Before week 3 in the NFL plays out and disappears quickly, teams are showing change, improvements, and potential. In three categories, 2-0, 1-1, and 0-2, which are serious about the playoffs and which aren’t?

2-0
New England headlines their division and a majority of the time, the AFC conference. Jimmy Garoppolo is doing a fantastic job filling in for the suspended Brady, but may have started his last game for the season. Starting a third string QB on Thursday, the biggest problem they’ll face is J.J. Watt. But can they get the win and take their division for a deep playoff run?

Pittsburgh showed Kirk Cousins what he doesn’t like and finally left a Bengal game without a superstar ending their season. With a vastly improved defense and a well maintained offense, they’ll battle for the AFC North and either win or take the wild card. They’ll be feared — if healthy — by playoffs.

Baltimore plays hard. With their elite players back, they have a re-established team. Joe Flacco can get whatever he wants with his offense, but they still can fall behind if they’re not careful.

Houston established their offensive game by signing a long-term QB, but the Colts can dethrone them from the AFC South. They’ll play for their division, but that’s their only shot in a weak division.

Denver overcame some big losses, and they’re still being carried by their defense. They should be careful. Every division rival can still take that from the first Super Bowl champs.

The Giants and Eagles are both 2-0, are beating the division, and have new coaches. One will win the division, and both will play tough games this week to potentially break their tie.

Minnesota lost a QB and has been rewarded by their trade so far. Bradford had a good performance against the Packers and shouldn’t worry too much about losing Adrian Peterson. They may take the division for a second year or will take a wild card at this rate.

1-1

I never would have thought that the 49ers would lead the NFC west. All 1-1, the 49ers won’t hold it for long or contest for the wild card. Arizona or Seattle will, more than likely, duke it out the most for the year. Both will get one or the other playoff spots. The Rams may upset some games as well, and every game counts in this division.

The Lions and Packers are tied after two games, but the difference is the Packers are still elite while the Lions need to fix their defense. Last year, we saw Aaron Rodgers and his squad go toe to toe with the Vikings, and we should see it this year.

Carolina lost hope of going undefeated again. They lost veteran pass rusher Jared Allen and also lost “best in the league” Josh Norman, but will still thrive offensively and could win against everyone in the division. On the other side, Matt Ryan and the Falcons are showing a turnaround, but they do not play great against their own division. Atlanta is known for cold streaks, and they may not stay hot so long this year.

Dallas, at 1-1, are seeing great things from rookie Dak Prescott and rookie Ezekiel Elliot. Dallas could face another 8-8 season depending on how well they handle close games within the fourth quarter. For Dallas, it’ll be win the division or nothing in the NFC.

Everyone in the AFC West is 1-1 except the Denver Broncos. But no matter — Kansas City and Oakland are looking improved and playoff hungry. Kansas City can keep their cool under pressure, and Jack Del Rio plays risky. Both can outmatch Denver and fight for the division or the final wild card spot. San Diego already lost all-star players Keenan Allen and Danny Woodhead. Rivers can play hard, but his defense may not back him up and will end last in the division.

Tennessee acquired veteran DeMarco Murray and Heisman trophy winner Derrick Henry, but shouldn’t be surprised if they start to slip down to last.

The Bengals played close in Pittsburgh; they’ll play great in every single one of their games with Andy Dalton to A.J. Green racking up tons of yards. Andy Dalton is looking at an excellent year if he keeps up his effort, and at the AFC North spot winner if they catch up with the Steelers.

The New York Jets finally agreed on terms with Ryan Fitzpatrick and may not show true leadership if he throws any other late-game interceptions for a loss. The running game is changed with Matt Forte, but he cannot carry them to an AFC West title against the Patriots. If lucky, they’ll be wild card contenders.

0-2
Miami and Buffalo are both looking at losing seasons again. They can upset a couple teams’ seasons for fun, but may not end up with a winning season. They can play spoilers and look forward to more rebuilding.

The Browns, in the least surprising surprise of week two, blew an 18-point lead against rival Baltimore. The loss of their starter, as well as lingering injuries to players, continue the growing list of Browns QB starters within the last 20 years. They’re stuck with another losing season.

The Colts and Jaguars are both at the bottom of their division, and it’s a weak division. What they’ll need is for Houston to slip up for a couple games. The Jaguars need to look down the road and realize that their defensive stars may need more to assist them, if they want to stand out next year.

Kirk Cousins doesn’t like his situation, and neither does his teammates. Cousins needs to gather himself and play like a franchise tagged QB if his team wants to keep playoff hopes alive.

Chicago may need to move on from Jay Cutler. His injury may open up a situation in which he cannot play next year. The Bears do not have a playoff shot without a solid QB and may have to change that next year.

Drew Brees and the Saints can be offensively elite as much as they want. The sum of their season may be their week-one matchup with the Raiders, where they passed for more than 500 yards, put 35 points on the board, and still lost by one point. Sean Peyton either has to get his defense working for a playoff run or start looking at a high draft pick next year.