Note: Sorry for not getting out yesterday’s Week in Review. I fell really sick after going on a trip and had no energy or will to finish it. Again, I’m sorry, and I’ll try and stay healthy enough in the future to keep pumping these out. I’ll get a bit more in depth today to try and compensate for that.
The 2021 season is now just over a quarter of the way done, and if we’ve learned anything so far, it’s that nothing is set in stone. So many teams are still doing all sorts of things, good and bad, that make this job just as difficult as ever. There has been plenty of shuffling through five weeks, and I assure you, we are nowhere close to that being over. Let’s stack up the teams 1-32 after another riveting weekend of football:
1 – 
Bills (4-1) 
1
There is no team that even comes close to the hellishly hot streak the Bills are currently on. I’ll recognize that beating the Chiefs doesn’t mean what it once did, but the way they did it is still remarkably impressive. That was seemingly never even a game. They had whatever they wanted, especially through the air, with Josh Allen throwing for 315 yards and 3 TDs on just 15 completions. Allen is now the odds-on MVP favorite, and the Bills have the 2nd best odds to win it all behind the Bucs. Again, as I said before the season, this schedule is disgustingly easy, and the hardest part of it is now behind Buffalo. I really don’t see them wavering from this top spot at all this season.
2 – 
Cardinals (5-0) 
1
This one spot drop isn’t Arizona’s fault. They are still the NFL’s lone undefeated team, and are still playing very good football. The Bills just happen to be even hotter right now. Also, I wasn’t expecting the Cardinals’ offense to be so stifled against the Niners on Sunday, but that is a very solid defensive unit, so they get a pass. Kyler and co. still did what they had to do to come out with a win, and I still don’t have many doubts about this team. They have one of their toughest tests this week against Cleveland, and I’m very excited to see how they handle that. It will continue to clear up any and all questions that may exist with this team.
3 – 
Rams (4-1) 
LA was essentially gift-wrapped a victory on Thursday night thanks to the injury sustained by Russell Wilson, but still, the Rams played a very solid game from start to finish. It was essentially exactly what I expected to see out of them. Matthew Stafford was very solid, they were able to run the ball effectively, and their defense slammed the door shut on the hobbling Seahawks. Everyone seems to have forgotten how good this team is, or lost their infatuation with them, but it’s important to keep things into perspective. It’s a long season, and this is still one of football’s best teams. Let’s keep overreactions to a minimum, please.
4 – 
Buccaneers (4-1)
Sunday’s blowout was exactly what the Buccaneers imagined themselves being this season. It just took them a while to realize it. Tom Brady continues to be magnificent as he threw for 411 yards and 5 touchdowns without even breaking a sweat. The GOAT now leads the NFL in passing yards and is 2nd in TDs, and every passing week, he makes it look more and more effortless. The defense is also continuing to show signs of improvement, despite being very beat up, but they’re also playing some pretty poor offenses, so I’m taking that with a grain of salt. In any case, this offense is simply too talented, and that will be enough to carry them to plenty of wins while the other side of the ball gets back healthy.
5 – 
Chargers (4-1)
What else do the Chargers have left to prove this season? They can win close games. They can win barnburners. They can win defensive battles. They can come back and win. They can beat you through the air. They can beat you on the ground. They can beat you with their defense. They’re as aggressive as anyone and it almost always pays off. They have everything going perfectly. The one problem they have is kicking, but this is the Chargers. That will always be an issue. Justin Herbert is playing like a true MVP, Austin Ekeler is the definition of a bowling ball out of the backfield, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are establishing themselves as perhaps the best WR duo in football, and while their defense got gashed last week, it’s still a very talented unit that likely won’t play that poor again. This team is just so damn stacked, and if the season was ending today, I’d probably pick them to win the AFC. I’m praying they can keep it up.
6 – 
Cowboys (4-1) 1
Dallas continues to dazzle on a weekly basis. Everything that has made this team so great through about a quarter of the season continues to be on full display every single week. The offense is just so talented and balanced, as both the passing and rushing attacks are as lethal as any in football. The defense is also showing up and showing out, especially in the secondary, as CB Trevon Diggs nabbed his 6th INT in 5 games on Sunday. Yes, this all happened against a bad Giants team that was without Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley within 2 quarters, but I feel like this would have happened anyways. I’d love to see this type of performance against a proper team, and I think it’s only a matter of time before that happens.
7 – 
Browns (3-2) 1
Offensively, the Browns looked as good as you possibly could in a loss. I mean that as literally as possible. Before Sunday, teams that scored over 40 points with no turnovers in a game were 443-0 in NFL history. Imagine being so good that you end a streak like that. I was honestly shocked with how bad Cleveland’s defense was, but I felt the same way about the Chargers defense. This was just an all-time shootout, and it doesn’t always go your way. The Browns probably should have left LA with a W, but some limitations are clearly still there that held them back from doing so. They just got too conservative in the end, and I think it’s a reflection of a lack of trust in Baker Mayfield. On the other side, the Chargers were going for every 4th down and Herbert was making every throw. I just don’t know if this team can go to the next level if they don’t trust their franchise QB to take them there, but at this point, I don’t even know if he has what it takes to do so.
8 – 
Packers (4-1) 2
Sunday’s game in Cincinnati was one of the funniest I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching, and the Packers just happened to win the coin toss orchestrated by the football gods to come out on top. After a sequence of 5 missed kicks in the last 3 minutes + OT, Mason Crosby finally split the uprights to win it for the Packers. You can say they deserved to lose, but the Bengals fumbled away just as many chances as Green Bay did. Even though they won, I’m not sure I liked what I saw out of the Packers. All of the problems I have with them are still apparent. They are still way, way too dependent on Davante Adams, who had a monster game with 206 yards and a TD on 11 catches, but he can’t be the only WR capable of making plays. Their defense also clearly felt the absence of Jaire Alexander, as they were ripped apart through the air. The schedule isn’t the easiest in the world, so the Packers better hope they become a more complete team before it’s time to take on the NFL’s elites.
9 – 
Ravens (4-1) 2
Special. Game-changing. Electric. We’re running out of words to describe Lamar Jackson. The star QB led a 19-point comeback on Monday night, and did so in incredible fashion, throwing for 442 yards and 3 touchdowns as well as two 2-point conversions on a record-breaking 86% completion, the highest EVER for a 400-yard game. Oh, and he also added 62 on the ground. #8 accounted for 504 of the team’s 523 yards of offense. That’s a stat that just doesn’t make sense. He now has more total yards than EIGHTEEN (18) TEAMS. It’s just historic and incredible to watch. What isn’t incredible to watch, however, is this defense. They’re the ones who dug the hole to begin with, and they laid a complete dud. They gave up 513 yards of offense, including 402 passing, and let the Colts march all the way down the field for what should have been the game-winning drive if they hadn’t missed a FG at the buzzer. Lamar is awesome, but he cannot carry the entire team on his back every game, especially to this extent. Baltimore is a few breaks away from being 1-4. They better hope they improve, especially defensively, and start winning games a lot more convincingly before I bump them up.
10 – 
Bengals (3-2) 5
I’m sure you have a lot of questions here. The Bengals in the top 10? Jumping up 5 spots for losing? Especially when they should have won? What’s going on here? Allow me to explain. This team is pretty dang good. And more than that, they’re as resilient as any team I’ve seen this season. Falling behind does not faze this team whatsoever, no matter what the deficit is. You can always count on them to be in it when time is winding down. It’s honestly a testament to Joe Burrow and his own resilience. He has vastly exceeded my expectations and has been very good this season. It helps that Jamarr Chase continues to be one of the standout receivers in football in just 5 games. Just ask yourself this: how would we be perceiving this team had Evan McPherson made one of the several kicks he missed late in this game? Cincy would be 4-1 with stars all across the offense and a defense that did enough to beat Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. Yes, your special teams has to be good enough to secure victories, but this is a rookie who already had 2 game-winners this season. Let’s cut the kid some slack. I think this is still a very solid team that can definitely make a playoff push, and they’re certainly playing a lot better than many other “contenders” so far this season.
11 – 
49ers (2-3) 1
Yes, this team has lost 3 straight games, but I really liked what I saw out of them on Sunday. Going on the road and relatively shutting down one of the best offenses in football is no small feat. If it wasn’t Trey Lance’s first start, there’s a good chance San Francisco could have won that game. And they still almost pulled it out. This team will be just fine no matter who is under center as long as their defense continues performing like that. If it has to be Lance for an extended period of time, he’ll just continue getting better with more and reps. If they have to go back to Jimmy G, they get a QB who knows the system better than anyone with a history of winning. This was also a very difficult stretch of the schedule, and while it’s still a tough one, it gets easier. I think this week’s bye will help them a lot moving forward.
12 – 
Chiefs (2-3) 3
This is just bad. Really, really bad. Not only was Kansas City’s defense embarrassed once again, but their offense put up possibly its worst performance in the Mahomes era. They continue to be extremely careless with the ball, and they could not get anything going whatsoever downfield. Defensively, this is the worst team in football. They are now last in points allowed and second to last in yards allowed, and they couldn’t stop a nosebleed if it was just one drop of blood. They are sorely missing Chris Jones up front, as they can’t generate even a semblance of a pass rush. Their offense isn’t doing them any favors either, as they’ve seemingly been figured out by opposing defenses. They cannot run the football at all, and losing Clyde Edwards-Helaire to injury doesn’t help that at all. Against competent defenses, they just aren’t nearly as lethal as they have been in recent memory. I don’t know what this team can do to get better, because I don’t know if they have what it takes. I still trust Patrick Mahomes more than almost anyone in football, but this defense is just unsalvageable.
13 – 
Vikings (2-3) 3
This jump is the result of several teams falling apart, but I still think the Vikings are pretty good. They should have lost on Sunday, somehow, but they pulled off the late victory and are still going to be competitive. Their schedule is absolutely brutal, so it’s good that they’re picking up wins where they can. In my opinion, the stories of this team have been the emergence of two unlikely contributors: the defense and Alexander Mattison. This is clearly a vastly improved defensive unit after last year’s disgracefully bad one, and it has been the key to them being in every game they’ve played so far. And Mattison has been the most productive RB on this team through 5 weeks, as he put up another great game in lieu of Dalvin Cook being injured on Sunday. This team is going to need all the help they can get moving forward, so getting that out of unlikely sources is going to be very important.
14 – 
Saints (3-2) 4
I told you I’d take things as they came with this team. Last week’s performance was a pretty damn good one, so they’re right back to where they were 2 weeks ago. Granted, it was against a rather embarrassing team, but they did what they had to do, and then some. New Orleans predictably sliced through a porous Washington defense, as Jameis Winston put on a very good performance through the air, and Alvin Kamara was back to his old ways of being one of the most lethal threats out of the backfield in football. I don’t know if this team will sustain this; in fact I doubt they will as they won’t face a defense this bad again this season. But, they’ve deserved this spot for this week.
15 – 
Broncos (3-2) 1
The Broncos were barely competitive on Sunday before a late comeback attempt, and the fault lies on both sides of the ball. Even with Teddy Bridgewater playing, this offense laid another dud. And for some reason, this defense has forgotten how to play football in the last 2 weeks. They made the Steelers look like a real offense, which is honestly impressive. I’m just not too sure what to make of this team after their last 2 losses. As the schedule gets tougher, things might get uglier in Denver.
16 – 
Raiders (3-2) 6
Ohhhhhhhhhh boy. Where do I begin? I was already going to punish this team for laying a complete stinker against a bad Bears team at home on Sunday, but I could never have envisioned what followed. HC Jon Gruden resigned on Monday night following the surfacing of old emails sent across the NFL containing an inexplicable amount of bigotry. Gruden was in his 4th year of a 10 year, $100 million deal, and luckily, the Raiders don’t have to worry about paying him that anymore. Now, Rich Bisaccia takes over as the interim head coach, and I have no idea what the trajectory of this team will be anymore. The next few weeks in Vegas are going to be bizarre, and I just can’t help but feel bad for them.
17 – 
Patriots (2-3) 2
I really don’t know how the Patriots struggled as much as they did on Sunday. Having to come back from 13 down against perhaps the worst team in football isn’t a great look. Moreover, the Texans were starting rookie QB Davis Mills, and Bill Belichick is notoriously dominant against rookie QBs. In any case, New England avoided the big-time embarrassment and are back on the right track. They aren’t without their concerns, especially after this week’s performance, but they also have plenty of positives to take away at the moment, mostly concerning Mac Jones and his performance as the starting QB thus far. But I just don’t think this team has what it takes to be great just yet.
18 – 
Panthers (3-2) 1
Before this season, I didn’t believe in this team at all. At 3-0, I didn’t believe in this team at all. And still, I don’t believe in this team at all. I hope everyone is off of one of the shortest-lived bandwagons in recent memory, as the Panthers are seemingly falling apart. I don’t care that Christian McCaffrey is out, there is no excuse to lose to the Eagles. None. Especially if you’re up by double digits on them. I mean come on. The offense isn’t nearly as productive, Sam Darnold is back to being the Sam Darnold of old, and this once-“elite” defense can’t even stop Jalen Hurts. Be honest with yourselves about Carolina. They’re not good.
19 – 
Seahawks (2-3) 6
This could quickly become the ugliest situation in the NFC. Without Russell Wilson, this team is nothing. Genuinely nothing. I’d be shocked if they win a single game while he’s out, outside of their gimme against Jacksonville. Russ jammed his finger in an unlucky manner on Thursday night, and will now be out 6-8 weeks. In his stead, Geno Smith will be quarterbacking the Seahawks, which doesn’t inspire confidence in anyone. This defense is also still terrible, and it’s not getting any better. Russ was the only thing keeping this mess together, and without him, it is going to fall apart fast. What a mess.
20 – 
Titans (3-2) 1
I’m not giving this team any flowers for beating up on the Jaguars. I still haven’t forgotten that loss to the Jets. Still, I’ll give the Titans credit for putting on a good show on Sunday. Derrick Henry continues to be an incredible force and must-see TV. I still don’t believe in this defense very much, as they were honestly struggling for a bit. But, I don’t believe in much of this team. No flowers for you.
21 – 
Bears (3-2) 3
Chicago is now 2-0 in Justin Fields’ starts. The numbers don’t lie! The real star of the show on Sunday was the defense, which locked up a potent Raiders passing offense. Fields still did his thing, and the run game also surprisingly contributed, even without David Montgomery. It’s a good formula that can clearly work against good teams, but I’d really like to see more out of this passing game before I put more faith in the Bears. Still, I’m loving what I’m seeing out of Fields and still very confident in his ability to lead this team to more victories.
22 – 
Steelers (2-3)
Against all odds, the Steelers looked like a real offense on Sunday. They were getting it done all across the board, and for the first time in seemingly forever, they finally got the run game going. Najee Harris won for 122 yards and a touchdown on 23 yards, and the team amassed almost 400 total yards of offense. This was against a Broncos D that has been pretty solid so far this season, so I was honestly impressed. That being said, I need to see this more consistently before bumping Pittsburgh up. We’ll see whether or not they’re capable of doing so.
23 – 
Colts (1-4)
Man. That was one of the more rough blown leads and losses I’ve seen in a long time in this league. The Colts were nothing short of fantastic on both sides of the ball through 3+ quarters on Monday night, as they were dominating on offense and suffocating the Ravens defensively. Even after blowing the lead and finding themselves in a tie game, they missed a FG at the buzzer to send the game to OT, where they didn’t even possess the ball en route to the loss. It’s just a shame. After putting up over 500 yards of offense with Carson Wentz throwing for over 400 and getting another fantastic performance from Jonathan Taylor, Indy has nothing to show for it. Now, they sit at 1-4 with seemingly no upward trajectory. I just feel really sorry for them.
24 – 
Washington (2-3) 4
What can I say about this team at this point? Everything I’ve said that is wrong with this team is still as prevalent as ever. They refuse to show up against any teams worth a damn, and the defense is still abhorrent at best. This is the second worst scoring defense in the league, giving up 31 PPG, and they aren’t showing any signs of getting better. They can’t generate any pressure, and they couldn’t cover a receiving core of people in wheelchairs. The Taylor Heinicke experience is also continuing to be a rollercoaster, as every other week he looks like the XFL QB he once was. I’m just sick of this team being inconsistent at best and one of the worst teams in football at worst. If they don’t want to care, then why should I?
25 – 
Eagles (2-3) 2
I’ll give Philly credit: they’ve shown plenty of promise in spurts this season. Sunday’s comeback victory was a realization of that potential that I know they have, especially offensively. I truly believe that the Eagles have some of the best young talent in football, and I honestly enjoy seeing performances like this that help back that claim up. This defense still isn’t without its issues, but they stepped up when they needed to on Sunday to secure the win. Good for the Birds.
26 – 
Falcons (2-3) 2
Congrats on beating the Jets, I guess? It was a bit closer than it needed to be at the end in London, but the Falcons looked good enough throughout the game, especially on offense. It was the coming out party for Kyle Pitts, who had 119 yards and a touchdown on 9 catches. I’ve been waiting for him to emerge as a real threat in this offense, and while I recognize that he was playing the Jets, I’m hoping he can keep this up. It will help make this team more watchable.
27 – 
Giants (1-4) 2
How can you not feel bad for this team? After a beautiful performance in NOLA led by Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley, both pivotal members of the offense suffered seemingly serious injuries on Sunday in Dallas. Jones got dinged up on a run on the goal line which knocked him out of the game, although he could return as soon as this week if he clears concussion protocol. Barkley, however, rolled his ankle on a freak incident after a play and had to be carted off. He could be out long term, which is just awful to see, especially seeing how he was finally returning to form after last year’s ACL injury. There was already not much going for New York, and now it’s only getting worse. The only bright spot is the emergence of rookie WR Kadarius Toney, who had a monster game with 189 yards receiving, but it’s still just a sad time for this team. I just feel horrible for the Giants.
28 – 
Dolphins (1-4) 2
Yeesh. This team is all sorts of disgusting. Jacoby Brissett has seemingly lost the ability to look like an NFL QB, and this defense is somehow getting worse. What was supposed to be the saving grace of this team is now its weakest spot. I don’t understand how this is happening, but it’s just an ugly sight. There is no saving the Dolphins in 2021.
29 – 
Lions (0-5)
Man. This is sad. Once again, the Lions had a hard-earned victory snatched right from them in unfortunate fashion, as another long-distance FG at the buzzer sent them to their 5th straight loss. That came after a big-time turnover to get the ball back, score a touchdown and a 2-point conversion to take the lead with barely any time left. The defense just still couldn’t get the job done, giving up enough yardage to set up a game-winning kick. I’m not even surprised that HC Dan Campbell was in tears after the game. I would be too.
30 – 
Texans (1-4) 1
Look at the Texans being competitive again. How scrappy of them. Houston almost pulled off the upset of the week, but they remembered that they were tanking, so they blew a double digit lead to ensure they didn’t commit the heinous act of winning a game. Sunday was honestly best case scenario for this team. They looked solid and still lost the game. They should see that as an absolute win.
31 – 
Jets (1-4) 1
You know, at least the Jets were somewhat competitive on Sunday in London. I still think it’s disrespectful that we subjected our friends across the pond to watching this joke of a team, but it could have been worse. Zach Wilson was still an errant turnover waiting to happen, but they made things interesting at the end, and that’s all we could have asked for.
32 – 
Jaguars (0-5)
Bad bad bad. Still oh so bad. Not getting any better. There’s nothing I can say about this team. They’re just as much of a mess as they were a week ago, if not more of one. At least Urban Meyer didn’t get caught getting twerked on this week! I call that a big-time improvement.
All stats taken from ESPN.
Raza Talks Sports 