Evan’s Guide to All Things NFL – Recapping Week 3

Normally I wouldn’t leap last week’s number two team over last week’s number one if they both won, but it’s not reasonable to consider the Chiefs anything but the best team in the NFL. Between the Chiefs and Rams, I think the Rams are more well-rounded, given their defensive capabilities, but Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in football right now, so I’ll take his Chiefs any day of the ...

I can definitely imagine a situation in which Super Bowl LIII features the Rams and Chiefs. The Rams’ strong offensive and defensive capabilities might simply be too much for the other contenders in the NFC to handle, so a trip to the Super Bowl seems like a likely outcome. And while Patrick Mahomes looks to be running away with the MVP race, don’t count out Jared Goff and Todd Gurley....

Just a week ago, the Saints sat at #14 after a near-loss to the Browns. This past week, though their game was close yet again, they beat a very strong Falcons team in overtime behind rock-solid performances from Drew Brees, Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara. The Saints’ core three players continue to play at an elite level, and they’ll be getting Mark Ingram back for Week 5....

Through two weeks, the Eagles haven’t looked like the team that just won the Super Bowl, but they’ve managed to win two games and now their star QB in Carson Wentz is back. That being said, injuries elsewhere are definitely holding them back from getting back to last year’s success, but that issue should be resolved once Jay Ajayi, Alshon Jeffery and others get healthy....

The Panthers haven’t looked ridiculously impressive so far, but with so many unexpected upsets in Week 3, they moved up by necessity. Essentially, winning their game guaranteed that they’d make a leap. Christian McCaffrey looked unstoppable as a rusher, getting the ball 28 times and racking up 184 yards. Cam Newton looks as dominant as ever as a dual-threat QB, so I feel good about my Panthers t...

Even though they’re 3-0, ranking the Dolphins this high seems iffy. They’ve played three easy teams and have essentially been lucky so far. Their run game is inconsistent and while he’s done well so far, Ryan Tannehill is just another QB. I like the Dolphins’ defense, though - this secondary is quickly emerging as one of the most underrated in the league.

Alas, the early-season Cinderellas of the NFL suffered their first loss at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers, but even though Ryan Fitzpatrick looked to have lost his magic early Monday night, he still posted excellent numbers, becoming the first QB ever to throw for 400 or more yards in three consecutive game. I expect Fitzpatrick to hold his starting job over Jameis Winston for now....

I can’t really explain why the Packers lost to the Redskins on Sunday. Green Bay looks like a good enough team on paper and on the field, but they just couldn’t get things going in Week 3. Aaron Rodgers is obviously playing hurt and while it is affecting his performance to some extent, I’m not worried about the Packers’ ability to compete in the long run this season....

The Jaguars seem unable to beat the Titans. Seriously. You have to go back to Dec. 24, 2016 (which happens to be the last time the Browns won a game before Week 3) to find the last time the Jaguars bested Tennessee. Missing Leonard Fournette may have had something to do with the offense’s inability to move the ball, but they also beat the Patriots by 11 without Fournette. Maybe that reflects more poorly...

It feels odd to have a 1-2 team in the top ten this week, but the Saints were *this* close to a win over another elite NFC South team. Their overtime loss to the Saints is nothing to be ashamed of, and there’s a lot to be excited about. The problem is the three serious injuries on the defense - Deion Jones may return eventually, but Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen are out for the season. However, we...

Here's how teams 11-21 ended up: 11. Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) - Even though the Bengals lost, their loss is excusable, given that it was against a good team and they’re still missing star running back Joe Mixon. 12. Baltimore Ravens (2-1) - After a mediocre performance against the Bengals in Week 2, the Ravens bounced back with a solid win over the previously undefeated Broncos. 13. Chicag...

Here's how teams 22-32 ended up: 22. Tennessee Titans (2-1) - The Titans have to be the worst 2-1 team in recent memory - Blaine Gabbert should not be on an NFL team, and Marcus Mariota looks like he is far past the prime of his career. 23. Indianapolis Colts (1-2) - The Colts came close to knocking off the Eagles in Carson Wentz’s return to the field, but they should feel okay about how the...

Baker Mayfield, Browns Josh Allen, Bills Eli Manning, Giants Joe Flacco, Ravens Case Keenum, Broncos ...

Tyler Boyd, WR, Bengals Calvin Ridley, WR, Falcons Javorius Allen, RB, Ravens Sony Michel, RB, Patriots James White, RB, Patriots ...

Cleveland Browns (vs. Oakland) Dallas Cowboys (vs. Lions) Miami Dolphins (vs. Patriots) Detroit Lions (vs. Cowboys) New Orleans Saints (vs. Giants) ...