Every team in the NFL has played two games so far, and many teams find themselves undefeated while others find themselves winless. So who are the most surprising undefeated and winless teams so far this September?
Undefeated Teams (2-0)
1. New York Jets
The reason the Jets fall first on this list is because they were last in the AFC East last season, going 4-12. The Jets have already won half the games they did last season and look to be improving. After Geno Smith broke his jaw, many thought it would be another long season for the Jets. Ryan Fitzpatrick has taken over nicely as the starting quarterback, and with receivers like Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker the Jets have a solid passing game. Chris Ivory has been handling the carries and has been doing a good job with two touchdowns and 148 yards through two games. The star of this team is its defense, as it held the Cleveland Browns to 10 points in week one and held the high-powered offense of the Indianapolis Colts to just seven points on Monday night. The Jets are a big surprise, and they may continue to be one the rest of the season if their defense keeps playing like they've been.
2. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons finished 6-10 last season in a terrible NFC South which had a team with a losing record make the playoffs. The Falcons have taken down both the Giants and the Eagles in their first two games. Both games were extremely close, and many feel the other teams did more to lose than the Falcons did to win, but a win is a win in the NFL. Quarterback Matt Ryan has started the season strong, throwing for 661 yards and three touchdowns through two games. While Ryan and the offense have done well this season, the real surprise is the Falcons defense, which has allowed the 13th-least amount of points in the NFL so far. This is a big change from last season when Atlanta finished 27th in points allowed. There is one major reason the Falcons likely look this good on defense, and that is new head coach Dan Quinn. Quinn was the defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks last season, and he has definitely changed the culture of the defense since arriving in Atlanta.
3. Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys being 2-0 is not a huge surprise, but being undefeated without star receiver Dez Bryant and star quarterback Tony Romo is. The Cowboys finished in first place last season, and that is why being undefeated wouldn't be shocking. But losing Bryant in the first week against the Giants, and then losing Romo the following week against the Eagles, truly makes their 2-0 start shocking. Romo is likely to be out eight weeks, and Bryant could miss up to 10-12 weeks after reportedly needing a bone graft during surgery. While Romo was injured after Bryant, he could be back before him, as his injury is likely to heal faster. The Cowboys defense has stepped up in both their games, especially against the Eagles. The Cowboys held the fast-paced Eagles offense to just 10 points last Sunday. The Cowboys are more of a surprise because of their injuries, but whatever the circumstances are, they are undefeated.
4. Carolina Panthers
The Panthers looked like they could be a strong team this year, but once star receiver Kelvin Benjamin tore his ACL their offense seemed less potent. Carolina made the playoffs last season with a 7-8-1 record, but it really wasn't seen as a threat to many teams in the postseason. The Panthers have beaten both the Houston Texans and the Jacksonville Jaguars this year, and they have their first divisional opponent this weekend against the New Orleans Saints. Without Benjamin, the Panthers have had players like Ted Ginn Jr. and Jericho Cothery step up; both have scored a touchdown this season. When star linebacker Luke Kuechly was ruled out week two against the Texans, many thought the defense would struggle. But the defense has stayed strong and much of that credit is due to head coach Ron Rivera who has this team playing at a high level. There are two teams in the NFC South that are undefeated at this point, which is quite interesting since that division was the worst in football last year.
Winless Teams (0-2)
1. Indianapolis Colts
The Colts have been a huge disappointment thus far into the schedule. They have scored a total of 21 points in two games and have seemed shaky on both offense and defense. Through two games, Indianapolis star quarterback Andrew Luck has thrown five interceptions to just three touchdowns. The Colts finished last season 11-5 and were third in the league in yards per game. Right now the Colts are ranked 22nd in the league in yards per game. The Colts have faced two strong defenses this season but lost to teams that had a combined record of 13-19 last season. The Colts will need to turn it around quickly if they want to have any field advantage during the playoffs, but right now they should probably be just concerned with getting a win. The Colts have their first divisional game this week against the Tennessee Titans and will likely need a win as they are already looking up at teams in the AFC South.
2. Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks have been a shocking surprise this season, even though they have played two good teams in both the St. Louis Rams and the Green Bay Packers. The shocking part is that they have given up 61 points in two games, and this is supposed to be the Legion of Boom. The Seahawks are technically missing a big piece of that defense as strong safety Kam Chancellor has been holding out over contract issues. Without Chancellor the Seahawks are 29th in the league in points given up per game, and that is a drastic change from last season when they were first in the NFL, giving up just 15.9 points per game. This may just be a case of poor play for the first two weeks, or it could be connected to the fact that their former defensive coordinator is now turning around Atlanta's defense. The Seahawks have a strong chance to turn it around this weekend, as they are playing the Chicago Bears, and the Bears being winless is no surprise.
3. Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles have been a big surprise this season, and them being winless is just part of it. The Eagles were the fifth- best team in yards per game last season, and this year they are 25th with just 312.5. The Eagles traded quarterback Nick Foles for quarterback Sam Bradford this offseason. That trade has not worked out so far, as Bradford has thrown two touchdowns to four interceptions. The Eagles offense just doesn't seem the same with Bradford under center, and whether that changes as the season goes on remains to be seen. The Eagles could have gotten a win against the Falcons in week one, but blown opportunities have kept them at 0-2. The NFC East may turn out to be a tight race, but the Eagles need to perform this week against the New York Jets if they are to stay in it.
4. New York Giants
The Giants make this list because of blown games. The Giants were 6-10 last season, so being winless through two weeks doesn't seem that shocking. That's unless you've watched the games, as the Giants have blown two games they were leading in the fourth quarter. One game was a total disaster in terms of clock management, and in the other game the defense almost let the opponent walk down the field and score twice in the fourth quarter. The Giants have played well through three quarters in both games but have had two preposterous meltdowns in the fourth quarter. Head coach Tom Coughlin is likely on the hot seat this season, and losses like this don't help his chances. The offense has made quite a few errors so far, but the defense is even more questionable. The Giants defense plays strong for three quarters, but as soon as they move to prevent defense they seem to stop playing. The Giants play the Washington Redskins this Thursday, and they'll likely need a win if they want to stay in the NFC East race.
