Amazement in Seattle, Pittsburgh and Minnesota, murmurs in Cincinnati and Baltimore. This is the interim conclusion after the first three weeks of the NFL season. An overview of the surprises and disappointments so far.
Amazement in Seattle, Pittsburgh and Minnesota, murmurs in Cincinnati and Baltimore. This is the interim conclusion after the first three weeks of the NFL season. An overview of the surprises and disappointments so far.
Seattle Seahawks surprise
Balance: 3:0. Who would have thought in the summer that the game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Detroit Lions would be a top game in week four? The Lions, sure. Narrowly missed the Super Bowl in January with a 31-34 semifinal loss to the San Francisco 49ers. A relatively young, exciting team with title ambitions. Why not?
But Seattle? The Pete Carroll era ended at the Seahawks in January. After 14 years, a Super Bowl victory and a lost final. Seattle moved from the league’s oldest coach – Carroll turned 73 on September 15 – to its youngest head coach, 37-year-old Mike Macdonald. When he took office, he promised that he would continue the “team culture” that had developed under Carroll.
Of course that sounded good at first, but was it feasible? So far yes. 26:20 home win against Denver, 23:20 win after overtime in New England, 24:3 shooting festival against Miami. Quarterback Geno Smith has the second-best pass rate in the league (74.8%) and Seattle leads the NFC West well ahead of runner-up San Francisco and 2022 champion LA Rams.
Historically good defense in Pittsburgh
Balance: 3:0. That the Steelers would be one of five undefeated teams after three games was about as likely as the fact that Mike Tomlin would still be the head coach in Pittsburgh 18 years after he signed his contract in January 2007.
But: there was the usual great defense (Pittsburgh was only the fifth team since 2000 to allow only ten or fewer points in each of the first three games) and an offense that the online portal “The Athletic” described as a “pleasant surprise”. Basics for the eighth 3-0 start in Steelers club history.
Extra praise goes to Arthur Smith. Whatever the offensive coordinator did with Justin Fields, it worked. The quarterback, who came from the Chicago Bears in the spring, has been called on 13.2 percent of his dropbacks over the past three seasons, meaning that when he receives the football after the snap, he takes a few steps backwards to probe the field for a pass , tackled to the ground or threw an interception. No quarterback had a worse value.
After three games in a Steelers jersey, Fields ranks tenth – and at 7.7 percent has the same value as Patrick Mahomes.
Defense and offense outstanding in Minnesota
Record: 3:0: What is actually more impressive with the Vikings – the defense or the offense? The fans probably don’t care about the answer. Because defense and offense play so outstandingly, Minnesota is so strong. The offense is led by Sam Darnold, who is undergoing a metamorphosis in Minnesota.
And in defense, defensive coordinator Brian Flores has built such a tight network that runner-up San Francisco and the highly rated Houston Texans only managed 24 points in their two games. The Vikings defense had managed at least five sacks in every game of the season so far – only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2000) and the New Orleans Saints (2001) had achieved that since 1990.
“CBSSports” has already spoken of the return of the “purple people eaters”. The Vikings earned this nickname (purple man-eater) between 1967 and 1977, when the defensive line was the club’s showpiece and Minnesota reached the Super Bowl four times.
Burrow and Bengals with a bitter start to the season
Balance: 0:3. As we all know, once is always the first time. This sentence now also applies to Joe Burrow. For the first time in his NFL career, the quarterback lost the first three games of the season. 10:16 against New England. 25:26 in Kansas City. 33:38 against Washington. “We had our chances, but we didn’t take advantage of them. That’s the common denominator of the first three weeks,” said Burrow after the defeat against Washington.
The Bengals have lost their three games by a total of twelve points. It’s no exaggeration to say that “Cincy” could have won all three games. But the supposedly easy match on Sunday with the Carolina Panthers will already point the way. One where the aim is not to squander the season’s goal of reaching the playoffs in the first month.
What’s encouraging is Burrow’s form. After his wrist operation, the 27-year-old is getting in better shape. Against Washington, 29 of his 38 passes came through, Burrow gained 324 yards and threw three touchdowns. He kept the Bengals in the game. What was missing was the pass rush, i.e. the defense’s pressure on Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. He had an average of 3.13 seconds – an eternity – to throw his passes.
In the event of another defeat, of all things against the Panthers, led by long-time ex-Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, everyone in Cincinnati apart from Joe Burrow would be questioned, writes “The Athletic”. To prevent that, the Bengals have to finally win the close games.
Ravens currently not even a stumbling block
Balance: 1:2. Admittedly, to use the word “crisis” in connection with the Ravens would be about as exaggerated as calling Baltimore an American attraction for millions of tourists. Nevertheless: three games, only one win – that is not the start that corresponds to a title contender.
And that’s what they ultimately want and should be, these Baltimore Ravens – a team that can win the Super Bowl. A team that is considered the biggest hurdle in the AFC for the Kansas City Chiefs hurdle specialists. And a team that can make a statement with a win in the much-watched Sunday Night Game against the still undefeated Buffalo Bills and put an end to the unsuccessful start to the season.
“It’s a long season, adversity is completely normal. But as long as we stick together and believe in each other, everything will be okay,” emphasizes star running back Derrick Henry. The newcomer from the Tennessee Titans, who was voted the league’s best offensive player in 2020 and was in the Pro Bowl four times, is probably the most important reason why the Ravens are traded even higher than usual this season.
On the other hand, the defensive line is no longer the monster it was last season. The Ravens had the most sacks in the league. But with Jadeveon Clowney, an essential part of this pass rush unit left the club. Baltimore also has problems in pass defense. Now of all times, Bills quarterback Josh Allen is currently the best ball distributor in the league. He leads the league’s best offense (37.3 points/game).
