bengals team, and Rudolph appears as if though he is afraid to throw the ball more than five yards down the field.
27. Denver Broncos(0-4)
What happened to Denver? We knew they wouldn't be good, but 0-4? Joe Flacco is up to his usual mild play, but the offense as a whole seems to be functioning fine. The problem with Denver appears to be their vaunted front seven. Despite being led by one of the best defensive coaches in the game(Vic Fangio), the Broncos have only amassed one sack all year. With Bradley Chubb done for the year too, it might be time for Denver to tank.
The Bad
28. Arizona Cardinals(0-3-1)
The Cardinals have just been bad all year. Kyler Murray has played alright, but outside of a furious comeback in week one, has not flashed much at all. The offensive line remains a mess, and the secondary is desperately missing Patrick Peterson. The Cardinals will have a high draft pick next season.
29. New York Jets(0-3)
Right now, all that the Jets should be caring about is Sam Darnold returning from injury. He is expected to return in two weeks, and that might be enough time for the Jets to at least put something together. Right now, they are a complete mess dealing with injuries on all sides of the ball.
30. Cincinnati Bengals(0-4)
Well, it looks like a new coach didn't fix anything. The Bengals are still bad. They were completely embarrassed by Mason Rudolph on Monday night, and are also getting bit by the injury bug very hard. Maybe AJ Green returning will help this team out a bit.
31. Washington Redskins(0-4)
The Redskins are a huge mess. Dan Snyder might be the worst GM of all time, as he refuses to do what is right for his team time after time after time. Trent Williams remains unpaid, coach Jay Gruden doesn't even know who is going to be starting at quarterback, and the defense is awful. Perhaps the only bright spot is rookie wideout Terry McLaurin, who recently became the first player to record at least five catches and a touchdown through each of his first three games.
32. Miami Dolphins(0-4)
Comments