NFL Week 3 Report: Contenders & Pretenders

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

With one game left for Week Three, we as fans can begin to see who is standing out and who is falling down in the NFL. There have been many surprises so far and we are beginning to see who are the contenders and who are the pretenders.

To give you an idea of how far along this season has progressed through three weeks:

The Lions have as many wins as the Steelers (one). The Bengals are starting to turn heads. Brett Farvre actually lead the Vikings to a win, not Adrian Peterson. The Seahawks wore lime green uniforms (which I thought were great, by the way). And the Browns and Bucs have already benched their starting QB's.

Now let's get on to who has a chance at the Lombardi Trophy this season and who really doesn't.

Contenders

1.  New York Giants - They win in different ways every week, it seems. Last week, Eli did some magic, this week he throws for under 200 yards. Their defense is rejuvenated with the re-addition of Osi Umenyiora; they have continued to be dominant.

With two divisional wins under their belt, they already are a force to be reckoned with in the NFC East.

2.  Minnesota Vikings - Even when Adrian Peterson doesn't rush for 100 yards, the Vikings can still find a way to win. Brett Favre wasn't wearing Wranglers or buying a TV at Sears, but he was throwing a beautiful game-winning touchdown with 0:02 left.

Their win over the 49ers was validation of their prowess after doubts they were any good with wins over the lowly Browns and Lions.

3.  Chicago Bears - Sure they looked like garbage in the week one thanks to a four INT game from Jay Cutler. But since then they have looked great. Even with the loss of two of their three starting linebackers, they still seem to lock it down when it counts.

Two key third-quarter takeaways helped Cutler and the Bears fight back from a 13-0 deficit. Devin Hester, while not the No. 1 they want him to be yet, had a great catch and run on the game-winning score. Should be a great race in the NFC Central.

4.  Baltimore Ravens - Sure they just recently beat the hapless Browns, but they didn't just beat them. They manhandled them. Their defense is looking stout, even without Rex Ryan running the defense. Joe Flacco is making a name for himself and the sophomore slump isn't in the cards in Baltimore.

Even an old, come out-of retirement receiver in Derek Mason is looking good with a 100+ yard game under his belt. And their three-headed running monster is a force to be reckoned with. It's weird, Baltimore used to be known as a defensive winning team, and that may still be the case, but their offense sure is looking great, too.

5.  New York Jets - J-E-T-S-JETS-JETS-JETS! Who would have thought a rookie could look this good. Mark Sanchez looks like a veteran out there, and with wins over New England and Tennessee, they look like they're for real. With Rex Ryan at the helm, they are starting to buy into the defensive philosophy. 

Sure, it's only three weeks, but can't we have a little fun here? Watch out for the Jets.

On the verge

1.  New England Patriots

2.  Philadelphia Eagles

Pretenders

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