Five undefeated NFL teams survive week three

After three weeks of NFL action, you can usually get a pretty good sense of who is going to be contending for the Vince Lombardi Trophy at the end of the season. While some teams who start hot inevitably fizzle out due to injuries, decreased performance or a more difficult schedule, most of these early undefeated teams end up maintaining their success.

Historically, 75 percent of NFL teams who get off to a 3-0 start qualify for the postseason, the unlucky teams who have begun the year 0-3 have been all but eliminated, with only two percent qualifying in past seasons. This means that the Jaguars, Browns, Bears and Saints have all suffered this misfortune as they carry 0-3 records into week four.

The Jacksonville Jaguars carried steep expectations heading into the season, so it is unlikely that Gus Bradley and his staff will survive the year if they do not defy the odds and turn things around. Meanwhile, the normally competitive New Orleans Saints have suffered a few heartbreaking losses in tight contests. Though it is not wise to bet against Sean Payton and Drew Brees, if history is any indication, the Saints will not be ending their playoff drought this year.

On the other side of the spectrum, there are five teams who are currently sitting with unblemished marks through their first three games.

It is no surprise the New England Patriots have once again had a pristine start to the season even without Tom Brady as the face of the franchise and having to rely on rookie third stringer, Jacoby Brissett, last Thursday night against the Texans. The Patriots were utterly dominant in the shutout of a tough Texans team, making the statement that they are the commanding squad in the NFL.

Once Brady returns, I do not expect the performance of the team to deteriorate in the slightest. The scary thing is that the offense will surely improve once the future Hall of Famer is back in the lineup. The only reason the Pats’ successful start to the season is even somewhat surprising is that they have been without their QB and his favorite offensive weapon, Rob Gronkowski.

The Broncos are also sporting a 3-0 record, and it would be disrespectful to label the defending champs as surprising front runners.

However, the Broncos faced a tough early season slate and entered the season without #18, Peyton Manning. The results so far have been nothing short of spectacular.

Denver’s defense has once again been excellent against tough Panthers and Bengals squads, while QB Trevor Siemian emerged as a revelation in his first ever road start this past weekend. Throwing for 312 yards and four touchdowns against a ferocious defense proved that Siemian has the potential to be much more than just a game manager for Denver. With their incendiary defensive talent, the Broncos must be considered a strong contender to repeat in February.

While the Broncos and Patriots are among our usual suspects and were regarded as playoff locks headed into the year, the other three 3-0 teams have battled adversity and heavily outperformed expectations so far this season. It is almost guaranteed that at least one of these three teams will qualify for the postseason, and it would not be surprising to see at least two of the three battling well into January.

The Philadelphia Eagles began the year with a myriad of questions surrounding their squad. Gone were Chip Kelly and his innovative schemes which seemed to do more harm than good during a nightmare 2015 season. Gone too was Sam Bradford, traded to the Vikings following the injury to Teddy Bridgewater earlier this preseason. The Eagles decided to turn their present over to the future when they handed the heralded first round pick, Carson Wentz, the keys to their offense.

After a preseason filled with limited reps, Wentz has come out and played like an emerging star for this Eagles team. He has appeared poised and confident and has yet to throw an interception through three games this year. His passer rating of 103.8 is seventh in the league. The Eagles have aided their young quarterback with a suffocating defensive presence.

Feasting on the Browns and the Bears over the first two weeks, it was easy to attribute the success of these Birds to a very forgiving schedule. However, that all changed this past week following a 34-3 demolition of the Pittsburgh Steelers, a team who many believe is a Super Bowl frontrunner.

The Eagles dominated in all facets of the game and proved to the rest of the league that they will be a force this season. They have surrendered an NFL best 9.0 points per contest, and their plus 65 point differential is tops in the league so far. As much as it pains me to say it, the Eagles are for real. And no, this is not a jinx in any way, shape or form — I swear.

The Baltimore Ravens have also defied expectations en route to a perfect start early in the season. Following a disastrous 5-11 campaign a year ago, which saw franchise quarterback Joe Flacco, running back Justin Forsett, wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. and tight end Dennis Pitta all lost for the year, the Ravens have responded by winning tight contests and playing suffocating defense.

The Ravens are not a flashy team and will probably not blowout many teams, but they are gritty, tough and make the kind of plays in critical moments that win football games.

Down 17-16 to the Jaguars with less than 2:00 on the clock last week, the Ravens blocked a 52 yard attempt which would set up at 54 yard opportunity of their own at the end of regulation.

Justin Tucker nailed the kick, as he so often does in clutch moments and propelled the Ravens to their best start since 2009. The Ravens possess all of the elements necessary for a resurgent campaign. They have a battle-tested head coach and a quarterback with playoff experience.

Meanwhile, their defense has been one of the top units in football so far. It is never wise to bet against the Ravens or expect them to remain down for more than a season. Therefore, I believe that they will continue to win ugly and propel themselves into postseason play.

The Minnesota Vikings are the last of the 3-0 teams remaining in the NFL, and their early success has also come from unlikely sources. After losing promising young quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to a gruesome knee injury during preseason, expectations for the Vikings took a major hit. Many had regarded the Vikings as legitimate title contenders heading into the season, but the loss of their young star was seen as a death blow to their postseason hopes.

However, the newly acquired Sam Bradford has been a revelation for the team, even going as far as to outduel Aaron Rodgers in a pivotal week two win against their fiercest division rival. The Vikings followed up their dominance against Green Bay with an equally impressive road performance against the defending NFC champs, the Carolina Panthers.

The Vikings offense suffered another blow when they lost star running back Adrian Peterson for possibly the remainder of the year with a meniscus injury.

The defense will surely keep the Vikings afloat, but I am concerned about their offense. I have doubts that Sam Bradford can continue his efficient play when teams no longer have to load up the box to contain Peterson.

Bradford has also been incredibly injury-prone over the course of his career, most recently missing all of 2014 with an ACL injury. If Bradford remains healthy, I think the Vikings’ defense is good enough to make them a contender. Nevertheless, due to these debilitating injuries, I believe the Vikings are the 3-0 team most likely to miss the playoffs this season.

Stay tuned next week for the individual players across the league who have most impressed and disappointed through the first quarter of the NFL season.

Correction: The article previously stated that week four had passed. It was week three.