NFL Week 4: Updated playoff picture
By John Buhler
It’s still early, but a few teams are moving ahead of the rest of the pack in the NFL. Here is the updated playoff picture entering Week 4.
Week 3 of the 2016 NFL season is in the books. There are five teams that are a perfect 3-0. Four teams are winless at 0-3, while the other 16 teams are either 2-1 or 1-2. Let’s take a quick look at the updated NFL Playoffs picture entering Week 4:
The AFC North would go to the undefeated Baltimore Ravens at 3-0. Baltimore has gotten off to a hot start with one of the oldest teams in football after a dreadful 2015 NFL campaign. The Ravens look like they might be for real, but their wins have come against teams with a combined 1-8 record.
In first place in the AFC South are the Houston Texans at 2-1. Houston was embarrassed on the road in Foxboro on Thursday Night Football, as they were shut out by New England. The Texans’ Week 1 win over the Chicago Bears doesn’t look impressive, but a Week 2 win over Kansas City does. Houston is the best team in a bad AFC South entering Week 4.
How are the New England Patriots doing this? New England is 3-0 and atop the AFC East without getting a single snap from Tom Brady under center. The Patriots beat the Arizona Cardinals and the Miami Dolphins with Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback before slaughtering the Texans on Thursday Night Football with Jacoby Brissett. New England is the team to beat in the AFC entering October.
Another impressive AFC team through three weeks has been the Denver Broncos. They lead the AFC West at 3-0 with first-year starter Trevor Siemian under center. The Denver defense is still elite, and Siemian looks like a better passer than Peyton Manning or Brock Osweiler were in 2015.
There are three teams in the AFC at 2-1 vying for two wild card spots. The Pittsburgh Steelers would be the five seed and Kansas City Chiefs would get the six seed if the season ended today. The Oakland Raiders would be the odd team out in the No. 7 slot.
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The NFC North belongs to the Minnesota Vikings through the first three weeks. Minnesota is 3-0 with two impressive wins over Green Bay and Carolina in the last two weeks. The Vikings are doing this with defense and a makeshift offense that keeps getting players hurt. Regardless, Minnesota is championship-caliber in 2016.
Leading the NFC South are the Atlanta Falcons at 2-1. Atlanta might have the best offense in football, but one of the worst defenses in football. The Falcons have won two straight over Oakland and New Orleans after falling to Tampa Bay in Week 1. This will be a hard Falcons offense to stop this season.
Raise your hand if you thought the Philadelphia Eagles would be 3-0 and leading the NFC East through three weeks. Exactly. Philadelphia assembled an outstanding coaching staff under Doug Pederson. Rookie quarterback Carson Wentz has been a revelation. This team is outstanding.
Leading the NFC West entering Week 4 is the Los Angeles Rams. Los Angeles is 2-1 and holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Seattle Seahawks. The Rams’ offense finally got into the end zone on Sunday afternoon against Tampa Bay. Does Jeff Fisher’s team have staying power in 2016?
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There are four teams at 2-1 vying for the two NFC Wild Card spots. Tiebreakers have the New York Giants as the No. 5 seed and the Dallas Cowboys as the No. 6 seed through Week 3. Seattle is in seventh place in the NFC and Green Bay enters Week 4 in eight place.