NFL: Ranking the 3 Surprise 2-0 Teams

The last time that Detroit, Buffalo and Washington all started off 3-0, Abraham Lincoln was still president. Alright, technically, I don't know for sure that's true, but it seems like it's been a while.

The teams have combined for an average of fewer than six wins per season over the last three years, so the fact they've combined for six wins in the first three weeks of the season is pretty remarkable. 

Which of the three teams is the best, though? And which one has been the most surprising?

Buffalo Bills

If you're going by sheer surprise factor, then Buffalo has to be the team most surprising to be sitting at 2-0. Perhaps it shouldn't be as big of a shock as it is, though, because Ryan Fitzpatrick is actually a pretty decent quarterback. 

In his last 10 games, he's thrown for over 2,000 yards and 19 touchdowns. That's not Tom Brady numbers, but it's not at all bad compared to some other top tier quarterbacks. For instance, he only has 37 yards fewer than Matt Ryan and three more touchdowns over that same span.

Buffalo is not a team from nowhere. Fred Jackson is an underrated back, Steve Johnson has the ability to be a franchise receiver and the defense is coming into its own. The problem is, they have a fairly nefarious schedule, in part because of their division. That means four games against the Jets or the Patriots. 

The Bills have could surprise even more and make it to the postseason, but they're probably still a year away. 

Prediction: 8-8

Washington Redskins

Back when he was in Chicago, I used to say that the Bears had two quarterbacks, Rex Grossman and Wrecks Gross Man. You never knew who was going to get the shot. 

After a very tidy first start, we spent the week hearing about how Wrecks Gross Man was a thing of the past. Then he popped his head up today and threw two picks. 

Just when you're thinking "I've seen this movie before," Rex Grossman showed up to finish the game. When he's playing, there's a pretty good team on the field.

Santana Moss is a very good receiver, perhaps even a HOF recevier. In Tim Hightower and Roy Helu, they have a nice 1-2 punch at the running backs. Chris Cooley is one of the better receiving tight ends in the game. 

The defense has done what was needed to slow down two of the better (at least on paper) offenses in the league. 

Furthermore, the Redskins have a fairly soft schedule, and so, should have a good shot at the playoffs. 

For me, though, I just know Wrecks Gross Man too well. If he really has changed his spots, then bully for him! I'll believe it when I don't see it, though, i.e. when I don't see the mistakes.

Final Prediction: 9-7

Detroit Lions

Detroit is perhaps not  a great surprise to be 2-0, but no one expected them to look this good getting there. They've been amassing talent for the last several years, and now it's all gelling together, and the Lions are doing to others as other had been doing unto them. 

The Lions have gone outright biblical on their opponents in the first two games, winning them by a combined 52 points, leading the NFL in point differential. After beating Tampa Bay by seven in a game, which wasn't as close as it sounds, they obliterated Kansas City 48-3 today, making them look like a FCS team. 

Matthew Stafford doesn't have to worry about being rich because he can pass a camel through the eye of a needle. Javhid Best could be one of the best running backs in the league, and Calvin Johnson, aka "Megatron," truly is a transformer in that he's been transforming the Lions from a perennial loser to their present state since he arrived. 

Look for the Lions to not only make the playoffs, but perhaps even make it to the NFC Championship game. I don't know that they have it in them to go further than that, but one or two playoff wins is a distinct possibility. 

Final Record: 12-4