There are six NFL teams who remain undefeated after Week 4. Five of those teams stand at 4-0, while the 3-0 New England Patriots are coming off a bye week. With a quarter of the season gone, any surprise starts and anomalies begin disappear in the face of proven performances and legitimate contenders. Which of the remaining six undefeated teams is for real and which will be found out by season’s end?
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6. Carolina Panthers
It’s not Carolina’s fault the first four teams they played this season are a combined 4-12 but the first four teams Carolina has played this season are a combined 4-12. What happens to the Panthers in the next four games will be far more telling, as they face the Seahawks, Eagles, Colts, and Packers. Carolina is far from being a bad team and Cam Newton has been nothing short of excellent. What happens when they face a defense capable of containing Newton remains to be seen.
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5. Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals have gutted out several hard fought games including a win over division rival Baltimore. There’s no question that Cincinnati is sitting on one of the best offenses in the league. However, the defense has been suspect at times early on and for as good as the Bengals have been with Andy Dalton under center this year, you don’t have to remember very far back to a time when that wasn’t the case.
4. Atlanta Falcons
Where Carolina will be tested in their next four games, Atlanta will not. The Falcons have the Redskins, Saints, Titans, and Buccaneers – none of which have a winning record. That schedule only gets easier the final half of the season if current trends continue. If Atlanta takes care of Carolina in the division, there is no one else in the NFC South capable of keeping up.
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3. Denver Broncos
Who knows how much Peyton Manning has left in his tank, but for now, it’s more than enough. The AFC West is going to pose little challenge to Denver, but a Week 8 showdown with Green Bay, followed by a Week 12 meeting with New England will offer a sneak peek into the postseason for the Broncos.
2. New England Patriots
The Patriots appear to have gone into 2015 on a mission to prove that the best defense is a prolific offense. When you average almost 40 points per game, that theory has a high probability of being found true. There aren’t very many teams capable of keeping up with the Patriots’ offense, but there are a few capable of exploiting the defense. The day Tom Brady has an off game is the day New England gets exposed. Unfortunately for the rest of the NFL, those games are few and far between.
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1. Green Bay Packers
Green Bay is close to flawless on both sides of the ball. With a defense and offense both ranking in the Top 10, and a quarterback in Aaron Rodgers who has taken a player who didn’t make the team’s initial 53-man roster (James Jones) and turned him into one of the NFL’s premier receivers. Throw in the ground game spearheaded by Eddie Lacy, and the stifling trio of Clay Matthews, Sam Shields, and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and you will be hard pressed to find a weak link on the team.
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