Cover photo taken from Bleeding Green Nation.
1 – 
49ers (5-0) 
I told you so.
The 49ers have established themselves as the best team in the NFL by a country mile, and it’s now very easy for everyone to see why. They have football’s equivalent of a superteam, they haven’t lost a regular season game in nearly a year, they still haven’t lost a game that Brock Purdy has started and finished, they have scored 30-plus in each game this year while giving up the least points per game in the league… the list goes on and on and on.
You just can’t stop these guys. You can only pray to slow them down.
2 – 
Eagles (5-0) 
2
I have seen enough from the Eagles to feel comfortable putting them above the Chiefs for the time being. This team clearly hasn’t lost a beat from last season, being completely dominant through five regular season games.
While I’m still not crazy about their secondary — which is the eighth-worst in the league — their run defense is incredible, leading the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game. Jalen Carter is an absolute menace on the inside, and the front is deep and talented enough to stifle teams all game long. The offense is only getting scarier as A.J. Brown continues to dominate and D’Andre Swift keeps getting better at providing a complement in the run game to Jalen Hurts.
The Birds and the Niners are simply on a collision course with one another that will come to a head on December 3rd in Philly, and probably in late January as well. We might as well just fast forward to that now.
3 – 
Chiefs (4-1)
There’s really not much I can say about the Chiefs at this point. If nothing else, they’ve been quite consistent through five games. Patrick Mahomes is amazing, the receivers are still figuring it out, something is really holding Travis Kelce back, and the defense has been pretty good. That’s all there is to it.
Kelce’s new ankle injury is something to monitor moving forward, but the dude is a warrior. He should be good to go. I don’t really think Kansas City needs him in the next few weeks, though. The schedule is only getting easier.
4 – 
Dolphins (4-1) 1
Sunday’s win was a return to form for the Dolphins, but I don’t think we necessarily learned anything. We just saw Miami blow out a terrible team despite some pretty poor mistakes from Tua Tagovailoa. I don’t think that’s a cause for concern — Tua usually bounces back, and I think this offense is simply too good for that to become a trend.
However, I think the injury to De’Von Achane could be tough to overcome. Raheem Mostert is obviously a great option for an RB1, but Achane provided a level of speed and athleticism that really opened things up for the rest of the offense, including Mostert. I’m very interested to see what this offense looks like without him.
5 – 
Lions (4-1) 4
I really didn’t want to take too much out of a blowout of the worst team in the NFL, but man the Lions look better and better every week. Without Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs, they put up arguably their best offensive effort of the season. Is that not a horrifying truth?
What continues to impress me with Detroit is their defense, which now gives up the sixth-least yards per game in the league. Like I said, they’re only getting better. Now, the NFC North is clearly theirs to lose, and I can’t wait to see what awaits them once the calendar flips to January.
6 – 
Jaguars (3-2) 6
All it took was a trip to London to get the Jaguars season back on track. They’ve played their best two games of the year in England, and I now have my confidence in them restored, especially after how badly they beat the Bills on Sunday morning. They completely dominated in the trenches, allowing Travis Etienne to dominate, Trevor Lawrence continued his accurate and efficient ways, and the defense locked up a Bills offense that just looked like world beaters against Miami.
Maybe Buffalo’s collapse was more of an emotional crash after that win, but I’m choosing to give a ton of credit to Jacksonville, who can hopefully keep this level of play up now that they’re coming back home.
7 – 
Bills (3-2) 
5
The first month of the season is over, which means it’s time for the Bills to come back to earth. I don’t know why we’re all not used to this by now. It has become far too predictable.
The box score would have you believe that Josh Allen and the offense was just fine on Sunday, but I don’t really think that was the case. They were stymied almost all game long by the Jags defense, and some garbage time fireworks made the performance look respectable. Despite the struggles, I’d have to believe the offense is good enough to be just fine.
However, I think Buffalo is in a ton of trouble with all of their injuries on the defensive side of the ball. With Tre White and Matt Milano now out for the year after devastating leg injuries, I think it’s a real possibility that the defense really starts to struggle, especially as the schedule ramps up down the stretch. The good news is that they have cupcake after cupcake for the next month or so to figure out those issues. But it’s certainly something to monitor.
8 – 
Seahawks (3-1)
The Seahawks were one of the first teams with a bye this season ahead of a fascinating matchup against the Bengals, who have seemed to find their stride. I’m very intrigued by how that’s going to play out, but I’ll save that for Thursday.
9 – 
Ravens (3-2) 2
The Ravens may have collapsed in rather embarrassing fashion on Sunday, but I honestly don’t think they deserved to lose. Lamar Jackson was sold time and time again by his receivers in a performance that was reminiscent of the Chiefs in Week 1. Like I said then, if those receivers made just a fraction of the catches they should have, Baltimore probably wins the game.
Still, that’s a cause for concern. This receiving core is nothing close to what it was hyped up to be, and if they keep selling Lamar, we could see more games like Sunday’s. But I’d have to think it won’t look that bad again, and the defense is more than good enough to stay afloat.
10 – 
Cowboys (3-2) 4
In any other week, the Cowboys are clearly the Team of Shame. Luckily for them, their rivals one-upped them a few days prior. That being said, I will still take this time to take a victory lap and laugh at the Cowboys.
I warned everyone that we might have been looking at fool’s gold with Dallas, who looked dominant against dreadful teams like the Giants, Jets, and Patriots. I always said the 49ers would be the litmus test, and that I never believed they’d be up for it. Lo and behold: a complete and utter dismantling at the hands of an actually elite team that serves as the hump that the Cowboys simply can never get over. And that was the worst loss to them that I’ve ever seen. Dak Prescott played what might’ve been the worst game of his life, the offense couldn’t move the ball, and the supposedly otherworldly defense was sliced and diced by Brock Purdy and company. It was an embarrassment of the highest order — one that we should come to expect from a team as unserious as this one.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is why you don’t let your star pass-rusher have a solo podcast where he talks about his team’s claim to a Super Bowl after one great game against Daniel freakin’ Jones.
11 – 
Chargers (2-2) 1
I’d argue that the Chargers won the bye week as they should finally be getting Austin Ekeler back ahead of a huge Monday nighter against the Cowboys.
And I mean that this time. He’s the one who said it, not me.
12 – 
Rams (2-3) 1
Despite a tough loss on Sunday, I still feel good about the Rams. The defense continues to be so-so, but the re-addition of Cooper Kupp to the lineup has made this passing offense really, really scary, just as I predicted it would. Him and Puka Nacua are going to be very difficult to stop moving forward, and that alone gives me confidence.
I still don’t think this team is anything crazy — they’re an above average to middle-of-the-pack squad that will be in a lot of fun, tight games. But I think their offensive talent puts them at the top of that proverbial tier of teams.
13 – 
Buccaneers (3-1) 1
The Buccaneers had the week off ahead of a very fun matchup with the Lions in which they will be rocking the Creamsicles. That alone makes it my most anticipated game of the week.
14 – 
Falcons (3-2) 5
Are the Falcons back? Is Desmond Ridder actually a real quarterback? Is the race for the NFC South title back on? Maybe. Maybe not. But I was pretty impressed with Atlanta’s resolve down the stretch on Sunday against Houston. I never would have expected Ridder to lead a game-winning drive, especially after C.J. Stroud decimated the Falcons defense to take a late lead. But he did, and maybe that’s the type of drive to turn things around him. Only time will tell on that front.
Regardless, this defense is still solid, Bijan Robinson is still awesome, and we’re starting to see some contributions poured in from guys like Drake London and Kyle Pitts, which is a huge positive moving forward.
15 – 
Packers (2-3) 2
Did I victory lap my Packers/Jordan Love takes too soon? I sure as hell hope not. But Monday night’s disaster in the desert certainly made it seem that way.
Love was absolutely abhorrent from start to finish, throwing three terrible interceptions without even tossing a touchdown — something that Aaron Rodgers neverdid in over 220 starts in green and yellow. That’s not a great sign. The good news is that Green Bay’s defense was fine and did a great job of limiting Davante Adams from hurting them in his revenge game. Love and the offense simply let them down and were the sole reason the Packers lost that game.
One or two more of those performances, and I might have to eat a lot of crow.
16 – 
Saints (3-2) 5
I’m not going to make too much of a blowout of arguably the worst team in football, but the Saints were mighty impressive on Sunday in a game I inexplicably picked them to lose.
The defense is ridiculously good, Alvin Kamara continues to elevate the offense, which isn’t great, but is slowly getting better. If they can turn into a great unit to complement the elite defense, then New Orleans has a real shot of winning this division, which Vegas thinks is theirs to lose.
I disagree with the books, but I’m also the guy who said Mac Jones was going to beat this team. So what do I know?
17 – 
Bengals (2-3) 5
I’m not going to overreact, I’m not going to overreact, I’m not going to overreact… but it’s damn hard not to.
What do you want me to say? Seeing Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase get back to their old ways was more than enough to restore my faith in the Bengals. But it’s not necessarily the stats they put up — it’s more of how it happened. Burrow was more mobile on Sunday than he was in the previous four weeks combined, and Chase lined up all over the place and ran circles around Arizona’s defense with a diverse route tree no matter where he was. That’s exactly the type of shot in the arm that this offense has needed for a month now. Combine that with another good defensive performance, and there’s plenty to like about where Cincinnati is headed.
But I need to see this more consistently to bump them higher and higher. I am erring on the side of caution… for now.
18 – 
Texans (2-3)
There’s not much I can say about the Texans this week. I really hoped they emerged victorious in Atlanta, but I still saw plenty to like and not much to dislike. C.J. Stroud wasn’t as flashy or explosive as he had been in recent weeks, but that has a lot more to do with the great, sticky man coverage of the Falcons. Despite that, he still played a clean game and led what should have been the game-winning drive, which culminated in a gorgeous touchdown throw to Dalton Schultz.
There are some pretty good secondaries left on the schedule, so we’ll see what Houston can muster up moving forward. Until I see Stroud and the offense put up a truly poor performance, I don’t see any reason to bump this team down.
19 – 
Steelers (3-2) 1
Against all odds, the Steelers won a football game in large part thanks to one single great offensive play. Kenny Pickett’s gorgeous deep ball to George Pickens to take the lead was truly something to behold, as was most of the rest of the game for Pittsburgh, mostly defensively. They got away with a lot due to the incompetence of the Ravens’ pass-catchers, but they still made huge plays when it mattered most, including an endzone interception for rookie corner Joey Porter Jr. and a game-sealing strip sack of Lamar Jackson.
That’s exactly what the Steelers are: they’re good enough to win games if they make one or two plays on offense and let their defense do the rest. That’s what won them games against Cleveland, Las Vegas, and now Baltimore. But, when that doesn’t happen, which we saw against San Francisco and Houston, then it looks disastrous.
20 – 
Browns (2-2) 4
I feel bad for bumping the Browns down so much during their bye week, but that’s just how the chips fell. It doesn’t help that they’re being really weird about this whole Deshaun Watson shoulder injury. They better hope and pray that they don’t have to trot Dorian Thompson-Robinson back out there when the 49ers roll into town. That would be quite ugly.
21 – 
Colts (3-2) 4
The Colts are truly fascinating. In each of their three wins, Anthony Richardson has either exited early or not played at all due to injury. Winning football games with a backup quarterback is usually the sign of a pretty good team, or at the very least a pretty good culture.
We’ll see how long they can keep that up as Richardson heads to the injured reserve with a shoulder injury and Gardner Minshew handles the reins for the next month or so. But with a constantly improving offense featuring a suddenly dynamic one-two punch at running back with Jonathan Taylor’s return and Zack Moss’ random dominance and a solid group of pass-catchers, I think Indy will stay afloat.
22 – 
Titans (2-3) 7
The roller coaster continues! Whee!
As I’ve said repeatedly in the past several weeks, this is getting really annoying. But, at the very least, the predictability of the Titans makes them much, much easier to assess. I’ll see you all next week when they get bumped back up seven spots!
23 – 
Commanders (2-3) 6
Thursday night’s debacle easily ranks as one of the ten worst losses I have witnessed in two decades as a fan of this team. I’ve exhausted myself in rants and emotional distress in the week that has followed, so once again, I will keep this nice and simple:
When you are coming off back-to-back tough losses — including a 37-3 embarrassment at home — and have given up over 30 points in all but one game this season, then implore your fans to come out in droves for your lone primetime game of the year — which turns into a sellout — against the worst team in the NFL who hasn’t won a game in nearly a full calendar year and is going through more dysfunction than any other team in professional sports — including a 38-point loss and a blown 21-point second half lead on top of a defensive coordinator fire after an FBI raid, just to name a few incidents — just to get absolutely embarrassed by giving up 40 points and an all-time performance to a single wide receiver thanks to the large incompetence of not just the defense as a whole — which is being led by a man who has no remote idea what on earth he is doing — but the wiry-thin and small corner that you deliberately drafted in the first round over several other actually capable prospects, en route to a 20-point, season-derailing loss in which the clearly incapable, ineffective and honestly straight up dreadful head coach doesn’t talk to the team at halftime or at any point during the game, you quite simply become the easiest Team of Shame of all time. In fact, you should arguably bear that burden for the rest of the season for such a disastrous, shameful humiliation.
…and exhale.
24 – 
Jets (2-3) 3
I’m not entirely sure what to make out of the Jets after one of the wackiest, funniest games I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing. But some things are clearly apparent here.
Breece Hall is amazing, Dalvin Cook is dreadful, the offensive line is going to continue to get worse, Zach Wilson clearly has some juice but is probably going to lose you more games than he wins you, and the defense might have some rough patches, but they’re still fantastic overall.
I’d say that, when you stir all of those in one pot, you have a five-to-seven-win team.
25 – 
Raiders (2-3) 3
You know what Monday night’s win was? It was the Raiders’ patented win early in the season where we think to ourselves: “Is this team actually legit?” The answer is obviously no. That win almost always comes against a team who actually turns out to be not so great.
As I’ve said all year long, I like a lot of pieces with this team, but the Raiders as a whole are absolutely nothing to write home about. They got handed Monday’s win on a silver platter — something that likely won’t happen to them or the remainder of this season.
If you choose to somehow be moved by this team, then you do you. But they can’t fool me. I am familiar with their game.
26 – 
Vikings (1-4) 3
Regression to the mean. 11-0 in one-score games in 2022. 1-4 in such games in 2023.
We’re reaching a point where that’s probably the only thing I need to say about the Vikings on a weekly basis. I have a feeling that I won’t have to in the weeks that follow considering that Justin Jefferson is headed to the injured reserve with a non-contact hamstring injury suffered on Sunday thanks to US Bank Stadium’s turf. Thanks for that, NFL! I really didn’t want to watch the most exciting young receiver of the decade every Sunday!
Jefferson’s absence means that Minnesota is staring down the barrel of a string of tough losses. It might be time to blow it all up.
27 – 
Cardinals (1-4) 3
The 2023 Arizona Cardinals in one word? Frisky.
But that’s about it. The Cards are showing that they’re simply a team that’s going to fight, but still lose at the end of the day. With James Conner headed to the injured reserve, they might just turn into a team that straight up loses games without even putting up a fight. It’s going to start getting a lot tougher in the desert for Jonathan Gannon’s bus-riders.
28 – 
Bears (1-4) 4
I don’t want to talk about it.
I’ll just say this: good on the Bears for finally getting in the win column, and good for Justin Fields and D.J. Moore to do all that. It was about damn time. I just wish they chose a different game. Literally any other game.
29 – 
Broncos (1-4)
As horrible as my team’s situation is, I relish in the fact that it’s not nearly as bad as the Broncos’. I truly cannot fathom completing one of the worst trades in recent memory, then giving up a first round pick for a head coach who said that the previous skipper pulled off one of the worst jobs in history only for that man to return to town and beat him down. That is so embarrassing that it’s hilarious.
Like, extremely hilarious.
30 – 
Patriots (1-4) 4
The Patriots are by far the worst team in the AFC, and there’s really only one thing you need to know to back that up: this team has been outscored 72-3 in the last two games. After Bill Belichick suffered the worst loss of his career in Dallas, he came back to Foxboro and suffered his worst home loss as the head man in New England.
I definitely don’t think it’s his fault. What the hell is any team supposed to do when Mac Jones is its quarterback and its defense is as banged up as it is? There’s simply nothing that the Pats can do at this point except tank. The only thing they have to look forward to is next year.
31 – 
Giants (1-4)
It has gone from bad to worse to a lot worse to unsalvageable for the Giants.
A predictable blowout loss to the Dolphins is fine, but what’s not fine is this offensive line’s continued incompetence and injuries continuing to stack up across the board. They just have no healthy players, and the ones that are healthy or at least close to healthy are horrible. There’s a real chance that the Giants have to field their B-team in Buffalo on Sunday night.
At this point, I don’t know if their B-team can beat Bishop Sycamore.
32 – 
Panthers (0-5) 2
Now the NFL’s lone winless team, the Panthers have unfortunately been relegated to the bottom of the Power Rankings, giving us our second team in the basement thus far in 2023. And it’s honestly just sad to see. Injuries and extremely poor play across the board has simply doomed this team. And they don’t even have their first round pick or their former stud WR1 to compensate for that.
This calendar year has simply been a comedy of errors for Carolina, and that doesn’t figure to stop any time soon.
All stats taken from ESPN.
Raza Talks Sports 