Category: NFL

With over half of the regular season behind us, we are starting to figure out where most teams in the NFL stand, but there are still a lot of questions about a lot of teams that remain unanswered. It’s gonna be a crazy second half, and it should be a blast to watch. With 9 weeks of play behind us, let’s stack up the teams 1-32, as we do every Wednesday.

1 – Chiefs (8-1)

Nothing really to say here that hasn’t been said every week for a while now. The Chiefs, despite a bit of a hiccup on Sunday against Carolina, are clearly the NFL’s best team. They are simply in a league of their own, especially offensively. QB Patrick Mahomes has quickly emerged as an MVP favorite with Seattle’s recent struggles. They might not have the best win %, but nobody would dispute that this team is better than the Steelers. It’s honestly hard to see them losing this spot, even if they lose. As I said, they’re in a class of their own. They get this week off, and after that, it’s a much tougher schedule than the first half of the year was, but I have no doubt that they will handle it.

2 – Steelers (8-0)

I really don’t know how you struggle with the Cowboys that much, but this team is still 8-0 and rolling. Their success in 2020 cannot be argued with. Even still, I don’t know how much I like this team, since they always play down to their competition. However, they have showed up in every big game this year, and that is something that needs to be accounted for. It gives me faith in this team when it comes to playoff time, but they better start buttoning it up against the bad teams. There’s no excuse to let Garrett Gilbert hang around for 60 minutes.

3 – Ravens (6-2) 2

I really don’t want to rank this team this high, but I think I have to. I’ve been a cynic with the Ravens all year long, especially when it comes to their offense, and Sunday’s game didn’t help that at all. However, I do think their defense is good enough to beat anyone on any given Sunday. Hell, the only 2 teams they’ve lost to this year are the only 2 teams above them on this list. I still don’t like their offense at all, and it will be their downfall against elite teams, but they’ll roll through bad teams on their schedule en route to the playoffs. They get the Titans and Steelers in 2 of their next 3 games in what will be a great benchmark for if this team is truly ready to make the leap or not.

4 – Packers (6-2) 3

Green Bay is another team I don’t really want to rank this high, but I have to. They put on a clinic on Thursday night in Santa Clara, albeit against the 49ers C team. They have been rolling through bad teams all year long, but every time they play a good, physical team that can run the ball or stop them on defense, they fold spectacularly. I’m not sure how many more times that’ll happen in 2020, but every time it doesn’t, we feel good about the Packers. That’s where we’re at this week, so back into the top 4 they go.

5 – Saints (6-2) 3

There are no more doubts with this team. After a 1-2 start, the Saints have been on fire. At the beginning of their win streak, they got some really close wins that made me uncomfortable ranking them very high, but no more of that. After Sunday night, I know how good they are. They are getting super hot at the perfect time to make a surge for a potential 1 seed in the NFC. They have now dominated the Bucs, the team that I thought was the best in the conference, twice this year. They’re playing great ball on both sides, and show no signs of slowing down. Get used to seeing New Orleans this high for the rest of the year. The rest of the schedule is fairly easy outside of a December matchup with Kansas City. This team will likely win the division, and if they can keep playing like this, they’re bound for a 1 seed.

6 – Seahawks (6-2) 2

This team’s defensive struggles finally caught up with them. Good. They needed the reality check. “Let Russ Cook and Inshallah” was not a plan that could work long-term. The Seahawks refused to bolster the secondary at the trade deadline, which was clearly something they needed to do. They did get help on the defensive line, adding DE Carlos Dunlap from Cincy, but one player on the line isn’t enough to help the whole defense. The secondary is putrid. It is the worst defense in football. It will be their downfall later in the season and into the playoffs. It’s such a shame for Russ, who still has a great shot at winning MVP, and is playing his heart out every Sunday.

7 – Titans (6-2) 1

Tennessee finally got back in the win column. Good for them. It was against a team that couldn’t move the ball on a 1950’s defense, but still, it was much-needed win. I really want to have more faith in this team, but their performances in the last few weeks have inspired little faith. I do think their talent and coaching is good enough to get them into the playoffs and to win games in January, but they need to prove it to me once again. I want to see the Titans of the first 6 weeks before putting them higher once again.

8 – Buccaneers (6-3) 5

Oh boy. I was wrong about you, Tampa. Apparently you are not built for primetime. This team is certainly not winning the division, so they better start racking up some wins for a good wild card spot. I have no earthly idea how a team this talented could fold so much in such a big game, but they did, and it was really embarrassing. I do think they’ll get back on track, but now I am very concerned about this team in big spots. I don’t think they have what it takes to beat the league’s best teams anymore. What a shame.

9 – Bills (7-2) 3

Welcome back to the top 10, Buffalo. Most of you probably think I’m underrating this team, but over the last few weeks, even despite wins, I have been putting this team a bit low. They were winning games against bad teams, but not doing it very convincingly. On Sunday, they beat a good team very convincingly. Granted, the Seahawks defense couldn’t stop Radio from tearing them up, but a great win is a great win. I hope they can carry this momentum into their next few games and win them like they were earlier in the year. They needed the confidence boost, and they got it. The upcoming schedule is a bit tough, so they need to play like they did on Sunday consistently if they want to stay on track for a division title.

10 – Raiders (5-3) 3

This team continues to impress me. Yes, I know, it’s a win against the Chargers, but still. It’s not who they’re beating or playing, it’s how they’re doing it. Their defense has been a major question mark all year long, but their offense has been very efficient both running and throwing the ball, and it has won them game after game. This team is trending in the right direction, and I don’t see them slowing down. I fully expect to see Vegas in the playoffs in January.

11 – Dolphins (5-3) 5

I’m done underrating this team. They are very much legit. Miami has quietly won 4 games in a row, and with Tua at the helm, this team seems to be playing very confidently and inspired. Their defense and special teams have been sensational in the last few weeks, which is a sign of a very well-coached team. HC Brian Flores has finally figured it out, and the Dolphins are better off for it. It’s an uphill battle to try to catch the Bills for a potential division title, but it wouldn’t shock me if Miami makes it a close race towards the end of the year. I love the football they are playing right now, and I expect it to put them in a position to make the playoffs.

12 – Cardinals (5-3) 3

Arizona may have lost on Sunday, and I may be bumping them down substantially, but I still have a lot of faith in this team. They arguably deserved to win against Miami on Sunday, they just couldn’t execute down the stretch. This team is still playing great offensively, but their defense continues to be a giant question mark every week. It’s not like they don’t have talent on that side of the football, they just refuse to play defense. In a race for a potential division title and playoff berth, that could be their downfall. If they figure out that side of the ball, then they can be a truly elite team. Unfortunately, I do not see that happening any time soon.

13 – Colts (5-3) 3

Speaking of teams that need to figure out one side of the football, Indianapolis has an offense problem. This team consistently gets shut down by elite defenses. They don’t even show up. They had done just enough to get by in other games, and they typically blow out bad teams, but they cannot get over the hump and beat elite teams. I do think this team has a great shot at the playoffs, but I don’t think I’d trust them much in a playoff game. They just don’t have that next level that the teams above them have that they can tap into to take over a big game.

14 – Rams (5-3) 3

The Rams had the week off, but are still getting bumped down a bit. Other teams just happened to play and jump them. Oh well. They have a huge game on Sunday against Seattle that can really shift their season’s trajectory. I don’t see them winning based on how their offense has been playing recently, but anything is possible.

15 – Browns (5-3) 2

The Browns also had the week off and are the beneficiary of teams above them laying complete duds, so they get bumped up a bit. Good for them. I still don’t have a lot of faith in this team, but let’s see if they can prove me wrong in the second half of their season.

16 – Bears (5-4) 2

This team has no offense. It’s pretty pathetic. The defense is certainly elite and has proven that time and time again, but Chicago cannot move the ball to save their life. Not when it counts at least. They love racking up garbage time yards to save face, but it means nothing. I’m not sure how they were even in the game with the Saints two weeks ago. This is a team that is painfully mediocre but should be so much better if they just had the right man under center. It’s ok Bears fans, maybe you’ll find that man in April.

17 – Eagles (3-4-1) 1

Philly had a bye this week, but I’ll bump them up. Why not? This team is clearly going to win the division, but if they want to do it, they’ll have to complete their sweep of the Giants this Sunday. That’ll be interesting to see.

18 – 49ers (4-5) 3

It’s not your fault, San Francisco. This team’s injuries have completely ruined their season. It’s really a shame for a squad coming off a Super Bowl appearance that was loaded with talent before a couple of weeks spent in East Rutherford. The season is very much over, giving this team two options. One: try to save face as much as possible to try and make this disaster season look respectable. Or two: lose games and try to get your Jimmy G replacement in the draft. The choice is yours, Kyle Shanahan.

19 – Bengals (2-5-1) 2

The Bengals got the week off to relax, allowing Joe Burrow to spend his weekend not get sacked a million times. Good for the kid. I really like this team and where they’re headed in the future, but it’s clear that this season isn’t going anywhere. I still fully expect them to be very competitive in the second half of their season.

20 – Vikings (3-5) 2

Minnesota is finally figuring out this offense thing. It’s pretty much Dalvin Cook and Inshallah, but hey, it’s working! The star RB has popped off in back to back weeks, allowing this team to pick up consecutive wins, inching back towards .500. I don’t think they can rely on Cook like this every week, but the passing attack has shown flashes of what it can do this season, so maybe they won’t have to. Regardless, I don’t really see this team winning a lot more games this season. Their offensive strategy in the last few weeks isn’t built to last.

21 – Panthers (3-6) 2

Poor Carolina. This team had so much promise with all of its young talent and coaching, but it has all gone downhill in a blink. The Panthers lost their 4th straight game, and just like that, their season is likely over. They should feel good about the future, as young players have developed quite nicely, and they still have Christian McCaffrey. Hopefully he can stay healthy enough in the future to help this team win games.

22 – Patriots (3-5) 2

Congrats on beating the Jets, I guess? This team is still really bad. They just have the gift of playing their division rivals in New York twice a year. No need to pop confetti over that. Hell, they almost lost on Monday night. To Joe Flacco. Whatever. I’ll bump them up for now, but I know where this team stands. They’re still quite poor.

23 – Falcons (3-6) 3

Atlanta is… winning games? Not blowing huge leads and losing? Huh. That’s new. It is good to see this team being what we expected them to be instead of a weekly punchline. Their previous collapses have already ended their season, but there’s nothing wrong with picking up a few wins to help make your team feel better. I’m not sure how much the fans appreciate that in terms of draft positioning, but hey, wins are wins. Plus, considering the rest of the schedule for the Falcons, they’ll still likely be picking very high in April.

24 – Lions (3-5) 4

The only reason this team was rising every week was because they were able to beat bad teams. Now, they can’t even do that. So back down they go. The Lions have looked absolutely awful in the last 2 weeks, and their season is all but over. This team, which prides itself on defense, has gotten gashed by the Colts and the Vikings in their last two games. That is not ideal. I still think this team is just good enough to beat bad teams, but that’s just because they themselves are a bad team with better talent than others. It’s time to clean house and reset again in Detroit.

25 – Broncos (3-5) 2

Despite a late comeback attempt in which they were gifted yards and points, the Broncos were completely shut down on Sunday in Atlanta. It’s not like the Falcons have a good defense either, considering how many points that team has given up to teams all season long. Denver just doesn’t have the answers on either side of the ball. As I’ve been saying for a while now, QB Drew Lock is painfully average to below average, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Broncos use their top pick on a QB in this year’s draft.

26 – Chargers (2-6) 1

They did it again. It’s a broken record at this point. It’s such a shame, because this team has a good amount of talent on the roster. The franchise is simply cursed. All 6 losses this year are by one possession and a combined 24 points. Yeesh. Let’s hope they make the right moves in the offseason to help Justin Herbert lead this team to success.

27 – Giants (2-7) 2

Congratulations to the New York Giants for being 2-0 against the Washington Football Team and 0-7 against the rest of the NFL in 2020. I will say, the Giants have been very competitive this season and could very easily have more than just 2 wins. They could even be in first place right now. Alas, they are 2-7, but are still in position to potentially win the division. They need to beat the Eagles on Sunday to have a chance to win the NFC East. If they lose that game, then it’s likely over for them. I will say that I think this team’s future is decently bright, and despite their record, I think they’re starting to figure things out in New York.

28 – Texans (2-6) 1

Congratulations to the Houston Texans for being 2-0 against the Jacksonville Jaguars and 0-6 against the rest of the NFL in 2020. This team is still pretty bad, and was potentially a huge refereeing break away from losing to the Jags on Sunday. It’s very unfortunate for a team that had a lot of promise. They don’t even have a 1st round pick this year for there to be a silver lining to all this. Poor Texans fans.

29 – Washington (2-6) 1

Sigh. Another massive QB leg injury later, the WFT is now 4 games below .500 and SOMEHOW still in 2nd place in the NFC East. Half-man half-cyborg Alex Smith is getting the nod this Sunday in Detroit, and if he plays like he did last Sunday, then this team can definitely win. But I don’t see that happening. Washington has put up so many duds and uninspiring performances this year that it is impossible to have any faith in them to pull off anything substantial. All we have to look forward to is the draft.

30 – Cowboys (2-7)

Dallas somehow stuck around all game long against the 8-0 Steelers, but unfortunately couldn’t pull off the mammoth upset. It would have been quite the scene, but alas, here they are, still in the bottom 3. Considering the players they’re putting on the field every Sunday, that will likely not change any time soon. I thoroughly enjoy seeing the Cowboys lose, but I can’t help but feel bad for them this year. I know very well how much the injury gods are cruel.

31 – Jaguars (1-7)

You can change the QB in Jacksonville, but this team will still lose games. Jake Luton wasn’t bad at all in his first career start, but it wasn’t enough to snap the Jags’ 7-game losing streak. I’m not sure what it’ll take for them to finally win a game again, but until they do, they are confined to this spot right next to the Jets. Perhaps Luton will give them what they need to be bumped up once again, but I do not see that happening.

32 – Jets (0-9)

Just….. yeah.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Things are quite hectic across the country right now, so you’ll have to cut me some slack. Due to the circumstances, I didn’t have any time to finish my Week 8 Review, so it’s getting nixed. I will put out this week’s power rankings, which are below, but they won’t have any blurbs for teams. Just the rankings themselves. As you know, things are still going on and they are much more important than this list. But, I don’t want to leave you guys hanging again, so after a very fun weekend of football, let’s stack up the NFL 1-32 as we reach the halfway point of the 2020 season.

1 – Chiefs (7-1)

2 – Steelers (7-0)

3 – Buccaneers (6-2) 1

4 – Seahawks (6-1) 3

5 – Ravens (5-2) 1

6 – Titans (5-2) 3

7 – Packers (5-2) 2

8 – Saints (5-2) 1

9 – Cardinals (5-2) 1

10 – Colts (5-2) 2

11 – Rams (5-3) 3

12 – Bills (6-2) 1

13 – Raiders (4-3) 2

14 – Bears (5-3)

15 – 49ers (4-4) 4

16 – Dolphins (4-3) 1

17 – Browns (5-3) 1

18 – Eagles (3-4-1) 3

19 – Panthers (3-5) 1

20 – Lions (3-4)

21 – Bengals (2-5-1) 2

22 – Vikings (2-5) 3

23 – Broncos (3-4) 3

24 – Patriots (2-5) 2

25 – Chargers (2-5) 6

26 – Falcons (2-6) 3

27 – Texans (1-6) 3

28 – Washington (2-5) 1

29 – Giants (1-7) 1

30 – Cowboys (2-6) 2

31 – Jaguars (1-6)

32 – Jets (0-8)

After one of the wildest weeks in recent memory, there’s a lot of shuffling to do in this week’s power rankings. Let’s stack up the NFL 1-32 as we approach the midway point in the 2020 season.

1 – Chiefs (6-1)

Kansas City is still the best team in football, and they proved that with force on Sunday in Denver. The Chiefs dominated their division foes all game long, and excelled in all 3 phases of the game. With 3 offensive scores, a pick six, and a kick return touchdown, they became the first team this season to score in all 3 phases in 2020. They are continuing to be efficient and not too reliant on any particular player, even with QB Patrick Mahomes under center. They are simply more well-rounded than any other team in the league, and all they do is get things done all over the football field. Their schedule the rest of the way is pretty easy for them, and I’d be shocked if they drop more than 2 or 3 games. Next up is the Jets, in a game that they can honestly win by 30 if they rest their starters.

2 – Steelers (6-0) 3

In the last 2 weeks, Pittsburgh has silenced all the doubters. This team had won its first 4 games against awful teams, but they have won their last 2 quite convincingly against two 5-win teams. Yes, the Steelers were slipping up in the second half of Sunday’s game in Nashville, but there is still no doubt that they were the better team all game long. They deserved to win that game. This is arguably the best all-around team in the league, right up there with Kansas City, and they have proven it week in and week out. Their schedule is starting to tighten up a bit, as they get their first of two huge matchups with the Ravens this Sunday. It’s another big test for the Steelers, but I think they’ll be just fine. I do think QB Ben Roethlisberger’s errancy is a bit concerning, but this is a true Super Bowl contender.

3 – Titans (5-1) 1

Tennessee was getting ran out of their own building on Sunday for over 30 minutes of play, but they almost came all the way back to pull off another clutch win. Instead, they came up just short and suffered their first loss of 2020. I won’t bump them down too much, as I still believe this team is very elite and a true title contender. However, I’m a bit concerned about this team’s performance against elite defenses. They were getting shut down by the Steelers D before they got complacent. Their defense was also being picked apart all game long outside of some gift INTs, allowing long, tiring drives. It could have just been a bad game, so I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt, but this team faced their first truly elite opponent and failed the test. I believe in their ability to bounce back, which they’ll need to do as the back half of the schedule gets very tough.

4 – Buccaneers (5-2) 3

This team is so, so good. Outside of an opening day loss with little to no chemistry and a poor performance against a great defense a few weeks ago in Chicago, this team has looked absolutely spectacular. QB Tom Brady has been doing huge things this season to the tune of being included in MVP talks. The defense is getting better by the week, as is key units like the offensive line. There are so many weapons on offense that Brady can find to make this offense even more dynamic. Oh, and they just signed former star WR Antonio Brown. I’m not sure what he’ll provide to the team and the offense, but star power is star power. Even without him, this team would have been just fine. They are quickly becoming my favorite to win the NFC.

5 – Packers (5-1) 2

The Packers played a fantastic game on Sunday, so I didn’t want to bump them down too much. It just so happened that some teams below them last week played better. QB Aaron Rodgers played a spectacular game, and WR Davante Adams returned to the lineup in a huge way. Even without RB Aaron Jones, this offense looked unstoppable. They were playing a terrible team, but the point still stands. This team has been feeding on poor opponents all season long and got absolutely exposed when they played a truly great team 2 weeks ago, but I still like this team to go far in the playoffs. They are built for it. I also expect them to make a big move as we approach the trade deadline to possibly push them over the hump and make their Super Bowl chances that much better.

6 – Ravens (5-1)

Baltimore had the week off but still made headlines by signing former Cowboys star WR Dez Bryant to their practice squad. I don’t expect Dez to make much of a difference or even play much, but this team did need some help at the WR position. They face one of their toughest tests of the year this Sunday as the Steelers come to town, and they are surprisingly favored. I’ll give my thoughts on that more tomorrow.

7 – Seahawks (5-1) 3

This defense is absolutely awful. Genuinely one of the worst units I have ever seen. Everyone loves to talk about how bad Dallas’ defense is, which is absolutely warranted, but let me just give you some food for thought. Dallas gives up a lot of points, but they are fifth in the league in total yards allowed. Only 4 teams have given up more yards, and one of them is the Seattle Seahawks… who have played one less game than each of the other teams in the top 5. They are first in yards allowed per game with over 50 yards more than the 2nd place team. The offense is amazing, Russ is amazing, Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf are amazing, but their defensive woes finally caught up to them. I hope it was a wakeup call for this team to make some sort of move to bolster their defense, even after Jamal Adams comes back. They need it very badly.

8 – Rams (5-2) 3

I do believe that the Rams are back. This team looked ugly two weeks ago in Santa Clara, but on Monday night, they looked great on both sides of the football. Yes, the Bears aren’t the greatest test in the world, but they are a 5-2 team for a reason. Now the Rams are at 5 wins, just a half game out of first place, and right in the thick of things in the NFC. I’d like to see them play more good teams to get a better idea of how good this team truly is, but I feel pretty good about them right now. I understand putting them this high might be a bit controversial, but based on precedent, I like this team a lot.

9 – Saints (4-2)

In the midst of tons of injuries plaguing their offense, the Saints continue to win games. After a couple of tough primetime losses, they have won 3 games in a row despite still missing WR Michael Thomas and others. It’s quite impressive what they’ve been able to do, but I have one small problem with them. The 3 teams they’ve beaten aren’t really all that, and each game has been decided by one possession (albeit one of them was thanks to a garbage time TD). I don’t expect them to blow people out with the injuries they have, but the struggles are still a bit of a concern. I have no doubt that once they get healthy, they will be very dangerous, as QB Drew Brees is starting to play much better than he did in the early goings of the season and RB Alvin Kamara is continuing to play like one of the league’s best players. The schedule gets very tough very quickly, so they need to get healthy if they want to stay competitive in both the division and the conference.

10 – Cardinals (5-2) 4

Welcome to the top 10, Arizona. It’s been a long time coming. The Cardinals have won 3 straight games, most recently against the previously-undefeated division rival Seahawks in the Game of the Year. 2nd year QB Kyler Murray is continuing to play stellar football every week, and star WR DeAndre Hopkins is having big game after big game in his first year in the desert. Other young players are starting to emerge with massive impacts like RB Chase Edmonds, WR Christian Kirk, and S Budda Baker. This team is remarkably talented on both sides of the ball, and HC Kliff Kingsbury is finding a great deal of success in his second year. This is surely a playoff team in the making, and I cannot wait to see how the rest of the season plays out.

11 – 49ers (4-3) 5

Perhaps we buried this team too soon. It was hard not to, but they have bounced back from their shortcomings in a big way, despite being arguably the most injury-ridden team in football. Even now, they are faced with injury after injury at the running back position, but are still finding great success in the run game. QB Jimmy Garoppolo has also improved his play and reduced his mistakes to help put his team in a position to win. This schedule gets extremely difficult very quickly, but if this team can keep staying tight and well-coached and overcome their injuries, then I actually like them to pull out a lot of tough games. It’s a gritty bunch that is built to win, and that’s what they’ll do.

12 – Colts (4-2) 1

Indy had the week off, which they must be very glad about. They have the Lions coming up, but after that, they are faced with one of the most difficult stretches of any team in the league. They should get an easy win this week, but things get super hard afterward. If team is truly great, then they’ll win some of those games. If not, then things could be over quickly. The next month or so will dictate the Colts’ 2020 season.

13 – Bills (5-2) 3

This team may have 5 wins, but they do not look good right now. For one, two of those wins are against the Jets, and one of those two wins was in a game where they didn’t score a touchdown. This offense is really struggling, which is quite confusing considering how prolific they were in the first 4 weeks of the year. They need to figure things out quickly if they want to keep up in a very tough AFC, because they do not have the luxury of playing the Jets again this season. If they don’t get things going quickly, it could be a long road ahead. I believe in the talent and coaching of this team, but I need to see it, and it needs to be now.

14 – Bears (5-2) 6

Perhaps the Bears are who we thought they were. And we let them off the hook (for about a week). I’m relegating the Bears down back where they belong thanks to a shameful outing on Monday night in Inglewood. Not only was their offense nonexistent, but their defense, which has carried this team all year long, also put up a very lackluster performance. Yes, the Rams are a very good team with a very good defense of their own, but Chicago’s offense was absolutely unwatchable all night long. As I said yesterday, Nick Foles isn’t anything close to a long term option at QB, and he might not be a short term option either. Are we sure Mitchell Trubisky isn’t the better choice?

15 – Raiders (3-3) 3

Las Vegas got Tom Brady’d on Sunday, so it hurts to bump them down this much. But, I think it’ll only be a temporary thing. I still like the talent that this team has quite a lot, and for what its worth, they were only down 4 early in the 4th quarter. They just got closed out by a masterful Tom Brady performance. This team will be fine. Their schedule isn’t that bad, and they should be favored to win a lot of games down the stretch. I truly believe this is a solid wild card team that could do some big things later in the season, but they need to tighten things up on defense if they truly want to threaten in January. That’s the weakest link on the team, and it needs to improve fast.

16 – Browns (5-2) 1

Wow, the Browns beat the 1-win Bengals again! And it was by 3! On virtually the last play of the game! What a convincing win! So impressive! Yeah, no. This team still doesn’t do it for me. Yes, QB Baker Mayfield was awesome on Sunday. But it helps when you don’t have any pressure on you from the opposing defense. It also helps when you’re playing one of the worst teams in football. The Cleveland defense got obliterated by a rookie QB all game long and let Cincy have whatever they wanted offensively. This team was 11 seconds away from another bad loss, but they were lucky enough to escape. It was another Mickey Mouse win for this unimpressive team. Now they will be without arguably their best player, WR Odell Beckham Jr., for the rest of 2020. I’m not sure how much of a playoff contender this team will be, but no matter what, I don’t really believe in them.

17 – Dolphins (3-3) 1

The Tua Tagovailoa era begins on Sunday in Miami. The rookie QB had the week off to prepare for his first NFL start, which will be a tough test against one of the league’s best defenses in the LA Rams. It’ll be very interesting to see how the rook does, especially considering how special fellow first round QBs Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert have looked in 2020. I’m rooting for him, but there’s no doubt that it will be very, very tough this week.

18 – Panthers (3-4) 1

I honestly really like this team. They have lost their last 2 games, but they have been very competitive all season long. QB Teddy Bridgewater has performed very well in his first year in Carolina, and their offensive weapons have really looked good. It would be very interesting to see how these last few games would have gone with RB Christian McCaffrey in the lineup, but luckily for them, he should be back soon. This is a solid 8-9 win team, and once McCaffrey comes back, I think they’ll find themselves winning a lot of games.

19 – Chargers (2-4) 1

Congratulations to rookie QB Justin Herbert on getting his first career win. The rook looked fantastic once again on Sunday, and it finally paid off. The Chargers are still facing a myriad of injuries across the board, but #10 is consistently finding ways to keep them in games. He continues to prove himself as one of the best young signal callers in the league, and I couldn’t be happier for him. The team has its struggles in other areas, but QB and WR are not one of them. If they can tighten up on defense, then they can win a ton of games. Defense is arguably the reason that this team isn’t undefeated right now. This team’s toughest games are honestly behind them, so don’t be surprised if this team sneaks into the wild card race in a few weeks. Of course, this is the Chargers, so they’ll find some way to mess that up.

20 – Lions (3-3) 2

Detroit has quietly found their way back to .500. Back to back wins have this team back on the right track, but we should take that with a grain of salt considering they played two 1-win teams, and Atlanta handed them the game on a silver platter on Sunday. But this team is definitely finding their stride on both sides of the ball. The Lions have a tough test coming up this week with the Colts coming to town, but if they can pull out a win, then I wouldn’t sleep on this team to string together some wins. The next few weeks aren’t terribly difficult, but the season ends with some very tough games.

21 – Eagles (2-4-1) 3

Say hello to your new NFC East favorites. Despite being 2 games under .500 and putting up some awful performances, the Eagles have found themselves in first place. And based on the standing of the rest of the division, it doesn’t look like they will lose that. Yes, they’re only 0.5 games up on Washington and Dallas, but those teams are pretty bad. Philly is starting to get things going and have proven themselves as bonafide comeback kids in the last few weeks. They host Dallas on Sunday night and they should absolutely destroy them, but if they don’t, then we should be concerned. Regardless, I don’t see any scenario in which this team doesn’t make the playoffs.

22 – Patriots (2-4) 7

Nothing, and I mean nothing, is working in New England right now. The offense has been sputtering for 3 games in a row, and that’s being generous. The Patriots are averaging 9.3 PPG since their bye week, and they only have 3 passing touchdowns on the season. Their run game, which was their offensive strong suit early in the season, is now nonexistent. The defense, which this team prided itself on, is folding by the week. It’s starting to get embarrassing. I really don’t see a scenario in which this team gets back on track. It might be over for them in 2020.

23 – Bengals (1-5-1) 5

This is the most competitive 1-win team I have ever seen in my life. I’m not sure how many teams they would beat that are below them this week, but they have something that they all don’t: fight. They might have more talent, but the Bengals refuse to say die. Rookie QB Joe Burrow has kept this team in almost every game this season, and despite having no offensive line and limited weapons, he has put up huge numbers. Once this team gets some real O-line talent and better players at skill positions, things could get dangerous in Cincy. This season is obviously a lost cause, but the future is very bright.

24 – Texans (1-6) 1

Sigh. #GetDeshaunWatsonATeam is still going as strong as ever, and it is such a shame. The Texans struggled all afternoon long against the Packers, and only got it going once it was garbage time. There isn’t much going on in Houston. The offense has talent, but they still have not overcome the hole left by the departure of WR DeAndre Hopkins. The defense is a mess, getting torn apart week after week. This is just a bad team that can’t overcome bad decisions made in the past and poor performances on the football field. Lucky for them, they’ll have a good draft pick this year. Oh wait, it’s gone. I would say the future is bright in Houston, but there is no immediate future.

25 – Vikings (1-5) 1

Minnesota had the week off, which I’m sure their fans were ecstatic about, considering they didn’t have to watch Kirk Cousins play QB for a week. They wrap up their 2020 series against the Packers on Sunday and will likely get run out of the stadium. The season is very much over in Minneapolis.

26 – Broncos (2-4) 1

This is a pretty bad team. They were absolutely embarrassed on Sunday at home against the Chiefs, and thanks to injuries, this season is going nowhere fast in Denver. QB Drew Lock also is starting to look less and less like the QB of the future with every passing week. Perhaps if they were healthier, this team would be performing better, but I doubt it. The Broncos are simply not in a good spot right now, and it’s not getting better anytime soon.

27 – Washington (2-5) 4

Sunday’s win may have hurt our tank, but I honestly don’t care. It was super fun game on Sunday, and there is nothing better than crushing the Cowboys. That being said, I still don’t think this team is very good. There is undeniable talent at many different positions, but it’ll take a while for all that to come to fruition. Once it does, then there is promise, but that doesn’t exist right now. Washington has the week off this week, luckily for me. But I’m quite interested to see how competitive this team can be, just 0.5 games out of first place.

28 – Cowboys (2-5) 7

Welcome to the cellar, Dallas. This team is awful. Without Dak Prescott, they cannot do a damn thing offensively, both through the air and on the ground. The team had less than 150 yards on offense in the entire game in Washington on Sunday. The defense is also continuing to be one of the worst units in football, getting absolutely ran over by Washington all afternoon long. HC Mike McCarthy is surely on his way out of Dallas, and not soon enough. The Cowboys are simply terrible. It’s such a shame for a team that had so much promise with this core that will likely be split up very soon.

29 – Falcons (1-6) 4

Georgia sports never cease to amaze. You know the story by now. Another blown game for the Falcons. Just 7 days after the Atlanta Braves blew a 3-1 NLCS lead. It’s such a shame. This team is very talented and had potential to be a solid 6-8 win team. Instead, they have now lost 3 extremely winnable games this season, and their 2020 campaign is cooked. All Falcons fans have to look forward to is the draft, where they can potentially find themselves a QB of the future. The team is certainly in the Trevor Lawrence Sweepstakes™, and they are becoming more and more of a contender with every passing week.

30 – Giants (1-6)

This team actually put up a really good fight on Thursday night. They have done that many times this year. The Giants are actually a few plays away from being in first place. And even still, they’re only 1.5 games out of first. I wouldn’t exactly say that the season is alive, but this team certainly is. They’re starting to figure things out under HC Joe Judge, and it appears to be working. It might still be early, but we’ll see. Are they still going to be picking in the top 5? Probably. Are they looking for a QB? Probably. But this team will continue to fight for the rest of the way in 2020.

31 – Jaguars (1-6) 2

This might be the most disappointing team of the 2020 season. The Jags, who I once considered one of the most promising young teams in football, are now very, very deep in the cellar. This team has nothing going for them right now. Before, they were a promising offensive team, but even that isn’t working for them. It’s cooked right now in Jacksonville. QB Gardner Minshew is not the answer and he is not a franchise QB. HC Doug Marrone cannot be fired soon enough. The team needs another complete overhaul, and it will likely start with a QB in this year’s draft. I am officially putting the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Trevor Lawrence Sweepstakes™.

32 – Jets (0-7)

Nothing that I can say here that I haven’t already said all season long. I will say this though: the Jets had 4 total yards of offense in the 2nd half on Sunday. Trevor Lawrence must be contemplating a 4th year at Clemson very hard right now. What a sham.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Week 6 of the NFL season taught us a lot about many different teams. We got to learn more about certain contenders and a lot of pretenders. Let’s stack up these teams 1-32 like we do every week.

1 – Chiefs (5-1) 1

The Chiefs are back in a familiar ranking this week. Yes, there are 3 teams that don’t have a loss, and Kansas City is not one of them, but there’s still no doubt in my mind that this is the best team in the league. On a cold, rainy, ugly night in Orchard Park, they got the job done the old fashioned way: pound the ball on the ground, and let your QB pick apart the defense bit by bit. That’s what HC Andy Reid let QB Patrick Mahomes and RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire do on Monday evening, and it worked to perfection. When they are clicking, they are impossible to stop. Their defense also looked very sharp and improved after a rough previous outing, with S Juan Thornhill making plays all over the secondary. This team had a slip up a couple weeks ago against Vegas, but that is not the norm at all with them. They will be fine. One loss does not define a team, as I will get into more later with another top team.

2 – Titans (5-0) 2

There is a legitimate argument for this team to be at 1. They have looked like one of the most complete teams in all of football week in and week out, and all they do is win. HC Mike Vrabel has his team playing elite football, and it’s in large part thanks to the sensational play of QB Ryan Tannehill and RB Derrick Henry. Tannehill has thrown 4 TDs in each of his last 2 games and is 3rd in the league in passer rating at 113.5. Henry leads the league in rushing despite playing 1 less game than most players with 588. His 214 yards on Sunday were enough to carry his team to an incredible, clutch overtime victory against Houston. There isn’t much this team doesn’t do well. They could do a better job of getting after quarterbacks, but even if they don’t, their secondary has played decently well this year, led by CB Malcolm Butler. Next up for this squad is one of their two fellow unbeatens: the Pittsburgh Steelers. If they can win that game the way they’ve been winning lately, then we should seriously consider talking about this team’s chances to reach Tampa in February.

3 – Packers (4-1) 2

For the first time in 2020, the Packers slipped up. And it was embarrassing. After a fairly hot start in Tampa, including some Aaron Rodgers hip thrusts, Green Bay gave up 38 unanswered points and was ran out of the building. Like I said above, I will not judge a team based on one game. Yes, they played absolutely awfully, but I won’t punish them too much for it because I know how good they really are. I think they will be just fine. If not, then it’ll be a cause for concern, but one game isn’t enough to show us that. They have a very easy schedule, and will win many more games. This was probably their toughest game of the year, and they lost. It happens. They’ll be fine.

4 – Seahawks (5-0) 1

The Seahawks were off for the week, so there’s not much to get into with them. It came out today that they’ll be pursuing WR Antonio Brown, which is… questionable. If there’s anything this team doesn’t need, it’s a wide receiver. Tyler Lockett, D.K. Metcalf, David Moore, and others have been just fine. Maybe this team should get another good corner, or a pass rusher, so they can actually stop someone on defense. Regardless, this team will be fine and continue to win games as long as Russell Wilson is at QB. This week, they get a handful of a challenge in Kyler Murray’s Cardinals, a team that always gives them fits. I don’t expect Seattle to suffer their first loss, but anything can happen.

5 – Steelers (5-0) 1

Pittsburgh had one of the statement wins of 2020 thus far, and it was very impressive to see. Rookie WR Chase Claypool has emerged as an absolute star offensively, their run game is improving every week with RBs James Conner and Benny Snell putting up good numbers, and QB Ben Roethlisberger is having a spectacular start to his 17th season. The story of this team is their defense, as it has been for the whole year. They excel in every facet of their defense, with rushers like T.J. Watt, Bud Dupree, and Cam Heyward attacking passers, and DBs like Minkah Fitzpatrick making huge plays in the secondary. This is another very complete team like the ones above them, but I need to see them win more big games before bumping them higher. This week, they get a fellow 5-0 team in the Tennessee Titans. That game will be a great benchmark for both teams.

6 – Ravens (5-1) 1

Baltimore looked great for most of the game in Philadelphia, but their struggle to close out the game and shut the door on the Eagles concerns me a bit. There’s no denying the talent and great coaching that this team has, but if they can’t close out a team like Philly, then what will happen if they get into that situation against teams like Pittsburgh and Tennessee? We’ve already seen them lose to Kansas City. I have a feeling that this team is just gonna beat up on bad teams all year long and eventually get exposed against great teams. We’ll find out soon enough, as their upcoming opponents are as follows: Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, New England, Tennessee, and Pittsburgh again. It’s a very tough stretch that will teach us a lot about what this team is truly made of.

7 – Buccaneers (4-2) 2

Yes, the Bucs looked incredible on Sunday. Yes, I’ve been very high on this team all season long. I still am very high on this team, but I’m not gonna be super over-reactionary this week. They still need to prove a lot. I’m not surprised that they played a very inspired game on Sunday after an extremely uninspiring performance in their previous game against the Bears. Tom Brady does not lose back to back games very often. Every aspect of this team looked great against Green Bay, and it was the first time they played a truly complete game this season. If they continue to do that consistently, then there isn’t gonna be a lot standing between them and a Super Bowl berth. But I need to see it more often before I bump them up to the top of this list.

8 – Bears (5-1) 6

Like I said yesterday, I am done disrespecting this team. They are 5-1 for a reason. Their defense is one of the best in the league, and their offense is getting the job done against teams that are very solid defensively. QB Nick Foles isn’t anything special, but he is doing exactly what he needs to do to put his team in a position to win every week. WR Allen Robinson has been playing at a high level all year long, and RB David Montgomery has done nothing but produce in his second year. Their defense needs no introduction, as it as solid as ever led by their stars like LB Khalil Mack and DBs like Eddie Jackson. HC Matt Nagy has this team doing one thing: winning. And they’re doing it consistently against good teams. I’m excited to see them play more elite teams, because if they can win those games, then this team will go a lot farther than we might have expected.

9 – Saints (3-2) 3

The Saints were one of four teams who got the week off, so there’s not much to talk about with them. They welcome in the Carolina Panthers this week, who have had a better-than-expected season so far this year. New Orleans still might be without WR Michael Thomas this week, but they should be fine. They’re playing better football, despite having a porous secondary, and are trending in the right direction. If they drop this week’s game, then there will definitely be a lot of questions to be asked. But I don’t see that happening.

10 – Bills (4-2) 3

Buffalo lost their second game in two weeks, both of which coming to the top 2 teams in this week’s rankings. I don’t want to punish them too hard based on their opponents, but they simply did not look good in either game. They were outclassed by Tennessee and Kansas City, and quite frankly looked like they didn’t even belong on the same field as them. Most teams would go 0-2 in that stretch, but I’m not sure what to make of their back to back poor performances. This team will bounce back, but these last two games have to feel a bit demoralizing. QB Josh Allen needs to get back on track if he wants to stay confident and have this team winning like they were in September.

11 – Rams (4-2) 3

Another week, another loss for the Rams against a non-NFC East team. HC Sean McVay is now 0-4 against 49ers HC Kyle McVay, and Los Angeles, who has looked great against the worst division in football, put up another subpar performance against a real team. This team is very talented, but they are yet to show us anything really… substantive in 2020. I think that they’ll be fine, but they play in the toughest division in football by a longshot, and the schedule does not get any easier. If they continue to play the way they did last week, then it’ll be a long, uphill road for this team compete for a playoff spot.

12 – Raiders (3-2) 1

Las Vegas did not play this week, but are the beneficiary of teams above them losing, so they get temporarily bumped off. They got one of the biggest wins of the year two weeks ago in Kansas City, so it’ll be interesting to see if they can carry that momentum into their next few games. They get Tom Brady and the Bucs this week in primetime in what should be a great game that I cannot wait to watch.

13 – Colts (4-2) 2

Indianapolis looked like they were still on the team bus for the first 15 or so minutes on Sunday, but when they finally woke up, they were not going to be stopped. After falling behind 21-0 to the Bengals, the Colts ended the game on a 31-6 run. Once they tightened up on both sides of the ball, they were not losing that game. It’s a testament to HC Frank Reich’s coaching and the experience of this team. When they are down, they don’t give up. It’s one of the reasons I like this team so much. I can’t put them too high because of their loss to Cleveland, but this team will be up here for a while. They should be a playoff team in a couple of months.

14 – Cardinals (4-2) 3

Arizona continues to be streaky in 2020. 2 wins to open the year, 2 losses, and now 2 more wins. I’m still gonna keep them a peg down because they’ve beaten Joe Flacco and Andy Dalton in their last two games, but they sure have looked great doing it. The offense is back on track after a couple of down games, and their defense has stiffened up greatly, thanks to stellar play from S Budda Baker and others. QB Kyler Murray has also returned to form, and WR Christian Kirk is emerging as a star in their offense. Next up for the Cards is the rival Seahawks in their toughest game of 2020 so far. Perhaps the momentum of the last two games will propel them to a W, but I doubt it.

15 – Patriots (2-3) 4

One word: ugly. That is what the New England Patriots were on Sunday afternoon against Denver. QB Cam Newton and the offense looked absolutely putrid from start to finish. Both the run game and the passing game, which have looked pretty good through their first 4 games, were lifeless and stagnant against a Broncos defense that is definitely good, but nothing special. They are depleted at WR and their committee of RBs has refused to show up in a big way this year outside of one big game from Rex Burkehead. The Patriots defense did its job, not allowing a touchdown, so to lose the game is definitely a back breaker. The rest of the schedule is nothing easy, and this offense needs to figure itself out quickly if the Patriots want to keep up in a competitive AFC.

16 – 49ers (3-3) 3

The Niners got back on track with a resounding victory in a seemingly must-win game against Los Angeles. Had they lost and dropped to 2-4 in the league’s toughest division, it would’ve been a long road back to the playoff hunt. Now they sit comfortably at .500 and trending upwards as the schedule gets even tougher. I trust the experience and coaching of this team to carry them, but the question is: how far? I still feel like this team will be limited against the league’s best. They are starting to get healthy again, but their fully healthy squad couldn’t even beat Arizona. We’ll find out soon enough what this team truly is, but for now, I’ll keep them right in the middle of the pack.

17 – Browns (4-2) 7

Ok, I know what you’re thinking. “You being WAY too harsh to the Browns!” Maybe. But this team got flat out exposed. There is no other way to put it. Yes, they beat Indy in a good win in Week 5, but they racked up Mickey Mouse wins the rest of the year en route to their “impressive” 4-1 record going into Sunday’s game in Pittsburgh. We thought they were legit, and we found out that they aren’t very close. Many teams have the decency to put up fights and show up to their games against elite teams. The Browns did not. QB Baker Mayfield did that thing he always does where he folds under the brightest lights. He was never built for the moment in college or the pros, and he has proven that he still is not. We saw that in Week 1, and we saw it again on Sunday. After their loss to Baltimore, Cleveland was able to get by on asking Baker to do minimal work on the field and win on the backs of their stellar RBs, but without Nick Chubb in the lineup, they have to ask Baker to be a real QB. Spoiler alert: he can’t do that. Not against good teams at least. Cleveland will still win games this year, yes, but the next time they play an elite team, they’ll fold once again. It’s in their DNA.

18 – Dolphins (3-3)

Miami has now won 3 of their last 4 games, all of which coming in pretty impressive fashion. Even in their one loss, they put up a very good fight. Their recent success has been in large part due to the surprisingly great play of veteran QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, who has been one of the more pleasant surprises of 2020 so far. The defense has also stepped up in a big way, especially on Sunday, not allowing a single point to the Jets. Heading into the bye, I imagined this team would just regroup and keep on fighting towards a potential wild card spot. But they have made the decision to bench Fitzpatrick for rookie QB Tua Tagovailoa, who the Dolphins took with the 5th overall pick in this year’s draft. It’s a decision that was inevitable, but I’m not sure if anyone expected them to make it this early, especially with the way Fitz has been playing. I’m excited to see what the kid from Alabama has to offer, but I can’t help but feel perplexed, and honestly sad for Fitz. Let’s see if it pays off for Miami.

19 – Panthers (3-3) 3

Carolina’s three-game win streak was snapped on Sunday against a very good Bears team, so I didn’t want to punish them too much, but their ranking this week is simply a product of the movements of the teams around them. I still feel good about this team, as I very much believe in HC Matt Rhule and QB Teddy Bridgewater. RB Christian McCaffrey is also on the way back in just a matter of time. I think this team has many more games to win, but I’m not sure if they’re a playoff contender. The NFC is just too competitive.

20 – Chargers (1-4) 1

The Chargers were on a bye this week, which I’m sure their fans enjoyed since they didn’t have to see them blow another game. They have a very good chance to snap their 4-game skid (which should 100% be a 4-game win streak) this Sunday against Jacksonville, but I wouldn’t put it past this team to mess it up somehow.

21 – Cowboys (2-4) 1

Oh, brother. This team is baaaaaad. At least they had QB Dak Prescott to fall back on when their defense was porous. Now, they have Andy Dalton. And he does not look like the answer. Dalton had a very poor first start on Monday night, and it didn’t help that RB Ezekiel Elliott couldn’t hold onto the ball whatsoever. The defense also kept on playing like a JV unit, letting Kyler Murray, Kenyan Drake, and the Cardinals’ receivers have whatever they wanted all night long. This is a completely different offense with Dalton at the helm, and it is lifeless. You can’t help but feel like this team is completely dead without Prescott under center. If that’s the case, then this season is completely lost. But hey, at least they’re still in first place!

22 – Lions (2-3) 5

I always felt like this team was better than their record and performances thus far this season. Maybe they aren’t, but they certainly looked like it on Sunday in Jacksonville. It may have just been a product of playing the Jaguars, but this team looked very solid. They have been in many of their losses this year, so they could easily be above .500. QB Matt Stafford had a great day throwing to WR Kenny Golladay, and rookie RB D’Andre Swift had the best day of his young career. Their defense also looked very solid against a Jags offense that puts up a lot of yards. No, this team won’t be competing for anything anytime soon, but I’ll bump them up for the week because why the hell not?

23 – Texans (1-5)

The Texans did that thing they always do where they’re in position to win a game but then, because they’re the Houston Texans, blow it and take another devastating loss. Houston had everything going their way after coming back from an early double-digit deficit on Sunday, even after giving up big plays to the Titans. All they needed was a stop. And they couldn’t get one on back to back possessions to lose the game. So, the Texans, who I’ve given the benefit of the doubt to all year, lost another very winnable game. This team really should have more than just 1 win, but coaching and inability to perform in the clutch have them sitting at 1-5. I am officially sticking a fork in them. They are certainly better than the teams below them, but that doesn’t mean much anymore.

24 – Eagles (1-4-1)

By some grace of God, this team is just a half game out of first place in the NFC East. They have put up dud after dud this season, outside of one win in Santa Clara that was practically handed to them on a silver platter. Carson Wentz did play arguably his best game of the year on Sunday, and the Eagles almost came all the way back, but it wasn’t enough. This team is going to win the division in my opinion (which is the equivalent of beating toddlers in a race), but they need to start getting it together fast. They have a very important game tomorrow night against the Giants, and if they lose, then oh BOY they will be torn into next week.

25 – Falcons (1-5) 4

Atlanta pulled out their first W of the year in dominant fashion on Sunday in Minneapolis, much to the avail of me, someone whose team is now in much better position in the Trevor Lawrence Sweepstakes™. I’ve been waiting for the Falcons to play a complete game without completely blowing it, and they finally did. This team should absolutely be .500 or better right now, so it was good to see them finally get in the win column. I’m not sure how much their fans liked it, but it was good for a team that is now looking to right the ship after the firing of HC Dan Quinn. I’m not sure how many more games this team will win this year, but I’m hoping it’s plenty.

26 – Vikings (1-5) 4

It is very easy to say that Minnesota has a Kirk Cousins problem, but I think it’s much more fitting to say that they have a whole team problem. Yes, their QB was horrid in the first half against the Falcons with 3 INTs, but it didn’t help that their defense was getting torn apart. When you fall behind by 23 points so early in the game, it becomes nearly impossible to get the run game going, which is exactly what Minnesota needs to win games. When RB Dalvin Cook isn’t a big part of the offense, the offense can’t do much. Yes, Cousins garbage time statpadded his way to a respectable statline, but there is no denying or ignoring how poor this team has been. It’s hard to see the $86 million man coming back after this season. With every passing week, it looks more and more like this once-Super Bowl contender is heading into rebuild mode.

27 – Broncos (2-3) 1

I will give credit to the Denver Broncos. They walked into Foxboro and did not stand down to the Patriots. Yes, their offense had a pretty bad game, but QB Drew Lock and company did what they needed to do to put their defense in a position to lock up a win by stopping the Pats offense, and that’s exactly what happened. It was a good win for a team that certainly needed the morale boost. That being said, I don’t expect to see much more of that from Denver. They are facing too many injuries, and they are in a division that is stacked to the brim with offense, unlike the New England team they just faced. This team will still be a bottom-tier squad in 2020.

28 – Bengals (1-4-1) 3

The Bengals are back to being the Bungles: embarrassing loss after embarrassing loss, blowing games and doing nothing to help their stellar rookie QB Joe Burrow. Cincy came out firing on Sunday to the tune of a 21-0 second quarter lead, but they were completely lifeless after that. Nobody expected anything out of this team, so it’s nothing shocking or depressing, but you can’t help but feel for Burrow right now. Luckily for him, this team will be in position to draft an elite offensive line talent in April. That will help this team greatly.

29 – Jaguars (1-5) 3

Now this is a team that has angered me. After 2 weeks this season, I had very high hopes for the Jaguars. They looked like an inspiring, talented young group of players, led by QB Gardner Minshew II. But week after week, they have proven to me that I was very, very wrong. This team is awful and very uninspired. For each of the last 3 weeks, they looked like they didn’t even want to be on the field. It’s only a matter of time before HC Doug Marrone is ran out of town, and that time cannot come soon enough. And although I like Minshew, I’m not sure if he’s the answer as a franchise QB. I think it’s time to enter the Jaguars into the Trevor Lawrence Sweepstakes™.

30 – Giants (1-5) 1

Another formerly-winless team who got their first win of the year on Sunday. And thank God they did. They honestly should have gotten it two weeks ago in Arlington. Wrap your head around this: if they had won that game, the Giants would currently be in first place in the NFC East. Only in 2020. It was a good win for a Giants team that just looked like they wanted it more against Washington. Next up for them is a reeling Eagles team. If they win that game, and a few other things fall into place, the Giants will somehow find themselves in the playoff picture. Once again, only in 2020.

31 – Washington (1-5) 1

I… I really don’t want to talk about this team. They are a complete eye sore to watch. They are still dysfunctional from the top down. The coaching staff is an absolute disaster, especially offensively. QB Kyle Allen has done nothing to prove that he deserves to be the starting signal caller of this football team. HC Ron Rivera continues to send mixed signals about the way he leads this team and the way he expects his QBs to play. They continue to lose game after game in utterly embarrassing fashion. It is absolutely disgraceful and impossible to tolerate. Next up is an Andy Dalton-led Cowboys team, and yet this team will likely still find some way to lose in absolutely horrible fashion. In other words, the name might have changed, the coach might have changed, the “vIbE” might have changed, but this team has not changed one damn bit.

32 – Jets (0-6)

Once again, this one needs no explanation. The Jets are now the NFL’s lone winless team. Joe Flacco has started the last 2 games at QB and has looked horrible. The defense cannot do a thing to stop anybody. The offense cannot do anything even if they faced a college team. The unis are still awful. Oh, and Adam Gase is still employed. I’m sick of asking how things like this are possible, so I’ll just keep it at that for the week.

All stats taken from ESPN and Pro Football Reference.