Full disclosure: Given the state of things in the world right now, the bizarro-universe version of this article in which we’d discuss things that teams should not be thankful for might actually be easier to write and would definitely get real dark.
But lucky for you, that’s not what we’re doing today. With Canadian Thanksgiving coming up on Monday, it’s time for Sportsnet’s expert panel to think positively and find something for each team to be happy about at the season’s quarter mark.
This week, the panel includes editors Geoff Lowe and Craig Battle, and staff writers Mike Johnston and Emily Sadler.
1. Kansas City Chiefs
2020 record: 4-0
Last week: 1
Reason to be thankful: You name it
They’ve won 13 straight thanks in part to the off-field leadership of Andy Reid and on-field brilliance of Patrick Mahomes. And in a Monday nighter in which the offence wasn’t humming, the defence came up big in a win over the Patriots. (CB)
2. Seattle Seahawks
2020 record: 4-0
Last week: 2
Reason to be thankful: The new neighbours seem cool
Fact: The Seahawks are undefeated since the new Seattle NHL expansion team, the Kraken, got their name. Coincidence? Impossible. Seriously, though — Russell Wilson is playing like an MVP, and the Hawks have put themselves out ahead of the pack in the NFC West. Also, the last time Seattle went 4-0 to start a season was back in 2013, the year they won the Super Bowl. (CB)
3. Green Bay Packers
2020 record: 4-0
Last week: 3
Reason to be thankful: Aaron Rodgers’s flex
We’re talking about his eye-popping numbers, of course, but also literally this photo below. (ES)
4. Baltimore Ravens
2020 record: 3-1
Last week: 4
Reason to be thankful: Lamar Jackson (and his best weapons)
Week 3 against the Chiefs was a pretty dismal affair for Jackson, who even went so far as to call Kansas City his kryptonite. He looked like his dynamic self again on Sunday versus Washington, going for a long touchdown run and tossing two more to Mark Andrews — another reason to be thankful. (ES)
5. Buffalo Bills
2020 record: 4-0
Last week: 5
Reason to be thankful: Taking the leap
This season for the Bills was always going to be defined by the play of Josh Allen, but entering 2020 the question was, “Will Buffalo be able to take the next step with Allen?” Four weeks into the season, the Bills have taken that step because of the third-year quarterback. Allen has made the leap, and Buffalo has emerged as a real contender. (GL)
6. Pittsburgh Steelers
2020 record: 3-0
Last week: 6
Reason to be thankful: T.J. Watt
The Steelers, whose Week 4 matchup against Tennessee was rescheduled due to COVID concerns, are having an incredibly dominant season on defence, and T.J. Watt is leading the way. Three games in, he’s operating at more than a sack-per-game pace and has registered 10 quarterback hits, nine tackles, three tackles for loss, and an interception. (ES)
7. Tennessee Titans
2020 record: 3-0
Last week: 7
Reason to be thankful: An early bye week and not having to forfeit their scheduled Week 4 game against the Steelers
The Titans are dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak, so the NFL shuffled a few things around and moved their meeting to Week 7. Tennessee is unbeaten, so we’ll see how this obstacle impacts the team on the field. (MJ)
8. New England Patriots
2020 record: 2-2
Last week: 8
Reason to be thankful: No one signed Cam Newton before they did
The Patriots agreed to terms on a one-year deal with Cam Newton more than three months after the off-season started – and they’re thankful today no one else got him first. If we learned anything from Monday night’s loss to the Chiefs, it’s how bad this Patriots offence would be without Newton at the helm. (GL)
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9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2020 record: 3-1
Last week: 10
Reason to be thankful: The defensive front seven
Most of the talk this season will revolve around Tom Brady and the offence, but Tampa’s defence is a huge reason why the Bucs are on top of the NFC South standings early on. The team is allowing just 64.3 rushing yards against per game, which is excellent. (MJ)
10. Los Angeles Rams
2020 record: 3-1
Last week: 11
Reason to be thankful: Slow-starting rivals
The Rams needed a late TD to lock down a win over the Giants this past weekend, so they’ve still got a lot to prove. But the biggest obstacle on their path to the playoffs was supposed to be in-division competition, and so far both the 49ers and Cardinals have stumbled more than expected. The Rams are now 3-1, and second in the NFC West to only the Seahawks. (CB)
11. New Orleans Saints
2020 record: 2-2
Last week: 13
Reason to be thankful: Drew Brees confirming to us that he isn’t done quite just yet
The Saints spotted the Lions a 14–0 first-quarter lead, yet Brees didn’t panic, was able to move the ball and stretch the field without Michael Thomas, and the Saints put up 35 points. (MJ)
12. Cleveland Browns
2020 record: 3-1
Last week: 15
Reason to be thankful: Run depth
When Nick Chubb went down with a knee injury Sunday against the Cowboys, it looked like the Browns might go down with him. But Cleveland’s run-by-committee approach, led by Kareem Hunt and supplemented by a thrilling Odell Beckham Jr. sprint, proved not just fruitful but historic — their 307 rushing yards were the most Dallas has ever allowed in a single game. (ES)
13. Indianapolis Colts
2020 record: 3-1
Last week: 17
Reason to be thankful: Their ability to frustrate opposing teams and win games in boring ways
The Colts are putting up a league-low 14 points and 236.3 yards of offence per week, yet they lead all teams with seven interceptions and have a 3-1 record. They relied on four Rodrigo Blankenship field goals against the Bears in Week 4 in a contender for Least Memorable Game of 2020. (MJ)
14. Arizona Cardinals
2020 record: 2-2
Last week: 9
Reason to be thankful: The defence isn’t as bad as it looked on Sunday
This past weekend, Teddy Bridgewater and the Panthers bowled over the Cardinals’ defence, barely letting Kyler Murray and the Arizona offence on the field. But safeties Budda Baker and Chris Banjo could return soon, and Chandler Jones — held without a sack for three straight weeks — is overdue for a breakout performance. (CB)
15. San Francisco 49ers
2020 record: 2-2
Last week: 12
Reason to be thankful: The not-great state of New York (x2)
The 49ers have been hit with major injuries at key positions on both sides of the ball, from Nick Bosa to Jimmy Garoppolo to Raheem Mostert to Ziggy Ansah. But thanks to early-season dates with the NFL’s two worst teams — the Giants and Jets — they’ve avoided what could easily be an 0-4 start. (CB)
16. Chicago Bears
2020 record: 3-1
Last week: 14
Reason to be thankful: Allen Robinson
The Bears’ 3-1 record doesn’t match the rollercoaster ride that has been this season — complete with a QB change already. But wide receiver Allen Robinson, who has now put up back-to-back games with 100-plus receiving yards and a touchdown, is one of the lone bright spots in this offence. (ES)
17. Dallas Cowboys
2020 record: 1-3
Last week: 16
Reason to be thankful: Dak Prescott
Can you imagine where the Cowboys would be without No. 4? A team with one of the worst defences in the league, perpetually playing from behind, trying to stay afloat without a quarterback currently on pace to throw for 6,700 yards — the Cowboys would be a team favoured to get the No. 1 pick rather than the 1-3 team still predicted to win the NFC East. (GL)
18. Las Vegas Raiders
2020 record: 2-2
Last week: 18
Reason to be thankful: Derek Carr
Through four games, Carr has thrown eight touchdowns versus zero interceptions, and just passed Ken Stabler for most touchdown passes in franchise history. He’s a big reason they’re hanging tough in the AFC West, and took a lead into the fourth quarter Sunday against the suddenly powerhouse Bills. (CB)
19. Carolina Panthers
2020 record: 2-2
Last week: 24
Reason to be thankful: Teddy Bridgewater
The Panthers were expected to struggle this year. When Christian McCaffrey went down injured, the season felt almost like a write-off. Yet Bridgewater has put the team on his shoulders, and the Panthers have won two in a row. (MJ)
20. Los Angeles Chargers
2020 record: 1-3
Last week: 19
Reason to be thankful: The QB gods
Since the 2001 season, the Chargers have essentially gone from Drew Brees to Philip Rivers to rookie Justin Herbert, who was barely supposed to play this season and yet has 931 yards and a 102.2 QB rating three games into his NFL career. Compare that to the QB succession flow chart in the same time frame of, say, the Bears. (CB)
21. Minnesota Vikings
2020 record: 1-3
Last week: 21
Reason to be thankful: Justin Jefferson
Veteran Adam Thielen leads the team in touchdowns caught, but it’s rookie Justin Jefferson who’s currently leading the field in receiving yards. His 348 catching yards is more than any other rookie so far this year, and eases the loss of Stefon Diggs. (ES)
22. Miami Dolphins
2020 record: 1-3
Last week: 20
Reason to be thankful: Tua Time is on the horizon
After a 1-3 start to the season, there’s not much to be excited about in South Beach as the Dolphins appear to be quickly floundering 2020 away. But after watching Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert find success early in their rookie seasons, Miami fans still have something to look forward to: the debut of their franchise QB. And it could be coming sooner rather than later. (GL)
23. Philadelphia Eagles
2020 record: 1-2-1
Last week: 28
Reason to be thankful: The NFC Least
A squandered 17-point lead. A double-digit home-opening loss. An uninspiring tie. Despite the first three games of the season, the Eagles entered Sunday night with a chance to take the lead in their division — more appropriately than ever coined the “NFC Least.” Philadelphia did just that thanks to their best outing of the season so far on the road in San Francisco, and now the team sits atop its division with just a single win. (GL)
24. Cincinnati Bengals
2020 record: 1-2-1
Last week: 29
Reason to be thankful: The Jaguars
In the words of the legendary Joe Burrow, “Losing isn’t very fun.”
Despite Burrow’s strong play so far this season, it looks like wins will be few and far between. But the Jaguars were generous enough to come to town Sunday and give the rookie his first W in the pros.
But, seriously, Bengals fans should mostly be thankful for Burrow — because he’s living up to the No. 1–overall hype. (ES)
25. Detroit Lions
2020 record: 1-3
Last week: 23
Reason to be thankful: A little R&R
After a dismal start to the season, the Lions now head into a Week 5 bye to collect themselves, and then can ease their way back into competition with games versus the Jaguars and Falcons. Now there’s a recipe to salvage a season, if ever there was one. (ES)
26. Atlanta Falcons
2020 record: 0-4
Last week: 25
Reason to be thankful: Not much
Seriously, the start to this season has been absolutely brutal. Atlanta is far too talented on paper to be 0-4 and now several players are out with injuries, including safety Damontae Kazee, who tore his Achilles tendon against the Packers on Monday. (MJ)
27. Houston Texans
2020 record: 0-4
Last week: 22
Reason to be thankful: A fresh start
Unfortunately for Bill O’Brien, the team will be thankful ownership finally fired him. O’Brien being both GM and coach wasn’t working, and this year’s 0-4 start was clear proof of that. The tough schedule can’t be an excuse for how they’ve played in 2020. (MJ)
28. Jacksonville Jaguars
2020 record: 1-3
Last week: 26
Reason to be thankful: Being a relatively entertaining team to watch despite losing games like they did to the Cincinnati Bengals this past Sunday
At least that’s what team executives are thankful for. Having a terrible record and getting a top pick in the 2021 NFL Draft is far more beneficial to the franchise in the long run than being slightly more competitive and winning between five and seven games. (MJ)
29. Denver Broncos
2020 record:
Last week: 30
Reason to be thankful: Melvin Gordon III
Not much has gone right for Denver this season — from a brutal early schedule to injuries to the first two quarterbacks on their depth chart. But one week after he got just eight rushes in a loss to Tampa, Gordon came through with his biggest game in a Broncos uniform, going for 107 yards and two TDs in Denver’s first win of the season. (CB)
30. Washington Football Team
2020 record: 1-3
Last week: 27
Reason to be thankful: Ron Rivera
After an unexpected season-opening win, it’s been a tough three-week stretch for the Washington Football Team. But the franchise can move forward with this current rebuild knowing it’s in good hands with head coach Ron Rivera on the sidelines. Not only a two-time coach of the year, Rivera has proven to be an inspiration for not just his team but the entire league as the 58-year-old battles cancer. (GL)
31. New York Giants
2020 record: 0-4
Last week: 31
Reason to be thankful: A surprisingly formidable defence
The second season of the Daniel Jones era in the Big Apple is off to a rough start, as the Giants have been the NFL’s worst offensive team through four games. But on the other side of the ball, Big Blue is playing good football. After shutting down a previously potent Rams offence on Sunday, New York ranks fifth in yards allowed, 12th in points against, sixth against the pass and 10th against the run. (GL)
32. New York Jets
2020 record: 0-4
Last week: 32
Reason to be thankful: They only have one more prime-time game this season
Nobody will be subjected to a nationally televised Jets game again until Nov. 9 against the Patriots – can Monday Night Football games get flexed? Asking for a friend – something Gang Green fans and neutrals alike are all thankful for after what went down Thursday night. (GL)
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