Carolina brilliant Jonathan Stewart surges advanced adjoin Detroit
Okay, so it's still early-season, but does it REALLY accept to be this wacky?
Losses for Seattle, Atlanta, San Francisco, Miami, New Orleans, Indianapolis and Detroit advance this is activity to be a catchy anniversary to rank.
Only seven teams are best afterwards two games, and they accommodate Buffalo, Houston and Arizona, absolutely none of whom were absurd as play-off actual this year.
Thankfully, we still accept New York Giants, Oakland and Jacksonville to calculation on in the basement level…
Champions League – True Super Bowl Material
1. (no change) – It was the Seahawks' aboriginal regular-season accident by added than seven credibility in 42 games, and, to my eye, it's not abundant to bead them off top atom with no adversary in sight…
2. Denver (no change) – …other than the Broncos. Who aloof appear to be the abutting visitors to t he Den of Din (aka CenturyLink Field). And this could go a LONG way to chief the complete front-runner.
3. Green Bay (up 2) – If the Packers can get their active bold working, this could be one appalling force. Still, Jordy Nelson acquired added casual yards on his own than the accomplished Jets team, so who needs to run the ball?
4. Cincinnati (up 3) – Andy Dalton now has 11 beeline home regular-season wins beneath his belt but he was alone the Bengals' second-best quarterback in the win over Atlanta. His 116.6 appraisement was a abroad additional to Mohamed Sanu's 158.3, afterwards the wideout lofted a absolute 50-yard canyon to adolescent receiver Brandon Tate.
Can you assumption who this active fella supports?
5. Philadelphia (up 1) – How bad were the Eagles for continued periods at Indianapolis? They fabricated Trent Richardson attending like a active back. But they are additionally the aboriginal aggregation in NFL history to win their aboriginal two amateur afterwards abaft by 14 credibility or more. At some point, they HAVE to account a first-half touchdown, though.
6. New England (PROMOTED, up 4) – So far, the Patriots' better adversary is - themselves. They accept committed a beauteous 28 penalties (four declined) in two amateur and are on advance for a whopping 224 for the season, which would exhausted Kansas City's 1998 record. By 66.
7. Carolina (PROMOTED, up 6) – The acceptable account is this disregarded aggregation are a able 2-0. The bad news? Their active backs managed aloof 1.6 yards a backpack adjoin Detroit. Sounds like a lot of convenance on that ancillary of the brawl afore they face Pittsburgh t his week.
8. San Francisco (down 4) – No-one's affairs the actuality Colin Kaepernick didn't say annihilation to draw an Unsportsmanlike Conduct banderole afterwards the additional of his three barbarous backward interceptions adjoin Chicago. Plenty of 49ers admirers were absolutely cerebration "What the %$#&! was that?"
Premier League – Those Best Likely For Promotion
Atlanta's Joe Hawley was on the accident ancillary adjoin Cincinnati
9. Atlanta (RELEGATED, bottomward 6) – Welcome to Yo-Yo Ville, Falcons fans. If that activating answerability can be aside as calmly as it was at Cincinnati on Sunday, they are activity to charge added from their defence. Like absolutely accepting a defence. They accept now accustomed up 944 yards in aloof two games.
10. Chicago (up 5) – In the antic flag-fest that was their bold at San Francisco, the Bears aloof ability accept begin a adapt for success in that beauteous fourth division of both answerability AND defence.
11. Baltimore (up 2) – One day, eventually, the Ravens will not be associated with Ray Rice. Commissioner Roger Goodell can alone achievement that's the case for him, too.
12. Arizona (PROMOTED, up 7) – Obscure carbon of the week: Sunday apparent the aboriginal time in NFL history three altered ex-Michigan State quarterbacks led teams to victory. Drew Stanton's achiev ement in abode of an afflicted Carson Palmer was possibly the best hasty as it was his aboriginal alpha aback 2010.
13. Indianapolis (down 2) – Considering how abounding flags were befuddled in Anniversary 2, it was the one the admiral missed on canyon arrest adjoin TY Hilton – and the consecutive interception of Andrew Luck – that angry the bold at home to the Eagles.
14. Detroit (down 2) – So Megatron IS animal afterwards all. Following his one-man annihilation of the Giants, Calvin Johnson had a actual accustomed day at Carolina, including bottomward what looked a assertive TD canyon in the aboriginal bisected at 3-0 down.
15. New Orleans (down 6) – At some point, this defence is activity to accept to stop someone. But giving up 324 yards to Cleveland and their above Michigan State QB Brian Hoyer (which included an 85-yard drive to the acceptable points) is not activity to do abundant for Ro b Ryan's job security. The home appointment of Minnesota looks ideal, though.
16. Miami (RELEGATED, bottomward 8) – Accident Knowshon Moreno to a aberration bend abrasion afterwards aloof 11 account was a huge blow, but reverting to abhorrent band blazon aching alike more. Ryan Tannehill was sacked a able-bodied four times while the Dolphins' defence hardly laid a feel on Buffalo's EJ Manuel.
The Championship – Teams With a Lot Of Work To Do
Philip Rivers bent the eye as San Diego downed Seattle
17. San Diego (PROMOTED, up 9) – Qualcomm Stadium was hit by a absolute heatwave on Sunday, with the on-field temperature hitting 118F (a whopping 47C) but it was Chargers Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates who got hottest. That's 23 seasons of acquaintance in those three touchdowns that austere the Seahawks so badly.
18. Houston (up 5) – I'm activity hardly clear-sighted this week. Last anniversary I said "If JJ Watt could comedy on both abandon of the ball, this aggregation could be unstoppable." And, abiding enough, he denticulate his first-ever TD in the beating of Oakland. But, it WAS alone the Raiders and you accept to feel at some point, the admiral will adjure the Mercy Rule adjoin them.
19. Tennessee (RELEGATED, bottomward 3) – Here's addition aggregation that's absurd to categorise afterwards two see-saw weeks. They neither chock-full the run adjoin the Cowboys nor put calm any affectionate of active bold themselves, giving the Titans a absolute gut-check this anniversary at Cincinnati.
20. Pittsburgh (down 3) – That's now six abode afterwards a TD and a ample 50 credibility accustomed up in the aforementioned time. The Steelers can't allow that affectionate of ability abeyance at Carolina or they will aback be a LONG way aback in the AFC North.
21. Buffalo (up 4) – A absolutely aged accomplishment from Miami's answerability meant the Bills could survive abundantly on Carpenters rather than touchdowns adjoin the Dolphins. But acreage goals will not cut it best of the time, abnormally adjoin the activating Chargers this week.
22. Dallas (PROMOTED - up 6) – DeMarco Murray has run for added than 100 yards nine times in a 33-start NFL career but none were added admired than his 167-yard accomplishment at Tennessee that chock-full the Cowboys division benumbed off into the dusk afterwards aloof tw o weeks.
23. St Louis (up 1) – That answer of 'Can we comedy you every week?' is still addictive the Buccaneers anytime aback the Rams completed their Tampa smash-and-grab arrest with a last-minute Greg Zuerlein acreage goal..
24. Washington (PROMOTED, up 3) – The ex-Michigan State University leash of celebration was angled out by RGIII amateur Kirk Cousins, who completed his aboriginal TWELVE passes adjoin afflicted Jacksonville. Ten sacks of Jags quarterback Chad Henne, aka The Accouterment Dummy, was a big help, though.
The Conference – Those in Rebuilding Mode
Defensive accouterment Leger Douzable was not afflicted by the Jets' accident to Green Bay
25. New York Jets (RELEGATED, bottomward 7) – You apperceive it's not your day back you accept a attached touchdown annulled by one of your OWN aggregation calling a timeout. That aboriginal 21-3 advance seemed like a delusion continued afore the end.
26. Cleveland (up 5) – Considering their abridgement of abhorrent weapons, this may not appear too generally but the Browns' defence absolutely played their allotment and laid bottomward a brand for added teams advancing into FirstEnergy Stadium.
27. Kansas City (down 5) – Alex Smith about pulled a accessory phenomenon out of the Chiefs' hat with his achievement abaft an abhorrent band that would accept ashamed Swiss cheese. But accepting Jamaal Charles fit afresh is acute to giving this aggregation achievement for the future.
28. Minnesota (RELEGATED, bottomward 8) – The Vikings stunk up the abode appealing able-bodied adjoin New Engl and in the absence of Adrian Peterson.
29. Tampa Bay (RELEGATED, bottomward 8) – This aggregation is falling so fast it is activity to charge a parachute to arrest its advance bottomward the Ability Rankings. There was actual little to like in a home defeat by St Louis, abnormally as the Bucs ashen a 144-yard active day from Bobby Rainey, who kept them in it about single-handed.
30. New York Giants (down 1) – This is starting to attending boss apocalyptic for Tom Coughlin as his aggregation finds new means to exhausted itself anniversary week. Aboriginal it was addition INT-fest from Eli Manning and now it is a appropriate teams breakdown adjoin the Cardinals. This is a lot of bad mojo momentum.
31. Jacksonville (down 1) – Let me get this straight. They agape out Washington's starting quarterback and their No.1 advanced receiver and they STILL gave up 450 yards to the Redskins? Then there's that accomplis hed can't-protect-the-quarterback-for-toffee thing. Can they comedy Oakland's third aggregation abutting week?
32. Oakland (no change) – Back one of your players fumbles TWICE on the aforementioned comedy and your alone scores, at home, are two backward consolations, you accept to be VERY beholden there is no absolute assignment in football