Losing always stinks, but not all losers are equal.
Through three weeks of NFL action, we’ve seen some pretty horrid play out of a handful of teams — a level of putrescence that would make Oscar the Grouch proud.
These following teams are currently in the lead to land the No. 1 overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft. A few more weekends of this kind of ugly play will signal the beginning of the “take games off for Jared Goff” campaign.
6. Baltimore Ravens (0-3)
It’s never a good deal when you start 0-3 to open the season, but Baltimore’s 0-3 start is accentuated by the fact the Oakland Raiders were able to move the ball at will in Week 2, and by the fact that A.J. Green went for 227 yards and two touchdowns in Week 3, including a ridiculous 80-yard score that left our jaws on the ground for a minute.
Oh, and don’t forget about the non-existent running game. The Ravens have just 218 rushing yards in three games and are averaging just 3.3 yards per carry with just one touchdown on the ground. Teams that struggle defensively and which struggle to run the ball are easily beaten, as we’ve seen with the Ravens so far in 2015.
Making matters worse, quarterback Joe Flacco isn’t taking care of the football either, with four interceptions. There is still time to turn things around, but without Terrell Suggs leading the defense it’s not looking pretty in Baltimore right now.
5. Miami Dolphins (1-2)
This was supposed to be the year Miami would finally compete with New England for the AFC East crown. With the addition of ridiculously high-priced free agent Ndamukong Suh, the Dolphins were supposed to dominate on defense while Ryan Tannehill took the next step as an elite passer in the NFL.
Pretty much the opposite has happened so far. After barely squeaking by Washington in Week 1, Miami has imploded the past couple of weeks, and one wonders how long head coach Joe Philbin will last if the losing continues.
Amidst rumors that Suh has been ignoring the play calls, the Dolphins have fallen apart defensively, allowing Jacksonville to move the ball at will in Week 2 and then getting completely obliterated by the Buffalo Bills on Sunday afternoon, losing 41-14.
Ryan Tannehill was really solid the first two weeks, but he was atrocious against Buffalo, throwing three interceptions.
Miami is trending down, and another loss against the New York Jets in Week 4 could trigger a landslide.
4. Washington (1-2)
Washington would be much, much further down the rankings here if not for a stout defense that has shown flashes of greatness. However, there is no doubt this team is in disarray under head coach Jay Gruden, who stubbornly refuses to see reason when it comes to his quarterback situation, and how to utilize the rest of his offensive talent.
Since Robert Griffin III is clearly not an option, Washington should have handed the reins of the offense to Colt McCoy, who has been the best of the three the past couple of years. Even now, the switch needs to happen, but Gruden is sticking with Kirk Cousins, who is an interception machine.
Unless a switch is made, this team isn’t going to improve. Sure, Washington will win a few games, but that’s about it.
3. Chicago Bears (0-3)
Even when Jay Cutler is healthy, the Bears are a bad football team.
They were shut out 26-0 by Seattle on Sunday — the first time this has happened since 2002 — and nothing Chicago tried worked out well.
If not for Matt Forte, Chicago’s offense would be practically non-existent, even when Cutler is healthy. With 1st-round receiver Kevin White out for the foreseeable future and Alshon Jeffery dealing with one injury after another, there just isn’t much talent on the offense.
Things are even worse on the defensive side of the ball. Despite the best efforts of coordinator Vic Fangio, the Bears just don’t have the talent to stop anyone.
Without an offense or a defense, Chicago’s chances of winning many games are slim this year.
2. San Francisco 49ers (1-2)
After Week 1, the 49ers appeared to be on the right track under new head coach Jim Tomsula, who replaced Jim Harbaugh. Unfortunately, the wheels quickly came off the wagon in Week 2 on the road in Pittsburgh. Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and DeAngelo Williams all had field days against new defensive coordinator Eric Mangini’s defense, blowing the game wide open before halftime.
The same thing happened again on Sunday, except in this case we saw Colin Kaepernick look as lost as he’s ever looked since entering the starting lineup four years ago. He fished with just 67 passing yards with no touchdowns and four interceptions. He opened the game with pick-sixes on two consecutive drives, handing Arizona a 14-0 lead before Carson Palmer and Co. had a chance to get things rolling on offense.
When Palmer did get things rolling, San Francisco’s defense fell apart completely, just as it did against the Pittsburgh Steelers the week before. After looking sharp defensively in Week 1, the 49ers have allowed 90 points and 899 yards in the two games since.
Yes, that’s as bad as it sounds.
1. New Orleans Saints (0-3)
Nobody really knows when Drew Brees will be able to come back after suffering a rotator cuff injury to his throwing arm. At this point, it may not matter who lines up behind center, because a decent performance by backup quarterback Luke McCown was wasted by the team’s horrid defense in Week 3.
Cam Newton, who isn’t known as a dynamic passer in the mold of Aaron Rodgers, was able to pick apart the porous secondary of the Saints, passing for 315 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in the 27-22 victory for the Panthers. Newton also added a rushing score for good measure, and Carolina did enough on defense without Luke Kuechly to keep the Saints offense in check.
Back to the offense, it’s worth noting there isn’t a single receiver who has proven capable of stretching the field. Without a game-changer, the passing attack is flaccid.
With upcoming battles against Dallas, Philadelphia and Atlanta the next few weeks, the Saints could easily be 0-6 to start the season, whether Brees returns or not.