Contenders
New England Patriots
= Ho hum, another year, another 2-0 start for the Patriots. There hasn't been a season without labeling the Pats as serious title contenders for a long, long time, and until they get unseated by a worthy adversary in the AFC East hunt, it's not likely to happen again. This year has been extra challenging for the Pats however who have had to do it without their Golden Boy, Tom Brady. The problem for most people who want to see the Pats fail is that Brady's replacement, Jimmy Garoppolo, has done an outstanding job in his place. In Week 1, the Pats were able to shock the world by undoing the heavily favored Cardinals, and they were able to stave off a Miami comeback in Week 2. Garoppolo is injured now, so they'll have to rely on rookie Jacoby Brissett until the Golden Boy returns from his suspension. But with the defense clicking, a soft schedule, and playing in the most lopsided division in football, my money is on the Patriots contending well into the playoffs.
Pittsburgh Steelers
= Simply put, the Steelers are built for contention this year. They aren't showing any signs of weakness early on this year. Big Ben is still playing at an elite level, and a lot of that can be chalked up to the arrival of Antonio Brown as the best receiver in the NFL. The running attack is also helping Roethlisberger air the ball out, and that's without Leveon Bell in the backfield. They blew out the Redskins in Week 1, and played a hardnosed well fought game against the Bengals in Week 2. The sign of a championship team is winning games they're supposed to, and the Steelers show that in the first two weeks. Expect to watch them play in January.
Houston Texans
= The Texans are on the verge of being the next defensive juggernaut since the Urlacher-led Chicago Bears. In the first two weeks, they've allowed just 26 points while hitting the QB's early and often. JJ Watt is playing at a high level while supposedly not even at 100% yet. Not to be outdone, Jadeveon Clowney is finally living up to his hype. The offense hasn't been perfect, namely Brock Osweiler hasn't been consistent. However, if the offense does just enough, the defense will keep them in every game they play.
New York Giants
= The Giants have won two games by a combined total of 4 points. They've turned the end of the game into real nail biters, just as they had last season. The big difference however is that they're on the opposite end of the spectrum, eeking out the victories this season instead of suffering heart breaking losses. Their highly priced defense has already paid dividends stopping Dallas on a potential game winning drive in Week 1 and punishing Drew Brees and the Saints in Week 2. Eli is playing smart football with only 1 turnover so far, and new coach Ben McAdoo appears to have righted the ship (for now). With Tony Romo off the field and the rest of the division up for grabs, this is now officially the Giants' division to lose.
Pretenders
Baltimore Ravens
= The Ravens weren't a team expected to compete this season what with Joe Flacco coming back from an injury, a substantial lack of offensive weapons, and a malleable defense. However, here they stand at 2-0. Look at the sum of the wins, and it'll tell a different story. The team won a flat out ugly game against the Bills mustering up a mere 13 points. And while coming back from 20 to win in the 4th quarter is impressive, allowing a team like the Cleveland Browns to run up the score like that to begin with is appalling. Better teams won't let the Ravens crawl back like that. Their schedule is favorable, and it'll do well in either advancing their surprising start or exposing them as pretenders.
Denver Broncos
= It's hard to describe just how the Broncos have won their two games, in particular just how effectively they've done it as well. Week 1 saw a remarkable comeback to defeat the Panthers. In Week 2, they thoroughly embarrassed the Colts. Trevor Siemian has done better than expected, but still not exactly brilliantly. CJ Anderson has enjoyed a bit of a resurgence, and the defense is still doing well. But their still average over 20 points allowed, and they've had a number of calls and bounces go their way. They may be riding some Super Bowl magic from last year, but this team just doesn't have the talent to go as far this season. It'll catch up to them by Week 3 vs. the Bengals.
Philadelphia Eagles
= Considering Philadelphia was predicted to have between 3 and 6 wins this season, it's a little surprising to see them undefeated even after two weeks. Carson Wentz has played amazingly given the position he was put in--thrust into the starting position days before preseason set to be the team savior in his rookie year. The team has looked good, but their magical 2-0 start can be explained. Week 1 vs. Cleveland. Week 2 vs. Chicago. The Eagles faced two of the worst teams in the NFL back to back. It's not so shocking to imagine them 0-2 when considering the opponents. The real test begins for the Eagles in Week 3 when they square off against the Steelers (another 2-0 team).
Minnesota Vikings
= They deserve a lot of respect for their performance Sunday Night against the Packers. And the thorough victory they planted on the Titans in Week 1 is also impressive. But the injury to Adrian Peterson will hamper an already beleaguered offensive unit. Sam Bradford can only do so much, even if Stephon Diggs is having a breakout season. The defense will be their, but the offense can't score points. The Vikes have enough talent to hover around .500 by season's end, but too many crucial injuries will keep them from contending.
Whether contending or pretending, teams love to sit at 2-0 to begin the season. It's better than the alternative. 0-2 is an ugly eyesore in the standings. However, just like being perfect after two weeks, being winless after just two weeks isn't indicative of how the rest of the season is going to go. Which team's winless ways are Reality and which are Anomalies?
Reality
Buffalo Bills
= This was supposed to be the year they leapt ahead of the pack and strived for a playoff push. But as far as the season looks, this is another step back. The Bills looked positively impotent in Week 1 against the Ravens, and took a crushing loss to the Jets in Week 2. They canned Greg Roman after the loss, but it was hardly just the offense that needs help. When Rex Ryan climbed about the good ship Buffalo, it was expected he would build an already prime defense into one of the best in the NFL. He's done the opposite, transforming it into a liability. And with big bad Arizona coming to town, the Bills' losing ways don't look like they'll be ending any time soon.
Miami Dolphins
= Second verse, same as the first. Adam Gase is the new coach, but the song remains the same. More defensive inconsistencies, more Ryan Tannehill bumbling, more game-foiling dysfunction. The Dolphins suffered an ugly loss to Seattle in Week 1 and failed when it mattered the most on a comeback against the Patriots in Week 2. There's little hope to believe they can right the ship. Is it possible the Fins should look to end the Ryan Tannehill era and move on to a more reliable, more clutch quarterback? They'll have 15 gut wrenching weeks left to decide.
Chicago Bears
=The Bears were a lowly team entering the season. Without Jay Cutler they've turned into a regular doormat. They've been uninspired and unmotivated against the Texans and Eagles in the first two weeks. Teams will look forward to seeing Chicago come up on their schedule. The running game is non-existent. Alshon Jeffery has disappeared. And the defense is a far cry from the '85 champions' version. John Fox is a great coach, but even he can't save this dumpster fire.
Cleveland Browns
=They're the Cleveland Browns. What did you expect?
Anomalies
Jacksonville Jaguars
=It seems strange to have expectations of the Jaguars after watching them lose so much during the last decade. However, they have a team capable of climbing out of the cellar this season. That's exactly where they are after two weeks. They did get shellacked by the Chargers in Week 2. But in Week 1, they kept pace with the Packers and were a slew of terrible calls away from pulling the upset. Blake Bortles hasn't put up the stats he was predicted to, but he's still playing smart and growing as a QB. The Jags will snap out of it and put some wins in the left column.
Indianapolis Colts
=The Colts have a litany of problems at the moment. Their defense is cracking under the least pressure, allowing over 30 points in each of their first two weeks to the Lions and Broncos--teams that don't exactly have high powered offenses, at that. Andrew Luck returns from injury last season only to find himself flattened every time he drops back thanks in large part to a porous offensive line. Yet for all their problems, it'll only take a slight adjustment for everything else to fall into place. A tighter defense will mean less panic for the offense. The need to rush a pass will mean more run creation, easing the load off the O-line. It also leaves Luck with a second or two more to find an open man. Don't expect the Colts to stay down for very long.
Washington Redskins
=This may look familiar. We've seen the Redskins choke away a year of promise before. Especially after a playoff year, it's maddening to watch them self destruct as they had in Week 1 against the Steelers and Week 2 vs. Dallas. They still may be looking at another wasted year at 0-2. But one thing alone is positive for their revival. They play in the NFC East. There is no clear cut favorite to win the division. No elite team that's going to run away with it by Thanksgiving. The division could very well be won with a 9-7 record, or even 8-8 (shudder to think). The Skins have a talented roster, and if they crack off a series of wins, they'll be right back in the thick of the hunt.
New Orleans Saints
=The Saints have two losses by a combined 4 points. That's gotta hurt. But while the Saints have had problems on both sides of the ball--defensively allowing the Raiders to storm back for the win in Week 1, and offensively not being able to capitalize on the Giants' turnovers in Week 2--they still have a talented team ready to compete in the NFC South. There's a certain amount of luck that exists in a football game, and the Saints just happen to be victims of bad luck two weeks straight. Bad breaks can't last all season, and the Saints will start pulling out decisive victories, starting Week 3 vs. Atlanta.
Sometimes, it's just easier to be 1-1 at the end of Week 2. Expectations diminish and panic is staved off... at least until next week. So count yourself lucky, San Francisco 49ers!
