There have been many teams who have had surprising starts in the NFL, but the three teams that I will focus on are the Cardinals, Raiders, and the Rams, and what they will need to do to make the playoffs/or go on a playoff run.
The Cardinals are the only undefeated team left in the NFL. That is because of how good quarterback Kyler Murray is playing right now. Murray has been playing great football, throwing for 1,512 yards as well as 10 touchdown passes. Murray also has three rushing touchdowns. The most surprising start to the Cardinals teams so far is their defense. Chandler Jones has a great start recording 5 sacks with 9 tackles. On top of that the Cardinals had a huge win against division rival San Francisco 49ers. If the Cardinals want to continue their fabulous start they will need their defense to play as well as they are now.
The Raiders have had a very surprising start being 3-2 to start the season. They received their first loss against a very good Chargers team. Before this game the Raiders exceeded expectations being the underdog in two of the games and winning both of them. The main surprise on the Raiders has been quarterback Derek Carr. Carr has a fabulous start throwing for 1,605 yards, 8 touchdowns, and a QB rating of 61.1 which is the ninth best in the NFL. Also the defense has been rock solid for the Raiders. Yannick Ngakoue has been a great pick up for the Raiders and is having a great season. Ngakoue has two sacks and has been applying great pressure to the opposing team’s quarterback. If the Raiders want to have a shot at making the playoffs they will be running back Josh Jacobs to stay healthy and be on the field. As well as adding a couple starting offensive linemen.
The Los Angeles Rams made a questionable decision by trading two first round picks to acquire quarterback Matthew Stafford. This trade however is looking very promising for the Rams. Stafford has thrown 1,587 yards, 12 touchdowns, and has had a QB rating of 113.2. Another huge surprise for the Rams is wide receiver Cooper Kupp. For wide receivers, Kupp has the third most receiving yards in the NFL and the second most touchdowns with 6. The Rams are in a good position, but if they want to continue to succeed they will need consistent play from Stafford and Kupp, and as well as their defense.
