Being Undefeated Comes With Company
For the first time in NFL history the league has five undefeated teams heading into week eight. The Green Bay Packers, Denver Broncos, Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers, and New England Patriots all sport a spotless record. That number is sure to decrease this week with our Green Bay Packers heading to Denver in Sunday night’s game. In fact, the Packers have the Broncos and Panthers, both on the road, as their next two opponents, so it’s very possible that two teams will kiss their untainted records goodbye in the near future. Surprisingly, the only team that doesn’t have another undefeated team remaining on their schedule is the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Bengals aren’t the most surprising team on this list, but they haven’t done very much to get here either. Their marquee win thus far has come against the Seattle Seahawks which is proving to be easier than expected this season. None of their victories have come against teams with winning records, and despite that they’re only beating teams by an average of ten points a game. Though the Bengals have the easiest remaining schedule, their undefeated moniker will likely not last until December.
Unlike the Bengals, the Panthers are the most surprising team on this list. Cam Newton has hardly been spectacular as the leader of this team but the Panthers continue to do just enough to win. Like the Bengals, the Panthers have not had to face a team with a winning record this year, but their margin of victory is less than nine points a game. Beating on perennial punching bags like the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans will not do much to inspire confidence in your team, but they can certainly earn that confidence with a game against the Packers and two against the Falcons looming in the near future.
The Broncos are the worst undefeated team remaining in the field. Their once stellar quarterback has been below average, but their defense has been doing just enough to win games. Peyton Manning has looked every year of his age at 39 years old; he simply doesn’t have the ability to make the throws he once made. The Broncos have beaten one team with a winning record but sport a dismal six point margin of victory average this season. Their undefeated streak should come to an end this week against the Packers.
The Patriots are the crème of the crop so far this season, having beaten two teams with winning records winning by over two touchdowns a game on average. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are clearly in a very angry state of mind after being targeted by the league this offseason, and an angry Brady and Belichick is a scary thing to go up against. Of all of the undefeated teams, the Patriots have a fairly easy remaining schedule and are the most likely to continue their undefeated ways deep into the season.
The Packers are considered the second best of the undefeated teams but they also have yet to defeat a team with a winning record. Their average margin of victory is over 10 points a game and they are actually winning games with their defense. Aaron Rodgers remains the best quarterback in the league but it is difficult to win games on offense when your three biggest weapons are hampered or sidelined with injuries. The Packers have a dangerous schedule remaining this season but if they are able to navigate it they will certainly have a ton of confidence heading into the postseason.
Packers 30 Broncos 17
