That's right, we have officially reached the quarter pole of the 2015 NFL season. It is important to get a good start in the league and six teams are still unbeaten, with a strong majority of them are being 4-0. So it's always a question as to what team will be the last team to get a loss, and this writer will dig deeper as we look at these six teams and their schedule as they go under the spotlight.
6. Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals have beaten the Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, and Kansas City Chiefs to begin their 2015 NFL season. Probably the most impressive part about it has been their defense, as they have only given up a high in a single game of 24 points so far this season (week three, Ravens). Domata Peko is back healthy and is making offensive centers and guards look awful as he is getting the interior push that the Bengals missed from him last season. Andy Dalton has been impressive as he has a total of nine touchdowns and just one interception. But the reason that the Bengals are at the bottom of the list this week is because of their week five opponent, the Seattle Seahawks. They will get to face them at Paul Brown Stadium, and it will surely be a defensive match-up, but since the return of Kam Chancellor, the Seahawks have gone 2-0, even if both those games were at home. Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman, and the rest of the Legion of Boom are looking to get back above .500 on the season and would love to knock the Bengals down a few pegs as well.
5. Carolina Panthers
Welcome to the bye week Ron Rivera and the Carolina Panthers, we all know that you will not lose this week. They have won games over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. You can get upset with yours truly later, but the Panthers should certainly be 4-0 as their competition has been far from stiff to begin the season. One of the big reasons for their success defensively has been Josh Norman, who has four interceptions and returned two of them for touchdowns. Cam Newton has seven touchdowns passing and two on the ground, as they have a total of nine touchdowns on the season, and Newton has literally has his hands in all of them. Again on the schedule though, despite the bye this week, they get the Seahawks following the bye. It's possible that yours truly is giving the Seahawks too much credit to take down undefeated teams in back to back weeks, but Pete Carroll will have to find a way to lead his team through this schedule.
4. New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are the lone 3-0 team in the NFL. They have achieved victories over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills, and the Jacksonville Jaguars. With them having an early bye week, that gives Bill Belichick even more time to prepare for the injury riddled Dallas Cowboys as that is their opponent for week five. Jason Garrett can't overcome the Patriots as Tom Brady completes his deflategate unsuspension tour. Not when Tony Romo and Dez Bryant are on the sidelines, and Sean Lee was hurt this Sunday Night against the New Orleans Saints. They will travel to face the Indianapolis Colts in week five before taking on the New York Jets in week six. This writer sees Todd Bowles going into Gillette Stadium and the Jets knocking off the Patriots during week six. Could that be foolish, quite possibly. But at the same time, the Jets have done big things like this before, and Chris Ivory seems to be having a career year so far, and it will be great to see him taking on the Patriots rush defense and Ivory will be the key to getting an upset.
2. (Tie) Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers
Some people might call this a cop out. A tie between two teams. Well, let's just say that it's too close to call, but they both have a legitimate threat for their opponent on November first. That is because, they are slated to play each other. Yes the Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers are going to play against one another on Sunday Night Football to start the eleventh month of the year. Besides, who has possibly had enough of two of the top quarterbacks playing against each other. Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning, what could possibly get better? Well, it would be even better if they can remain undefeated to this point, which means the Broncos have to win road games against the Raiders in week five and the Cleveland Browns in week six. Meanwhile the Packers don't have cupcakes either, as they will face the St. Louis Rams this week before they face the Chargers in week six. Both teams have a week seven bye which means this should be a marvelous football game at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium in Denver.
1. Atlanta Falcons
Are they the most surprising team in the NFL to see at 4-0? Yes, especially when you consider that this is the core of the team that finished 6-10 just a year ago. But with new Head Coach Dan Quinn and a rejuvenated running game behind Devonta Freeman, the Atlanta Falcons are no laughing matter. This week they look to complete their sweep of the NFC East as they host the Washington Redskins. Then they have a quick trip to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome to face the Saints on Thursday Night Football. It's just that their schedule looks significantly easier than everyone else's. Tennessee Titans, Buccaneers, 49ers, and then they play the Colts at home on November 22nd. That is the game immediately following the bye, and then they host the Vikings on November 29th. There is a solid possibility, that if the Falcons keep playing as well as they are playing, that they could be undefeated heading into December, and they will face the Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on December 13th. That would be the game this writer would pick right now that they will lose next, could they slip up anywhere in between now and then, but of course, but their schedule looks a lot better without the Seahawks, Jets, Broncos, or Packers on it.