Sportsnaut
All 32 NFL teams have played four games, so we feel it’s the perfect time to assess their performance so far. Some have earned an A+, while others are flunking their way to an F. How does your team’s NFL report card look?
A 2-2 record isn’t that fun, but it’s the best start the Arizona Cardinals have had since 2022. Unfortunately, they only won four games that year. The Cardinals haven’t looked like a dominant team at any point this season. While all four games have been decided by one possession, the Cardinals’ offense looks out of sorts, and James Conner’s season-ending injury surely won’t help stabilize things.
The Atlanta Falcons are one of the toughest teams to grade. We’ve seen dominant offensive performances through the air, on the ground and even elite efforts on defense, but never all together in one game. Plus, we’ve seen the Falcons suffer a 30-0 loss to the Panthers. They’re in the same place as last season after four weeks, but seeing signs of breakout performances is encouraging.
Relying too much on the talent of two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson is a good way to get everyone fired. A typically elite Baltimore Ravens defense has fallen apart while dealing with a heavy dose of injuries. A top-five offense and a last-place defense is a recipe for failure. But the Ravens won’t keep facing elite offenses, and they’ll get some starters back, eventually. Still, a 1-3 record isn’t acceptable for a team with Super Bowl dreams Good thing they have 13 more games to prove themselves.
With a 4-0 record, there’s not much to pick apart from the Buffalo Bills‘ start. A top-five offense is as expected, but the defense still has room for improvement. At this point, the most important thing is staying healthy for a deep postseason run because this team could have the makings to be a Super Bowl contender.
When are we going to see the Carolina Panthers take the next step as a franchise? Panthers owner David Tepper is not known for his patience. The Panthers are already on to their fifth head coach since he purchased the team in 2018 and Dave Canales’ 6-15 record isn’t exactly inspring. If there’s one positive, it’s that the defnse is now allowing fewer than 30 points per game. But letting the Pats put up 42 makes us wonder how long Carolina’s defensive momentum will last.
We’ve seen the expected growing pains of Caleb Williams being forced to learn a new system for the second season in a row, but signs of progress have emerged in each game he’s played. There are issues defensively, but getting Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson in the lineup again should help that unit round into form later on.
The first partial game without Joe Burrow made it seem...
