Category: Sports

Ranking All 32 Starting Quarterbacks in the NFL

Inspired by Netflix’s new series ‘Quarterback’, I decided to rank every starting QB in the NFL and divide them into tiers based on what I think of them heading into the upcoming 2023 season.

Cover photo taken from Sharp Football.

This week, Netflix released their highly-anticipated series Quarterback: an eight-part look into the lives and seasons of Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes, Minnesota’s Kirk Cousins, and Atlanta’s Marcus Mariota during the 2022 season. I have been watching the show and thoroughly enjoying it, and it got me thinking about quarterbacks as a whole. More specifically, how would I rank every QB in the league right now? So that’s what I’ve done here: all 32 starting signal callers ranked in order and divided into specific tiers that accurately reflect what I think about them and their peers as we inch closer towards the 2023 season.

Tier 1: The Best Ever

1 – Patrick Mahomes

2022 stats: 5,250 yards, 41 TD, 12 INT, 358 yards rushing, 4 rushing TD (won MVP and Super Bowl MVP)

I have been singing Patrick Mahomes’ praises since his final year at Texas Tech. While I thought he would be the best QB in the 2017 draft class, I never could have envisioned him becoming what he is today: the best quarterback to ever play this game. Now, there’s a difference between being the best ever and the greatest ever. Mahomes has a long way to go in terms of accolades and accomplishments before he can dethrone Tom Brady as the GOAT. But his talent speaks for itself, and it’s plain to see that his skillset and unique abilities on the field make him the best ever. Even if you disagree with that sentiment, you can’t disagree that he’s currently the best quarterback in football. Last year’s MVP campaign and subsequent title run put any doubt about that swiftly to bed. Even without the most explosive player in football in Tyreek Hill, Mahomes was surgical all season long and put the team on his back in the playoffs to secure his second MVP, Super Bowl and Super Bowl MVP. He continues to redefine the game on a weekly basis, and we should all be so lucky to see it happening in real time.

Tier 2: The Best of the Rest

2 – Joe Burrow

2022 stats: 4,475 yards, 35 TD, 12 INT, 257 rushing yards, 5 rushing TD

I have held the belief that Joe Burrow is second to only Patrick Mahomes since the 2021 AFC Championship Game. I feel like most people would put Josh Allen in this spot, but I refuse to do that. I think Burrow is much more careful with the ball and has already had infinitely more playoff success, including a dominant win over Allen and the Bills in January. If a few more things went Cincinnati’s way, he might have wound up as a two-time Super Bowl champion. Regardless, Burrow has been mightily impressive since tearing his ACL in his rookie season three years ago, continuing to put up amazing numbers and wowing us with his playmaking ability. His blend of talent, determination, leadership, and swagger make it clear that he is destined for long-term success in this league.

3 – Josh Allen

2022 stats: 4,283 yards, 35 TD, 14 INT, 762 rushing yards, 7 rushing TD

Josh Allen is one of the most unique QB talents I have ever seen, which speaks for itself on a weekly basis. He has incredible athleticism and strength for his giant 6-foot-5 frame. Whether he’s launching the ball 60 yards through the air or hurdling defenders like a running back, he truly is must-see TV. I would definitely like to see him be a lot more careful with the ball, as he has been one of the most turnover-prone QBs in football in his career due to his style of play. I think an increased emphasis on his ball safety could have be very fruitful long-term for the Bills.

4 – Justin Herbert

2022 stats: 4,739 yards, 25 TD, 10 INT

The eighth wonder of the world is why Justin Herbert gets so much hate. I’ll never understand it. All he has done since entering the league in 2020 is ball out. He is off to the most prolific start to a career in NFL history in terms of his passing stats while playing for the league’s equivalent of a traveling circus. Everyone loves to blame him for the Chargers’ implosion in January’s Wild Card game where they blew a 27-0 lead to the Jaguars, but that’s hardly fair. I might be crazy, but I don’t think a defense allowing 31 points in just over a half of football is the quarterback’s fault. Regardless of whether you love or hate him, Herbert’s arm talent cannot be denied. He makes ridiculous throws every game with perhaps the best deep ball in the league. I can’t say I’m confident in how successful he can be while he plays for such a snake-bitten franchise, but Herbert will certainly be getting his game off as one of the league’s best QBs for years to come.

5 – Trevor Lawrence

2022 stats: 4,113 yards, 25 TD, 8 INT, 291 rushing yards, 5 rushing TD

A lot of people might think I’m nuts for putting Lawrence this high, but I’m fully sold on him. I have been for a very long time. I wasn’t going to let a bizarro rookie season littered with off-the-field drama change my mind. In his first real season, Lawrence was absolutely outstanding en route to a division title and a playoff win. He was finally able to showcase his arm talent with a proper skill group around him, and it was very impressive. Things are only going to get better next year as Calvin Ridley enters the fold. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for the former #1 pick.

6 – Lamar Jackson

2022 stats: 2,242 yards, 17 TD, 7 INT, 764 rushing yards, 3 rushing TD (missed five games due to injury)

I hope that a couple of injury-riddled seasons haven’t made you forget about how good Lamar Jackson is. He was on a tear to start the 2022 season before a nagging leg problem derailed him and the Ravens. When he’s fully healthy, Lamar is one of the most dynamic players in the sport with his lightning-quick abilities as a ball carrier and incredible arm talent (yes, he is a great passer, don’t kid yourselves). I don’t think anyone doubts that he has what it takes to return to his unanimous MVP form from 2019. With a revamped offense and a new, improved scheme, this is the year to do it.

7 – Jalen Hurts

2022 stats: 3,701 yards, 22 TD, 6 INT, 760 rushing yards, 13 rushing TD (missed two games due to injury)

Jalen Hurts was 2022’s breakout star with his jaw-dropping play and video game numbers, leading the Eagles to the Super Bowl and being a few plays away from winning it. He was a sprinkle of Patrick Mahomes greatness away from being an MVP and a Super Bowl MVP. Alas, he’s still a consensus top QB in the NFL and got a very, very large bag from the Birds, and for good reason. Hurts is like a less explosive but more refined and stronger version of Lamar Jackson. He has the arm to make any throw, the speed to burn any defense, the strength to run over defenders, the IQ to outsmart any defense, and the determination and leadership ability to win rings. For all of those reasons, he is one of my favorite players in the league, and despite the fact that he plays for the Eagles, I’m always going to root for him to succeed. He has everything it takes to be one of the most successful QBs of this generation.

Tier 3: Show Me Again

8 – Aaron Rodgers

2022 stats: 3,695 yards, 26 TD, 12 INT

2022 was a massive step backwards for Aaron Rodgers. After winning back-to-back MVPs, he had the worst passer rating of his career (!!!) while throwing for the fewest yards since 2015 and second most interceptions in his career. Oh, and the Packers finished below .500 and missed the playoffs thanks to losing the season finale. Now, he gets a fresh start with the Jets and their fantastic young core. I think we’ll see Aaron return to form this year, but I have serious doubts about whether or not he can fully look like the Aaron of 2019, 2020, and 2021. It’s a serious problem when your off-the-field antics get more attention than your on-the-field performance.

9 – Matthew Stafford

2022 stats: 2,087 yards, 10 TD, 8 INT (missed eight games due to injury)

I’m giving Matt Stafford the benefit of the doubt here. He’s coming off a potentially career-derailing injury after playing half a season of garbage football. 2021 showed us how great he can be, but 2022 might have been the straw that broke the camel’s back. I don’t know what to expect from Stafford this year on an anemic offense with only one real playmaker, but I have a feeling I won’t see anything special. He has been one of the most fun, talented QBs to watch over the last decade or so, but I think we’re seeing the last of Matt Stafford in the NFL.

10 – Deshaun Watson

2022 stats: 1,102 yards, 7 TD, 5 INT (missed 11 games due to suspension)

I am also giving the benefit of the doubt to Deshaun Watson, who I don’t even feel like talking about. After serving a suspension that was far too short, he didn’t look anything like the star QB we saw in Houston. But perhaps that’s the result of entering a new system in November after months of not practicing with a new team. I’m expecting a much better season from Watson in 2023, but I’m not sure if we’ll ever see the Texans version of him again.

11 – Kyler Murray

2022 stats: 2,368 yards, 14 TD, 7 INT, 418 rushing yards, 3 rushing TD (missed six games due to injury)

Kyler is likely to miss most, if not all of the 2023 season after suffering a torn ACL last November. For a QB with his play style, you’ve got to wonder how that is going to affect him when he returns. But we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. The Kyler Murray we know is a lightning-quick runner with a hell of an arm who just hasn’t been able to fully live up to his potential. His talent is undeniable, but his play on the field just hasn’t been what it can be, and his off-the-field antics aren’t great either. Despite all his talent, the Cardinals might have dug themselves a $250 million hole.

Tier 4: “Would You Rather Be Underpaid or Overrated?” – Jay-Z

12 – Jared Goff

2022 stats: 4,438 yards, 29 TD, 7 INT

Jared Goff is starting to be so underrated that he might be overrated at this point. I don’t think that’s true, and I have always liked Goff, but I think social media can chill with flaunting his stats and calling him “underrated”. Guys like Kirk Cousins and Dak Prescott also have great stats and tend to shrink in big moments just like Goff does, but they don’t play for lovable teams like the Lions, so instead social media hates them. It’s no secret that Goff essentially had a career-reviving season in Detroit last year, which is more proof that he can be a truly great QB when surrounded by good talent in a good scheme. I expect to see similar numbers out of Goff this year, and hopefully the Lions see the success that has eluded them for the last… checks watch… well, forever.

13 – Geno Smith

2022 stats: 4,282 yards, 30 TD, 11 INT (won Comeback Player of the Year)

The 2022 Comeback Player of the Year was one of the best stories in football last season. After waiting years to get another shot as a starting QB, Geno Smith shocked the world en route to being one of the most prolific passers of the year and leading the Seahawks to the playoffs in their first year of a supposed rebuild. He flashed amazing arm talent and pinpoint accuracy all season long and was rewarded with a massive, well-deserved contract extension. With the offense getting a huge boost this offseason through free agency and the draft, I expect Geno to continue putting up big numbers. I think he’ll be in people’s top 10 lists by January.

14 – Kirk Cousins

2022 stats: 4,547 yards, 29 TD, 14 INT

The narratives surrounding Kirk Cousins have been beaten into the ground at this point, so I’ll keep this brief. Kirk is a much better QB than most people realize. I know a lot of his stats are empty. I know he sucks after the sun goes down (most of the time). I know he has limited playoff success. But he’s as good as you can ask for in this league. I have defended him for years and years, and I hope the Quarterback series gave people the appreciation for him that I have. I’d welcome him back to DC in a heartbeat.

15 – Tua Tagovailoa

2022 stats: 3,548 yards, 25 TD, 8 INT (missed four games due to injury)

Last season was the first time we saw what Tua was capable of when he’s surrounded by the talent and scheme that lets him cook. He might have gotten a lot of help via YAC from Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, but he led the league in TD% and passer rating (105.5) all while being one of the most accurate QBs in football. The concussion problems are a very scary concern, but if Tua stays upright with the talent he has around him, he’ll be perfectly fine to put up big numbers. I just question whether or not he has what it takes to take the Dolphins to where they want to be.

16 – Dak Prescott

2022 stats: 2,860 yards, 23 TD, 15 INT (missed five games due to injury)

Dak has been perfectly average, if not above average for his entire career. But last season was not a good look for him. He led the league in interceptions while having the second worst passer rating of his career. He had a fantastic 2021, so perhaps we can place some blame on his injury last year, but I need to see it to believe it this season with Dak. It feels like the window is closing rapidly in Dallas, and it’ll close even quicker if he doesn’t return to form.

Tier 5: Make or Break Year

17 – Russell Wilson

2022 stats: 3,524 yards, 16 TD, 11 INT, 277 rushing yards, 3 rushing TD (missed two games due to injury)

Last year was the worst season of Russell Wilson’s career by any and every metric. It was an unmitigated disaster from start to finish that was widely publicized and criticized. But I think a lot of that has to do with how generally awful the Broncos were on offense under Nathaniel Hackett. Russ has a real chance to get back on track under Sean Payton. I don’t know how much he has left in the tank, but I know for a fact that his 2023 can’t go any worse than 2022 can.

18 – Derek Carr

2022 stats: 3,522 yards, 24 TD, 14 INT (missed two games due to being shut down by LVR)

It’s hard to make heads or tails of Derek Carr these days. Yes, he puts up good numbers, but it hasn’t translated to wins much lately. Yes, he can make any throw in the world, but he forgets how to do so inside the 10-yard line. Yes, he gets a fresh start in New Orleans, but it’s under an abysmal coaching staff. I know he still has plenty of talent left in the tank, but I believe things can get ugly for Derek Carr very soon.

Tier 6: So Much Potential

19 – Justin Fields

2022 stats: 2,242 yards, 17 TD, 11 INT, 1,143 rushing yards, 8 rushing TD (missed two games due to injury)

Justin Fields is perhaps the most polarizing QB in football right now. Everyone either thinks he’s the next Lamar Jackson or Jalen Hurts or thinks he’s the worst QB in the league. There’s no in between. My love for Justin obviously goes back to his college days, so it’s clear where I stand. It took everything I had to not place him higher on this list. But he clearly needs to show more development as a passer. I do think a lot of his faults in that regard lie with the scheme and complete lack of talent around him. Both of those will improve this year, so hopefully he makes a huge leap with his arm. His rushing talents need no explanation, as he led all QBs in rushing yards and finished seventh in the league among all rushers, becoming just the third QB to ever rush for 1,000 yards in a season. He might just be the fastest player in football with extremely underrated strength. If he can get his act together as a passer, Justin will take the league by storm. I’m hoping and praying that it happens.

20 – Brock Purdy

2022 stats: 1,374 yards, 13 TD, 4 INT (five games as starter)

I wasn’t really sure who to put as the 49ers QB in this list, but I assume that the QB1 job currently belongs to Brock Purdy after his efforts last season. He might not start in Week 1, and I personally feel like Trey Lance is the better option, but he gets my nod here. Purdy was one of the best stories in football last year, going from being Mr. Irrelevant to leading the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game before an unfortunate elbow injury ended his season. Regardless of whether or not he’ll be ready to play or start for the Niners in September, he deserves our respect. He was a perfect fit in their offense with fantastic accuracy and playmaking ability, all while keeping the ball safe. If he does end up being the QB of the future in San Francisco, I think he has what it takes to lead them to greatness.

21 – Daniel Jones

2022 stats: 3,205 yards, 15 TD, 5 INT, 708 rushing yards, 7 rushing TD (missed one game due to rest)

I think I’m putting Danny Dimes a tad low on this list considering the great year he had in 2022. But I’m just not as moved as everyone else is. I think he will be a solid starting QB for the Giants for the next few years. But there isn’t a lot about 15 passing touchdowns in 16 games that makes me fawn. He’s a solid passer with a decent arm and fantastic athletic ability that honestly almost makes up for his shortcomings as a passer. The potential is there, but he’ll never be anything special in my eyes.

Tier 7: Panera Bread

22 – Jimmy Garoppolo

2022 stats: 2,437 yards, 16 TD, 4 INT (missed six games due to injury/being backup)

I’ve been a supporter of Jimmy G for a very long time. I think he’s a perfectly fine QB that will always produce and be successful when put in the right spot. San Francisco was that right spot for a while. I don’t know if Las Vegas will be. But he has everything he needs to be successful, including one of the best WRs and RBs in football and his old buddy as his head coach. He still won’t blow anyone away, but all the ingredients are there. We’ll see what this new era of Jimmy looks like.

23 – Ryan Tannehill

2022 stats: 2,536 yards, 13 TD, 6 INT (missed five games due to injury)

For what it’s worth, Ryan Tannehill was having a decent year in 2022 for about 10 weeks before the wheels completely fell off. Now, he’s a 35-year old coming off a tough injury on a team with not a lot of offensive talent. With the Titans spending a second round pick on a QB in Will Levis, it’s easy to see that Tannehill is nearing the end of the road.

24 – Mac Jones

2022 stats: 2,997 yards, 14 TD, 11 INT (missed three games due to injury)

This is a huge year for Macaroni. The Patriots are more than ready to move on from him if he doesn’t produce. Last season was a bit of a disaster that included a nagging ankle problem and a benching in favor of Bailey Zappe, who New England fans often chanted for when Jones struggled. While I had high hopes for Macaroni when he entered the league, it’s clear that he’s not exactly being put in a position to succeed. He hasn’t shown many flashes of talent either. If it doesn’t happen this season, we won’t be hearing his name much anymore.

25 – Baker Mayfield

2022 stats: 2,163 yards, 10 TD, 8 INT (12 games as starter for CAR/LAR)

I wanted to put Baker much, much lower on this list. It’s a real possibility that he is the worst starting QB in football. It just didn’t feel right putting him below guys who are either very inexperienced or have never played a snap in the NFL. Still, my opinions on Mayfield have been clear for years now. I don’t like him as a person, I don’t like him as a player, and I think his time in the NFL is running out. I would not be remotely shocked if he loses the starting job before Thanksgiving.

Tier 8: New Kids on the Block

26 – Kenny Pickett

2022 stats: 2,404 yards, 7 TD, 9 INT, 237 rushing yards, 3 rushing TD (13 games as starter)

Look, I like Kenneth Pickett. I think he’s a great story and I find it very easy to root for him. But I just don’t know if he can be a franchise guy. It doesn’t help that the Steelers offense isn’t exactly budding with talent, but they are improving. I think Pickett can make a leap in his sophomore campaign, but to me, his ceiling is Tier 4 or 5.

27 – Jordan Love

2022 stats: 195 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT (appeared in four games)

There might not be a QB in this tier that I have higher hopes for than Jordan Love. He has had three years to sit and learn under Aaron Rodgers and now finally gets his shot to lead the Packers. I think he has all the talent in the world to lead them to success. With great arm talent and mobility, he has the perfect skillset to succeed in today’s NFL. He has shown flashes of it in his few appearances over the last two years. Green Bay still has the talent around him that can allow him to thrive, and I think he’ll do just that. I expect big things out of him in 2023.

28 – Bryce Young

2022 stats: N/A

The 2023 #1 pick out of Alabama is one of the most unique QB prospects in recent memory. The concerns about his size are valid, but he has some of the best playmaking ability that we’ve seen in a long time. He has immense talent that I think can translate well to the NFL, and the Panthers are putting themselves in a position such that he can succeed early and often. I’m looking forward to watching his development this season.

29 – CJ Stroud

2022 stats: N/A

CJ was probably the best all-around passing prospect in April’s draft, and the Texans were very happy to snag him at #2 overall. He’s a prototypical pocket passer with the arm and accuracy to make any throw and an extremely underrated pocket presence. His mobility is also an under-looked part of his skillset and will only get better in the NFL. I can’t wait to see what he can do in Houston as they continue their rebuild.

30 – Anthony Richardson

2022 stats: N/A

Richardson was the most polarizing QB prospect in this year’s draft. He has jaw-dropping raw talent as both a passer and a runner, but it remains to be seen if those skills can be refined and translated into success in the NFL. I believe in the Colts organization and their coaching staff as well as the talent on that offense, so I think Richardson can see some early success in the pros. But it’s clear to everyone that this is a project, and one with an extremely high upside.

31 – Sam Howell

2022 stats: 169 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT (one game as starter)

Our fanbase is absolutely head over heels for Sam Howell because he was once heralded as the best QB prospect in college football (over two years ago) and beat the Cowboys in his lone NFL start with one or two highlight plays. Perhaps we should temper our expectations a bit. I think Sam is immensely talented and is in a great position to do good things in our offense. Everything is right in front of him to seize this opportunity and be a solid NFL starting QB. But we really need to pump the brakes with this “franchise QB” stuff. I have to see it to believe it. Maybe I’m just a pessimist. But when it comes to this franchise, can you blame me?

32 – Desmond Ridder

2022 stats: 708 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT (four games as starter)

To put it nicely, I have no faith in Desmond Ridder as an NFL starter. He was an average passer and runner at Cincinnati, and it’s safe to say that he’s below average in both categories at the professional level. He’s still very inexperienced, but I just don’t see a world where he is Atlanta’s quarterback of the future. He simply lacks the talent to be a successful QB in this league.

All stats taken from Pro Football Reference.

Post-Week 14 Power Rankings

Another wacky week caused plenty more mix-ups in this week’s Power Rankings as we head into the final month of the regular season.

Cover photo taken from Idaho Press.

1 – Eagles (12-1)

The Eagles keep on asserting themselves as the best team in the NFL by a seemingly solid margin. They became the first team to clinch a spot in the playoffs in an emphatic win over the Giants, and once again looked unstoppable in every facet of the game. It was another party on the ground for the run game, and Jalen Hurts has never looked more like the MVP. The defense had their way as they almost always do, and the Birds never broke a sweat. I know that the Giants aren’t exactly a tough test, but you don’t see road wins against divisional opponents that are this dominant in the NFL very often. It is a testament to this team’s greatness.

2 – Bengals (9-4)

Joe Burrow finally got the monkey off his back and beat the Browns, and it wasn’t even close. This really impressed me for two reasons. The first of which is that, although I picked the Bengals to win, I figured it’d be pretty close given the nature of the rivalry. It wasn’t, and that’s in large part due to Burrow’s continued excellence as well as the defense’s dominance highlighted by rookie DB Cam Taylor-Britt’s emergence. The second reason is that Tee Higgins didn’t even play due to getting hurt in warmups. For Cincy to lose one of their key offensive players and still look unstoppable is really impressive. I hope he’s ok moving forward, but apparently they don’t even need him. As long as Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase do their thing, nobody is stopping this offense.

3 – Chiefs (10-3)

I think a lot of people are overreacting to the Chiefs “almost” blowing a 27-0 lead. Let’s pump the brakes please. For one, the fact that they went up 27-0 on the road against one of the best defenses in the league speaks for itself. They were clicking in all three phases and it was poetry in motion. They got very careless afterwards, highlighted by a whopping three very poor and uncharacteristic interceptions by Patrick Mahomes, but when it came down to crunch time, they were the better team and executed to come away with the win that was really never in doubt. This team is still fantastic, they just got in their own way a bit. I will say that their pass defense concerns me since it has shown very little to no signs of improvement over the last month or so. They will not win this conference with its current level of play.

4 – 49ers (9-4)

All aboard the Brock Purdy train. The rookie QB has looked brilliant in his two games this year, beating two very capable defenses without breaking a sweat. I understand that the offense is pretty easy to run when you have the roster that San Francisco has, but Purdy has looked very comfortable and solid as the QB, and I have no more doubts that the 49ers can continue to dominate, especially with their defense playing the way that they are. The injury to Deebo Samuel really scared everyone, but apparently he’s going to be ok and might return before the regular season is over. If that’s true, then this team is going to moonwalk to a division title and might just be the scariest squad in the entire playoffs.

5 – Cowboys (10-3)

As much as I’d love to bump the Cowboys down for squeaking by the worst team in football, I just can’t. It doesn’t feel fair considering the teams below them. Anything can happen in the NFL on any given Sunday. At least Dallas came away with a win. Not only that, but they put together a fantastic 98-yard touchdown drive to do so. They didn’t play their best game, but we know this is a great team, and I don’t think the wheels are falling off anytime soon. Only time will tell if this was a sign of things to come. I just don’t think it was.

6 – Bills (10-3) 2

The Bills looked pretty solid all around on Sunday in absolutely awful conditions in Orchard Park. There’s not much more that can be said. What I liked most about their performance was their defense’s dominance. They played fast and extremely hard all game long, which is exactly what I wanted to see out of them. Since Von Miller’s injury, they’ve looked great, so I have no more doubts in that area. I still think they’re far too reliant on Josh Allen to make plays with his legs on offense, but as I’ve said time and time again, he’s built for that, and it works. Buffalo follows their formula to a T, and if it keeps translating to wins, I won’t doubt it.

7 – Dolphins (8-5) 1

I think Sunday night was worst-case scenario all around for the Dolphins. Tua looked absolutely dreadful, the run game was once again non-existent, and the defense got completely shredded by an elite QB. None of those things will fly in the playoffs. I don’t want to say this team has been “exposed” in their last two games, but now any team with a competent coaching staff knows what they have to do to stop this team. Just play man and make Tua beat you with his arm. Spoiler alert: he can’t. I’m not going to write this team off, but it could start going south really quickly for the Dolphins. They need to get it together ahead of this week’s massive game in Buffalo.

8 – Vikings (10-3) 1

I won’t be too mean to the Vikings after losing a game on the road to a divisional opponent that I picked them to lose. I would have been much meaner if they didn’t put together perhaps their best game through the air, with Kirk Cousins throwing for over 400 yards and Justin Jefferson setting a franchise record with over 200 receiving yards. But there are two aspects of this team that really worry me that I know will be their undoing in January. The first of which is their now-nonexistent running game. Dalvin Cook can’t exactly get anything going, and while they can rely on Kirk and Jettas to make plays, they definitely don’t want to be in that scenario for 60 minutes. The second thing is that their defense is simply atrocious. It has gone from bad to worse in Minnesota on that side of the ball, and I don’t see it getting better anytime soon.

9 – Chargers (7-6) 8

Just when I think I’m out, they pull me back in. Against all odds, the Chargers looked nothing short of elite on Sunday night, and it really wasn’t in the fashion that I anticipated. Justin Herbert looked marvelous with his full supporting cast available, but that wasn’t surprising. We know what he’s capable of when the offense is healthy. What stunned me was how great this injury-riddled defense looked. I mean, these guys were starting Alohi Gilman in the secondary and made the NFL’s most prolific passing offense look like they belonged in Saturday’s Army-Navy game. It could be a one-game thing, but if the Chargers can keep up that level of play defensively, then nothing is stopping this team from making a playoff push.

10 – Commanders (7-5-1) 1

For the first time in history, Washington makes my top 10. But it doesn’t feel right. It’s mostly a product of the mess that’s around them in this week’s Power Rankings. We had the week off ahead of one of the biggest games in recent memory as the Giants come into town for a primetime showdown on Sunday night. I cannot wait for that, and I’ll get more into it on Thursday.

11 – Jets (7-6) 1

I’m starting to feel bad for the Jets. All this team does is compete their tails off, but that has gotten them nowhere in the last few weeks. The injuries are continuing to rack up as Mike White is dealing with problems with his ribs after being smacked around by the Bills defense and standout DT Quinnen Williams has a calf issue. The good news is that the offense still looks solid and the defense did their thing for the most part on Sunday. I still feel confident in this team’s capabilities, but the AFC Wild Card race is heating up all of a sudden, and this team might get lost in the mix if they can’t get back on track ASAP.

12 – Lions (6-7) 2

Simply put, not many teams are playing better football in the last two months than the Detroit Lions. Yes, their secondary sucks. Yes, that’s a problem. But everyone else is operating at an immensely high level. The offense is simply unstoppable right now, and just like I predicted, getting Jameson Williams healthy gives them a level of explosiveness down the field. The front seven is actually pretty solid, and the #2 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson is starting to make a DROY push. This team has momentum and a ton of character, and I think that’ll go a long way as they try to make the playoffs. The remaining schedule is tough, but not impossible to do well against. Considering how flimsy the NFC Wild Card hopefuls are, who says this team can’t sneak into the dance?

13 – Ravens (9-4) 3

I still hate everything about what this team has going on, especially offensively, but I will respect the ability to go on the road and beat your bitter rival on the backs of a great defensive performance. Moreover, to win with your 3rd string QB playing for a solid chunk of the game means something. But what the Ravens did on Sunday won’t fly against most teams in this league. They cannot throw the ball, so don’t be fooled by their run game’s good numbers. The defense is playing really well, and that’s a good sign, but it means nothing if the offense is this bad. I’m just patiently waiting on them to finally drop a game and let the Bengals rightfully take over as the division leaders.

14 – Patriots (7-6) 4

The Patriots simply won’t go away, and it’s honestly getting annoying. I have no idea what to expect from this team in any given week. Will they look absolutely awful on offense? Will they somehow turn practice squad RBs into stars? Will their defense live up to their potential or get gashed? It’s a total coinflip from game to game. But they’ve gotten good luck on those coinflips to now sit in the playoff picture as the 7 seed once again. I don’t know how long it will last, but I don’t imagine it’ll be for long with their very intense remaining schedule.

15 – Seahawks (7-6) 6

I think the wheels have officially fallen off the Seahawks. They have now lost 3 of their last 4 games, Geno Smith is playing uncharacteristically sloppy, and the defense is getting gashed week in and week out by great rushing attacks. Even at home, where they’re supposed to be at their best and most formidable, this team just doesn’t play well at all. They’re playing their way out of the playoffs, which is honestly what they deserve. This is not a playoff team at all right now.

16 – Titans (7-6) 4

I don’t want to talk about the Titans. They are one of the biggest eye sores in all of football, and the fact that they are inevitably going to get a playoff spot just angers me. Even though I predicted them to lose, the manner in which it happened was flat out embarrassing and a sign that this team just doesn’t have what they once did. They’ve now lost three in a row and just look lifeless. Let’s just fast forward to their first round exit already.

17 – Giants (7-5-1) 4

I’m so glad that the Giants are continuing to prove me right every single week. This team is flat out bad, and now you all realize that. Even when this team was 6-1, I never had an ounce of faith in them, and they’re finally showing us who they truly are. They were never some sleeper team that could do damage in the playoffs. They were always complete frauds who were immensely lucky against an awful schedule. They might sit in a playoff spot right now, but we all know that’s not going to last. I can’t for them to get embarrassed once again on Sunday night.

18 – Raiders (5-8) 3

Come on, guys. You finally regained my trust and my faith and you go out and do that? I thought you were better than that. Unfortunately, the Raiders season ended on a complete whimper, blowing a 13 point lead in a matter of minutes to a QB who hadn’t spent more than 48 hours with the team. That has to be the most Raiders thing I’ve ever seen. They didn’t even look bad for most of the game, but they simply fell apart and lost their grip on the game, and effectively, their season. Just another week for the silver and black.

19 – Jaguars (5-8) 5

The Jaguars might not accomplish much this season, but they have to feel great about what they’ve been able to accomplish in the last few weeks. Trevor Lawrence is continuing to string together sensational performances, and the former #1 overall pick is finally emerging as the elite QB we all knew he could be. The rest of the offense isn’t anything special, but they simply get the job done. Meanwhile, the defense continues to look solid as well, and this year’s #1 pick Travon Walker looked like a real game-wrecker on Sunday. If the Jags can somehow make a push for the division title, I would absolutely love it. I just don’t think it’s likely. Still, I really like what’s going on in Jacksonville, and I’m excited for the future.

20 – Browns (5-8) 1

For the second consecutive week, the Browns looked much worse than I expected them to. I don’t know what the common denominator is, considering Deshaun Watson actually played a decent game on Sunday. I can’t pinpoint the exact problems with this team, but they should just be so much better than they are. On paper, they can be one of the best in the league. Instead, they’re a lifeless, uninspired, boring team that I don’t want to watch.

21 – Packers (5-8)

Thankfully for our eyes, the Packers had the week off. Unfortunately for our eyes, we have to watch them in primetime this Monday night against the Rams. Curse you, schedulemakers!

22 – Buccaneers (6-7) 2

It’s over. The Buccaneers are over. The Tom Brady era in Tampa was fun and all, but it’s time to blow it up. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a game more indicative of an era coming to a close as Sunday’s beatdown by Mr. Irrelevant and the 49ers. It was almost poetic to see Brady go home and essentially give up against the team he might end his career with. So, let him go do whatever he wants to do and start preparing for the future. Get healthy for next year and find your next QB. You won’t be awful considering this roster is pretty good when fully healthy, but it’s pretty clear that you won’t have the GOAT.

23 – Panthers (5-8) 5

I’ve noted the competitiveness of the Panthers all year long as one of their strengths. Well, it’s finally starting to translate into wins, and all of a sudden, Carolina is a game out of first place in the division. They already beat the brakes off the Bucs once this year, so who’s to say it won’t happen again? The defense is balling out and the offense has finally found itself. It’s weird that it took Sam Darnold coming back for that to happen, but if it works, then so be it. I really like the way this team plays, and I wouldn’t be shocked at all if they end up making a run at the division title. It’s just so strange to imagine that after they spent so long being one of the worst teams in football.

24 – Steelers (5-8) 2

I feel bad for the Steelers and their fans. Having your rookie QB get hurt and having to deal with Mitch Trubisky again is something that I wouldn’t even wish on my worst enemies. Having four drives stall in enemy territory thanks to a blocked field goal and three interceptions is just brutal. Having all of that happen against your biggest rival makes it that much worse.

25 – Falcons (5-8) 2

After their bye, the Falcons are finally making the QB switch to Desmond Ridder thanks to an injury sustained by Marcus Mariota. I have no idea how the rookie is going to look, but I have high hopes for him. At the very least, the offense should look better than it did with Mariota under center. But that’s a very, very low bar.

26 – Cardinals (4-9) 1

Having Kyler Murray tear his ACL at the end of a completely lost season is such a shame. I feel awful for Kyler, and I’m hoping he makes a speedy recovery. I just hope this injury doesn’t cloud the awful job done by this coaching staff. The two best things this franchise can hope for going into 2023 is that Kyler gets healthy and they have a new head coach.

27 – Colts (4-8-1) 1

The Colts were on a bye this week ahead of a fascinating matchup with the Vikings on Saturday. I don’t know what to expect out of this team at this point, but I think they’re certainly going to be competitive in Minnesota.

28 – Rams (4-9) 1

I have no earthly idea how Baker Mayfield and the Rams pulled off their incredible comeback on Thursday night, but you can’t help but feel good for them. This is a player and franchise that desperately needed a win like that, and it showed. I have no doubt that the season will only go downhill from here, but at least they got to experience that happiness before this inevitably awful final month of the year.

29 – Bears (3-10) 2

For the first time in nearly two months, the Bears didn’t lose! Good work, Chicago! As I keep saying, the best-case scenario for this team is losing out and securing a top pick in the draft. They don’t exactly have any winnable games left on the schedule, so they should be able to do that with ease.

30 – Broncos (3-10) 1

The good news is that the Broncos were very competitive against a great team on Sunday and put together their best offensive performance of the year by a good margin. The bad news is that they had to fall behind 27-0 in the first half in order to do that.

31 – Saints (4-9) 1

Mercifully, the Saints didn’t play this week, and we should all be grateful for being spared from watching Andy Dalton play QB. If only the coaching staff was competent enough to finally bench him for good. Unfortunately, Dalton will still be starting this week. So I advise you to stay away from this team’s game against Atlanta at all costs.

32 – Texans (1-11-1)

The Texans looked like their September/October selves on Sunday, losing to. a great team after being very competitive for most of the game. You could honestly make the argument that they actively lost the game down the stretch, and you’d probably be right. But that’s a good thing for Houston. They’re now on the verge of clinching the #1 overall pick and finding their franchise QB. That’s what we call a great success!

All stats taken from ESPN.

Week 14 Picks

After my first ever undefeated week, I feel pretty good about predicting the upcoming slate of somewhat boring and average matchups.

Cover photo taken from Sporting News.

Last Week: 14-0-1 (!!!)

Season Total: 120-72-2

Raiders 27-17 Rams

Thursday, 8:15 PM EST, Prime Video

The Rams are a complete mess at QB right now. It doesn’t matter whether it’s John Wolford or Bryce Perkins or even Baker Mayfield. They aren’t going to win this game. The Raiders are playing great ball lately and are seeing their fourth straight win. If they stick to their bread and butter of feeding Josh Jacobs and letting Davante Adams dismantle opposing corners, they’ll be fine. Jalen Ramsey is obviously a tough test, but Adams has toasted him before, and I think he’ll do it again on Thursday night. As long as Vegas’ defense does its job against an anemic Rams offense, the Raiders should win comfortably.

Bills 24-20 Jets

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

Vegas thinks this is going to be a complete wash for the Bills, and I don’t get it. For starters, the Jets beat this Bills team when they had Zach Wilson starting just a month ago. Division games are always close, especially when two great defenses are at work. And Buffalo will still be without Von Miller against a team that can run the ball pretty well. New York will certainly be competitive in this game unless Mike White turns into a bum, which I don’t see happening. If he can keep feeding Garrett Wilson and the RBs do their thing, then they definitely have a fighting chance. I don’t think it’ll be enough to win in a very tough road environment, though. Josh Allen has been playing better football in recent weeks, and that’s all the Bills need to win football games. I’m excited to see how they look, but regardless of what that is, I think it’ll be good enough to come away with this key victory.

Bengals 26-23 Browns

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

One of the great mysteries of the NFL is how Joe Burrow has never beaten the Cleveland Browns. They just have the young star QB’s number for some reason. However, all good things must come to an end. The Browns should look better on Sunday than they did last week, assuming that Deshaun Watson has gotten his jitters and rust out of the way. But this is going to be an infinitely tougher test. The Bengals are playing some of the best football in the league right now, with both sides of the ball firing on all cylinders. Cleveland has simply looked average at best on both sides of the ball in recent weeks. I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt and trusting them to keep it close (and cover), but I don’t see them shutting down Burrow and company again, especially with Ja’Marr Chase back this time.

Cowboys 38-10 Texans

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

Not talking about this one. There’s a reason this spread is straight out of college football Next!

Lions 30-27 Vikings

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

The Lions are my absolute favorite pick of the week. This is just a perfect storm for them and everything I have been praising them for over the last month or so. They’re at home on a hot streak in which their offense has been scorching hot and their defense has been better. Jared Goff is great at home. Amon-Ra St. Brown has been unstoppable. The RBs are doing their thing. This could be Jameson Williams’ coming out party as well. I do think their defense will have their hands full with the Vikings’ star-studded offense, but I find it damn near impossible to pick Minnesota in this game. They struggled mightily with Detroit in their first matchup, and that one was in Minneapolis. The Vikes have been extremely lucky in one-score games this year, and maybe a regression to the mean is in order. I think the Lions are simply going to outscore the Vikings in this one and keep the winning ways alive.

Jaguars 22-16 Titans

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

I didn’t have many upset picks planned this week, but I feel better about the Jaguars than any other underdog on Sunday. They should be thanking their lucky stars that Trevor Lawrence is ok after last week’s scary sight. The Jags still got smacked, but that actually makes me feel better about picking them here. I think they’re eager to bounce back, especially in a game against a division rival. It’s going to be a tough road environment, but the Titans simply haven’t shown me anything to like as a team in recent weeks. As I said on Tuesday, this team doesn’t really do anything well anymore. At least the Jags can move the ball on offense. If their defense steps up and limits Derrick Henry, then I feel great about their chances of winning.

Eagles 24-13 Giants

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

This kind of goes against my philosophy of road division games, but it feels warranted in a situation like this. The Giants are solid, but the Eagles are simply miles better than they are. I don’t see how New York musters up enough on defense to slow down this offensive juggernaut in Philly, and I think the Eagles defense should be able to limit big plays and keep the Giants at arms length. It could certainly be closer than this, but I just don’t see that happening. Philadelphia is an infinitely better team.

Steelers 13-10 Ravens

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

This is all sorts of gross. The Ravens will be without Lamar Jackson in this game, but even if he was playing, I think this would still be my exact pick. Baltimore is just so inept offensively, running a 1960s offense and failing completely at it. It’s obviously not their fault that they have no WRs, but it doesn’t matter. They’re not going to be able to get anything going against this stout Pittsburgh defense. The Steelers will certainly struggle on offense as well, but that’s simply in their DNA. However, I think they have what it takes to get the job done at home. They’ll make one or two more plays down the stretch to win this game.

Chiefs 23-10 Broncos

Sunday, 4:05 PM EST, CBS

The Broncos are an unwatchable disgusting mess of a football team. Patrick Mahomes has never lost a road game to a divisional opponent. It’s a pretty simple calculus, guys. I do think Denver’s defense will stifle the Chiefs a little bit, but it won’t be enough, and it will not matter. There is no way in the world that they can win this game, or even keep it close. Like the Eagles pick, this kind of goes against my typical philosophies, but it’s totally warranted.

49ers 16-13 Buccaneers

Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, FOX

In the preseason, this was my pick for one of the NFC Divisional Round games. A lot has changed since then, but that’s still entirely possible. But it won’t be at all what I envisioned. The 49ers are down to their rookie 3rd string QB in former Iowa State star and 2022 Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy. Purdy looked solid last week when he was thrown into the fire, but this is going to be a much tougher test. The Bucs defense will make life hell for him. The good news is that the 49ers defense is the best in the league by a longshot, and they will make life even worse for Tom Brady and Tampa’s offense. I mean, this is a unit that had 3 points in 55 minutes against the Saints. The Saints! San Francisco’s defense should have a field day, but the game will be close regardless considering the state of their offense. So, this game comes down to the superior defense. Pretty easy pick in that case, isn’t it? It’s going to be ugly and low scoring, but the Niners will certainly come out on top.

Seahawks 24-14 Panthers

Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, FOX

This game feels like a total trap with the Seahawks only being favored by 4. I saw that and thought to jump all over it, but it just feels… wrong. Vegas definitely knows something we don’t. So, I won’t touch that line with a ten-foot pole. However, I will pick Seattle to win comfortably. They’re back at home against a Panthers team that has been solid and competitive, but not on the same level as the Seahawks. The loss of Kenneth Walker will hurt their offense, but they can throw the ball all the live long day. I think they’ll do just that and win comfortably.

Dolphins 30-20 Chargers

Sunday, 8:20 PM EST, NBC

Once again, I’m abandoning my philosophy here and simply taking the much better team to win. The Chargers just aren’t right, and their offense is pretty tough to watch while their defense gets toasted week in and week out. The Dolphins, on the other hand, have one of the best offenses in football. They just got stifled by the best defense in the league, so they’re probably eager to put on a show in primetime. Their defense might struggle a little bit with Justin Herbert, but it might not matter if their offense lights up the scoreboard. I just don’t think LA has it in them to beat a team like Miami right now, even at home and in primetime.

Cardinals 23-17 Patriots

Monday, 8:15 PM EST, ESPN

This game is so weird. It’s probably the biggest coinflip of the week. I don’t like what either of these teams are doing, and neither of them inspire confidence to win any given game on any given day. So I’m just going to take the Cardinals for the boring Raza reasons of them being at home in primetime and off a bye. I don’t exactly think their defense poses a threat, but neither does the Patriots offense. All the Cards have to do is limit their mistakes and force feed DeAndre Hopkins and James Conner, and they should be able to win. But, knowing this team, they’re probably going to fail disastrously and hilariously.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Post-Week 11 Power Rankings

Week 11 was ugly and messy, but told us so much about so many teams. Here’s how I stack it up as we head into Thanksgiving.

Cover photo taken from VSiN.

1 – Chiefs (8-2)

Death. Taxes. Patrick Mahomes beating division opponents on the road. Travis Kelce ripping the Chargers apart and breaking SoCal hearts. We all saw it coming, and it was still awesome. 15 and 87 are simply poetry in motion, and this is still the best team in the league. Sunday night’s game was a bit closer than I anticipated, and despite some heroics by the Chargers and Jerrick McKinnon’s best efforts to give the game away, there was no doubt who would win in the end. This offense is simply too dominant, and the defense is still playing well despite some hiccups on Sunday. The Chiefs are top of the league in total yards, passing yards, and scoring. Oh, and Mahomes has now won an impossible 25 straight games in November and December. So yeah, good luck stopping Kansas City.

2 – 49ers (6-4) 2

I know most of you think I’m insane for continuing to put the 49ers this high, but I don’t care. I feel so strongly about this team, and I think they’re the best in the NFC right now. It’s a pretty tight race between them and the two teams below them, but I feel the most confident in San Francisco at the moment. They are simply dominant on both sides of the ball, and when they are playing the way they want to, you aren’t going to get past them. The defense is obviously one of, if not the best in the league, but the offense is finally starting to get everyone involved, and it’s a beautiful sight. I’d wager that more Niners games down the stretch look like Monday night’s. And that is a terrifying thought.

3 – Eagles (9-1) 1

Philly’s cracks are starting to show. Losing Jordan Davis clearly has a massive impact on their defensive interior, and until newcomers Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh get more acclimated with this defense, their interior run-stopping ability will be hindered greatly. They did a solid job of containing Jonathan Taylor for the most part, but the weakness was clear. The bigger concern was the offense’s inability to move the ball on a Colts defense without its best player. The Raiders had a better offensive performance against Indy than the Eagles did. Perhaps the Commanders laid the blueprint of how to stop this team. They needed a wild JT fumble on a play that could’ve been blown dead to win on Sunday. It shouldn’t have been that close. Until they show us another complete performance, Philadelphia will keep on sliding.

4 – Cowboys (7-3) 3

The Cowboys are back after a single bad quarter/OT a week ago. All they did to respond was put together perhaps the single best performance of any team this year en route to the biggest road victory in franchise history. The defense was sensational, especially up front, as they destroyed the Vikings OL to the tune of 7 sacks. The offense was firing on all cylinders as everyone got involved, namely Tony Pollard, who has proven himself as one of the most dynamic and useful RBs in the league. Dak Prescott looked very comfortable, and the Cowboys looked like a complete juggernaut. They likely won’t have a better performance this year.

5 – Dolphins (7-3)

The Dolphins had the week off ahead of an absolute cupcake against Houston. I expect another offensive explosion out of them this week.

6 – Vikings (8-2) 4

That was as brutal as it gets in this league. I don’t want to throw in the towel and tell everyone who didn’t believe that the Vikings were legit at 8-1 that they were right, but they might have been onto something. I have no idea how you can come home after such a great win and get walloped so badly, but Minnesota didn’t have a semblance of a pulse on Sunday, and it was simply embarrassing. They should be ashamed of themselves. The good news is that they have nowhere to go but up. I don’t see them playing worse than that this season, and they get a shot at redemption in front of the nation on Thanksgiving. It’s going to be another tough one, but they can’t get any lower than this rock bottom.

7 – Bills (7-3) 1

The Bills are still not looking as good as they should be, but they’re back in the win column, and that’s all that matters. I will say that I like the way they’re running the ball lately, but other than that, I don’t see anything that stands out. Josh Allen has still been pretty average over the last month, and the defense continues to play below their standard. Buffalo is about to smack Detroit on Thanksgiving and the national media will start to fawn over them again, but I’d love to see them put together a complete, dominant performance against an actual team before giving them their flowers again.

8 – Titans (7-3) 2

The Titans just keep on winning. I don’t know if there’s a better culture in the league than the one Mike Vrabel has in Tennessee. They just play winning football week in and week out. Derrick Henry is still on a tear, Ryan Tannehill looks very comfortable off his injury, and this defense proved once again why they’re one of the best in the league, especially when fully healthy. Now, rookie WR Treylon Burks is getting involved offensively, which could give a huge boost to their virtually non-existent passing attack. Going into Lambeau and winning that convincingly in a primetime setting isn’t easy. But the Titans made it look like a walk in the park.

9 – Bengals (6-4) 2

Outside of getting thrashed by Cleveland on MNF a few weeks ago, the Bengals really weathered the storm while Ja’Marr Chase was out. They picked up two huge wins, albeit against pretty poor competition, and now sit in prime position to make a run at the division title with Chase returning to the lineup this week. Joe Burrow looked very comfortable without his top target, and even went Joe Mixon went down, Semaje Perine did a great job in relief. The defense did not play their best game by any means on Sunday, but they made all the plays they had to in order to lock it up in the fourth quarter. I feel great about this team now that their best player is returning and I’m super excited to see them make another push to the playoffs.

10 – Ravens (7-3) 2

I’m not going to try to guess or even make sense of Baltimore’s complete dud of a performance on Sunday. It was sloppy, it was ugly, it was lifeless, and it was straight up weird. But, they won, which is all that matters. I still don’t really know what to make of the Ravens at this point, but they keep on winning and still sit atop the division. I just have a feeling that won’t last very long.

11 – Seahawks (6-4) 2

Seattle had their bye this week ahead of a relatively easy matchup with Vegas on Sunday in the desert. It could turn into a shootout, so they should be thankful they got some rest in this week. I’m interested to see if they can keep up their dominance as the season winds down.

12 – Buccaneers (5-5) 3

The Bucs had the week off after the international trip last week. They head to Cleveland for a tough matchup with the Browns on Sunday, but if their defense keeps playing like they did going into the bye, they should be able to get back above .500.

13 – Commanders (6-5) 2

The winning ways are continuing in DC, and the formula keeps on being executed to perfection. It was the defense that stood out above everyone else in Houston, using an absolute dominant performance from start to finish highlighted by a handful of sacks and a pick six by Kendall Fuller to suffocate the Texans all game long. The offense also did its thing, as Taylor Heinicke played a very solid game and the run game continued to dominate. It was as complete of a performance as you could ask for. Now, Chase Young finally returns to give the defense another huge lift. I can’t wait to see what the next few weeks have in store.

14 – Patriots (6-4) 2

It wasn’t pretty by any means (in fact it was nothing short of miraculous), but the Patriots continued their win streak on Sunday thanks to a dominant defensive performance and one of the most clutch punt return touchdowns in recent memory. Mac Jones actually played quite well against a solid Jets defense, but a combination of wind blowing kicks and passes all over the field left the offense with virtually nothing to show for it. Still, the Patriots showed plenty to like on Sunday, and now sit in a playoff spot with seven games to go. The remaining schedule is tough, but at this rate, I like their chances.

15 – Jets (6-4) 3

I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times. Zach Wilson is by far the worst starting QB in the NFL, and his team is finally starting to agree with me. Robert Saleh knows it, and his teammates are taking notice of the narratives online. It’s only a matter of time before he’s rightfully shoved on the bench. And the Jets will be infinitely better off for it.

16 – Giants (7-3) 3

Is the Giants fugazi run finally coming to a merciful end? It just might be. Getting housed by the Lions in your own stadium is not exactly a promising sight. The offense has finally hit a wall, and the defense got torched, especially on the ground. The remaining schedule isn’t much prettier. New York has a massive Thanksgiving showdown in Dallas on Thursday, then the Commanders and Eagles twice each with tough matchups with Minnesota and Indianapolis sprinkled in. Are we positive that they can win any of those games? Let’s find out.

17 – Chargers (5-5)

I’ll give the Chargers credit: they were a lot more competitive than I imagined they would be on Sunday night. Getting Keenan Allen and Mike Williams back clearly did wonders for Justin Herbert, who was launching the ball all over the joint all game long and looked like his old self again. Even Josh Palmer made huge contributions. At the end of the day, they just couldn’t overcome Patrick Mahomes. So, I won’t be mean to the Chargers. For once, they don’t really deserve it.

18 – Cardinals (4-7)

I realistically should be dropping the Cardinals for Monday night’s absolute stinker, but it’s hard to beat elite teams with a backup QB. I really don’t have much else to say. They should be better when Kyler Murray returns to the lineup, but they’ll still be the same old mid Cardinals they’ve been all year long. They probably won’t look as bad as they did on Monday again, but we know this team is nothing special. Just keep on giving me Nuk fantasy points, and we’re chilling.

19 – Packers (4-7)

I had a lot more faith in the Packers to do literally anything on Thursday night, but they reminded us all that they still don’t do anything particularly well. The comeback against the Cowboys was nothing short of a fluke. The defense was porous once again as Derrick Henry absolutely manhandled them for sixty minutes, and they became the only secondary to allow Treylon Burks to do anything in his career. The offense really couldn’t get going either, despite two more touchdown catches by Christian Watson. Overall, it was just another bad Packers performance, one that we should all come to expect.

20 – Falcons (5-6) 2

The Falcons overcame the Justin Fields freight train in a pretty solid home win on Sunday. It did come at a cost, as Kyle Pitts is now likely out for the year with a knee injury, but he could never get involved enough offensively for me to believe that’s some sort of debilitating hit to that side of the ball. They did get Drake London involved, which is a great sign. And Cordarrelle Patterson broke the record for most kick return touchdowns in a career. On top of that, the defense finally came through and won them a game. It was just a solid afternoon all around in Atlanta.

21 – Browns (3-7)

The Browns keep on losing, but at least they showed some fight on Sunday in Detroit. Having the game moved on short notice didn’t seem to affect them, as they had a bit of a pulse. Amari Cooper continued to feast on opposing secondaries, but it just wasn’t enough as the defense laid a dud and the run game couldn’t really get going. I do think the Browns are going to look a lot better after Deshaun Watson comes back, but they still have one more game to go.

22 – Lions (4-6) 4

Look at the Lions stringing together impressive wins. Sunday’s might have been the best yet, as they smothered the Giants defensively and ran circles around them on the other side of the ball. Jamaal Williams poured in three touchdowns to take the NFL lead, Aidan Hutchinson continued his dominant ways, and the Lions have now won three in a row. They’re getting their groove, and are actually playing good football in outdoor environments. Plus, they should be getting Jameson Williams back soon, and the rookie is primed to make a huge splash. Thanksgiving’s showdown with Buffalo should be a lot of fun.

23 – Colts (4-6-1) 2

By all means, the Colts should have won on Sunday. They controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and outplayed the Eagles for 58+ minutes. But, an unfortunate Jonathan Taylor fumble and the greatness of Jalen Hurts prevented Indy from returning to .500. Still, it’s hard not to feel good about what Jeff Saturday is doing with this team. They’re playing solid, winning football, and using their bread and butter of a running attack as the backbone of their team. I think we’ll see the Colts be a lot more competitive down the stretch with their newfound formula.

24 – Bears (3-8) 4

The Bears finally returned to Earth on Sunday in a tough loss in Atlanta. They simply folded in all three phases, with special teams and the offensive line folding the most. I don’t really think the result of the game or anything that happened in it matters as much as Justin Fields’ shoulder, which got injured in the waning stages of the game. He should be good to go this week, but shoulder injuries always plague QBs, so hopefully he’s able to make a full recovery soon.

25 – Saints (4-7) 5

Good for the Saints to look like a real team again. It’s about time. Andy Dalton looked like a real QB, spreading the ball around and getting everyone involved. Chris Olave had perhaps the best game of his rookie season, highlighted by a long touchdown catch in which he absolutely torched perhaps the league’s best corner in Jalen Ramsey. The defense wasn’t great, bu they did what they had to do down the stretch. It helped that Matthew Stafford left the game with an injury.

26 – Jaguars (3-7) 1

The Jaguars had their bye this week ahead of a really intriguing matchup with the Ravens on Sunday. Believe it or not, I think Jacksonville might have a real shot in that one. But we’ll dive more into that on Thursday.

27 – Raiders (3-7) 5

The Raiders must have heard my slander (and must’ve known I took them +2.5), because their last few minutes in Denver on Sunday displayed more life than I’ve seen from them all year long. The Broncos defense was giving them fits all game long, but Derek Carr put on his big boy pants and led a fantastic drive to tie the game and send it to OT, then hit two huge passes to win it on a beautiful deep ball to Davante Adams. Adams had another big game, and Josh Jacobs got back to his productive ways as well. I’m not going to give this defense props for shutting down the worst offense in football, but that’s always a positive as well.

28 – Steelers (3-7) 1

I have one major takeaway from the Steelers’ performance on Sunday. That takeaway is that Najee Harris might not be completely cooked. He had a great game against a solid defensive front, and finally looked like he did in 2021. I’m not saying that he’s back by any means, but it was promising to see that. Kenny Pickett wasn’t awful either, especially when he was targeting George Pickens, who is easily Pittsburgh’s WR1 at this point. The defense got some key takeaways, but it wasn’t enough to stop the potent Bengals offense. I thought it would be closer, but I still like what the Steelers showed me.

29 – Broncos (3-7) 6

There is no reason to talk about the Denver Broncos in any context. Next!

30 – Rams (3-7) 6

I told you this team would look dreadful without Cooper Kupp. Outside of a long touchdown and maybe one other nice drive, this offense was stuck in quicksand against a Saints defense that isn’t very good. It didn’t help that Matthew Stafford got hurt again, but come on. This team doesn’t do anything well, and they looked completely lifeless, just as I predicted.

31 – Panthers (3-8) 3

You know, at least the Panthers were competitive for most of the game on Sunday. That’s a lot more than I can say for the team below them. Baker Mayfield was pretty bad, but so was the rest of the team, and so was the team across from them. It was just an ugly mess, and the inferior team always loses those kinds of games.

32 – Texans (1-8-1) 1

Yeah, this is way worse than I thought. The Texans are cooked in every aspect, as they can’t get anything going on either side of the ball anymore. Dameon Pierce has disappeared, Davis Mills is a statue in the pocket, and the defense might as well not even be there. Houston is on the fast track to the #1 overall pick, and they better pray they don’t mess it up. They have a plethora of picks and can turn this around pretty quickly. Cleaning house and starting over with a new star QB could do wonders for this franchise. Lord knows they need it.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Week 11 Picks

Last week’s upsets made for a losing record after several great performances. Let’s try to get back on track this week.

Cover photo taken from Dallas Cowboys.

Last Week: 6-8

Season Total: 86-62-1

Packers 20-17 Titans

Thursday, 8:15 PM EST, Prime Video

This week’s Thursday nighter is going to be a strange one. Both of these teams are in weird spots right now, with both picking up wins last week but still in a really precarious spot on the season. Both Green Bay and Tennessee could really use a win here, but the Packers need one infinitely more. I think they have some great momentum from their comeback last week and have found a wrinkle in their offense by getting Christian Watson involved. While I think the Titans defense is probably the best unit in this game, it’s hard to bet against the Packers at Lambeau with everything going right for them. Plus, I just don’t know what to make of Tennessee’s offense right now. This is bound to come back to bite me, but I’m rolling with the hot hand.

Bears 26-23 Falcons

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

I don’t trust the Bears to win a game convincingly to save my life. Hell, I don’t know if I even trust them to win a game at all at this point. But the Falcons are simply a team that’s reeling more than almost any other in football right now. Even at home, I don’t see anything to like with them. At least Chicago has Justin Fields, who has been one of the most unstoppable players in the league for the last month. I don’t know if he’ll be able to continue replicating his incredible performances, but I know I can trust him more than anyone on Atlanta. Maybe, just maybe, this is the one that the Bears finally win.

Bills 17-14 Browns

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

The big storyline here is the weather. It’s going to be one of the biggest blizzards that someone ever decides to play football in with plenty of wind to boot. So, at the very least, this is going to be low scoring and close (as long as they don’t move the game). I actually wanted to pick Cleveland here, seeing as though the conditions likely favor the better running team. But there’s simply no way I can pick the Browns in a game like this. The Bills need this win badly, and these conditions favor them seeing as though they’re built for it. I know they lost to New England last year in that frigid wind-fest, but I just feel like this one will be different.

Eagles 24-16 Colts

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

The Eagles finally suffered their first loss on Monday night, and I think it’s safe to say they won’t have many more games like that for the remainder of the season. They have a great opportunity to bounce back in this one. If last week was any indication, the Colts will be feisty, especially returning home, so I think this game will be close for a bit. But the Eagles are simply so much better than Indy is on both sides of the ball, and that will prove to be the difference. They won’t let themselves get physically dominated like they did against Washington.

Patriots 25-17 Jets

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

Let me get a couple of things straight. I think the Jets are better than the Patriots. I also don’t think this game should be a blowout. But history is simply pulling me in this direction. The Patriots own the Jets so bad that it’s almost embarrassing. Every time you think New York has the team that can overcome New England, they collapse. It happened earlier this year when I picked the Jets, so I’m simply not going to make that same mistake again. I think it’s worth noting that I have only picked one (1) Jets game correctly all year long, and that was when they beat Denver. So, take this with a grain of salt. I just don’t trust Zach Wilson to not give this game away like he always does. He has been awful in every game he has played against the Patriots, and I don’t see that changing. All New England has to do is capitalize on those mistakes, and they’ll be golden.

Saints 19-13 Rams

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

Remember when these teams were good? Yeah, those were the days. Now, they’re two of the most unwatchable teams in football that will make this game an eyesore from start to finish. At least the uniform matchup is gonna be great! Simply put, the Rams are going to accomplish absolutely nothing with Cooper Kupp out. He is their entire offense, and they won’t be able to move the ball whatsoever, even against an awful Saints D. New Orleans has nothing promising on offense either, but they certainly have more to like than LA at this point. All they have to do is get Alvin Kamara involved, and they will win. It’s hard to tell whether or not they will, but you just have to pray they use common sense.

Giants 23-20 Lions

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

I wanted to pick the Lions so bad here. I just want the Giants to lose so bad. The question is whether or not I can trust Detroit in a spot like this. All signs point towards a resounding no, but they did put together another nice performance last week in Chicago, and that was a similar road environment to this one. But I just think this all boils down to a very simple matchup to assess. The Giants are the third best rushing team in football with 164 yards/game, led by this year’s top RB in Saquon Barkley. The Lions, meanwhile, have the second worst rush defense in the league, giving up an incomprehensible 160 yards/game on the ground. So, this will come down to whether or not Detroit can stop Barkley and the Giants on the ground. I simply do not see that happening. Maybe they can force Daniel Jones into some mistakes like they did last week with Justin Fields, but New York is simply better defensively than Chicago is, and that will also prove to be a huge factor.

Ravens 27-16 Panthers

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

A 13-point spread seems a bit harsh, but this should be a blowout for Baltimore. They’re coming off a bye and likely getting some key offensive pieces back like Mark Andrews and Gus Edwards. The Panthers are coming off a mini-bye and a win last Thursday, but this is an infinitely tougher test than that one. Combine that with the fact that Baker Mayfield is starting this game for Carolina, and you have a disaster waiting to happen. The Ravens are way better on both sides of the ball and should control this one from start to finish.

Commanders 22-19 Texans

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

This is a must-win game. We cannot lose to the Texans after what we’ve done in the last 5 weeks. That’s the type of loss that completely derails a season beyond repair. This team has to stay focused and keep the good things going. This is the place where it would be so typical for them to lose. It has to be different this time. Yes, the Texans are a perfectly competitive team, but they also have the worst record in the league. I don’t care what the situation is. You have to win. The defense has to keep playing lights out, and boy would I love to see Chase Young make a huge impact in his return. The run game has to keep on moving the ball and making Taylor Heinicke’s life easier. And he has to keep feeding Terry McLaurin all game long. The formula is there and we should be able to execute it against the worst team in the league. Just… don’t lose.

Broncos 17-14 Raiders

Sunday, 4:05 PM EST, FOX

I hate both of these teams so much that I don’t even want to pick this game. I don’t want to even think about this game. I’ll just drop this here and move on.

Vikings 26-23 Cowboys

Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, CBS

On paper, this is probably the game of the week. Look at the Vikings getting so much national love! Good for them. That’s great and all, but I really need them to pull through and win another one. They are coming off an incredibly draining, emotional win last week in Buffalo. They could either keep that momentum up and come home to pull off another huge win, or they could fall flat on the national stage. While the latter seems more likely, I’m not going to lose faith in this time that I’ve been riding all year long. The Cowboys are coming off a 4th quarter collapse and probably want to bounce back in dominant fashion, but it’s going to be hard. Minnesota is playing great offense and the defense has some mojo now. This is such an air-tight matchup that is so difficult to pick, but I just think the Vikings are the better team, so I have to rock with them. This is another opportunity for them to make a massive statement, and I think they’ll be up to the task.

Bengals 20-19 Steelers

Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, CBS

Contrary to what you might think, this game should also be pretty tight. For starters, the first meeting between these teams was absolutely insane, and Joe Burrow had 5 turnovers. So don’t think it’s a foregone conclusion that Cincy will just roll in this game. I think Pittsburgh not having Minkah Fitzpatrick is a huge deal, but having TJ Watt is an even bigger deal. His impact was felt in a massive way last week, and I think the Steelers defense will once again make life uncomfortable for Joe Burrow, especially while he’s still without Ja’Marr Chase. The Bengals we saw two weeks ago against Carolina are nowhere close to the Bengals we’ll see this Sunday. This all boils down to whether or not they can out-physical their bitter rival and win a tough road game. They couldn’t do it against Cleveland a few weeks ago. It’s really hard to imagine them doing it this week. But, I can’t trust Kenny Pickett and this Pittsburgh offense. At least the Browns have competent players on that side of the ball. The Steelers have nothing. By all means, this is a must-win game for Cincinnati, and I think their defense will rise to the occasion and make the difference in this game. Just don’t be surprised if it goes the other way.

Chiefs 31-20 Chargers

Sunday, 8:20 PM EST, NBC

These teams are trending in completely opposite directions. The Chiefs are scorching hot and my #1 team in the league right now as Patrick Mahomes continues to shred defenses en route to potentially another MVP. They’re getting everyone involved offensively, and the defense is finally playing up to its potential. The Chargers, meanwhile, won’t stop falling apart, and there’s nothing Justin Herbert can do about it. The defense isn’t good at all and is likely going to get torched once again by this unstoppable Chiefs offense. Precedent would suggest that this will be a close game due to this being the second meeting between these teams and it being in primetime at SoFi and whatnot. To that, I simply say that I do not care. The Chiefs are leagues better than the Chargers, and Mahomes shines on primetime no matter where he plays. Give me KC in dominant fashion.

49ers 23-14 Cardinals

Monday, 8:15 PM EST, ESPN

We still don’t know who will be starting at QB for the Cardinals in this game, but it doesn’t matter. The 49ers are an infinitely better team that should be able to handle them all game long. Arizona is certainly competent, and either QB gives them a good shot to win, but San Francisco’s defense will simply be too much to overcome. The Mexico crowd should also have a blast watching the Niners run all over the Cardinals’ defense, which gives up the third most points per game in the league. There could be a lot more points scored in this game, but this feels right for where these two teams stand right now.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Post-Week 10 Power Rankings

An incredibly fun, upset-filled week has caused plenty of shuffling in this week’s rankings as we head into the final two months of the season.

Cover photo taken from The Phinsider.

1 – Chiefs (7-2) 1

For the first time in 7 weeks, we have a new #1 team. Kansas City has clawed their way back to the top thanks to another lights out performance. Yes, they were playing Jacksonville, but the way they won was very promising. They got newcomer Kadarius Toney involved, their committee of RBs continues to dominate, Travis Kelce found the endzone for the first time in weeks, and Patrick Mahomes is simply lights out right now. He is the MVP at the moment, and it’s hard to see him falling off that track. It wasn’t perfect, and I’d like to see them limit turnovers as much as possible, but it doesn’t matter as long as they continue to dominate on both sides of the ball like they have since losing to Buffalo. Just to put that dominance in perspective: they can clinch the division this week, and there’s still seven more games after that one. Yes, the division is awful, but this team has risen above the rest in the AFC in recent weeks and absolutely deserves this top spot.

2 – Eagles (8-1) 1

It finally happened, everyone run for your lives! Relax. The Eagles were never going undefeated. No team ever will. They were bound to lose eventually, and while I felt it was coming soon, I didn’t see it being to Washington, nor did I see it being in that fashion. The Eagles were physically dominated for 60 minutes on Monday night as their division rival shoved the ball down their throat for several long drives to dominate time of possession and set the tone throughout the game. It was the first time this year that the Eagles have been outplayed, and it was pretty shocking to watch. I have a feeling that this will be a much needed wakeup call for Philly. The rest of the schedule is still pretty easy, but this loss should give them their edge back ahead of big matchups like their second game against Dallas as well as both of their showdowns with the Giants, a very physical team.

3 – Vikings (8-1) 2

That was truly something. The Vikings won the game of the year on Sunday despite losing it at least three or four times throughout the course of the fourth quarter and overtime alone. They may have been gifted the game by Josh Allen, but they made every play they had to when they needed it most, and they proved to everyone that they’re not frauds like so many people thought. Kirk Cousins delivered one of his best Vikings performances ever, Dalvin Cook stepped up in a huge way, and Justin Jefferson stole the show as always, highlighted by the greatest catch I’ve ever seen. Most importantly, the defense did its thing to bring the Vikings back and eventually win the game late by forcing two redzone turnovers and scoring that incredible touchdown on the fumbled snap at the end of the game. The secondary, which I had plenty of questions about, came through to put a bow on it. It was a coming out party for the Vikings, who everyone should treat like the real deal. They have silenced the doubters.

4 – 49ers (5-4) 2

The 49ers won on Sunday night by playing their bread and butter football. They ran the ball all night long and relied on their defense to step up and make the plays necessary to win the game. Jimmy Garoppolo was practically a nonfactor outside of a rushing touchdown, but that’s not a bad thing at all. Getting Elijah Mitchell back was absolutely massive for this team, as the new duo of him and Christian McCaffrey simply wore down the Chargers defense all game long. While I’d love to see guys like Deebo Samuel get more involved, it’s not necessary at all. This run game is going to be one of the best in the league moving forward, and the defense is back to being elite now that they’re healthy again, as Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and Talanoa Hufanga absolutely took over late. I love this team from top to bottom and can’t wait to see what else is in store for them as this season winds down.

5 – Dolphins (7-3) 4

Tua Tagovailoa is shutting a lot of people up, including me. The Dolphins are now undefeated in games that Tua starts and finishes, and his last three have been incredible. He became the first QB in franchise history with three straight games of 3+ TDs and 0 INTs. That’s a remarkable streak, and his efficiency cannot be overstated. He’s the highest rated passer in the league by far. I know that it helps to be surrounded by an embarrassment of riches, but Tua is a huge part of this team’s success. The acquisition of Jeff Wilson continues to prove to be a huge one as he once again dominated, and the tandem of him and Raheem Mostert is a pretty dominant one. Now that this team has a great run game, who is going to stop their offense? I’ll have to see someone do it to believe that it’s even possible.

6 – Bills (6-3) 2

My suspicions were true. We are in that area of the season where the Bills fall apart after winning their Super Bowl by beating the Chiefs in Kansas City. Josh Allen is going on his yearly roller coaster where we have no idea what we’re going to get from him on any given snap. He now has six (6!) redzone turnovers in his last 10 quarters. That is awful. The Bills would have won easily if Allen didn’t commit any of the three absolutely atrocious 4th quarter/OT turnovers that he did. He has been straight up bad for the last 2.5 games, and it’s holding this team back. It doesn’t help that their secondary injuries are starting to catch up to them. Buffalo is just teetering right now, just like they did at this time last year. All of a sudden, they are third in their own division, just a game out of last place, a week removed from being the 1 seed in the conference. It’s not the easiest schedule moving forward, so Josh Allen has to get back on track if they want to get back in first place.

7 – Cowboys (6-3) 4

I really have no idea what happened to the Cowboys on Sunday. They lost their first game in franchise history in which they entered the 4th quarter with a 14+ point lead. They were 195-0 previously! That’s a remarkable statistic. They really had their way on both sides of the ball for three quarters outside of some questionable Dak Prescott throws. But in the fourth, it all fell apart. I get that Aaron Rodgers straight up owns this franchise, but it was pretty shocking to see this team that has been so sound all year long just fall apart like that, especially against a team that had lost 5 straight games and has looked awful for months. I think they’re going to be fine, but that was not a very promising sight.

8 – Ravens (6-3) 1

The Ravens had a much-needed bye this week as they try to get healthy offensively. This week, they should be getting big pieces like Mark Andrews and Gus Edwards back. Even if they don’t, they should have an easy time on Sunday at home against the Panthers.

9 – Seahawks (6-4) 1

The Seahawks were stifled practically all game long on Sunday in Munich. It was honestly weird to see, considering how dominant they’ve been on that side of the ball for the last month or so. But I wouldn’t say that Seattle had a bad game by any means. They ran into a good defense that is in the midst of a hot streak, and they lost a close, hard-fought game in another continent. I’m not so sure they would have lost if the game was in Seattle. Even if their defense was slightly better, they likely could have won. I still think this is a very solid team all around, and I expect them to be better in the coming weeks.

10 – Titans (6-3)

Sunday’s game taught me virtually nothing about the Titans. I will say that I loved their defensive performance despite being without two of their best defensive linemen in Bud Dupree and Jeffery Simmons. At the same time, it doesn’t take much to dominate the Broncos offense. Tennessee’s own offense was absolutely inept for the most part, needing a couple of big plays to win the game. It’s good that they got those plays, but they really don’t have anything else to show for their offensive performance. Ryan Tannehill looked fine in his return, which is more than they can ask for. The next few weeks are brutal, so we’ll see how far this formula can take the Titans.

11 – Bengals (5-4)

The Bengals had the week off, and not much happened around them. It’s still unlikely that Ja’Marr Chase will be back for the next couple of weeks, which definitely hurts. There are some toughies coming up, so they could use all the help they can get. But, I have faith in Joe Burrow and the rest of the team to compete and stay afloat in this tight AFC playoff race.

12 – Jets (6-3)

The Jets had their bye this week and were the massive beneficiary of the Bills losing to catapult them to 2nd place in the AFC East by virtue of their head to head win against them from Week 9. They should feel a lot better about their playoff chances now. They’ve got some tough games ahead, including an inevitable loss to the Patriots this week, but I still think the Jets have what it takes to stick around in the playoff mix for the next month or so.

13 – Giants (7-2)

I am so sick of talking about this team. It’s the same thing every week. Look, the Giants beat another awful team super unconvincingly! It was a boring game that nobody cared about! What a great team! No. I don’t care. Neither do you. While I love Saquon Barkley and have him in my top 5 MVP candidates right now, even he can’t get me to think this team is worth a damn. They can certainly prove me wrong in the next few weeks, but I severely doubt that happens.

14 – Buccaneers (5-5) 4

Post-divorce Tom Brady might be something special. Ok, maybe not, but the Bucs are playing pretty well since that split. Their biggest strength has been their resurgent defense, which has played back to back great games. Shutting down the Rams isn’t exactly impressive, but they had their way with a Seahawks offense that had been dominant for months coming into Sunday’s game. Tom Brady has played some nice games as well, despite the plethora of injuries around him, and the offense has seemingly found a wrinkle with Rachaad White coming out of the backfield. He’s more effective at this point than Leonard Fournette, so the run game could find a huge boost. This is still the second worst rushing team in football, so they could use that boost in a huge way.

15 – Commanders (5-5) 6

I’ve been trying to find the words to describe Monday night’s game for a while and I just can’t find them. I’m still so shocked at what I saw, but more importantly, I am so proud of this team. They went on the road on primetime in a spot where they always fold and absolutely dominated the best team in the league all game long to hand them their first loss. That’s so impressive, and actually inspires confidence in this team, which I haven’t had in a while. I won’t get my hopes up too high, but it’s hard not to feel good about where we stand right now. The defense continues to play lights out thanks to their dominant front, which is only getting better now that Chase Young is returning, and a surging secondary highlighted by the emergence of Benjamin St-Juste. The offense has been physical and dominant, which was on display all night long in Philly. The run game is working thanks to Brian Robinson’s toughness and Antonio Gibson’s dynamic ability. Terry McLaurin has been absolutely feasting in recent weeks and has been the best player on the field for several weeks now. Taylor Heinicke tried his best to give the game away, as always, but at the end of the day, he helped us win. The winning formula involves limiting his mistakes and physically setting the tone in the trenches. We’ve done that for the most part in recent weeks, and I feel great about our chances of doing so in the next two as well. This is the type of win that catapults teams to runs, like our win against Tampa last year, so we’ll see where this roller coaster takes us next.

16 – Patriots (5-4) 1

The Patriots had the week off ahead of a huge divisional matchup against the Jets. All of a sudden, the Patriots are only a game behind the Bills, which was unfathomable two weeks ago. If they can keep physically dominating in the next couple of weeks, then they will find themselves in the thick of the wild card race. It will be very difficult, as this is likely the hardest section of their schedule.

17 – Chargers (5-4) 3

The Chargers were about as competitive as I imagined they would be on Sunday night, but after their opening drive touchdown, they were pretty much inept for the rest of the game. Justin Herbert was just ok, the injury-riddled offense was anemic for the most part, Austin Ekeler couldn’t do anything, and the defense got pounded all night long. It was slightly worse than I anticipated, but I don’t expect anything out of this team anymore. Against great teams like San Francisco, they are just going to look outmatched. Prepare for a repeat of that this Sunday night against the Chiefs.

18 – Cardinals (4-6) 2

To put it plainly, the Cardinals are very good when they have to turn to Colt McCoy. Dating back to last year, all he does is win games. All that shows is that he is a great backup QB, as he always has been. Beating the Rams isn’t exactly an impressive feat. Beating the Rams with a backup QB is even less impressive. Combine that with the fact that Cooper Kupp sprained his ankle in the middle of the game, and you have one of the most “meh” wins of the 2022 season. Still, the Cardinals got everyone involved offensively, and for that, they should feel good about themselves.

19 – Packers (4-6) 6

I am not going to overreact and declare that the Packers are back or anything close to that, but they showed more fight in the 4th quarter on Sunday than in all of their previous 5 games combined. That means a lot. Their defense finally remembered how to play football, and their offense got massive contributions from Aaron Jones and, for the first time, Christian Watson. The rookie caught 3 huge touchdowns from Aaron Rodgers, who finally found touch on his deep ball again. The comeback was a truly great one, and the Packers should be proud of themselves. I have no idea what this could lead to for them with a brutal remaining schedule, but they finally have one thing on their side: momentum.

20 – Bears (3-7) 2

The Bears keep on moving up despite the fact that they keep on losing. Why? Well, Justin Fields continues to play like one of the most dynamic players in the league. Not just QBs, but all players. And losing is good for the Bears! They need that draft pick as high as possible to snag a great WR! Blowing a lead like that is quite embarrassing, and Fields’ pick six was a bad one, but for him to bounce back with another incredible TD run like he did is proof that this kid is the real deal. I love watching him play, and the Bears’ best-case scenario of him dominating while losing is coming to fruition every week. It’s truly remarkable that they became the first team in NFL history to lose 3 straight games in which they scored 29+ points. I don’t see any problems!

21 – Browns (3-6) 4

The Browns are back to being awful. To come out of their bye and get dismantled like that is pretty bad, even if they were on the road against one of the league’s best teams. Jacoby Brissett is really struggling, but the good news is that there’s only two more games of him. The bad news is that the season is pretty much over.

22 – Falcons (4-6) 6

Even though I picked the Falcons to lose on Thursday, I’m pretty embarrassed at how bad it was. They have simply devolved into a team that does nothing well on either side of the ball. They have the sixth worst total offense and third worst passing offense in the league. I don’t even think they want to try to throw it anymore. Drake London and Kyle Pitts continue to be absolutely wasted in Atlanta. Defensively, they’re second worst in total yards and sixth worst in points. Losing AJ Terrell effectively ended any hopes they had of being remotely viable on that side of the ball. The Falcons had a fun thing going for a bit, but the wheels have completely fallen off, and they are 100% cooked.

23 – Broncos (3-6)

This is the only thing I’ll say about the Broncos. If they scored just 18 points in all of their games this year, they’d be 8-1. Yes, you read that right. Eighteen points per game. Instead, they are the single worst scoring offense in football with a poor 14.6 PPG. Meanwhile, they’re the best scoring defense in the league, giving up just 16.6 PPG, in addition to being the 2nd best total defense and best passing defense. How is that even possible?! This team is a joke that is only getting worse, and I’m just about sick of talking about them.

24 – Rams (3-6) 5

This is the only thing I’ll say about the Rams. They just lost Cooper Kupp, who is going on IR with an ankle injury that will require surgery. Do not be surprised if they turn into the worst offense in football without him. They won’t be able to overcome him with Ben Skowronek as their top passing option, and they won’t be able to move the ball on the ground with their dead-last-ranked run game. They are going to be the most unwatchable team in the league moving forward. Mark my words.

25 – Colts (4-5-1) 4

Jeff Saturday proved me wrong. He proved us all wrong! Major props to him, and good for the team to find their edge that had been missing for so long. Saturday went back to Matt Ryan and it paid off in a huge way. Most importantly, he finally unlocked Jonathan Taylor, who had his best game since Week 1 and finally looked like his old self. Maybe the Colts will be a frisky team under Saturday for the rest of the year. Either that, or they just notched a one-score win over the worst team in the NFL.

26 – Lions (3-6) 1

The Lions actually played a good game in the outdoors. I was just as shocked as you were. They showed up in every phase of the game, and I was impressed. It definitely helps that guys like Amon-Ra St. Brown and D’Andre Swift are healthy again, and it also helps that Jeff Okudah has emerged as the CB1 they envisioned when they drafted him 3rd overall in 2020. Detroit has found themselves again, and it’s fun to watch.

27 – Jaguars (3-7) 1

The Jaguars were about as competitive as I expected they’d be on Sunday, if not more. Trevor Lawrence played a solid game, and Christian Kirk had a dominant performance. Their defense just couldn’t overcome the buzzsaw that is the Chiefs. I really don’t know what to make of the Jags at this point, as they show us something different every week, but I still feel like this is a solid young core. They might not have many wins left this year, but I like what’s going on in Jacksonville.

28 – Panthers (3-7) 2

I think the Panthers have themselves a gem in D’Onta Foreman. He has proven himself as a physical, dominant RB1 that can be a workhorse. They’re going to need him to keep that up now that they have to turn to Baker Mayfield once again thanks to PJ Walker sustaining an injury. All they have to do is take the ball out of Baker’s hands and put it into Foreman’s while their defense keeps doing its thing. Unfortunately, that might be tough this week against a very good Baltimore team.

29 – Steelers (3-6) 2

Just as I predicted, the Steelers got themselves another win because Mike Tomlin is absolute money coming off a bye. They weren’t impressive at anything other than their defense shutting down an anemic Saints offense with some of the worst QB play in the league. This team isn’t very good, but at the very least, they’re incredibly reliable in certain spots thanks to their great coach.

30 – Saints (3-7) 6

The Saints going from one of the most promising teams in the league to one of the worst, most unwatchable teams in the league has been extremely sad to watch unfold. I know they have injury problems out the wazoo, but it’s so much more than that. Dennis Allen has been an awful HC, Pete Carmichael might be the worst OC in the league, their QB play has been abysmal, they continuously forget that they have Alvin Kamara, and the defense just hasn’t been good enough. So much of what’s going on in New Orleans is laughable, and they desperately need to hit the reset button this offseason, if not sooner.

31 – Texans (1-7-1) 1

Despite being virtually not competitive at all in yet another loss, the Texans are being bumped up this week because there’s one team in this league that’s simply more embarrassing than the rest.

32 – Raiders (2-7) 4

That’s right. The Raiders are the worst team in the NFL right now. They are a complete and utter embarrassment, a weekly dumpster fire, and an unmitigated disaster across the board. Derek Carr has fallen off a cliff, Josh Jacobs has run into a wall, the defense might as well not exist, and the coaching staff is just laughably bad. Josh McDaniels could get outcoached by me, and my highest level of coaching is a flag football team for kids. The personnel decisions continue to make no sense and it continues to show on a weekly basis. Everyone needs to be fired; hell, the franchise should just disband at this point. The Raiders should be absolutely ashamed of themselves on all fronts.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Week 10 Picks

Last week was another good one for my picks, but this slate is filled with a lot of tossups that are a bit head-scratching. Hopefully it ends up being as successful as the other recent ones.

Cover photo taken from Tom’s Guide.

Last Week: 10-3

Season Total: 80-54-1

Panthers 23-20 Falcons

Thursday, 8:15 PM EST, Prime Video

If this game has a fraction of the drama of the first meeting between these two teams, then TNF will be appointment television. While I don’t see that being the case, I think this game will be pretty close if nothing else. The Panthers will likely be out for revenge on the Falcons, considering they should have beaten them two weeks ago if it weren’t for the penalty on DJ Moore after he caught PJ Walker’s late touchdown. This is a team that has played solid since they started blowing it up except for last week’s collapse in Cincinnati. I think they’ll be able to come back home and bounce back against an Atlanta team that I just have no idea what to make of at this point.

Seahawks 21-16 Buccaneers

Sunday, 9:30 AM EST, NFL Network

I understand why the Buccaneers are favored in this game. It’s pretty hard to pick against them here. They’re coming off a much-needed win, and the energy around the team feels different now. Their defense is playing great ball as well. But, all of that can be said about Seattle, who is riding a 4-game winning streak, playing great defense themselves, and is much better offensively. I need to see them be stopped to believe that they can be stopped. I’ve been raving about their winning formula for weeks now, and I think it’s going to carry them to victory once again. If the Seahawks can wear Tampa down with Kenneth Walker and Geno Smith doesn’t make mistakes, they should be able to win this one with ease.

Bills 27-17 Vikings

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

I think the Vikings are a good team. A great team even. I don’t think their 7-1 record is as much of a fugazi as everyone else does. That being said, I think they’re going to be completely overmatched in this game. The Bills are coming off a very tough road loss to a divisional opponent and have played pretty subpar football for the last six quarters. I think this is a tremendous opportunity for them to come back home and smack a great team to get back on track. Minnesota’s pass defense hasn’t been great all year long, so Josh Allen should have a field day after struggling against the Jets last week. Both of these teams need this win to show us all that they’re capable of being as great as we think they can be, but I’d wager that Buffalo needs it more. In this circumstance, I think they’re going to get it in dominant fashion.

Bears 23-20 Lions

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

The Bears are playing great offense right now thanks to the surge of Justin Fields as both a thrower and a runner. Their defense has been struggling since trading away their key pieces, but considering their opponent this week, they should have a bounce back day. The Lions are utterly incompetent offensively on the road, and while these divisional games are always tight, I don’t trust the Lions to overcome their own offensive woes. Moreover, I just think Fields will be too much for their defense to handle. He has been sensational in recent weeks, but they only have one win to show for it. Chicago deserves this one.

Broncos 17-14 Titans

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

I don’t even know what the total is in this game, but no matter what it is, just take the under. This game is going to be dominated by the two sensational defenses. We still don’t know if Ryan Tannehill is going to suit up for the Titans, but even if he does, I don’t trust him or this Tennessee offense to move the ball on Denver. And I simply never trust the Broncos offense to do anything, even off a bye. The reason I’m picking the Titans is because they’re at home and are coming off a very tough road loss. I think they’ll use this game as an opportunity to bounce back from their 5-game winning streak being snapped and ride their defense to get back in the win column.

AUDIBLE: Tennessee is going to be without major pieces on their defense such as Jeffery Simmons and Bud Dupree, so I’m simply swapping the pick to Denver instead. They’re a popular bet this weekend for a reason, and that reason just got a lot more convincing.

Chiefs 31-14 Jaguars

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

There’s not much to this one. The Jaguars have been playing well as of late, but it means nothing. They typically can’t even overcome themselves, so how are they supposed to overcome the Chiefs at Arrowhead? Patrick Mahomes is going to shred this team alive. I think the X factor here is Travis Etienne for Jacksonville. If he can produce like he usually does against a stout Chiefs front, then maybe the Jags have a chance. But if he gets stifled, then this one will be over quickly.

Dolphins 26-20 Browns

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

The Browns played their best game of the season going into the bye and now come out of it with a road trip down to Miami. It feels like a good matchup for them on paper, so I think this one will be close for the most part. But it’s simply impossible for me to pick against the Dolphins with how scorching hot they are offensively. While Cleveland has a solid defense, nobody has been able to stop these WRs all year long. I doubt they’ll be the first. I don’t love Miami’s defense, and I think Nick Chubb is about to feast on them all game long, but I think they can make enough plays in the secondary against Jacoby Brissett to win this one in the end.

Giants 20-13 Texans

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

Look here! Another cakewalk of a victory for the Giants against an awful team! What a great schedule! By all accounts, the Giants win this one in a blowout. But, they never exactly look convincing, so I already know the Texans are going to hang around for a while in this one before New York uses a couple of 4th quarter drives to win it. It’s going to be extremely boring and remarkably predictable and I am going to hate it.

Steelers 17-16 Saints

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

I don’t want to pick this game at all. It’s a total nightmare for me. I want to pick the Saints because I think teams typically bounce back after awful primetime performances (see their TNF loss to Arizona and following shutout of Las Vegas). At the same time, I like Mike Tomlin’s Steelers at home off a bye. This is perhaps the worst Steelers team Tomlin has ever had, but to their credit, they’ve been very competitive at home, including a win over Tampa. I just don’t know what to make of the Saints at QB, and with the Steelers likely getting TJ Watt back, their defense should feast on New Orleans’ offensive line like Baltimore just did. I hate everything about this game, but I feel comfortable with this pick.

Raiders 27-10 Colts

Sunday, 4:05 PM EST, CBS

This game is going to go one of two ways. Either the Jeff Saturday era in Indy begins disastrously thanks to a blowout at the hands of one of the worst teams in the NFL or it’s going to start surprisingly well by notching an unexpected, tough, hard-fought win. I personally think the former is more likely. I have absolutely no faith in the Raiders anymore, but surely they can win a game like this. Their offense is dealing with a ton of injuries and their defense is abhorrent, but come on. The Colts are an unmitigated disaster all around without a real head coach, playcaller, or QB, and they just got smoked last week. I don’t know what their winning formula is at this point. But maybe, just maybe, they show us something we haven’t seen before in this game. If that happens, then the Raiders franchise should just fold on the spot.

Cowboys 23-20 Packers

Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, FOX

Believe it or not, I actually really wanted to pick the Packers here. I think this is a huge spot for them, and them getting a win at home against a great team to turn their season around feels more likely than not. But then I remembered that they’re the 2022 Packers who do absolutely nothing well and are likely going to be put in a chokehold by Dallas and their great defense. So, I’m meeting in the middle. I see the Cowboys winning this one close after the Packers put up their best fight in months. I don’t know why I feel like the Packers are going to be competitive in this game seeing as though their last home performance was a blowout loss to the Jets. I just know that Aaron Rodgers always shows up against the Cowboys. This time, it won’t be enough. I like the Cowboys defense too much, and I think their offense will do just enough to put them over the top.

Rams 20-17 Cardinals

Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, FOX

This might be the biggest mid-off of the entire season. Both of these teams are mid enough, but considering that both Matt Stafford and Kyler Murray are dealing with injuries and might not play in this game, it could get worse. Regardless of any of that, I simply think the Rams are a better team overall with a much better defense that should be able to win them this game. That’s about all I want to talk about here. I have no interest in this matchup between two disasters of teams whatsoever.

49ers 24-20 Chargers

Sunday, 8:20 PM EST, NBC

This game looked a lot better on the schedule two months ago, but it could still be a fun one. I don’t have any faith in the Chargers to win this one, but I think they’ll be competitive at the very least. They always tend to make things interesting, despite their plethora of injuries. Justin Herbert seems to be healthy, and if he is, then LA can hang around in any game. But the 49ers will be too much to overcome. They’re at home and off a bye, still getting healthier and better on both sides of the ball. The last time we saw them, they destroyed the Rams and CMC looked unstoppable. I don’t see why they can’t replicate that here. It won’t be a complete wash, but I think San Francisco will control most of this game and get back above .500.

Eagles 27-17 Commanders

Monday, 8:15 PM EST, ESPN

There is simply no way that the Commanders are going to win this game. They probably won’t even be competitive. For starters, the Eagles are the best team in the NFL and absolutely dismantled Washington in Week 3. This is also on Monday night, a situation where this franchise has struggled for *checks watch* ever. Taylor Heinicke is still the starting QB, so that sucks. The defense is playing well, but we all know they’re going to get gashed by one of the best offenses in football. The off-the-field drama is getting louder and worse by the day with lawsuits and controversy galore. This franchise is in total disarray right now, and it’s about to get worse with another blowout loss at the hands of a division rival. This time, the entire country is going to see it. It doesn’t get much uglier than this folks.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Post-Week 9 Power Rankings

Following another fairly predictable week, there isn’t too much shakeup in the Power Rankings. But anything can happen from here on out as we eclipse the halfway point of the season.

Cover photo taken from Daily Norseman.

1 – Eagles (8-0)

I really don’t want to hear anything about this team’s schedule or their performance on Thursday, which is somehow being considered “subpar”. Just stop it. They were double digit favorites and covered easily. Nobody thought they were going to lose that game for a second. They were the superior team all game long outside of just two Texans drives that actually went somewhere. The defense stepped up big time, Jalen Hurts continued to throw the ball sharply, and the run game did its thing. This is still the best team in the NFL, and it’s still not very close.

2 – Chiefs (6-2) 1

Kansas City has plenty to feel good about after Sunday night’s tough win, but they also have a good deal to feel bad about. The main thing is their offensive line being awful, which I suppose we should just be used to by now. Going up against one of the best defensive fronts in the NFL, they got absolutely manhandled, and the Chiefs’ run game was nonexistent. However, when you have Patrick Mahomes, you don’t need a run game. He threw a whopping 68 passes and put the entire offense on his back. That’s what it took to win, considering KC’s defense did its thing against a very one-dimensional Tennessee offense, especially in the second half. Hard fought wins like that are the sign of a great team, and #15 continues to show everyone why he’s the best in the world.

3 – Cowboys (6-2) 1

The Cowboys had their bye this week, and it was fairly uneventful. They do get bumped up due to the actions of the team below them, but that’s about it. There’s rumblings of Odell Beckham Jr. signing with the team, which would be quite a sight to see, but I don’t know how much I buy it happening.

4 – Bills (6-2) 2

Losing to Zach Wilson? Really? After how much I slandered him and propped you guys up? After being nearly two-touchdown favorites? That’s bad. I know the Jets have a great defense, but this is a team that got smothered the previous week. There was no excuse to lose this game. Josh Allen has played pretty poorly in his last six quarters of football with 4 bad interceptions and zero (0!) touchdowns. We might be entering that part of the year where the Bills mess around for a few weeks before getting their stride back before the playoffs, but I thought we were past that. This team is far too talented to suffer that same fate. I expect a much better performance next week back at home.

5 – Vikings (7-1)

Minnesota just keeps on finding ways to win. You can talk about it being unconvincing and deny their success all you’d like, but what you can’t deny is them being six games over .500 and 4.5 games ahead in the division. Their defense played very well on Sunday except for one drive and one ridiculously lucky touchdown from Washington. The offense stifled for a little, and nearly gave the game away if it wasn’t for a pick six that got called back, but they made the plays necessary to win the game late. That has been the story of this team all year long. They just execute when it matters most, and that’s what makes them so successful.

6 – 49ers (4-4)

San Francisco had the week off as they continue to get healthy and prepare for a second half push to the playoffs. While they currently sit 1.5 games back in the division, I feel pretty good about their chances of making a run and getting a home playoff game. Even if they don’t, I know they’re good enough to win games in January.

7 – Ravens (6-3)

Congrats to the Ravens for finally winning a game convincingly after getting off to a great start. They completely shut down the Saints all game long thanks to their incredible defensive performance. The offense didn’t look great, but it didn’t matter. All they needed was a few scoring drives to ensure that the game was out of reach by the third quarter. It’s easy to give the offense a pass for the lackluster showing considering the injuries, and it was very promising to see their defensive dominance. I think the trade for Roquan Smith might just pay off for them.

8 – Seahawks (6-3) 1

Seattle has now won 4 games in a row, and most of them have essentially been in the same fashion. They force feed Kenneth Walker to wear you down and then let it fly or feed him some more to score on you. Then their defense does the rest. The Seahawks have shown us their formula week in and week out, and it continues to work with flying colors. As I’ve said in weeks past, I love this team’s personnel and their identity, and they play some of my favorite football of any team in football. They have a tough test coming up against a stingy Buccaneers defense on Sunday in Munich, but I think they’ll be up for it.

9 – Dolphins (6-3) 1

While I don’t love the way this defense is playing right now, there is no denying that the Dolphins are arguably the most stacked offensive team in the league. Tua Tagovailoa is playing great ball, leading the league in passer rating. The addition of Jeff Wilson is already paying dividends for the running game, and he is proving to be a pass-catching threat as well. They don’t need that though, considering Tyreek Hill is off to the best start to a season in the history of the league and Jaylen Waddle keeps on torching defenses. Miami is simply one of the must-watch teams in the NFL because of how fun they are on that side of the ball. They need to sure up their defense for this playoff push, but it might not matter. They’ll just outscore you instead.

10 – Titans (5-3) 2

That was about as impressive of a loss as you’ll ever see in this league. To go into Arrowhead with a rookie QB in his first road start and second career start to play one of the best teams in the league and control most of the game just to lose in OT is a sign that this Titans team is pretty good. You’d think they win that game if Ryan Tannehill is their QB. This defensive front continues to play like one of the best in the league, and Derrick Henry is making another OPOY surge. However, there are two areas that I didn’t like very much on Sunday night. The obvious one is the fact that this team has no wide receiver talent at all, and you simply can’t win in this league without WRs. Trading away AJ Brown looks like a worse move by the day. The other is that Malik Willis is obviously still very raw and needs a lot more time to sit and develop, but we honestly already knew that. Nobody was expecting him to light up the world in a situation like that.

11 – Bengals (5-4)

I won’t take too much stock in blowing out arguably the worst team in the NFL. We know the Bengals are a great home team, and we all saw that blowout coming. While Joe Mixon’s 5 touchdowns were fun to watch, Sunday’s game didn’t show me too much. This team still feels like it has a distinct ceiling while Ja’Marr Chase is out. Until he gets back, it’ll be really hard for me to feel great about where they stand.

12 – Jets (6-3) 1

Never in a million years would I have seen the Jets winning that game. I thought they’d get crushed, in large part thanks to Zach Wilson going up against a great defense. But Wilson barely had to do anything, as New York was able to use their identity of running the ball and playing great defense to pull off the upset. They get great contributions from their backup RBs Michael Carter and James Robinson, and their defense did the rest, led once again by Sauce Gardner. It was an absolutely massive win for this team to stay alive in the playoff race, and it proves to me that they can actually be great if their style of football works.

13 – Giants (6-2) 1

The Giants somehow lost to the bye week with DB Xavier McKinney hurting his hand on an ATV in Cabo. He’ll now be out for a few weeks, and the secondary will likely suffer for it. We’ll see how the defense responds, and we’ll see if the offense can keep up their unlikely success. This second half is going to tell us a lot about who the Giants truly are.

14 – Chargers (5-3)

The Chargers once again escaped by the skin of their teeth in another unconvincing performance against an average team. Nothing about this team moves the needle. I will say that Justin Herbert looked very solid, and the bye week probably helped him a ton. I also think the defense played a better game, although it wasn’t perfect by any means. Sunday’s game was a battle of who wanted to lose more, and of course the Falcons did. LA won’t get away with many more performances like that.

15 – Patriots (5-4) 3

The Patriots are somehow above .500. It’s largely thanks to playing one of the most embarrassing teams in the NFL who is clearly actively tanking. Again, nothing about New England really stands out, regardless of who plays QB for them. This is a very run-of-the-mill team that benefitted greatly this week from their opponent and the rest of the teams in this range falling apart around them. I still don’t like them.

16 – Falcons (4-5) 1

Sunday’s loss was pretty embarrassing for the Falcons. They simply did not want to win at all, repeatedly giving the game away in ridiculous fashion. Their style of football is only taking them so far, as they refuse to throw the ball. When they do, it’s hardly effective. I do like their defense, but they haven’t played great in recent weeks. I think the rest of the league is starting to figure Atlanta out, and for that reason, their winning ways might not continue much longer in 2022.

17 – Browns (3-5) 2

The Browns are coming out of their bye in a weird spot. They played their best game of the season heading into it, and now have just 3 weeks left before Deshaun Watson returns. But those three games are against Miami, Buffalo, and Tampa Bay. So, while we feel good about this team right now, this is about to be a potentially brutal stretch for them. Let’s find out what they’re made of.

18 – Buccaneers (4-5) 5

The Bucs are finally back in the win column in extremely unconvincing fashion. I’m sure that notching another win has to feel great for them, but they’re still an average to below average team that doesn’t move me much. Their defense did finally show back up and play one of their best games of the year, which is good to see. Perhaps they can use the momentum of Tom Brady orchestrating a perfect game winning drive on the day where he eclipsed 100,000 career passing yards and turn it into something productive. I’ll have to see it to believe it.

19 – Rams (3-5) 3

Snooze. This team is boring. They’re not good at anything. I’m starting to sound like a broken record at this point. They can’t get anything going on either side of the ball and it’s just so stale. I hate watching the Rams more than nearly every other team in the league just because there’s literally nothing to watch at this point. I know exactly what I’m going to get out of them every single week: nothing.

20 – Cardinals (3-6) 3

Speaking of boring NFC West teams that do nothing well, the Cardinals lost yet again on Sunday. That’s now a sweep completed by the Seahawks as Arizona didn’t do a single thing worth a damn for sixty minutes other than get a lucky pick six. They couldn’t even get DeAndre Hopkins going, which is typically the only thing they actually excel at. Nothing about this team is working, and relying on their talent to win them games has gotten them nowhere. They need to blow this thing up.

21 – Commanders (4-5)

Once again, we played exactly as I expected us to on Sunday. We were competitive throughout. We played good defense. And at the end of the day, we beat ourselves. I could have told you before the game that we’d be in a perfect position to win only to piss it away thanks to Taylor Heinicke’s inability to play QB and boneheaded plays and penalties. Oh wait, I did! It is just so predictable. The best news surrounding this team is the potential sale of it. In all fairness, that’s about the best news we’ve received in decades.

22 – Bears (3-6) 4

How can you not love what the Bears are doing? They’re losing games while developing Justin Fields by playing to his strengths and allowing him to flourish by playing his game. And boy, is he flourishing or what? Justin has been sensational for three weeks in a row, with the latest performance being the best yet with over 300 total yards and 4 total touchdowns. The highlight of the season came on Sunday with a 61 yard sprint to the endzone to punctuate a 178 yard rushing day, setting the record for most rushing yards by a QB in history. Fields how has 9 touchdowns and just 1 interception in his last 3 games, and while the Bears are just 1-2 in those games, it doesn’t matter. They’re blowing it up because they know they suck. They now have full confidence in their franchise QB, and so does the rest of the league. Now they can move forward and continue this rebuild around Justin Fields. It is so awesome to see.

23 – Broncos (3-5) 4

I suppose the Broncos won the bye week thanks to the utter incompetence of so many other teams in this range. They did trade away Bradley Chubb, but that was a necessary move to get a first rounder back, so I’d say they won the deal. Let’s see how it affects their defense in the back half of the year as they try to figure out this mess.

24 – Saints (3-6) 4

Just when you think the Saints have a good thing going, they go out and there and lay a complete dud. A week after shutting down a solid Raiders offense and putting together a great offensive performance, they played their worst game of the year thanks to being incapable of moving the ball or stopping backup WRs, RBs, and TEs. It was just embarrassing to watch unfold. I really think this team should go back to Jameis Winston at QB, but even if they do, it won’t make that much of a difference. They’re simply not good enough to be consistently competitive.

25 – Packers (3-6) 3

The Packers just keep on reaching new lows. I picked them to lose on Sunday, but I didn’t realize it would be that bad. Three redzone turnovers? Aaron Rodgers continuing to play like a shade of his past self? The defense still playing like garbage while dropping like flies? It is a complete, unmitigated disaster in Green Bay right now, and it’s likely only going to get worse. I can’t imagine what the future of this team looks like.

26 – Jaguars (3-6) 3

The Jags should feel good about themselves after finally being able to overcome their own incompetence to win a game. It helps when you’re playing a team that’s somehow more incompetent than you are. Travis Etienne continues to look like an absolute stud at RB, the receivers looked like their September selves, and the defense stepped up in the second half after getting absolutely torched to start the game. But this still isn’t a good team by any means. Jacksonville won between two bad teams because the other team is worse. It’s that simple.

27 – Lions (2-6) 5

The Lions finally got that elusive second win just as I predicted they would. It wasn’t exactly in the fashion that I expected, but it still worked. I was actually shocked to see Detroit win a game thanks to their defense. This is a unit that has been the absolute worst of any on either side of the ball in the NFL this year, and they put together their best game of the year. For once, it wasn’t on the offense. That’s a good thing, because those guys weren’t great, but they didn’t have to be. Good for the Lions.

28 – Raiders (2-6) 4

I can’t talk about this team anymore. It’s so exhausting. I’ll just leave you guys with this stat. In their first 61 years of existence, the Raiders blew a 17+ point lead just five times. In their first 8 games of their 62nd year of existence, they’ve done it three times. What a disaster.

29 – Colts (3-5-1) 4

The 2022 Indianapolis Colts are slowly becoming one of the most embarrassing teams I’ve ever seen. First they traded for the corpse of Matt Ryan, then benched him within the first two months of the year because he was un-shockingly awful. Their star player Jonathan Taylor has been a ghost all year long. Their defense can’t stay healthy. They hand the reins to Sam Ehlinger, who has also been unsurprisingly terrible. And now they fire HC Frank Reich, who has a winning record in his time in Indy despite the revolving door at QB. To top it all off, they bring in former center Jeff Saturday as the interim HC, whose highest level of coaching is a high school team that he led to a 3-7 record. It’s like this is Ted Lasso or something. Jim Irsay is absolutely unhinged right now, and while it makes for tremendous comedy, I feel really bad for the Colts. This was a great franchise that is now suffering an awful fall from grace.

30 – Panthers (2-7) 2

The Panthers predictably got blown out on Sunday. There’s nothing shocking about it. I still feel the same way I did before about this team. They’re clearly in rebuild/tank mode, and it’s going pretty well. I do feel bad for PJ Walker, who was looking really solid before playing horribly and being benched for Baker Mayfield. I hope he keeps his job, because he’s actually fun to watch and is probably a better option at this point than Baker is.

31 – Steelers (2-6) 1

I really, really wanted to put the Steelers at the bottom this week. But I’m giving them one last chance to prove themselves. Off their bye, they get a reeling Saints team at home and have a real chance to get back in the win column. I don’t feel confident in their chances to do so, but it doesn’t feel impossible. If they lose, you can bet I drop them to that #32 spot next week.

32 – Texans (1-6-1) 1

The Texans don’t feel like the worst team in football, but they’re just allergic to winning. They played a solid first half against the best team in the league, but the second half was just abhorrent. Davis Mills continues to look like anything but the answer at QB, Dameon Pierce was stifled for the most part, the WR group is generationally bad, and the defense is starting to show some cracks. The Texans are likely content with continuing to lose, so I suppose this is all good for them. But I feel like they’re better than this.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Week 9 Picks

Last week was my best of the season. Hopefully the winning ways continue this week with the shortest slate of the year thus far waiting.

Cover photo taken from NFL.com.

Last Week: 12-3

Season Total: 70-51-1

Eagles 29-14 Texans

Thursday, 8:15 PM EST, Prime Video

It doesn’t get much simpler than this. This is the best team in the NFL facing off against one of the worst teams in the NFL. Even on the road, this should be an absolute wash for Philadelphia. The Texans have had a competitive edge to them all year long, especially at home, but this is their toughest test yet, and they haven’t looked the part in the last two weeks. They better hope they show up defensively and keep the Eagles offense at bay. In the off chance that they do, their offense has to go through that tremendous Birds defense. It’s just not going to happen. This should be another field day for Jalen Hurts and company. At least one of your teams will win on Thursday night, Philly!

Chargers 27-24 Falcons

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

Every time these two teams meet up, it’s absolute comedy. I’ve said it so many times before: they are the exact same franchise in two different conferences. So, at the very least, this should be close, especially with the Chargers coming off a bye. But they’re also coming all the way out east against a team that’s probably better than they are, and is certainly playing at a better level. Still, I feel like LA should come out on top here. I just don’t like how they’ve played all year long. I think the key for them is to get Austin Ekeler all the touches in the world, seeing how D’Onta Foreman dismantled the Atlanta defense last week. I don’t trust the Falcons to contain him, and with AJ Terrell likely still out, I don’t know if they can contain the passing game either. Their own offense can and will put points on the board and has shown us that they can win shootouts, but this feels like a bad matchup for them. It’s a total coinflip, so I’d avoid betting this one like the plague.

Dolphins 23-19 Bears

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

This is another wonky matchup for me. One one hand, the Dolphins have looked great since Tua’s return and boast the best, most productive WR duo in the NFL. They also just added Jeff Wilson and Bradley Chubb to boost the run game and the pass rush at the trade deadline. But, this is a tough road test against a Bears team that’s improving every week. Justin Fields had himself a very nice game last week against an elite defense, so who’s to say it won’t happen again? I don’t see there being a ton of points on the board here; it should be hard-fought throughout and dominated by each defense. In a game like that, I have to trust the better, more talented offense in Miami. It’s just too hard to pick against them with how scorching hot they can get offensively. I don’t see Chicago’s defense being able to stop them.

Bengals 28-17 Panthers

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

The Bengals are a solid team that went on the road and got embarrassed on national television by a division rival. I feel extremely confident that they’re going to come home and play infinitely better against a worse opponent after being smashed like that. Even without Ja’Marr Chase, Joe Burrow is capable of putting up numbers against a defense as bad as Carolina’s. Moreover, Cincy’s defense should be fired up and ready to make amends for how poorly they played on Monday night. This just feels like the perfect bounce-back game for Cincinnati. They’re one of my most confident plays ATS (-7) this week.

Lions 30-27 Packers

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

Yes, you are reading this correctly. No, I am not joking. The Lions are an actually serviceable team at home, and they very nearly beat the Dolphins last week. Their offense just finds another gear at Ford Field, and the Packers defense isn’t nearly good enough to stop them. Dan Campbell will once again be coaching for his life in this game, and Detroit is just so desperate for a win. I think they’re going to be as fired up as ever against their bitter rival and muster up enough to get their first win in 7 weeks. Moreover, I don’t like anything the Packers are doing other than finally running the ball effectively, but they’ll need to rely on Aaron Rodgers to win this game for them, which I just do not have confidence in right now. I absolutely love the Lions +3.5. What a world.

Patriots 17-13 Colts

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

There is simply no way that the Patriots are going to lose at home to a team led by Sam Ehlinger. It’s a simple calculus. Bill Belichick owns young QBs, the Patriots are a better team at home, and the Colts don’t pose a threat. It’s very likely that Jonathan Taylor will once again be out for Indianapolis (as if that means anything at this point), and after seeing how he played last week against a similar defense to New England’s, I don’t trust Ehlinger to put up enough points with his arm to win this game. The Patriots might use last week’s dominant win over the Jets to slingshot them back into playing like a real team, and an easy matchup like this should help them tremendously.

Bills 24-10 Jets

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

This would not be a blowout if the Jets of 2 weeks ago were playing in it. Alas, they are without Breece Hall and still need to depend on Zach Wilson to win them football games. That’s a disaster waiting to happen, as we saw last week. He is embarrassingly bad and will be awful once again this week against a great Bills defense. While I think New York’s own defense is good enough to contain Josh Allen and company for a bit (Stefon Diggs vs. Sauce Gardner is appointment television), it’s only a matter of time before they explode. The Bills will win this game in dominant fashion on the backs of their defense, and their offense will do enough to just cover the spread.

Vikings 23-20 Commanders

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

I was very close to picking us in this game. My philosophy is simple: I have to see it to believe it. I can’t pick us to beat one of the league’s elite teams just because we’ve strung together wins against some bums. I need to be proven wrong before changing my mind. The Vikings aren’t exactly the scariest, most convincing 6-1 team ever, but there is no denying how good they can be. Their offense is as dynamic and scary as any in football, and while their secondary is pretty poor, their front seven is stacked and ferocious. It’s a pretty solid matchup for Washington, who might just be able to take advantage of a bad secondary. But do we really think Taylor Heinicke can beat a great team with his arm? I think the key for us is stopping Minnesota’s offense, especially containing Justin Jefferson. If you force the Vikings to beat you on the ground, then it plays right into our defensive strength up front. If they gash us through the air, then it’s over. I think that’s the more likely scenario. That would be one hell of a way to lose to Kirk Cousins in his proverbial homecoming.

Raiders 23-20 Jaguars

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

Like the Bengals, I don’t think the Raiders are as bad as they showed us last week. It was pretty embarrassing, but they’re simply too talented to be that awful again. It doesn’t help that they’re back on the road for an east coast trip and a 1pm kick, but it does help that they’re facing one of the worst teams in the league. The Jaguars are only doing one thing well right now, and that’s letting Travis Etienne cook. But last week was indicative that they can’t just ride him to victory. I don’t think the Raiders defense is nearly as good as Denver’s, but I don’t think the Jags can win solely on the back of #1. They’ll have to rely on Trevor Lawrence to make plays, which I can’t bet on. In a game with two pretty bad teams, you have to side with the superior talent, which lies in silver and black.

Seahawks 27-21 Cardinals

Sunday, 4:05 PM EST, FOX

This is a very tough pick to make. I feel very confident in Seattle and how they’ve played in recent weeks, including shutting down the Cardinals offense at home a few games ago. I simultaneously think that Arizona is better right now than they were in that game solely because of DeAndre Hopkins and his productivity since his return. However, I still like the Seahawks here purely based off their consistency. I know that Geno Smith is going to sling it and Kenneth Walker is going to run all over people. While I know that Kyler Murray and Hopkins will get their numbers, I don’t trust Arizona’s defense or their run game at all. They can’t win the game with only two players. Seattle’s defense will put up another solid game and the Seahawks will find a way to notch yet another win.

Buccaneers 20-17 Rams

Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, CBS

Both of these teams have had quite the fall from grace since their classic in last year’s Divisional Round. The Rams boast one of the least productive offenses in the league including the second worst run game and a defense that continues to falter. The Buccaneers meanwhile have the worst run game, a QB who gets no favors from anyone, and a defense that is also struggling despite its talent. So, there will either be a lot of defense in this game or none at all. And there will be a lot of passes thrown. For that reason, picking the Bucs is fairly easy. They have the better QB, the better weapons, and the better defense. Oh, and they’re also at home off a mini-bye after playing last Thursday. I can’t put any faith in the Rams right now, especially with Cooper Kupp dealing with some ankle issues. He is their entire offense (hell, he’s their entire team), and if he can’t go or is less effective than usual, then they don’t stand a semblance of a chance. Tampa needs this win badly, and I think they’ll step up and make enough plays to finally snap their skid.

Chiefs 30-20 Titans

Sunday, 8:20 PM EST, NBC

The Chiefs are virtually unbeatable off a bye. At home against a Titans team that nobody really feels great about in primetime, they should waltz to a win. For one, we still don’t know if Ryan Tannehill will return for Tennessee. If he does, then he’ll likely be limited. If he doesn’t, then Malik Willis gets the keys to the car for a second straight week after completing just six passes last week in an unconvincing win over Houston. I trust Derrick Henry to make this offense at least slightly productive, but on the road against a great Chiefs defense that’s starting to get healthy, it will be in vain. Patrick Mahomes and company should put up their usual fireworks. Look out for trade deadline acquisition WR Kadarius Toney to get involved and make some plays in his first game as a Chief.

Saints 26-23 Ravens

Monday, 8:15 PM EST, ESPN

I feel like last week could have been the performance to get the Saints back on track, especially defensively. Stopping Lamar Jackson off a mini-bye isn’t an easy task, but I think at home in a primetime environment, they can muster up just enough to put up another solid performance. New Orleans’ offense is seemingly finding its groove as well now that Alvin Kamara is back to his dominant ways. I don’t think Baltimore’s defense can stop #41, and for what it’s worth, Andy Dalton has been solid for the Saints. He’s the inferior QB in this matchup, but Lamar’s weapons around him are dropping like flies and it’s hard to project who if anyone is going to contribute on a weekly basis. I just think this is a good matchup for the Saints, and it’s hard to pick against them at home in primetime. That’s going to be a raucous scene that could prove to be the difference.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Week 10 CFP Rankings Reaction

The first CFP rankings of the 2022 season were unveiled on Tuesday night, and I have some thoughts about the actions of the committee as we head into a massive weekend in college football.

Cover photo taken from Tennessee Athletics.

We’ve reached November, which means college football is entering its home stretch, and the College Football Rankings will be released every Tuesday from now until Selection Sunday. The first iteration brought some storylines, both expected and unexpected, as we head into the biggest weekend of the season thus far. Here are some of my thoughts on Tuesday night’s rankings.

Expected Top 3, Unexpected Order

We all know that Tennessee, Ohio State, and Georgia are the top three teams in the country. The order of those three has been debated for several weeks now. A lot of people love Ohio State’s offensive talent and improved defense and have them on top. CJ Stroud is playing like a Heisman favorite and Marvin Harrison Jr. has emerged as perhaps the best WR in the nation. Many continue to ride Georgia’s excellence despite some struggles. They have played the best defense of anyone in college football and deserve their flowers on both sides of the ball. And Tennessee has taken the world by storm with their top ranked offense led by Heisman favorite QB Hendon Hooker. I personally think the balance of the Buckeyes makes them the #1 team, but the committee went Vols, Bucks, Dawgs, and I honestly understand. I’m not upset at all; the Volunteers have been incredible all year long and boast the country’s best win in their 52-49 thriller over Alabama, who clocked in tonight at #6 in the rankings. Georgia being ranked 3rd was a bit surprising, but felt warranted thanks to some unnecessary tough wins against Missouri and Kent State. Most of the debate over this top 3 is pointless, seeing as though Tennessee travels to Athens to take on Georgia this Saturday (3:30 PM EST, CBS), and the winner of that game will likely be ranked #1 until the SEC Championship Game. I think the loser of that game will still rest in the top 5 or so (if Tennessee loses I don’t see how they fall below Alabama) unless it’s a complete blowout, which itself feels unlikely. Ohio State needs to win out and they’ll be just fine, although I feel like them being ranked #1 at any point feels unlikely for the reason I just mentioned. We all know the game that matters the most for them.

Clemson vs. Michigan vs. TCU

The other three unbeatens have had very interesting seasons up to this point. Clemson has put together a solid resume over wins against currently ranked teams like Wake Forest, NC State, and Syracuse. But, they’ve also had a ton of offensive struggles and have a weird situation going on at QB right now with DJ Uiagalelei and Cade Klubnik. The committee is valuing their resume apparently and slotting them in the 4 spot, and considering how awful their remaining schedule is, it’s hard to see them missing out on the Playoff. Michigan has looked the part after a CFP appearance last year, running all over opponents with Heisman candidate RB Blake Corum, but have an incredibly weak strength of schedule weighed down by one of the worst non-conference schedules you’ll ever see. However, the committee thinks they pass the eye test, which is fair. Their offense has been great and their defense is somehow better than last year. They only have two real tests left with a home matchup against Illinois and The Game. Both of those matchups will tell us what we need to know about the Wolverines. TCU has emerged out of the blue with their incredible offense led by QB Max Duggan and boast perhaps the best overall resume in the sport with 4 wins over then-ranked teams and the 3rd ranked strength of record in football. But, they was ranked 7th behind Alabama, who has a loss and has struggled mightily against vastly inferior competition. I do have TCU ranked 6th out of the 6 unbeatens in football, but if I were on this committee, I might have put them at 4. Their resume is too strong to be ignored, and they certainly should not be behind a team with a loss, even if that team is Alabama. Based on this precedent, it’s hard to say that the Horned Frogs control their own destiny, even if they go unbeaten and win the Big 12 at 13-0.

A Flawed Logic

The committee has LSU ranked at #10, one spot above #11 Ole Miss, who they thrashed at home two weeks ago. I think ranking the Tigers above the Rebels is totally fair and believed AP voters should have done the same, but #10 feels a bit high. However, that is not my concern. My concern is that the committee is once again picking and choosing when and where to apply their alleged value for head-to-head wins. If you’re going to put 2-loss LSU above 1-loss Ole Miss because of how that game went, then why is 2-loss Utah five spots below 1-loss USC? Why is 2-loss Kansas State six spots ahead of 1-loss Tulane? That last one is a bit more acceptable, seeing as though the Wildcats have looked sensational since that game. But the other one, not so much. USC is vastly overrated in my opinion, which brings me to my next point.

Benefit Of The Doubt

USC is getting the benefit of the doubt from the committee simply because they’re USC. This is a great team, don’t get me wrong, but they do not belong in the top 10. They were in dogfights against Oregon State and Arizona and lost to Utah, who is inexplicably five spots below them. They have a great offense, but a very subpar defense who got gashed by the Utes and most recently the Wildcats in Tuscon. UCLA has certainly looked like the better team, but they’re ranked all the way down at #13. The only reason I can think of for that is the logo on the helmet. This also applies to Alabama, who has no business being ranked in the top six. If there are six unbeaten teams, each with solid resumes, then what is a 1-loss team doing in the top six? I know they’re the Crimson Tide and have two of the best players in the sport in Bryce Young and Will Anderson. But they lost to Tennessee fair and square and honestly should have lost to both Texas and Texas A&M. They realistically control their own destiny to get to the CFP, but that doesn’t mean they should be slotted so high right now. The other teams need to get their respect for what they’ve done (namely TCU). Saturday’s mammoth clash against #10 LSU (7:00 PM EST, ESPN) will show us just how deserving the Tide are of their ranking.

Big Brand Tax

Finally, we have to stop favoring the big brands simply because of who they are. I said it above with the likes of Alabama and USC being ranked above TCU, UCLA, Utah, and others, but it’s also apparent on the backend of the rankings. Are we sure Penn State should be above Illinois? And are we absolutely positively sure that Texas deserves to be ranked at all? The Longhorns have three close losses, but two of them are against okay to bad teams in Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. Meanwhile, Florida State is on the outside looking in despite their three close losses all coming against ranked opponents and having a win against a top 10 team in LSU. Feels a bit strange, don’t you think?

My Top 10

1 – Ohio State
2 – Georgia
3 – Tennessee
4 – Michigan
5 – Clemson
6 – TCU
7 – Alabama
8 – Oregon
9 – UCLA
10 – Utah

I update this every week as the season progresses. Georgia and Tennessee are so close in my mind, I just trust UGA’s defense infinitely more than the Vols’. I’ve advocated for TCU, and I think they could feasibly be above Clemson, but I’d love to see them play more complete games in the next couple of weeks. Oregon is a team to look out for as they continue to play like one of the best teams in the country after their Week 1 thrashing at the hands of Georgia. UCLA and Utah are being vastly underrated and undervalued by the committee and AP voters, and I would love to understand why.

It’s safe to say this weekend is going to bring about a lot of turmoil in next Tuesday’s rankings. I’ll be right back here to break that all down when they are unveiled. Until then.

All stats taken from ESPN.