8. Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns – yes, the Cleveland Browns – have been playing some excellent, inspired, complementary football so far this season.
Believe it or not, these are the times we’re living in.
Deshaun Watson has had a very nice bounce-back year, and I’ll be the first to admit: I didn’t see it coming. I’m not sure anyone did. With that in mind, he’s got some very fun weapons in Denzel Boston (possibly the OROY favorite right now) as well as tight end Harold Fannin Jr., and that’s not all.
The Browns’ defense has continued to play well even after trading away Myles Garrett. They are getting pass rush from other sources, and they have a chance to get to 4-1 with a road matchup against the Jets on Sunday. This has quickly become a team to watch in the AFC.
7. Las Vegas Raiders
After it looked like the Kansas City Chiefs might be pulling away with a relatively easy victory last weekend, the Las Vegas Raiders came storming back and at least made things interesting.
Playing in front of the home crowd with a 3-0 record, hosting the 3-0 Chiefs, it was a big moment for the Raiders to not only prove to their fans that the 3-0 start to the season wasn’t a fluke, but a big moment to prove that they belonged against a really good team.
And even though they lost, I think the Raiders proved that they do belong. Klint Kubiak has done such an excellent job in his first year as a head coach. The roster may still be rough around the edges in certain areas, but this is a team that ranks 7th in scoring offense and 11th in scoring defense through one month of the season.
Not bad.
The biggest question right now is how much longer the Raiders can sustain the success they’re having. They have forced more turnovers (9) than any other team in the NFL, and that’s a big reason for their success so far. Will they be able to win games if the takeaway well runs dry?
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