We’re now headed into week four of the 2021 NFL season, and there are five remaining teams left undefeated. The Cardinals, Panthers, Rams, Raiders, and Broncos all currently sit at 3-0. When you look at power rankings across the league, all of these teams are ranked within the top 15. Some would argue that if a team is one of the five remaining without a loss, they should be ranked in the top 15. But just because a team has no losses through three weeks doesn’t mean their wins were high quality.
With that being said, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that three of these teams are not like the others. The Rams, without question, are the scariest undefeated team amongst the bunch. Matthew Stafford has transformed their offense, and their defense is still one of the best in the league. The Cardinals, who wouldn’t be undefeated if the Vikings kicker did his job, are the second-best undefeated team. Kyler Murray is a legit MVP candidate, and their defense is finally performing at a high level.
This leaves the Panthers, Broncos, and Raiders as the three teams that I believe are way too overrated.
The Carolina Panthers
The Panthers might be undefeated, but like the 2020 Steelers, look closely at their wins before you’re fooled. Teams the Panthers have beat are a combined 3-6 on the season, and none of the victories were impressive. They barely beat the hopeless Jets, they destroyed a COVID-19 ravaged Saints team, and they struggled against the Davis Mills-led Texans until the second half. Pro Football Focus has the Panther’s defense ranked second overall, but I don’t believe they’ve truly been tested yet. The Sam Darnold, Matt Rhule pairing appears to be working great, but we haven’t seen them play great competition.
The Panther’s next game is against the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboy’s defense can be had through the air, but they lead the league in takeaways. Not to mention, Dallas’s offense is a dual-threat that will test the validity of the Panther’s defense. If the Panthers can shut down Dak Prescott and company, or vice versa, score with them on their way to a win, it’ll be their best win yet.
The Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are easily the most fraudulent 3-0 team this season. Their defense is legit, being ranked number one overall by Pro Football Focus, and Teddy Bridgewater has given them stability at quarterback. But, I cannot stress this enough, the teams they’ve beat are a combined 0-10 on the season. Just like the Panthers, their defense has been lights-out, but how much credibility are we giving their competition? The best team they’ve beaten are the Giants, who can’t seem to get out of their own way.
I believe in Denver’s defense, but I’m curious to see how their offense responds when the team is trailing. Something they haven’t done once yet this season. Their next game is at home against the Ravens. Though the Ravens haven’t looked the same, nor have they been able to stay healthy, they’re easily the best team Denver’s faced yet. I’m not sure how much beating this version of the Ravens proves, but it proves more than their other three wins have.
The Las Vegas Raiders
As I detailed in an earlier article, we’ve seen this story from the Raiders before. The Raiders start the season as one of the hottest teams, get everyone on their hype train, and then collapse by the season’s end. Thus far, they’re 3-0, having beaten the Ravens, Steelers, and Dolphins, who are a combined 4-6. Not terrible, but not necessarily good. I have the Raiders ranked third on my list of undefeated teams for the simple fact that their three wins are either concerning or not impressive.
They beat a Ravens team in OT who had lost their top three runnings backs and second-best corner in the week leading up to the game. Outside of one big run from Ty’Son Williams and Lamar Jackson being dynamic, the Ravens had no run game and still almost won. The Raiders beat a Dolphins team that in the week prior lost 35-0 to Buffalo. The fact that not Tua Tagovailoa but Jacoby Brissett took the Raiders to overtime is cause for pause. The Dolphin’s defense is legit, but their 30th ranked scoring offense shouldn’t have been able to take the Raiders to overtime.
Their win over the one-dimensional Steelers was nothing to get hyped over either. The Steelers can’t run the ball to save their life, and at this point, they can barely pass it. The Raiders took the lead in the first quarter and never lost it on their way to a win.
The Raider’s next game is on the road against the 2-1 Los Angeles Chargers. Not only do the Chargers have a good defense, but they have a well-rounded, at times dynamic offense. The only issues for the Chargers are themselves and penalties. Being a division rival, this game is sure to test the metal of the Raiders 3-0 record.
Sorry to Burst Your Bubble
There are aspects of the Raiders, Panthers, and Broncos to look forward to, but don’t get it twisted. Just because these teams are currently undefeated doesn’t mean they’re a top 15 team. It’s true, you can only play the teams on your schedule, and so far, these teams have taken advantage of it. All three teams face their toughest challenge of the season in week four, and all three have something to prove. If all three teams somehow win their games, I’ll concede that they deserve to be in the top 15.
By week five, I’m predicting there will be two remaining undefeated teams. The Broncos will win their game against a depleted Ravens team thanks to their defense, and the Rams will beat the Cardinals in an NFC West showdown. I believe Dallas will be the better team on Sunday and will hand Carolina their first loss. As for the Raiders, I’m banking on the Chargers not doing Charger-ish things to lose the game.
