NFL standings after two weeks leaves a lot of questions
By Brian Miller
The NFL has finished its second week of the 2018 season and there are a lot of questions about the current NFL standings that we simply don’t have answers for.
On Sunday the Miami Dolphins moved into sole possession of first place in the AFC East but are they the team to beat now in the division? No. Sorry it would be callous of me to say yes and of you to believe it.
As the season enters its third week there are just as many questions as answers in this first month of football. The standings do not simply tell us yet who is for real and who isn’t. That will play out all season long as teams begin to show who they truly are. That being said, there are some teams that are raising eyebrows in a positive way.
AFC East:
Miami Dolphins 2-0
New England Patriots 1-1
New York Jets 1-1
Buffalo Bills – 0-2
You can read our week two recap of the AFC East by going here.
AFC North:
Cincinnati Bengals 2-0
Baltimore Ravens 1-1
Cleveland Browns 0-1-1
Pittsburgh Steelers 0-1-1
What we see so far:
The Bengals have been impressive and dismantled the Ravens in week two. They could be turning a corner and challenge for the division.
The Ravens haven’t been all that impressive. How the season plays out will be interesting but so far nothing stands out as a the team to beat in the division.
Cleveland is still looking for their first win since 2016 and they have had two legitimate chances blowing both on missed field goals. The Browns could easily be 2-0 at this point if not for kicking problems.
Pittsburgh rebounded after a tie with the Browns on the opening weekend but there is holes on their defense that were exploited by the Chiefs.
AFC South:
Jacksonville Jaguars 2-0
Tennessee Titans – 1-1
Indianapolis Colts 1-1
Houston Texans 0-2
What we have seen so far:
The Jaguars are for real. They should put up a strong showing this season and will be contenders in the AFC. Their defense is relentless and their offense will improve as the season moves along.
The rest of the South is up for grabs. The Titans have been average and while the Colts won on Sunday they still have a lot of improvement needed. Houston is surprisingly 0-2. That should change and eventually they should be in position to at least look like they will challenge the Jaguars.
AFC West:
Kansas City Chiefs 2-0
Denver Broncos 2-0
LA Chargers – 1-1
Oakland Raiders 0-2
The Chiefs are blowing up the NFL offensively and Patrick Mahomes has been near perfect through two weeks. Andy Reid risked a lot trading Alex Smith and handing the team over to a second year player but it’s paying off.
The Broncos are playing good football but can they maintain that through the entire season? Case Keenum is not playing like he did last year with the Vikings but he isn’t playing horrible. They should keep chase but the head to head games with the Chiefs will be the tell all.
The Chargers are supposed to be a high-octane offense. They are playing well but it’s not the offense that is hindering them right now and their defense needs to get better. They have given up 58 points through two games.
Overall the AFC is still a mix of teams trying to find early season footing. Some will rise and some will fall as is the case every year. The question is who among the top teams will drop and who will climb from the bottom?
NFC standings:
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys – 1-1
Washington Redskins – 1-1
Philadelphia Eagles 1-1
New York Giants 0-2
NFC North
Green Bay Packers 1-0-1
Minnesota Vikings 1-0-1
Chicago Bears 1-1
Detroit Lions 0-2
NFC South
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2-0
Atlanta Falcons 1-1
Carolina Panthers 1-1
New Orleans Saints 1-1
NFC West
LA Rams 2-0
San Francisco 49’ers 1-1
Seattle Seahawks 0-2
Arizona Cardinals 0-2
NFC observations
Tampa Bay has to be the biggest surprise and the play of Ryan Fitzpatrick should keep Jameis Winston on the bench when he returns from his suspension. The Buccaneers look good on both sides of the ball.
Nothing surprising about the Rams whose offense is going to pick up steam as the season progresses.
The NFC East is up for grabs and no one seems particularly interested in taking it over.
The Packers and Vikings ending in a tie in week two sets up a pivotal game between the two later this season.