We are three weeks into the NFL season, and we are starting to see some patterns forming. The cream definitely finds a way to rise to the top. After a minor blip in Week 1, both Kansas City and Buffalo are back in the top five this week. And Dallas is still apparently Dallas, losing an inexplicable game to the surprisingly resilient Arizona Cardinals.
Now that three weeks are in the books, some patterns are emerging on NFL teams regarding playing time, whether because of ineffectiveness or injury. After next week, nearly a quarter of the season is over, and teams will have a better handle on their rosters. A recent trend in the league has been to play starters less in the preseason and use the first few weeks as an extension of that, especially over the last few years with the advent of 17 regular season games and only three preseason games. Let's take a look at how things are shaping up across the league.
The third week of the NFL again ends on Monday with two offerings. The 2-0 Philadelphia Eagles are visiting Tampa Bay to play the 2-0 Buccaneers, and the 1-1 Los Angeles Rams head to Cincinnati to face the winless Bengals.
Two weeks of the NFL season are in the books, and some things are already starting to take shape. Keep in mind that two games is 11.8% of the season. It may seem early, but there are nine teams that are 0-2. Historically in the Wild Card era, only about 10% of teams that start 0-2 make the playoffs. For some teams, the season may be over before it’s really begun.
Let's take a look at some of the most intriguing usage scenarios across the league. Keeping an eye on these situations as they develop and change throughout the year can be a huge advantage in fantasy football.
While watching Monday Night Football last week, a couple of phrases came to mind: "Other than that Mrs Lincoln, how was the play?”, and, “A funny thing happened on the way to the play.” Just four plays into Aaron Rodgers’ Jets career, as everyone knows, he went down with a ruptured Achilles tendon and is out for the season.
What an absolute bloodbath Week 1 was in the NFL. Four of the top 10 teams in my preseason power rankings lost lost, with two (the Kansas City Chiefs and the LA Chargers) losing their home opener. It certainly rattled the top of the power rankings, at least for one week. With the Chiefs loss, there is a new team atop this list. One team has taken a huge tumble out of the top 10, with a couple of teams making impressive jumps.
There is something beautiful about Monday Night Football. It has taken the most dreary day of the week, which many people dread, and turned it into a day to look forward to. From February to August, people often get a case of the “Mondays.” But from September through January, after enjoying the weekend, people can extend that joy and anticipation onto Monday, looking forward to Monday Night Football.
What a wonderful time of the year. MLB playoffs are starting in a month, college football has just begun, and the NFL season begins this week.
Next week another NFL season commences with the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs hosting the upstart “It” team, Detroit Lions. With another season there is another year of fantasy football, DFS, office pools and survivor leagues. And of course, there is gambling, mostly legal these days since sports betting is pretty much legal everywhere.
By Ted Chmyz NFL
By Morgan Rode NBA
By Morgan Rode NFL
By Nick Roberts NFL
By Morgan Rode NFL
By Mark Morales-Smith NFL
| No trends today. |
| No trends today. |
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| Week 4 |
|---|
| ARI @SF |
| ATL @JAC |
| BAL @CLE |
| BUF vs MIA |
| CAR vs MIN |
| CHI vs DEN |
| CIN @TEN |
| DAL vs NE |
| DET @GB |
| HOU vs PIT |
| IND vs LAR |
| KC @NYJ |
| LAC vs LV |
| NO vs TB |
| NYG vs SEA |
| PHI vs WAS |
| Matchup | Time | Pitchers |
|---|---|---|
| ARI @CHW | 02:10 EDT EST | |
| ATL vs CHC | 07:20 EDT EST | |
| BAL vs BOS | 06:35 EDT EST | |
| COL vs LAD | 08:40 EDT EST | |
| DET vs KC | 01:10 EDT EST | |
| MIA @NYM | 07:10 EDT EST | |
| MIL vs STL | 04:10 EDT EST | |
| MIN vs OAK | 01:10 EDT EST | |
| NYY @TOR | 07:07 EDT EST | |
| PHI vs PIT | 06:05 EDT EST | |
| SEA vs TEX | 09:40 EDT EST |
| Matchup | Time | No games scheduled |
|---|
| Matchup | Time | No games scheduled |
|---|
