We're one-third of the way through the NFL regular season, and what might have in the early weeks seemed like blips have now hardened into verifiable trends. There's still plenty of time for the season to change course -- the Eagles started last season 2-2 and went into their bye with plenty of angst, before surging to the Lombardi Trophy -- but it's not too early to identify the genuine surprises of the early part of the 2025 campaign.

Not all of them are good. A few are confounding. But it's time to accept that things we didn't see coming are now legitimate features of the season.

1) Sam Darnold is playing like one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Just go look at the highlight of Darnold's 61-yard touchdown heave to Jaxon Smith-Njigba . That's what this season has looked

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