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Week 3 of the 2021 NFL season wraps up tonight with Monday Night Football and the standings for the NFL are looking pretty bizarre after three weeks. It's still early in the 17-game season, but some teams may need to rethink their strategy this year if they are in the basement of their division.
Some divisions like the NFC East are weak and it's not surprising to see any of those teams sitting in fourth place. However, the NFL has several playoff teams from 2020 at the bottom of their division standings and one played in the Super Bowl last season.
Here are the teams who are ranked last in their divisions that should start worrying about their NFL season.
NFL teams ranked last in division that should be concerned about their 2021 season
Seattle Seahawks - NFC West
The Seattle Seahawks started off with a win in Week 1, but have since lost a close game to the Tennessee Titans and lost by 13 to the Minnesota Vikings this week. Going into the season, the Seattle Seahawks' defense was seen as an issue, but it's more about the coaching and playcalling of the defense than the players.
Safety Jamal Adams is known for being a box safety, which is fine, but he plays at the line of scrimmage far too often for a safety. Seattle relies too much on other players picking up receivers, breaking free down the field as Adams is not in a position to help.
Russell Wilson and the offense were good in the first half with scoring points...they're often good in the first half.
In Week 3, the Seattle Seahawks did not score in the second half after coming out of halftime down 21-17. In Week 2, the game went into overtime and Seattle only managed six points after posting 26 early in the game.
In their Week one victory, they were also only able to manage seven points in the second half. The Seahawks need to step back and see if teams are finding a way to figure out their offense during halftime or if they need to change things up to keep them from stalling.
At 1-2 in the NFC West, the Seattle Seahawks sit behind two of the 3-0 teams in the LA Rams and Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals are a weak 3-0 but the Rams are leading the charge as one of the best teams in the NFL and the Seahawks may not be able to catch up to them.
The NFL playoffs would feel strange without the Seahawks playing, but it seems like a possibility.
Atlanta Falcons - NFC South
The Atlanta Falcons were never seen as the top team in the NFC South with Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers being the reigning Super Bowl champions. But no one saw the Carolina Panthers jumping out to a division lead with a 3-0 record.
Say what you will, but the Falcons are missing WR Julio Jones as TE Kyle Pitts hasn't been nearly as electric as expected in the NFL. Pitts is starting to find some momentum, but it could be too late for the Atlanta Falcons.
Not only are they 1-2 and fourth in the NFC South, but the Atlanta Falcons have scored the fifth-fewest points and allowed the the third-most points in the NFL through three weeks. Matt Ryan is doing what he can but the entire roster is struggling.
They beat the New York Giants this week for their sole win, but the Giants are 0-3 and continue to get in their own way. The Falcons had a top five pick in the previous draft and may end up with a top ten pick in the next NFL draft at this rate.
Pittsburgh Steelers - AFC North
The Pittsburgh Steelers sit alone at the bottom of the AFC North at 1-2. They should technically be a 0-3 team, but Josh Allen showed some rust in Week 1 and Pittsburgh's defense hadn't had all of their injuries yet. Everyone saw some concerns with a totally revamped offensive line with four new faces as starters and rookie RB Najee Harris.
It turns out everyone was right and it seems as if the offensive line is going to derail the entire season. The Steelers needed to run the ball well in order to be a contender this year, hence drafting Najee Harris, but the offensive line isn't allowing him to run.
Through three games, Najee Harris has 123 yards on 40 carries (3.1 average) and ended up with a franchise-record 14 catches for 102 yards this week...because he can't run behind the offensive line.
The offensive line is also struggling with pass-protection, as Ben Roethlisberger was sacked four times in Week 3 and has been sacked a total of eight times this season. Matt Canada's offensive scheme is showing cracks, especially when choosing to throw a screen pass on 4th-and-long.
The defense was excellent in Week 1, but injuries have taken quite a toll. TJ Watt, Stephon Tuitt, Alex Highsmith and Tyson Alualu were all out for Week 3. When you have four of the six stars on your defensive line missing, it's hard to create pressure in the NFL.
The Cleveland Browns are showing they can be a contender this season and the Baltimore Ravens are playing some exciting football through three weeks. With one of the hardest schedules in the NFL, the Pittsburgh Steelers could miss the NFL playoffs and end up with a losing record in 2021 (which would be a first in the Mike Tomlin era).
Everyone else
The New York Giants are 0-3 but it's not like we weren't expecting it. Many believed it was either going to be them or the Philadelphia Eagles who were in the bottom of the NFC East.
They've dealt with inconsistencies at receiver and injuries on the defense. It's not time to worry because they were never expected to have a chance in the NFL in 2021.
The New York Jets are also 0-3 and had little chance of making an impact in the AFC East with a rookie quarterback and a first-year head coach. Their roster was never seen as being top-notch and is still a season or two away from being a playoff team again in the NFL.
Everyone is freaking out over the Kansas City Chiefs being 1-2 and in the bottom of the AFC West. Let's calm down and relax for just a bit.
The Chiefs have had a competitive start to the season and lost a game by one point and another by six.
Unlike the other teams in their division, Kansas City can keep up the pace throughout the season and can easily win five or six in a row. The NFL may end up seeing them as overrated, which would be a mistake on their part.
The AFC South is horrible and the Jacksonville Jaguars are 0-3, along with the Indianapolis Colts. They just traded away CB CJ Henderson and RB Travis Etienne won't even play this season. Their division is weak and they could still end up finishing second.
The Detroit Lions are 0-3 but have shown some fight over the last two weeks. Again, they had a low ceiling entering the season. First-year quarterback Jared Goff isn't playing much better (or worse) than many predicted with the Lions. Their defense is one of the worst in the NFL as well.
With such a surprising start to the 2021-2022 NFL season for some of these teams, there's even more reason to stay tuned all year.
Also check out: Complete Monday Night Football Schedule 2021
