NFL power rankings, anthem protests and upsets galore
On a Sunday originally dominated by politics and statements, the NFL had one of its more intriguing days in recent memory.
On Friday night, President Donald Trump stepped to the microphone at a rally in Huntsville, Alabama and changed the sports landscape as we know it. He talked about football players protesting the national anthem, and called them sons of b—hes.
It was shocking rhetoric for a president, regardless of political leanings and stance. The words echoed loudly throughout the night and arena, reacted to largely with thunderous in-person applause while mirrored with anger and chaos from the outside.
Come Sunday, three NFL teams — the Tennessee Titans, Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers — would all skip the playing of the national anthem altogether. It was a powerful and controversial statement by each team, with the other 29 clubs choosing to either lock arms, stand hand over heart or kneel quietly.
In essence, the days had become a microcosm of America. People from all different races, religions and backgrounds were making starkly different choices, and when the proverbial dust settled, we all moved on with our lives.
After all of the controversy, the NFL desperately needed something to happen in Week 3 to take away from the political narrative. What it got was one of the wildest days in recent memory, leaving us with ample questions about a slew of potential contenders.
The Seattle Seahawks were the odds-on favorite to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LII, but they look dazed an confused. Seattle lost 33-27 to the Tennessee Titans, who looked far more like a true January challenger than their counterparts. The Seahawks allowed 195 rushing yards on 5. yards per carry, continually being punched in the mouth by the combination of DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry. The offensive line managed to allow only a single sack, but it wasn’t enough to avoid a 1-2 start.
Then there were the Pittsburgh Steelers, stumbling and bumbling their way to an embarrassing 23-17 overtime loss to the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Pittsburgh only mustered 282 total yards while losing two turnovers, wasting a defensive effort that held Mike Glennon to 101 passing yards.
The Steelers have championship aspirations, but these annual letdowns on the road are absurd. Last year, it was a defeat against the 1-4 Miami Dolphins that led to a midseason swoon. The year before, Pittsburgh was beaten by the Baltimore Ravens in Week 16 with Ryan Mallett under center.
Not to be forgotten, the Kansas City Chiefs won but looked ragged in the effort. Kansas City won a road game within the AFC West, never something to sneeze at, but it included 24 first downs against and 13 penalties for a whopping 122 yards. The Chiefs led the league in penalties coming into the game, and leave it with an even larger unwanted lead in the category. Still, 3-0 isn’t a bad place to be.
Finally, what to make of the Denver Broncos? After smoking the Dallas Cowboys, Denver was pushed around by the Buffalo Bills despite the absences of Cordy Glenn and Marcell Dareus. Buffalo was able to intercept Trevor Siemian twice while holding him to 259 passing yards on 40 attempts.
The main takeaway? Denver must play perfect defensively to win when the offense isn’t against a porous defense.
The weekend started out political and chaotic. It ended chaotic, but in the best possible way.
Power rankings
Top 10 rookies through Week 3
1. Kareem Hunt, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
2. Jamal Adams, S, New York Jets
3. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings
4. Chris Carson, RB, Seattle Seahawks
5. T.J. Watt, OLB, Pittsburgh Steelers
6. Tarik Cohen, RB, Chicago Bears
7. Leonard Fournette, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
8. Derek Barnett, DE, Philadelphia Eagles
9. Marshon Lattimore, CB, New Orleans Saints
10. Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Quotable
"“It felt great,” Clowney said of his first NFL touchdown, “but it would have felt better if we got the win. We had them on the ropes and didn’t finish them.”"
– Texans outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney on his touchdown and defeat in New England
Houston will both take heart and be sick to its collective stomach over its loss to the Patriots. The Texans were leading 30-28 with less than two and a half minutes remaining in regulation, facing a 4th and 1 deep in New England territory. Instead of going for the conversation and ending the game (the Patriots had no timeouts), head coach Bill O’Brien opted for a field goal.
The result? A predictable Tom Brady comeback, and a brutal loss for the Texans.
Podcast
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Random stat
After failing to score a single touchdown in the first two weeks, the Cincinnati Bengals notched three in the first half against the Green Bay Packers. Football is a weird sport.
Info learned this week
1. Undefeated teams fall in early shockers
Going into Sunday, there were 10 undefeated teams. By the end of the early games, seven had fallen. The Pittsburgh Steelers were stunned by the Chicago Bears in overtime, losing a game that could come back to haunt them. However, the Baltimore Ravens couldn’t take advantage, being trounced thoroughly by the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, 44-7.
Meanwhile, the Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions put on a thriller at Ford Field. Detroit rallied late only to fall one yard shy, with a Golden Tate touchdown being overturned in the final seconds.
Then, we had the Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both were 1-0 after having their game canceled in Week 1, and both fell hard on the road. While we get to the Dolphins in the next segment, the Buccaneers were blown out by Case Keenum and the Minnesota Vikings. Keenum threw for 369 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-17 victory, getting the Vikings a much-needed win.
Finally, the Carolina Panthers have real reason for concern. After barely beating the Bills at home in Week 2, Carolina was hammered by the New Orleans Saints. New Orleans’ horrific defense picked off Cam Newton three times while holding him to 167 passing yards. Not good.
2. New York state of disappointment
If you were told that the two New York teams would be 1-5 after three weeks, you would have assumed that the Giants are disappointing, and that the Jets are winless. You would only have been half right.
The Jets were utterly dominant against the Dolphins on Sunday, outgaining them 336-225, with half Miami’s yardage coming in garbage time. Meanwhile, the Giants scored 21 straight points in the fourth quarter to take a 21-14 lead over the Philadelphia Eagles, only to lose on a 61-yard field goal with the clock expiring.
Neither New York team is very good, something that was only half expected.
3. Browns struggling to make tangible progress
I’ve been a staunch supporter of the Hugh Jackson regime in Cleveland. The Browns finished 1-15 last year, but it was part of the process. The offseason saw the additions of Kenny Britt, Kevin Zeitler, JC Tretter and a very promising draft class.
However, the on-field product isn’t improving. The Browns were favored on the road against the Indianapolis Colts this weekend, and were handled easily. Jacoby Brissett ran for two touchdowns and threw for another as Indianapolis rang up 31 points in a 31-28 win that wasn’t as close as the score indicates. If Jackson and the Browns are ever going to get this program off the floor, it has to beat bad teams. Instead, Cleveland looked like the team we’ve seen for the better part of 20 years.
4. Redskins destroy Raiders in eye-opening beatdown
Washington was a home underdog against the Raiders, and the Redskins proved that was foolhardy. The ‘Skins dominated in every facet, outgunning the Raiders by an obscene 472-128 in total yards. Oakland converted 0-of-11 third downs while Derek Carr was picked off twice in a hideous showing.
As for the Redskins, they rolled to a 27-10 win behind Kirk Cousins’ 366 passing yards. All of this without Jordan Reed, who was held out with a rib injury. Washington now finds itself tied atop the NFC East with the Eagles, and head to Arrowhead Stadium for a Monday night showdown with the Chiefs.
5. Cowboys look tor rebound against Cardinals
The Dallas Cowboys were embarrassed last weekend against Denver, losing 42-17 while Ezekiel Elliott answered questions about quitting. On Monday, the Cowboys have a chance to get right against an Arizona Cardinals team that has been underwhelming over the first two weeks.
Still, Bruce Arians and his charges are hoping to get rolling. Incredibly, a win would put the Cardinals at the top of the NFC West, giving them real hope as the calendar turns to October.
The winner should be feeling much better, while the loser searches for answers it may not find.
History lesson
For years, the NFC was dominated by three teams. Ranging from 1980-95, only 1985 saw the NFC Championship Game played without the Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys or San Francisco 49ers being involved. In that span, those teams combined for 11 Super Bowl titles.
In 1985, the Chicago Bears defeated the Los Angeles Rams before trouncing the New England Patriots the following week. From 1984-97, the NFC won every Super Bowl, the longest such streak for either conference.
Parting shot
It’s time to lay the Los Angeles Chargers to rest for 2017. After years of hearing about how they are ready to break out and become a force, the Chargers are once again at the bottom of the AFC West, staring up at an impossible task.
After losing 24-10 to the Chiefs at the StubHub Center, Los Angeles is both 0-3 and 0-2 in the West. The Chargers saw Kansas City commit 12 penalties while going a full two quarters without scoring a point. They still lost by two touchdowns in their own building, which offers the most non-existant home-field advantage in recent NFL history.
Anthony Lynn has a long job ahead of him, with an aging Philip Rivers and a team that has ample stars but not much behind them. The days of waiting for the Chargers to bust out are over. The next time they’ll be relevant is April, when Los Angeles is once again on the clock.