Brook Ward via Flickr
Football fans are often extremely reactionary. Shocker, I know. A few weeks into the season, many talk as though the plot has already been written. In reality, teams take time to gel and learn new schemes. A team that has struggled to find success to this point may end up winning the Super Bowl. Likewise, a team that has fans buying Super Bowl tickets may miss out on the playoffs. There is still plenty of time for the season to unfold. That being said, I do believe that a few teams have shown their true colors already. I’ve put together a list of teams whose fans should party, panic, or just be patient.
Party: Minnesota Vikings
The Sam Darnold experiment is working. Three weeks into the season, the former Jets outcast is leading a top-five scoring offense and has his team off to a 3-0 start. While Darnold has reminded the football world why he was a high draft pick, the true credit for the Vikings’ offensive success goes to Kevin O’Connell. O’Connell has proven his ability to simplify reads for a long list of quarterbacks, leading to consistent and efficient offensive production. Minnesota’s defense has been absolutely elite to this point, allowing the second-fewest total points thus far. Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores, equipped with the versatile edge defenders that fit his system, has outmaneuvered opposing offenses at every step. I wouldn’t quite consider the Vikings to be Super Bowl contenders, but they’re certainly far better than initially expected.
Panic: Dallas Cowboys
It’s time to panic for Cowboys fans. While a 1-2 start is far from irreparable, this team has shown major weaknesses early in the season. The offense is not as concerning to me as it may look. Dak Prescott and Ceedee Lamb have not been on the same page so far, but the pair didn’t have a training camp together to get in sync. I have no doubt that they will find their stride in time. The defense, however, has me worried. The main issue on the Cowboys’ defense in 2023 was a weakness against the run. The Dallas front offense did very little over the offseason to fix that issue. Well, the issue is very much still present. On Sunday, the Ravens’ below-average offensive line seemed to be moving Cowboys defenders like they were rearranging furniture. Dallas has always been able to beat up on bad teams, but I fear that the spine of this defense is too weak to hold up against the big boys.
Patience: San Fransisco 49ers
The defending NFC Champs are 1-2 and currently sit in last place in the NFC West. Fans have plenty of reason to panic after consecutive losses to the Vikings and Rams, but I’m calling for patience in San Fransisco. Injuries to Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel have limited the effectiveness of the 49ers offense. I have very little doubt that, when completely healthy, the offense can still be one of the best in the league. Assuming Samuel and McCaffrey return soon, 49ers fans have nothing to worry about.
Party: Buffalo Bills
Heading into the season, the narrative surrounding the Bills was that they would take a step back this season. That narrative wasn’t unfounded, as Buffalo had cut ties with multiple star veterans, including Stefon Diggs. As it turns out, it doesn’t matter all that much if you have Josh Allen. Allen has been nothing short of dominant early in the season, and he’s the current favorite to win this year’s MVP. After the criticism he received last season for costly turnovers, he has become one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the league. The Bills defense, despite injuries to key contributors, has allowed just ten points in each of its last two games. Buffalo has not yet entered the most difficult portion of their schedule, but they carry a lot of momentum as things stand.
Panic: Jacksonville Jaguars
This offseason, the Jaguars signed quarterback Trevor Lawrence to a five-year, $275 million extension, making Lawrence one of the highest-paid players in league history. While Lawrence has shown flashes of high-level play, the Jags are off to a disastrous start to the season at 0-3. The panic fully set in on Monday in a devastating 47-10 loss against the Bills. In the loss, Lawrence threw for just 178 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. To be clear, I put the majority of the blame here on coach Doug Pederson. If the Jags can’t string together some wins soon, Pederson could be out of a job.
Patience: Baltimore Ravens
After finishing the 2023 season with the best regular season record in the league and making an AFC Championship Game appearance, the Baltimore Ravens have begun the season at 1-2. A brutal loss to the Raiders in which a ten-point fourth-quarter Ravens lead evaporated sent fans into a downward spiral. Though Baltimore nearly lost another late lead to the Cowboys the following week, I saw signs of hope in their offensive structure. Instead of building the offense around gadget plays and misdirection, Baltimore gave the ball to Derrick Henry 25 times and let him wear down the Cowboys defense. Under new leadership, the Ravens defense clearly still has some areas that need to be ironed out. However, I still believe that this roster as a whole is talented enough to make the playoffs at the very least.
Party: Pittsburgh Steelers
The AFC North is not what we thought it was. The Ravens and Bengals were expected to compete for the division title, while the Steelers and Browns were expected to fight for a wild card spot. After three weeks, Pittsburgh sits undefeated at the top of the division, with Baltimore and Cincinnati far behind. The Steelers defense has been as dominant as we know it to be, and Justin Fields has looked like a significant improvement at quarterback. One of the major arguments against Justin Fields in an Arthur Smith offense coming into the season was that Fields has rarely thrown the ball over the middle of the field, while Smith’s offenses typically emphasize that area. Fields seems to have adjusted well to the new system. In the Steelers’ Week 3 win over the Chargers, Fields completed 10 of 14 passes over the middle of the field. If he can continue to avoid turnovers, the Steelers could be looking at a division title.
