Grading each NFL team through the first quarter of the 2019 season
We’re through four weeks of the 2019 NFL regular season and all but two teams have played four games. That means it’s the perfect time to hand out grades through the quarter mark of the year.
Remember: It’s still early and there’s plenty of room for improvement, unless you’re a Dolphins fan, but you already knew what to expect. So here we go with the grades.
Arizona Cardinals (0-3-1) — D
There isn’t a lot of talent on this team, and it’s shown. There’s little run game to speak of, and without Patrick Peterson, the defense offers little resistance. Kyler Murray makes them worth paying attention to, and while he has shown flashes, he’s still very much a work in progress, particularly regarding his decision-making. The Cardinals have an interesting future, but there isn’t much to pay attention to in the present.
Atlanta Falcons (1-3) — D
There’s no reason a team with this much talent should be 1-3. Even the one win required a late comeback against a Philadelphia team that had been decimated by injuries. Matt Ryan has thrown six interceptions in four games, while their defense ranks in the bottom half of teams in terms of points allowed per game. Their loss to Minnesota looks worse and worse with each passing week. This team needs a turnaround fast.
Baltimore Ravens (2-2) — B-
The Ravens’ loss to the Kansas City Chiefs is defensible, but it was slightly worrisome how they were wiped out by the Cleveland Browns. All the same, Lamar Jackson appears to be a resounding success in the team’s newly-constructed offense. The worry is the defense, which did well against two bad teams in Miami and Arizona but hasn’t been anywhere near as good against Cleveland and Kansas City. The Steelers and Bengals offer winnable games coming up.
Buffalo Bills (3-1) — A
Despite the fact that they lost to the Patriots, Buffalo will take a 3-1 start without question. They were competitive in that game, too, falling by six despite losing quarterback Josh Allen to a pretty ugly hit. The Patriots are the only good team the Bills have faced, and an away game against the Tennessee Titans will provide a significant test, but all they can do is deal with whoever is on their schedule.
Carolina Panthers (2-2) — C+
The Panthers appear to be on the rise, though it may be somewhat concerning that they’ve been better off with Kyle Allen at quarterback instead of Cam Newton. Allen has won two in a row, including a somewhat surprising win at Houston. It’s unclear where the murky quarterback situation stands and whether Carolina can keep winning with Allen, as well as whether Newton will be effective enough when he does return. They’re at least poised to make some noise if they can just keep it going.
Chicago Bears (3-1) — A
There are definitely lingering worries about the Chicago offense, which cost them in their season-opening loss against Green Bay. They’ve since won three in a row, and they’ve largely done so on the back of one of the league’s elite defenses. That defense will keep them competitive in most games. The question is whether their offense — especially with Chase Daniel temporarily at the helm — will score enough for it to matter. Still, they’re 3-1, and that’s good enough for now.
Cincinnati Bengals (0-4) — F
The Bengals suddenly look like one of the league’s worst teams, and their display on Monday Night Football against the Pittsburgh Steelers was flat-out embarrassing. Andy Dalton is not a good enough quarterback, and there’s a talent deficiency on both sides of the ball. They’re a deserved 0-4. If they can’t beat the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5, it could get much worse for them in the weeks to come.
Cleveland Browns (2-2) — C
After bad losses to the Titans and Rams, the Browns got a badly-needed road win at Baltimore to move back to 2-2. That alone was enough to boost their grade, as it’s not an easy game to win. The Browns still have talent, but their lack of an offensive line might prove a major hindrance going forward; Baker Mayfield has been treading water too frequently. It’s hard to tell what to make of this team, but they’re still in position to have an excellent season.
Dallas Cowboys (3-1) — A-
The Cowboys looked great against inferior opposition in the first three weeks of their season, but a dreadful offensive performance against a New Orleans Saints team without Drew Brees raised new questions. The defense looks stout, and Dak Prescott had been playing at an incredibly high level before that performance against New Orleans. The bet here is that the Cowboys are much closer to the version that pounded opponents in their first three games than the toothless squad that played against New Orleans. They’ll have to show it in upcoming games against Green Bay and Philadelphia.
Denver Broncos (0-4) — F
Simply awful. There has been some bad luck inherent in the Broncos’ 0-4 start, but it’s also been a lot of bad play. The defense has done little to force big plays, and Joe Flacco has been completely unsuccessful as the team’s latest attempt at a stopgap quarterback. This does not look like it’s going to get any better this season, and John Elway needs to find a permanent solution to the quarterback problem. They’re going nowhere otherwise, and Flacco isn’t it.
