The NFL has five unbeaten teams a quarter of the way through the season. The Packers, Broncos and Bengals are all improved to 6-0, while the Patriots and Panthers are now 5-0.
So do any of these teams have a shot to go unbeaten in 2015? Let’s rank their chances.
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5. Denver Broncos
Peyton Manning is now hanging by a fingertip off the cliff of competence. He saved his outing with a 75-yard touchdown pass last week to Emmanuel Sanders, but spent the majority of the Broncos’ Week 6 matchup vs. the Browns looking washed up. He finished Denver’s OT win with three interceptions and just one touchdown.
To say Manning isn’t the same quarterback anymore is an understatement. He’d be on the hot seat if there was a more competent backup available than Brock Osweiler. Denver’s defense is arguably the best in the NFL, and they pulled the offense out of the fire again, but that’s simply an unsustainable way to win. Unless Manning can adjust on the fly, they’ll lose soon enough.
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4. Carolina Panthers
Well, if you were wondering if these guys are for real, coming from behind on Seattle’s home field should convince you. Cam Newton is having an MVP-caliber season right now for Carolina, but a slew of tough road games late in the season, plus a Nov. 8 home date with the Packers, make for a schedule full of land mines. Most expected this unbeaten run to end on Sunday though, so their chances, however slim, were absolutely legitimized in Week 6.
3. Cincinnati Bengals
This team keeps on chugging. Both their running backs found the end zone in Week 6 vs. Buffalo’s defense at home. Cincinnati racked up 37 points, and didn’t even get much from star receiver A.J. Green. Andy Dalton continued his Pro Bowl-caliber season behind one of the NFL’s best offensive lines. This team is clearly an elite group; it’s just that their schedule is tough.
Road games at Pittsburgh, Arizona and Denver still loom, as well as home games vs. Pittsburgh and Baltimore. The road game vs. the Steelers will likely feature Landry Jones at QB for Pittsburgh, so that’s a nice break to catch, but overall it’s difficult to envision Dalton leading this group to 16-0 without hiccups.
2. Green Bay Packers
The Packers’ offense is still one of the best in the league, but there are red flags. Aaron Rodgers is excellent, but his numbers lately are pedestrian by his standards. To the trained eye, the loss of WR Jordy Nelson in the preseason becomes more evident each week. WR Randall Cobb did nothing vs. the Chargers, and it’s because the rest of the pass-catchers – James Jones, Ty Montgomery, Jeff Janis – don’t consistently make defenses pay for one-on-one.
There’s also the issue of Eddie Lacy falling behind James Starks in touches. Whether it’s a troublesome ankle or Lacy being in the doghouse, he needs to step up if an unbeaten records is something they’re after. Their Nov. 8 date at Carolina is looking more and more dangerous with every passing Sunday.
1. New England Patriots
It took six weeks (five games) for Tom Brady to throw his first interception. TE Rob Gronkowski and WR Julian Edelman are completely unstoppable with Brady at the helm, and now LeGarrette Blount is playing like booming thunder to Dion Lewis’ lightning.
The Pats’ defense isn’t great, but with an offense like the one Brady has humming, and a schedule light on tough road games (excluding the Jets, Giants and Broncos), it’s eminently conceivable that the Patriots will make a serious run at a perfect record.
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