NFL Report Cards: Weeks 1-3

NFC North 

• Packers: They looked terrible in Week 1, but Aaron Rodgers redeemed himself by displaying his ownership of the Bears in Week 2. A close win against the Buccaneers in Week 3 shows that the Packers will likely win a ton of regular season games, only to collapse in the playoffs. A-
• Vikings: A true contender in Week 1, a purple and yellow trash can in Week 2, before rebounding in a narrow win in Week 3. The Vikings could steal the division, but will likely not make a lot of noise in the league come playoff time. B
• Bears: The Bears shocked everyone in week one (i.e., they won a game), but regained their typical Bears form in Week 2. A win against the Texans in week three is still a win, but we all know that the Bears will not become truly relevant until at least next season. B
• Lions: Dan Campbell brings energy and a winner’s mentality to this historically terrible franchise. A close Week 1 game and a win in Week 2 show a bright future in the Motor City, and despite the narrow loss in Week 3, the Lions remain feisty and ready to ruin the year for someone else. B+

NFC East

• Giants: The return of Saquon Barkley was welcomed by the G-Men, after which they stunned everyone by taking down the Titans in Nashville, and followed up the week after with a win against the Panthers. The Giants were showing promise . . . only to fall flat in Week 3 against Dallas. But the fun may not be over in New York, as the division title is still within reach. B
• Eagles: A series of significant offseason additions turn the Eagles from a playoff hopeful to a true contender. The run game is solid as always, and AJ Brown’s debut as an Eagle was a solid performance. The dual threat ability of Jalen Hurts should keep other teams on their toes, and the Eagles look set to take home the division title. A+
• Commanders: The quarterback carousel in DC continues this year with Carson Wentz, a former star who is considered by most to be, at best, average. He looked solid in his first game with the Commanders, but a pair of rather terrible losses in Weeks 2 and 3 show that the team still has its limitations, in particular the injury-riddled defense. C
• Cowboys: How ’bout them Cowboy . . . oh wait, they were the only team to not score a touchdown in Week 1 and now Dak Prescott is out for several weeks with a broken hand. The Cowboys recovered in Weeks 2 and 3, but their season is more or less over without Dak under center. B+

NFC South

• Panthers: The Panthers started the year 0-2 before rebounding in Week 3 against the Saints. The team still looks raw and inexperienced, but slightly less limited compared to last year. However, we all know that this is just the calm before the late-season storm that results in the team narrowly missing the playoffs. B
• Falcons: The Falcons and choking during big moments are synonymous. This was the case in Week 1, when they blew a 16-point lead to lose by 1. They almost came back to win in Week 2, but fell short in the final minutes, before finally securing a win in Week 3. The Falcons are still limited by their mediocre QB room and defense, and it seems that yet another losing season is in store. C
• Saints: The Saints came back to win in Week 1, but an exciting Week 2 game including a fight with Buccaneers players isn’t a good look, nor is the loss by ten points. Jameis reverted to Tampa Bay form in those last two weeks, meaning that the Saints will likely not be as good as they were in years past, especially that the Brees-Payton era is now officially over. C+
• Buccaneers: Tampa Bay has been on the front page of NFL headlines for the entire offseason. A 2-1 start is solid, but a slew of injuries and an even older Tom Brady could hold the team back in the future. A-

NFC West

• Cardinals: A 1-2 start to the year pretty much sums up the Cardinals in the Kyler Murray era. The team has had plenty of ups and downs and a lot of heartbreaks with Murray under center, and this year will probably be the same. The Cardinals could make the playoffs, but a divisional round loss is probably the best case scenario for this team. B
• Rams: The reigning Super Bowl champions did not play like it Week 1, losing in miserable fashion at home to the Bills. They rebounded in Weeks 2 and 3, and will probably win the division, but a repeat title is more or less out of the question. C-
• 49ers: The Niners are not happy, with Trey Lance looking terrible in Week 1, and getting injured for the rest of the year in Week 2. Luckily for them, their new starter (Jimmy Garoppolo) is proven, but he has fallen short in big games in previous years. This was the case in Week 3, proving that the Niners will probably not regain their 2019 form until Trey Lance recovers next season. C-
• Seahawks: The Seahawks started the year 2-1, surprising just about everyone now that Russell Wilson is gone. They could very well ruin the year for several other teams, and could theoretically snag a playoff spot. A-

AFC North

• Bengals: The Super Bowl runner up started the year 1-2. After last-minute losses in Weeks 1 and 2, it seems that the same problems that doomed this team last year are even worse. Joe Burrow looked terrified to throw, and the offensive line, which was thought to get better, actually seemed to regress. D
• Browns: The Browns won in Carolina in Week 1, only to lose at home to the Jets the following week. The Browns continue to be the Browns, and could very well end up at the bottom of the division. The defense remains an above-average unit, but the offense, quite frankly, looks terrible. C
• Steelers: The Big Ben era is over, and despite having one of the most mediocre QB rooms in the league, the Steelers won Week 1 against their Cincinnati rivals, only to lose the next two games. The team still has a bright future, minus this season, but they could spoil the fun for several other teams. B
• Ravens: Baltimore ruined Joe Flacco’s fun in New York by running all over the Jets in Week 1, before they became a different sort of bird and blew a lead over the Dolphins, but the electric offense, led by equally electrifying QB Lamar Jackson, looked as good as ever, and the defense looked solid; that remained the case in Week 3. The Ravens have a very bright future this season, and for years to come. A

AFC East

• Bills: The Super Bowl favorites played like it, taking down the reigning champs by a score of 31-10. This was no fluke either, as a Week 2 domination of the Titans helps Josh Allen’s MVP case. A close loss in Week 3 probably doesn’t mean much, but a slew of injuries could come back to haunt the Bills. A+
• Patriots: Bill Belichick needs to change some things. A 1-2 start is not ideal, especially if the team wants another shot at the playoffs. Several big changes need to be made, such as acquiring more star players and a better offensive coaching staff, if the Pats want to start a new dynasty. D
• Jets: The Jets lost in Week 1, not surprisingly. They stunned everyone by taking down the Browns in Week 2, before losing in Week 3. Everyone knows what will happen to the Jets. They will finish with a losing season, and their fans will call for a new coaching staff and offensive players. D+
• Dolphins: Tua looked as good as ever, and newly-acquired Tyreek Hill did his thing in his Dolphins debut. A Week 2 shootout with the Ravens allowed Tua to pad his stats, and the 3-0 start proves that the slew of speedy playmakers added in the offseason were solid additions. A+

AFC South

• Colts: The Matt Ryan era in Indy is off to an odd start. A 1-1-1 start that included a tie with Houston, a loss to Jacksonville, and a win against Kansas City shows that the Colts will likely be full of surprises, but probably mediocre themselves. C
• Titans: The Titans need to asses themselves. Starting the year 1-2 is not the best case scenario, especially with Derrick Henry healthy and Malik Willis collecting dust on the bench. Mike Vrabel needs to seriously consider benching or trading Ryan Tannehill in favor of Willis if the Titans want to make another shot at the #1 seed again. D
• Jaguars: The Jaguars lost in close fashion in Week 1, but rallied behind Trevor Lawrence and won in amazing fashion in the next two games. The Jags have a legitimate shot at taking the division, and being this year’s version of the 2021 Bengals. A
• Texans: The Texans are mediocre—so mediocre that tying with the Colts in Week 1 is impressive—but a slugfest in Week 2 that resulted in a loss, followed up by a loss to the Bears, isn’t great either. The Texans do have hope in the fact that they could very well snag the first overall pick in the draft, and get a potential star and building block for the future. C+

AFC West

• Chiefs: A major question in the offseason was how Mahomes would fare without Tyreek Hill. The answer: he plays well some weeks, and plays terribly in others. An easy win against the Cardinals, followed by a narrow win against the Chargers, followed by a narrow loss to the Colts, pretty much sums up how the Chiefs will do this year. B+
• Broncos: Broncos Country, let’s ride! In Week 1, that was straight off a cliff, and as a Broncos fan, this hurts just thinking about it. The narrow wins in Weeks 2 and 3 didn’t feel like it, as it looked like some of the most disgusting football ever played. Certain changes need to be made to the offensive scheme, as well as better time management, if the Broncos want to make a playoff run. B-
• Raiders: The Raiders improved this offseason, mainly by trading for Davante Adams. However, they still managed to start 0-3, although they lost narrowly in all of those games. The Raiders need to start being more aggressive with playcalling if they want a shot at the division crown, which, despite being the team’s expectation, now feels impossible. C-
• Chargers: The Chargers took home a win in Week 1, only to lose their next two. Justin Herbert gives off extreme Manning-Montana-Marino vibes with his arm strength, and is very easily elite as a runner as well. However, a rib injury could slow him down later in the year. The Chargers are the favorite to win the division, but that is starting to seem like a pipe dream. C+