Which Unbeaten NFL Team Will Be the Last Man Standing—Houston, Atlanta, or Arizona?

There is always one question that people like to guess the answer to at the beginning of the season—who will be the last unbeaten team in the NFL? Could they go all the way and become just the second team in NFL history to have an undefeated season?

This season the list of candidates has been whittled down pretty quick. As of Week Three, there were only three undefeated teams left—the Houston Texans, Atlanta Falcons, and Arizona Cardinals. On Sunday all three managed to win, but who is going to be the last man (team) standing?

Arizona Cardinals

Who would have thought that the Arizona Cardinals were going to be undefeated after Week One, let alone Week Four?

If you look at the statistics it's surprising to see the Cardinals at 4-0; you would think they'd be 0-4. They have the second smallest offensive output so far with just 271 yards a game (No. 25 passing; No. 29 rushing). Typically, when a team does so little on offense it doesn't win much.

That defense though is something else. It may be No. 17 when it comes to yards given up per game, but they manage to keep their opponents out of the end zone almost better than anyone. Through four games they have only given up 61 points (15.2/game).

Arizona's defense is opportunistic to say the least. So far they have ten turnovers to their name (six fumbles, four interceptions). When the offense doesn't have as far to go then it doesn't have to do much in order to put points on the board.

Atlanta Falcons

It is no surprise that the Falcons are in this position. With quarterback Matt Ryan going into his fifth season the expectations were pretty high, and so far he has delivered. Four games in and Ryan is on pace for career with personal best in completion percentage (69.4), QB rating (112.1), and touchdown to interception ratio (11/2).

Of course personal records mean nothing without results. So far the team has gotten those with a pair of strong wins and victories in two close ones. On offense and defense the team is just above average (No. 15) with more success coming through the air (No. 11) then on the ground (No. 18).

Where the team is excelling is where it matters the most—scoring. With an average of 31.0 points/game (No. 3) it is safe to say that Matt Ryan is making the most of the opportunities the Falcons offense is getting.

Fans have to be pretty happy with the way the team was able to make a comeback, too!

Houston Texans

The Texans were once known as one of those teams that can throw the ball for days, but couldn't run it to save their lives or stop anyone from scoring either. What a difference a couple of seasons make!

In two years under Wade Phillips the Texans have become one of the best defenses in the game. The passing game may no longer be one of the most feared in the game, but when you have a running attack like Houston does that's okay.

Houston is that rare team that does everything really well. Since they don't concentrate on either the pass or run their averages are not super high per game (136.5 on the ground; 233.8 via the air). Like the Falcons they also make what they do count (31.5 pts. /game).

And the Last Man Standing is…

…the Houston Texans!

Houston simply has too many weapons for most teams to even have a shot of dealing with. Schaub has shown that the team can pass when it wants to, Arian Foster is having another quality year as is Ben Tate, and the defense has proven to be pretty tough to crack.

If anyone is going to take the Texans down it will be the New England Patriots (Week 14). They may have lost a step or two of late due to some injuries and a strange desire for a running game, but the Patriots still have the best offense in the league.

The Patriots will in essence have to outscore the Texans. Houston has too good an offense and defense for them to lose otherwise, but if anyone can do it, it will be the Patriots.