We are three weeks into the 2021 season and there are five teams who remain unbeaten. Four of those are from the NFC, whilst the Raiders find themselves as the AFC’s lone undefeated team. Here is how I see the five teams ranked.
1. Los Angeles Rams
The Rams are a cut above the other unbeaten teams and the only one who could plausibly be the best in the NFL right now. Matthew Stafford has revitalised their offense and they have scored 95 points through three games. They also lead the NFL in EPA per dropback and rank seventh in dropback success rate. In addition to an early MVP candidate in Stafford, they also have the league’s best receiver through three weeks. Cooper Kupp leads the NFL in receiving yards, touchdowns, and yards per route run.
What makes them such a difficult opponent is that they match this level of talent on the defensive side of the ball. They haven’t skipped a beat since losing Brandon Staley and through three games they rank fourth in defensive DVOA. Their performances have been all the more impressive when accounting for their opponents. All three of the teams they faced so far made the playoffs in 2020, including the eventual Super Bowl winners in Tampa Bay. On Sunday the Rams became the first team to beat the Bucs since November and the first to score 30+ points against them since Week 9 of the 2020 season
2. Las Vegas Raiders
There were tonnes of question marks about this Raiders team heading into the season but they’ve exceeded everyone’s expectations. The offense has looked unstoppable, despite missing Josh Jacobs for the last two weeks. Derek Carr leads the NFL in passing yards and is just the fourth quarterback in NFL history to surpass 1,200 yards in the first three weeks. The offense ranks eighth in EPA per dropback and has scored 90 points on three defenses that ranked inside the top seven in EPA allowed per play in 2020.
The production on defense has been the biggest surprise, with Yannick Ngakoue and Maxx Crosby looking like one of the league’s best edge duos through three games. Crosby leads the NFL in pressures and the two have combined for a league-high 40 total pressures. For context, no other edge duo have combined for more than 34. Two of the Raiders’ wins have admittedly gone to overtime, but their opponents all won 10+ games in 2020, and that has to count for something.
3. Carolina Panthers
The Panthers being unbeaten and leading the NFC South through three games is one of the big surprises of the 2021 season so far. They have looked really impressive in their three wins and are the only team in the NFL who have not trailed for a single second this season. Their offense has looked much better with Sam Darnold under center, but the bulk of the credit has to go to their defense.
As things stand, they lead the NFL in EPA allowed per play. They have also allowed just 30 points through three games, which ranks second only to the Broncos. The biggest highlight came in Week 2 when they held a Saints team coming off a 38-3 win to just 128 yards of offense. It is still early, but they are also on track to smash the NFL record for rushing yards allowed in a season, giving up just 45 rushing yards per game.
4. Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals got off to an excellent start in Week 1, with a 38-13 demolition of the Tennessee Titans. Whilst they haven’t been as impressive through the last two games, there is still a lot to like about this team. Kyler Murray has clearly taken the next step in his development and looks like one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks through Week 3. His 1,006 passing yards rank third and he leads the NFL in big-time throw rate at 9.5%. His 10 total touchdowns are also tied with Tom Brady for the most in the league.
The defense has also significantly exceeded expectations. There were major concerns about this secondary at the start of the season but through three games they rank fourth in EPA allowed per dropback. In two of their games they have also managed to hold the opposing offenses to less than 14 points. I don’t think they are an elite team, but they are definitely a major playoff contender in a tough division.
5. Denver Broncos
It appeared all offseason that the Broncos were just a difference maker at quarterback away from having a legitimate playoff roster. I don’t think anyone realistically expected that difference maker to be Teddy Bridgewater, but that is the situation we find ourselves in. Through three games, Bridgewater leads the NFL in quarterback efficiency. His accuracy is as reliable as ever and he ranks fourth in the NFL in adjusted completion rate. He has paired this with newfound aggressiveness downfield and ranks ninth with an average depth of target of 9.5 yards.
Much like the Panthers, this is a team built on their defense and Denver have allowed just 26 points so far this season. They also managed the second shutout of the 2021 season against the Jets in Week 3. Fangio’s defense rank third in EPA allowed per play and have given up an NFL-best -0.22 EPA per dropback. The real knock on this team and the reason they sit at No. 5 on this list is the opponents they have faced. Denver’s unbeaten run has come against the Giants, Jaguars, and Jets, three teams who combined for just nine wins last season.
