NFL Power Rankings: October Edition finds LA Rams rising

2020 is a Super-Duper-Looper of a season so far

This is the year of the quarterback carousel. The year that quarterback Tom Brady and New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick “divorced”, with Belichick keeping New England and Brady setting up shop with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  In fact, no less than 10 veteran quarterbacks are now playing for new teams. But in the maelstrom of so many changes, some things remain the same.

The NFL glorifies the incoming rookie class each season, but many end up in starting roles that simply take several seasons to truly master. Of course, an occasional young player will find himself in the ideal situation on a good team and may an immediate impact. But for many teams with valuable draft picks? Patience is required.

New coaches need time too

So too must those teams with newly hired head coaches find patience.  A new head coach finds himself tasked with so many matters in his first year that a quick turnaround in fortunes is unlikely. He must assemble the coaching staff around him, communicate the message, and then begin to learn the roster.

The NFC West remains the best division in football. The NFC East appears to be ripe for an 8-8 team to claim the division crown. Several NFL playoff teams from 2019 are still looking at a last-place finish in their division, while some bad 2019 teams are playing rather well. It’s the year of COVID-19 and Injured Reserve, as so many team rosters are decimated by untimely injuries. So without any further ado, let’s see how the NFL teams rank at three weeks into the young season.