Category: power rankings

Post-Week 4 Power Rankings

After a month of football, NFL teams are slowly starting to categorize themselves into distinctive tiers as we get a better idea of who the contenders and pretenders are. Here’s how I stack things up 1-32 after Week 4.

Cover photo taken from Bleacher Report.

1 – Eagles (4-0)

Despite the incredible showing from the team below them, the Eagles retain the top spot this week. After all, they are the NFL’s lone undefeated team now. Even in a downpour, they showed so much of what makes them truly special. They were in an early 14-point hole and erased it with ease on the backs of their balanced offense and dominant defense. They continue to get tremendous contributions from all of their newcomers on both sides of the ball, especially on defense. They forced turnover after turnover and ran the ball down Jacksonville’s throat, and the game was really never in question after they erased the deficit. Not many teams would be able to bounce back like that. Great teams do.

2 – Chiefs (3-1) 2

I had more than half a mind to put Kansas City at 1, but I had to respect the balance and undefeated record of the Eagles. Still, the Chiefs had the most impressive performance of the season on Sunday night, and are likely the NFL’s best team as of right now. I said their offense would get shut down by arguably the best defense in the league, and all they did was rip them apart in every conceivable way. Just to put things in perspective, the Chiefs scored more points in the first half than the Buccaneers had allowed in their first three games… combined. So, yeah, Patrick Mahomes and the rest of this offense are still the scariest sight in the sport. I do think the defense still needs some work, especially in the secondary, but I give them a pass since they’re largely just keeping the offense in front of them after the team goes up by multiple scores. It remains to be seen if that will be an issue in close games.

3 – Bills (3-1)

The Bills had absolutely no business winning on Sunday, but the manner in which they did so speaks to their identity and toughness. Not many teams can go down 17 points to an elite team on the road in a torrential downpour and come all the way back to win it. They rode the arm and legs of Josh Allen all game long and forced a huge turnover late in the game to win it at the buzzer with a walkoff FG. I’ve said I don’t like how much they rely on their QB, but he can clearly handle it (at least early in the season), and he’s good enough to carry them to victory. Their defense is still elite and did just enough against Lamar Jackson to let their offense go down and win the game. It’s a formula that I’m not all too fond of, but it’s working for Buffalo.

4 – Packers (3-1) 2

I do think the Packers still have a ton of room to improve, especially offensively. But, they’re doing exactly what I wanted them to do on that side of the ball, and it’s working. So, I’m giving them plenty of credit. They are clearly getting more cohesive on offense, especially with the emergence of rookie WR Romeo Doubs in the passing game. They are getting fellow rookie WR Christian Watson involved a lot more, which is great to see considering his incredible physical skillset. Aaron Rodgers hasn’t been the flashy MVP we’re accustomed to seeing, but he doesn’t have to be. He has the supporting cast around him to lead his team to victory. It helps that his defense is just ridiculously good at every position. If the offense ever lags behind, you can count on this unit, which might be the best in the league, to make up for any and all shortcomings.

5 – Dolphins (3-1) 3

The Dolphins horribly mismanaged Tua Tagovailoa’s injury situation. That is well-documented by now, and I’m not here to beat a dead horse. I’m here to say that, despite Thursday’s loss, I still think Miami is in a great spot moving forward. For starters, they easily could have won the game despite what happened to Tua. Teddy Bridgewater is a capable QB and as good of a backup as you could possibly ask for. The supporting cast around him is going to make his life easy, and when that was the case for him in New Orleans, it translated to wins. The defense didn’t have their finest game, which was a bit of a concern, but they were going up against a good offense in a tough environment. They’ll be just fine. Regardless of when Tua comes back (if he does at all), I have plenty of faith in this team to still be very good. They may not be the contenders we thought, but they’re still better than most other teams in this league.

6 – Ravens (2-2) 1

The Ravens now have two inexplicable losses. The first one they could blame on their defense, but this one has to be the fault of the coaching staff. I cannot fathom the decision to go for it on 4th and goal from the 1 in a tie game instead of taking the free 3 points. Throwing a pick in that situation is the worst possible outcome, so when that happens and ends up being your last offensive play because the other team takes that and cashes it in with a last second game-winning field goal of their own, it’s quite embarrassing. Despite all of this, I really do think this is an elite team. I don’t think that’s the question. The question is whether or not they have it in them to not lose games in such embarrassing fashion. There’s no excuse for this to continue happening if you’re Baltimore. The team is far too good and the coaching staff is far too experienced to lose games in Cleveland-like fashion. I guess it is still in their DNA.

7 – Buccaneers (2-2)

Let’s pump the brakes with the overreactions please. The Bucs will be fine. Their defense will be okay. They ran into the buzzsaw that is the Chiefs offense, and while nobody saw that poor of a performance coming, we can be rest assured that they won’t look that bad again. If it makes them feel any better, the offense did their thing in the passing game. The only thing is that the run game was completely invisible and any and all efforts were in vain thanks to being way too behind all game long to compete. Sunday night was just a disaster from the start for Tampa, but they are way too good across the board to be that awful in any games moving forward.

8 – Chargers (2-2) 1

The Chargers are still yet to put together a performance that wows us this year, and I don’t know when they will. If you can’t do it against the Texans, then can you do it at all? It’s hard with this team still being as injured as they are, and I don’t know how much faith I have in them to overcome all the injuries. Justin Herbert looks pretty solid as he continues to heal, and Austin Ekeler finally decided to show up this season. They’ll need continued contributions from both if they hope to keep up in this breakneck conference.

9 – Vikings (3-1) 1

The Vikings are coming off back to back wins that took everything they had. They might not be two of the most impressive wins in the world, but I think they’re indicative of what this team is made of. The Vikings always lose these types of games, but they’re finally coming out on top. Maybe it’s a sign that this team is built to win huge games and not suffer the heartbreaking losses they’re so accustomed to. It helps that Justin Jefferson finally got back involved in the offense with a mammoth game and the defense made enough plays to win the game. It was too close for comfort, but it never comes easy in Minnesota.

10 – 49ers (2-2) 5

Something about the Rams brings out the best in the 49ers. Those two games every year are the ones where San Francisco looks the best. Monday night was an incredible showing, especially from the defense and the ultimate weapon known as Deebo Samuel. They made the defending champions look lost and confused on both sides of the ball from start to finish in an impressively dominant win. I knew they’d come out on top, but I wasn’t anticipating them looking so great in doing so. This team still has a clear ceiling with Jimmy Garoppolo under center, but that ceiling is pretty high when his teammates play like this.

11 – Cowboys (3-1) 2

Another week of Dallas beating up on inferior NFC East opponents has them slowly but surely rising. I’m not going to discredit them or say that this is a bad team; their defense is still playing lights out and Cooper Rush deserves his flowers for leading a competent offense. This is a solid team that is making the most of their early cupcake schedule. It’s about to get much tougher, so buckle up.

12 – Bengals (2-2) 2

The Bengals have done what they had to do, getting back to .500 after a nightmare 0-2 start. Thursday’s win was a great one, beating an undefeated Dolphins team with a great defensive performance and doing just enough offensively to win. I still think this team is lacking the juice that made them so special a year ago, but there’s no doubt that they still have the talent to compete at a high level. They need to prove it more consistently against good teams.

13 – Browns (2-2) 3

There’s no excuse to lose to a team that completes 7 passes all game long. The Browns were undoubtedly the better team on Sunday, but their offensive woes bit them a few too many times to come out on top. They simply weren’t getting enough production from their WRs or Kareem Hunt. Jacoby Brissett wasn’t awful by any means, but I expected him and everyone else other than Nick Chubb to be better against the Falcons of all teams. The defense also didn’t have their best day. It was just a slog for a team that’s way better than they appeared. They should be able to button up those mistakes and look much better moving forward.

14 – Jaguars (2-2) 3

The Jags were plagued by the downpour in Philly to the tune of countless fumbles and ruined possessions that eliminated their chances to win. If that game was played on a clear day, they probably could have won. They did get out to a nice lead thanks to great contributions from the offense and defense, but once the rain picked up, it was very rough sailing. Poor ball security is an issue, but you’d have to think this team won’t be in those conditions again anytime soon. I still liked what the Jags flashed against my #1 team on Sunday and I still have high hopes for them moving forward. Luckily for them, they get a great bounce-back game this week against Houston.

15 – Rams (2-2) 7

What even is this team at this point? What is their identity? What do they do well other than force feed Cooper Kupp? They look lifeless, unmotivated, uninspired. They look… bad. They just don’t look like a team that can compete with the best of the best in this league. They look like a shadow of the team that won the Super Bowl. I’m not sticking a fork in them, but man. This is pretty bad.

16 – Cardinals (2-2) 1

This team is the definition of mid, but at least they’re a fun mid team. This is a team with a solid offense that puts up numbers, which is exactly what we expected out of them. I still think their defense needs a ton of work, but that’s not really going to hold them back against the likes of the Panthers. It will hold them back against the better teams on their schedule, however. But that’s fine. The Cards are what we thought they’d be, and while that’s nothing impressive, they’re good enough to compete, which is a lot more than can be said about the teams below them.

17 – Titans (2-2) 6

I’d like to think the Titans are slowly getting themselves figured out again, but I can’t be too sure at this point. For all of the good things they’ve shown us in the last two weeks, they’ve shown us an equal amount to dislike. The most important thing is that Derrick Henry is finally back to being his usual self, which was imperative if this team was to get back on track. The defensive front also continues to dominate, which is necessary against inferior competition. The Titans still need to put together a complete performance, but what’s clear is that they’re trending in the right direction, which is more than I could have asked for after their first two games.

18 – Lions (1-3) 2

At the end of the day, the Lions’ biggest obstacle remains themselves. In each of their losses, they couldn’t get out of their own way and suffered narrow defeats because of it; this was especially the case in the last two weeks. This offense is doing plenty with the highest yardage and points per game in the league, even with injuries across the board, but the defense has just been abhorrent. They are giving up an incomprehensible 444 yards and 35 points per game, both of which are the worst in the NFL by a mile. This was a unit that looked much improved, but is quite frankly just as awful if not worse than years prior. Until that gets buttoned up, the Lions are going nowhere, despite their offensive fireworks. At this rate, it’s not getting fixed anytime soon.

19 – Saints (1-3)

The Saints really did everything they could on Sunday in London. They had to deal with absolutely awful calls going against them and some extremely tough luck. It’s not a good thing to join the exclusive Double Doink club. I still think there’s so much to like with this team, but it’s just not translating on the field. The defense hasn’t been as good as I imagined, Alvin Kamara has been invisible in every game he has played in, Michael Thomas is hurt again, and the QB situation isn’t ideal in any regard. Chris Olave has been a bright spot, but that’s about it. Maybe if they get healthy they can put it together, but it’s hard to have any faith in that happening at this point.

20 – Falcons (2-2) 4

I’ll give some credit to the Falcons. They’ve been pretty solid in the last two weeks. They’ve been solid all year long actually. With some better luck, they could be 4-0. As it stands, they’re at .500 and good enough to stick around there for a while. The offense is solid with their plethora of young pieces, and the defense has played surprisingly well. This isn’t a great team, but they might not be as awful as I projected them to be. They’ll probably be able to beat the bottom feeders on their schedule and give the great teams fits. For a team like this, that’s trending in the right direction.

21 – Patriots (1-3) 1

Nobody really has any idea what’s going on with the Patriots right now. I do want to give them credit for hanging in there against the Packers with their third string QB in a game where they were a near double digit underdog. Still, this team just doesn’t show anyone enough to feel great about. They can run the ball pretty well and their defense played much better than they had before. There’s something to be said about pushing an elite team like Green Bay to the edge on the road, but based on this team’s performances in their first three games, it was probably just a one time thing.

22 – Colts (1-2-1)

The Colts aren’t really a team worth talking about. They are just so painfully average at everything, which almost feels impossible. They have the supposed best running back in football in their backfield, yet he has been a complete ghost in their last three games. Their allegedly elite offensive line is struggling mightily to protect their 37 year old statue of a QB. They have solid pass-catchers, but it doesn’t matter when they can’t get the ball. And their defense has just been poor. It’s so strange to see and I have no idea how they’re going. to fix it. Perhaps they won’t fix it at all.

23 – Raiders (1-3) 3

The Raiders finally got off the schneid on Sunday, just as I expected them to. It was a solid day on both sides of the ball, using a solid offensive output and a huge defensive touchdown to propel them to a comfortable win over their division rival. The Broncos are awful, so I’m not buying too much Raiders stock right now, but it was nice to finally see them put together a performance good enough to win. Sadly for them, next up is a trip to Arrowhead. Good luck with that.

24 – Seahawks (2-2) 6

Did the Seahawks win the Russell Wilson trade? Did the Seahawks upgrade at QB? Are the Seahawks better than the Broncos? All of these are valid questions, and at least one of them can be answered with a “yes”. Geno Smith has been one of the best QBs this year from a statistical standpoint, and the offense looks competent. The defense is a different story, but they got away with it this week. I don’t think the Seahawks are a good team that will win many games, but I have to respect how they’ve looked so far, especially at QB.

25 – Broncos (2-2) 7

No, this isn’t being too harsh. Anyone who has watched any Broncos football knows that this team is horrible. They are an eye sore that fails to do anything well. Their offense is stagnant and incompetent, and that’s now made worse by the season-ending knee injury to star RB Javonte Williams. The defense did not play up to their standards this week against a winless Raiders team. Russell Wilson hasn’t played even close to the level that they expected after giving up a king’s ransom for him. And don’t even get me started on the coaching. A very bad situation is getting worse. It’s slowly but surely spiraling out of control.

26 – Jets (2-2) 3

I don’t even think the Jets know how they got their two wins, but they’re not complaining. They took the gifts given to them by the Browns and Steelers and have run with them. Good for Zach Wilson and this team to do their thing and pick up a hard fought W against a team that has owned them for so long. They have to savor the very few wins they get.

27 – Giants (3-1) 2

I really don’t want to sound like a broken record here. The Giants are just an unimpressive, boring, and straight up bad team that has no business being 3-1. It looks great on paper now, but it’s not going to last whatsoever now that they’ll be playing real teams. No other teams are going to be fooled by Daniel Jones naked bootlegs. Saquon Barkley is playing the best football of any RB in the league right now, but he can only take an offense this bad so far. It is a good thing that nobody outside of this fanbase cares about their record. It deserves no attention whatsoever.

28 – Steelers (1-3) 7

I really didn’t think it could get this bad in Pittsburgh. But, here we are. The reins were finally handed to Kenny Pickett, and all he did was throw 3 interceptions in a half against the Jets en route to a blown lead and a loss. The defense continues to drop like flies and let offenses have their way. Najee Harris is still a complete non-factor. This team is just a disaster across the board with no hopes of getting better. At least Pickett will be getting his reps in.

29 – Panthers (1-3) 1

Can you imagine being the Panthers? The QB you traded for is having one of the worst statistical starts to a season in NFL history, and you’ll have to turn to the other QB you wanted to replace who is probably even worse to try and turn it around. I will say this: Christian McCaffrey is still as dynamic as ever and is putting this offense on his back, and the defense actually isn’t awful. Frankie Luvu is playing like a DPOY candidate right now. None of this is making up for how terrible this team is everywhere else, but a team like this could use every bright spot they can get.

30 – Commanders (1-3) 3

Nope.

31 – Bears (2-2)

The Bears are incompetence and ignorance personified. They do not care. They actively don’t want any of their young players to develop, especially their first-round QB that they traded up for. They don’t want to improve anywhere. They don’t want to do anything well. And they aren’t. They seemingly never will. This might just be the most embarrassing, pathetic team and franchise in the league.

32 – Texans (0-3-1)

The Texans are now the NFL’s lone winless team. Who could have seen that coming? They were competitive down the stretch on Sunday, but it was simply too little too late. This team will be feisty at times, but it will never be enough. The only questions now are when that first win will come and who this team is taking with the first pick in the draft.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Post-Week 3 Power Rankings

A week littered with upsets and continued craziness has caused plenty more shakeups in the rankings. Here’s how I stack things up 1-32 as we head into October.

Cover photo taken from Philadelphia Inquirer.

1 – Eagles (3-0) 4

While I don’t think the Eagles are the best team in the league, they are certainly playing the best football of anyone right now. We all knew they had the potential to be a true contender this season, and they have lived up to it and then some through three weeks. Jalen Hurts is continuing to play like an MVP candidate. The WR corps is seemingly unstoppable as any given Sunday anyone can dominate a secondary; this week it was 2021 first-rounder Devonta Smith. The defense continues to suffocate opponents, racking up 9 sacks this week without even breaking a sweat. Against a cupcake schedule, I’m confident in Philly’s ability to keep up this level of play and stay in the upper echelon of the power rankings all year long.

2 – Dolphins (3-0) 4

Like the team above them, I don’t believe the Dolphins are the second best team in football. I don’t believe they’re better than the team they beat on Sunday, which is slotted one spot below them. But I have to respect their win and the way they’ve been playing to start this season. Miami has two wins over two of my top 5 teams, both of which coming in very clutch fashion. For all the crap I’ve given him in the past, Tua Tagovailoa has seemingly figured it out, in large part thanks to his incredible receivers and extremely bright young head coach in Mike McDaniel. This defense continues to play lights out, doing what they had to do to beat Josh Allen and the vaunted Bills who people were already crowning after just two games. This is an outstanding young team that plays a beautiful brand of football. They’ll need to keep that brand up in the coming weeks before the schedule gets absolutely brutal.

3 – Bills (2-1) 2

The Bills lost, everyone run for your lives! It was bound to happen. Many people thought it would happen this week. I had a sneaking suspicion, but I gave them the benefit of the doubt. I didn’t anticipate the weather in Miami being as big of a factor as it was, but I also forgot to take Buffalo’s incompetence in the run game into account. This team won’t lose many games between now and January, but when they do, that will be a common theme. They are far too reliant on Josh Allen to carry them to greatness when the going gets tough, and while he’s talented enough to do so, nobody can do it on their own.

4 – Chiefs (2-1) 2

I had a feeling that would happen. I’m not shocked at Kansas City’s loss on Sunday, nor am I appalled or bothered by it. Everyone loses tough road games, and I had an inclination that they were susceptible to a loss. They would have won if it wasn’t for disastrous and unlucky kicking and some unfortunate offensive plays as well as an inexplicable “unsportsmanlike conduct” penalty on Chris Jones to keep the game alive for the Colts. In short, everything that could have gone wrong for the Chiefs on Sunday did go wrong. That likely won’t happen again.

5 – Ravens (2-1) 4

While Baltimore’s defense still needs to figure itself out, their offense has been unbelievable. They sit 4th in yards per game and 1st in points per game, and it’s all thanks to their incredible QB play. Lamar Jackson is my MVP through three weeks as he continues to play better than I’ve ever seen him do so before. He leads the league in passing touchdowns with 10 and has over 200 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns to boot. He has been an absolute nightmare for opposing defenses even with subpar receivers and runningbacks. It helps to have Mark Andrews at TE, who might be the most productive pass-catcher in the league so far this year. Like I said, the other side of the ball still has endless questions, but I have a good feeling that they’ll figure it out. In any case, they excel at taking the ball away. Even if they get gashed, they have it in them to make the plays necessary to win the game. That’s good enough for me.

6 – Packers (2-1) 2

Green Bay continues to prove that their defense is one of the best in their football while their offense still tries to figure out its identity. However, the offense looked a lot more promising on Sunday despite the low point total and rough second half. I mainly liked how rookie WR Romeo Doubs stepped up in the absence of Sammy Watkins. The Packers will need him to continue to produce while Aaron Rodgers still gels with his other targets. They can take as long as they need while the defense keeps winning them games with their incredible pass rush and a secondary that puts opposing receivers in jail.

7 – Buccaneers (2-1) 4

I don’t want to fault the Buccaneers too hard for losing by two points without their top two WRs and a meddling offensive line against a great team. However, those are problems that can’t be ignored. Mike Evans’ suspension is over, but the Bucs are still lacking in pass-catching weapons. The OL is still porous thanks to seemingly endless injuries. Tom Brady needs all the help he can get at this point, and without it, this team won’t be able to go too far. I still trust in their defense, which did their thing for the most part on Sunday. As I’ve said before, it is good enough to win them most of their games, but this team needs to be complete to contend.

8 – Rams (2-1) 3

I really never have any idea what to make of this team, but I really liked the way they looked this week in a game I picked them to lose. The important thing is that they’re running like a well-oiled machine. Both sides of the ball are doing their thing after a disastrous opening game. Cooper Kupp can’t stop scoring touchdowns and the defense has their mojo back after a tough first two weeks. The Rams have to keep this going against an absolutely brutal schedule, and I think I actually have faith in them to do just that.

9 – Chargers (1-2) 5

It only took three weeks for the Chargers to start Chargering… Charging? I don’t know. Whatever it is, it’s bad. I’m not even talking about the near 30-point loss to the Jaguars, although that was tough enough. LA is battered and beat up across the board to the tune of being the most injury-riddled team in the league. And it’s not just the fact that their injury list is as long as a Costco receipt, but it’s who has been hurt. Rashawn Slater is likely going to miss the entire season with a torn bicep. JC Jackson can’t figure out his ankle problem. Joey Bosa’s groin is torn to shreds. Corey Linsley continues to miss time with his knee issues. Keenan Allen’s hammy won’t heal. Justin Herbert’s ribs are falling off. Jalen Guyton tore his ACL! It’s just absurd at this point. With this team coming off back to back brutal losses and filling up every hospital in Los Angeles, it’s hard to see them bouncing back and living up to their incredible potential this season. Just another year for this franchise.

10 – Vikings (2-1) 3

The Vikings refuse to be a normal team, but they won’t complain about the nature in which they win games. The Lions gave them absolutely everything they could handle and they were still able to storm back and win the game in the final moments. There’s a lot of positive in that. I always say I hate when teams get off to horrible starts like that, but the ability to come back and beat a good division rival says a lot. In any case, I still really like this team and have a lot of faith in them, but I need to see them replicate a performance like their first of the year before having any more faith. It doesn’t help that Dalvin Cook is a bit banged up and Justin Jefferson can’t get open anymore for some reason. The schedule isn’t getting any easier, so Minnesota better hope they fix their kinks if they want to keep up with the league’s elite.

11 – Browns (2-1) 3

It’s time to accept that Jacoby Brissett is a competent, effective starting QB for this team. It helps that his supporting cast is spectacular with arguably the best RB in football behind him in Nick Chubb and Amari Cooper finally starting to emerge. The offensive line is dominant and the defense was able to bounce back from a rough finish in Week 2. I really like this roster from top to bottom, and I think they have what it takes to stay alive in the AFC playoff race until their QB1 returns from suspension. It’s a brutal schedule, but they play winning football.

12 – Jaguars (2-1) 7

Let’s be honest. None of us saw this coming. Not after this offseason, not after training camp, and certainly not after Week 1. But, here we are. The Jaguars a legitimate playoff contender. HC Doug Pederson deserves all the credit in the world for helping his young QB develop and getting his new offensive weapons involved in huge ways. Trevor Lawrence is finally playing like the star QB we all knew he could be, Christian Kirk and Zay Jones are emerging as fantastic WRs to support him, and James Robinson is back to his old ways out of the backfield. Even the defense is playing much better, allowing just 10 points in the last two games. In an awful division, the Jags are suddenly a clear-cut favorite thanks to a young roster that’s finally figuring it out thanks to competent coaching. How fun!

13 – Cowboys (2-1) 2

Cooper Rush wins games for some reason. I don’t believe that he’s the reason the Cowboys win when he plays at all, but he’s still 3-0 as their starter dating back to last year. On that note, I don’t think Dallas should be rushing Dak Prescott back from his hand injury at all. The schedule is about to ramp up, but I’d wait until the wheels fall off the Cooper Rush train to bring Dak back. As long as their defense keeps doing their thing, they’ll be fine. They continue to play at an elite level, and it’s good enough to carry them to victory against teams struggling offensively. It remains to be seen whether or not it can fly against elite offenses.

14 – Bengals (1-2) 1

Cincinnati is finally off the schneid in 2022. All it took was playing the Jets. They didn’t look great in doing so, but a win is a win. This team needed it badly. I still wasn’t really moved by their offensive performance, but their defense continued to make plays and keep the opposing team at arm’s length. I still have faith in the offense to work itself out, but it’s hard to see them returning to last year’s form at this point. They have their toughest test yet this Thursday against the undefeated Dolphins, so they’ll have to be back at that level if they want to get to .500.

15 – 49ers (1-2) 3

I really can’t help but laugh at everyone who said this team would be better with Jimmy Garoppolo at the helm than Trey Lance. Seriously, what went into that thought process? This is a guy who can’t get it done when it matters most, and it showed in a massive way on Sunday night. The 49ers have an otherworldy defense but it doesn’t matter when #10 is running out of the back of the endzone and throwing a pick six on the same play! San Francisco under Jimmy will be what they always were: a good team who feasts on inferior competition that can’t get over the hump against anyone worth a damn. It’s such a shame.

16 – Lions (1-2) 1

Sunday was a perfect indicator of what this team is: better than they’ve been in a very long time by being super fun and full of guts, but still the same old Lions. By all accounts, this team could be 3-0 and very well should be 2-1. But luck doesn’t exist in Detroit. The only thing that exists is the opposite. That being said, this team is sure to see a lot more wins than we may have anticipated this season. The D’Andre Swift injury isn’t promising, but the rest of their offense certainly is, and Jamaal Williams is as good of a backup as you could ask for. The defense is better than you may think, but they still have a lot to figure out. The emergence of Jeff Okudah as a lockdown CB1 is great to see as they keep working on that side of the ball.

17 – Cardinals (1-2) 4

I expected so much more out of this team on Sunday. They didn’t even play poorly, they just couldn’t put points on the board, which typically isn’t the case for this team. They put up huge numbers, but finishing drives was seemingly impossible. That won’t be the case in most games. Their defense still looks solid, but like the offense, they just couldn’t step up when they needed to. I don’t think the Cardinals are a bad team by any means, I just think they lack a certain element to be anything but mediocre.

18 – Broncos (2-1) 5

The Broncos being above .500 feels wrong. Despite their record, I still don’t feel good about this team at all. They only won on Sunday because the opposing QB literally walked out of his own endzone. The offense is still dreadful, the defense is good enough but hasn’t played a competent offense all year long, and they are the most penalized team in football. There really is just nothing to like here. Denver will start getting walloped when they finally start playing real teams. I’m just patiently waiting for it to happen.

19 – Saints (1-2) 9

I may have been wrong about the Saints. At least for the time being, I’ll say I was. I never could have foreseen this team laying such a dud against a team as bad as Carolina. I recognize that there are injury problems offensively, but they just look lost on that side of the ball. Guys like Jameis Winston and Chris Olave are putting up numbers, but it means nothing when you can’t put points on the board and continue carelessly giving the ball away. Fumbles are plaguing this team, which is always a sign of poor preparation. It’s hard to buy into the coaching staff and the weird amalgamation of parts offensively. I’m not sure how much I trust them to figure it out in a week where they’re traveling across the pond.

20 – Patriots (1-2)

I learned absolutely nothing about the Patriots this week other than the fact that their defense might be even worse than I thought. It doesn’t help when you’re facing Lamar Jackson, but it’s just uncharacteristic of this franchise. The bigger problem with New England is the ankle injury suffered by Mac Jones that’s sure to sideline him for a long time. Ankle sprains like that do nothing but linger and hold players back, and I don’t see him coming back any time soon. So, it’s the Brian Hoyer show in Foxboro for the time being. In an offense with no great weapons, that’s sure to be a disaster. We might have to stick a fork in the Patriots early.

21 – Steelers (1-2)

Stop taking the high road. It’s time to start Kenny Pickett. There is quite literally nothing to lose. Moreover, there is absolutely nothing to be gained with Trubisky continuing to start. He’s below average at best and does nothing to help win games. Just get the guy you spent a first round pick on the reps so you can actually be competitive. He’s ready to go and is being kept from doing anything. It just makes no sense. It doesn’t help that the defense is borderline ineffective with TJ Watt out of the lineup, and things are only going to get worse with Minkah Fitzpatrick nursing a concussion. For your sake, just do what you have to do to make things salvageable.

22 – Colts (1-1-1) 9

Tie with the Texans. Get shut out by the Jaguars. Beat the Chiefs. What a fascinating way to get to 1-1-1. I still don’t buy this team in the slightest, but I have to respect their ability to pull out a huge upset win against an elite team. They were the beneficiary of everything going their way, but a win is a win. This team desperately needed one. I don’t really trust them to keep beating good teams, but the good news for them is that the schedule is only getting easier. So maybe, just maybe, they can bounce back from their horrendous start.

23 – Titans (1-2) 2

The Titans were able to emerge victorious in the mid-off of the century despite trying their absolute hardest to blow it. What was learned from this experience? Absolutely nothing. Other than the fact that Derrick Henry finally decided to show up, the Titans did nothing to change my mind. I still think this team is falling face first into a rebuild, and beating the only 0-3 team in the league isn’t going to move me. One look at their schedule will reassure anyone that this is nowhere close to a playoff team.

24 – Falcons (1-2) 3

The Falcons got their much-deserved first win in hard-fought fashion on Sunday. Good for them. The best thing about games like that is seeing your young stars make plays. Drake London and Kyle Pitts had huge games, and it was pretty cool to see. Regardless of whether or not Atlanta is able to build an actual roster in the coming years, they should be confident that they have their franchise stars on offense.

25 – Giants (2-1) 1

The Giants are a very simple team to assess. Their offense is torrid thanks to their QB being Daniel Jones, one of the worst WR groups in football (made worse thanks to Sterling Shepard’s ACL tear on Monday night), and a porous offensive line. However, Saquon Barkley is back in full force to help ease the pain. Defensively, they are pretty solid, but not good enough to contain any elite teams. So, they will lose a lot of games. This was the first of many.

26 – Raiders (0-3) 4

I really thought it couldn’t get any worse. But, it got worse. Because this is the Raiders. This isn’t a franchise has stars that turn them into contenders or builds competent rosters. Their stars are ineffective and overshadowed. Their team is always incompetent and one of the biggest messes in all of football. Their coaching is always a joke and they refuse to be anything worth a damn. I genuinely don’t know how Raiders fans do it. This is exhausting from an outside perspective.

27 – Commanders (1-2) 9

This team does not exist to me. Carry on.

28 – Panthers (1-2) 2

I know I picked the Panthers to get crushed and they shut me up by beating one of my top 10 teams from a week ago. But, I’m still not very moved. Sunday’s game told me a lot more about New Orleans than Carolina. I still don’t believe in anything this team is doing at all. I will say that their defense looked very solid against a great on-paper offense. That’s a positive, which are very hard to come by with this team.

29 – Jets (1-2) 1

Welcome back to Earth. The Jets looked a lot more like the Jets on Sunday, doing approximately nothing for 60 minutes en route to another loss. That’s exactly what we expect. The good thing for New York is that Garrett Wilson keeps on putting up huge numbers, but he’s also gotten beat up a lot in the last two weeks. For his and my sake, please stop throwing him hospital balls.

30 – Seahawks (1-2) 1

Even in a loss, I don’t think the Seahawks were too embarrassing on Sunday. Geno Smith made some nice plays and the offense put up some points. They were competitive and could have come away with a win. By all means, they should have, but this team isn’t good enough for that, especially defensively. When you can’t pull it out at home against another bad team, you’re probably really bad.

31 – Bears (2-1) 5

This might just be the most heartbreaking scenario in the league for me. Justin Fields just can’t get it going as a QB in this league. While I continue to cite the horrible situation he’s in, there’s no excuse for playing so dreadfully and nearly throwing the game away against the worst team in football. His pitiful stats back up his poor play on the field, and it really breaks my heart. The Bears may be above .500, but it means nothing, especially if their first-round QB keeps playing like this. I’m hoping and praying that it turns around.

32 – Texans (0-2-1)

Can I just go ahead and pencil the Texans in here for the rest of the season? This team is just dreadful. I have no idea when they’ll get that first win, but I doubt it’ll be anytime soon. Yes they have some nice pieces and Dameon Pierce is finally emerging as a RB1. But that’s about it. It’s ok Houston, you’re well on your way to the #1 pick in the draft and a future franchise QB. Just keep doing your thing by losing. I don’t think you’ll need any help in doing so.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Post-Week 2 Power Rankings

In another wild week of football, the NFL’s elite strutted their stuff while the rest of the league caused a ton of shuffling in the rankings. Here’s how I stack the teams up 1-32 after another fun week.

Cover photo taken from Getty Images.

1 – Bills (2-0)

The Bills reassured everyone of their dominance on Monday night and their worthiness of this #1 spot. They somehow managed to look even better than they did on opening night, absolutely walloping the Titans in front of a national audience thanks to Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs being the best QB-WR duo in the league and their defense continuing to make life hell for opposing offenses. They’ve been the best team in the NFL by a longshot through two weeks and it’s not even close. The scariest part? It looks like they haven’t even broken a sweat in doing so.

2 – Chiefs (2-0)

Kansas City had perhaps the best win of Week 2, coming back to beat the Chargers on Thursday night thanks to the greatness of Patrick Mahomes and their defense stepping up in a massive way. Yes, Mahomes had some poor throws that should have gone the other way. Yes, he had an inferior game to Justin Herbert. Yes, the defense got away with a lot and may have gotten lucky with their game-winning pick six. But, the breaks went their way, and they came away with a win. That’s all that matters. Divisional games are always wonky like that. Don’t lie to yourself, you know the Chiefs are a top two team in this league regardless of how lucky they may have gotten. They showed how great they are at their best, and considering they’ll be the better team in nearly all of their games, they’ll be playing at that level all year long.

3 – Buccaneers (2-0)

I recognize that this may be a bit high for Tampa, but I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt for two reasons. The first is that they have the best defense in the NFC and perhaps the entire league. They look as dominant as they’ve ever been at every level. The front seven is absolutely ferocious and the secondary has been the best in football through two weeks. The other reason is Tom Brady, who may not be playing his best football, but he’s making it work. When the run game wasn’t working, he was able to put points on the board with his arm against a very good defense. This team’s ability to go on the road to a raucous environment in NOLA and win a highly emotional game featuring an all out brawl shows their toughness, which is what they need if they want to get back to a Super Bowl.

4 – Chargers (1-1) 1

The Chargers may have lost on Thursday night, but that was one hell of a loss. Justin Herbert looked phenomenal yet again, despite getting absolutely rocked in the fourth quarter. The pick six that lost LA the game was not his fault, but I know he wants that one back. The defense looked solid until they eventually succumbed to Patrick Mahomes. Under better circumstances, the Chargers probably would have blown Kansas City out. I have no doubts about this team moving forward other than concerns surrounding Herbert’s health. But considering the way he was throwing the ball with one functioning side of his ribs, those concerns should be put to bed.

5 – Eagles (2-0) 4

No team in football is living up to the hype more than the Eagles, and it’s honestly pretty awesome to watch. I hate this team more than almost any other in football, but it’s just too fun watching Jalen Hurts and this offense make plays. They’ve improved everywhere and it’s showing in a huge way. The offense is both explosive and methodical, Hurts has a plethora of playmaking options with his receivers and his arm, the pass rush is dominant, the linebackers fly all over the field, and the secondary has been lockdown. Not many defenses can put Justin Jefferson in a straitjacket like this one did. Darius Slay might cement himself as a top 5 CB by the time this season is over. With a remarkably easy schedule, Philly can play themselves into 1 seed contention if they continue to excel at this level.

6 – Dolphins (2-0) 2

Well, that was a lot. Miami detonated the NFL’s equivalent of a nuclear bomb on Sunday afternoon. Down 21 in the 4th quarter, the high-powered offense finally took flight and proved just how incredibly deadly they can be. Tua Tagovailoa was slinging the ball all over the yard, especially to the WR duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, which I’m already willing to call the best in football and one of the scariest I’ve ever seen. Just to put things in perspective for you, Hill and Waddle are first and third in receiving yards, respectively, through two games. Their speed and quickness left Baltimore’s defense lost and confused en route to an incredible comeback win which saw Tua throw 4 TDs in the 4th quarter and both Waddle and Hill eclipse 10 catches and nearly 200 yards each(!). The defense was getting carved up by Lamar Jackson for three quarters, but when they needed to step up and make plays, they did so with flying colors. The lesson to be learned from that game is that you do not want to see this team when they are clicking like that. They will run right past you and throw up the deuces before you can even turn your head around.

7 – Vikings (1-1) 3

This team got shelled on Monday night, but I’m giving them a pass. For starters, it’s Kirk Cousins on MNF. We all knew what was going to happen. They lost to a better team, plain and simple. It doesn’t change the fact that they had a dominant win over a good team in Week 1 and still have all the talent in the world to be an elite team. I still love what this team has on both sides of the ball, although I think their front seven needs to do a better job of containing the run. Their offense is more than equipped to bounce back as well. When they’re not playing perhaps the best team in their conference on Monday Night Football, they will be more than fine.

8 – Packers (1-1) 2

I’m not entirely moved by the Packers dominating the Bears on Sunday Night Football the week after getting smacked for the trillionth straight year, and you shouldn’t be either. That being said, we all know Green Bay is a more than capable team. I still have a ton of questions about their receiving core, but they get fantastic contributions from their backfield of Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon to help offset that. This defense is still one of the best in the league, although them locking up the Chicago offense doesn’t stick in my head as much as when they got diced up by the Vikings. This week’s matchup with the Buccaneers will be the best indicator of where this team truly lies.

9 – Ravens (1-1) 3

The Ravens had a really, really poor fourth quarter on Sunday. It was inexplicable and I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. It makes a lot more sense when you consider how young and inexperienced their secondary is with three rookies who were tasked with stopping the fastest WR duo we’ve ever seen. I’m honestly just sick for Lamar Jackson, who had one of the best games of his career in a loss that wasn’t on him. There’s no excuse for blowing a three score lead in a single quarter, and I’m sure Baltimore will tighten up as the season progresses. This is still a great team, which was on display for three quarters, and as their secondary continues to develop and improve, they will be even better.

10- Saints (1-1) 3

Is this a bit high for the Saints? Maybe. Did they fall apart in the clutch against a great team? Yes. Do I still think this is a great roster that’s more than capable of doing big things? Absolutely. Sunday’s game was highly emotional, and without their star RB in Alvin Kamara against perhaps the best defense in the NFL, I’m giving them a pass for struggling to put points on the board. We know what they’re capable of, and if they can’t produce against their division rival with a suffocating defense, so be it. Let’s not forget how great their own defense was playing for most of the game. That is still a great unit, as is their offense. We can make all the jokes we want about Jameis Winston, but I think he’s going to be just fine as long as his receivers continue to dominate. I have no doubt in their ability to bounce back from a tough loss like this one.

11 – Rams (1-1)

Yeah, I still don’t feel it with this team. Nearly blowing a 28-3 lead at home to the Falcons should really warrant a bump down in the rankings, but I’ll be nice to the defending champs. Their offense was able to bounce back from a brutal opener, putting up big numbers against a porous defense. But, that’s what they should be doing. I’m not moved by Matt Stafford and Cooper Kupp feasting on one of the worst secondaries in football. I am still worried about their nonexistent run game and poor offensive line. The defense also bounced back from a bad first game until they nearly let the game slip away from them. Although they locked it down in the end, I still have a plethora of concerns about this team. I just don’t feel anything positive about them.

12 – 49ers (1-1) 1

Sunday evening was heartbreaking. I feel absolutely awful for Trey Lance, who was ready to take the league by storm this year. He was the reason I felt so strongly about the 49ers this season and had them going to the Super Bowl. I hope he is able to make a speedy recovery and do big things next year. In the meantime, the reins are handed back to Jimmy Garoppolo, which honestly isn’t as bad as it sounds. This team loves him, and he wins games. You can’t ask for much more out of your QB. The defense looked like the dominant unit they are and the offense looked much more dynamic and effective. But, of course that’s going to happen against the Seahawks. I still feel good about this team with Jimmy at QB, and I hope they can continue to prove their worth as the schedule ramps up.

13 – Cardinals (1-1) 7

I’m not sure how any of that happened, but good for you, Arizona. The Cardinals had an incredible comeback win of their own on Sunday, storming back from a 20-0 deficit thanks to the heroics of Kyler Murray, who might be the least containable QB I’ve ever seen, and the incompetence of the Raiders. Their defense had a poor start, but they ramped it up in the second half and OT, eventually winning the game with a scoop and score. The story of the game was Murray’s incredible playmaking ability, and while it was very fun to watch, I have my reservations about him doing that against better teams. The Cards get the Rams in a huge divisional matchup this week, and their performance in that game will give me a much better idea of where this team stands.

14 – Browns (1-1) 2

Don’t get caught up in this team being bumped up this week. A lot of other teams just laid duds. The Browns may have laid the biggest dud of the week, throwing their game by inexplicably allowing the Joe Flacco-led Jets to score two touchdowns in ninety seconds. The glaring issues in the secondary showed in a massive way. That’s the biggest weakness of this team, which otherwise doesn’t really have any. I still like their front seven and their offense, even with Jacoby Brissett at the helm. Nick Chubb has been the best RB in football through two weeks; their ground game is still unstoppable. But that’s as bad of a way to lose a game as you could ask for. This team should be 2-0, and they need as many wins as they can get until… that QB they traded for… returns from suspension.

15 – Cowboys (1-1) 10

As much as it pains me, the Cowboys are the biggest leapers this week. But, the question is this: are they actually good? Or are the Bengals just bad? Time will tell, but in the meantime, I think it’s the former. More specifically, I think Dallas’ defense is for real. Their secondary still raises questions, but their pass rush is legit thanks to Micah Parsons continuing to be the NFL’s most impressive wrecking ball. His DPOY campaign is off to a fantastic start with 4 sacks in just two games. The offense wasn’t necessarily firing on all cylinders under Cooper Rush, but they looked competent enough to be winning games. We’ll see if they can continue that competence on Monday night against the Giants.

16 – Bengals (0-2) 4

I’ve taken the liberty of compiling a list of needs for the winless Bengals: carbohydrates, pain relievers, coffee, tea, and lots of water. Those are helpful cures for a hangover. Because Cincy’s is as real as it gets. Through two games, this team looks worse than they did at any point during their magical 2021 season, and it’s largely thanks to Joe Burrow of all people. You can complain all you want about his supposedly improved offensive line still giving up sacks left and right, but have we taken the time to consider Burrow’s negative pocket presence? Perhaps in an effort to always be making plays, so many of the sacks this team allows are at the fault of their star QB. Their defense is honestly fine to me, but their offense is suddenly the problem. Until Burrow both improves in the pocket and their offensive scheme improves to actually get their WRs open, that side of the ball is going to hold this team back. Imagine telling that to yourself three weeks ago.

17 – Lions (1-1) 9

Yes, this is pretty high for the Lions. But I just really like what this team has going on. Their offense is great, but we already knew that. Jared Goff is a competent QB whether you like it or not, Amon-Ra St. Brown is a bonafide WR1, and D’Andre Swift kills defenses out of the backfield. The offensive line is also much improved and might be one of the best in the league. The defense is still a huge question, but they have found themselves a star in Aidan Hutchinson. The #2 overall pick had 3 sacks in his second career game against a solid Washington OL. He was my pick for DROY for good reason. This is a scrappy, gritty, and flat out fun team that might be able to make some noise. It’s early, but watch out for Detroit.

18 – Commanders (1-1) 3

Until this team fires DC Jack Del Rio, they are genuinely not worth talking about. This defense has been abhorrent for over a year now, and we know exactly who is at fault, yet he is still employed. There is no reason. I don’t know how many games of us getting sliced and diced it will take for someone in the front office to open their eyes and cut ties with the man who is an awful coach and a worse person. He should have been fired long ago. I want to talk about how much I like the offensive production and the performance of Carson Wentz, but I can’t do that much when you can’t muster up 60 yards of offense and multiple first downs in a half against a bad Lions defense. Sunday’s game left as bad of a taste in my mouth as any game in recent memory. It was a comedy of errors. Fitting for this franchise.

19 – Jaguars (1-1) 8

The Jaguars and the Lions are in the same category in my mind. These are young teams with very bright futures thanks to shockingly good personnel decisions. Trevor Lawrence is finally budding into a young star thanks to being surrounded with competent weapons; Doug Pederson is proving to be the perfect HC for him. Christian Kirk is emerging as a true WR1 and the backfield tandem of James Robinson and Travis Etienne continues to produce. And against an albeit awful Colts team, Jacksonville’s defense showed up and showed out to put up the season’s first shutout. This is just a fun young team with a ton of nice pieces that are gelling into a solid squad. In the NFL’s worst division, look out for the Jags of all teams to perhaps be in the playoff mix.

20 – Patriots (1-1) 9

New England shut me up on Sunday, but not in the most emphatic fashion. Their offense looked fine, and their defense played a great game, but it was against Mitch Trubisky. I still don’t feel very confident in this team to do anything worth a damn in games against actually good opponents. Considering the division and conference they play in, I still have little to no faith in the Patriots.

21 – Steelers (1-1) 7

Sunday’s performance was about as poor as any in football for the Steelers. They did approximately nothing from start to finish thanks to a horrible outing from their offense. I will say that I still think this defense is a great unit even without TJ Watt, but they alone cannot overcome the incompetence of Mitch Trubisky and the offensive line that protects him. They still cannot run the ball whatsoever, and their receivers aren’t good enough to bail out poor QB play. I think Kenny Pickett time is fast approaching in Pittsburgh. Not soon enough for their fans.

22 – Raiders (0-2) 4

What a joke. What an embarrassment. Just another week for the Raiders at this point. There really aren’t enough words to describe my disdain for this team. They finally think they have a good thing going, almost beating the Chargers in Week 1 and dismantling the Cardinals for most of the game on Sunday. That is, until they blow a 20-0 lead by allowing two fourth quarter TDs and 2-point conversions and quite literally fumbling the game away in OT. Their splash WR acquisition and supposed best friend of Derek Carr in Davante Adams was held to a whopping 2 catches for 12 yards against a defense that got annihilated the previous week. It’s just a mess all over the place with this team, as it always has been and always will be. Yet somehow, they aren’t even the biggest mess in their own division.

23 – Broncos (1-1) 4

Good lord. What do the Broncos even have to say for themselves at this point? This team was gassed up all offseason long after acquiring a legend at QB and a supposed offensive guru at HC. All they’ve done through two weeks is show nothing but incompetence and a complete lack of any offensive substance. Russell Wilson and the rest of the offense have been dreadful against two very bad teams, and Nathaniel Hackett continues to prove that he is in way over his head as a coach. The defense has done their job, but nobody else has. Until they do, this team is going absolutely nowhere fast.

24 – Giants (2-0)

I’m pretty sure this is the worst 2-0 team in NFL history, but they are 2-0 nonetheless. Two wins in two weeks against two putrid opponents has this team feeling good about themselves. Good for you, New York. I’m sure that feels nice after nearly a decade of incompetence. Don’t get too full of yourselves, though. I know you think Daniel Jones is finally coming into his own and that your defense is incredible after locking up Ryan Tannehill and Baker Mayfield. It’s only a matter of time before it all comes crashing down. Enjoy it while it lasts!

25 – Titans (0-2) 8

Blow it up. Seriously. It’s time to start over. You had your few years of success, but now you have to hit the reset button. All of a sudden, there’s nothing redeemable about the Titans. The offense quite literally cannot move the football. The defense, which is supposed to be elite, is falling apart. Even Derrick Henry, arguably the best RB in the sport, has been invisible through two weeks. It’s an absolute mess that I never could have seen coming. You have your head coach and QB of the future, a solid young WR1 in the making, and a talented defense. The pieces are there for a rebuild to be short, but productive. This season is over and it’s time to accept that. Just build for the future.

26 – Bears (1-1) 5

The Bears got their annual blowout loss to the Packers on SNF out of the way early this year. I don’t think they looked as horrible as they could have, but it was still ugly. I was thoroughly impressed with David Montgomery, who was undoubtedly their bright spot, running through a great defense all night long with over six yards per carry and nearly 150 yards on the ground. Justin Fields struggled, but got no help from his receivers or his offensive scheme. I guess that’s what happens when you hire a defensive HC and bring in no offensive weapons in the offseason. It’s going to be a struggle every week for the Bears, but they knew that would be the case. The important thing is that the team continues to improve through better defensive play and more reps for their young QB.

27 – Falcons (0-2) 1

The Falcons exorcising the demons of 28-3 would have been one of the cuter stories of the season. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Yes, this team made a furious fourth quarter comeback, but it doesn’t change the fact that they were getting smacked around in the first place. This is a pretty poor team on both sides of the ball, but they have to like what they’ve seen out of their first round WR Drake London. Marcus Mariota has also been as solid as you could ask for. If they can get Kyle Pitts more involved offensively (it’s incredible that he’s not the most involved player), they will be a tough out.

28 – Jets (1-1) 4

How about the Jets pulling off a miraculous win? You do not see that very often. Hell, you don’t see them pulling off any wins very often. Good for them. This is a team that deserved to have something like that happen to them. They let the game slip away late, but somehow pulled off two touchdowns and an onside kick in the final ninety seconds to win it. I personally got great enjoyment out of it thanks to the heroics of their first round WR Garrett Wilson, who is already proving his worth after just two games. Wilson had a monster game with 102 yards and two touchdowns on eight catches, including the game-winner in the final seconds. There aren’t many positives with this team, but they can take solace in the fact that they’ve found a stud WR1.

29 – Seahawks (1-1) 7

That was the Seahawks I expected to see this season. Sunday’s game in Santa Clara was just horrible all across the board. The offense was nonexistent, the defense was lost and confused, and nothing went right. Geno Smith looked like the Geno Smith we’re accustomed to seeing. Seattle got their cute little win out of the way in Week 1, and the majority of their games moving forward will look a lot more like this.

30 – Panthers (0-2)

Our expectations for you were low, but come on now. Losing in embarrassing fashion to the Giants? Really? The defense honestly held their own, but the offense’s refusal to hold onto the football cost them the game against a team that’s probably worse than they are. That’s a sign of bad coaching and just bad personnel. The Panthers really should be 2-0 by all accounts, but they have screwed themselves out of both wins and dug themselves an 0-2 hole. If that’s not a sign of what this team has become under Matt Rhule, then I don’t know what is.

31 – Colts (0-1-1) 8

Wow. Just wow. I picked this team to lose and I’m still embarrassed by what they did on Sunday. Zero points and not showing up on either side of the ball against last year’s worst team. It’s just shocking. I know the Colts forget how to play football every time they go to Jacksonville, but there’s just no excuse to play like that. Matt Ryan looks genuinely awful, they only have two real offensive weapons, and the defense looks surprisingly poor through two games. This team should be 0-2 with losses to the Jaguars and Texans. That statement alone is enough to warrant them being this low.

32 – Texans (0-1-1) 1

Welcome to the #32 spot, Houston. Please make yourselves comfortable. You’ll probably be staying here for a long time.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Post-Week 1 Power Rankings

The 2022 NFL season kicked off with a wild, wacky weekend filled with drama and plenty of questions. Let’s stack up the league 1-32 after a thrilling Week 1.

Cover photo taken from ESPN.

1 – Bills (1-0)

My Super Bowl pick took the stage in the opening game of the season and seized it with full force, living up to the hype and proving to everyone how elite they truly are. Despite some errant turnovers, the Bills absolutely thrashed the defending champions in their own backyard on the backs of Josh Allen and their incredible defense. The MVP favorite wowed from start to finish with both his arm and his legs, making play after play and creating endless highlights. Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis were giving the opposing secondary fits all game long. Newcomer Von Miller led the charge defensively with two sacks against his former team. The secondary took the ball away when they weren’t keeping things on lock. The Rams had no answers on either side of the ball for this freight train of a football team. It’s hard to imagine any team will this season.

2 – Chiefs (1-0)

Any and all questions about how the Chiefs would look, especially offensively, after an offseason which saw them lose Tyreek Hill were quickly put to bed on Sunday. Patrick Mahomes was absolutely surgical, as I said he would be, to the tune of five touchdown passes. The offense didn’t miss a beat without the NFL’s most explosive player. They looked just as meticulous as they did in the preseason, going on long drives and putting touchdowns on the board. They might not have the same lightning strike threat on that side of the ball, but I promise you they do not need it. It was just a luxury. The defense also came to play against a solid Cardinals team. The defensive line gave Kyler Murray fits all game long as Chris Jones remains one of the premier defensive tackles in the sport. But Sunday evening was all about the offense. A lot changed in the last few months in Kansas City, but one thing remains the same. Defenses will still lose sleep over Mahomes and company.

3 – Buccaneers (1-0)

Some of you may think this is a bit high, but I was thoroughly impressed with the Bucs on Sunday night. Their defense looked like the incredible, dominant unit from 2020. They were the only team to not allow a touchdown in Week 1. Yes, Dallas’ offense was as incompetent as it could have been, but we have to recognize how elite Tampa is when they’re healthy. The offense looked pretty solid too, despite settling for four field goals. Tom Brady looked like a man who never retired, Mike Evans made huge catches, Leonard Fournette ran hard, and even Julio Jones got in on the action. Chris Godwin getting hurt again isn’t a shock, but is still unfortunate. But, if Sunday night was any indication, the Buccaneers will be just fine without him.

4 – Vikings (1-0)

There might not have been a team with more hype in the NFC than the Vikings coming into Week 1, and they delivered in a huge way. They had their way with the defending 1 seed Packers all game long, starting with an offensive blitz and closing it out with suffocating defense. Justin Jefferson, my OPOY pick, was predictably the star of the show with a whopping 184 yards and 2 touchdowns on 9 catches. Kirk Cousins played a clean game, and Dalvin Cook contributed in huge ways out of the backfield. The defense feasted on a stagnant Green Bay offense from start to finish, dominating up front and locking things down in the secondary. Sunday’s performance was exactly what we knew Minnesota was capable of coming into this season. If they can keep up this level of play, then they are a true contender.

5 – Chargers (1-0)

Like the Vikings, the Chargers have been hyped up to no end. While they weren’t as dominant as the team above them, they still put together a remarkably impressive, complete performance to warrant a top 5 spot. They controlled their game on Sunday evening from start to finish and clutched up defensively when the game was on the line. Their shiny new defense came to play, highlighted by the frightening edge duo of Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack as well as their lockdown secondary. But, I have to most of the love to Justin Herbert for this week. My MVP pick looked absolutely incredible, making otherworldly throws with insane velocity and accuracy and looking like the truly generational QB that he is. The injury to Keenan Allen is a bit of a concern, but the Chargers were able to get by despite that and a lackluster performance from Austin Ekeler. They can finally say that even if their offense falters, their defense can win them football games. That’s what makes them one of football’s scariest teams.

6 – Ravens (1-0)

It may have been against the Jets, but the Ravens put together one of the more impressive performances of Week 1. The most important thing is that their offense looked great through the air despite the lack of weapons on paper. Lamar Jackson aired it out all game long and had a huge game thanks to Rashod Bateman finally bursting onto the scene and Devin Duvernay having a shockingly great performance. The run game wasn’t anything flashy, but it doesn’t need to be anything special if Baltimore can continue getting that type of production out of their wide receivers. Their defense also put together a promising performance, but again, it was the Jets. I’d love to see how they play against real football teams before making any bold proclamations.

7 – Saints (1-0)

Go ahead and call me crazy. The Saints may have needed some fourth quarter heroics to pull victory from the jaws of defeat in Atlanta, but that means a lot to me. After being stifled for 50 minutes, the entire team flipped a switch and turned into the Saints team that we all expected them to be. Jameis Winston was slinging the ball with confidence and accuracy, Chris Olave made an impact in his debut, and Michael Thomas silenced all of the doubters with a monster return to action. Their stellar defense went ahead and did the rest. I don’t love how badly they were being beaten, but I absolutely love their response and how they were able to pull away with a victory. Everyone needs that grace period in Week 1 to get their bearings set. New Orleans now has that, and I’m thrilled to see what the future holds for them.

8 – Dolphins (1-0)

The Dolphins were arguably the most dominant team of Week 1, even if their opponent was as bad as the Patriots are. Like so many other teams, we were eager to see how they’d look after such a huge offseason. The offense was pretty predictable, using short passes to chop up the defense. Tyreek Hill put up great numbers in his Miami debut, and Jaylen Waddle finally showcased how explosive he can be. All Tua needs to do is get the ball to his playmakers and let them do the rest. The defense was as stout as advertised, especially in the secondary, which had a massive day. Like Baltimore, I’d like to see what the Dolphins do against a better team, but I can’t say I wasn’t thoroughly impressed with them.

9 – Eagles (1-0)

If this feels low, it’s because it is. The Eagles should be much higher. But, I very much disliked how they closed things out on Sunday in Detroit. The first three quarters were absolutely dominant on both sides of the ball as Philly looked like the team we billed them to be. The run game was unstoppable, Jalen Hurts made some impressive throws, and AJ Brown made a gargantuan impact in his Eagles debut. The defense was off and on, but when they were on, they were awesome, even snagging a pick six thanks to the efforts of newcomer James Bradberry. But, they gave up two touchdown in the fourth quarter to make it a nail-biter. They were able to close it out, but I always hate when a game has to come to that after a team has been dominating for three quarters. I loved what I saw from Sunday on Philly, but it needs to be sharpened a bit before they move up.

10 – Packers (0-1)

The Packers are a very easy team to assess. They needed Davante Adams infinitely more than Davante Adams needed them. Their first offensive play was all you needed to see for that to reign true, as rookie Christian Watson dropped an easy touchdown, and the offense was never able to recover. Aaron Rodgers did what he could with a weak supporting cast, but it wasn’t enough to overcome an aggressive Vikings defense that had their way all game long. The offensive line struggled mightily, the run game couldn’t do enough, and the pass-catchers simply weren’t reliable. The defense got absolutely gashed early, and while they cleaned things up in the second half, it wasn’t enough to make up for their earlier shortcomings. I have no doubt that the Packers will iron out these issues as the season progresses, but they might not have the room to take their time in doing so with the division no longer being a cakewalk.

11 – Rams (0-1)

Told you so. I tried to warn you that the Rams got worse and weren’t as good as their Super Bowl-winning team from yesteryear. However, even I couldn’t have predicted them looking as dreadful as they did on opening night. Outside of a few nice plays by Cooper Kupp, which is a guarantee at this point, LA did nothing right against Buffalo. The defensive front could not contain Josh Allen, the secondary got carved up, and the offense was one-dimensional and stagnant. Their noticeably worse offensive line was porous, allowing seven sacks and making the run game a non-factor. Matthew Stafford had a very subpar game thanks to no WRs other than Kupp even showing up to the game. It was just a sham from start to finish in what should have been a night where the Rams showed us that they have what it takes to run it back. It’s going to take a while to get anyone to believe that now.

12 – Bengals (0-1)

Another year, another ridiculous OT game lost by the Bengals amidst hilarity and kicking disasters. I’m excited to see who it happens against next year! In all seriousness, Cincinnati lost to themselves on Sunday. The fact that they should have won despite Joe Burrow committing a whopping five turnovers shows you that this team is just fine. Burrow was able to bounce back from his horrible start with his patented poised play which eventually culminated in what should have been to the game-winning touchdown pass to Ja’Marr Chase, who had a monster game himself. But, a blocked extra point thanks to a long snapper injury sent us to overtime, where nobody wanted to make a kick until the Steelers did on the game’s final play. So, yes, the Bengals lost, but there was still plenty to like. I thought their defense was very solid, especially after going down 17-3 early. The offense figured themselves out eventually, and they deserved to win the game. If anything, this loss for the Bengals is proof that starters need to get action in the preseason. Just do it guys.

13 – 49ers (0-1)

Yes, the 49ers looked pretty abhorrent on Sunday in Chicago. But you know what else looked awful? Everything else on Sunday in Chicago. An utter monsoon is not an easy environment to win in for a west coast team, especially at the dumpster known as Soldier Field. I’m not here to make a bunch of excuses for this team, though. Weather aside, I was thoroughly disappointed with their performance. More specifically, I’m disappointed with Trey Lance. He just didn’t do anything of note in his first start as the guy for this team. Yes, it was very tough to do so in that situation, but you have to show me something. Justin Fields did! There’s simply no excuse; you cannot be the inferior QB in that game. Their defense held up for the first three quarters, but they forgot how to play football once the rain started coming down hard. Overall, the Niners showed me nothing to work with going into Week 2. I’m hoping next Sunday goes better, otherwise I’m going to look really, really stupid sooner than I’d like to.

14 – Steelers (1-0)

It has been two days and the Steelers are still wondering how they’re sitting at 1-0. They should have lost on the last play of regulation and instead found themselves victorious on the last play of overtime. Football is wonky like that sometimes. Despite the wackiness, Pittsburgh found a way to win, and I have to give them credit for that. They blitzed the Bengals early with a defense that refused to let them keep the ball and an offense that moved the ball surprisingly well. Mitch Trubisky was solid in his Steelers debut, and Diontae Johnson had himself a very nice game on the outside. Minkah Fitzpatrick was undeniably the player of the game with a pick six and the blocked extra point to send the game to OT. Without him, this team would be sitting at 0-1 and much lower in the rankings. Perhaps the Steelers can run with this and shock me this year. I doubt it, but their win on Sunday is proof that truly anything can happen in this league.

15 – Commanders (1-0)

Trust me, I’m just as shocked as you are. Not just at the fact that this team emerged victorious on Sunday, but at the manner in which they did so. The difference in this game was the first two and last two offensive possessions for Washington: the four touchdown drives. The team got off to a blistering start thanks to some pretty fantastic QB play by Carson Wentz and the incredible playmaking ability of Curtis Samuel and Antonio Gibson that we’ve been longing to see. The middle of the game was filled with nothing but weirdness, as the Jaguars seemingly had their way offensively but couldn’t put points on the board. The Commanders also struggled to do so, but stayed in the lead until they eventually gave the ball to Jacksonville on back to back interceptions by Wentz to seemingly bury the team. But, he was able to bounce back in a huge way, throwing two consecutive sensational TD passes to win the game, with the first coming on a beautiful deep ball to Terry McLaurin (who has been waiting for passes like that for the last three years) and the second coming on a perfect pitch and catch to the first rounder Jahan Dotson to win the game. Dotson was a massive contributor with two touchdowns including the game-winner, showcasing his great hands and impeccable route-running all game long. And Wentz’s final statline was more eye-popping than I ever could have foreseen with over 300 yards and 4 touchdowns. The defense also stepped up when necessary, and despite letting the Jags move the ball, I was pleased with their performance. The defensive line ate all game long, getting consistent pressure thanks to huge games from Montez Sweat, Jonathan Allen, and Daron Payne. Who knew that sending blitzes was so fruitful? The secondary made plays when necessary, highlighted by a breakout game from second year man Darrick Forrest, who nabbed the game-sealing INT. I don’t know how much of this performance can be replicated against teams better than Jacksonville, but I didn’t think we were capable of everything I saw this team do on Sunday. That gives me hope that maybe we won’t be as horrible as I may have presumed.

16 – Browns (1-0)

The Browns proved me wrong by winning on Sunday, but that’s about the only area that they did so. I wasn’t too moved by them squeaking out a win with a 58-yard field goal against one of the worst teams in the league. Jacoby Brissett held things down on offense, but it was nothing eye-opening. I did like what I saw out of their elite RB tandem of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, but it’s pretty much a guarantee that they’re going to do their thing in every game they play. The defense looked okay, but only Myles Garrett put up a noteworthy performance. The secondary nearly lost them the game, which is pretty embarrassing considering they were playing Baker Mayfield. So yes, the Browns found a way to win, and it was cool. But I’m still not moved. And I don’t think I will be anytime soon.

17 – Titans (0-1)

For all intents and purposes, the Titans should have won on Sunday. They did everything they had to do, including setting up a very manageable game-winning field goal that was simply shanked. However, that doesn’t mean they get a pass. They were just an uninspired team who wasn’t doing anything great on either side of the ball. It’s kind of embarrassing to get pieced up by the Giants of all teams. Offensively, Derrick Henry was stifled so bad that the offense flowed through Dontrell Hilliard of all people. I thought Ryan Tannehill did his thing, but this team was about as boring as you’d imagine. That was a game they should have won and have to win. Let’s hope they clean it up as the season progresses.

18 – Raiders (0-1)

Outside of the stellar debut of Davante Adams, the Raiders were extremely underwhelming in LA on Sunday. They were completely shut down on offense outside of #17’s 141 yards, and while I thought they played better than expected on defense, they had no answer for the heroics of Justin Herbert. Their glaring holes showed in huge ways, especially with the woes of their offensive line. Derek Carr was in hell from start to finish, being pressured, sacked, or hit on nearly half of all dropbacks. That OL will be the death of them this season, just as I said it would be. Their secondary was gashed by the Chargers even with their offense struggling at times. It just wasn’t a promising day at all for the Raiders. At least Davante Adams fantasy owners are smiling.

19 – Broncos (0-1)

The Denver Broncos laid the biggest dud of Week 1, plain and simple. Their utter incompetence was on display all game long on national television and they deserve all the scrutiny that they’ll be receiving this week. Still, it’s one thing to lose a game on the boneheadedness of Nathaniel Hackett’s late game clock management gaffe. It’s another to be in that position against the Seahawks in the first place. Russell Wilson had a boring, mediocre debut highlighted by a long touchdown pass on a wildly underthrown ball. The rest of the offense showed nothing to like other than Jerry Jeudy making a lot of play out of nothing. And the defense, the supposed strong suit of the team, was rather shocking, letting Geno Smith carve them up all game long. Between the impotence of the offense, the defense’s effort, and the mind-numbing coaching, the hype has completely died with the Broncos. They have plenty of time to make amends, but they have a lot to prove to us.

20 – Cardinals (0-1)

The Cardinals unfortunately had to start their season by running into the buzzsaw that is Patrick Mahomes in the month of September. I don’t want to fault them too much for that. I do, however, want to fault them for not even showing up on Sunday. The dysfunction in this franchise is palpable, and there is a clear disconnect between Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray, despite the huge contract extension for the young QB. The offense did nothing of note outside of garbage time, and the defense… well they stayed home. I didn’t like this team much to begin with, and I like them even less now. The schedule isn’t getting any easier either. We might be burying the Cardinals very, very soon.

21 – Bears (1-0)

You can’t imagine how happy I am for Justin Fields and the Bears after Sunday’s awesome win in the monsoon. Not only did they have a tremendous fourth quarter on both sides of the ball, but they looked like a competent team and had so much fun winning that game. Everyone was eating offensively despite the conditions thanks to Fields’ tremendous playmaking ability. And the defense finally made some plays, none more important than Eddie Jackson’s INT of Trey Lance which essentially sealed the game. Chicago has to feel good about themselves after pulling off the biggest upset of Week 1. I know I do. It’s just a matter of whether or not they can keep the momentum going. Heading to Lambeau for a primetime clash with the Packers doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence, but we’ll see what the Bears can muster up as huge underdogs once again.

22 – Seahawks (1-0)

It took one game for the Seahawks to hit half of the wins I projected them to get this season. Good for them! Seriously though, good for them. Seattle was absolutely rocking on Monday night for the Russell Wilson return, and the 12th man was the real MVP of the game. I haven’t seen the crowd impact a game like that in nearly a decade. The team played a very good game, especially offensively, as Geno Smith had a shockingly efficient and effective performance. Even the defense, which I ripped to shreds less than a week ago, came to play. It’s hard to believe the team will put together that complete of a performance again this year considering the stage and the emotion of the game, but maybe the Seahawks won’t be as bad as I thought.

23 – Colts (0-0-1)

This feels a little harsh for the Colts, but I think it’s warranted. There really isn’t any excuse to tie with the Texans. There is even less of an excuse to find yourself down 20-3 like they did. I respect the ability to come back and force OT, and I recognize the monster games from Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman Jr., but this team is too good to be in that position in the first place. I wasn’t inspired by their defense performance, and I need to see a lot more from the offense in the first three quarters to feel better about this team. At least they didn’t lose!

24 – Giants (1-0)

I don’t even think the Giants knew how they won on Sunday. But you have to feel good about it. They showed their stuff and had a pretty inspiring comeback to win, even if they should have lost. The story of the game was undoubtedly Saquon Barkley looking like his former self, showing incredible explosiveness and running harder than he has in years. I was shocked to see his level of play on Sunday, and if he can keep it up, it makes this team actually hard to stop. Even Daniel Jones looked solid, especially on a deep ball touchdown to Sterling Shepard. The defense had a solid showing, containing Derrick Henry and not allowing Tennessee’s offense to do much. I still don’t think this season will amount to much for the Giants, but they showed more promise in one game than they have in several seasons. That has to mean something.

25 – Cowboys (0-1)

I used to pray for times like this. The Cowboys are dead and buried after just one game. And it’s not because of the injury to Dak Prescott, although that certainly makes them much worse. It’s because, even with Dak at QB, this team looked absolutely atrocious on Sunday night. While the defense may have done their thing in spurts, highlighted by the brilliance of Micah Parsons, the offense was absolutely dreadful, unable to do a damn thing with the ball in their hands. CeeDee Lamb was invisible, Ezekiel Elliott is what you’d expect him to be in his seventh season, and the offensive line was predictably poor. The Cowboys were the only team in football to not score a touchdown this week, and who no one knows when they might even come close to reaching the endzone. Now, Cooper Rush takes the reins for the next month or so. Have fun at the bottom of the standings, Dallas!

26 – Lions (0-1)

The 2022 Lions opened the season the exact same way the 2021 Lions did: getting blown out for three quarters before putting together a furious comeback attempt in the fourth that falls just short. The only difference is that Detroit didn’t look completely incompetent for the most part in this game. They got consistent production offensively, especially from D’Andre Swift, who had a huge performance. Their defense was predictably Swiss cheese, but they still almost made enough stops to win the game. So, while the Lions once again got gashed en route to a loss, there’s plenty to like about what this team has. to offer. As I’ve said so many times, it won’t translate to a lot of wins, but this team has some grit to them and will be a tough out all year long.

27 – Jaguars (0-1)

The Jaguars are still just not there yet. They showed plenty to like on Sunday, but they also showed plenty to laugh at. The new acquisitions poured in big contributions, with Christian Kirk and Zay Jones getting involved in the passing game and the #1 overall pick Travon Walker having a monster debut. Travis Etienne’s NFL debut in his second season also proved to be a solid one, despite not getting nearly as much playing time as he should. Trevor Lawrence was on and off, but for the most part, he too had a decent showing. At the end of the day, this team really beat themselves. Ineffectiveness in the red zone, drops, and porous late-game defense proved to be their downfall. But for the most part, I liked what this team showed me, much like the Lions above them. They won’t be nearly as bad this year.

28 – Falcons (0-1)

New year, same Falcons. After dominating the Saints for 50 minutes thanks to a great game from new QB Marcus Mariota to the tune of a 16 point lead, Atlanta put on their choking caps, laid down, and died. Who could have seen it coming? Despite yet another disastrous collapse, the Falcons weren’t awful by any means on Sunday. As I said, Mariota had a productive debut and their defense was able to stifle New Orleans for most of the game. But, when it fell apart, it absolutely crumbled down. I have a feeling more games than not will feel that way for this team.

29 – Patriots (0-1)

After Sunday’s drubbing in Miami, I have a very interesting and important question to pose: can you name a single thing the Patriots do well? Because I cannot. The offense is stuck in both mud and the 1970s. The defense is lacking in playmaking with JC Jackson gone and also moves at the speed of an old minivan. Mac Jones can’t produce if there’s any adversity, and considering how bad New England’s offensive line was on Sunday, there will be plenty of adversity to be faced this season. The weapons are either invisible or lackluster, so it doesn’t help that the scheme is as poor as it is. I know this placement seems harsh for a team that has been so good for so long, but I think New England was arguably the worst team I watched this week. This could be a very long season for them.

30 – Panthers (0-1)

The Panthers got screwed pretty hard on Sunday, and there is definitely an argument to be made that they should have won. Their comeback in the fourth quarter was admirable, and I’ll give them credit for that. But, they lost, and I still don’t like anything about this team. Baker Mayfield wasn’t completely awful in his Panthers debut, but he still made those Baker-type plays to keep them out of the game. The rest of the offense was average despite some nice contributions from Christian McCaffrey and Robbie Anderson. Their defense was got ran through by Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt which eventually proved to be their downfall. I’m being a bit mean to the this team but I just don’t have a lot of faith in them in general, so this is more of a reflection of that than their performance on Sunday.

31 – Texans (0-0-1)

The Texans did not lose on Sunday. That is progress! In fact, they should have won comfortably, but a blown 20-3 fourth quarter lead let them settle for a tie after a stalemate in OT. I have no idea how they even found themselves up by 17 to begin with, considering they didn’t do anything special in the course of the game. Their defense just showed up and kept things under wraps for three quarters. The offense played a solid game, highlighted by two touchdown catches by OJ Howard in his Houston debut. So, maybe the Texans won’t be as bad as I may have thought. Still, they’re one of the worst teams in the league as it currently stands, and they’ll likely be in the cellar for 17 more weeks. However, they’re saved from the #32 spot for now.

32 – Jets (0-1)

Did you expect anything else? Led by Joe Flacco, the Jets were absolutely putrid in Week 1, doing absolutely nothing of note en route to a huge loss. That will likely be the theme of most of their games as this season progresses. They put up some numbers in garbage time, but nobody cares. Their defense was ripped apart by a subpar Ravens passing attack, and their offense was nonexistent while the game was still in question. I don’t think it would have been any different with Zach Wilson at QB, but with Flacco under center, this is by far the worst team in the league. I don’t see that changing any time soon.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Post-Week 14 Power Rankings

The Rams’ dominant Monday night win over the Cardinals has them rising in this week’s Power Rankings. (h/t Christian Petersen, Getty Images)

1 – Packers (10-3)

No surprises at the top. It was a wild week amongst the league’s elite, but the Packers still stand alone atop the NFL mountain. It was a wacky first half in Lambeau in which Green Bay’s defense and special teams gave the Bears a real chance, but a dominant second half put that to bed with swiftness. It was a fantastic game for the offense, namely Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams. What else is new? This team will still only get better as they get healthier, and thanks to the Cardinals’ loss, they are now the #1 seed in the NFC. It’s hard to see that changing.

2 – Patriots (9-4) 1

Speaking of 1 seeds, the Patriots won their bye week by getting a little more cushion atop the AFC. The Chiefs and Titans are still right on their heels, but the Ravens loss gives them some more room for error. This week’s matchup with the Colts will be massive for both teams as they jockey for playoff positioning, and it should be a fun one.

3 – Buccaneers (10-3) 1

You know what Sunday’s game reminded me of? Last year’s Chiefs-Buccaneers regular season game. One team starts out blazing hot, allows the other team to come back, but still pulls it out in the end. I’m not saying the trajectory of these teams will be similar, but it felt very familiar. In any case, I was impressed with the Bucs outside of their near slip-up. The offense looked fantastic to start the game, and the defense was putting in work before they inexplicably started playing prevent late, allowing the Bills to come back. But, when it mattered most, they got the stops they needed, and the offense did the rest. This team is just too solid, and they always get the job done. This 4 game win streak of theirs has been fantastic, and it’s hard to see them slowing down in the next 4 weeks.

4 – Chiefs (9-4) 1

What exactly is it about playing the Raiders that brings this Chiefs offense to life? In their two games this season, KC outscored Vegas 89-23. That’s pretty good. This week’s thrashing was impressive on all fronts, as every single facet of this team was clicking on all cylinders. The defense did its usual work, and the offense looked alive again. It remains to be seen how the offense performs against the league’s elite defenses, but I will always trust Patrick Mahomes in the biggest moments.

5 – Rams (9-4) 2

Well, the Rams are back. And it is quite a scary sight. After their first great performance against a real team in weeks, this team has finally picked up steam and they are not showing any signs of slowing down. Monday night’s game was proof of just how dangerous this team can be when they’re clicking. Matt Stafford looked incredible throwing the football, Sony Michel provided a spark out of the backfield, Cooper Kupp did his usual thing, and Odell Beckham Jr. is becoming a real part of this offense. On the other side of the ball, LA’s defense made life hell for Kyler Murray, forcing turnovers, getting sacks, making stops, and asserting their dominance against their division rival. It’s a very tough final stretch for them, but when the Rams play like this, there might not be a single team that can stop them.

6 – Cardinals (10-3) 4

So, the Cardinals have now lost 3 of their last 6 games after starting the year 7-0. This team is still plenty good, but that’s a concern. The offense didn’t have its worst game by any means on Monday night, but turnovers in huge spots ruined their chances. By all means, they should be just fine. But, their defense was a definite concern. They couldn’t stop the run, got cut up on short and medium routes, and got burnt on deep shots all game long. In a conference with QBs like Aaron Rodgers, Matt Stafford, and Tom Brady, that cannot be happening if this team is to make a Super Bowl push.

7 – Colts (7-6) 1

It was a rather uneventful bye week for the Colts, which they should be thankful for considering the chaos around the NFL right now. They need all hands on deck for this Saturday’s blockbuster showdown with the Patriots. Any and all losses from here on out can seriously derail Indy’s chances in a conference littered with 7-6 and 6-7 teams.

8 – 49ers (7-6) 5

The assessment on the 49ers is very simple. When they play their brand of football and execute it well, they are a very, very difficult team to beat. If they slip up even a little, then it’s hard for them to recover. This team has now won 4 of 5 by playing their best ball, and Sunday’s game in Cincinnati was a perfect example of that. Their defense was dominant, especially up front. They ran the ball effectively, and threw it efficiently and brilliantly to a plethora of offensive weapons. Brandon Aiyuk has finally found himself again, and George Kittle is playing like one of the best and most unstoppable players in the league. Not to mention the ultimate weapon that is Deebo Samuel. Jimmy Garoppolo is playing very good football, and for as long as that’s the case, this team will win football games. They will only go as far as he does.

9 – Chargers (8-5) 2

For the first time since the beginning of the season, the Chargers have put together consecutive good weeks of football. I’m genuinely shocked. I won’t look too much into a blowout of a bad team starting a backup QB, but this team was pretty awesome to watch on Sunday. Justin Herbert played a fantastic game even without Keenan Allen, and the defense put together perhaps their best game of the season. I’ve always said that this is a very dangerous team when they play their best ball, but they just haven’t done that much lately. If they can continue stringing together performances like Sunday’s, then I like their chances. Their biggest test yet comes tomorrow against the Chiefs in a battle for first place. Lord knows which Chargers team we’ll get then.

10 – Cowboys (9-4) 2

It’s very rare that a team in this league goes out and wins a game, but feels like they lost. But, that’s what the Cowboys did on Sunday. They started out blazing thanks to their fantastic defensive front, led by Micah Parsons. But, after gaining their 18-0 lead, it feels like Dallas just… stopped trying. The offense only put together 3 scoring drives for the rest of the game, all resulting in field goals, with just 3 points in the second half. The defense let Washington back in the game, and the offense was nonexistent. Dak Prescott played a rather poor game, missing receivers, throwing right to defenders, and putting together the worst QBR of his career (9.9) and just a 58.8 passer rating. On top of that, the run game is essentially dead without Tony Pollard as Ezekiel Elliott has been running like he’s wearing bricks for shoes. I didn’t think we’d see a time where this team would only go as far as their defense takes them, but that’s where we’re at. The Cowboys can no longer rely on Dak and their offense to carry them. They’re in a perfect position to win a terrible division, but I don’t see much promise with this team after that.

11 – Bills (7-6) 2

The Buffalo Bills in a single word: disappointment. That applies to the franchise’s entire history, and it definitely applies to the 2021 season. The Bills have now lost 3 in a row and are playing themselves out of the playoffs. Sunday’s comeback effort was a valiant one, but being down 24-3 in the first place isn’t exactly a good look. The offense got dominated in the first half, and the defense got gashed. This team still can’t run the ball, and they just can’t match up against truly elite teams in this league. They have the talent to make the playoffs, but even that seems unlikely at this point. It’s just disappointing.

12 – Ravens (8-5) 2

Back to back losses for the Ravens took this team from the 1 seed to nearly a wild card spot. Even after Lamar Jackson went down on Sunday, this team didn’t give up as Tyler Huntley played a solid game and nearly pulled off an improbable comeback. But, like the Bills, I’m not a fan of a team being down that much to begin with. This defense got torn apart by a Browns team that hadn’t gotten anything going on that side of the ball in weeks. Moreover, Cleveland’s defense completely shut down Lamar and the offense while he was in the game. I just don’t know how to feel about the Ravens right now, and it’ll only get worse as the Packers come to town on Sunday. They better hope for some more losses for division teams, or first place could be theirs to lose.

13 – Bengals (7-6) 1

I feel bad for the Bengals. Their comeback on Sunday was absolutely awesome to watch, as Joe Burrow and Jamarr Chase lit up the field in the fourth quarter to force OT. But, they just didn’t have enough in them to get the job done. This defense struggled yet again as the star power of the 49ers was simply too much to contain. I like Cincy’s chances against teams on their level or slightly worse, but I just don’t know if this team has it in them to knock off those above them. Their final four games are all very tough, so they better hope they prove me wrong, or they won’t be in the playoff hunt for much longer.

14 – Titans (9-4)

The Titans proved me wrong this week in the sense that they actually won on Sunday. But, I’m still just not impressed with this team without Derrick Henry, especially offensively. The defense is very good, and I won’t question that. But, as I’ve been saying for week, until Henry returns, this team doesn’t have my vote of confidence. It’s that simple.

15 – Broncos (7-6) 2

This is a good football team. That’s not news. Sunday’s inspiring win was one of the highlights of the season for me, as the Broncos won for the late Demaryius Thomas, who we lost too soon. Now, they are still right in the thick of the wild card race and can gain some real ground with a tough matchup this week against the Bengals. Denver’s winning formula is a very good one, centered around defense and running the football. Javonte Williams has been a revelation out of the backfield, and he adds another gear to this offense that was missing earlier in the season. I like the Broncos’ chances as we head into the final stretch of the season, but it will be tough. We’ll see if they can rise to the occasion.

16 – Eagles (6-7) 1

I hope the bye week treated the Eagles well. This week’s game against Washington is arguably the biggest of the season, as a win will vault them into playoff positioning in all likelihood. I think this team is plenty good enough to do that.

17 – Vikings (6-7) 1

Good lord this team is the most insane roller coaster on the planet. The Vikings looked genuinely incredible to start Thursday night’s game, getting out to a 29-0 lead thanks to great defense and Dalvin Cook running circles around the Steelers. What followed was simply the most Vikings thing I’ve ever seen. They were outscored 28-7 in the final 18 or so minutes, and if it wasn’t for a dropped touchdown on the game’s final play, they very well could have gone to OT and lost. After being up by twenty nine points. They won, and it was a good win, but would it hurt them to win normally for once? It was the tenth game decided by single digits for the Vikings this season, and just the fifth win in those games. They better hope they get some more in the next 4 weeks if they want to find themselves in the playoffs.

18 – Washington (6-7) 3

This is why I never got my hopes up. Sunday’s game wasn’t even a bad one. It just started out worse than I ever could have imagined. Anemic offense and nonexistent OL play put this team in an 18-0 hole in just 14 minutes. But, to their credit, the rest of the game was honestly not terrible. After going down 24-0, they were the far better team in the second half as the defense stepped up time and time again and the offense made a few plays here and there. But, if the offense was even slightly better, I truly think we would have won on Sunday. The blame there lies with Taylor Heinicke. The moment proved to be too big for him, and he folded. Now, he’s dealing with a knee injury ahead of another massive divisional game in Philly. Considering all the other problems with this team as COVID runs through the roster, I’m very ready to stick a fork in them. We’ll see if Sunday’s game gives me the green light.

19 – Browns (7-6) 2

The Browns put together their best game in several weeks on Sunday, and even then, they almost lost. Before nearly blowing it in tremendous fashion, Cleveland used their great defense and a solid offensive performance to stifle the Ravens for most of the game. I can’t explain the near-choke, but they won, and that’s what matters. Now, the Browns are right back in the playoff race when all hope seemed lost. I still think the key is the performance of Baker Mayfield, but if he does his job like he did on Sunday, then this team should be able to play their way into the postseason.

20 – Steelers (6-6-1)

Last week was… weird. The Steelers found themselves in an inexplicable 29-0 hole thanks to a nonexistent defense and an offensive performance that was straight out of October. But, they stormed back in the second half, and I really thought they had a great chance of pulling off the biggest comeback in regular season history. But, it was not to be. Still, the fight that Pittsburgh showed in their comeback inspires some confidence as they vie for a playoff spot. If they can just play sound on both sides of the ball, this team’s talent should be able to win them games. Unfortunately, their final four games are very difficult, and that formula might not be enough for them against such good opponents.

21 – Dolphins (6-7) 1

Miami’s bye has come and gone, and only question remains. Can this team keep up their winning ways and play their way into the playoffs? I don’t think it’s impossible. They get the Jets this week, so at they have at least one more win in them on this streak. After that? It’s anyone’s guess.

22 – Saints (6-7) 1

The return of Alvin Kamara did wonders for this team, as they could actually run the ball effectively. That in turn allowed Taysom Hill to do his thing, and it led to a generally dominant win. The defense also got back on track, which was fairly easy against Zach Wilson and the Jets. I don’t have much faith in this team to win many more games this season, but at least they know that they’re not nearly as bad as the last few weeks have suggested.

23 – Falcons (6-7) 1

The Falcons having 6 wins is just so funny to me. It’s just so hard to wrap your head around. Sunday was another nice win for Atlanta, but alas, it was against Cam Newton. So, while it looked good, are we sure it was that impressive? This is still a nice team that has a good future, but no matter how many wins they manage to pick up, I’m not buying any of their stock.

24 – Raiders (6-7) 5

No. Just… no.

25 – Seahawks (5-8) 1

Good on the Seahawks for getting their nonexistent wings back to flapping a little bit. Russell Wilson seems to have finally fully healed from his finger injury, and this offense is much better for it. Not to mention the emergence of Rashaad Penny out of the backfield. Blowing out the Texans isn’t impressive, but it’s clear that the Seahawks are figuring things out. Too bad it’s 3 months too late.

26 – Bears (4-9) 1

I genuinely have no idea where any of that came from on Sunday night. The Bears looked explosive for about 30 minutes, which is more than can be said about the last 13 weeks. That first half was genuinely awesome to watch, as Justin Field and his receivers were making play after play, especially Jakeem Grant, who added a 97 yard punt return TD. The defense was even getting to Aaron Rodgers consistently. But, the second half was more of the same old Bears. I still liked what I saw out of Justin Fields and David Montgomery, and it felt good to leave a Bears game with a non-sour taste.

27 – Panthers (5-8) 2

There are 0 positive happenings with the Carolina Panthers. The only thing with promise is the return of Sam Darnold this week. That’s how you know it’s bad.

28 – Giants (4-9)

The Giants continue reaching new lows, and it’s honestly nothing shocking. I thought they’d at least be competitive on Sunday, but they never showed up. There just aren’t any positives with this team right now, and it’s hard to find anything positive going into next year. It’s just a mess.

29 – Jets (3-10)

You know what, Jets. At least you have 2 first round picks this year. You can always sleep well at night knowing you fleeced the Seahawks. Other than that, there’s nothing about this team that allows you to sleep well. It’s a permanent nightmare.

30 – Lions (1-11-1) 1

You might be asking, why is this team getting bumped up after getting absolutely ran over? Well, you can thank the Jacksonville Jaguars for that.

31 – Texans (2-11) 1

See above.

32 – Jaguars (2-11) 2

I don’t know how this team keeps doing it. They just reach new lows that you never could have imagined. Urban Meyer is certainly on his way out of town after a turbulent few weeks involving chastising his coordinators, benching his star RB, and fighting his rookie QB about said benching. Oh, not to mention a 17-0 loss on Sunday to boot. It just can’t get any worse in Jacksonville… can it?

All stats taken from ESPN.

Post-Week 13 Power Rankings

The Patriots used a strong run game and resilient defense to knock off the Bills and leap to the AFC’s #1 seed. (h/t Associated Press)

1 – Packers (9-3)

The Packers had their very late bye this week, and they’re taking full advantage of it, as some key contributors are returning to the fray this week. Jaire Alexander, Za’Darius Smith, and David Bakhtiari could all come back this week. The team has been fine without them, and they don’t necessarily need all hands on deck to beat the Bears, but it will only make them more dangerous and continue solidifying their case as the best team in football.

2 – Cardinals (10-2)

Speaking of beating the Bears, the Cardinals looked mighty impressive in doing so this Sunday. The return of Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins lifted the offense in more ways than one, and the defense played a solid game to help put things to bed early. Kyler’s use of his arm and his legs has been his forte all year long, and even in his first game back from a nagging ankle injury, he looked like his old self once again. I expect to see more of the same from him as the season winds down, and he’ll need to be on his A game this week as the Rams come into town.

3 – Patriots (9-4)

I think we can all agree that the Patriots offense wasn’t exactly the most fun to watch on Monday night. Amidst the wind and bone-chilling cold, Mac Jones played handoff simulator for 3 hours to the tune of just 3 passes thrown with 2 completed for a whopping 19 yards. But, all three Pats backs did their jobs, with Damien Harris being the star of the show. The defense also continued its stellar level of play, bending at times but never breaking when the Bills entered the redzone. It was the resilience of that unit that won the game for New England, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. This has been their identity, and I doubt we’ll see a situation where Mac only throws the ball 3 times again.

4 – Buccaneers (9-3)

The Bucs are back in rhythm and really strutting their stuff. There’s not a lot I can say about them that I haven’t said for the last few weeks, but there is one thing I want to mention. The emergence of Leonard Fournette in both the run game and the passing game has added another level to this offense that I never expected to see. It’s allowing them to open up the playbook and spread the field more than they had in the past, and I think it makes them that much more dangerous offensively. Tom Brady continues to stuff the statsheet on his way to another MVP, and the defense is clearly improving by the week as they continue getting healthier. This week’s contest against the Bills will be a tough one, but at their current pace, I like Tampa’s chances.

5 – Chiefs (8-4)

The Chiefs at home are one of the NFL’s weirdest anomalies. Something about playing in Arrowhead sucks all of Patrick Mahomes’ and his offense’s powers away. I can’t explain it, but at this point, it doesn’t matter. KC’s defense is playing like a truly elite unit, which is something I never saw coming 2 months ago. Between getting stops, forcing turnovers, and playing stout in the redzone, the Chiefs have become a team that simply doesn’t let you score. On their now 5-game win streak, they haven’t allowed a single team to score over 17 points. The last time they gave up 20 or more was on October 24th. Once again, the offense doesn’t have to be its usual firework show. The defense will get the job done.

6 – Colts (7-6)

After all the wackiness of the last month or so, I think the Colts truly relished in the proverbial tune-up against the Texans this week. They simply went out there, played their brand of football, and walked away with a clean shutout victory. What more can you ask for? Now, they head into their bye week with some great momentum as they continue pushing for a potential division title. Considering their final stretch of games, they need this week off to get themselves together and continue playing their best ball moving forward.

7 – Rams (8-4) 4

I really don’t know what to make of this team. They’re getting bumped up this high simply because other teams decided to slip up this week. Blowing out the Jaguars isn’t the most impressive thing in the world, but the Rams certainly needed that after a tumultuous last month. It was nice to see them seemingly come to fruition on both sides of the ball, but again, I won’t overreact. This is a team that has made light work of their poor schedule all year long and subsequently folded against any teams with a pulse. This can get them to the playoffs, but I don’t consider this to be an elite team at all.

8 – Cowboys (8-4) 4

I’ll be honest. I wasn’t very impressed with the Cowboys last Thursday. Like the Rams, they’re being bumped up this much because of the actions of teams above them. The offense was clearly rejuvenated by the return of Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb, but I still thought they didn’t play their best game on that side of the ball. The defense had themselves a day, but that’s easy to do when Taysom Hill is the opposing “quarterback”. I think this week’s game against a red hot Washington team will be a better indication of where the Cowboys stand on both sides of the ball. We’ll just have to wait and see.

9 – Bills (7-5)

Realistically speaking, the Bills only have themselves to blame for Monday night’s loss. If you know that the other team is going to run the same play for the entire game and you still let it beat you over and over, you deserve to lose. If you get into the redzone time and time again and don’t get any points out of it, you deserve to lose. If you can’t run the football at all in run-centric conditions, you deserve to lose. If you take bad sacks and make bad throws, then guess what? You deserve to lose. This is a good team that just can’t get out of their own way. None of their problems will fly against truly elite competition. It will hurt them in the playoffs, assuming they even get there at this point.

10 – Ravens (8-4) 2

I knew that Sunday’s game would be close. I thought the Ravens could lose, but I didn’t see it actually happening. And while any loss is concerning, this one almost felt natural. This team is still clearly struggling to find itself offensively, and a good Steelers defense ripped them apart. Meanwhile, the defensive woes reared their ugly head once again. Now, the Ravens are no longer the 1 seed in the AFC, and they only have themselves to blame. If they can’t figure out these issues soon, then it’ll be a quick one-and-done for them in January.

11 – Chargers (7-5) 3

This is an extremely bold proclamation, but I truly believe that it’s true. I think I have finally figured the Chargers out. Like I said last week, this team flip-flops every single Sunday. Last week it was a stinker against Denver, this week was a firework show against Cincinnati. I didn’t pick them to win, but I did say that it wouldn’t shock me if they did. This team has a pattern and they follow it to a T. I’m not saying they’ll lose to the Giants next week, but do not be shocked if it happens.

12 – Bengals (7-5) 5

Just when things looked like they were back on track in Cincinnati, they quite literally fumbled everything away. Despite starting the game down 24-0, the Bengals truly could have and arguably should have won on Sunday, but two key plays ruined their day. A poor Jamarr Chase drop on a perfect throw that should’ve resulted in a TD and an inopportune Joe Mixon fumble when the team was driving to take the lead that was returned for a touchdown killed any hopes of an improbable comeback win. It also didn’t help that the defense forgot how to play football for a while. I still like what this team has going on, but that was a truly poor showing from a group that knows it’s better than this. Next up is a very tough game against the team one spot below them, and a loss could truly derail what was once a promising year for this young team.

13 – 49ers (6-6) 3

I just hate good teams losing to bad teams. I hate it even more when the good team should actually have won the game. The 49ers only have themselves to blame for Sunday’s loss. Between a poor safety taken and not being able to punch the ball in with the game on the line, there can be no excuses made for this team. While they still hold a playoff spot, things can go very south very quickly with a difficult schedule ahead of them. I think they’ll be fine once Deebo Samuel comes back, but they better hope that’s ASAP. They need him badly.

14 – Titans (8-4) 1

Even after a bye, I have no idea what to make of the Titans. Without Derrick Henry, their offense is still going to be an eye sore. They better hope their defense can carry them to victory in these next few weeks.

15 – Washington (6-6) 2

I really have no idea how we got here. But we did, and it’s fun. Out of nowhere, the WFT has the longest winning streak in the conference and the 3rd longest in the league, and the team now sits in the 6 seed in the NFC. Simply put, this team finds ways to win. They play hard-nosed football and they go out and earn it every Sunday. The defense is still playing fantastic ball, the run game has found itself once again, and Taylor Heinicke is a rollercoaster, but he’s tougher than a $2 steak when it matters most. Now, the season comes down to 5 straight games against NFC East opponents, starting with the Cowboys this Sunday. As I said last week, everything is directly in front of this team to take. The playoffs essentially start now. I’m hoping and praying that they don’t let me down.

16 – Eagles (6-7) 3

You know what really impresses me in this league? Winning with backup QBs. It says a lot about a team when you can do that. Even against a lowly opponent like the Jets, Gardner Minshew and the Eagles’ performance on Sunday left a good impression. Jalen Hurts should be back after this bye week, and this team is trending in a very good direction. I have no doubt that they’ll be in the playoff mix for the next month.

17 – Broncos (6-6) 1

The Broncos played a weird game on Sunday night. Their defense was excellent from start to finish thanks to some lucky breaks. They were able to get the ball downfield, especially with the run game thanks to a huge night from Javonte Williams, but they simply refused to score. Between missed kicks, turnovers, or just bad breaks, this team couldn’t get out of their own way. It’s unfortunate, but it happens to everyone. This is still a solid team that is right in the thick of the wild card race, and I really think they have what it takes to sneak into the playoffs. But they have to stop beating themselves first.

18 – Vikings (5-7) 3

Let’s be honest. We all should have seen that coming. Even after this team battled back to take a late lead, we should have known what would happen next. A loss on a touchdown at the buzzer to the Lions to give them their lone win is a perfect microcosm of what this team is in 2021. And that’s all I’ll say about the Minnesota Vikings.

19 – Raiders (6-6) 1

The Raiders didn’t play their worst game by any stretch on Sunday. They were simply stifled enough offensively to have their defense lose the game late. It could’ve gone either way. It was the 4th loss in 5 games for this team that continues to fall apart from a record perspective, but I still think this is a solid team. Maybe not a playoff team, but they can give anyone a game on their best day. Sunday was simply not their best day.

20 – Steelers (6-5-1) 1

I knew the Steelers wouldn’t lay down and die again on Sunday, and I will say that I was very impressed with their ability to actually win the game. They showcased an energy on both sides of the ball that I hadn’t seen from them in a while. The return of T.J. Watt was truly a catalyst for that defense, as he had 3.5 sacks himself and the rest of the unit did enough to win the game late. The offense also had a pulse, which is always a shock. It was an emotional game against their biggest rival, so these things make sense. But, I still doubt this team’s ability to replicate this in the future.

21 – Browns (6-6) 1

Thankfully for my eyes, I didn’t have to watch the Browns this week. They return from their bye with a tough game against the Ravens, who they just lost to last week. After seeing how that game played out, I don’t see why this week should go any differently.

22 – Dolphins (6-7) 1

The second longest winning streak in the NFL resides in South Beach. The Dolphins have won five in a row. And guess what? I don’t care. Those wins have come against the Texans, Jets, Ravens, Panthers, and Giants. All teams who are either straight up bad or struggling right now. But, wins are wins, and this team has played their way into the playoff mix. Their defense has looked very good, and their offense is playing efficient football that wins them games. It’s a solid formula, but I just don’t think it will work against truly great teams. Luckily for the Dolphins, they don’t have any of those left on their schedule outside of a Week 18 game against New England. So, believe it or not, this team could somehow make the playoffs.

23 – Saints (5-7) 1

I just have one thing to say to the Saints. Please stop doing this Taysom Hill thing. He’s a solid player and a true gadget guy, but he’s not an NFL QB. Not even close. He can win games when the team around him is elite, but that’s not the case with this Saints team. And thus, it will only fail miserably. I don’t know why Sean Payton is so in love with Taysom Hill, and I never will. But I do know that this is ugly. Just start Trevor Siemian. Unless you’re actively trying to lose games.

24 – Falcons (5-7)

The Falcons essentially played exactly how I predicted they would on Sunday. After a while, it’s pretty easy to get a read on this team. There’s nothing I can say right now that hasn’t been the case for so many weeks at this point. There’s still hope that they can end the year strong, but other than that, there’s not a lot of hope in Atlanta.

25 – Panthers (5-7)

I enjoy weeks where I don’t have to watch Cam Newton play football. Those are some pretty good weeks. Hopefully that doesn’t mean I won’t enjoy this week. But I know that I won’t enjoy watching this team play.

26 – Seahawks (4-8) 2

Against all odds, the Seahawks won a football game. And they didn’t look awful doing it. They easily could have lost on Sunday, but they did what they had to do to pull off a pretty nice win. Good for them. I still think this team is awful, but I’ll respect them this week because Tyler Lockett put up some nice numbers for my fantasy team. Thanks, guys.

27 – Bears (4-8) 1

This is a very bad football team. There’s not much more that can be said. Justin Fields returning to the lineup this week provides a bit of an offensive spark, but we’ve seen enough of this offense to know that sparks die very quickly. And against the Packers, they might not even light that spark.

28 – Giants (4-8) 1

I can’t fault this team for losing with a backup QB. I told you guys how bad they’d play with Mike Glennon at QB, and that’s exactly what happened. Can’t expect too much out of an already bad team starting a bad QB. At least this team is on pace for two top 10 picks. But, knowing the Giants, they’ll probably find some way to mess them up.

29 – Jets (3-9)

Getting steamrolled by Gardner Minshew isn’t a very good look. But then again, this is the New York Jets. They haven’t known what a good look is in 50 years.

30 – Jaguars (2-10)

I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times. The Jaguars have been the exact same team for almost this entire season. But it’s not like there’s anything wrong with that. This is who we expect the Jaguars to be every week. This is how rebuilds work.

31 – Lions (1-10-1) 1

They did it. The Lions finally captured that elusive first win, and it took a touchdown at the buzzer to do it. I’m genuinely happy for them. You could see how much it meant to Jared Goff, Dan Campbell, the rest of the team, and especially the fans. I can imagine it’s quite a feeling. Good for them. I told you guys this team wouldn’t go winless. And when am I ever wrong?

32 – Texans (2-10) 1

Somehow, the Texans have returned to the #32 spot. They just can’t escape this. And if you wan’t answers, go look at the box score of Sunday’s game. That should tell the story just fine.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Post-Week 12 Power Rankings

The 49ers are making a second half surge that has them back in the top 10 and vying for a playoff spot. (h/t Flipboard)

1 – Packers (9-3) 1

Once again, we have another 1-2 switch as the Packers return to the top of the Power Rankings, and for good reason. Not only did the Cardinals have a bye, but Green Bay played a perfect game in the dismantling of the Rams on Sunday at Lambeau. The offense played perhaps their best game of the season, which should come as no shock as it was the healthiest they’ve been in weeks. The defense also put in work, which might not reflect on the scoreboard thanks to some statpadding from LA, but anyone who watched the game knows how dominant the defense was. It was simply a perfect performance from what is easily the NFL’s best team right now. Watching this team for even a few drives on Sundays is all you need to do to understand how great they truly are.

2 – Cardinals (9-2) 1

The Cards had a bye that they seemingly needed badly as their offensive injury saga hopefully comes to a close. Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins should be back this week, but it wouldn’t shock me at all if they don’t. Even if that’s the case, the backups have proven themselves more than capable of winning games.

3 – Patriots (8-4) 1

With every passing week, this team gets more and more impressive. In every aspect of the game, you can argue that this is the hottest, or maybe best team in football. Their offense is still somehow getting better as more and more people get involved, their defense is still probably the best in football, and any Nick Folk fantasy owners know how good the special teams are. There’s not much I can say about the Patriots that I haven’t been saying for weeks now. They are simply mastering their craft and are without a shadow of a doubt the best team in the AFC right now.

4 – Buccaneers (8-3) 1

It took everything going right in the second half for the Bucs to come out of Indy with a win, but they still looked good on Sunday. They regained their identity with the run game against a very good defense, not necessarily relying on Tom Brady to provide magic in order to win the game. Leonard Fournette carried the load with 4 touchdowns, including the game-winner, and the defense stepped up to make plays and force turnovers to help secure the comeback bid. It was a very solid all-around game, adding to the momentum of last week’s win. As the Bucs get healthier, I expect them to keep up this level of play en route to the playoffs.

5 – Chiefs (7-4)

The Chiefs had a bye this week, so you can fully expect them to come out and play a great game this week against Denver. This is the best team in the league off of byes, so I have no reservations about them winning this week.

6 – Colts (6-6) 1

Bumping up the Colts here feels weird, but you can thank some of the teams above them falling apart for that. Even still, this team held their own for 60 minutes against the Bucs and were arguably the better team for the majority of the game. I’m not one to hand out moral victories, but this team deserves one. I’m not a fan of them abandoning Jonathan Taylor in the second half, but I think they’ve now learned their lesson the hard way. They’re still just 2 games back in the division and are poised to make a run while Derrick Henry remains out in Tennessee. This team proved their worth to me again, even in a loss, and I still feel very good about them.

7 – Bengals (7-4) 6

Don’t look now, but the Bengals are back. After their bye week, they have strung together 2 complete, dominant victories over solid teams in the AFC. Their latest victim was the Steelers, who they absolutely walloped this week. Everything is working right now for Cincy on both sides of the ball, and it’s a delight to watch. I don’t know how long they can keep this level of play up with an insanely tough remaining schedule, but if these last two games are any indication, this team is built for a playoff push. They’re only a game out of first in the division and the 1 seed in the AFC. Why not the Bengals?

8 – Ravens (8-3) 3

I’m not entirely sure what to make of this team right now, but it feels like they’ve done a complete 180 in terms of their identity. Nowadays, their offense is a complete mess, but their defense has been lockdown. Lamar Jackson has struggled mightily lately, especially with his 4 INT game on Sunday night, but the other side of the ball has been a delight to watch. The emergence of rookie DE Odafe Oweh and the rest of the front seven has this team in position to win any game on their schedule. Once the offense picks up the slack, this team should play like the 1 seed that they currently are. But I need to see that first before putting too much faith in them.

9 – Bills (7-4) 3

I’ll give the Bills credit. They went into a very tough environment on a short week and absolutely ran through a decent Saints team. It was a clinic on both sides of the ball, and they looked very impressive. Josh Allen had himself a game with 4 TDs, and Stefon Diggs is putting up superstar numbers after a quiet start to the season. I still don’t like this team’s inability to run the football, but as I’ve said so many times before, they have what it takes to make up for that through the air. The defense also played like its old self, which should hopefully give them some momentum heading into their biggest game of the season next Monday against New England. We’ll see if we get the Bills of old, or the Bills of now.

10 – 49ers (6-5) 6

If you think about it, the 49ers are just the Patriots with a couple more tough early season losses. This team has found its identity in the last month or so, and they have been nothing short of unstoppable since finding it. They can run the ball no matter who they’re handing it off to, and their defense is still playing very well. Sunday wasn’t their best showing, but they still made the necessary plays to win the game in the end. To put it plainly, there aren’t many teams playing better football than San Francisco right now. The injury to Deebo Samuel might derail them for the next week or so, but if they have him healthy, this team can match up with anyone in the league.

11 – Rams (7-4) 5

Well, things got ugly just as quick as they were seemingly getting prettier in LA. The Rams are now 0-3 since acquiring Von Miller and 0-2 since acquiring Odell Beckham Jr., and none of those games have been competitive. Once again, this team was dismantled on both sides of the ball despite having more starpower than almost every team in football. The absence of Robert Woods has clearly made this offense significantly worse. So, what gives at this point? I really don’t know. This team has no business being so underwhelming. Every time they play a team with a pulse, they simply fall apart. Everyone is to blame, from Stafford to McVay to everyone else. I just don’t know what it’ll take to get this team to play up to their talent level. This is probably a playoff team, but until they find their identity, they are the NFL’s #1 fugazi.

12 – Cowboys (7-4) 4

Speaking of fugazis, did anyone watch the Cowboys on Thanksgiving? Because that was truly something to behold. Losing to a team that hasn’t had a semblance of a pulse in the last month is one thing, but losing the way the Cowboys did was embarrassing. I understand that this team was missing its top 2 receivers, but like I said last week, they are built to overcome that. But, the run game was nonexistent, and it took 3 quarters for Dak to find a rhythm. Though they were able to force OT, it just felt like too little too late, and that showed in the collapse in the extra 10 minutes. This defense is showing its true colors, playing very weak and soft, and the offense hasn’t found a groove against a real team in over a month. Like the Rams, I don’t know what it will take to turn this team around. Only they can show us.

13 – Titans (8-4) 4

There’s nothing I can say about the Titans this week that I didn’t already say last week. They are simply not a legitimate team offensively without Derrick Henry. At least their defense had been playing well. We can throw that out of the window as well. What a mess.

14 – Chargers (6-5) 4

Sunday’s loss in Denver was written in the stars sheerly based on how unbelievably inconsistent this team is. Their week-to-week flip-flopping is well-documented by now. So, maybe next week’s Chargers won’t look like a complete dumpster fire. But you can bet on the game after that looking just like this Sunday’s did. It’s just such a waste of time. This team is playing themselves out of the postseason fast, and at this point, that might be a good thing. If you’re this talented and this incompetent, you don’t deserve more than the 17 games you’re given.

15 – Vikings (5-6) 1

In a completely not-shocking turn of events on Sunday, the Vikings snatched defeat from the jaws of victory yet again. Now, their playoff hopes continue to slim down as they continue to play themselves out of wins. Oh, and Dalvin Cook is hurt as well. The franchise that embodies Murphy’s law more than any other in football is doing it again. I still feel bad for them, but at some point, you have to throw your hands up and surrender to the incompetence. Sounds like a team in LA I know.

16 – Broncos (6-5) 4

I’ll give some credit to the Broncos. They have been keeping up a solid level of play in recent weeks, even after the Von Miller trade. Outside of their loss to the Eagles, this team has played really well in the last month, and now only sits a single game out of first place in the division. The offense has been solid, and the defense has returned to old form. This team is just playing some good ball right now, and I personally never saw it coming. It’s nothing that pops off the screen, but it evidently wins games. And if Denver beats KC on Sunday night, they are your first place team in the AFC West. That’s crazy to think about.

17 – Washington (5-6) 4

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but there aren’t many teams in the league playing better football right now than the Washington Football Team. I know. It’s ridiculous to even think about. But, it’s true. While they haven’t exactly been game-wreckers, and their schedule hasn’t been the best, this team has found its winning formula and boy, does it look good. The defense has somehow gotten infinitely better in the absence of star DEs Chase Young and Montez Sweat, and they’re finally playing as advertised. The offense is also playing efficient football thanks to the resilience and craftiness of Taylor Heinicke and the resurgent ground game led by Antonio Gibson. Simply put, this team is playing very solid football and the back stretch of the schedule isn’t much to look at. Everything is in front of them to take if they so desire. Whether they decide to take it or not remains to be seen.

18 – Raiders (6-5) 5

The Raiders evidently will not be buried as easily as some of their AFC counterparts. Thanksgiving’s performance was one I never could have seen coming from a team playing as poorly as they had been playing, but perhaps it can rejuvenate this team moving forward. Sunday’s tough matchup with the WFT will tell us what we need to know. After all, they’re just 1 game out of first place and tied for a wild card spot. Anything is possible in this league.

19 – Eagles (5-7) 2

The Eagles picked a great time to play arguably their worst game of the season. Sunday’s performance was absolutely abhorrent on all fronts, especially offensively. Jalen Hurts played his first bad game in a long time, throwing 3 INTs with some coming at very inopportune moments. Still, he nearly made up for it with some late game heroics, but would be denied by his own WRs’ inability to catch the football. Alas, this team squandered a golden opportunity to get to .500, and now sit at 3rd in the division. That’s the type of game that can derail an entire season. We’ll see how the Eagles respond to it with a cupcake against the Jets coming up.

20 – Browns (6-6) 1

I really don’t feel like talking about this team. There is simply nothing to talk about, but at the same time, it feels like there are an infinite amount of things to talk about. I will say that their defense is playing well, but man, their offense is an absolute mess. It feels impossible to watch. They were gifted 4 extra possessions on Sunday night and did absolutely nothing with any of them. Forcing 4 turnovers and scoring 10 points in 60 minutes is not a winning formula. Most of the blame falls with Baker Mayfield, who still refuses to play like a starting QB. It’s time to move on, Cleveland. This team is too talented to be held back like this any longer.

21 – Steelers (5-5-1) 6

Oh man. How does it feel? To have all of your shortcomings and refusals to move on or get better come crashing down in your face in one swift stroke? Doesn’t feel good, does it? Keeping Big Ben around, refusing to stay healthy on defense, continuing to run a prehistoric offense, the list goes on and on. The unsustainability of it all has reached its breaking point, and it’s on full display for the world to see. It’s over.

22 – Saints (5-6) 4

I don’t know why I put my faith in this team to do anything on Thanksgiving night, but I’ll consider that a lesson learned. The offense remains a complete joke without Alvin Kamara, and the defense once again laid down and died. Now, the Saints are trusting Taysom Hill to lead the charge to redeem this seemingly lost season. Because that inspires so much confidence in all of us. If there’s any team the Saints can beat right now to get back on track, it’s the Cowboys on Thursday night. It’s a perfect opportunity to take a step in the right direction. It’s just so hard to see them doing so. We shall see.

23 – Dolphins (5-7) 2

Can you believe that the second longest winning streak in football belongs to the Dolphins? Well, if you look at their schedule, it becomes a bit more believable. But, teams have shown us that even the most winnable of games can become losses, so credit to the Fins for getting the job done on a weekly basis. Sunday’s game was a complete clinic on both sides of the ball and probably this team’s best performance of 2021. The schedule isn’t getting much tougher, so this team should continue winning games as we roll into the last month of the season. But the early season struggles might prove to be too much to overcome. At least they’re ruining that Eagles pick.

24 – Falcons (5-6) 3

Congrats to the Falcons on avoiding the incredible embarrassment of losing to the Jaguars. They did their job. They almost messed it up, but they did it. And that’s about all I want to say about them.

25 – Panthers (5-7) 3

Remember when I said that Cam coming back to this team was good for them? Yeah, disregard everything I said. After a 5/20 passing day with 2 INTs and a passer rating of FIVE (5!), Cam was benched in the middle of a blowout at the hands of the fledgling Dolphins. Oh, and now Christian McCaffrey is out for the season, so the already nonexistent offense is about to somehow get worse. I don’t want to watch another snap of this team for the rest of the year. Not one.

26 – Bears (4-7) 2

Why am I moving the Bears up? I genuinely don’t know. They absolutely deserved to lose on Thanksgiving, which is truly saying something considering they were playing the Lions. The game was an absolute mess from start to finish, but they proved to be the less incompetent team, winning on a FG at the buzzer. The win did nothing for me, but thanks to some action around them, they get bumped up this week.

27 – Giants (4-7) 1

The Giants’ win over the Eagles on Sunday was probably the most shocking of the week to me. I never thought this lifeless team could have strung together 60 minutes of winning football, but they did just that, and it was thanks to a stellar performance from their defense. That was always the team’s best unit, and they played perhaps their best game yet against a red hot Philly team. The offense was still a struggle, and it’ll only get worse as Daniel Jones will now miss time with a neck injury. Still, Sunday’s win was a good one that this team desperately needed.

28 – Seahawks (3-8) 2

Remember what I said last week about this team being a joke? Just imagine that, but worse. That’s all I’ll say about the Seahawks.

29 – Jets (3-8) 2

The Jets won the worst game ever put to paper, proving themselves as at least better than the Texans for likely the rest of the season. Good for them. That’s not a very high bar to pass, but at least they passed.

30 – Jaguars (2-9) 1

The Jags have been the same team for many, many weeks now. They’re competent, and often competitive, but simply incapable of winning games. Their offense just doesn’t have what it takes. It doesn’t really matter at this point, but that’s who they are, and it won’t change between now and season’s end.

31 – Texans (2-9) 1

The Texans have entered an elusive club of teams that have lost to the Jets, which really rubs me the wrong way. I just hate it when teams do that. I thought they at least had it in them to beat such a putrid team, but this team was either riding the high of the Titans upset, or they’re still just terrible. Either way, at least they’re not Detroit!

32 – Lions (0-10-1)

The Lions have played themselves out of so many win this season, it’s like they want to be winless. It feels intentional. Well, Detroit, you get what you ask for. Hope you relish in this.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Post-Week 11 Power Rankings

The Chiefs are back in business, using a resurgent defense and solid enough offense to fuel their 4-game win streak. (h/t Denny Medley, USA Today Sports)

1 – Cardinals (9-2) 1

The never-ending flip-flop of 1 and 2 continues this week with the Cardinals jumping back up to the top after a very nice win with their backups once again taking center stage. Colt McCoy, James Conner, and the rest of the offense had their way with the porous Seattle defense all game long to the tune of over 400 yards of offense. Once again, this team proved their depth and was very impressive in doing so. The questions with Kyler Murray’s health still remain, and he better come back soon if the Cards want to lock up a 1 seed as the season winds down.

2 – Packers (8-3) 1

The Packers defense played a poor game. That’s no secret. But, this team has played so well as of late with all of their injuries that a game like this was bound to happen. I’m not going to be harsh on them for very nearly winning despite all of their defensive shortcomings. If Green Bay had won on Sunday, everyone would agree they’d be the best team in the league. I don’t think putting them at 2 after losing at the buzzer is a big deal. Just look at the rest of the league falling apart at the top. This offense is still great, as was on display on Sunday, and the defense will be just fine, especially after getting all of their stars back. Pump the brakes, don’t overreact.

3 – Buccaneers (7-3) 4

I’m not too keen on putting the Bucs this high, but considering the way so many teams above them fared this week, it’s deserved. Tampa finally showed up and did their job in a dominant showing on Monday night, highlighted by one of their better defensive performances of the season. The offense looked nice as well, but that’s almost always the case. This team is dominant at home, now sitting at 6-0, so you can always count on them to show up when they’re comfortable. I still need this team to prove themselves to me when they’re uncomfortable.

4 – Patriots (7-4) 4

It seems to be a well known fact now that nobody in football is playing better than the Patriots in the last month or so. Let’s just put some numbers on display. This team is outscoring its opponents 94-13 in its last 3 games, including a 63-0 run in the last 7 quarters. They also haven’t allowed more than 7 points in a game since Halloween. Seems pretty good, doesn’t it? This defense is playing like it’s the best in football, and this offense is one of the more well-oiled machines in all of football. They found their winning formula, and now, they have found their stride. It’s as simple as that.

5 – Chiefs (7-4) 5

Well, well, well. Look who decided to show back up to the party. Now, even I will acknowledge that this might be a little high for the team I told you guys not to overreact to just a few weeks ago. But, in the time since then, I believe they have proven themselves, and proven me wrong in the process. Like the Patriots, this team has found its winning formula, and it somehow doesn’t revolve around Patrick Mahomes and the offense. It’s actually the defense, which looked nonexistent in the first half of the season, which has turned itself around and become the focal point of the team. They have been shutting down offenses left and right, and all Mahomes and company need to do is put up enough points. It’s a formula that doesn’t feel familiar with the Chiefs, but it’s working like a charm. We’ll see how it works down the stretch.

6 – Rams (7-3)

The Rams had a much-needed bye last week, and now it’s do or die time for them. It’s time for them to show us if they are truly a contender with stars everywhere, or a misalignment of elite talent that simply doesn’t have what it takes to get the job done. Which shall it be?

7 – Colts (6-5) 4

Please do yourself a favor and throw the 6-5 record out of the window when analyzing this team. Because once you do that, you’ll realize that they’re one of the best in football, just as I have. What isn’t there to like here? Jonathan Taylor is now playing at an MVP rate after an incredible 5 touchdown day, Carson Wentz is playing very well, and this defense is nothing short of elite. They can beat you in so many different ways, and rest assured, they will beat you. This team has figured themselves out, and it’s a scary sight. The back end of their schedule is very tough, so those difficult early losses could come back to bite. But the way this team is playing right now, I have full confidence in them to fight and fight and keep their playoff hopes alive.

8 – Cowboys (7-3) 4

Twice in three weeks, I have seen this Cowboys offense get dismantled by a defense that we would otherwise scoff at. Seems to be a bit of a problem. I do want to cut these guys some slack, though. Amari Cooper and Tyron Smith both didn’t play on Sunday, and CeeDee Lamb left the game at halftime. That being said, there’s never really an excuse to not find the endzone a single time against your opponent. We know the Chiefs are playing better defense than they did to start the season, but this is supposed to be a truly elite offense in Dallas. Even without Cooper, they still had Lamb for a half, not to mention Zeke and Tony Pollard out of the backfield with quite the capable QB in Dak Prescott. Why have they been so quiet (outside of a virtual bye week against Atlanta)? This offense better wake itself up soon, or the rest of the NFC will pass the Cowboys by like they’re a minivan on the interstate.

9 – Titans (8-3) 6

It is impossible to wrap your head around this team. Go ahead, try it. 7-0 against 2020 playoff teams. Beating teams with under 200 yards of offense and without Derrick Henry. Elite defense one week, terrible defense the next. Losses to the Jets and now the Texans. This team has shown me everything this season. Now, I don’t know what to do with them. It was abundantly clear that this was a completely different team without their star RB; a team that completely lacked an offensive identity. But at least they were winning games. Now, Henry’s absence has caught up to them. 4 picks from Ryan Tannehill was a performance we should have seen coming. I know what their record says, but without Henry, I just don’t see this team doing all that, and it’s finally catching up to them.

10 – Chargers (6-4) 2

To all 34 Charger fans out there, how do you guys do this? I mean, seriously. I don’t think I could handle a week of this. And I’m a DC sports fan. This team played such a good game on Sunday night, only to nearly Charger it several times in the 4th. Thank God for Justin Herbert, right? Once again, this team seems to be winning all of the games they typically lose. The only problem is that in between those wins they lay so many duds. Who knows what next week will bring with this team?

11 – Ravens (7-3) 2

Moving the Ravens down 2 spots isn’t an indictment on them. Hell, they just won with Tyler Huntley at QB leading a game-winning drive. I know they’ll be fine when Lamar stops getting sick every week. I was pleasantly surprised with their defense as well as the depth that they continue to show on offense. This is a team that feels primed for a strong second half surge. I just need to see it with Lamar.

12 – Bills (6-4) 7

So, something is fundamentally wrong with this team. Does anyone know what it is? Because I sure as hell don’t. Their offense is now nonexistent as Josh Allen has regressed to his old ways. And that once elite defense? Yeah, they might as well be the Panthers considering how much they statpadded against weaker competition. To put it plainly, this team tricked us badly. I’m done giving into those tricks. Once again, they were exposed, and this time it was by a real AFC contender. They’re not even the best team in their division anymore. I’m not burying this team, but they are tempting me. Unless they magically return to the Bills of September and October, I just don’t see this team doing anything substantial.

13 – Bengals (6-4)

The Bengals essentially did exactly what I thought they were going to do on Sunday. They went out, did their thing, and showed their stripes after a much-needed bye. They looked how I thought they would on both sides of the ball, and I think such a strong performance will help them get their mojo back as they try to pull away in this wild divisional and conference playoff race. As I’ve said before, I truly think this team has what it takes, and Sunday’s win in the desert was a huge step in the right direction.

14 – Vikings (5-5) 3

What do we have here? The Vikings are actually winning big games? I’m genuinely shocked. But in the best way possible. I’m happy that this team is starting to realize its potential, but still upset that it didn’t happen sooner. This team has always been better than their record, and it looks like the rest of the league is finally going to start to notice that. The defense didn’t play its best game against the Packers, but the offense was dazzling from start to finish. Kirk Cousins is having perhaps his best season yet, and he’ll need to keep it up if this team wants to make the playoff push that I know they can. The only question is whether or not they will.

15 – Steelers (5-4-1) 1

I was honestly impressed with the Steelers on Sunday night. They showed a ton of fight, never backed down, and even looked pretty good offensively. The biggest hole was their defense, which was to be expected with all of their injuries on that side of the ball. I have no doubt in my mind that Sunday’s game goes differently with T.J. Watt in the lineup. Alas, here the Steelers are, simply treading water in this tight division race. I think once they get healthy, they’ll figure it out. I’m not ready to stick a fork in this team at all. They’ve proven themselves to me offensively, and once their defense is at full strength once again, I think they’ll make the playoffs with ease.

16 – 49ers (5-5) 2

Like the Vikings, the 49ers are finally starting to figure it out and realize their potential. It makes me very happy. This team has returned to its roots and original identity of physical, run-first football, but the passing game has also emerged as a very solid and effective way of putting up points. The committee of RBs has done its job, Jimmy Garoppollo has looked great in recent weeks, and Deebo Samuel is simply the ultimate weapon in football. Run him out of the backfield, throw him a screen, send him downfield, it doesn’t matter. When he gets involved offensively, good things happen. Oh, and this defense is looking like itself again, especially in the secondary. Watch out for this team as a potential wild card dark horse. As long as they play like this, they can pull any upset on that first weekend of playoff football.

17 – Eagles (5-6) 2

The Birds just keep on doing it. There aren’t many more teams in the league I’ve enjoyed watching as of late than the Eagles, which is well documented at this point. This team is just so much fun. Jalen Hurts is figuring it out right before our very eyes, and even this defense is stepping up and making all sorts of plays. I think it’s time to not only dub the Eagles as one of the best young teams in the NFL, but a potential playoff team. With an unbelievably easy finish to their schedule, it’s entirely possible that this team could sneak into a wild card spot in the upcoming weeks. If they continue this level of play, I don’t see what’s stopping them.

18 – Saints (5-5) 3

It appears as though all of the Saints’ injuries are finally catching up to them. The absence of Alvin Kamara has left a major hole in their offense; a hole that isn’t easily filled by the likes of Trevor Siemian. My biggest question with this team is their defense, which has seemingly disappeared in recent weeks. It was their strong suit and their backbone for so many wins, and without it, this team is all but hopeless. With Kamara expected to miss even more time, things could get uglier even quicker. New Orleans might not enjoy their Thanksgiving night as much as they’d like to tomorrow.

19 – Browns (6-5) 3

Oh man. I know they say the rich get richer, but do the poor get poorer as well? Because it appears that’s happening to the Browns. I don’t care that they won. They were in a complete struggle with the Lions from wire to wire, and it’s largely because of Baker Mayfield’s QB ability, or complete lack thereof. This offense has been a complete dumpster fire since the Bengals game, and I can’t understand why. Critics don’t even have OBJ to scapegoat anymore, so the clear problem is Baker. He is continuing to hold this team back. Yes, Cleveland’s run game is more than enough to put this team in positions to win games, but that’s just not a winning formula in 2021. I don’t want to bury my pick to win the AFC this early, but it’s getting really close to happening. With Baker playing the way he is, this team is on the thinnest ice in the world.

20 – Broncos (5-5) 2

The Broncos won their bye week by having so many teams in the same tier as them forget how to play football for a weekend. Good for them. Who knows what the back stretch of the year holds for this team? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

21 – Washington (4-6) 5

Is this team back? No, I told myself I wouldn’t get my hopes up. It’s hard not to do that after two massive wins filled with exciting plays and pure winning football. Once again, this team fought and fought all game long, making every play necessary on both sides of the ball to ensure a victory. Taylor Heinicke is showing more resilience than prime Tony Romo, and this defense has somehow returned to form, giving up plays here and there but stepping up when they’re called upon. I think this team has what it takes to win games this way, and it can clearly work against any team from Tampa to Carolina. The final stretch of the schedule is a rather interesting one, and the next couple of games will tell us how sustainable this formula truly is.

22 – Panthers (5-6) 1

There is no doubt that the return of Cam has done wonders for this team. Their offense is alive once again. That is, until they aren’t. In crunch time against Washington, this team folded on both sides of the ball, but especially offensively. When the going got tough, Cam was lost and confused. Part of that was the play of Washington’s defense, but these players have to shoulder some blame as well. I will say that this team has played better than I thought they would, and I think they have a nice thing going. Perhaps they’ve found some momentum to carry into next season.

23 – Raiders (5-5) 3

I’m not wasting my time here. I’m simply not going to talk about this team. You can’t make me do anything.

24 – Bears (3-7) 1

I’m not sure how to feel about the Bears after Sunday’s game. Losing your starting QB to injury and fighting through it to nearly win the game with an incredible 4th down play is very admirable, but choking the way they did is a bit less admirable. This is just the same old Bears team to me. With Fields at the helm, it felt like they would put themselves in positions to win. But, with him out, I fear that won’t be the case much longer.

25 – Dolphins (4-7) 3

I won’t go crazy over the Dolphins beating yet another bottom feeder, but this team has still looked plenty nice in recent weeks. Nothing stands out or jumps off the screen other than their defense, which is finally realizing its potential. But, until I see it more consistently, and hopefully against better opposition, this is where they remain.

26 – Seahawks (3-7) 3

I mean, come on. This team is the epitome of a joke. Every time we think it can’t get any worse, it does. It just gets worse and worse. Going from getting shut out to losing to a backup QB at home? What’s next? Losing a Monday Night Football game to a team that is literally allergic to winning on MNF? God I hope so.

27 – Falcons (4-6) 3

All I’ll say about the Falcons is that it’s funny that 28 – 3 = 25. Life is just poetic sometimes.

28 – Giants (3-7) 1

The Giants are truly one of the hardest watches in football. Their offensive identity is simply nonexistent. You know it’s bad when your tackle has more touchdowns than your first-round or $72 million WR. I still don’t know what it will take to solve this team’s plethora of issues. I’m done trying to figure it out.

29 – Jaguars (2-8)

There’s not a lot I can say about the Jags that I haven’t been saying for weeks now. It’s the same story every single Sunday with this team, and that’s fine. I give them a pass as a rebuilding team with arguably the worst roster in football. It just gets tiring after a while, you know?

30 – Texans (2-8) 2

I cannot express to you guys how shocked I am that the Texans won on Sunday. I still can’t really wrap my head around it. But, they did it, and I’m happy for them. It was clear that this team was significantly better with Tyrod Taylor at QB, and he showed that yet again on Sunday. I’m not sure how many more wins this team has in them before the season is all said and done, but with him under center, I know they’ll never back down from a fight.

31 – Jets (2-8)

There are honestly positives here with the Jets. For one, I love that they’re finally getting Elijah Moore involved offensively. There’s no point in getting a draft steal if you don’t use him effectively, and they’re finally figuring out ways to do so. Other than that… yeah, I got nothing.

32 – Lions (0-9-1) 2

It’s a miracle that it took this long, but the winless Lions are finally at the bottom of the Power Rankings. It’s about time. I still think they’re a solid, competitive bunch, and they came very close to winning once again on Sunday. But, nobody is going to win with Tim Boyle at QB. I know this team’s first win is just around the corner, but I’m also confident that it won’t be with that guy at QB. It’s safe to say I won’t be spending my Thanksgiving afternoon with this team.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Post-Week 10 Power Rankings

The New England Patriots have been playing like one of the NFL’s elite teams on their 4-game win streak, and aren’t showing any signs of slowing down. (h/t Greg M. Cooper, AP)

1 – Packers (8-2) 1

The Packers are back on top, and for good reason. They didn’t have their flashiest game offensively against a bad Seahawks defense, but this team has shown us time and time again that they don’t need to do all that on offense to win. That’s thanks to having what I believe is the NFL’s best defense. Even without Jaire Alexander and ZaDarius Smith, this defense has been sensational in every facet. Their corners have been lockdown, their front seven has been ferocious, they don’t let you move the ball, and they rip it away from you whenever they please. The story of this team is not Aaron Rodgers or Davante Adams. It is that defense that Aaron has longed for for so long now, and if they keep up this level of play with reinforcements on the way, I don’t know if any team can slow them down.

2 – Cardinals (8-2) 1

I admittedly have no idea what to do with this team. They looked terrible on Sunday. Do I give them a pass since they were rolling out the B team? Or do I punish them because I saw that same B team dominate a capable 49ers team just last week? I just don’t know. I’m choosing the former because that was the first time the Cardinals didn’t look like themselves. As the season gets closer to Thanksgiving, we’re seeing so many great teams lay some duds. Everyone is allowed to do it. Especially if your backups are playing. I know that when this team is fully healthy, they’re arguably the best in football. They just need to hope and pray that they get there fast.

3 – Titans (8-2) 1

For the millionth straight week, I watched the Titans win and scratched my head as to how they did it. Once again, they were outgained and seemingly outplayed. But all this team does is win. Their defense stepped up when necessary, and although it was very close late, they got the stop they needed on the 2-point conversion to come away with a win. I don’t know how much longer they can keep this up for, but as long as they do it, they are firmly in the driver’s seat in the AFC.

4 – Cowboys (7-2) 3

I told you guys not to overreact. Now look at where we are. That being said, I don’t want to overreact in a different way after watching this team blow out the Falcons of all teams, but beating any team that badly is impressive. The offense clearly woke up after last week’s beatdown from the Broncos, and they looked like the Cowboys again. Moreover, their defense came to play and put together what might’ve been their best performance yet. Even the special teams got in on the action. I would love to see the Cowboys do this more consistently against better opposition, but alas. It was just a perfect game from a team that needed it badly, and now seems primed for a second half push at a potential 1 seed.

5 – Bills (6-3) 3

Like the team above them, the Bills woke up in a huge way this week. I understand that they were playing the Jets, but again, any win that huge is impressive. I was concerned with this offense, and they came out and looked like the Bills of October, and even the Bills of 2020. As I’ve said time and time again, Buffalo needs to take advantage of their cupcake schedule and show us that they’re a real contender. If they string together more performances like the one we saw on Sunday, they’ll quickly erase any doubt that may have risen in recent weeks.

6 – Rams (7-3) 1

I don’t know man. I really don’t. I think I have this team a bit high considering their last 2 performances, but I’m still giving them the benefit of the doubt. But man, they need to figure this out. Once again, they were absolutely dominated on both sides of the ball by a team that was simply more physical than they were. San Francisco absolutely bullied this team all game long, and the Rams didn’t look like they wanted to be there. Moreover, Matt Stafford has seemingly lost his touch and can’t stop making bad throws and spoon-feeding turnovers to opposing defenses. I think this week’s bye will help the Rams tremendously as they try to get these moving parts gelled together, and they better hope they get it done. This won’t continue to fly for very long.

7 – Buccaneers (6-3) 4

Something is fundamentally wrong with the Buccaneers right now, and what that is is fairly obvious. They just aren’t playing the guys they want to play. With Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Brown still out with injury, Tom Brady is clearly uncomfortable, as those guys are really his safety blankets. Granted, I don’t think you should be struggling when you’re throwing to the likes of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, but we know the way Brady operates. When he doesn’t have his guys, he struggles. The defense is also still a mess and a conglomerate of moving parts that just aren’t working. There might be too many injuries on that side of the ball to overcome in such a short period of time. In any case, this team just looked flat out bad coming off a bye, and there are only so many excuses you can make for that. Will they turn it around? Probably. Was this a terrible look? Absolutely.

8 – Patriots (6-4) 2

There is no doubt in my mind that the Patriots are the hottest team in the AFC. Hell, they might be the best team in the AFC. Two games down the stretch against the Bills will answer that question for us. When New England isn’t playing their fellow blue team in the division, they are suffocating opponents with their awesome defense and picking them apart with their efficient but deadly offense. Mac Jones is still getting better by the week, and this offense has found itself with a plethora of playmakers that aren’t the flashiest, but simply get the job done. The “Patriot Way” is truly back with this team, and it’s pretty cool to watch. If they can keep this up down the stretch, this team genuinely has a chance at making a real run to the Super Bowl. Just when we thought we got rid of them.

9 – Ravens (6-3) 3

I truly can’t explain what happened to this team on Thursday night. Their defense wasn’t the problem for once. It was the offense that couldn’t get a single thing going from start to finish. That happens to everyone, but against the Dolphins? This is a team that couldn’t stop the Jaguars. What gives? I just don’t know. I trust Lamar Jackson and this offense enough to predict that we won’t see a performance that poor again, but I am officially concerned. This team needs to clean up its act in a hyper-competitive division and conference that can only send 7 teams to the playoffs.

10 – Chiefs (6-4) 7

This is a huge jump for a team that I’ve been very low on for a while now, so let me clear something up. This has less to do with what I think about the Chiefs and more to do with how the teams in this range have performed in the last week or so. That being said, I was still wildly impressed with KC on Sunday. Patrick Mahomes put together his first real Mahomes performance in a brilliant 406 yard 5 touchdown game. This offense was back to its old ways, getting everyone involved all over the field, and it was awesome to watch. Perhaps more impressive was their defense, which actually played defense for once. The Raiders are dealing with a lot right now, and did just lose to the Giants, but they have plenty of weapons, and they were all shut down against this defense. I don’t know if they can string together more performances like this, but I hope they can. I don’t want to be premature, but the Chiefs might be back.

11 – Colts (5-5) 3

It’s no secret that I really like the way this team plays. I love Jonathan Taylor and this defense, but I still have some concerns. The main one is Carson Wentz, who is starting to get a little more careless with the ball as the season progresses. The other one is the inability to close out games. This team plays bad teams close too much for my liking, but that might just be natural when you’re turning your season around. In any case, the Colts are back to .500 and have everything in front of them to make a potential playoff push. This week’s contest with the Bills will tell us a lot about whether this team is a playoff contender or pretender.

12 – Chargers (5-4) 3

It is getting really hard to keep any faith in this team. Seemingly every other week, they just lay down and die. Their offense completely disappears and their defense turns into Swiss cheese. This was the case on Sunday against a reeling Vikings team. I thought the game would be close, not a no-contest. Yes, the Chargers kept it close on the scoreboard, but anyone who watched the game knows they were never truly in it. They just never felt in it. They were outgained by 132 yards as Justin Herbert failed to reach 200 yards against a defense that Cooper Rush dotted up. The run game was also nonexistent once again. Meanwhile the defense got gashed all over the field for the millionth time this season. It’s just getting tiring watching this team be so inconsistent. Lord knows if they’ll find their groove at all in the back half of the season.

13 – Bengals (5-4)

I hope the Bengals made good use of their bye week. They have a lot to figure out, and they need to do it quickly in the AFC, especially if they can’t jump back to the top of their division. I know this team has what it takes. I just need to see it.

14 – Steelers (5-3-1) 3

Yes, tying with the winless Lions is extremely embarrassing. But, I will try to be nice to the Steelers. It’s very hard to win games in the NFL against anyone if your starting QB is Mason Rudolph. There is no way the Steelers would have lost that game had Ben Roethlisberger been playing. And at least they can say they didn’t lose to the Lions. The rest of the team did their job outside of a couple ugly turnovers, but it was an ugly game. What did you expect? This team will be fine once they get back healthy, but they need that to happen ASAP in what might be the NFL’s most competitive division.

15 – Saints (5-4)

I feel bad for the Saints. Once a week, one or two teams in the NFL fall victim to disgusting refereeing that undoubtedly changes the outcome of the game. This week, that team was the Saints. Extremely poor defensive penalties ruined any chance this team had of coming back and pulling off the upset of the Titans. Even after all that, they still were a 2-point conversion away from a late tie, but a false start put a fork in their odds. This team is already dealing with injuries out the you-know-what, and it’s not getting better by any means. In many ways, the Saints are the Titans of the NFC. They just don’t have a lot of luck on their side.

16 – Browns (5-5) 4

Is it… is it over with the Browns? This team that I had so much hope for, that looked so good just one week ago. There’s just so much bad to talk about with Cleveland that I almost don’t want to. Is this how it ends? A 38-point loss at the hands of Mac Jones and Rhamondre Stevenson? If so, then this is truly a tragedy. Maybe OBJ wasn’t the problem after all.

17 – Vikings (4-5) 3

The Vikings finally put together a complete performance on Sunday, and I am very pleased about it. I’ve been waiting for this for the entire season, and now that we finally got it, I can be happy with this team for once. Kirk Cousins played a great game, as did Dalvin Cook, and their defense locked down a (sometimes) potent Chargers offense. Can they replicate this more times down the stretch to put themselves in the playoff picture? Probably not. But this is a good step forward for a team that needed it badly.

18 – 49ers (4-5) 5

Like the Vikings, the 49ers put together the performance that I’ve been waiting to see from them all season long this week, and it was beautiful to watch. In primetime against their division rival with all their shiny new toys, the Niners smacked the Rams in the mouth from start to finish, and they did it by sticking to their brand of football. They ran the ball incredibly effectively, were efficient in the passing game, let their playmakers make plays, and their defense slammed the door shut on a reeling LA offense. Jimmy Garoppolo, Deebo Samuel, and even George Kittle all put together masterclasses offensively, and the defense had Matt Stafford looking dazed and confused. The 49ers needed a game like this desperately, as their season depended on it. Now, they find themselves in a position to potentially make a playoff push. Let’s see if they can pull it off.

19 – Eagles (4-6) 2

Once again, I am really impressed with the Philadelphia Eagles. This is honestly one of the most fun young teams to watch in the NFL. For several weeks now, they just make plays on both sides of the ball that you can’t take your eyes off of. Jalen Hurts is turning into a real QB right before our eyes, and Devonta Smith is getting more involved, which is doing wonders for the offense. The defense is also vastly improving as the season progresses, forcing turnovers and making plays left and right. This might not be a playoff team, but they have plenty to feel good about right now. I enjoy watching them every Sunday.

20 – Raiders (5-4) 4

It is very much over for this team. I’ve been ready to stick a fork in them for a minute now, and I’m just going to go ahead and do it. Between the never-ending off-the-field issues and the terrible on-the-field product, there’s just nothing to feel good about with the Raiders. Absolutely nothing. They have looked lifeless in back to back weeks, and I don’t see them finding their pulse anytime soon. They are cooked.

21 – Panthers (5-5) 5

Who would’ve thought that the key to saving the Panthers’ season would be to bring back Cam Newton? Ok, maybe saving is a bit hyperbolic, but the return of Cam clearly did something to this team to help them get things back track. This team played with life that I haven’t seen out of them all season. Cam didn’t even play most of the game, but his presence seemingly did enough to light a fire under this team that has been missing for 9 weeks. My only question is, what happens now? Cam will be the starter moving forward, but will his energy be enough to overcome his potential rust or shortcomings? This is a guy that hasn’t played NFL football in a while and lost his job to a rookie QB. Only time will tell.

22 – Broncos (5-5) 3

The Broncos of this week looked more like the Broncos we’ve seen for so long now. A lifeless team that head-scratchingly has no offense with a defense behind them that is flimsier than a book fair eraser. I wasn’t surprised with what I saw out of this team against Philly. If anything, I was surprised that they were truly that bad. If anything, this team is good at home. Coming to Denver and winning is never easy, but the Eagles made it look seamless. I think that tells us all we need to know about these Denver Broncos.

23 – Seahawks (3-6) 5

Oh, man. That was… oh, man. I don’t know if it was Russell Wilson rushing back from injury, Pete Carroll being a senile old man, or all of the above, but this team is just dreadful. Their defense wasn’t even that big of a problem on Sunday. It was their offense that was abysmal from start to finish to the tune of a whopping 0 points on the scoreboard. It was just embarrassing. Russ played a very poor game in his return from injury, and nobody else on the team picked up the slack. D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are turning invisible right before our eyes, and this defense is still a joke. That’s all this team is. A really bad joke.

24 – Falcons (4-5) 2

The Falcons put on one of the worst performances of the season, but it shouldn’t come as any surprise. This wasn’t even the first time this team didn’t show up to a game this season. However, considering the way they’ve been playing recently, this did come as a shock. I never bought into this team, but I was still surprised to see them play that poorly. They were dominated from start to finish in all 3 phases of the game, and it was never competitive. I would say I don’t expect to see such a lifeless performance again from this team, but these are the Falcons. This is practically the norm.

25 – Bears (3-6) 1

The Bears had Week 10 off, which probably felt nice after last Monday’s heartbreaker. Next up is a very tough matchup with the Ravens, but considering that team’s recent form, perhaps Chicago can find themselves a consolation W.

26 – Washington (3-6) 2

I promise you, nobody on Earth is more surprised with Sunday’s win than I am. I still can’t describe it. To see this team go out and flat out dominate the defending champs from start to finish was something I never would’ve predicted in a million years. The offense was efficient and immaculate in the 4th quarter, and the defense was lockdown all game long, finally looking like their 2020 selves. And while I still don’t think that’s who this team is, I absolutely loved watching it, and I’m hoping they can channel that into something moving forward. This team has lacked a pulse for over a month, so if they can find it and actually look like a team in the back half of the season, I’m all for it.

27 – Giants (3-6) 2

The Giants had a much needed bye week as they continue to get back healthy on offense. Even when that happens, this team won’t amount to much, but at the very least, they should have Saquon Barkley and Kadarius Toney healthy moving forward.

28 – Dolphins (3-7) 2

For the first time all year long, the Dolphins looked like the team we saw at the end of last season. Their offense wasn’t great, but their defense finally stepped up, suffocating the Ravens offense from start to finish in a physical fashion. Their front seven got after the ball, and their secondary made play after play in the fourth quarter to seal the deal. For their sake, I hope Miami can take the momentum from Thursday night and roll with it, because I know this team is far more talented than the way they’ve been playing in 2021.

29 – Jaguars (2-7) 2

The Jags actually managed to keep things close with the Colts, but they simply couldn’t get out of their own way late in the game. It seems like that’s going to be the story of this team moving forward. It’s a solid bunch, and they’ll certainly be competitive. But I just don’t think they have what it takes to win those close games. We can only hope that they’ll get there somewhere down the road.

30 – Lions (0-8-1) 1

Can you believe the Lions haven’t lost in back to back weeks? It’s a miracle! A lot of people thought this team would beat the Steelers, but I think even they’ll tell you that they’ll settle for a tie. You take everything you can get when you’re in a position like the Lions are in. It was an ugly, rainy game that nobody wanted to win. At least this team can say they didn’t lose.

31 – Jets (2-7) 2

Joe Flacco is starting for this team on Sunday. Nothing more needs to be said.

32 – Texans (1-8)

Congrats to the Texans for having a bye week! I’m sure their fans relished in that.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Post-Week 9 Power Rankings

The Titans used a dominant defensive performance to pull off one of the season’s most impressive victories on Sunday night against the Rams in LA. (h/t AP Photo, Ashley Landis)

1 – Cardinals (8-1) 1

The Cardinals are back on top, dethroning the Packers by proving they have something that Green Bay apparently does not: depth. And the Cards have it in bunches. Without Kyler Murray, DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Green, and J.J. Watt, in addition to losing Chase Edmonds on the first drive of the game, all Arizona did was waltz into the Bay and throw the 49ers all over the place. It was domination from start to finish, even with the fossil that is Colt McCoy leading the way under center. The offense got another huge hand from James Conner, who now has 11 touchdowns from scrimmage (all in his last 7 games) to take the league lead in that category. The defense continues to be dominant as well, forcing 3 turnovers. This is quickly becoming the deepest and potentially best roster in football. They deserve to be back at #1.

2 – Packers (7-2) 1

If you think the Packers deserved to be dropped significantly for their performance on Sunday, you either didn’t watch the game or you just don’t get this league. The worst part about their game was Jordan Love, who was a major disappointment. But… he’s the backup QB. And the man he backs up is the defending MVP. I didn’t think he’d struggle that much, but it was the kid’s first start in lieu of all of the off-the-field drama surrounding the franchise’s COVID policies (or lack thereof). In my opinion, the story of the game was the Packers defense, which was extremely impressive once again. This is a unit filled with studs, and they have more coming once they all get healthy. In my opinion, this is still the team to beat in the NFL, and once Aaron Rodgers is back, you’ll forget this week even happened, from an on-the-field standpoint, at least.

3 – Buccaneers (6-2) 2

Tampa won their bye week by watching some teams above them collapse, but also by getting much healthier. Both Antonio Brown and Rob Gronkowski should be back this week, giving the offense a huge boost. Not like they’ll need that against Washington of all teams.

4 – Titans (7-2) 3

I don’t know how this team does it. Through anything and everything, all the Titans do is win, win, win. Without their best player, Derrick Henry, on the road, facing one of the best teams in football on Sunday Night Football, Tennessee slammed their fist on the table and put together one of the most impressive wins of the season. The story of the game was their defense, which is suddenly an elite unit. Remember how I’ve been knocking this team for 2 years now for not having a pass rush? Yeah, throw that out of the window. This defensive front had their way with the Rams offensive line, namely Jeffrey Simmons, who had 3 sacks of his own. The secondary also continues to be lockdown, as Kevin Byard had a pick six, which was the second of two consecutive interceptions for the defense. The offense struggled as much as I thought they would, but it didn’t matter. They did what they had to do to get the job done. It’s a winning formula that can clearly work against some of the league’s elite. Even without Henry, this is just a winning football team. It’s honestly incredible to watch.

5 – Rams (7-2) 2

I did not see that coming. This team got a very harsh reality check on Sunday night for the entire country to see. It wasn’t pretty. I’m not entirely sure what happened to this offense, but they got stifled every time they had an opportunity to get something going. The defense didn’t do a terrible job, in fact they had a great game, holding the Titans to under 200 yards of offense. But the early turnovers were simply too much to overcome. They were facing a good defense themselves, but I’m so used to seeing the Rams be so great offensively that this was a disappointment. I still have plenty of faith in this team, and there’s no shame in losing to another great team like Tennessee, but they better get buttoned up to old form quickly in the hyper-competitive NFC.

6 – Ravens (6-2) 3

The Ravens are a team that I don’t know what to make of, but I have to love the way they play. They just find ways to win, and it all comes back to Lamar Jackson. He’s putting together a serious MVP campaign, and his ability to lead this team to victory in so many different ways is truly something to behold. He continues to have a great season through the air and on the ground, but he has also been able to bring this team back time after time, and Sunday was another brilliant example of that. This is a resilient bunch led by one of the most resilient QBs we have in this league, and their next man up mentality is working like a charm so far this season. The defense is still a major issue, but as long as Lamar keeps bailing them out, this team will continue to win games. I’d love to see more balance across the board, but this is working, so I can’t complain too much.

7 – Cowboys (6-2) 3

Everyone is allowed to lay a complete dud. This was the first dud of the Cowboys’ season. I think the biggest problem for this team on Sunday was Dak Prescott, who, in hindsight, probably shouldn’t have played in this game. He was terrible, as was the rest of the offense, which had no reason to get shut down by a Broncos team that just traded way its best defender. Dallas’ defensive woes also caught up to them in this game, as they were picked apart by Teddy Bridgewater of all QBs, and were also gashed on the ground to the tune of almost 200 rushing yards given up. I doubt we’ll see the Cowboys look this bad again, especially because Dak will only get healthier, but I think their defense might be their achilles heel once again moving forward. I can only sit back and laugh at those who crowned Trevon Diggs as their DPOY through 6 weeks because he was a pick magnet.

8 – Bills (5-3) 2

I have no idea what is going on with this team. Something is wrong with this offense. If I’m being honest… I think it’s Josh Allen. In recent weeks, he has been nothing short of terrible. The Josh Allen we got on Sunday was the version of him we were used to seeing before last year. Between terrible reads, awful throws, bone-headed decisions, a plethora of bad QB traits that Allen once had are beginning to rear their ugly heads once again. Buffalo’s defense is just fine, but Allen can’t continue to hold back this offense. With the Patriots catching up in the division and the wild card race looking as tight as ever, this team can’t afford for Allen to regress into his old self.

9 – Chargers (5-3) 2

That was a really nice win for the Chargers. It was a bit closer than I would’ve liked, but they got back on track with a much-needed W. I think the story of this team thus far is that they’re eliminating a lot of Charger-isms. They’ve been going on game-winning drives, milking clock late in games, kicking game-winning field goals, etc. Even if it doesn’t translate into immense success this season, you can tell things are trending upwards in LA. It helps when Justin Herbert is your QB. Herbert had one of the best QB games of the season, and he continues to be a complete treat to watch. The defense still needs to tighten up if this team wants to pull away in a conference littered with 5-win teams.

10 – Patriots (5-4) 3

I’d argue that no team in football is trending up more than the Patriots. We knew this team was good; that was evident in their fight in so many close losses. But now, they’re turning those close losses into impressive wins. The defense is still playing spectacularly, forcing turnovers and even getting in the endzone themselves. But, the story continues to be Mac Jones and this offense getting better and better as the season progresses. You can tell it’s getting easier and easier for this offense to do its thing with each game, and I don’t think they’ve even scratched the surface of their potential yet. Their schedule is extremely tough, but this New England team is going to make things extremely interesting in the back half of the season. I am incredibly intrigued to watch it play out.

11 – Steelers (5-3) 3

Pittsburgh is yet another team that is looking very, very good as of late. Yes, Monday night’s win was a little too close for comfort, but they were in cruise control for most of that game. The Bears deserve some credit for fighting back. This offense is playing good, efficient football, and the two star rookies Najee Harris and Pat Friermuth are a big reason for that. This defense is also still incredible, despite some slip-ups late in that game. This is just a solid team all around, and they have a good, winning formula. As long as they follow it, they should find themselves playing football in January.

12 – Browns (5-4) 5

The Browns are back. Or so I hope. Sunday’s victory was everything I’ve been looking for out of this team in 2021. We knew OBJ was a problem, but man, I have never seen a team change so much in the absence of a single player. Everyone on this team was on fire in Cincy on both sides of the ball. It was a complete and utter clinic. Donovan Peoples-Jones is emerging as a bonafide WR1, Nick Chubb is still one of the best backs in football, and Baker Mayfield is back to his late 2020 ways. Seriously, there aren’t a lot of offenses more fun to watch than this one when they play the way they did on Sunday. If the Browns can continue to play like this in the back half of the season, they can make a serious push in this division. I think they have what it takes.

13 – Bengals (5-4) 5

Sigh. Everything was so good just a few weeks ago. Back-to-back bad losses for this team have them falling in the standings, as the once-first-seeded Bengals now sit in dead last in the AFC North. Still, I have a lot of faith in this team. Joe Burrow is as resilient as they come, and this upcoming bye week should help them refocus and get back on track in the second half. I am concerned with Cincy’s defense, which seems to be regressing into its old self. This is an explosive offense, but they cannot afford to be weighed down by a defense that gives up big play after big play. The second half schedule is absolutely killer. The Bengals need to figure it out this week if they want to remain afloat in this wild playoff race.

14 – Colts (4-5) 1

I won’t go crazy over the Colts blowing out Josh Johnson and the Jets, but I was still impressed with what I saw on Thursday night. The story continues to be Jonathan Taylor and his awesome play as he continues quickly emerging into one of the NFL’s best backs. This defense also found themselves getting back on track, but again, it was Josh Johnson. I still think this is a very solid team all around, and as long as Carson Wentz is playing with his head on his shoulders, they will find themselves winning games. They can only hope that he doesn’t throw the season away.

15 – Saints (5-3) 3

Ok, I am being a bit harsh to the Saints. They showed a ton of fight and resilience to be able to come back and take a late lead on Sunday. But, I have two problems with what I saw in that game. For one, they should never have even been in that position against a team like the Falcons. Secondly, they should not have given up that game-winning drive. You guys know how much I love this defense. Where were they on Sunday? They stifled the run game to just 23 yards, but Matt Ryan threw for 343 yards and had his way with the secondary all game long. I know that’s the weaker link of the defense, but come on now. I do think this team will be fine, but it’s still so hard to get a read on them.

16 – Raiders (5-3) 6

The Raiders are like Groundhog Day. It’s just the same thing over and over and over again with this team. It’s unbelievably tiring, and I’m not even a fan of this team. They started out the season red hot? Oh, that just means they’ll fall off and return to mediocrity. Their former first rounders are emerging into stars? Nope, they have off the field issues and are no longer on the team. Derek Carr is playing like an MVP candidate? Nah, he’ll flutter against the Giants. It happens every single season. This is a 9 win team at best and that’s all I can say about them. I refuse to continue to be fooled. I’m done taking the Raiders seriously.

17 – Chiefs (5-4) 1

Was I supposed to be impressed with the Chiefs’ win on Sunday? For the second straight week, KC put together an uninspiring win that makes us feel worse about the team. Only scoring 13 points with all of that offensive talent is just inexcusable, even against a defense as good as Green Bay’s. I will say that I was impressed with Kansas City’s own defensive performance, but they were facing Jordan Love, not Aaron Rodgers. Had Rodgers been playing, this game would have been a wash. This team is still bad and has no redeeming qualities, and I will not be fooled by a couple of unimpressive wins.

18 – Seahawks (3-5) 3

Seattle is another team that won their bye week by likely getting Russell Wilson back from injury ahead of a pivotal matchup against the Packers. With Russ back, perhaps the Seahawks can turn their season around. I doubt it’ll happen, but at least we don’t have to watch Geno Smith play anymore.

19 – Broncos (5-4) 3

I genuinely have no idea where any of that game from. None. For the first time since Week 3, the Broncos looked impressive. Their defense was spectacular against a seemingly unstoppable Cowboys offense, and their own offense had their way in both the passing and running game all day long. They were severely underestimated by everyone, which was for a good reason, but came out and proved us all wrong. I’m not expecting to see Denver do this again this season, but good for them to shut us all up for a week.

20 – Vikings (3-5) 1

Ok. This is getting really tiring. I still believe this team is better than their record, but I’m waving the white flag with them. If they were truly better than their record, perhaps they’d actually be winning all of these games that they manage to lose. Good teams don’t fumble games away, miss game-winning kicks, lose to Cooper Rush, or throw away double digit leads. It’s as simple as that. This team just isn’t good enough to get over the hill that they have constructed in front of themselves. There are plenty of people to blame, and pointing fingers is a waste of time. Sometimes, you just gotta look inward.

21 – Eagles (3-6) 2

I’d say the Eagles are in the midst of a best case scenario season. They’re showing flashes and their young pieces are playing well, yet they’re still losing and heading towards multiple top draft selections. Great success! I like what I’m seeing from this team on both sides of the ball, and I think this rebuild is going well. That’s more than can be said about some of their division counterparts. This is honestly a decent team that can give anyone a fight and win games on any given Sunday.

22 – Falcons (4-4) 2

Yes, the Falcons picked up a very nice division win on Sunday. No, I don’t really care. I still have plenty of problems with this team, and a couple of wins isn’t going to magically erase them. This isn’t a playoff team despite currently being in the playoff picture. That’s why theres 9 more games left to be played. I will admit that the Falcons are playing a lot better than I though they would be, but I still don’t see it with this team, despite being at .500. Beat a bonafide good team at full strength and then we’ll talk.

23 – 49ers (3-5) 5

Like their once-fellow Bay Area residents, I am done with this team. How do you get blown out at home by the Cardinals B team offense? Yes, that is still a solid B team, but there’s no excuse for the 49ers to have played as poorly as they did on Sunday. Just none. Both sides of the ball are falling apart and this season is going nowhere fast. Even when Trey Lance is ready to play, it won’t magically solve all the other issues with this team. It’s just going to be another lost season in the Bay. They better hope Lance is as good as they think.

24 – Bears (3-6) 2

Like the Eagles, the Bears are in a good spot right now. They clearly have their franchise QB in Justin Fields, who played what was easily his best game as a pro on Monday night. He delivered throw after throw with extreme accuracy, took several hits and got back up, and led a clutch go-ahead drive that their defense subsequently threw away. But, as long as Fields continues to grow and impress and this team continues to lose, I’d say they’re doing well. I’m not some sort of tanking advocate, but I do recognize when losing has its advantages. Good losses are perhaps the best thing a team like the Bears can ask for.

25 – Giants (3-6)

I’ll admit, I was impressed with the Giants this week. I knew they’d play the Raiders close, but to beat them outright was something I didn’t see coming. It was largely thanks to another great defensive performance, as that side of the ball continues to prove its worth. The offense doesn’t have anything going for it, but the other side of the ball is playing extremely well. Good for them. They should look into fixing the offense, though. Just a suggestion.

26 – Panthers (4-5) 6

I could be overreacting here, but things are definitely cooked in Carolina. Remember that great defense they had a month ago? They’re still falling apart each and every week? Remember the 3 weeks that Sam Darnold was good? Now he’s playing like the worst starting QB in football. And to make matters worse, he’ll miss at least a month with a shoulder issue. So, even with Christian McCaffrey back, this offense is doomed. P.J. Walker is a solid backup, but he can’t salvage this absolute mess. I don’t know if anyone can.

27 – Jaguars (2-6) 2

How can you not feel good for this team? That was an awesome win for a franchise that needs as many as they can come by. You can tell this team has an energy that so many other bottom-of-the-barrel teams don’t, and Urban Meyer might just be proving that he can really do this in the NFL. I’m happy for him and the rest of this team. I enjoy watching them all succeed. Just don’t throw away a top 5 pick.

28 – Washington (2-6) 1

Last week was my favorite in the season because I didn’t have to subject myself to the torture of watching this team play. Unfortunately, they return to action this Sunday for an inevitable blowout at the hands of Tom Brady. At least it’ll be fun to watch him play.

29 – Jets (2-6) 1

Life’s too short to kick the Jets while they’re down. I have relished in that a lot over the years, but I won’t do that this week. Getting stomped by a good team after your starting QB gets hurt is nothing to be ashamed of. I hope Mike White gets healthy soon, because he actually makes this team somewhat watchable.

30 – Dolphins (2-7)

Congrats to the Dolphins on winning the worst game of the season on paper. Maybe if they had left any sort of impression on the field other than the fact that they’re still terrible, they’d get moved up a bit this week. But that’s not happening. A 17-9 win over the Texans is disgusting. At least they can say that they won.

31 – Lions (0-8)

For the first week this season, the Lions didn’t lose a game! Good for them. We’ll see how many similar weeks they have in 2021.

32 – Texans (1-8)

No.

All stats taken from ESPN.