20 biggest early season surprises in the NFL
Every NFL season is filled with surprises from start to finish. Three weeks into the 2017 regular season, the league has stayed true to form.
Although much is subject to change over the next 14 weeks, the first three weeks have yielded more than a handful of doozies. In fact, some could argue that it’s been the most emotional, impactful, bizarre and otherwise unexpected three weeks of football in recent memory.
Here’s a look at 20 early season NFL surprises.
20. Who are these Jaguars?
The Jaguars have not eclipsed five wins since the 2010 season. And although they were expected to improve in 2017, many figured they would take small steps. Through three weeks, they’ve taken some major steps, defeating the Houston Texans 29-7 in Week 1 and the Baltimore Ravens 44-7 in Week 3. Even with a loss to the Tennessee Titans sandwiched in the middle, Jacksonville leads the league with a point differential of +38.
19. Deshaun Watson quickly assumes Texans’ starting QB job
It took only two quarters for Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien to bench quarterback Tom Savage and move onto rookie Deshaun Watson, who took the starting reigns and has not looked back. Although he’s been far from perfect, Watson is completing 61.3% of his passes and has provided a game-changing element with his feet. In Week 2, he led the Texans to a victory over the Bengals. In Week 3, he kept them in a battle with the Patriots until the bitter end.
18. Offensive coordinator Ken Zampese fired by Bengals after two games
After failing to score a touchdown over their first two games (and only nine points total), the Cincinnati Bengals decided to fire offensive coordinator Ken Zampese and handed him his walking papers. Things were so bad that even star receiver A.J. Green was complaining about not getting the ball. But even beyond the offensive futility, there was rumored to be a potential mutiny forming in the Bengals locker-room. Head coach Marvin Lewis and general manager Mike Brown decided to act sent Zampese packing.
17. Unexpected retirements
Whether it’s over concerns about CTE or other factors, more and more NFL players are deciding to retire young or unexpectedly. And no matter how many times it happens, it’s never any less surprising. After waiting to sign all offseason, eventually landing with the Bills, wide receiver Anquan Boldin opted to retire in favor of social activism. Jaguars tackle Branden Albert also unexpectedly retired during training camp, though that may have been a contract ploy. Ravens lineman John Urschel, who is a doctoral candidate at MIT, abruptly retired at 26. Giants undrafted rookie safety Jadar Johnson, who looked promising in camp, was another in a long line of players to retire out of the blue.
16. Kansas City Chiefs look super
There are two remaining unbeatens in the NFL — the 2016 NFC Champion Atlanta Falcons, and the Kansas City Chiefs. And not only have the Chiefs started 3-0, they have done so with a string of impressive victories. They recorded an absolute drubbing of the Patriots on the road in Week 1, a win over the NFC East-leading Eagles in Week 2, and a road win over the Chargers in Week 3. They don’t just look good; they look super.
15. Andrew Luck is still not playing
Andrew Luck was expected to return from a shoulder injury by Week 1, but that didn’t happen. There was some hope he’d return in Week 2, but then he still wasn’t even cleared to practice. Then Week 3 came and went, and now several more weeks are expected to pass before he returns to the field for the Colts. There is some hope Luck’s return will come on October 8, but given how this drama has played out, it’s really anyone’s guess when he’ll be ready to return from shoulder surgery.
14. Ezekiel Elliott is struggling
With his lingering suspension and the drama surrounding it aside in the background, sophomore running back Ezekiel Elliott is not quite lighting the NFL on fire as he did in 2016. Although he topped 100 yards in Week 1 against the Giants, he had a complete dud in Week 2. He was held to eight yards on nine carries in Week 2 and has gained only 192 yards on the season, averaging 3.5 yards per carry.
13. Bills and Rams are first-place teams
If you saw this on “Ripley’s Believe it or Not!”, you might not believe it. But the fact remains, both the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams lead their respective divisions. At 2-1, the Bills top the AFC East thanks to their divisional record. Meanwhile, in the NFC West, the Rams lead the division outright. In fact, at 2-1, they are the only team with a winning record in their division.
12. Jets have more wins than the Giants
Entering the season, many expected the New York Jets to be among the worst teams in the NFL. Some even argued they would go 0-16. However, after three weeks, they’re 1-2 and they have been more competitive than anticipated. That’s a mild surprise. The much larger surprise is that they have more wins through three weeks than the Giants, who have shockingly struggled to an 0-3 start.
11. Curious streak continues in London
At some point or another, you’d think the NFL would get lucky with the London series and pit two teams with winning records against each other. However, following a Week 3 matchup between the Jaguars (1-1) and Ravens (2-0), that top-end matchup remains elusive. In fact, the league has now gone 18 consecutive games without two winning teams squaring off in London. Unfortunately, that trend will continue in Week 4 when the Saints (1-2) face the Dolphins (1-1).
