Could anybody predict these success stories?
After three weeks, the NFL is predictably unpredictable.
Some of the surprises we’ve seen so far:
Carson city: The rapid rise of No. 2 pick Carson Wentz is remarkable, especially considering he didn’t play against elite competition every week at North Dakota State, and because of a rib injury he took just 38 snaps into the exhibition season. After he led the Eagles to wins over Cleveland and Chicago in the first two weeks, people pointed to how lousy those defenses are. But last Sunday’s 34-3 blowout of Pittsburgh, in which Wentz threw for 301 yards and a pair of touchdowns, makes it pretty obvious why Philadelphia fans have renamed their state Wentzylvania.
All the right moves: The Denver Broncos keep making the right decisions. They part ways with the wildly popular Tim Tebow and roll the dice in signing a surgically repaired Peyton Manning. They get to the Super Bowl and lose badly with John Fox as coach, then bring in Gary Kubiak and win a third Lombardi Trophy. And after Manning retired and heir apparent Brock Osweiler signed with Houston, the Broncos hand the keys to secondyear quarterback Trevor Siemian, a seventh-round pick with no NFL game experience. So far, so good. In what should have been a step-backward season, Siemian is solid, and the team is 3-0.
Next man up: The Minnesota Vikings have shown astounding resilience. Not only did they lose quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, but also running back Adrian Peterson and left tackle Matt Kalil. That should have spelled doom for the Vikings. Instead, they’re 3-0 in part because of some good play from quarterback Sam Bradford, but mostly because of a stifling defense that has surrendered a total of 13 points in the second half of games against Tennessee, Green Bay and Carolina — overcoming early leads by each of those opponents.
Sagging Jags: Jacksonville was supposed to be better this season, especially with the addition of free agents Malik Jackson and Chris Ivory and draft picks Jalen Ramsey and Myles Jack. Third-year quarterback Blake Bortles has regressed from a promising 2015 season. As of now, the Jaguars are 0-3, and Coach Gus Bradley’s job is dangling by a thread as the team faces Indianapolis on Sunday in London.
Unsinkable: With Tom Brady suspended for the first four games, New England probably would have been fine going 2-2. Instead, the Patriots are 3-0 and have won with both Jimmy Garoppolo and rookie Jacoby Brissett at quarterback. They already have as many wins as the other three division teams combined. After Sunday’s home game against Buffalo, the Patriots get Brady back to face the Browns. The rich get richer.
Razing Arizona: The Arizona Cardinals figured to be in the mix to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, but they haven’t looked that way so far. They narrowly lost to New England in Week 1 — OK, that can happen — came back to stomp Tampa Bay in Week 2 then inexplicably laid an egg last Sunday at Buffalo. It’s still early, but those unexpectedly uneven performances have raised the stakes for Sunday’s home game against the Rams, who are tied with Seattle atop the NFC West at 2-1.
Rebounding Rams: Fans could be forgiven if they thought the Rams might go 0-16 based on the team’s debut performance in a 28-0 loss at San Francisco. There certainly wasn’t a game on the L.A. schedule that looked especially winnable. But this is the NFL, where the landscape can shift dramatically from week to week. Not only did the Rams bounce back, but they executed two tough wins, beating Seattle at home and Tampa Bay on the road. All without scoring a touchdown until Week 3.
Dak attack: Dallas rookie quarterback Dak Prescott looked great when he made his exhibition debut in Los Angeles. But those games don’t count. Few could have anticipated he would be so efficient and effective in replacing the injured Tony Romo. Three backup quarterbacks went a combined 1-11 in place of Romo last season. The Cowboys are off to a 2-1 start with Prescott at the helm. The rookie has completed 66 of 99 passes for 767 yards with a touchdown and has run for two more scores.
First but last: With the Rams winning at Tampa Bay and finally reaching the end zone, it turned down the volume a bit on the question, “Where is Jared Goff?” Still, fans are growing impatient to see the No. 1 overall pick play, especially with other young quarterbacks doing so well. It’s not as if L.A.’s offense has been firing on all cylinders. It’s amazing to think that Cody Kessler would have started a game in Cleveland before Goff has even taken a snap. In college, USC’s Kessler played in the shadow of Cal’s Goff.