Sorry if the title sounds like an episode from Maury, but the reality is that there are two teams shocking the daylights out of the NFL season through the first three weeks of 2013. Yes, the Seattle Seahawks are perfect, whoopty-doo! The Denver Broncos are beating teams up, hurray! Here are the true surprises of the NFL season as they move into Week 4 with perfect records.
Miami Dolphins: Defeated- Browns, Colts, Falcons
Ryan Tannehill has almost thrown for 1,000 yards through the first three weeks of the season. That's crazy. So that's all he needed? Two top wide receivers as targets? Not many considered the kid as great as Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck or even Russell Wilson, but Tannehill is off to a quick start and as a result, the Dolphins are 3-0. Brian Hartline and Charles Clay have caught over 200 yards, while Mike Wallace has 152 yards and a score in the season.
The Dolphins defense is not amazing, but they do a great job preventing teams from getting into the end zone after picking yardage. They rank eighth in the NFL, allowing just 17.7 points per game.
Kansas City Chiefs: Defeated- Jaguars, Cowboys, Eagles
The victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars could have been considered a miracle, but the Chiefs dominated the Dallas Cowboys defensively and put just enough points on the board. The defensive took the credit for hold the Cowboys' offense, but then the Chiefs' offense completed the day with a late-game drive to take home the victory.
Against the Eagles, it was all Chiefs. The Eagles never stood a chance, even while running their super fast offense. It became a parade of turnovers for the Eagles and their offense was never able to spread its wings and really knock the Chiefs around. It looks as though the Chiefs will be a defensive minded team in 2013. As long as those corners and linemen stay healthy, this team could go a long way.
New England Patriots: Bill, Jets, Buccaneers
Really? With all his receivers gone, did anybody really expect Tom Brady to be 3-0 in the season? Their offense is nothing special, but now that Brady appears to be in the twilight of his career, credit the defense for holding the Patriots' leads intact. They were truly challenged by the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets in the first two weeks of the season, but their defense kept the Patriots close, holding on to leads and eventually securing the win.
Chicago Bears & New Orleans Saints:
These guys' slogan should be "What a difference a year makes." Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall are on the same page, while the return of Martellus Bennett has given the Bears an extra boost. Their defense is still ridiculous, despite the absence of Brian Urlacher.
For the New Orleans Saints it's obvious, Sean Payton means too much to this team. Drew Brees is as professional as they come and will probably coach some day, but his job right now is to lead on the field, not from the sidelines. The Saints have played close games defeating the Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Arizona Cardinals. For the Bears, their 3-0 start has them atop of the NFC North division, which will once again be tough in 2013. They have topped the Cincinnati Bengals, Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers so far in 2013.
Who will remain perfect for the longest time? Only the football season will tell.
