NFL STANDINGS, GOING INTO WEEK 4

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS SIT ALONE ATOP AFC WEST

Week 3 is in the books and the Kansas City Chiefs are still undefeated. The NFL standings are surprising, so let’s take a quick look around the league.

After three weeks of football, the NFL standings already offer plenty of surprises. The New England Patriots are two games behind the Miami Dolphins. The Houston Texans have yet to win a game, and the Cleveland Browns already have their first win.

Some of the events this past week were even more surprising than the standings, including Dolphins’ wide receiver Albert Wilson having a higher QB rating than quarterback Ryan Tannehill, backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett throwing a hail mary instead of starting quarterback Andrew Luck, and rookie Buffalo Bills quarterback scoring more touchdowns than Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins.

LET’S TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT THE NFL STANDINGS AFTER WEEK 3.

AFC NORTH

CINCINNATI BENGALS 2-1-0

The Bengals were just out of reach from the Carolina Panthers all game. Quarterback Andy Dalton’s 4 interceptions did not help the team, of course. Dalton completed 29/46 passes for 352 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. Without starting running back Joe Mixon due to a knee injury, the Bengals turned to backup running back Giovani Bernard who got the job done, rushing 12 times for 61 yards and a touchdown. The Bengals, however, lost to the Panthers 31-21.

BALTIMORE RAVENS 2-1-0

Quarterback Joe Flacco looked good for the Ravens, completing 25/40 passes for 277 yards and 1 touchdown. Wide receiver John Brown had another good game, catching 5 passes for 86 yards. Running backs Alex Collins and Javorius Allen both for a touchdown each, but Allen got a second touchdown in the receiving game. The Ravens beat the Broncos by a final score of 27-14.

CLEVELAND BROWNS 1-1-1

The beer is free! The beer is free! The Browns have won their first game since December of 2016 and victory for Cleveland is sweet. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor began the game completing a dismal 4/14 passes for 19 yards before exiting with a head injury late in the 2nd quarter.  Rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield came in and gave Cleveland fans what they’ve been waiting for: a win. Mayfield completed 17/23 passes for 201 yards, ultimately leading the Browns to a 21-17 win.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS 1-1-1

The Steelers got their first win, led by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger who completed 30/38 passes for 353 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Wide receiver Antonio Brown was held in check, catching 6 passes for 50 yards and 1 touchdown, but his counterpart JuJu Smith-Schuster had a day, catching 9 passes for 116 yards. It wasn’t the prettiest win, but it was a win for the Steelers over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30-27.

AFC EAST

MIAMI DOLPHINS 3-0-0

After their win on Sunday, the Dolphins are one of only three remaining undefeated teams. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill looked great against the Oakland Raiders, completing 17/23 passes for 289 yards and 3 touchdowns without an interception. Wide receiver Albert Wilson also had a great day, catching 2 passes for 74 yards and 1 touchdown. Wilson also threw for 52 yards and 1 touchdown to fellow wide receiver Jakeem Grant on the Dolphins’ version of the “Philly Special.” Speaking of Jakeem Grant, he had a day too—catching 2 passes for 70 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Dolphins’ strong performance led them to a 28-20 win over the Raiders.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 1-2-0

Time for the Patriots to panic? Probably not, but, for the time being, they’re two games back in the AFC East and tied with the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets. Quarterback Tom Brady didn’t have the best game, completing 14/26 passes for 133 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. Running back Sony Michel carried the ball 14 times, but only managed to rush for 50 yards. The Patriots fell to the Detroit Lions 26-10.

BUFFALO BILLS 1-2-0

Rookie quarterback Josh Allen led the Bills to the biggest upset of the week over the Minnesota Vikings. Allen completed 15/22 passes for 196 yards and 1 touchdown while rushing 10 times for 39 yards and 2 touchdowns. Even with starting running back LeSean McCoy out with an injury, running back Chris Ivory filled his place. Though Ivory only averaged a measly 2.8 yards per carry, he got the ball 20 times for 56 yards. He made up for his lack of ground production by catching 3 passes for 70 yards. The Bills were able to upset the Vikings 27-6.

NEW YORK JETS 1-2-0

The Jets played in an ugly game against the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football. Quarterback Sam Darnold only completed 15/31 passes, throwing for just 169 yards and 2 interceptions. The Jets lost to the Browns 21-17.

AFC NORTH

CINCINNATI BENGALS 2-1-0

The Bengals were just out of reach from the Carolina Panthers all game. Quarterback Andy Dalton’s 4 interceptions did not help the team, of course. Dalton completed 29/46 passes for 352 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. Without starting running back Joe Mixon due to a knee injury, the Bengals turned to backup running back Giovani Bernard who got the job done, rushing 12 times for 61 yards and a touchdown. The Bengals, however, lost to the Panthers 31-21.

BALTIMORE RAVENS 2-1-0

Quarterback Joe Flacco looked good for the Ravens, completing 25/40 passes for 277 yards and 1 touchdown. Wide receiver John Brown had another good game, catching 5 passes for 86 yards. Running backs Alex Collins and Javorius Allen both for a touchdown each, but Allen got a second touchdown in the receiving game. The Ravens beat the Broncos by a final score of 27-14.

CLEVELAND BROWNS 1-1-1

The beer is free! The beer is free! The Browns have won their first game since December of 2016 and victory for Cleveland is sweet. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor began the game completing a dismal 4/14 passes for 19 yards before exiting with a head injury late in the 2nd quarter.  Rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield came in and gave Cleveland fans what they’ve been waiting for: a win. Mayfield completed 17/23 passes for 201 yards, ultimately leading the Browns to a 21-17 win.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS 1-1-1

The Steelers got their first win, led by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger who completed 30/38 passes for 353 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Wide receiver Antonio Brown was held in check, catching 6 passes for 50 yards and 1 touchdown, but his counterpart JuJu Smith-Schuster had a day, catching 9 passes for 116 yards. It wasn’t the prettiest win, but it was a win for the Steelers over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30-27.

AFC SOUTH

TENNESSEE TITANS 2-1-0

The Titans began the game with starting quarterback Marcus Mariota backing up fellow quarterback Blaine Gabbert due to an elbow injury. However, in just the Titans’ second drive, Gabbert went down after a sack and Mariota had to come in early. Mariota finished the day completing only 12/18 passes for 100 yards. He also ran the ball 7 times for 51 yards. Despite not scoring a single touchdown, the Titans beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 9-6.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 2-1-0

With starting running back Leonard Fournette out with a hamstring injury, the Jaguars turned to backup running backs T.J. Yeldon and Corey Grant. Yeldon carried the ball 7 times for 44 yards, while Grant carried the ball 6 times for 11 yards. Quarterback Blake Bortles completed 21/34 passes for 155 yards, but, like the Titans, the Jaguars were unable to score a touchdown and lost 9-6.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 1-2-0

Quarterback Andrew Luck had a solid game, completing 25/40 passes for 164 yards and 1 touchdown. Luck was the leading rusher of the day, keeping the ball once for 33 yards. Running backs Jordan Wilkins and Nyheim Hines weren’t able to produce much on the ground, rushing for 6 and 5 times respectively. The Colts ended the game on a head scratcher, putting backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett into the game to throw a hail mary that ended up incomplete, and the Colts fell to the Eagles 20-16.

HOUSTON TEXANS 0-3-0

The Texans’ season is not off to an ideal start. They lost their third straight game against the New York Giants on Sunday. Quarterback Deshaun Watson completed 24/40 passes for 385 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. The Texans lost the game 27-22.

AFC WEST

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS 3-0-0

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes only completed 24/38 passes for 314 yards and 3 touchdowns this week. Only. The Chiefs are off to an exceptional start, winning their 3rd game and joining the small list of undefeated teams. Mahomes set another NFL record this week, breaking the record for most TDs thrown in the first three weeks, previously held by Peyton Manning. Running back Kareem Hunt notched two early touchdowns and ultimately rushed 18 times for 44 yards. Tight end Travis Kelce broke the century mark again, catching 8 passes for 114 yards. The high-flying offense led the Chiefs to a victory by a final score of 38-27.

DENVER BRONCOS 2-1-0

After starting the season 2-0, the Broncos lost their first game to the Baltimore Ravens. Quarterback Case Keenum completed 22/34 passes for 192 yards and 1 interception. Running back Royce Freeman rushed 13 times for 53 yards and a touchdown, while fellow running back Phillip Lindsay rushed 4 times for 20 yards before being ejected in the 2nd quarter for throwing a punch at a Ravens player. The Broncos lost to the Ravens 27-14.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS 1-2-0

The Chargers are off to a rough start to the season, with just one win under their belt. They put up a solid performance, but gave up over 500 yards of total offense to the Los Angeles Rams. Quarterback Philip Rivers completed 18/30 passes for 226 yards and 2 touchdowns. Running back Melvin Gordon also had a solid game, rushing 15 times for 80 yards and a touchdown. Rivers and Gordon’s efforts weren’t enough, however, and the Chargers lost 35-23.

OAKLAND RAIDERS 0-3-0

Things just keep getting worse for the Raiders. Not only are they winless, but also quarterback Derek Carr threw 2 more interceptions. Carr still had a good game, finishing the day by completing 27/39 passes for 345 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions. Marshawn Lynch scored in his third straight game, but the Raiders still fell to the Dolphins 28-20.

NFC EAST

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES 2-1-0

Quarterback Carson Wentz played in his first game since coming off a torn ACL last December. He came back completing 25/37 passes for 255 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. Wentz’s two leading receivers were his tight ends, Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert. Ertz caught 5 passes for 73 yards, while Goedert caught 7 passes for 73 yards and a touchdown. Wentz led the Eagles to a win over the Colts, 20-16.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS 2-1-0

Thirty-three year old running back Adrian Peterson led the Redskins to victory on Sunday. He carried the ball 19 times for 120 yards and 2 touchdowns. Quarterback Alex Smith only had to throw the ball 20 times, completing 12 passes for 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. The Redskins beat the Packers with by a score of 31-17.

DALLAS COWBOYS 1-2-0

Quarterback Dak Prescott completed 19/34 passes for 168 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions. Running back Ezekiel Elliot carried the ball 16 times for 127 yards, but Elliot and Prescott’s performances weren’t enough as the Cowboys fell 24-13 to the Seattle Seahawks.

NEW YORK GIANTS 1-2-0

The Giants won their first game of the season, led by quarterback Eli Manning’s solid performance. He completed 25/29 passes for 297 yards and 2 touchdowns. Rookie running back Saquon Barkley also had a good performance, rushing 17 times for 82 yards and a touchdown. The Giants beat the Texans 27-22.

NFC NORTH

CHICAGO BEARS 2-1-0

Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky completed 24/35 passes for 220 yards and 1 interception. Defensive end Khalil Mack had another great game, with 5 tackles, 2 sacks, and 1 forced fumble. In the end, the Bears defense led them to a victory over the Cardinals 16-14.

GREEN BAY PACKERS 1-1-1

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, despite his knee injury, played well. He completed 27/44 passes for 265 yards and 2 touchdowns, but his knee clearly held him back in some instances. Running back Aaron Jones was back from his suspension, and was statistically the best rusher for the Packers. He rushed 6 times for 42 yards. The Packers weren’t able to get the offensive clicking enough to overcome the Redskins, however, and lost 31-17.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS 1-1-1

Following last week’s frustrating tie with the Packers, the Vikings thought they would have an easy win against the struggling Bills. That, however, was not the case. Quarterback Kirk Cousins was sacked twice in the Vikings’ first two drives and lost fumbles both times. Cousins also threw an interception in the first half. He finished the day completing 40/55 passes for 296 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception, but most of his positive stats came in garbage time. Even though starting running back Dalvin Cook out with a hamstring injury, it didn’t matter for the Vikings as, after they fell behind early, they never established a running game. They fell to the Bills 27-6.

DETROIT LIONS 1-2-0

After their disastrous week 1 outing, quarterback Matthew Stafford and the Lions have looked much better. Under the lights on Sunday night, Stafford completed 27/36 attempts for 262 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. The Lions were also able to establish a run game, as running back Kerryon Johnson rushed 16 times for 101 yards. The Lions were able to get their first win by beating the Patriots 26-10.

NFC SOUTH

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS 2-1-0

The Fitzmagic is over for quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Bucs—at least, for the time being. Fitzpatrick didn’t keep up his excellent play and threw 3 interceptions to a struggling Pittsburgh secondary. At the end of the night, Fitzpatrick completed 30/50 passes for 411 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. Still a solid performance, but not enough for the Bucs as they fell to the Steelers 30-27.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 2-1-0

The Saints beat the Atlanta Falcons in a thriller. Quarterback Drew Brees, running back Alvin Kamara, and wide receiver Michael Thomas all had huge days. Brees completed 34/49 passes for 396 yards and 3 touchdowns while also rushing 3 times for 7 yards and 2 touchdowns, Kamara had 16 carries for 66 yards and 15 catches for 124 yards, and Thomas had 10 catches for 129 yards. The Saints and Falcons went into overtime tied 37-37, but the Saints won the toss, marched downfield, and scored to win 43-37.

CAROLINA PANTHERS 2-1-0

We knew Christian McCaffrey could catch, but on Sunday he showed everyone he could run too. He ran the ball a whopping 28 times for 184 yards, but quarterback Cam Newton stole the rushing touchdowns. Newton finished the day with 4 touchdowns, completing 15/24 passes for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns in the air and 2 touchdowns on the ground. The Panthers’ strong offensive performance led them to a 31-21 win over the Bengals.

ATLANTA FALCONS 1-2-0

The Falcons played the Saints in a great game that was close until the very end. Quarterback Matt Ryan completed 26/35 passes for 374 yards and 5 touchdowns, while rookie wide receiver caught 7 passes for 146 yards and 3 touchdowns. Fellow wide receiver Julio Jones caught 5 passes for 96 yards. Despite the strong offensive performance, the Falcons weren’t able to beat the Saints in overtime and lost 43-37.

NFC WEST

LOS ANGELES RAMS 3-0-0

The Rams joined the small list of undefeated teams on Sunday with their win over the Chargers. Quarterback Jared Goff and running back Todd Gurley both had solid performances again. Goff completed 29/36 passes for 354 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception while Gurley rushed 23 times for 105 yards and 1 touchdown. Goff and Gurley’s solid efforts led the Rams to a 35-23 win against the Chargers.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS 1-2-0

San Francisco’s season has suddenly taken a turn for the worse. After a loss to the Vikings and a close win against the Lions, the 49ers fell to the Chiefs. On top of the loss, starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo exited the game with a knee injury that was later confirmed to be a torn ACL. The 49ers fell to the Chiefs by a score of 38-27.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 1-2-0

Seattle established a running game by giving the ball to running back Chris Carson 32 times who ran for 102 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Russell Wilson completed 16/26 attempts for 192 yards and 2 touchdowns, leading the Seahawks to a 24-13 victory.

ARIZONA CARDINALS 0-3-0

The Cardinals finally scored some points, but only 14 and only in the first quarter. Quarterback Sam Bradford completed 13/19 passes for 157 yards and 2 touchdowns, but also threw 2 interceptions. Rookie quarterback Josh Rosen went in late in the 4th quarter to replace Bradford after his disappointing turnovers and completed 4/7 passes for 36 yards and 1 interception. The Cardinals weren’t able to get the run game going again, as they continued to run running back David Johnson straight down the middle and lost to the Chicago Bears 16-14.