Four weeks of the 2016 NFL season are in the books.
So far, Von Miller, Julio Jones and Antonio Brown remain among the league’s constants that dominate their competition on a weekly basis, but not everything this season has gone according to the script.
Here are the most surprising developments at the quarter mark of the NFL season.
Young QBs off to exceptional starts
The most amazing stat line of the 2016 season so far likely comes via the first-year starting trio of Dak Prescott, Carson Wentz and Trevor Siemian, who have combined to throw 14 touchdowns and just three interceptions for teams that are 10-1.
Prescott has completed 67.9 percent of his passes, with three touchdowns and zero picks for the 3-1 Dallas Cowboys; Wentz has been the Offensive Rookie of the Year after starting the season with five touchdowns, zero interceptions and a 103.8 passer rating for the unbeaten Philadelphia Eagles; and Siemian has six touchdowns and a passer rating of 99.6 for the 4-0 Denver Broncos.
Prescott and Wentz have played the hardest position in all of sports, and look as poised as veterans under center. And Siemian—a seventh-round pick in 2015—has been more productive than anyone could have ever imagined for the defending Super Bowl champions. Who knows if they can consistently produce at these levels for a full season, but there’s no dismissing how impressive each young quarterback has been to start 2016.
Matt Ryan—MVP candidate?
The NFL’s MVP through four weeks of play is likely Ryan, who leads the league in almost all the important passing stats—including yards (1,473), touchdowns (11), yards per attempt (10.5), completion percentage (72.1) and passer rating (126.3). He had a passer rating of at least 110.0 in all four games, which includes a win in Oakland over the (now 3-1) Raiders, a primetime victory in New Orleans and a 48-33 win over the defending NFC champion Panthers.
If Ryan somehow continues on this pace, he’ll finish the 2016 season with 5,892 yards, 44 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. His blazing-hot start will be put to the test over the next two weeks, when the Falcons go on the road to take on the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks in back-to-back games. There’d be no better way to cement your case for MVP than putting up impressive numbers against the two best pass defenses in the NFL.
Undefeated Eagles are soaring
The Eagles are 3-0 with a first-year head coach and rookie quarterback, and they possess the NFL’s best scoring differential at plus-65. Doug Pederson has crafted a perfect offense for the unshakeable Carson Wentz, and the Eagles’ vastly underrated defense has allowed only 9.0 points per game.
Some skepticism was understandable after Philadelphia beat up on the Browns and Bears to start the season, but most of the criticism drifted away as the Eagles blew out the Steelers in Week 3. Will it always look this easy for Pederson and Wentz? Probably not. But the young, high-flying Eagles have earned some respect, and deservingly so.
NFC finalists both start 1-3
The Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals combined for exactly four regular-season losses in 2015, but the two NFC finalists have already lost six combined games through four weeks in 2016. Carolina is 1-3, with a lone win over the 1-3 49ers and losses to the Broncos, Vikings and Falcons. Arizona is also 1-3, with a lone win over 1-3 Buccaneers and losses to the Patriots, Bills and Rams.
Neither team needs to panic—there’s too much talent on the two rosters—but both the Panthers and Cardinals are in last place in their respective divisions and looking up at 3-1 teams. It’s time for the two best teams in the NFC last year to wake up in 2016.
Vikings are surviving, and still thriving
The idea of the Vikings as a Super Bowl contender seemed to lose life when Teddy Bridgewater, Adrian Peterson and Matt Kalil suffered season-ending injuries in rapid succession to start 2016. Instead, the Vikings have started 4-0 and established themselves as the team to beat in the NFC.
General manager Rick Spielman bravely pulling the trigger and trading for Sam Bradford stabilized the quarterback position, and Mike Zimmer’s aggressive, swarming defense (11 takeaways, 15 sacks) looks frighteningly similar to a Broncos defense that carried Denver to a Super Bowl last year. Also, the newly opened and incredibly loud U.S. Bank Stadium may provide the Vikings with a unique home-field advantage for a deep playoff run. A poor offensive line and a shaky kicker are the only issues tarnishing Minnesota’s otherwise perfect start.
Los Angeles Rams sit atop the NFC West
The unpredictability of the NFL can be accurately summed up in the Rams, a 28-0 loser in the season opener but who now lead the NFC West after rolling off three straight wins. Included in the 3-0 stretch are impressive victories inside the division over the Seahawks and Cardinals.
The Rams defense has been good, and that’s not a big surprise, but few could have envisioned Los Angeles winning three straight games with Case Keenum under center and Todd Gurley averaging only 2.6 yards per carry. However, this is a Jeff Fisher team, so expect some regression to the mean. But for now, the Rams can enjoy a 3-1 start which no one expected.
The league’s leading rushers are…who?
Adrian Peterson and Doug Martin are currently hurt, Le’Veon Bell sat out three games due to suspension and Todd Gurley hasn’t been able to get it going yet. The league’s leaders in rushing yards has been occupied by some unexpected players. Rookie Ezekiel Elliott leads the NFL with 412 yards, but Isaiah Crowell (386), LeGarrette Blount (352) and Lamar Miller (351) aren’t far behind.
Elliott leads the league in carries (94), Blount (88) and Miller (93) have been workhorses, while Crowell—who has three runs over 20 yards and averages 6.4 yards per carry—looks like a potential star in the making for the Cleveland Browns. He’s currently on pace for over 1,500 yards. Elliott’s impressive four-game start has put him on track for 1,648. A rushing title as a rookie doesn’t look impossible to attain for the fourth overall pick of this year’s draft.
