The start of a new NFL season always brings hope and anticipation. Now the wait is over; the first few weeks of the NFL season are underway, giving an insight into the amazing season to come. Let’s take a look at some of the teams that have performed better and worse than predicted heading into this season.

There have been several teams that have had surprising starts to their season, but the most interesting and shocking are as follows:

New England Patriots:
Starting off the season, the Patriots were supposed to be one of the worst teams in the league after the loss of their six time superbowl winning coach Bill Belicheck. That has not been the case, however, with the Patriots starting off the season with two strong games. The Patriots won their first game against the Cincinnati Bengals with a score of 16-10, considered to be one of the better teams this season. They barely lost their second game of the season to the Seattle Seahawks, where they were big underdogs, with an overtime score of 23-20. Considering the Patriots were supposed to be horrendous but are actually holding their own, I would consider this a win.

Buffalo Bills:
The Buffalo Bills were already supposed to be a good team starting the season with a powerful offense and a defensive line that would haunt any QB, but after watching the first two games of their season this team looks like the best in the NFL. The Bills, led by quarterback Josh Allen, started off the season with a comeback win over the Arizona Cardinals. In week two, the Bills played an amazing Miami team with many big time players and won easily 31-10. After seeing these two games anyone would agree that the Buffalo Bills are here to play and anyone who goes against them should watch out.

New Orleans Saints:
The Saints started off the season with a commanding 47-10 win over the Carolina Panthers and went on the next week to beat a fierce Dallas team on the road 44-19. In both these games, the Saints offense seemed unstoppable and the defense also played well enough to hold both teams under twenty. The Saints have so many weapons on offense that other defenses just have no idea who to defend. If the Saints keep playing the way they are, they are going to be one of the hardest teams in the league to beat.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
Before the start of the season the Tampa Buccaneers weren’t supposed to be anything special. The Buccaneers weren’t supposed to be bad, but nobody expected them to go out and play the way they have. They started off the season with the Commanders who they beat handily and then went to play the Lions who have one of the best offenses in the NFL. The Bucs won that game and are looking good. Quarterback Baker Mayfield can practically do no wrong and the Bucs are well on their way to a great season.

Baltimore Ravens:
The Baltimore Ravens leading into the season were supposed to be possibly the best team in the league. They played the first game of the season against the Kansas City Chiefs and just barely lost, and then they played the Las Vegas Raiders week two and just barely lost that game. The Ravens didn’t play badly in either game but, coming off a good off season and also a good team last year, the Ravens looked like the team to beat in the NFL. Instead they have started off the season 0-2 and are going to have to play a tough game against the Dallas Cowboys in week 3. The Ravens aren’t out of the season by any means, but it is going to be a long road back after an 0-2 start.

With all that said, it is only week 3 and the NFL season still has many games left. The start to the season can mean everything, and these teams are the ones that have been affected the most by getting off to a quick lead in their divisions or falling behind, making it all the more difficult to make the playoffs . Still, it will be a great season to come with many surprises along the way.