New England Patriots (4-0) — A+
What more could you want out of this team? They have started off 4-0 and lead the league in point differential at +95, which is almost double the next closest team. They suffered some injuries on their offensive line and cut Antonio Brown, so their offense isn’t quite what it could be. But their defense has been studly and hadn’t allowed a touchdown to an opposing offense until Week 4. They continue to benefit from a soft schedule and get the Redskins and Jets in their next three games.
This team looked to be headed for trouble when Drew Brees injured his thumb early against the Los Angeles Rams and got beaten pretty badly. Still, they rebounded to win in Seattle and then at home against Dallas, handing the Cowboys their first loss. Being 3-1 at this point is the best possible outcome. Teddy Bridgewater hasn’t been anything special, but they have a favorable schedule ahead until Brees is able to return. Being 5-3 or 6-2 by the time Brees returns seems plausible.
The great news for the Giants is Danny Dimes looks awesome. The bad news is they foolishly gave Eli Manning two courtesy starts so they could justify the move to the much better rookie. Daniel Jones adds some athleticism to the quarterback position the Giants haven’t had for years. That’s allowed the offense to be productive despite issues with the line. Saquon Barkley is recovering well from his high ankle sprain and could be back to give the Giants a big boost before too long.
Woof, this team has had an ugly start to the year. Sam Darnold got mono, then Trevor Siemian got injured, and the team was down to third-string QB Luke Falk. They’re just not going to win games with him leading the team. Their schedule did them no favors, as some of their most difficult opponents are coming with Darnold out. If he does return soon, it might be against the Cowboys or Patriots — no easy tasks.
Oakland Raiders (2-2) — C+
The Raiders sitting at .500 after the way they looked at times this season is a big win. They impressively beat a Broncos team in Week 1, but then were no match for the Chiefs and got embarrassed at Minnesota. Their win in Indy was one of the biggest surprises of the week. They really don’t have much of a chance against high-scoring teams where they’re forced to throw a lot, but if they get a lead and can dictate ball control and game script, they’re in a much better position. We just don’t see that happening too often.
Philadelphia Eagles (2-2) — B-
This team is 2-2 and could very easily be 4-0. They’ve dealt with injuries to key receivers and then saw some of their other options suffer huge drops — something that has been humorously mocked. Their defense isn’t where they need it to be — they’ve allowed 27 points on three occasions — but the arrow is probably pointing up for this team.
Pittsburgh Steelers (1-3) — D+
The Steelers looked pretty brutal in a Week 1 loss to New England and then lost their next two. They finally turned things around in Week 4 with a 27-3 romp against the Bengals and looked good on defense for the first time all season. They foolishly believe they can win this year and are making trades to prove their belief. This is Mason Rudolph’s team now, and he has to prove he can continue to play like he did Monday night.
San Francisco 49ers (3-0) — A
Year 3 under Kyle Shanahan was something analysts had circled as they waited to see if there would be improvement. So far, so good. The Niners went 3-0 in the first quarter, including two big road wins to start the year and then a home victory over the Steelers. Their bye came maybe before they would have liked, but this squad is benefiting from Shanahan’s creative playcalling regardless of who’s being plugged into the offense. Monday night against Carolina and then a road game at the Rams will be their biggest tests so far.
Wasn’t this supposed to be the year they had a dropoff? Seattle has lost the Legion of Boom and some other key players from their defense, but then they acquired Jadeveon Clowney in a shrewd move, and he paid off with a big touchdown in Week 4. They’ve had a soft schedule and should have beaten Cincinnati easily, but you have to applaud them for always figuring out a way to win — which is a huge tribute to Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-2) — B
It’s too early to say Bruce Arians has worked his quarterback magic on Jameis Winston, but the Bucs have turned things around in a big way since their Week 1 loss to the Niners. Winston has started to utilize Chris Godwin and Mike Evans and is now on pace for his best statistical season. Arians has always gotten the most out of his teams, and this year’s Bucs squad appears to be no different. Their big win over the Rams was one of the shockers of the season.
It’s hard to know what to make of this team. They rolled the Browns in Week 1 but then lost at home to the Colts and looked horrendous in a Thursday night loss to the Jags. Maybe we can throw away the Jaguars result because it came on a short week, and then we’d have a team that’s won two games on the road easily and let one slip away at home against Indy. Marcus Mariota has been far too inconsistent to rely upon from week-to-week. That needs to change if they want to take the next step.
Washington Redskins (0-4) — F-
Being winless is bad enough, but the utter lack of direction and organization for this team is embarrassing. They drafted a quarterback in the first round but then didn’t give him any first-team practice reps, and then throw him into game action against the Giants? They are mismanaging Dwayne Haskins completely, and now they’re looking to go with Colt McCoy. If you’re going to use the rookie, at least do it the right way: give him practice time with the 1s before putting him in. If there’s anything Washington fans can feel good about, it’s being able to watch Terry McLaurin. Boy does he look like a steal.
