4 weeks into the 2012-2013 NFL season some, like myself, like to sit down and evaluate teams and players through 1/4 of this wonderful time of year. Many shows like ESPN's *Numbers Never Lie having been breaking down playoff chances for teams based on their records through these first 4 games and though stats show that your record so far does matter towards your playoff chances, I would put some stock into it but not too much because who knows what will happen when December hits and the race for all the Wild Cards and Division titles hits its pivotal stretch.
Let's however look at the NFL season so far:
32. Cleveland Browns (0-4)
The Browns have a bright spot in rookie running back Trent Richardson but not much else. Both their offense and defense are balanced in the way that they are both one of the 5 worst in the league.
31. Tennessee Titans (1-3)
The NFL's 2nd worst defense resides there in Nashville along with QB Jake Locker who has injured his shoulder for the 2nd time and is absolutely facing off-season shoulder surgery, to go along with one of the league's toughest schedules.
30. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-3)
The NFL's worst offense is quarterbacked by Blaine Gabbert and has a best player, MJD, that missed every single preseason workout and practice, sad man, sad. An improved defense is the only bright spot for the Jags, but they haven't been overly consistent.
29. Kansas City Chiefs (1-3)
Surprisingly the Chiefs, statistically, have the NFL's 4th best offense and a top 13 defense. RB Jamaal Charles is just now getting going and off-season acquisition RB Peyton Hillis has not been able to stay healthy to give the Chiefs the 1-2 backfield punch they were hoping for.
28. Oakland Raiders (1-3)
The team with the 2nd worst point differential in the NFL at -48 trails only Tennessee (-70) in that department. McFadden and QB Carson Palmer have had fine statistical seasons so far but it hasn't translated into wins under 1st year head coach Dennis Allen.
27. Indianapolis Colts (1-2)
#1 overall pick Andrew Luck looks to be the real deal for the Colts but they have so much young talent mixed in with aging talent that it just doesn't mix well. It will be interesting to see what off-season moves Irsay makes this year.
26. New Orleans Saints (0-4)
Last season's NFC South Champs lost on a last second missed field goal last week, a last second made field goal the week before by the Chiefs' Ryan Succop and only lost by a touchdown to both the Panthers and Redskins. The Saints are much better than they appear in the record column but for now I have to put them here.
25. Carolina Panthers (1-3)
I could write a whole page on them if I wanted but I won't. A defense, who has Jon Beason back, is worse right now than at the same point last year and an offense that hasn't lived up to the hype are why the Panthers are 1-3. Bright spots include: Rookies Luke Kuechly and Josh Norman, and funny Haruki Nakamura jokes after this past Sunday.
24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-3)
Although the Bucs played the Giants close in the Meadowlands a few weeks ago, I still believe the Panthers and Saints are better than them. A very young team that has some ball players in rookies Doug Martin, Lavonte David, and Mark Barron hides the truth that I still think Josh Freeman is no good. Sorry.
23. Miami Dolphins (1-3)
We knew the defense was going to be pretty decent for this summer's Hard Knocks team but the development Ryan Tannehill has made in his first 4 games is phenomenal his 431 yards last week was 1 off the record by last year's Offensive Rookie of the Year, Panthers QB Cam Newton.
22. Detroit Lions (1-3)
On a personal note the Lions and the play of Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson are killing me in fantasy as I have both on my team. On another note, I am not really sure what is going on with the still young Lions, and some of their players' statements today saying they need to "start playing more reckless" is probably not the answer. A bye week this week will hopefully get them out of their funk.
21. Buffalo Bills (2-2)
That expensive defense the Bills bought in the off-season has not lived up to expectations, however Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Bills offense is putting on its usual grand performance at the start of the season but expect that to die down as per usual.
20. St. Louis Rams (2-2)
A offense that has struggled under young QB Sam Bradford has been a bit disappointing in my eyes but Jeff Fisher has them playing hard and playing defense. A surprising 2-2 start for the Rams, let's see if they can continue it.
19. San Diego Chargers (3-1)
With wins against Kansas City, Oakland, Tennessee, and a big loss to Atlanta, I am not impressed with the Chargers record so far this season. Although weird to point out that the Chargers have changed their team a bit by playing great defense and running the ball a bit more than passing it like they use to do back in the LT days.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2)
The Steelers aging defense was an issue coming into the season but hasn't seemed to be so far as Pittsburgh has the NFL's 5th best defense. However, if the Steelers want to obtain a playoff birth while playing in the tough AFC North, some skill position players on offense have got to step up for Big Ben.
17. Washington Redskins (2-2)
Mike Shanahan and his son have done a great job with RGIII, using his strengths to get the best possible results from their electrifying rookie. Keeping RGIII healthy, who is a gosh darn winner, and improving the league's 29th worst defense are the challenges the Redskins face the rest of the way.
16. New York Jets (2-2)
The stock is down on the Jets after first losing All-Pro CB Darrelle Revis, then losing 34-0 to the 49ers while in the process of that also losing Pro-Bowl WR Santonio Holmes. In two weeks the Jets have lost their most talented player on each side of the ball which means only one thing: Tebow Time.
15. Dallas Cowboys (2-2)
Things could be much worse for the 'Boys, they could have gotten beat down Week 1 on national television by the Giants and be 1-3. They have serious offensive line problems and after getting down right physically beaten down by the Seahawks then barely escaping the Bucs then getting embarrassed by the Bears on Monday Night Football, this bye week is the best possible solution. Although, they do play Baltimore after that. Yikes.
14. Cincinnati Bengals (3-1)
Yes I am again putting a team with a 3-1 record below a number of teams with 2-2 records. The Bengals have a 0 point differential and have wins against Cleveland, Washington, and Jacksonville, not very impressive considering they also got destroyed by Baltimore in Week 1. They continue their streak of lower tier teams with games against Cleveland and Miami the next two weeks.
13. Seattle Seahawks (2-2)
I am a big, big fan of the Seahawks, I love the way they play defense with the amount of pass rushers they have to put pressure on the opposing QB as their big, athletic corners jam the opposing WRs at the line to give those ruthless pass rushers more time to get after it. Russell Wilson is a nice story but the jury is still out on him, although a beast in the backfield helps in Marshawn Lynch; Wilson just needs more help on the outside.
12. Minnesota Vikings (3-1)
By far and away, the Vikings are the most surprising team so far in this young NFL season. They have done it by having the NFL's most efficient QB in Christian Ponder and a top-tier defense. If they can get Adrian Peterson rolling at an All-Pro level again, well then watch out.
11. Arizona Cardinals (4-0)
Yes I know they are 4-0 but I am just not completely sold on the Cardinals. I am a big fan of quarterbacks and I just don't believe in Kevin Kolb. There is no doubting that, that defense is a bunch of studs but that offense is still 31st in the NFL. I just believe they are going to collapse any week now.
10. Denver Broncos (2-2)
One of the most balanced teams out there. I thought the defense would be a little bit better, although it's still 7th, but it's still early. I love Peyton Manning and what he has been able to come back from, so I will be paying very close attention to the progression of that offense as the year goes on. The year Peyton came off his knee injury in 2008, a year he won MVP, the Colts offense also started out slow so we'll see if the '12 Broncos progress like '08 Colts.
9. Philadelphia Eagles (3-1)
I am putting a little bit more stock into the Eagles 3-1 start than most people are because I see all that talent they have on the field and I just believe if Michael Vick, who is the key, can stay healthy and stop being so turnover prone, this team can be scary good.
8. Chicago Bears (3-1)
The Bears looked very impressive the other night on Monday Night Football against the Cowboys and I just believe they are about to go on a 5 or 6 game tear but they are so inconsistent that I am hesitant to truly believe that. If that offensive line can keep Jay Cutler upright then that offense has so many weapons, they could finish 1st in the NFL in total offense.
7. New England Patriots (2-2)
I am a big fan of Tom Brady and what he brings to the table. I also am a big fan of how the Pats revamped their defense in the draft, including the stud they got in DE Chandler Jones. New England has the #1 offense in the NFL at the moment mostly because Belichick has gone back to being more balanced, which is the type of offense they had when they actually won Super Bowls.
6. New York Giants (2-2)
The Giants have looked amazing at times (i.e. vs Carolina) and awful at times (i.e. vs Dallas and the 1st 3 quarters vs Tampa Bay) but I still believe in the defending Super Bowl champs. Eli is having yet another superb year and that defensive line is absolutely terrifying. They also were about 3 yards short Sunday night on a field goal from being 3-1.
5. Baltimore Ravens (3-1)
They are two points away from being undefeated but you can go the other way with that by saying the Patriots basically went into Baltimore and beat them, only the Pats fell short. Joe Flacco has been the craze so far this year with the discussion about whether he is an elite quarterback or not. It sounds a lot like Eli;s controversy last year, but will Flacco deliver a Super Bowl to Baltimore?
4. Green Bay Packers (2-2)
Another team whose record could have swung a number of ways, but I love the young talent Ted Thompson infused into this Packers defense. Also you can never count out Aaron Rodgers and that offense along with Cedric Benson, who I think in the backfield could be the X-factor in a number of games come December and January.
3. Houston Texans (4-0)
JJ Watt, the consensus 1/4 NFL Defensive MVP by analysts, is wrecking havoc along with the rest of the Texans defense and in the process grabbing the top spot in total defense in all of the NFL so far. On offense, Matt Schaub is having so much success without fully utilizing All-Pro WR Andre Johnson it's scary. I am however a bit concerned with how many carries Arian Foster is getting, he's projected to get something ridiculous like 412 carries which will eventually burn him out as they hit the home stretch.
2. San Francisco 49ers (3-1)
I'll admit I am a huge homer for teams with great QB's but me putting the 49ers at #2 tells you how much I think of their ground game, their defense, and most importantly their coach. Harbaugh is a manic and I love it; The job he has done with Alex Smith is simply amazing, and barring major injuries this team is headed to the top.
1. Atlanta Falcons (4-0)
As much as it pains me to put my least liked team in all of sports at #1, I'm trying to be objective so I have to. The Falcons have simply been the best so far which has even produced MVP talk for QB Matt Ryan, a player who has never won a playoff game. (Yes I just took a shot there at Matty Ice)
A 1/4 NFL Season Awars article is coming tomorrow. Enjoy.
