Week 3 of the NFL season is in the books, and the Eagles stop their free-fall, for now. This week we have our first obituary of the season. Here's this week's hierarchy/obituary:
DEAD -- Bears (0-3)
The Bears are one of three 0-3 teams in the NFC, and they are essentially 3.5 games behind the NFC North leading Green Bay Packers, not that the Bears were ever going to contend with them. This past week they were shut out by the Seahawks in a game in which they gained 146 total yards of offense, and their 10 drives went like this:
I mean, their current quarterback is Jimmy Clausen.
The Bears seem to recognize that they're done, as they traded away edge rusher Jared Allen to the Panthers for a sixth round pick. That's actually a pretty good return for a 47 year old player who is doing little more than eating up a space in thier locker room and a big chunk of their cap.
It feels like the Bears are on the Eagles schedule every year. This would have been a good year to get them. Anyway, bye Bears. You couldn't even make it through September.
15) Saints (0-3)
Remember when the Superdome used to be thought of as a major home field advantage? The Saints' last six games there:
49ers: 27-24 (OT), LOSS
Bengals: 27-10, LOSS
Ravens: 34-27, LOSS
Panthers: 41-10, LOSS
Falcons: 30-14, LOSS
Buccaneers: 26-19, LOSS
That would be a point differential of -81.
Last week: 12
14) Buccaneers (1-2)
The Bucs are on somewhat of an obituary watch heading into Week 4. They have the Panthers at home, and if they lose, there's a good chance they'll be behind a pair of teams in the NFC South (Panthers and Falcons) who will both be 4-0. That's a hole that this team isn't climbing out of.
Last week : 15
13) Redskins (1-2)
So far this season the Redskins are -5 in turnover differential. That puts them at -25 since 2013, which is worst in the NFL.
Team
2013
2014
2015
TOTAL
Seahawks
+20
+10
+1
+31
Patriots
+9
+12
+3
+24
Panthers
+11
+3
+4
+18
49ers
+12
+7
-4
+15
Bills
+3
+7
+5
+15
Packers
-3
+14
+3
+14
Chiefs
+18
-3
-3
+12
Cowboys
+8
+6
-3
+11
Broncos
0
+5
+6
+11
Cardinals
-1
+8
+3
+10
Eagles
+12
-8
+2
+6
Rams
+8
-2
-1
+5
Bengals
+1
0
+2
+3
Buccaneers
+10
-8
0
+2
Colts
+13
-5
-7
+1
Falcons
-7
+5
+2
0
Bears
+5
-5
-1
-1
Dolphins
-2
+2
-2
-2
Steelers
-4
0
0
-4
Browns
-8
+6
-2
-4
Ravens
-5
+2
-1
-4
Lions
-12
+7
-2
-7
Texans
-20
+12
-2
-10
Vikings
-12
-1
+3
-10
Chargers
-4
-5
-3
-12
Titans
0
-10
-2
-12
Giants
-15
-2
+5
-12
Jaguars
-6
-6
-3
-15
Saints
0
-13
-3
-16
Jets
-14
-11
+5
-20
Raiders
-9
-15
0
-24
Redskins
-8
-12
-5
-25
Is -25 bad?
Last week: 16
12) 49ers (1-2)
Colin Kaepernick is the only quarterback in the NFC with a worse QB rating than Sam Bradford. The bottom five in the NFC:
Player
Comp
Att
Yards
TD-INT
Rating
Matthew Stafford
82
128
814
5-5
78.7
Jay Cutler
26
45
345
2-2
78.5
Jameis Winston
47
90
678
4-3
77.9
Sam Bradford
73
117
678
3-4
72.5
Colin Kaepernick
59
91
567
2-4
71.1
Last week: 9
11) Lions (0-3)
In exchange for Bryce Brown, the Eagles received the Bills'
4th round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. However, a run of offensive linemen went
off the board just before that pick, and without a player they really liked at
that spot, they accepted an offer from the Lions to trade that pick for the
Lions' 3rd round pick in the 2016 draft.
Sixers fans have gotten used to rooting for other teams
around the NBA to fail, because Hinkie owns their picks (and their souls,
probably). Here's a team that Eagles fans can root for to lose the rest of the
way for a better pick in the 3rd round.
This week the Lions have to play in Seattle.
Last week: 8
10) Rams (1-2)
No matter what you think of Sam Bradford, who has not been good at all, the Eagles were correct in their decision that Nick Foles was not "the guy." After a fast start against the Seahawks, Foles and the Rams offense have put up 16 points in the last eight quarters.
Last week: 11
9) Giants (1-2)
The Giants made a huge jump from 14 to 9 this week, although that's due more in part to the rest of the NFC looking like complete and total garbage. In power rankings by the major national websites (who of course do the whole league instead of just one conference), the Giants are getting a fair amount of love:
The Giants, despite almost winning, looked like crap Week 1 against Dallas. Then they lost to the Falcons in a game in which their defense looked helpless late, giving up 205 yards to Atlanta in their final three drives.
And then they beat the Redskins Week 3. So the Giants are top half of the league now because they beat the Redskins? Really?
Eli Manning has not yet thrown an interception, and the Giants are still 1-2.
Last week: 14
8) Vikings (2-1)
31-14 over the Chargers, huh? OK. I'll start paying attention to you, Minny.
Last week: 10
7) Eagles (1-2)
The Eagles' defense has been really good.
"Per drive" stats
Stat
Rank
Yards per drive allowed
26.89
7th
Points per drive allowed
1.47
5th
The Eagles' offense has been gross.
"Per drive" stats
Stat
Rank
Yards per drive
21.87
Dead last in the NFL
Points per drive
1.31
Dead last in the NFL
Last week: 7
6) Cowboys (2-1)
I'll just leave this here.
Last week: 3
5) Panthers (3-0)
The Panthers get the Bucs this week, and then the Panthers will have to start playing real teams. Their next four opponents after that -- The Seahawks, Eagles, Colts, and Packers. Those are three teams that started slow who are starting to put it together, and then Aaron Rodgers.
Last week: 6
4) Falcons (3-0)
The NFC East is so bad the Falcons are probably going to sweep it. Only the Redskins stand in their way after the Falcons started 3-0 against the Eagles, Giants and Cowboys.
Last week: 5
3) Seahawks (1-2)
Hey, there's the Seattle I remember. Shutout, 146 yards of offense allowed to the Bears, 7 first downs, and only 46 total plays allowed. The Seahawks might just be OK.
Last week: 4
2) Cardinals (3-0)
To be fair, the Cardinals have played three awful teams so far -- the Saints, Bears, and 49ers. I'll bet all three of those teams are picking in the top 10 in the 2016 NFL Draft.
The Cardinals have had 112 penalty yards go against them this season. That is the lowest total in the NFL. Meanwhile, their opponents have been hit with 288 penalty yards. That's a differential of +176, which is by far the highest total in the NFL.
BUT... The Cardinals have absolutely destroyed all of their crappy opponents, and they are averaging 42 points per game.
And now they have two more bad teams coming their way Weeks 4 and 5 in the Rams and Lions.
Last week: 2
1) Packers (3-0)
This is just ridiculous:
Freaking 43 and 0?!? If the Packers get home field advantage in the playoffs, goodnight.