Post by Cincinnati Bengals (Chris) on Oct 10, 2019 1:56:59 GMT -5
1. Kansas City +1 (3-0)- Out of the top spot for approximately one week, Brooks reclaims the pole position with a 165+ point outing that was second in the league to TEN’s surprise 169-point score. With Matt Ryan leading the way and proving that he’s a fantasy force once again, there are very few teams that are going to be able to contend with KC on a weekly basis this year, when healthy.
2. Cincinnati +2 (3-0)- CIN jumps two spots and Donny’s Dolphins in the process due to point total (160 points), despite Miami staying undefeated as well. Based on the pre-season PRs, CIN has had one of the toughest roads in the first three weeks, winning battles with each team convincingly, including knocking off previously #1 PHI by 29 points this week. Through three games, the Bengals are only off the league points lead by just under 8 points, and have finished in the top-four in scoring each week. It will be hard, however, for that consistency to continue next week with several important players on byes.
3. Miami 0 (3-0)- It’s hard to top the 152 points MIA put up a week ago, and with several lackluster performances in Week 3, Donny stumbled to just 110 points. Carolina helped him get the win with another poor outing, but at 3-0 there aren’t many better teams. This week MIA hangs on to the #3 spot, as despite their week 3 point total, Matt’s Vikings just had their first big week of the season.
4. Minnesota +3 (3-0)- Matt’s team finally hit their stride, as the Vikings tallied 141 points on the strength of Andrew Luck’s 40-point game. Still concerning, however, is the performance of Eddie Lacy. Jordan Cameron has been poor as well. If Lacy can right the ship, Cameron can stay healthy and Patterson can actually get the Vikings to give him some touches, this team’s potential is off the charts. For now, the Vikings slot into the #4 spot, climbing 3 places.
5. Seattle 0 (3-0)- So far, Cecil has weathered the storm without RGIII, but can he continue to do so? Signs point to yes given the low production by Montee Ball as well. But the 131 points, paired with the uncertainty of Griffin’s job when he returns, means SEA’s a hold at 5 for now. Until that is settled, it’s hard to see SEA getting back into the upper echelon of teams.
6. New England +2 (3-0)- Jake Locker’s next-to-nothing fantasy performance didn’t stop Chris from racking up 153+ points in his Week 3 blowout win over the Buccaneers. Rookie Kyle Fuller continued to impress with another 20+ point game and Jeremy Kerley, J.J. Watt, Prince Amukammara, Allen Hurns and Steven Jackson each did heavy lifting, adding 10+ point games. Despite being jumped by DET, NE’s team had a pretty good week, defeating ATL by 26. For the effort, NE jumps 2 spots this week to the #6 position.
7. Philadelphia -6 (2-1)- After taking the top spot a week ago, PHI was foiled by CIN in a matchup of heavyweights that the Bengals took by 29 points. But despite the loss, Andrew’s Eagles still managed to put up 131 points, so the fall was a soft one. Philly is still firmly entrenched in the top-10 with a 6-spot drop to #7 to become the league’s top-ranked 2-1 team.
8. Detroit -2 (2-1)- Obviously as Ryan has stated, with Cam and Luke Kuechly leaving the game early, the point total was probably affected, but 124 points is not bad. Despite the 9-point loss to the Jaguars, DET has proven that its one of the top teams so far, proving many of us wrong in the process. Fielding a full complement of players (didn’t start a defensive end for the second-consecutive week) might’ve helped, but it looks like Ryan plans on addressing that this week. For now, his Lions slide two spots to #8.
9. Pittsburgh +4 (2-1)- A week removed from a loss to PHI, Garrett’s Steelers move up 4 spots on the strength of a 135+ point effort that helped him beat the Giants. Alex Smith was superb, and made up for many underachievers (Keenan Allen and Fitzgerald combining for 4.1 points), giving PIT its first week over 117 points on the season. If the Steelers can consistently score in that range, and not the latter one, there is no reason that they cannot continue to climb back towards the top.
10. Green Bay 0 (3-0)- Green Bay, again without the help of Carson Palmer, managed a victory despite a paltry 97+ points. When those results are coming from the GM who has not been on the league site in over a month, that kind of luck can’t be rewarded. It would also be wrong to take anything away from what GB has done with his default lineup, but the point totals suggest this team is not as good as the 3-0 record it sports. With JAX, SEA, ARI, DET and MIN remaining though, the dream has to end some time, right? For now, the Packers stay at 10.
11. Baltimore +1 (2-1)- After pulling off a sublime comeback a week ago over Dallas, Baltimore kept the good vibes going, tallying 128 points despite growing pains from rookie Derek Carr and nothing games from Owen Daniels, Brandon Mebane, Ray Maualuga and Connor Barwin. With the loss of DeAngelo Hall, things get harder on defense, but the Ravens have shown more fight through three games than originally anticipated. The 1-spot climb is reflective of the quality of teams ahead of BAL more than the level at which Goose’s team is playing right now.
12. San Diego -1 (2-1)- The Chargers’ point totals have varied rather wildly over the first three weeks of the season, and Week 3 was the embodiment of that, as Leif’s team finished with just 104+ points after scoring 121 and 141 in the first two weeks respectively. Matt Stafford was had an absolute bust of a game, and the offense as a whole was held to 19+ points. Not on the league site in well over a week now and with another start of Adrian Peterson, however, it’s fair to ask if Leif is even setting his lineup at this point. If not, he needs to do so or turn it over to someone else. We’ll have a good indication this week if he commits another totally avoidable lapse with Karlos Dansby on a bye and currently in the lineup. The Bolts fall 1 spot despite the win.
13. Jacksonville +2 (2-1)- JAX finally got things on track this week with a 9-point upset victory of DET. With Aaron Rodgers struggling, Antonio Brown and Knile Davis stepped up for nearly 40 points between the two of them. That won’t happen every week, especially with Jamaal Charles in the lineup, but nor will Aaron Rodgers 12-point games. Given the plight of the AFC South, Jacksonville is still in good position. This week the Jags move up 2 spots.
14. Arizona -5 (2-1)- Mett’s first setback of the season came at the hands of his college roommate, Steve, and was of the blowout variety. Below average games from Andy Dalton, Golden Tate, Alfred Morris and Ryan Kerrigan on defense didn’t help the cause, but you can never count on the league’s best running back having his worst career game, and that’s exactly what LeSean McCoy did in Week 3. Unlike with McCoy’s (and some of the other offensive players’) fluke game, the defensive side of the ball is becoming a weekly problem and may need to be addressed sooner rather than later. Sub-80 point performances just aren’t going to cut it for a team with the talent ARI has. This week the Cards drop 5 spots.
15. Cleveland -1 (2-1)- Kevin, the new CLE owner, has his work cut out for him. While the Browns have enjoyed a good showing to date, including last week where they scored 103+ points, Josh McCown losing the QB spot due to injury (at least for the time being) is a blow, even if he scored in the negatives last week, and several defensive players have been released or don’t have a role. Kevin will have to be sure to not start the players who have been picking up next to no points or taken zeros because they were not active. The early returns on him as a GM are promising and hopefully this CLE team can contend for a wild card. The Browns slide one spot this week.
16. Atlanta +7 (1-2)- Finally breaking out of their shell, Tim’s Falcons racked up 154+ points this week en route to a victory, even with E.J. Manuel at quarterback rather than Kirk Cousins. Previously 0-2, the Falcons were able to dodge a 0 from Eric Ebron, who has been painfully slow to adapt to the NFL game. Atlanta has a very talented roster, so getting the kind of production they did throughout the roster should be the expectation. ATL is up 7 spots this week. The 62-point victory didn’t hurt in that regard, and being able to score 154+ makes the Falcons the top 1-2 team.
17. Dallas +5 (1-2)- Aaron suffered a heartbreaking defeat in Week 2 to drop to 0-2 despite a superlative performance, but finally got off the schneid in Week 3 with a well-timed match up with the Browns. While the offense routinely had players over 10 points, totaling 72 as a unit, the defense only finished with 42. The 118 points won’t do it for DAL in some weeks, but all that counts now is that there is a number in the win column. The Cowboys climb 5 spots in the PRs.
18. New York Giants -2 (1-2)- Having one of the toughest roads so far, the Giants were beaten soundly by an AFC North team for the second-straight week. This time both the offense and defense put in about equal performances, and Peyton Manning wasn’t the end all and be all. But he also had a down week against SEA’s defense, so expect the point total to rise for the Giants going forward. At the moment, they are #18 in the PRs, 2 down from a week ago.
19. Tennessee +9 (1-2)- Out of nowhere almost, Kirk’s Titans erupted for 169 points on the strength of three defensive backs and a linebacker that led to a 106-point effort from the defense alone. It was truly an impressive performance from a guy looking to show his stripes early on. For the massive point total, TEN comes in at 19, up 9 spots from last week.
20. Denver +6 (1-2)- Finally getting the kind of production expected from Tony Romo, or at least that of an average NFL QB, Steve’s Broncos dominated the Cardinals in Week 3. The 125-point total was a big-time rebound from the first two weeks. With the AFC West open behind KC, it may be Denver’s chance to come up and make a claim for a wild card spot. Because of the Week 3 showing, DEN is up 6 spots this week.
21. Tampa Bay -1 (1-2)- Despite scoring 110+ points, TB took the loss this week to the New England Patriots by 43 points. Maurice Jones-Drew being inactive and putting up a 0, as well as Javier Arenas for the third-straight week (something TB rectified when he dropped Arenas after Week 3) meant that other players needed to step up. With the injury to Pitta, Tampa looks like it’s crashing out toward the bottom of the division, but there’s a lot of games left and a lot more can still happen. For this week, the Bucs drop 1 to #21.
22. San Francisco -3 (1-2)- Norman didn’t stand much of a chance against the top-ranked Chiefs, but Frank Gore’s 1-point game and 6 other players below 2.4 didn’t bode well. The 108 points is deceiving given the 5 players who topped 10 points, but all throughout the lineup it was up and down. San Francisco falls 3 spots to #22.
23. Indianapolis -6 (1-2)- Too many offensive zeros (two) and only 31.95 points from the defense was the Colts’ undoing this week, as Indianapolis lost a low-scoring battle with Green Bay. J.R.’s reliance of Geno Smith cost him this week, as with only him left and the Packers done for the weekend, he had the chance to overtake GB with a strong performance from his quarterback. Indy loses some serious ground, dropping 6 spots.
24. Oakland -6 (1-2)- Shane’s Raiders had about as much success in Week 3 as the real Raiders have experienced over the last decade. Putrid offense (28+ points), aided by a Ryan Matthews 0 due to injury, and average defense doesn’t a winning effort make. As a consequence, Oakland fell to SEA by 45 points and falls 6 spots to #24.
25. Carolina -5 (1-2)- And back down the ladder 5 spots goes Carolina, as Sze’s Panthers were unable to get it going on offense, taking a 23-point performance in that department, an average defensive outing and almost nothing in the kicking game. The 74+ point performance is again as bad as we’ve seen from Sze. Unfortunately the prospects don’t get any better with Henne likely headed to the bench long-term. Hopefully some of the youngsters, like Jerick McKinnon and Kony Ealy can step up and make CAR competitive on a weekly basis. But until that is manifested, the Panthers will continue to be near the bottom of the PRs.
26. Buffalo +4 (1-2)- After hitting the 30s a week ago, BUF managed to put together a 125-point game behind Austin Davis’ breakout game and several tremendous defensive performances. In all, the defense scored nearly 70 points, and Shaun Suisham added 13, so if Joique Bell, who should rebound from his poor Week 3, and whoever the long-term R/W/T option is for Sal can produce at an average or better level, BUF could make some noise in the AFC East. This week, the Bills climb as many spots as the real Bills lost consecutive Super Bowls. That would be 4 if you’re bad at NFL trivia.
27. Washington -3 (0-3)- Dave’s nightmare season continues, as his Redskins fail to reach 100 again and loses to BAL by 28 points. Offense was quite good, with 65+ points, but defensively, Washington only put up over 26 points. A complete inverse of the offense a week ago, Dave has some work to do if he wants to salvage anything in the NFC East. The ‘Skins fall 3 spots.
28. Chicago -3 (0-3)- Chicago is living and dying by Drew Brees, and unfortunately, through three weeks, the Bears have been dying. 81+ points is not going to get it done, and defense was as bad as could be imagined, with only 29+ points. Falling to the bottom of the NFC North, Chicago needs a lot to happen to clear the heap of 0-3 teams at the bottom. CHI falls 3 places to #28.
29. Houston -3 (0-3)- Two zeros and an effective 0 from Damien Williams sunk Houston this week, but if we’re being honest, Matt’s Vikings scoring 141 points made it quite a long shot. The offense scoring 27.62 points and the defense scoring just 37.5 points, however, is something that will have to change if Houston wants to have a chance in a wide-open AFC South. The Texans take a 3-spot dive this week.
30. New Orleans +2 (0-3)- It looked like N.O. was on their way to their first win with 111+ points, but Buffalo surged ahead for the 14-point victory. The result, however, was promising, as Eli Manning pulled out of his season-plus long funk (at least for a week) and 5 other players topped the 10-point mark and the 111+ points were achieved even with 3 zeros. Perhaps things are looking up for the Saints. They climb 2 spots and are no longer the league doormat for at least a week.
31. New York Jets 0 (0-3)- The Jets eclipsed 91 points this week, but stood no chance against an intrepid Falcons team that waylaid them by 63 points. For what it’s worth, Bryan Hoyer had a good week, as did Tashaun Gipson. No one else topped 10 points and 6 players under the 5-point threshold (2 of them zeros) spelled doom for New York. Luckily, NYJ stays put at 31 due to St. Louis’ showing. If the points repeat next week, it’s possible other teams will drop below the Jets.
32. St. Louis -3 (0-3)- 3 zeros, 2 near zeros, a pitiful Joe Flacco performance and only 3 players topping 10 points spelled another dismal week for STL. With both offense and defense hovering around the 30-point mark, much improvement is needed to even talk about the Rams as a relevant team, though a lot of talented youth is primed to breakout at some point, It just looks rough now because it is. Down the pole STL slides 3 spots to hit absolute bottom. But hey, that’s good if you’re a firefighter or a stripper.
2. Cincinnati +2 (3-0)- CIN jumps two spots and Donny’s Dolphins in the process due to point total (160 points), despite Miami staying undefeated as well. Based on the pre-season PRs, CIN has had one of the toughest roads in the first three weeks, winning battles with each team convincingly, including knocking off previously #1 PHI by 29 points this week. Through three games, the Bengals are only off the league points lead by just under 8 points, and have finished in the top-four in scoring each week. It will be hard, however, for that consistency to continue next week with several important players on byes.
3. Miami 0 (3-0)- It’s hard to top the 152 points MIA put up a week ago, and with several lackluster performances in Week 3, Donny stumbled to just 110 points. Carolina helped him get the win with another poor outing, but at 3-0 there aren’t many better teams. This week MIA hangs on to the #3 spot, as despite their week 3 point total, Matt’s Vikings just had their first big week of the season.
4. Minnesota +3 (3-0)- Matt’s team finally hit their stride, as the Vikings tallied 141 points on the strength of Andrew Luck’s 40-point game. Still concerning, however, is the performance of Eddie Lacy. Jordan Cameron has been poor as well. If Lacy can right the ship, Cameron can stay healthy and Patterson can actually get the Vikings to give him some touches, this team’s potential is off the charts. For now, the Vikings slot into the #4 spot, climbing 3 places.
5. Seattle 0 (3-0)- So far, Cecil has weathered the storm without RGIII, but can he continue to do so? Signs point to yes given the low production by Montee Ball as well. But the 131 points, paired with the uncertainty of Griffin’s job when he returns, means SEA’s a hold at 5 for now. Until that is settled, it’s hard to see SEA getting back into the upper echelon of teams.
6. New England +2 (3-0)- Jake Locker’s next-to-nothing fantasy performance didn’t stop Chris from racking up 153+ points in his Week 3 blowout win over the Buccaneers. Rookie Kyle Fuller continued to impress with another 20+ point game and Jeremy Kerley, J.J. Watt, Prince Amukammara, Allen Hurns and Steven Jackson each did heavy lifting, adding 10+ point games. Despite being jumped by DET, NE’s team had a pretty good week, defeating ATL by 26. For the effort, NE jumps 2 spots this week to the #6 position.
7. Philadelphia -6 (2-1)- After taking the top spot a week ago, PHI was foiled by CIN in a matchup of heavyweights that the Bengals took by 29 points. But despite the loss, Andrew’s Eagles still managed to put up 131 points, so the fall was a soft one. Philly is still firmly entrenched in the top-10 with a 6-spot drop to #7 to become the league’s top-ranked 2-1 team.
8. Detroit -2 (2-1)- Obviously as Ryan has stated, with Cam and Luke Kuechly leaving the game early, the point total was probably affected, but 124 points is not bad. Despite the 9-point loss to the Jaguars, DET has proven that its one of the top teams so far, proving many of us wrong in the process. Fielding a full complement of players (didn’t start a defensive end for the second-consecutive week) might’ve helped, but it looks like Ryan plans on addressing that this week. For now, his Lions slide two spots to #8.
9. Pittsburgh +4 (2-1)- A week removed from a loss to PHI, Garrett’s Steelers move up 4 spots on the strength of a 135+ point effort that helped him beat the Giants. Alex Smith was superb, and made up for many underachievers (Keenan Allen and Fitzgerald combining for 4.1 points), giving PIT its first week over 117 points on the season. If the Steelers can consistently score in that range, and not the latter one, there is no reason that they cannot continue to climb back towards the top.
10. Green Bay 0 (3-0)- Green Bay, again without the help of Carson Palmer, managed a victory despite a paltry 97+ points. When those results are coming from the GM who has not been on the league site in over a month, that kind of luck can’t be rewarded. It would also be wrong to take anything away from what GB has done with his default lineup, but the point totals suggest this team is not as good as the 3-0 record it sports. With JAX, SEA, ARI, DET and MIN remaining though, the dream has to end some time, right? For now, the Packers stay at 10.
11. Baltimore +1 (2-1)- After pulling off a sublime comeback a week ago over Dallas, Baltimore kept the good vibes going, tallying 128 points despite growing pains from rookie Derek Carr and nothing games from Owen Daniels, Brandon Mebane, Ray Maualuga and Connor Barwin. With the loss of DeAngelo Hall, things get harder on defense, but the Ravens have shown more fight through three games than originally anticipated. The 1-spot climb is reflective of the quality of teams ahead of BAL more than the level at which Goose’s team is playing right now.
12. San Diego -1 (2-1)- The Chargers’ point totals have varied rather wildly over the first three weeks of the season, and Week 3 was the embodiment of that, as Leif’s team finished with just 104+ points after scoring 121 and 141 in the first two weeks respectively. Matt Stafford was had an absolute bust of a game, and the offense as a whole was held to 19+ points. Not on the league site in well over a week now and with another start of Adrian Peterson, however, it’s fair to ask if Leif is even setting his lineup at this point. If not, he needs to do so or turn it over to someone else. We’ll have a good indication this week if he commits another totally avoidable lapse with Karlos Dansby on a bye and currently in the lineup. The Bolts fall 1 spot despite the win.
13. Jacksonville +2 (2-1)- JAX finally got things on track this week with a 9-point upset victory of DET. With Aaron Rodgers struggling, Antonio Brown and Knile Davis stepped up for nearly 40 points between the two of them. That won’t happen every week, especially with Jamaal Charles in the lineup, but nor will Aaron Rodgers 12-point games. Given the plight of the AFC South, Jacksonville is still in good position. This week the Jags move up 2 spots.
14. Arizona -5 (2-1)- Mett’s first setback of the season came at the hands of his college roommate, Steve, and was of the blowout variety. Below average games from Andy Dalton, Golden Tate, Alfred Morris and Ryan Kerrigan on defense didn’t help the cause, but you can never count on the league’s best running back having his worst career game, and that’s exactly what LeSean McCoy did in Week 3. Unlike with McCoy’s (and some of the other offensive players’) fluke game, the defensive side of the ball is becoming a weekly problem and may need to be addressed sooner rather than later. Sub-80 point performances just aren’t going to cut it for a team with the talent ARI has. This week the Cards drop 5 spots.
15. Cleveland -1 (2-1)- Kevin, the new CLE owner, has his work cut out for him. While the Browns have enjoyed a good showing to date, including last week where they scored 103+ points, Josh McCown losing the QB spot due to injury (at least for the time being) is a blow, even if he scored in the negatives last week, and several defensive players have been released or don’t have a role. Kevin will have to be sure to not start the players who have been picking up next to no points or taken zeros because they were not active. The early returns on him as a GM are promising and hopefully this CLE team can contend for a wild card. The Browns slide one spot this week.
16. Atlanta +7 (1-2)- Finally breaking out of their shell, Tim’s Falcons racked up 154+ points this week en route to a victory, even with E.J. Manuel at quarterback rather than Kirk Cousins. Previously 0-2, the Falcons were able to dodge a 0 from Eric Ebron, who has been painfully slow to adapt to the NFL game. Atlanta has a very talented roster, so getting the kind of production they did throughout the roster should be the expectation. ATL is up 7 spots this week. The 62-point victory didn’t hurt in that regard, and being able to score 154+ makes the Falcons the top 1-2 team.
17. Dallas +5 (1-2)- Aaron suffered a heartbreaking defeat in Week 2 to drop to 0-2 despite a superlative performance, but finally got off the schneid in Week 3 with a well-timed match up with the Browns. While the offense routinely had players over 10 points, totaling 72 as a unit, the defense only finished with 42. The 118 points won’t do it for DAL in some weeks, but all that counts now is that there is a number in the win column. The Cowboys climb 5 spots in the PRs.
18. New York Giants -2 (1-2)- Having one of the toughest roads so far, the Giants were beaten soundly by an AFC North team for the second-straight week. This time both the offense and defense put in about equal performances, and Peyton Manning wasn’t the end all and be all. But he also had a down week against SEA’s defense, so expect the point total to rise for the Giants going forward. At the moment, they are #18 in the PRs, 2 down from a week ago.
19. Tennessee +9 (1-2)- Out of nowhere almost, Kirk’s Titans erupted for 169 points on the strength of three defensive backs and a linebacker that led to a 106-point effort from the defense alone. It was truly an impressive performance from a guy looking to show his stripes early on. For the massive point total, TEN comes in at 19, up 9 spots from last week.
20. Denver +6 (1-2)- Finally getting the kind of production expected from Tony Romo, or at least that of an average NFL QB, Steve’s Broncos dominated the Cardinals in Week 3. The 125-point total was a big-time rebound from the first two weeks. With the AFC West open behind KC, it may be Denver’s chance to come up and make a claim for a wild card spot. Because of the Week 3 showing, DEN is up 6 spots this week.
21. Tampa Bay -1 (1-2)- Despite scoring 110+ points, TB took the loss this week to the New England Patriots by 43 points. Maurice Jones-Drew being inactive and putting up a 0, as well as Javier Arenas for the third-straight week (something TB rectified when he dropped Arenas after Week 3) meant that other players needed to step up. With the injury to Pitta, Tampa looks like it’s crashing out toward the bottom of the division, but there’s a lot of games left and a lot more can still happen. For this week, the Bucs drop 1 to #21.
22. San Francisco -3 (1-2)- Norman didn’t stand much of a chance against the top-ranked Chiefs, but Frank Gore’s 1-point game and 6 other players below 2.4 didn’t bode well. The 108 points is deceiving given the 5 players who topped 10 points, but all throughout the lineup it was up and down. San Francisco falls 3 spots to #22.
23. Indianapolis -6 (1-2)- Too many offensive zeros (two) and only 31.95 points from the defense was the Colts’ undoing this week, as Indianapolis lost a low-scoring battle with Green Bay. J.R.’s reliance of Geno Smith cost him this week, as with only him left and the Packers done for the weekend, he had the chance to overtake GB with a strong performance from his quarterback. Indy loses some serious ground, dropping 6 spots.
24. Oakland -6 (1-2)- Shane’s Raiders had about as much success in Week 3 as the real Raiders have experienced over the last decade. Putrid offense (28+ points), aided by a Ryan Matthews 0 due to injury, and average defense doesn’t a winning effort make. As a consequence, Oakland fell to SEA by 45 points and falls 6 spots to #24.
25. Carolina -5 (1-2)- And back down the ladder 5 spots goes Carolina, as Sze’s Panthers were unable to get it going on offense, taking a 23-point performance in that department, an average defensive outing and almost nothing in the kicking game. The 74+ point performance is again as bad as we’ve seen from Sze. Unfortunately the prospects don’t get any better with Henne likely headed to the bench long-term. Hopefully some of the youngsters, like Jerick McKinnon and Kony Ealy can step up and make CAR competitive on a weekly basis. But until that is manifested, the Panthers will continue to be near the bottom of the PRs.
26. Buffalo +4 (1-2)- After hitting the 30s a week ago, BUF managed to put together a 125-point game behind Austin Davis’ breakout game and several tremendous defensive performances. In all, the defense scored nearly 70 points, and Shaun Suisham added 13, so if Joique Bell, who should rebound from his poor Week 3, and whoever the long-term R/W/T option is for Sal can produce at an average or better level, BUF could make some noise in the AFC East. This week, the Bills climb as many spots as the real Bills lost consecutive Super Bowls. That would be 4 if you’re bad at NFL trivia.
27. Washington -3 (0-3)- Dave’s nightmare season continues, as his Redskins fail to reach 100 again and loses to BAL by 28 points. Offense was quite good, with 65+ points, but defensively, Washington only put up over 26 points. A complete inverse of the offense a week ago, Dave has some work to do if he wants to salvage anything in the NFC East. The ‘Skins fall 3 spots.
28. Chicago -3 (0-3)- Chicago is living and dying by Drew Brees, and unfortunately, through three weeks, the Bears have been dying. 81+ points is not going to get it done, and defense was as bad as could be imagined, with only 29+ points. Falling to the bottom of the NFC North, Chicago needs a lot to happen to clear the heap of 0-3 teams at the bottom. CHI falls 3 places to #28.
29. Houston -3 (0-3)- Two zeros and an effective 0 from Damien Williams sunk Houston this week, but if we’re being honest, Matt’s Vikings scoring 141 points made it quite a long shot. The offense scoring 27.62 points and the defense scoring just 37.5 points, however, is something that will have to change if Houston wants to have a chance in a wide-open AFC South. The Texans take a 3-spot dive this week.
30. New Orleans +2 (0-3)- It looked like N.O. was on their way to their first win with 111+ points, but Buffalo surged ahead for the 14-point victory. The result, however, was promising, as Eli Manning pulled out of his season-plus long funk (at least for a week) and 5 other players topped the 10-point mark and the 111+ points were achieved even with 3 zeros. Perhaps things are looking up for the Saints. They climb 2 spots and are no longer the league doormat for at least a week.
31. New York Jets 0 (0-3)- The Jets eclipsed 91 points this week, but stood no chance against an intrepid Falcons team that waylaid them by 63 points. For what it’s worth, Bryan Hoyer had a good week, as did Tashaun Gipson. No one else topped 10 points and 6 players under the 5-point threshold (2 of them zeros) spelled doom for New York. Luckily, NYJ stays put at 31 due to St. Louis’ showing. If the points repeat next week, it’s possible other teams will drop below the Jets.
32. St. Louis -3 (0-3)- 3 zeros, 2 near zeros, a pitiful Joe Flacco performance and only 3 players topping 10 points spelled another dismal week for STL. With both offense and defense hovering around the 30-point mark, much improvement is needed to even talk about the Rams as a relevant team, though a lot of talented youth is primed to breakout at some point, It just looks rough now because it is. Down the pole STL slides 3 spots to hit absolute bottom. But hey, that’s good if you’re a firefighter or a stripper.