LIVE Play-By-Play From Week 4's Raiders vs. Ravens Game!

Because 3-1 is a lot better than 2-2, that's why.

By: Jimbo X

JimboXAmerican@gmail.com

@Jimbo__X

Join The Internet Is In America on Sunday, Oct. 02, for our LIVE play-by-play (well, more like possession-by-possession, but that shit is deathly for SEO) coverage of week 4's Raiders vs. Ravens game. The shenanigans begin at noon eastern time (with updates every commercial break) so be sure to bookmark this shit before kickoff. And as always, do us and yourselves a kindness and let all your fellow Raiders fans know what we're up to by posting links to our coverage on your social media pages. Hey, we're all in this together, remember (#silverandblacklivesmatter)...

11:37 a.m. - OK, you know the drill by now. The girlfriend wants to hit up the local Sunday Kroger sales, and somebody has to lug the half-priced Coca Colas out. So yeah, I might be back by 1 p.m., and I might not. 

11:39 a.m. - Menelik Watson, Austin Howard and Nate Allen are all out for the Raiders. Taiwan Jones and Rodney Hudson are questionable. 

11:40: a.m. - For the Ravens, Kenneth Dixon, Ronnie Stanley and Sheldon Price are all listed as doubtful. Alex Lewis and John Urschel are both questionable. 

11:41 a.m. - The Ravens are four point favorites and the over/under is set at under 46. Well, considering how last year's regular season match-up turned out between these two teams, I'd be suspicious of Vegas' reasoning on both accounts.

1:01 p.m. - Kickoff coming up in a few.

1:02 p.m. - Terrence West starting as halfback for Baltimore. Ravens have elected to kick the ball to Oakland.

1:03 p.m. - Jalen Richard takes it up to the OAK 30.

1:04 p.m. - Murray gets one on the run.

1:05 p.m. - Amari Cooper gets about five on a quick hit and run.

1:05 p.m. - Third and four. Incomplete to Crabtree. Here comes the Raiders punting unit.

1:06 p.m. - Ravens start at their own 20. It's a big pick up for Wallace.

1:07 p.m. - First and 10. BAL gets maybe a yard on the run.

1:08 p.m. - Second and eight. Nelson scoop slams West shy of the first down markers. And it's a holding call against BAL. 

1:08 p.m. - Second and 18. The back gets gobbled up behind the line. 

1:09 p.m. - Third and 18. The Ravens pick up the new set of downs, but it's offensive pass interference against BAL. There goes the 24-yard gain...

1:10 p.m. - Third and 28. The fullback is dropped well short of the first down sticks.

1:11 p.m. - Baltimore punts. Richard takes it to the OAK 31.

1:13 p.m. - Cooper gets about three on first down.

1:14 p.m. - Second and seven. Murray runs it up the gut.

1:14 p.m. - Third and four. Incomplete pass. 

1:15 p.m. - Oakland punts. Ravens will take over from within their own 10.

1:17 p.m. - Marquette King does the the Ray Lewis dance at midfield. Sean Smith gets flagged for holding.

1:19 p.m. - Wallace gets eight on the play.

1:20 p.m. - False start puts BAL five yards back.

1:20 p.m. - Second and six. Nothing going on that play.

1:20 p.m. - Third and four. And the Ravens can't make it past the first down marker. Baltimore has to punt.

1:21 p.m. - Richard stopped at the OAK 25.

1:23 p.m. - False start against the Raiders makes it first and 15.

1:24 p.m. - Roberts gets about five. Amari Cooper gets called on pass interference. 

1:25 p.m. - First and 25. Washington gets about 8.

1:26 p.m. - Second and 17. Richard runs it up the gut for six.

1:27 p.m. - Third and 11. And Cooper reels it in for the first. 

1:27 p.m. - OAK, obviously, declines the defensive holding flag.

1:27 p.m. - First and 10. Murray takes it to the OAK 42.

1:28 p.m. - Second and seven. Wolford picks up a couple.

1:28 p.m. - Third and one. It is short. 

1:30 p.m. - Marquette punts. And he traps the Ravens within their own 10 yet again.

1:32 p.m. - The back is crushed at the line.

1:33 p.m. - Second and nine. Flacco chased in the end zone and he throws it away.

1:34 p.m. - Third and nine. And DJ Hayden breaks up what would have been a first down for Baltimore. Ravens gotta' punt.

1:35 p.m. - And Richard takes it all the way to the Ravens' 10 yard line!

1:35 p.m. - A good 47 yard run from Richard. 

1:36 p.m. - First and goal. TOUCHDOWN SETH ROBERTS!

1:36 p.m. - A ten yard strike from Derek Carr puts the Raiders on the board first. Sea-bass is automatic. Raiders lead it, 7-0. 

1:39 p.m. -  Janikowski kicks it away. Hester takes it all the way into OAK territory. A 60-yard return.

1:40 p.m. - The back is chased out of bounds.

1:40 p.m. - Second and seven. Ravens run it up the gut.

1:41 p.m. - Third and three. Steve Smith takes it to the OAK 20.

1:42 p.m. - And that's the end of the first quarter.

1:43 p.m. - First and 10. The Ravens take it to the OAK 18.

1:44 p.m. - Second and 5. And Baltimore moves it past the first down markers.

1:45 p.m. - Smith stopped a little beyond the OAK 10.

1:46 p.m. - Second and 5. Flacco lobs a floater to nobody in the end zone.

1:46 p.m. - Third and five. Incomplete in the end zone. Offensive holding penalty is declined. Fourth down. Khalil Mack almost flattened him.

1:47 p.m. - And Tucker is on point. The field goal makes it a 7-3 game, Raiders still leading.

1:50 p.m. - Richard takes it to the OAK 20.

1:51 p.m. - Flag on the play. 15 yard penalty against the Ravens for unnecessary roughness.

1:51 p.m. - Another flag down. Holding against the Raiders puts OAK 10 yards back.

1:52 p.m. - First and 20. Not much at all on the run.

1:53 p.m. - Second and 19. DeAndre Washington gets no yardage.

1:54 p.m. - Third and 19. Incomplete to Richard. Raiders have to punt. 

1:54 p.m. - Hester out of bounds around the BAL 30.

1:57 p.m. - West takes it to midfield on the first run.

1:57 p.m. - West with a few yards on the follow up run.

1:58 p.m. - Second and eight. And Cory James chases the receiver down behind the line of scrimmage.

1:59 p.m. - Third and nine. Pass interference against OAK.

2:00 p.m. - Second and 10. The receiver is short of the first down marker.

2:00 p.m. - Third and four around midfield. No completion. Holding call against the offense. 

2:01 p.m. - Third and 14. Flacco throws it into the stands. Baltimore has to punt.

2:02 p.m. - And Oakland will take over at their own 20.

2:04 p.m. - Second and seven after the three year Murray run. 

2:05 p.m. - Smith with the completion, but he is hurt. Third and five.

2:06 p.m. - And Crabtree gets 16 yards and a new set of downs for the Raiders.

2:07 p.m. - Murray with about five on first down.

2:07 p.m. - Second and six. Roberts goes out of bounds after picking up the first.

2:08 p.m. - First and 10 at midfield. Murray with a five yard catch. 

2:08 p.m. - Second and six. And Cooper picks up 11 yards to move the chains.

2:09 p.m. - First and 10. And Washington runs 28 yards to nearly the BAL 10. 

2:10 p.m. - TOUCHDOWN RAIDERS!

2:10 p.m. - Michael Crabtree with a 5-yard score on the no-huddle. 

2:10 p.m. - Sea-bass is automatic. It's 14-3, Raiders.

2:12 p.m. - Hester goes down around the BAL 15.

2:14 p.m. - First and 10. The pressure is own and Flacco throws it away.

2:14 p.m. - Second and 10. Oakland takes their first timeout with about four minutes left in the second quarter.

2:15 p.m. - Steve Smith dropped around the 20-yard-line.

2:16 p.m. - Third and seven. And Sean Smith breaks it up downfield. Fourth down for the Ravens. 

2:16 p.m. - And T.J. Carrie takes the return to the OAK 40.

2:17 p.m. -  Crabtree with five.

2:18 p.m. - Second and five. Washington dropped behind the line. 

2:19 p.m. - And that's the two-minute warning. Third and six coming up for Oakland.

2:21 p.m. - And Derek Carr scrambles for the new set of downs. But there is a holding call against the Raiders. 

2:22 p.m. - Third and 16. Richard runs up the gut, but it is not enough for the the first. 

2:23 p.m. - Fourth and seven. BAL calls a timeout. King punts it away.

2:24 p.m. - Hester fair catches it at the BAL 11. About a minute and a half left in the first half.

2:25 p.m. - Sean Smith knocks the ball out of the receivers hands.

2:25 p.m. - Steve Smith gets maybe two. 

2:26 p.m. - Third and seven. And the Ravens have enough for the first.

2:26 p.m. - BAL takes a timeout. 

2:27 p.m. - Clock keeps ticking. Second and 2.

2:28 p.m. - Ravens take it down to midfield. 

2:27 p.m. - Ravens take their final timeout.

2:28 p.m. - Thirty-seven seconds left. Steve Smith down to the OAK 30. 

2:28 p.m. - Flacco spikes it. 

2:29 p.m. - Second and 10. Ball nearly intercepted in the end zone. 

2:30 p.m. - Third and 10. Flacco throws it into the stands. 

2:30 p.m. - Tucker out with eight seconds left on the clock. 

2:30 p.m. - It is good. OAK 14, BAL 6.

2:31 p.m. - Touchback. Raiders offense on the field. Derek Carr takes a knee and that's the end of the second quarter.

2:33 p.m. - The Ravens have more total yards (184 vs. 148), with the Raiders outyarding the Ravens on the ground 57-33. Joe Flacco is 151 on 17 completions, while Derek Carr is 14 for 17 on passing attempts with two touchdowns and 91 yards.

2:48 p.m. - Second and six for Baltimore at their own 40. They have enough for a new set of downs.

2:48 p.m. - West gets about nine. A flag is down.

2:49 p.m. - It is against BAL, so all the yardage is recalled.

2:49 p.m. - First and 16. The receiver barely gets back to the line.

2:50 p.m. - Second and 15. Flacco chased down so he throws it away.

2:51 p.m. - Third and 15. A receiver hauls it in at midfield, but it is about ten yards shy of a first down. Time to punt.

2:51 p.m. - The Raiders down it at the 10, but there is a huge penalty against the Ravens - a 15 yard fair catch interference call. 

2:54 p.m. - Walford drops a pass. That would have been a big gain.

2:55 p.m. - Incomplete pass to Crabtree. 

2:55 p.m. - Third and 10. Flag is down. False start against the Raiders.

2:56 p.m. - Third and 15 coming up. 

2:57 p.m. - Richard runs it up the gut, but it isn't enough to pick up a new set of downs. 

2:57 p.m. - And Hester goes down around the 30 yard line on the return. 

3:00 p.m. - Flacco under pressure and he throws it away.

3:01 p.m. - Second down. And West runs enough to move the chains.

3:01 p.m. - And the halfback breaks out a big run, fumbles it, and the Ravens recover. 

3:02 p.m. - First and 10 at midfield. A holding call against the Raiders. 

3:03 p.m. - First and 10 at the OAK 40. West gets about five on the run.

3:03 p.m. - Second and five. Ravens ought to have enough for the new set of downs.

3:04 p.m. - First and 10 around the Raiders' 30. West gets about two on the run.

3:05 p.m. - Second and eight. And Gillmore converts. 

3:05 p.m. - First and 10. Ravens nearing the OAK 10.

3:06 p.m. - Second and five. Oakland takes a timeout.

3:08 p.m. - West is about a yard shy of the end zone.

3:09 p.m. - First and goal. The Ravens take a timeout.

3:10 p.m. - West stopped at the line. 

3:11 p.m. - Second and goal. And the receiver bobbles away a gimme-TD.

3:12 p.m. - Third and goal. And the halfback is down at the one.

3:12 p.m. - Fourth and goal. Baltimore appears to be going for it.

3:13 p.m. - And Flacco sneaks in for the score. Ravens now going for two.

3:13 p.m. - The two-point try is intercepted by Sean Smith. Raiders still lead, 14-12.

3:16 p.m. - Richard fair catches it and OAK takes over from their own 25.

3:19 p.m. - Murray with about a yard on the run.

3:19 p.m. - Second and nine. Incomplete to Crabtree. 

3:20 p.m. - Third and nine. The pressure is on, Carr lobs it to Roberts and he barely gets back to the line. Punt time.

3:21 p.m. - King knocks it out around the 20. 

3:22 p.m. - First and ten around the BAL 35. West gets a few yards. 

3:23 p.m. - And that's the end of the third. Raiders still up, 14-12.

3:26 p.m. - Third and six coming up for the Ravens. Bruce Irvin SMASHES Joe Flacco and he fumbles away the ball!

3:27 p.m. - Raiders take over at the BAL 29 yard line. Murray gets about seven.

3:28 p.m. - Second and three. Washington about a yard shy. Third and short coming up.

3:28 p.m. - Flag down. Personal foul against the Raiders. 15 yard penalty and a re-do of third down.

3:29 p.m. - Third and 16. And Cooper has enough for the FIRST DOWN!

3:31 p.m. - Actually it is fourth and inches, but it looks like Cooper definitely had it past the marker.

3:32 p.m. - Raiders going for it on fourth and inches.

3:33 p.m. - Offsides call against BAL, and the Raiders get a new set of downs.

3:34 p.m. - Murray gets about two. 

3:34 p.m. - Second and nine. OAK in the red zone. 

3:34 p.m. - Murray gobbled up at the line. 

3:35 p.m. - Third and eight. TOUCHDOWN MICHAEL CRABTREE!

3:36 p.m. - A 13 yard strike from Carr puts the Raiders up 20-12! Sea-bass is as good as gold and Oakland leads 21-12.

3:39 p.m. - About eleven minutes left in the game. Baltimore will take over at their own 25. 

3:40 p.m. - Eric Weddle is out. Third and short situation.

3:42 p.m. - And the Ravens convert. 

3:42 p.m. - Allen gets about five on the carry. 

3:43 p.m. - Second and six. Flacco goes for a deep shot, by Sean Smith breaks it up. Then, the Ravens get hit with a 10 yard penalty for pass interference. 

3:44 p.m. - Second and 16. AND MACK WITH THE SACK!

3:45 p.m. - Third and 23. And the Ravens are well short of the first down marker. 

3:45 p.m. - Ravens punt it away. It goes out of bounds around the OAK 20. 

3:47 p.m. - First and 10. A short gain for Rivera.

3:48 p.m. - Second and nine. Delay of game against the Raiders. 

3:49 p.m. - Second and fourteen. Carr runs out of bounds. 

3:50 p.m. - Third and fourteen. Incomplete to Crabtree. Out comes King. 

3:51 p.m. - Hester bumped out of bounds around the ... 40, I think? 

3:54 p.m. - Fist and 10 at their own 48 yard line for BAL. 

3:55 p.m. - And the Ravens score on a busted defensive play by the Raiders. Steve Smith with a good 40-yard-plus touchdown reception. An extra point makes it 21-19. 

3:56 p.m. - OAK takes over at their own 25. 

3:57 p.m. - Six and a half minutes left in the fourth quarter. Murray gets about two on the carry. 

3:58 p.m. - Second and eight. Carr throws it away, and there is a holding call against Oakland. 

3:59 p.m. - Third and 18. And Washington coughs up the ball, and the Ravens have it at the OAK 20.

4:00 p.m. - Second and five for BAL. 

4:01 p.m. - West up the gut, but not enough for the new set of downs. Third and three. 

4:01 p.m. - And the Ravens have enough to make it first and goal. 

4:02 p.m. - And West pushes it in to give the Ravens their first lead of the game. 25-21, with the Ravens going for two. 

4:03 p.m. - They reel it in, but there are flags everywhere. 

4:03 p.m. - Two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties against Baltimore to be assessed on the kickoff. But the two point conversion stands. Ravens lead it, 27-21.

4:05 p.m. - Richard goes down at the OAK 35. Three and a half minutes left. 

4:06 p.m. - Crabtree catches it at midfield. 

4:07 p.m. - Another first down catch by Crabtree. 

4:08 p.m. - Raiders at the BAL 40. Richard bobbles it. 

4:09 p.m. - Second and 10. Walford with a 17-yard pick-up. 

4:09 p.m. - Walford slow getting up in the backfield. 

4:10 p.m. - Second and 10. AND CRABTREE REELS IN HIS THIRD TOUCHDOWN OF THE GAME!

4:11 p.m. - Sea-bass knocks it through the uprights and the Raiders regain the lead, 28-27, with about two minutes left in the game. 

4:13 p.m. - Hester taken down at the BAL 20. Seven seconds until the two-minute warning. 

4:14 p.m. - And the Ravens run it 18 yards up to the BAL 35. 

4:16 p.m. - West dropped behind the line. 

4:17 p.m. - Second and nine. Steve Smith with about five. 

4:17 p.m. - Third and four. Smith gets the first down. The clock keeps ticking. 

4:18 p.m. - Baltimore takes a timeout, with 1:02 left in the game.

4:19 p.m. - Second and 10. Nearly intercepted by Reggie Nelson. 

4:20 p.m. - Third and 10. Incomplete pas. 

4:21 p.m. - Fourth and 10. It would be a 68-yard field goal. 

4:21 p.m. - This is the ball game, folks. AND THE RAIDERS BREAK IT UP DOWNFIELD!

4:22 p.m. - The Raiders take a knee, and they will just run out the clock. And the Oakland Raiders win their third road game of the season, a thrilling 28-27 comeback win against the Ravens!

4:24 p.m. - With a win that saw Derek Carr throw four touchdown passes (with Michael Crabtree getting the rare NFL hat trick), Oakland improves to 3-1 on the season. How about them Raiders, boys and girls!

Read More

2015-16 NFL Power Rankings (Week 3)

When defense suddenly stops mattering...

By: Jimbo X

JimboXAmerican@gmail.com

@Jimbo__X

THE ELITES

#01 

Arizona Cardinals

Season Point Differential: (+77)

The most impressive thing about the Cardinals win over San Francisco on Sunday wasn't that the team won by a 40 point margin of victory. Instead, it was how they won by a 40 point margin of victory: two touchdown passes from Carson Palmer to Larry Fitzgerald, two touchdown runs from Chris Johnson and two interceptions returned for touchdowns. Right now, the Cards have the League's absolute best offense (even outgunning the high-scoring Patriots), and if that wasn't scary enough? They're also putting up the third best defensive numbers in the NFL. 

#02

New England Patriots

Season Point Differential: (+49)

Just three games into the 2015 season and Tom Brady already has more than 1,000 passing yards. To give you an idea just how much air mileage the dude is racking up, his 358 yard, two TD performance in Sunday's 51-17 thrashing of the Jaguars actually constitutes a a step backwards for the first ballot Hall of Famer. Lost in all the gloriously premature hubbub about the team going 16-0 again is the impressive run game approach the Pats utilized against the Jags; they had four TDs on the ground, with LeGarrette Blount alone racking up three touchdown rushes for 78 yards. 

#03 

Buffalo Bills

Season Point Differential: (+32)

After last week's demoralizing loss to arch rivals New England, Rex Ryan's Bills made the Miami Dolphins suffer, absolutely pulverizing the Fins 41-14. Tyrod "T-Mobile" Taylor went 21 out of 29, recorded three touchdowns and posted nearly 300 yards in the air in a downright stellar performance, while unsung halfback hero Karlos Williams collected 110 yards on the ground and hit endzone for a solo TD. The defense also shined: they sacked Ryan Tannehill twice, picked up three interceptions and smacked the dog shit out of him no less than eight times. 

#04

Cincinnati  Bengals

Season Point Differential: (+29)

The Ravens made it a close one, but the Bengals were still able to waltz out of week 3 undefeated with a 28-24 win over their divisional adversaries. QB Andy Dalton had a stellar game, with 383 yards and three touchdowns, while A.J. Green had 227 receiving yards and 2 TDs. The running back corps underperformed with just 86 total yards and no touchdowns, but really, when you are racking up so many points by air, why bother trying to move the rock on the ground? 

#05

Green Bay Packers

Season Point Differential: (+28)

What more needs to be said about Aaron Rodgers performance on Monday night? 333 yards and five touchdown passes, with James Jones and Randall Cobbs combining for four TD receptions and well over 200 yards after the catch. Overshadowed somewhat, however, was the Packers' steady run game in their 38-28 victory over the Chiefs: despite having no touchdowns on the ground, they nonetheless moved the rock smoothly, collecting 123 rushing yards against one of the League's more efficient front sevens. 

#06

New York Jets

Season Point Differential: (+27)

When Geno Smith get sucker-punched out of the regular season, the doomsayers had a field day. Well, making all of those people look like a bunch of triple-A knaves in hindsight, the Jets are easily the best defensive team in the National Football League right now. Of course, that still doesn't mean they can't have some bad showings, as demonstrated by Sunday's 24-17 loss to the Eagles. The takeaway here? It don't matter how good your secondary is, if your QB is going to throw three interceptions per game -- and your receivers are going turn the ball over twice -- not even the best defensive core in the League is going to be enough to win you ball games. 

#07

Denver Broncos

Season Point Differential: (+25)

Peyton Manning, who obliterated NFL passing records just two seasons ago, has slowed down considerably in 2015. Alas, he looked in tiptop shape Sunday night, as his 324 passing yards and two touchdowns helped power the Broncos to a 24-12 victory over a struggling Lions squad. That said, with a run game that could barely post 40 yards against a subpar Detroit defense, you really have to wonder how this team is going to fare later in the season ... especially as some unexpected interdivisional competition slowly awakens in the Bay Area.

#08

Pittsburgh Steelers

Season Point Differential: (+24)

Well, the good news is, the Steelers got Le'Veon Bell back for week three. The bad news is, they lost Big Ben for four-to-six weeks in the very same game. With arguably the best half-back and wide receiver in the game, this Steelers team is designed to rack up the points; the question now is, can Pittsburgh count on a way-past-his-prime Mike Vick to deliver the ball into the capable hands of Antonio Brown and company? 

THE PLAYOFF HOPEFULS

#09 

Carolina Panthers

Season Point Differential: (+23)

Next to the Jets, the Panthers have the League's absolute best defense. That said, that stellar D couldn't prevent the Saints from giving Carolina a close call, as Cam Newton and company barely scraped by last Sunday with a 27-22 win. The decisive factor, obviously, was Carolina's chief signal caller; Newton -- despite not having "seniority" for a few beneficial penalty calls -- nonetheless racked up some serious yardage (315) and two touchdowns by air, both of which wound up in the mitts of Greg Olsen (who, as it should probably be noted, had 134 yards on just eight receptions.)

#010

Atlanta Falcons

Season Point Differential: (+17)

Another week in the NFL, and another come-from-behind victory by the Falcons. At one point down 21-7, Matt Ryan slowly came to live, as the new-but-not-that-new-look Dirty Birds wound up with a 38-28 victory over the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. With Devonta Freeman racking up three touchdowns and 141 yards on the ground and Julio Jones reeling in two TDs with 164 yards, the Falcons are quickly becoming one of the most versatile offensive threats in the League ... and with a much improved defense from last year on top of it. 

#011

Seattle Seahawks

Season Point Differential: (+13)

The 'Hawks improved to 1-2 on the season Sunday, throttling the hapless Bears 26-0. With 235 yards on the day, Russell Wilson looked much improved, despite being sacked four times by what is statistically the worst defense in the NFL. With about 400 yards of total offense, the Seahawks looked like their old selves again -- that said, with Marshawn Lynch 50/50 for week 4's tilt against the Lions, it is awfully tempting to finger the "upset alarm" button for Monday night. 

#012

Tennessee Titans

Season Point Differential: (+12)

Despite being 1-2 and losing a close one to the Colts Sunday, the Titans -- at the moment -- remain the best looking team in an absolutely ghastly AFC South. Mariota broke even on a TD to INT ration at two a piece, but in the process, he racked up an impressive 367 yards, which was well over a hundred more than Andrew Luck tossed in Indy's microscopic 35-33 win over Tennessee. This team may not be suited for a playoff run quite yet, but there's no denying they are going to be a fun team to watch throughout the season. 

#013

Minnesota Vikings

Season Point Differential: (+10)

Terry Bridgwater (121 yards, an INT and no TDs) has a forgettable day, but AP certainly didn't. America's favorite (alleged) child abuser ran wild in the Vikes' resounding 31-14 victory over the Chargers, accumulating 126 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries. You have to give some love to the defense, too, as they sacked Philip Rivers four times, picked him off once and forced him to turn the ball over, before finally knocking him out of the game altogether. 

#014

New York Giants

Season Point Differential: (+6)

Eli Manning had two touchdowns and 279 yards in the G-Men's 32-21 victory over the 'Skins. Both Rueben Randle and Odell Beckham, Jr. and his stupid haircut had good nights, combining for two TD receptions and nearly 200 yards all by themselves. The defense, however, just kind of phoned it in: they let an underpowered Washington offense rack up a good 400 yards against them, with Matt Jones not even really playing. 

#015

Dallas Cowboys

Season Point Differential: (0)

At the beginning of Sunday's game against the Falcons, Joseph Randle looked like a stud. That said, despite rushing for three touchdowns and 87 yards, it wasn't enough to keep the Brandon Weeden-commandeered Cowboys from overcoming a late onslaught of points from Matty Ice and pals. The backup QB looked decent enough with 232 yards, but none of his air strikes put points on the board. The Cowboys run game might be enough to overcome the loss of Tony Romo against some teams, but as Atlanta proved, their ground attack just isn't enough offensively to get the job down against the NFL's upper-tier units. 

#016

Washington Redskins 

Season Point Differential: (-4)

Kirk Cousins had a TD and 316 yards in the team's Thursday night loss to the Giants. Of course, Cousins also threw an INT, while Matt Jones accumulated only 38 yards on 11 carries and lost a costly fumble. This Sunday's Battle-For-2-and-2 against Philadelphia, needless to say, could be all kinds of ugly, folks. 

THE MIDDLE OF THE PACK

#017

Houston Texans

Season Point Differential: (-4)

Talk about coming out of the Blue ... Alfred Blue, that is. The no-name back had 139 yards and ran it in for a TD in the Texans' 19-9 win over the Bucs. Receiver DeAndre Hopkins (1 TD, 101 yards) also looked solid, while QB Ryan Mallett finished with a "meh" 228 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. And of course, there's also the defense, which hit Jameis Winston six times and limited Tampa Bay to just 57 yards. In a gloriously substandard AFC South, that kind of play -- as hard as it may be to interpret -- might just be enough to win them the division. 

#018

Philadelphia Eagles

Season Point Differential: (-5)

The Eagles got their first win of the season against a damn good Jets team on Sunday. Although Sam Bradford only tossed the ball for 108 yards, he still managed a touchdown and no interceptions, and the Eagles running back corps -- led by Ryan Matthews -- accumulated a fair 123 yards and one touchdown on the ground. It may not be too much to be excited about, but in an injury-hampered NFC East, any late September win could have huge implications come January. 

#019

Oakland Raiders

Season Point Differential: (-9)

Granted, the team's 27-20 victory over the Browns was a close game, with the Raiders almost giving it away at the end, but you can't help but feel impressed by this team's emerging offense. For the second week in a row, Derek Carr had over 300 yards passing, with running back Latavious Murray and star wideout Amari Cooper both posting 130 plus yards apiece. And with Charles Woodson making the last second INT, for a week at least, the spirit of 2002 was alive and well in Raider Nation. 

#020

Kansas City Chiefs

Season Point Differential: (-10)

At 1-2, the Chiefs aren't exactly struggling to get their offense going, but they are struggling quite a bit with sloppy play. Case in point? Alex Smith's two fumbles and interception in Monday night's 38-28 loss to the the Packers. With the Chiefs only able to muster 75 rushing yards -- not to mention Smith being sacked no less than seven times -- you really have to start asking some hard questions about this team's offensive line. 

#021

Baltimore Ravens

Season Point Differential: (-14)

The winless Ravens find themselves in an unfamiliar realm; for the first time since the team's inception, they are struggling to win games with a lackluster defense. Offensively, Sunday's 28-24 loss provides the Maryland faithful both some succor and even more reasons to be concerned about the team's fortunes. While Joe Flacco tossed the ball for 362 yards, the team could only muster a poor 36 yards rushing throughout the entire game. 

#022

Cleveland Browns

Season Point Differential: (-14)

Pro Bowler Joe Haden is supposed to be one of the best defenders in the League. Well, he sure didn't look like it Sunday, as Raiders wunderkind Amari Cooper burnt his ass for well over 130 yards in the Browns' 27-20 loss to Oakland. Gary Barnidge was the offensive MVP for sure (106 yards, one TD), but the run game looked god awful, accumulating just 39 yards on the day. Don't let Josh McCown's 316 yards and two TD passes fool you; this is a team that's still a complete mess at quarterback, and with Johnny Football champing at the bit on the sideline, expect plenty of drama throughout the rest of the season. 

#023

St. Louis Rams

Season Point Differential: (-17)

After upsetting the Seahawks in week one, Nick Foles and the boys haven't really looked all that awe-inspiring. In a fugly 12-6 loss to the Steelers that's memorable solely because the the Rams almost sat the Ed Jones Dome on fire (and secondly, because the grounds crew though they could put out AstroTurf infernos with vaccuum cleaners), Foles had an INT and no TD passes, while the Rams running back corps had just 71 yards on 18 carries. 

#024

San Diego Chargers

Season Point Differential: (-17)

With Rivers getting injured, the Chargers had to make magic work with Kellen Clemens, who managed to toss just as many TD passes as the starter did on literally a fourth as many pass attempts in San Diego's 31-14 loss to Minnesota. Keenan Allen (133 yards, two touchdowns) is definitely the team's greatest offensive weapon, but the question is obvious: just how good is a multifaceted receiver if he ain't got a reliable quarterback to hit him? 

ANXIOUSLY AWAITING THE DRAFT

#025

Miami Dolphins

Season Point Differential: (-23)

After a really good week one performance, the new look Fins are starting to look like rotten tuna. While Rishard Matthews got two touchdowns and 113 yards in Sunday's 41-14 curb stomping at the cleats of the Bills, nobody else on the receiving corps could find the endzone. Nor did the run game -- which only racked up 102 yards on the day -- look all that impressive. The big concern, however, has to be the team's lagging defense: the Fins couldn't sack "T-Mobile" once, and on the whole, they let Buffalo chalk up more than 400 total yards of offense. 

#026

Indianapolis Colts

Season Point Differential: (-24)

The Colts got their first win of the season ... BARELY ... in a Big 12 style gun fight with Tennessee. Despite tossing two TDs, Andy Luck posted a relatively low 260 yards, got sacked three times and got smacked around four more. With Frank Gore's two TD day, the rushing game looked all right, but that defense still has lots of work to be done. If these dudes can't keep Dorial Green-Beckham and Kendall Wright out of the endzone, what's going to happen when they have to stop a Gronk or an Antonio Brown?

#027

New Orleans Saints

Season Point Differential: (-24)

The Saints are still looking for their first win of the season, and despite coming away empty-handed over the weekend, there were a few glimmers of hope to be found in their 27-22 loss to Carolina. Backup QB Luke McCown went 31 for 38 and had 310 yards, but unfortunately, he couldn't convert any of them into touchdowns. The special teams unit, at least, found a way to hit the endzone; Marcus Murphy had well over 150 yards and TD on five kick and punt returns. 

#28

Detroit Lions

Season Point Differential: (-27)

Thanks in no small part to having arguably the League's most potent offensive and defensive players, the Lions have been a consistent playoff-caliber team for the last four seasons. That said, with Donkey Kong Suh taking up residence in South Beach and the UGA/Georgia Tech QB-WR tandem failing to light up the scoreboards anymore, the tenants of Ford Field are playing much more like the dreadful 2008 team than the 2014 squad who almost sent the Cowboys packing in the wildcard round. That the team was only able to put up a measly 28 rushing yards against the Broncos in Sunday night's 24-12 loss ought to send a shiver down the spine of any longtime Lions fan. 

#29

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Season Point Differential: (-31)

With 261 yards, Jameis Winston certainly looked better than Ryan Mallett in the Bucs' 19-9 loss to the Texans on Sunday. With a no-name receiving corps, the former FSU star had some success, as Mike Evans and Louis Murphy rumbled downfield for about 170 combined. Alas, the run game remains a complete non-factor, as Doug Martin and Charles Sims, together, could only muster 57 yards on the day. Then, there's Bobby Rainey's two lost fumbles ... the less said about that, the better. 

#30

Jacksonville Jaguars

Season Point Differential: (-42)

As hard as it may be to believe, the Jaguars -- despite being crushed by the Pats by 34 points over the weekend -- are still the top team in a sadsack AFC South. Blake Bortles had about as good a day as he could've on Sunday, racking up 242 yards and chucking two TD passes against a ferocious Patriots secondary, but they never could get the run game going. The Jags go toe-to-toe with the de-surgent Colts on Sunday, for control of what very well could be the worst division in modern NFL history (yes, even worse than last year's abysmal  NFC South.) 

#31

San Francisco 49ers

Season Point Differential: (-48)

Colin K. had one of the absolute worst showing by an NFL QB in recent memory on Sunday, as he threw four interceptions and accumulated an astonishingly low 67 yards of offense in the Niners' embarrassing 47-7 loss to the Cardinals. He ultimately finished the game with a 3.2 QBR -- a sum so absurdly low, you have to wonder if the coaching staff isn't thinking about benching him for week four. 

#32

Chicago Bears 

Season Point Differential: (-59)

Well, this is uncharted territory: priding themselves for decades as a defensive juggernaut, the ill-fated Bears now find themselves sans a win and the unfortunate title holders for worst defensive team in the whole dadgum League. The Bears blowout loss to Seattle is just the latest setback in a season that's already shaping up to be one of the most miserable in the franchise's history. With Jimmy Clausen in the pocket and the team giving up more points than anybody in the NFL, how does Chicago's management respond? By literally trading away their best defensive player for peanuts. What's the record for absolute earliest a National Football League team has given up on a season? Whatever it is, this Bears team looks destined to shatter it. 

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