NFC Hierarchy/Obituary: Week 4 edition

12) Cardinals (1-2): All-22(,000) of the Cardinals’ stands against the Lions. A lot of blue.

The red spots are mostly empty seats, which is odd since the Cardinals might actually be kinda entertaining this season, even if not yet good?

Last week: 10

11) Rams (1-2): In a game in which the Rams and 49ers were both missing most of their star offensive players, the Rams won on special teams.

That’s a sneaky underrated Niners weakness, by the way. Their special teams weren’t good last season, and it burned them in the Super Bowl.

Last week: 11

10) Commanders (2-1): This is the throw of the year.

Jayden Daniels was 21 of 23 for 254 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs. He also ran for 40 yards and a TD. He’s not “going to be good.” He’s good.

Last week: 14

9) Cowboys (1-2): In 2023, the Cowboys did a decent enough job of stopping the run when they had leads, as most teams do. But when they played from behind, opposing offenses ran all over them. For example:

• Cardinals, Week 3: 30 rushes, 222 yards, 2 TDs.

• 49ers, Week 5: 41 rushes, 170 yards, 2 TDs. And that was mostly Niners backups.

• Bills, Week 15: 49 rushes, 266 yards, 3 TDs.

• Packers, Wildcard Round: 33 rushes, 133 yards, 3 TDs.

That same theme has continued in 2024:

• Saints, Week 2: 39 rushes, 190 yards, 4 TDs.

• Ravens, Week 3: 45 rushes, 274 yards, 3 TDs.

The Cowboys have hit big on a bunch of first round picks, but man, 2023 first rounder Mazi Smith looks like a mega-bust so far. He’s No. 58 below (h/t Ben Fennell):

Last week: 7

8) Buccaneers (2-1): The Bucs were beginning to look like contenders after a road win over the Lions got them to 2-0. And then… they lost 26-7 to the Broncos? Yuck.

It’s perhaps worth noting that the Bucs got outgained 463-216 against the Lions, and that their win in that game was probably just a mirage.

Last week: 3

7) 49ers (1-2): The 49ers blew a game they had all but won on Sunday. Beyond the loss that brought them to 1-2, they have problems galore with their best players:

• Trent Williams had to leave the game to get IV treatment, and he hasn’t been the elite player we have all come to expect so far this season. He acknowledged that his holdout is partly to blame. 

• Christian McCaffrey is headed to Germany to get treatment for his Achilles. 

• Brock Purdy has “back soreness.” 

• George Kittle didn’t play Week 3 with a hamstring injury.

• Deebo Samuel didn’t play Week 3 with a calf injury.

• Dre Greenlaw is still out after he tore an Achilles jogging onto the field in the Super Bowl.

• Javon Hargrave is done for the season with a torn triceps.

• Rookie first round WR Ricky Pearsall got shot.

Last week: 1

6) Saints (2-1): Saints head coach Dennis Allen was asked if the Saints played dirty against the Eagles on Sunday. His response, via Kat Terrell of ESPN: 

“I’d say our guys play extremely hard and we’re going to compete until the down is over,” Allen said Monday. “I don’t think we play dirty. I don’t think we ever have played dirty. It’s not the way we coach it, not the way we teach it, but we do play hard. Look, nobody wants to see anybody get hurt, nobody’s trying to hurt anybody and unfortunately that’s part of the business that we’re in. No, we don’t play dirty. We don’t coach dirty, but we do play hard and we do play physical.”

Uh, what?! Lol. 

“I don’t think we ever have played dirty?”

“We don’t coach dirty?”

Allen was the Saints’ defensive backs coach during part of the Bountygate scandal. I would say that it is a fact that the Saints have indeed played and coached dirty.

Last week: 2

5) Packers (2-1): It was assumed that the Packers would fall behind the rest of the NFC with Jordan Love sidelined, but credit Matt LaFleur for playing to the strengths of backup Malik Willis, and picking up a couple wins without his starter.

Willis has also made plays. On Sunday he was 13 of 19 for 202 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, and he rushed 6 times for 73 yards and a TD.

Inpredictable (betting market rankings) has the Packers as the most likely 1 seed in the NFC after Week 3:

1. Packers: 22%
2. Eagles: 20%
3. Lions: 10%
4. Saints: 10%
5. Seahawks: 9%
6. Falcons: 8%
7. 49ers: 7%
8. Vikings: 5%
9. Cowboys: 3%
10. Buccaneers: 3%

Everyone else is at 1% or lower.

Last week: 9

4) Seahawks (3-0): Credit the Seahawks for taking care of business in each of their first three games this season, but the quarterbacks they have faced so far have been Bo Nix (in his rookie debut), Jacoby Brissett, and Skylar Thompson. Honestly, they should be 3-0, even for an perceived average team, and they needed overtime to beat Brissett. The first legitimate offense they will face so far this season will be Week 4 in Detroit. Make a statement there, then we’ll talk about them cracking the top 2 in the Hierarchy.

Last week: 8

3) Eagles (2-1): To be determined if he can stay healthy, but Saquon Barkley is very clearly a lot better than Miles Sanders and D’Andre Swift, who both got carried to the Pro Bowl by the Eagles’ offensive line. Through the first three games, Barkley is on pace for 1989 rushing yards and 23 TDs.

Sanders is averaging 3.3 yards per carry since signing with the Panthers; Swift is averaging 1.8 yards per carry since signing with the Bears.

Last week: 6

MORE: 10 awards from Eagles-Saints

2) Lions (2-1): Awesome:

That’s not the first time they’ve done some version of that. Remember when they eliminated Sandy Hook skeptic Aaron Rodgers?