NFL Week 3, 2018: Real vs. Phony, current division leaders

Its not simply that the NFL is crazy in September, because the current division leaders across the sport are inexplicable. Which are real and will hold up? Who’s the phony? NFL Week 3 overreactions.

As the NFL season moves toward October, truth and reliability are still hard to find. Dust continues to swirl. We don’t know what to believe. Just take a look at the latest unbelievable headlines from Sunday of NFL Week 3.

The Houston Texans have a healthy Deshaun Watson and JJ Watt and are winless. Patrick Mahomes is putting together the greatest start to a career in history. The Dolphins are undefeated. Minnesota got clobbered by the hapless Bills. The Jaguars muster just six total points against Tennessee. The Bears are alone in first place in the NFC North. And the Patriots are already two full games behind in the AFC East.

This begs the question, which current division leaders are real? Which are phony? NFL week 3 has the answers. Take a look at last week’s overreactions to see which became truths.

Two brothers from New York, Dan Salem and Todd Salem, debate the NFL Week 3 in today’s NFL Sports Debate.

Todd Salem:

It’s logical to find particularly odd outcomes in any given week of an NFL season, but this is taking things to the next level. To have so much inexplicable happen in just three weeks feels like the new normal in this league.

Rather than parse out which pieces of information will look utterly ridiculous in two months, are there any current division standings that you think will preview the finish to the season, i.e. current truths we can rely on? Things feel crazy, but this is a solidifying way to prove everything hasn’t flown out the window.

To me, there are already three separate divisions that I would believe finish the way they current stand: The AFC West and the NFC East and West.

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Prior to the year, I was down on Kansas City, believing an inexperienced, gun-slinging quarterback would bring them down. This is still possible as the league gets more tape on Mahomes, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see this division finish how it currently stands: KC, Denver, Los Angeles, Oakland.

The NFC East is similarly plausible, even as Philadelphia continues to look unimpressive. Philly, Washington, Dallas, New York is hardly a surprising line to see in December.

As for the West, San Francisco is the only wildcard here. It is likely to drop after losing Jimmy Garoppolo for the season. But it is already comfortably behind fellow 1-2 Seattle based on point differential. This division is Los Angeles and everybody else regardless.

Isn’t it comforting to feel like roughly half the league has settled into a reliable space in less than a month’s time?

Dan Salem:

Comforting!? Perhaps it’s comforting to know that only one current division leader, excluding ties at the top, was on anyone’s board entering the season. Only the Los Angeles Rams are who we thought they were right now. Every other team is either under-performing or playing over its head…at least according to preseason predictions.

Predictions made in August usually look decent by Halloween, but September is always anomalous. How many times can the Dolphins start hot, only to flame out in the cold weather and finish on the cusp of the playoffs? How many times will we get over-excited by rookie performances one way or the other?

We did it last season and it’s currently misinforming our views of the current NFL. We are doing it right now to first time quarterbacks. So what exactly are the current truths of NFL Week 3 we can rely upon?

You named three division standings you believe in, but I only have two and only one is the same. The NFC West looks right, because the Rams are very good and leading the way. Every other team is a playoff afterthought this season, barring the unexpected in Seattle.

The AFC North also looks right to me, sorry not sorry Pittsburgh. Cincinnati is playing balanced football and will compete with the Ravens for first in the division. Both teams are not perfect, but have no obvious deficiencies or giant holes in their roster. The same can not be said of Pittsburgh or Cleveland.

The AFC East seems fake, only because Miami will slow down and New England will come around. This might be a fight, but it won’t be a lopsided victory in favor of the Dolphins. I don’t believe Kansas City can keep scoring its way to victory either. That only works when the weather is warm, and defense wins championships. The AFC West is still up for grabs. So is the AFC South and NFC South.

No way I’m putting any stock in the standings for at least another month. Which brings me to the NFC East and North divisions. Something tells me the Eagles are in a bit of trouble, but I don’t know if Washington will ultimately topple them. Chicago in the North is playing very well, but I’m watching the Vikings to turn it around. Sorry not sorry Green Bay.