There are more losing teams than winning teams through three weeks of the NFL season, which makes sense when you scope the landscape of the league. It’s basically the Patriots and Broncos doing the usual by holding firm to the perch of the AFC, while in the NFC only Minnesota truly inspires confidence at this point. The rest of the league already seem like also-rans.
That will change. A handful of the 1-2 teams will end up with a winning season, and a few might make the play-offs. It’s early yet.
Here are the Week 4 Power Rankings. Find last week's here.
• 1 New England Patriots (3-0, Last week No 2)
• 2 Denver Broncos (3-0, LW 4)
• The more things change, et cetera. Despite trotting out quarterbacks named Jimmy, Jacoby and Trevor instead of Tom (suspended one more game) or Peyton (retired), the Patriots and Broncos are still the teams to beat.
Basically, these are the only two teams worth truly investing in right now. There are a lot of nice teams below and some cool stories emerging, especially with rookie quarterbacks doing so well. But each team not named the Patriots or Broncos have obvious flaws.
The only questions about the above two coming into the year regarded the quarterback position. Both New England and Denver have already answered them.
• 3 Minnesota Vikings (3-0, LW 7)
• 4 Green Bay Packers (2-1, LW 8)
• There’s plenty to like about Minnesota, who can claim a win over the Packers and defending NFC champion Carolina Panthers among their opening three wins. This team has shown it is for real.
Green Bay’s offence answered a lot of questions on Sunday, as Aaron Rodgers finally looked like Aaron Rodgers again, throwing four touchdowns against the hapless Lions. But their defence and poor coaching in the second half allowed Detroit back in the game. As high as we have them here, the Packers are far from an impressive product.
5 Philadelphia Eagles (3-0, LW 14) | Sunday takeaways: Carson Wentz proving already he belongs
6 Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1, LW 1)
• 7 Houston Texans (2-1, LW 6)
• The Texans may have been multiple Super Bowl winners by now if the Patriots didn’t exist. Houston are now 1-7 against their betters in the AFC, with the one win coming in 2010. That run of futility includes an blow-out defeat in the 2012-13 play-offs that ended Houston’s best season in franchise history. The 27-0 loss on Thursday to third-stringer Jacoby Brissett is just the latest showing of the difference in class between the two teams.
8 Kansas City Chiefs (2-1, LW 10)
• 9 Seattle Seahawks (2-1, LW 12)
• Seattle’s offence looked much improved with 37 points on the bad 49ers on Sunday, but Russell Wilson tweaked his knee in the win. Wilson has proved very durable in his 5-year career, and is expected to suit up against the Jets next week.
Nine is fairly high for a team that has looked as beatable as Seattle thus far, which says more about the depth of the league thus far than it does the Seahawks.
10 Baltimore Ravens (3-0, LW 15)
• 11 Carolina Panthers (1-2, LW 5)
• There’s reason to doubt Carolina following their bad home loss to Minnesota on Sunday, in which their makeshift offensive line finally caved in, leading to eight sacks of Cam Newton. But look for them to at least assert their place at the top of a weak crop of NFC South teams in quick succession: the next three games for the Panthers are at Atlanta, home to Tampa Bay and at New Orleans. Improving to 4-2 before their Week 7 bye with a perfect start against their division should be the goal, and it’s an attainable one.
12 New York Giants (2-1, LW 11)
13 Dallas Cowboys (2-1, LW 20)
• 14 Arizona Cardinals (1-2, LW 3)
• 15 Cincinnati Bengals (1-2, LW 9)
• These are perhaps the two most disappointing teams in the league. It's not just that both Arizona and Cincinnati — two great play-off teams from last year — are 1-2. Both have had relatively tough opening schedules. The disappointment lies in how they've lost.
Flying to Buffalo for an early Sunday game will always be annoying for faraway Arizona, but there’s no excuse losing 33-18 to this year’s bad Bills team, travel or no. They better hope it was an aberration.
The Bengals, meanwhile, have excusably lost to better Pittsburgh and Denver teams, but they disappointingly never looked competitive in either game. That doesn’t inspire confidence they’re in the same class.
It's not quite time to panic, but it is time to start winning for these two preseason Super Bowl hopefuls. Only 6.2 per cent of 1-3 teams have ever recovered to make the play-offs.
Now, here’s a giant swath of the league filled with mediocre-to-bad teams for which there really isn’t much to say at this point:
16 Atlanta Falcons (2-1, LW 17)
17 Oakland Raiders (2-1, LW 18)
18 Indianapolis Colts (1-2, LW 22)
19 Los Angeles Rams (2-1, LW 26)
20 San Diego Chargers (1-2, LW 19)
21 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-2, LW 13)
22 Washington (1-2, LW 23)
23 New York Jets (1-2, LW 16)
24 Miami Dolphins (1-2, LW 24)
25 Detroit Lions (1-2, LW 21)
26 Buffalo Bills (1-2, LW 31)
27 Tennessee Titans (1-2, LW 28)
28 San Francisco 49ers (1-2, LW 27)
• 29 New Orleans Saints (0-3, LW 25)
• Drew Brees has 1,062 shiny, league-leading passing yards with zero wins to show for it, which says everything you need to know about the state of the New Orleans Saints.
30 Jacksonville Jaguars (0-3, LW 30)
• 31 Cleveland Browns (0-3, LW 32)
• This Browns team is fun and it doesn’t matter how many games they lose. Watching former Ohio State quarterback-turned-NFL receiver Terrell Pryor play quarterback, running back and receiver all in the same game was one of the highlights of the young season. Overtime loss to Miami to cement a 0-3 start aside, no person with a heart would put the Browns at the bottom, especially when there’s another team with a putrid, league-worst minus-38 point differential. Welcome to the bottom, Chicago!
32 Chicago Bears (0-3, LW 29)
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Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
The End of Loneliness
Benedict Wells
Translated from the German by Charlotte Collins
Sceptre
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Details
Through Her Lens: The stories behind the photography of Eva Sereny
Forewords by Jacqueline Bisset and Charlotte Rampling, ACC Art Books
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
SEMI-FINAL
Monterrey 1
Funes Mori (14)
Liverpool 2
Keita (11), Firmino (90 1)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
EU Russia
The EU imports 90 per cent of the natural gas used to generate electricity, heat homes and supply industry, with Russia supplying almost 40 per cent of EU gas and a quarter of its oil.
NYBL PROFILE
Company name: Nybl
Date started: November 2018
Founder: Noor Alnahhas, Michael LeTan, Hafsa Yazdni, Sufyaan Abdul Haseeb, Waleed Rifaat, Mohammed Shono
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Software Technology / Artificial Intelligence
Initial investment: $500,000
Funding round: Series B (raising $5m)
Partners/Incubators: Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 4, Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 6, AI Venture Labs Cohort 1, Microsoft Scale-up
KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN MARITIME DISPUTE
2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes the Blue Line to act as the frontier.
2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus
2011: Lebanon disputes Israeli-proposed line and submits documents to UN showing different EEZ. Cyprus offers to mediate without much progress.
2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek.
2018-2019: US seeks to mediate between Israel and Lebanon to prevent clashes over oil and gas resources.
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEric%20Barbier%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYoussef%20Hajdi%2C%20Nadia%20Benzakour%2C%20Yasser%20Drief%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
A cryptocurrency primer for beginners
Cryptocurrency Investing for Dummies – by Kiana Danial
There are several primers for investing in cryptocurrencies available online, including e-books written by people whose credentials fall apart on the second page of your preferred search engine.
Ms Danial is a finance coach and former currency analyst who writes for Nasdaq. Her broad-strokes primer (2019) breaks down investing in cryptocurrency into baby steps, while explaining the terms and technologies involved.
Although cryptocurrencies are a fast evolving world, this book offers a good insight into the game as well as providing some basic tips, strategies and warning signs.
Begin your cryptocurrency journey here.
Available at Magrudy’s , Dh104
Know your camel milk:
Flavour: Similar to goat’s milk, although less pungent. Vaguely sweet with a subtle, salty aftertaste.
Texture: Smooth and creamy, with a slightly thinner consistency than cow’s milk.
Use it: In your morning coffee, to add flavour to homemade ice cream and milk-heavy desserts, smoothies, spiced camel-milk hot chocolate.
Goes well with: chocolate and caramel, saffron, cardamom and cloves. Also works well with honey and dates.
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
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The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 720hp
Torque: 770Nm
Price: Dh1,100,000
On sale: now
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
