We are through three weeks in the NFL season, and the real winners and losers are starting to separate themselves from the pack.
Three weeks into the NFL season and we still have no idea what to think about anything. The Cardinals went out to Buffalo and were dragged behind the woodshed by Rex Ryan. Trevor Siemian looks like John Elway with the undefeated Broncos while Dak Prescott continues to look like the future at quarterback in Dallas.
Let’s live outside of the box score a little, since that’s where the real battles are won and lost anyways.
Loser: Drew Brees
The Saints look putrid this season and there seems to be no signs of improving. Drew Brees is doing literally all that he can to try and make this team a contender and nothing is working. How many times does he have to throw for a million yards in a game before this defense figures things out.
Last year it was Rob Ryan’s fault for the defense not succeeding and for team chemistry hitting a low. But he’s gone and the Saints have yet to win a game this season. It makes you wonder if the end of this Payton-Brees era has already happened, the memos just haven’t been delivered yet.
Winner: John Elway
When Denver let Brock Osweiler walk to Houston in free agency, we all laughed at John Elway for screwing up a good thing. Turns out, he’s getting the last laugh as Trevor Siemian looks the part of the type of game-manager the Broncos need.
That defense in Denver remains one of the best in football, which is more of the same from last year. Peyton Manning had half an arm, Brock was good but nowhere near great but the team won the Super Bowl. I’m not saying they’re on the road to repeating but it might be time to give both Siemian and Elway some credit for this 3-0 start.
Loser: Bruce Arians
What the hell happened here. The Cardinals waxed the Buccaneers in Week 2 after nearly beating the Patriots the week before. But they were obliterated by the Bills Mafia this weekend and are now an inexplicable 1-2 on the year.
Carson Palmer looked disgusting on Sunday, and that’s a major problem. This whole thing with the Cardinals doesn’t work if Palmer isn’t playing the way he needs to, and we saw that. While Arians has coached up a Super Bowl contender, it’s one that when exposed in the most obvious of ways can crumble at the hands of a team like the Bills.
Winner: Josh McDaniels
No Brady, no problem. No Jimmy G, no problem. No quarterback at all, seemingly no problem at all. That’s been the rhyme and rhythm to Josh McDaniels’ season as Patriots offensive coordinator and it’s something that will get him a head coaching job in 2017. If McDaniels somehow isn’t coaching a team next year, something is very wrong. Jacksonville, Chicago and Buffalo all could have openings; the latter of which could be in for a Garoppolo-McDaniels package deal.
He may have flamed out hard the last time someone gave him a shot to be a head coach but let’s forgive him for that one. HE was young, really arrogant and under the impression he was Bill Belichick’s love child. This time around, McDaniels knows what not to do and clearly has the chops to take a team with the right system in place to wins no matter who is running his offense.
Week 4 NFL Head Coach Hot Seat
The coaching hot seat is starting to get more than a little warm for these underachievers:
1. John Fox, Chicago Bears
The Bears can’t use Jay Cutler as a scapegoat. Sunday’s thrashing at the hands of the Cowboys was another low point in a season that could end with both Cutler and head coach John Fox on their way out as the Bears rebuild.
2. Adam Gase, Miami Dolphins
I know what you’re thinking, but it wouldn’t be the first time a head coach was fired after one year. It seems like a Browns thing to do, but almost losing to a franchise that has Cody Kessler under center (Cleveland) isn’t a good look. Gase’s grace period is officially over.
3. Gus Bradley, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars were supposed to take leaps this year with Blake Bortles finally figuring out the offense. But an 0-3 start isn’t what anyone had in mind, and Bradley needs to go. This isn’t the late-2000s anymore; Jacksonville is an attractive head coaching job and Bradley is holding this team back.
Power Ranking of Pain
This week, let’s take a look at the worst performances of Week 3.
3. Jameis Winston
We’re only three games into the season, but already it’s looking like the Buccaneers will live and die with Jameis. He brought them back into the game late, which was phenomenal leadership, but he mucked it all up on the last play when he wandered, wide-eyed and confused, past the line of scrimmage with no time on the clock and a solid 10-yards to the end zone. He’s not totally in the sophomore slump, but he’s failed to avoid pitfalls like some hoped this offseason.
2. Hue Jackson
Poor Hue Jackson did just about everything to win on Sunday. From trick plays to finally letting Terrelle Pryor play quarterback, Jackson was about as innovative as any Browns head coach over the last 20-years. But because it’s Cleveland, of course things went wrong in the end, and we have to wonder if there might actually be a legitimate curse on this franchise.
1. Ryan Fitzpatrick
I try to stay away from obvious choices with these, but when you throw six interceptions in the same game it’s hard to not top this list. Remember when Jets fans wanted Ryan Fitzpatrick this offseason and stopped short of rioting because the front office was holding out. Yeah, how are things working out? There should be a rule that if you throw six interceptions in a game, you are demoted to the role of punter.
Things That Will Definitely Happen in Week 3
Let’s close out with a look ahead at somethings that will definitely happen next week in the NFL. First, let’s look at Week 3 predictions to see how wrong I was:
- Jameis Winston won’t go for 4 touchdowns again, but he and the Buccaneers will rebound against the Rams in Tampa. Damnit.
- Everyone in the AFC West will be 2-1 by the time Monday rolls around. Nope.
- Houston is going to confuse everyone by beating New England to officially start the season 3-0. Better get my Wendy’s polo sized out.
- Miami is finally going to get a win and leave the ranks of the winless. Thank God.
Alright, as for things that will happen in Week 4:
- The Ravens are going to get annihilated after playing an actual team in the Raiders.
- Arizona will remember their Super Bowl contenders, forcing Los Angeles will come crashing back to earth.
- Jacksonville is going to get their first win of the season over the Colts in London.
Bold Prediction of Week 4
Tampa Bay will somehow, someway find a way to to shock the Broncos. It’s going to be a defensive struggle, but Trevor Sieman’s first loss will come at the hands of Gerald McCoy, Davonte David and a Bucs defense hungry to buck the haters.
We’ll have to see how right or wrong these end up being when Week 4 of NFL action kicks off on Sunday.
Stay safe out there, America.