Tag: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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.

Cover photo taken from Dallas Morning News.

1 – Eagles (7-0)

The NFL’s best teams destroying some of its worst is never exactly the most revealing thing in the world. Sunday showed me once again that the Eagles can absolutely decimate you through the air if they want to. Their dominance in the run game is well-documented, but people forget just how good of a passer Jalen Hurts has become. It helps that AJ Brown is continuing to shred secondaries. This team is just so incredible on both sides of the ball, and is only going to get better defensively with the acquisition of Robert Quinn. How they’re not the universal #1 across the media is beyond me.

2 – Bills (6-1)

The Bills would probably tell you that they didn’t play the way they wanted to on Sunday night. They obviously got off to a great start, but after going up 24-7, they phoned in the rest of the game. Josh Allen threw two really bad picks to take points off the board, their defense let up, and they just looked lethargic. They luckily didn’t have to continue playing their best ball to stave off a bad Packers team, but I would’ve liked to have seen a more complete performance out of them, especially coming off a bye.

3 – Chiefs (5-2)

The Chiefs had the week off ahead of a suddenly huge primetime showdown with the Titans at home on Sunday night. If they look even slightly as good as they did against San Francisco, then we should see some more fireworks out of this team.

4 – Cowboys (6-2) 1

This team just keeps on playing better and better. I think that giving up points in bunches to the Bears makes them look worse, but they went up 28-7 in the blink of an eye. The rest of the game was simply keeping Chicago’s offense in front of them, hence the big numbers from them. It doesn’t change the fact that this defense continues to play like the best in the NFL, and their offense finally poured in a great performance highlighted by a hat trick from Tony Pollard. They are so dominant defensively that any above average game from their offense means they win by 20+. I think the league should be a lot more scared of Dallas than they might be right now.

5 – Vikings (6-1) 1

The Vikings are still winning games by closer margins than they’d like, but all that matters is that the winning ways are continuing. The streak has reached five games, and they looked very solid on Sunday, especially offensively. Kirk Cousins played a great game and everyone on that side of the ball continues to contribute greatly. Now, TJ Hockenson is being added into the mix after being traded by Detroit. I’m not sure how he’ll fit into the system, but in due time, he should be another great weapon for Cousins. I still want to see the defense sure up the secondary, but they’ll continue to get away with it as long as this offense keeps their scorching ways going.

6 – 49ers (4-4) 3

Who would have thought that Christian McCaffrey would make a huge impact in this offense after a full week of practice? CMC became the first player since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2005 to throw, run for, and receive a touchdown in a single game. He was an absolute nightmare for the Rams, as he will continue to be for any and all defenses in the future. The rest of the offense looked just fine without Deebo Samuel, highlighted by another good game from Brandon Aiyuk, and the defense got back on track thanks to Nick Bosa being fully healthy again. His impact on the defense simply cannot be overstated, and it showed in bunches on Saturday. This team bounced back in a huge way from last week’s embarrassment, and I think they’re only going to get better. They are so much better than their record.

7 – Ravens (5-3) 1

This team is one of the hardest to make heads or tails of. I love Lamar Jackson, but I don’t know how to feel about the weapons around him. Nobody can stay healthy, but he continues to make it work. I don’t like this defense very much, but they played a solid game on Thursday. As a whole, I think this team is getting by on having a great QB and a generally talented roster, but we continue to see that they can’t play full games. I think they can be elite if they get healthy, but that feels unlikely for the time being. We’ll see how far Lamar can take them.

8 – Titans (5-2) 2

Honest question: how many people know that the Titans have won 5 games in a row? I feel like this team is getting completely lost in the mix of everyone else. It could be because of their cupcake schedule or their awful division, which is totally fair, but we have to put some respect on Tennessee. Winning on the road in a divisional game with a backup QB in his first career start isn’t easy. Handing the ball off to Derrick Henry over and over again is pretty easy though. He had his fourth consecutive 200 yard rushing performance against Houston. That is genuinely unfathomable stuff. None of the Titans wins on this streak have come against teams with winning records, nor have any of them been by more than 7 points. I know it’s not impressive, but they’re running away with the division and Henry is playing like an OPOY candidate. If no one else will respect them, I will.

9 – Seahawks (5-3) 3

How fun is this team? Everything they do is awesome. I never thought I’d see myself enjoying Seahawks football or them even being this good, but they are, and I am. They just keep on winning, and continue to do so in impressive fashion. Their defense stood out the most on Sunday, limiting the Giants all game long, allowing just 53 rushing yards from Saquon Barkley. Geno Smith did his thing again, DK Metcalf looked fine after suffering a minor injury last week, Tyler Lockett made amends for an uncharacteristic drop, and of course Kenneth Walker kept on scoring. This team now sits atop the division with a full game lead. I don’t know how long they’ll stay there with the Niners nipping at their heels, but it might be a tighter race than we thought.

10 – Dolphins (5-3) 3

Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are the best WR duo in the league. That argument has been put to bed. It might get to the point where they become one of the best duos we’ve ever seen. Both of them are so incredibly dynamic and talented. It makes every Dolphins game a must-watch. It helps that Tua Tagovailoa is playing solid ball. Granted, they won’t be playing the worst defense in the NFL every week. Moreover, their own defense needs to play vastly better than they did on Sunday. They should never have been a 27-17 hole in the first half alone. I will say that I loved the fact that they shut out the Lions in the second half. And the pass rush is getting a huge boost thanks to trading for Bradley Chubb. I love the way this team is playing, and they are so much better with Tua at the helm. Their playoff push is imminent against a fairly easy schedule.

11 – Bengals (4-4) 5

Last week, I declared that the Bengals were back. Then, Ja’Marr Chase’s injury was decreed way more serious than any of us expected. I’ve said for over a year that Chase is one of the most valuable players in the league thanks to his ability to alter the way this offense works and is played against by opposing defenses. With him out on Monday night, you could see just how much worse this team is. The Browns weren’t moved at all by just Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd, who are typically open because of the attention that Chase gets. They couldn’t run the ball effectively without a threat of deep shots. They were absolutely manhandled, giving the rest of the league the blueprint to shut this team down while Chase is out. The next few weeks are a bit easy on paper, so Cincy better hope they can notch some ugly wins while #1 gets healthy.

12 – Giants (6-2) 5

The Giants finally lost a game they deserved to lose. About time! Their offense was an absolute sham for sixty minutes as their patented running game did a whole lot of nothing and Daniel Jones played his worst game of the season. Moreover, their defense, which has been so solid all year long, let up a lot of big plays and long drives. They were able to force some turnovers and get pressure, but it just wasn’t enough this time. And that’s what I’ve been waiting to see. The Giants have had a winning formula for a while, but it was only going to take them so far. Their games against actual teams will go like they did on Sunday. Luckily for them, their schedule is remarkably easy, with their next two games being at home against the Texans and Lions, so wins should still be pouring in for them.

13 – Jets (5-3) 2

The Breece Hall injury effectively ruined the Jets season. Now they can’t run the ball, which means the offense rests on the shoulders of Zach Wilson. And he is the worst starting QB in the league. I’m not afraid to say that there are several backups in the league, including his own, that are better than he is. If the Jets want to win, they should have Flacco under center. Wilson’s inability to read defenses and inexplicable tendency to hand the ball right to them multiple times a game is holding this team back so much. Despite the fact that they couldn’t run the ball, the Jets might have won on Sunday if it wasn’t for those boneheaded picks. Their defense could have played better, but I’m placing all the blame on the guy who was unfathomably selected #2 overall last year. He is the problem.

14 – Chargers (4-3)

I don’t know what the rest of the Chargers season will look like as they come out of their bye week, but I’m having a hard time feeling good about it. They’re still super banged up and simply not great across the board, and Justin Herbert needs to elevate his level of play. I don’t like their chances this week coming across the country to play a solid Falcons team.

15 – Falcons (4-4) 4

I’ve felt pretty good about the Falcons for a while now, and suddenly they have sole possession of first place in their division. That’s merely a product of how bad it is, but I’m not going to sit here and say this team isn’t good. Perhaps they should have lost on Sunday, but they found a way to win, as good teams do. Their offense continues to play very well, especially at home, but their defense sorely misses AJ Terrell. I think the secondary play can and will hold them back in future games, but for now, they’re content to be .500 in spite of their last two defensive performances.

16 – Rams (3-4) 1

I honestly might have the Rams too high here. As I’ve said all year, this team is the definition of mid. With Cooper Kupp nursing an injury, they could look like one of the worst teams in the NFL this week. He is their entire offense, although Allen Robinson is contributing ever so slightly. Matt Stafford is doing nothing, nor is the defense. The only good thing about this team is #10, as has been the case since the start of the year. If he can’t go this week, you’ll see just how reliant this team is on him.

17 – Cardinals (3-5) 1

The Cardinals looked exactly how I thought they would look on Sunday. They were competitive all game long, but when it came down to it, they could not execute. It was very predictable, and for that reason, I’m not going to be that harsh to them. It was a tough road test against a very good team, and they played a solid game. DeAndre Hopkins’ return from suspension has proven to be massive for this offense as he put together yet another monster statline, but the rest of the offense is just lingering. They need to get healthy in the RB room if they want to be better. The defense isn’t good and they’ll just have to live with that. But if they slightly improve, they really could be a playoff team.

18 – Patriots (4-4) 3

This team is weird. I expected them to look better after last week’s thrashing in primetime, and they did. They still could have and should have looked better considering how bad the Jets played, but a win is a win, and they’re back to .500. I don’t know how much I buy this team on either side of the ball, and their inconsistency makes it that much harder to read them. Mac Jones still isn’t playing well, but the emergence of Rhamondre Stevenson makes this offense viable. The defense played much better, which is good to see. I just don’t see New England actually rising to the occasion and beating the good teams on their schedule.

19 – Browns (3-5) 4

I thought the Browns would play well on Monday night. I did not foresee them playing their best game of the year by far and winning by nearly 20 against their division rival. After the Ja’Marr Chase news broke, I figured the Browns would win (and rushed to take them +3.5), but I didn’t see it being so dominant. Jacoby Brissett played a solid game, Amari Cooper was spectacular, and their RB tandem of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt finally returned to form. Chubb continues to play like the NFL’s best back, racking up TDs like it’s a video game. While the offense moved the ball up and down the field, perhaps the most impressive part of the performance was how their defense shut down and dismantled Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense from start to finish. Without Chase on the field, they couldn’t get anything going, and the Browns pass rush looked as good as we know they can be. I don’t know how many of these types of performances Cleveland has in them, but if they can get some more good momentum going with Deshaun Watson just 3 games away from returning, then perhaps they can turn their season around.

20 – Saints (3-5) 4

Like the team above them, I didn’t know the Saints had such a dominant performance in them. It certainly helps that Alvin Kamara is finally looking like himself again with an incredible 3-touchdown performance, but something got into their defense after being thrashed last week by Arizona. They absolutely locked down a very solid Raiders offense to the tune of the second shutout of the season thus far in the NFL. Josh Jacobs, who had been unstoppable coming into the game, had just 43 yards on the ground, and Davante Adams might as well have stayed in Vegas after just 1 catch for 3 yards. New Orleans’ dominance on both sides of the ball was very impressive, but it remains to be seen whether or not that can be replicated against the tougher teams on their schedule. This week’s primetime matchup with the Ravens should help us get a better understanding.

21 – Commanders (4-4) 4

Strap in folks, we’re going on our yearly Linsanity run. This year, it features 3 straight wins against 3 awful teams that will have this fanbase stirred up and ready for a “playoff push”. Left hand up, am I right? I wish people would temper their expectations. We should have lost to Chicago and Indianapolis, who both beat themselves. We realistically could have lost to Green Bay if it wasn’t for a defensive touchdown taken off the board. This team still is not good. However, it’s not all bad (for once). The defense has been playing very well, especially up front. I’m taking that with a grain of salt considering the offenses they’ve played. Taylor Heinicke has been… fine I suppose. The gameplan of throw it up to Terry McLaurin and praying has worked thus far since #17 is one of the best receivers in the NFL and continues to earn every penny of that extension. If there’s one good thing that comes from Heinicke starting, it’s that Terry gets the love he deserves. So yes, we are somehow back at .500 and on a streak. But the next two games are against the 6-1 Vikings and 7-0 Eagles. Prepare for this team to look as awful as they did on that 4-game losing streak.

22 – Packers (3-5) 4

The Packers have now lost four in a row. Despite that fact, they are content to continue with their roster being the same while the rest of the division around them makes moves. It’s a sign of the times in Green Bay. They seem perfectly fine with being bad. I do think they played alright on Sunday night, and it helps that Aaron Jones is becoming the central focus of the offense. But the defense is still getting torched, especially in the secondary, and they can’t throw the ball. The losing ways are going to continue for the Packers, and they have no one to blame but themselves.

23 – Buccaneers (3-5) 4

This has been perhaps the worst week of Tom Brady’s life, but I’m not here to beat him up. I’ll also lay off on beating up his team for once. Yes, this team sucks, but we already knew that. They’re the same team every single week, and that’s why they can’t win. They are simply not good at anything other than statpadding in the passing game. Every week is more of the same, so none of the Buccaneers’ struggles shock me anymore. They’ll just keep on plummeting.

24 – Raiders (2-5) 4

I should start a new rule where I don’t talk about your team if you get shut out. That seems fair. That being said, I can’t ignore how embarrassing the Raiders were on Sunday. They let a defense who has gotten gashed in nearly all of their games this year put them in a padded cell. Davante Adams had yet another game where he was invisible. Josh Jacobs’ hot streak ended and the rest of the team had no idea what to do, namely Derek Carr, who looked genuinely awful. We knew their defense was bad, so seeing them get gashed wasn’t shocking. But I never expected this offense to look so poor.

25 – Colts (3-4-1) 3

The first game of the Sam Ehlinger era went as expected. The Colts were simply mediocre all game long, and could have won thanks to being handed the game by the Commanders offense. But, their defense fell apart late, and they completely blew it. Ehlinger was painfully average, as was everyone else involved. Like so many other teams in this range, we know what we’re going to get out of Indianapolis every single week. It’s really shocking to see Jonathan Taylor continue to be a complete non-factor, but I’ve gotten used to it at this point. Teams won’t fear Ehlinger, and they don’t fear Taylor anymore either.

26 – Bears (3-5)

Despite another loss, it’s hard to not feel encouraged by what the Bears have been doing in recent weeks. Justin Fields has looked really solid and extremely comfortable as the offense around him continues to produce. He had a career day on Sunday with efficient passing and three total touchdowns. It helped that Chicago put themselves in a massive deficit early on, allowing Fields to put up numbers, but regardless, I was once again impressed. He looks much more comfortable in the pocket and is throwing the ball really well. The RB duo of David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert continues to shine as well. I’m not sure what the direction of this team is after dealing LBs Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith but trading for a WR in Chase Claypool, but I think they feel better about Fields too and are preparing to build around him for the future. I love to see that.

27 – Broncos (3-5) 2

Like so many other teams this week, the Broncos looked exactly how I expected them to on Sunday morning in London. The offense was able to put up enough points against a bad team, and the defense was able to shut down a solid offense when it mattered. They forced key turnovers in key moments, and it won Denver the game. I still think this team is relatively awful, but there’s no denying how good they are defensively. As I’ve said all year long, that defense will win them games against inferior competition. That is exactly what happened on Sunday.

28 – Panthers (2-6) 2

I feel pretty bad for the Panthers. Once again, they were competitive to the very end. They pulled off an incredible Hail Mary which should have won the game and missed two game winning kicks, including the extra point after that Hail Mary. D’Onta Foreman put up a monster statline in his first game as the team’s true RB1 and PJ Walker continued to look very solid as the QB1. I do think losing while putting up those numbers was the best-case scenario for this team, but it definitely stings.

29 – Jaguars (2-6) 2

Just about the only positive with the Jaguars right now is the fact that Travis Etienne has fulfilled the promise of being a true RB1. He had a huge game on Sunday morning in London and continues to be the best player on the offense. No one else is playing close to his level, especially QB Trevor Lawrence, who continues to lay a ton of duds on the field. His costly, bad interceptions lost the Jags the game, and he’s simply regressing. There’s nothing else but himself to blame it on. He has a RB, good WRs, a good coach, and a decent defense. He is the main reason this team is losing games.

30 – Steelers (2-6) 2

The Steelers have a real case for being the worst team in the NFL right now. Kenny Pickett hasn’t done anything in his starts, Najee Harris has regressed into Trent Richardson, and the defense is playing like one of the worst in the league. There isn’t a single thing this team does well. They are firmly in the running for the #1 pick, and it wouldn’t shock me at all if they end up with it by season’s end.

31 – Texans (1-5-1)

If you can’t beat a team playing their backup QB in his first start at home, then you’ve got problems. We all know the Texans have problems, though. None of this is remotely shocking. I think they could have and should have played better, but the Titans have absolutely owned them in recent years, namely Derrick Henry, who had his fourth straight 200-yard rushing day against Houston. Losing games is the best-case scenario for the Texans, so I’m sure they’re not too upset.

32 – Lions (1-6)

The Lions in a closed environment, especially at home, are simply different. It’s the only place where they can play like an actual football team. The offense got off to a blazing hot start on Sunday, but the second half was anything but. Getting shut out for the entire second half after putting up 27 in the first is a bit mind-boggling, but this is the Detroit Lions. Everything is mind-boggling. Now, they’ve dealt away TJ Hockenson and seem fully geared towards continuing the rebuild next year. It’s only a matter of time before Dan Campbell is sent on his way as well.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Cover photo taken from Cincy Jungle.

1 – Eagles (6-0)

Thanks to their bye week, the Eagles remain locked in the #1 spot. As I said last week, it’s not just because of their perfect record, but thanks to their incredible balance and dominance on both sides of the ball. They still leave a lot to be desired offensively in the second half of games, but when they get out to such huge leads, then maybe it won’t be that big of an issue in the coming weeks against a cupcake schedule.

2 – Bills (5-1)

Buffalo also had their bye this week, as if they needed one. This is the most unstoppable team in football at the moment, and I doubt they needed a week off to recharge. I fully expect them to continue dominating their subpar schedule for the rest of the way, starting this Sunday night at home against a bumbling Packers team.

3 – Chiefs (5-2)

The Kansas City Chiefs did their patented move of absolutely waxing a very good team after being beat and seemingly written off by everyone. All they did was go on the road and put up 44 points including six consecutive touchdown drives against the best statistical defense in the NFL. Patrick Mahomes was absolutely fantastic with a nearly flawless game other than an interception off a tip. Mecole Hardman offered up his best game as a pro. The defense locked down the 49ers after their blockbuster acquisition of Christian McCaffrey by making life hell for Jimmy Garoppolo all game long. It was a perfect game from KC, which they needed after their loss against Buffalo.

4 – Vikings (5-1)

The Vikings remain in the top 4 thanks to their bye week and their record. They have an interesting matchup with the Cardinals this week that could be a shootout, and I feel confident in Minnesota’s ability to keep their winning ways going, especially at home.

5 – Cowboys (5-2) 2

The Cowboys defense continues to prove why they should be considered to be the best in the NFL. They are just game-wreckers at every level, and it’s quite frankly incredible to think they’ve lost two games. The offense, even with Dak Prescott back, is nothing to write home about. But it doesn’t matter because of the dominance of the other side of the ball. Turnovers, sacks, PBUs, pressure, you name it. This team gets it. I think this defense is performing the best of any in the NFL at the moment, and it will carry them in the majority of their games, especially when they’re playing a team as incompetent as Detroit. But, I’d like to see more out of the offense (perhaps a trade is forthcoming a la Amari Cooper in 2018) before dubbing the whole team as elite or contenders.

6 – Bengals (4-3) 4

It took a while to get back on track, but the Bengals are officially here. The hangover is over (maybe they used that cure I gave them) and they’re finally looking like their old selves again. Joe Burrow is absolutely dealing, Joe Mixon is a menace, Ja’Marr Chase is once again unguardable, and the defense is back to their dominant ways. They dismantled a solid Falcons squad who hadn’t lost like that all year long thanks to the perfection of their passing game. Burrow might just be an MVP candidate right now, which is shocking considering how he began the year. This team 100% has what it takes to separate themselves from the rest of their awful division, despite their loss in Baltimore a few weeks ago. They’ve found their stride. Have fun stopping it.

7 – Giants (6-1) 1

Once again, the Giants found a way to win a game they frankly had no business winning. I don’t want to sound like a broken record at this point, so I’ll just bounce the Giants up a bit and leave it at that. I really don’t know how much longer this stuff is going to persist, but I have a feeling it’ll be a while before this team is exposed, if even at all. They just win and we have to deal with it.

8 – Ravens (4-3) 1

This team is just so unconvincing. Once again, they nearly implode with a double digit lead in the fourth quarter, this time against a pretty bad Cleveland team. They got the job done, but I don’t feel good about any of it. Lamar Jackson was nothing special, the WRs once again did nothing, and Mark Andrews didn’t even have a catch! They had to ride Gus Edwards of all people to victory in his first game back from injury. Their defense played a solid game, but again, it’s hard to feel good about where this team is headed with how they close out games. It started as a concern, then became a pattern, and is now a part of this team’s identity.

9 – 49ers (3-4) 3

The 49ers laid a dud. They got waxed. They got healthy and got CMC and it meant nothing. I even switched my pick to them and they let me down. However, most people do all of the above when running into the buzzsaw that is the Kansas City Chiefs. I still feel good about this team, but man, does that get harder by the day. Jimmy Garoppolo is a genuinely perplexing quarterback, and I don’t know how I can trust the Niners to contend with him under center when they play truly elite teams like the Chiefs. As I’ve said so many times before, there is a clear ceiling and floor with the 49ers. We just saw the basement.

10 – Titans (4-2) 1

Like the Giants, the Titans just find ways to win. It has been their identity for years now under Mike Vrabel, and it comes easy against their awful division opponents. Luckily for them, next up is the Texans, so you can expect this to keep going. This team is nothing special at all, but I have to respect their winning ways. They’re boring and conventional, but it works. Derrick Henry is continuing his dominant ways on the ground, and this front seven is one of the best in the league. They play a winning style of football that can carry them through their atrocious schedule for now. We’ll see what happens when it ramps up.

11 – Jets (5-2) 1

The Jets are 5-2 and just won their third straight game. But it really felt like a loss. Their tremendous phenom rookie RB and OROY favorite Breece Hall tore his ACL on Sunday and will miss the rest of the season. Moreover, standout guard Alijah Vera-Tucker will also be out for the year after tearing his triceps. Even after a nice road win, New York is feeling a lot worse today than they did last week. Still, the Jets are doing so many things so well, namely on defense. Their front seven continues to eat thanks to the long overdue emergence of Quinnen Williams, and DROY favorite Sauce Gardner is locking things down in the secondary. They also traded for RB James Robinson to help our their backfield woes, so they still should be able to run the ball well. I don’t believe in Zach Wilson, but he hasn’t needed to do much for this team to win. We’ll see how long it takes for the wheels to fall off.

12 – Seahawks (4-3) 7

After seven weeks, the Seattle Seahawks are in first place in the NFC West as the only team in the division with a winning record. What a world we live in. Seattle is a genuinely good team, and it’s time we just accept that. They are doing everything well, and it’s in large part thanks to the incredible contributions of their young pieces. Yes, Geno Smith is doing his thing at QB, but the new standout on offense is rookie RB Kenneth Walker, who has been a revelation in the last two weeks. The defense is also continuing to eat thanks to the excellence of their rookie DBs Tariq Woolen and Coby Bryant as well as the continued dominance of their front. They went on the road and completely annihilated a team that most people think is a great one. This might not be an early season facade. This might actually be a playoff team.

13 – Dolphins (4-3) 2

Like so many other teams with similar records, it’s hard to see the Dolphins as a convincing squad right now. They’re just treading water offensively despite having some incredible pieces that should make them perform so much better. I don’t know how a team can look so average with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle catching passes, but it makes a lot more sense when you consider their fiasco at QB. Tua made his return on Sunday and didn’t look great or try to protect himself at all, which is just unbelievable. The defense and run game led by Raheem Mostert held things down for the whole game and was the reason they won, but they better hope to get more out of their passing game if they want to realize their potential like they did earlier in the year.

14 – Chargers (4-3) 9

I have been giving the Chargers the benefit of the doubt for months thanks to their injuries. It might be time to accept the fact that they straight up suck. Yes, their defense has been decimated by injury. It just got JC Jackson suffering a season-ending knee injury. But Jackson had been awful prior to the injury, just as many of their defensive pieces have been. They finally got Keenan Allen back and it meant nothing. Even Justin Herbert has looked extremely pedestrian all year long. The only thing the Chargers do well is force feed Austin Ekeler. THey just get pieced up way too easily, and it’s impossible to trust them to do anything good on any given Sunday. I’ve essentially given up on this team, and I don’t know how they can win me back at this point.

15 – Rams (3-3) 1

Thankfully for my eyes, the Rams had a bye this week to save us from watching their boring, lifeless team. They evidently won the bye and get nudged up ever so slightly this week, but don’t look too far into it. I still think this team is as mid as they come in this league.

16 – Cardinals (3-4) 6

This team is so strange. They needed an absolute disasterclass from Andy Dalton to get out to a huge lead on Thursday night and still almost blew it late. Their defense was incredibly porous outside of the turnovers. The offense did their thing thanks to the return of DeAndre Hopkins and great performance from 3rd string RB Eno Benjamin, but they were going up against an awful defense. I have no idea what the offense is going to look like in the coming weeks. All I know is seeing Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury yelling at each other on the sideline doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence.

17 – Packers (3-4) 4

Last week, I said “when you think it can’t get worse in Green Bay, it gets much, much worse.” That’s exactly what happened for yet another week. The Packers have now lost 3 in a row to the Giants, Jets, and Commanders. In each game, their offense has looked completely inept while their defense gets dismantled. It’s safe to say that the Packers defense is straight up bad and was one of the most overrated units in football coming into this year, despite their great 2021. Aaron Rodgers looks completely checked out, as he always does when the going gets tough. The only positive thing from the Packers this week was their ability to get Aaron Jones involved, which clearly paid dividends for them. Imagine if they did that earlier! This is just a middle-of-the-pack team that I am sticking a fork in.

18 – Buccaneers (3-4) 4

I am also sticking a fork in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I mean, my goodness. This team is a flat out embarrassment in every sense of the word. Their performances in recent weeks have been unfathomably bad. Scoring 3 points as a 14-point favorite against the worst team in the NFL that is literally a fire sale at the moment after they dealt their franchise player should constitute relegation. The formerly-vaunted defense can’t even stop PJ Walker, D’Onta Foreman, and Chuba Hubbard. Tom Brady can’t do anything with the offense that they are running, but he is not without blame either. He hasn’t looked like himself, and it doesn’t help that his offensive line is perhaps the worst in the NFL. They are still the league’s worst rushing team as they can’t get anything out of Leonard Fournette anymore. It’s hard to comprehend, but this offense with Brady, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and more is the sixth worst scoring offense in the league. The Panthers, Commanders, and Bears score more points than the Buccaneers. Let that sink in.

19 – Falcons (3-4) 2

I don’t want to be too harsh to the Falcons, who failed to cover the spread for the first time this year. This is the first dud they’ve laid all year long, but man was it a bad one. I understand getting off to a rough start against an offense like Cincinnati’s, with the secondary having a terrible day and clearly feeling the absence of AJ Terrell, but their response was negligible at best. I like Arthur Smith as a coach, but I can’t fathom sticking to a virtually run-only offense when you get down by multiple possessions. I don’t know if they don’t trust Marcus Mariota to throw the ball, but they have very good pass-catching weapons on the team. How hard can it be to get Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and others involved in the passing game?

20 – Raiders (2-4) 3

I don’t want to overreact to a win against the Houston Texans, but I feel like the Raiders are starting to find their stride. The offense is continuing to move the ball with ease thanks to the dominance of Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams. The defense is stepping up too, stifling a passable Texans offense for most of the game. I still have a ton of questions about their secondary, but this team feels more than equipped to win shootouts. I have to see it against better teams before buying more stock.

21 – Patriots (3-4) 3

Monday night was absolutely hilarious in Foxboro. We saw Mac Jones seemingly lose his job, Bailey Zappe reignite the team and the fanbase, and then Zappe seemingly lose the job all within a matter of hours. Now, I have no idea what to make of this team. They don’t know who the QB is, and neither option is honestly great, although I’d rock with Zappe. The defense got picked apart by the Bears of all teams. They finally looked like they were putting something good together, and it completely fell apart. I guess this is what the Patriots are now. They’re not awful, but they’re nothing special and will likely hang around .500 all year long.

22 – Colts (3-3-1) 2

Speaking of QB fiascos, the Colts are benching Matt Ryan due to him being a statue of a dinosaur who brings nothing of value to a football team in 2022. His downfall has been sad to see, but it’s clear that he has nothing left in the tank. So, the keys to the car that has Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman Jr. are being handed to… Sam Ehlinger. Yes, that Sam Ehlinger. So, if you didn’t feel bad enough about the Colts before, now is the time to feel bad. Maybe he can lead this team to some wins here and there, but this team is nothing more than an average to below average waste of talent and potential. This is a weird move that might insinuate that they’re throwing in the towel for this season.

23 – Browns (2-5) 2

Man this team is embarrassing. I don’t even feel like talking about them. They’re just so bad. I wanna blame Jacoby Brissett, but it feels unfair to place all the blame on the backup QB. I actually think the majority of the blame lies with their defense, which has been straight up awful this season. They had so much potential, but all of that has gone out the window. Kareem Hunt has disappeared for some reason, and Nick Chubb has been mostly stifled for the last two weeks. This team is just a joke right now, and it’s only getting worse.

24 – Saints (2-5)

My perception on the Saints hasn’t changed one bit other than the fact that I feel a lot worse about Andy Dalton than I did before. Two of his three interceptions were awful, with one of them coming in the endzone. If the Saints score a touchdown there, Thursday night’s game might have gone differently. Their offense was doing their thing until that point, and it threw everything off. However, their defense continues to look poorer with every passing game, and that’s what holds this team back. Even with backup WRs, they’re able to move the ball. But it means nothing when the other side of the ball might as well not even exist.

25 – Commanders (3-4) 5

The 8th wonder of the world is why this team loves playing for Taylor Heinicke so much. Whenever he comes in, they just have an energy that otherwise is lacking. I will never understand it, but it works. Both sides of the ball put forth a pretty good performance against an admittedly bad Packers team, and despite some of Heinicke’s best efforts to give the game away, a second consecutive game was won to put the tank on hold. I know I say how much I want to lose and tank and whatnot, but it felt good to win a game like that. I won’t get my hopes up, even with Chase Young coming back soon, but I’m happy for the team. I suppose that’s all I can ask for at this point.

26 – Bears (3-4) 5

Simply put, the Bears put together their best performance of the year and perhaps the entire Justin Fields era on Monday night in Foxboro. The offense was actually clicking thanks to shockingly great playcalling and Fields limiting his mistakes, making great plays with his legs and his arm. Everyone got involved on offense, which I didn’t think they had in them. Moreover, the defense put together a great outing of their own thanks to a great game from their secondary headlined by rookies Jaquan Brisker and Kyler Gordon. I don’t know if the Bears can keep this going, but I definitely feel better about them after this. Because at least now I know they have it in them to play a good football game.

27 – Jaguars (2-5) 1

It has gone from bad to worse to straight up dumpster fire for the Jags. Once again, they refuse to close out and win games. They continue to fall apart late in the clutch. Even when it looks like things are going well offensively, such as the emergence of Travis Etienne as the clear RB1, it doesn’t translate into enough points to win the game. And when the defense plays well, the wheels fall off in the 4th quarter. This is now 4 losses in a row for a team we all thought could make the playoffs after 3 weeks. It might continue to get worse from here.

28 – Steelers (2-5) 2

The Steelers have returned to Earth after a completely worthless performance on Sunday night. The offense might as well not have showed up, and while the defense played well enough to keep the game close, it meant nothing due to the incompetence of the other side of the ball. That has been the story of the season for Pittsburgh. They can’t put together a complete performance to save their lives, and they’re one of the worst teams in the league because of it.

29 – Broncos (2-5) 1

I won’t be too harsh to the Broncos for losing a game to a solid team with their backup QB playing. It’s not shocking that they couldn’t find the endzone, considering they have plenty of trouble doing that with their starting QB in the game. Their defense played another solid game, and once again, it meant nothing. I kinda feel bad for those guys.

30 – Panthers (2-5) 2

Seemingly every season, the team that’s clearly blowing it up and tanking puts together a hell of a performance against a “good” team for one of their lone wins of the year. The Jags did it last year against the Bills. The Jets did it in 2020 against the Rams. And the Panthers did it on Sunday against the Buccaneers. Good for them. They traded Christian McCaffrey and are trying to blow it up even further, but still dismantled Tom Brady and the Bucs in impressive fashion. Kudos to them. Now go complete the tank.

31 – Texans (1-4-1) 2

If nothing else, the Texans are consistent. They always hang around for a little bit before they inevitably get crushed. It’s honestly impressive that they stick to the formula so well. Sunday’s game was closer than the score would indicate, but who cares? The Texans are doing their job by continuing to lose games, and they better hope the Browns keep doing so as well. Imagine if they wind up with two top 5 picks.

32 – Lions (1-5) 5

The Lions have gone down the “sneaky good team with a great offense” to “worst team in the NFL” pipeline with swiftness in the last two months. It’s pretty sad, but incredibly predictable. Jared Goff was never going to continue putting up numbers. Against one of the league’s best defenses, he was absolutely atrocious with 4 turnovers. Amon-Ra St. Brown and D’Andre Swift can’t stay healthy at all. The defense is still absolutely awful. At least the other teams towards the bottom of the Power Rankings are competitive. The Lions might as well not show up on Sundays.

All stats taken from ESPN

Cover photo taken from The Kansas City Star.

1 – Eagles (6-0)

The Eagles aren’t just the #1 team because of the 0 in the loss column. They are simply the best team in the NFL. They have been the most balanced, the most dominant, and the most consistent. I know everybody is in a rush to crown the Bills as the best team in the league, and I wouldn’t say that’s without merit. But we have to respect what Philadelphia is doing. They moved the ball with ease on one of the NFL’s best defenses, and their own defense continues to wreak some havoc of their own. The Eagles have an incredible +12 turnover differential through six weeks with a staggering 14 takeaways to just 2 turnovers. They take the ball and shove it down your throat. This is the best team in the NFL, and considering their schedule, it’s hard to see them being knocked off this pedestal.

2 – Bills (5-1) 1

For the second consecutive year, the Bills walked into Arrowhead and beat the Chiefs thanks to Josh Allen’s excellence and their defense stepping up and limiting Patrick Mahomes. They forced him into some poor interceptions to help seal the deal, and Von Miller’s presence was felt more than anyone else on the field, as is seemingly always the case. He was the missing piece in Buffalo, and they look pretty unstoppable on both sides of the ball with him in the picture. The offense maybe didn’t put up as many points as they would have liked to, but they did what they had to do. They got their numbers in, and their two spectacular touchdown drives at the end of each half proved to be the difference. This team has now separated themselves from Kansas City (for the time being), and are deserving of a top 2 spot.

3 – Chiefs (4-2) 1

The Chiefs lost another regular season game to the Bills at home. They better hope this one doesn’t send them spiraling out of control like last year’s did. Even in the loss, the Chiefs showed me plenty to like, especially defensively. They held their own against Josh Allen for the most part, generating a solid pass rush and getting the best play they’ve gotten all season from their corners. It was just a couple of drives that proved to be the difference. I wasn’t a fan of Patrick Mahomes’ two uncharacteristically awful interceptions, the first of which came in the endzone when the Chiefs could’ve added 3 points on the board, and the second of which losing them the game. KC also missed a FG, so considering they took 6 points off the board on their own accord, they really lost to themselves. I do believe they were the inferior team on Sunday, but this team is still going to be fine. They just have an uphill climb to the 1 seed and homefield advantage now.

4 – Vikings (5-1) 5

The Vikings are the massive beneficiary of the rest of the NFL falling apart. In the midst of all the chaos, they are tied for the 2nd best record in the league, with their lone loss being to the only unbeaten team in football. They have yet to be convincing in a win since Week 1, but it virtually does not matter. All that matters is the fact that they keep on accumulating wins. The defense is playing well enough, and the offense continues to do big things. It’s a winning formula in a bad division with a schedule that’s been pretty easy thus far. It’s about to ramp up, so we’ll see how long these winning ways continue.

5 – Chargers (4-2) 2

From here on out, this list is an absolute mess. I have no idea what to make of anyone, so please read with discretion. I don’t even think the Chargers are close to deserving to be this high. I just don’t know what else to do with them. They looked awful offensively on Monday night, but their defense played extremely well. But, they were playing the Broncos. We just saw this team get gashed by the likes of Cleveland and Houston. They’re still getting healthy, but it’ll be a while before many key pieces return. I don’t foresee them staying up here for very long.

6 – 49ers (3-3)

Despite Sunday’s loss, which was pretty poor, and their .500 record, I still feel good about the 49ers. That game had weird things written all over it, and the Falcons played their best game of the season. It does not help that San Francisco’s defensive players are dropping like flies. It’s a unit that’s at its thinnest, and even DC DeMeco Ryans doesn’t know what to do. As long as they get their guys back, they’ll be fine. The concerns still lie with the offense, which was very on and off on Sunday. Their consistency will need to be much better if this team wants to win more games.

7 – Cowboys (4-2) 1

All things considered, Sunday night could have gone worse for the Cowboys. They were getting pummeled in the first half, but used a solid second half on both sides of the ball to make it slightly interesting. If Dak Prescott was playing, maybe the outcome would have been different. The good news for Dallas is that Dak is coming back this week, which is part of the reason I bumped them up. I still trust their defense more than most in the league, and their offense is about to get a massive boost now that they’ll actually be able to throw the ball. I think the Cowboys are primed to be one of the best teams in the NFL for the rest of the way, and it starts with getting their franchise QB back under center.

8 – Giants (5-1) 7

They just keep on winning. I still can’t wrap my head around it, but the Giants are for real. I never could have seen it coming, and I’m done disrespecting it. You might say that they’re still too low here, but this feels right for New York. They utilized yet another late comeback to topple the Ravens on Sunday on the backs of their defense creating more turnovers and making more plays. They have been the heart and soul of this team, and they are the reason they’re winning all of these games. The run game led by Saquon Barkley has been good enough to carry the load offensively. It’s not a conventional formula for wins, but it’s working, and the schedule is somehow only getting easier. The Giants might keep these winnings ways up for a while longer.

9 – Ravens (3-3) 5

The Ravens have a problem. All three of their losses have come after holding double digit leads in the second half, with two of them being in the fourth quarter. They are losing to themselves, giving games away thanks to some sort of internal problem with choking and turnovers in the clutch. This team is way too good to keep losing games like this, and while I gave them the benefit of the doubt before, I can’t anymore. It’s an extremely concerning pattern that needs to change as soon as possible.

10 – Bengals (3-3) 2

Joe Burrow’s return to Louisiana went about as well as you could have hoped. He had the best QB game of the week with over 300 yards passing and 4 total TDs, and his LSU buddy Ja’Marr Chase had his best game of the year with a 7/132/2 statline. The defense didn’t play up to snuff, but the offense looked like their old selves, and it was because of the revival of that connection. If Chase can get this involved and dominate like this, it adds that extra gear to the Bengals that we saw a year ago. We’ll see if they can keep that up against better defenses now that they’ve found their stride.

11 – Titans (3-2) 3

The Titans won their bye week simply because the rest of the league is falling apart around them. It helps that they have played very well going into it. I’m interested to see how they come out of their bye. I think they can separate themselves in the putrid AFC South, but they have to prove it to me.

12 – Jets (4-2) 12

New York, New York. The Jets are seemingly drinking whatever it is the Giants are, and it has led to three consecutive wins and their best record through six games in seven years. They walked into Lambeau and thoroughly beat down the Packers thanks to their defense continuing to dominate the trenches, the continued emergence of rookies like Sauce Gardner and Breece Hall, and a great special teams performance. This team just plays with a level of juice and toughness that’s honestly inspiring, even if it seemingly makes no sense. It’s not flashy. It’s borderline ugly. But it’s winning football. The Jets are playing winning football.

13 – Packers (3-3) 3

When you think it can’t get worse in Green Bay, it gets much, much worse. All this team did on Sunday is play their worst game of the year at home as a touchdown favorite against a team that we all thought was a bad joke. Turns out the Packers offense is the punchline of their own bad joke. Aaron Rodgers has lost his touch on the deep ball, they refuse to get Aaron Jones involved, they get damn near negligible production from their WRs, and the offensive line has fallen off a cliff. The other side of the ball isn’t inspiring any confidence either, as the secondary has been awful despite the dominance of the front seven. This team is just falling apart thanks to their awful play, and I don’t know if they have it in them to turn it around. You’d think that they can only go up from here, but I just don’t know.

14 – Buccaneers (3-3) 9

Speaking of uninspiring teams that are falling apart at the seams, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in the midst of perhaps the biggest implosion of the season thus far. Their problems are quite similar to Green Bay’s. Their offense is a complete joke, boasting the NFL’s worst (!) rushing attack with a disgusting 67.5 yards/game thanks to an offensive line comprised of 5 drunk Floridians taken off the street. Their passing game might as well be nonexistent as well, even with their WRs coming back from injury. Tom Brady is getting no favors from anyone, but he hasn’t been great either, throwing for a measly 8 touchdowns in 6 games. The defense has previously been the saving grace of the team, but they couldn’t stop Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett on Sunday. Like I said, it’s a bad joke. Still, everyone is laughing.

15 – Dolphins (3-3) 4

Again, I really don’t want to fault the Dolphins for continuing to fall apart at QB. Their 3rd stringer Skylar Thompson got hurt on Sunday after doing a whole lot of nothing through the air, so they had to revert back to an injured Teddy Bridgewater, who also did a whole lot of nothing. But that’s not the only problem with this offense. The run game is nonexistent to the tune of just 70.5 yards/game, which is the second worst in the league. The WRs are getting their numbers, but it’s because they can’t do anything else offensively. The bigger concern is their defense continuing to play worse and worse with every passing game. They continue to get gashed both on the ground and through the air, despite their stacked personnel. This team just has a lot to fix and tighten up, which may happen as they get healthier.

16 – Rams (3-3)

Does this team move you? Do they move anyone? Be honest with yourselves. They used another boring, unconvincing performance against the worst team in the league at home to get back to .500. And no one cares. No one should! This team is not good. They can force feed Cooper Kupp and ride that to victory, and it does nothing for me. The offensive line is only getting thinner and worse, Matt Stafford is still a turnover machine, they are actively shopping their best RB in Cam Akers, they have no real options at WR other than Kupp, and the defense is honestly not playing great. If there’s any team that deserves to be permanently placed in the 16th spot, it’s the Rams.

17 – Falcons (3-3) 5

Atlanta keeps on playing really nice football, and people are finally starting to take notice. Arthur Smith’s offense keeps on humming despite the lack of star power, moving the ball up and down the field on the NFL’s best defense on Sunday. Marcus Mariota played his best game of the year, and Kyle Pitts finally scored his first touchdown in North America. The defense has also sharpened up, especially up front, and it has helped tremendously. This is a very solid team that’s playing much better than I thought they could, and it’s thanks to great coaching.

18 – Patriots (3-3) 1

Did the Patriots upgrade at QB with Bailey Zappe? You be the judge. Zappe is now 2-0 as a starter with two blowout victories over two decent teams. The defense is also back to their old ways, creating turnovers and making big plays. Now, New England is at .500 and back in the thick of the AFC Wild Card race. Mac Jones should not be rushed back at all if Zappe can continue playing this well, similar to the Cooper Rush-Dak Prescott situation. Until the wheels fall off the train, keep the rookie in the lineup. He is playing great and deserves his shot.

19 – Seahawks (3-3) 4

The Seahawks are fairly easy to assess at the moment. For one, they are a much better roster than we thought that’s capable of winning any game they play. Geno Smith is a very capable QB who is having perhaps the best year of his life. DK Metcalf might be a top 10 WR in the league. The defense is much better than anticipated. And so much of this team’s success is coming from their tremendous rookie class. Sunday’s game was a standout one for DBs Coby Bryant and Tariq Woolen as well as RB Kenneth Walker in his first start of the year. This is just a solid team that will continue to win games. It’s that simple.

20 – Colts (3-2-1) 6

Are the Colts back? It may be too soon to tell, but back to back tough wins pulled out late has this team above .500 and in first place. They haven’t exactly looked impressive or anything, but wins are wins. The offense actually looked serviceable thanks to the emergence of rookie RB Deon Jackson and fellow rookie WR Alec Pierce. The defense played pretty poorly, but it didn’t matter in the long run. This team is still just weird and tough to assess. This week’s contest against the Titans in the battle for the top spot in the division will tell us where this team actually stands.

21 – Browns (2-4) 8

In a league full of bad jokes, the Browns might be the worst one. Like so many other teams with seemingly good rosters, this team is falling apart and looking like absolute garbage. How do you get thrashed by over 20 points at home to a backup QB? How does your own backup QB look like an XFL QB with a great surrounding cast? How does your incredible RB tandem combine to do absolutely nothing for sixty minutes? The answer to all those questions is simply the fact that this is Cleveland. I’d be lying if I said they didn’t deserve this.

22 – Cardinals (2-4) 5

I picked the Cardinals to lose on Sunday, but I didn’t foresee them completely disappearing on offense and not even scoring a touchdown. Kyler Murray didn’t play horribly, but they just could not put points on the board to save their lives. They were a turnover machine, and it lost them the game. It didn’t help that they’re still very thin at RB and WR Hollywood Brown suffered what is likely a season-ending foot injury. However, it does help that Arizona is finally getting DeAndre Hopkins back from suspension this week, which will fill in that hole and provide a boost to the passing game.

23 – Raiders (1-4) 2

The Raiders mercifully had a bye week where they couldn’t lay a dud or choke another game away in embarrassing fashion. But they’ll surely get back to doing that this week.

24 – Saints (2-4) 6

As much as I don’t want to fault the Saints for losing by four points against a good team while missing their top 3 WRs, I just think this team is cooked. It’s not the fact that they’re losing or the fashion in which they do so, but something is just off in New Orleans. I personally think it’s coaching; who could have foreseen Dennis Allen being an awful head coach? It’s unlikely that they can get healthier this week with the quick turnaround and a Thursday nighter out in Arizona on tap. A win would help them get back on track, but a loss will put them deeper in the hole they’re currently in. We’ll see what happens.

25 – Jaguars (2-4) 5

The three weeks of the Jaguars being a good team were pretty fun. Now, they’re on a three-game losing streak including back to back bad losses in the division. The problem on Sunday wasn’t their offense, but their defense, which made a prehistoric Colts offense look like world-beaters. Trevor Lawrence and the offense did their thing, getting out to an early lead, but it was all for nothing in the end. It was honestly a microcosm of where this team stands.

26 – Steelers (2-4) 4

Good for the Steelers to get such a nice win at home to end their four-game skid. That must feel great for the team and for the city. I don’t know if it will spark some sort of comeback for their season, but they did everything right on Sunday for the first time. I don’t think this team will be awful for the rest of the season. But that was likely their best win that will not be topped.

27 – Lions (1-4) 2

Detroit ended their three straight weeks of losing by being blessed with a bye. I really hope they can come out of it and look like a real football team again, but you and I both know that’s not going to happen anytime soon.

28 – Broncos (2-4) 1

Hahahaha…. hahahaAHAHAHA….. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. The league’s biggest joke is only getting funnier and funnier. The coaching decisions are only getting worse. The QB play is only getting harder to watch. The memes are only getting better. This is a disaster that is somehow getting worse by the week, and I am loving every second of it.

29 – Texans (1-3-1)

The Texans had the week off after notching their first win, and it was completely uneventful. They remained at the bottom of the standings, where they’ll probably reside for a good while. At least they get the Raiders this week in what could be another win for them.

30 – Commanders (2-4) 1

They won a game. They ruined their draft position. The head coach cursed at the press. And now the reins are being handed to Taylor Heinicke. My life is hell.

31 – Bears (2-4) 3

The Bears lost the worst game of all time to themselves, which is sadly indicative of where this franchise stands. They just can’t do anything right, even when it seems like they’re headed in the right direction. It doesn’t help that the roster is abhorrent, but it’s going to be a while before things turn around in Chicago.

32 – Panthers (1-5)

The Panthers tank is continuing to go swimmingly as Robbie Anderson essentially quit the team mid-game and got shipped to Arizona. That likely won’t be the last trade that this team makes in the coming weeks. Sit back and enjoy the dumpster fire burning.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Cover photo taken from Bleeding Green Nation.

1 – Eagles (5-0)

It was a bit closer than they may have liked, but the Eagles kept their undefeated streak going with a very nice win in Arizona. Jalen Hurts was stellar once again to help carry his team to victory with both his arm and his legs. The defense was also sharp in locking down the Cardinals offense for the most part. They were the beneficiary of their opponent’s kicking woes, and if it weren’t for that, perhaps they would have lost like I predicted them to. But they still looked great in pretty much every facet and are more than deserving to remain at #1 for another week.

2 – Chiefs (4-1)

I really don’t know how you’re supposed to stop this team. Even when you have them down 17-0 in the first half and get ridiculous calls to go your way, they will find a way to beat you. Patrick Mahomes is playing some of the best football of anyone else in the league at the position, leading remarkable scoring drives and orchestrating offense at an otherworldly level. Their defense still raises questions, especially in the secondary, but does it even matter at this point? When Mahomes plays like he has been, this team is an absolute freight train. Everyone gets involved offensively and it is poetry in motion.

3 – Bills (4-1)

I won’t take too much stock of the Bills destroying one of the worst teams in the league at home when that team is led by a rookie QB making his first start. That being said, it sure is awesome to watch this team when they are playing at a level that high. Josh Allen has been a wonder this entire season, living up to the hype and exceeding it. The offense is seemingly unstoppable through the air, and while I don’t like their run game, I love watching Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis in action. Their defense also played their best game of the year, but again, it wasn’t much of a challenge. This week’s Game of the Year on paper in Kansas City will tell us much more about where this team stands in relation to the giant that they are yet to slay.

4 – Ravens (3-2) 2

After the top 3, things get ridiculously messy. I really don’t know if the Ravens are the fourth best team in football. I really doubt that they are. Sunday night’s win was a good one thanks to a great performance from their defense, but Lamar Jackson didn’t have his best night. He led a fantastic game-winning drive, but other than that, he didn’t play up to his standards. The WRs on this team are also back to being invisible. I just feel like I can trust this team more than so many of the ones below them either due to injuries or precedent or anything else, so Baltimore gets the benefit of the doubt and stays up here for now.

5 – Buccaneers (3-2) 2

The worst roughing the passer call in history (until it was one-upped the next day) is distracting a lot of people from the fact that the Buccaneers nearly blew a 21-point lead at home to the Falcons. Tampa looked good on both sides of the ball for about three quarters, but the fourth was a mess. Whether you want to blame injuries or fatigue or whatever, this team just feels like it’s lacking something to make them truly great. Their elite defense and GOAT at QB makes it easy to prop them up amidst the messiness of the rest of the league, but it’s really hard to project what this team is capable of from here on out.

6 – 49ers (3-2) 4

The 49ers are looking better by the week, and it’s due to them continuing to follow their very simple yet effective formula of running it down teams’ throats and letting their defense do the rest. The offense is still nothing special, but they get the job done no matter who is at QB or running the ball. This has been the best defense in football so far this season, shutting down opponents left and right and taking the ball away with ease. Some injuries might shake that up a bit as Emmanuel Moseley will miss the rest of the year with a torn ACL and Nick Bosa might miss some time with a groin problem. But this team has the depth and coaching to overcome that.

7 – Chargers (3-2) 1

The Chargers are another team that I have very little idea what to make of. On one hand, I love that Austin Ekeler is finally returning to his old form and making a huge impact in this offense. The run game looks infinitely better, even getting contributions from backup Joshua Kelley. I think the rest of the offense is just fine as long as Justin Herbert is throwing the ball. The defense is clearly lagging behind though, and all of the injuries don’t help. And the in-game coaching decisions continue to boggle my mind. They should have lost on Sunday after an inexplicable 4th down decision in the final minutes, but they lucked out after a missed FG. It’s not going to get easier from here on out. They need to tighten up.

8 – Cowboys (4-1) 3

I genuinely think I’m underrating the Cowboys here. They’ve been one of the most consistent teams in football in the four weeks with Cooper Rush starting at QB, following a very similar formula to San Francisco. Their defense looks better and better by the week, somehow generating more pressure and playing even stickier coverage. The offense virtually doesn’t need to do anything to win games at this point. They’re playing at a better, more consistent level than most teams in the league, but it’s just hard to put them above others while Rush is still their QB. I don’t know how much better it will be once Dak Prescott returns, which should be soon, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.

9 – Vikings (4-1)

Once again, the Vikings are winning all of the games that the Vikings of the past would have lost. That’s something that should frighten people. I don’t love this team nearly imploding after going up 21-3 in the first half, and I don’t love their defense forgetting how to play against the Bears, but everything else was likable! Kirk Cousins played a precise, efficient game, Dalvin Cook ran like a madman, and Justin Jefferson continued making his case for being the best receiver in the league. And while the defense bent and bent, they made the play that won them the game. So while the Vikings aren’t the most impressive 4-1 team, they have earned this record and should be able to keep up their winning ways in pursuit of a division title.

10 – Packers (3-2) 6

Unimpressive, unpredictable, up and down, and straight up weird. That’s how I’d describe the Packers at this point. You really just never know what you’re going to get out of this team. However, I am starting to sense a bit of a trend. They always seem to come out strong with Aaron Rodgers slinging the ball and their offense moving up and down the field while their defense does its job. Then after halftime, they get completely static, incapable of doing anything effective on either side of the ball. That’s what nearly lost them their last two games, and it’s what lost them Sunday’s game in London: getting outscored 17-0 in the second half to lose it. I don’t know if it’s a coaching problem or an attitude problem or what, but it’s a very glaring issue with a team of this caliber. It will hold them back every single week until they can figure out a way to actually play football in second halves.

11 – Dolphins (3-2) 6

I really feel for the Dolphins after yet another QB injury. Teddy Bridgewater got absolutely rocked early on Sunday and is now dealing with head and elbow injuries while the keys are handed to 7th round rookie Skylar Thompson. While I said that anyone can thrive in this offense, it might be a bit harder now. That was on display with this team’s ineffectiveness on that side of the ball against the Jets. It also never helps when your supposedly great defense gets gashed the way it did. It was just a tragedy of errors across the board for Miami, and while I’d like to think that won’t continue, it’s just hard to imagine what the next few weeks are going to look like for this team.

12 – Bengals (2-3)

The shocking theme with the Bengals continues. They can’t throw the ball downfield. Not having Tee Higgins fully healthy obviously hurts that department in a huge way, but it’s like nobody can even get open. It’s all checkdowns and screens and short passes and it feels like the antithesis of the Cincy team that was so much fun to watch last year. I’ve been blaming it on the scheme, but the stars like Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase just look like a fraction of themselves right now. The Bengals are lacking a gear that makes them a threat to anybody on offense, so it doesn’t even matter if the defense plays well like they did this week. They are also awful in late-game situations as all three of their losses have been on walk-off FGs. Unless that gets turned around, this team isn’t really going anywhere.

13 – Browns (2-3)

This team is rather unbelievable. Their three losses are by a combined six (6) points and none of them should have even happened. An inexplicable collapse against the Jets, a horrible final stretch against the Falcons, and now Sunday’s gift from the Chargers thrown away via Cade York’s missed game-winning FG. By all accounts, this team should be unbeaten, but their own incompetence has them below .500. They have the talent, but they just refuse to win games. If that’s not indicative of what this franchise is, then I don’t know what is.

14 – Titans (3-2) 3

The Titans are back, I suppose. It doesn’t take much to beat Washington, and they almost didn’t, but they are now riding a 3-game win streak and above .500 for the first time this season. Derrick Henry is continuing to bounce back from a poor start to the year by literally carrying the offense on his back, and the defense continues to play at a high level, especially up front. It’s a simple formula that the Titans have followed for so long, and it’s finally starting to win games for them this year. We’ll see how far it can take them against real football teams.

15 – Giants (4-1) 12

I am finally going to respect the Giants. Maybe this is still too low for them, but as of now, they are the biggest jumpers in the history of my Power Rankings. Perhaps that’s a product of my own incompetence or preconceived biases. All I know now is that this team is pretty solid, and they deserve their flowers. First-year HC Brian Daboll is implementing a winning culture in New York and is somehow making lemonade out of lemons with this offense. Saquon Barkley has been as dynamic as ever, Daniel Jones looks solid, and even with virtually no WRs, this team finds ways to score. The defense has been excellent, and they locked down one of the best QBs of all time in the second half on Sunday. I really don’t know if the Giants will keep this up, but as of right now, they deserve the credit I’ve refused to give them for a month.

16 – Rams (2-3) 1

This team is a sad joke. I warned you all about the problems they had, but even I didn’t foresee it being this bad. I frankly might have the Rams too high here. They have one of the worst offensive lines in football, they cannot run the ball, their QB is a turnover machine who has no time to throw, they have one real pass-catching threat who just so happens to be the biggest ballhog in the sport, and their defense hasn’t been anything special. It’s not a winning formula at all. With a cutthroat schedule, I can’t fathom how the Rams possibly turn things around.

17 – Cardinals (2-3) 1

The Cardinals came oh so close to pulling off the upset that I predicted them to on Sunday, but injuries to their kicker prevented that from happening. Between his game against the Colts with Kansas City and Sunday’s game, it’s safe to say Matt Amendola won’t be getting another kicking job any time soon. Still, Arizona looked solid across the board on Sunday, doing a good job limiting the Eagles offense to just 20 points and not allowing anything too crazy. They went down 14-0 early, but outscored Philly by 11 the rest of the way and should have won if it wasn’t for missed kicks. It also didn’t help that they were taken down to their third string RB. Not much has gone the Cardinals’ way this year, but they’re still hanging tough. My opinion on them hasn’t changed. They’re a competitive team that can win plenty of games, but they’re nothing special.

18 – Saints (2-3) 1

The Saints haven’t really been themselves this year. I don’t know what to make of them at all. The QB situation continues to be a mess as Taysom Hill is now apparently the most effective one they have. The defense continues to be inexplicably putrid. The WRs won’t stop getting banged up as Chris Olave had to leave Sunday’s game with a head injury. It’s a complete mess right now in New Orleans, so they better be thankful that they somehow escaped Sunday’s game with a win despite getting torched by Geno Smith and the Seahawks. It’s hard to see many more Ws coming.

19 – Patriots (2-3) 2

Even with a 3rd string QB, the Patriots finally looked like themselves on Sunday. The defense finally decided to show up and show out, shutting out the best statistical offense in football thanks to the playmaking ability of their young studs like Jack Jones. Bailey Zappe played another solid game, and the offense did its thing to put up plenty of points. They didn’t need to do much, but they still looked solid, especially in the running game despite the injury sustained by Damien Harris. If New England can bring that level of defense to some of their games moving forward, they will continue to be a tough out like we saw last week in Green Bay regardless of who is under center for them.

20 – Jaguars (2-3) 6

We drank the Kool-Aid a little bit too early with the Jaguars. Back to back losses in which the team has looked awful has this team skidding. It’s one thing to lose to the league’s only undefeated team on the road in a monsoon. It’s another to lose to the league’s only winless team at home, not even scoring a touchdown in the process. Yes, the Texans are feisty, but they should not hold you to two field goals all game long. That’s embarrassing. Trevor Lawrence played what was likely his worst game of the year, highlighted by a horrible INT in the endzone with the game on the line. The defense was fine, but it doesn’t matter when the offense which previously looked so good does absolutely nothing. I actually have faith in them to get back on track, but they better hope it happens fast if they want to keep up in this division.

21 – Raiders (1-4) 2

You can change the city, the weapons, the head coach, and everything else. But you can never change the Raiders being the Raiders. Winning simply isn’t in their DNA, but choking and incompetence run wild in their veins. I can’t even sit here and say they played anything close to a poor game on Monday night. They looked great on offense, hitting huge plays down the field to Davante Adams and running with power and effectiveness with Josh Jacobs. But you just cannot go up 17-0 and get one of the most ridiculous roughing the passer calls we’ve ever seen and lose the game in the fashion that they did. Sure, the defense choked, but the offense should have tied the game late, but an unbelievable decision to go for two because of “analytics” lost them the game. Yes, that lost them the game, not Adams not controlling the ball on the sideline or him and Hunter Renfrow running into each other on the last play. Because all of that still could have happened, and the game would have at least gone into overtime. Don’t bother trying to explain it to me, because I won’t listen.

22 – Falcons (2-3) 2

The Falcons are one of the most upset teams in the league this week, and for good reason. They got screwed on Sunday. I can’t say with confidence that they would have won if it wasn’t for the “roughing the passer” call, but it was very well possible considering how they were playing in the fourth quarter. Still, this team didn’t look great for the first three quarters on either side of the ball. It was a slog for them against a great defense, as it probably will be all year long against any great teams. At least the rest of the division and most of the schedule doesn’t have many great teams left.

23 – Seahawks (2-3) 1

Listen man. Geno Smith is doing his thing. I was half-joking when I said the Seahawks upgraded at QB but… I don’t think it’s a joke anymore. The Seahawks are better than the Broncos are right now, and their QB play is infinitely better. Like, it’s not close. Geno is making incredible throws, his pass-catchers are making huge contributions, and the run game is effective no matter who’s carrying the ball. The season-ending injury to Rashaad Penny definitely hurts, but Kenneth Walker looks more than serviceable. The defense is still pretty awful, but they have bright spots too. The Seahawks aren’t awful by any means.

24 – Jets (3-2) 2

I can’t make sense of the Jets having a winning record. It’s just hard to wrap your head around. But, here they are. Zach Wilson is 2-0 this year after returning from his injury, the offense is serviceable with a good amount of weapons, they are running the ball with authority thanks to a solid RB duo of Breece Hall and Michael Carter, and the defense is actually making plays. Sauce Gardner is playing like the top 4 pick he is, and the front seven is actually being disruptive for once. Believe it or not, this is a solid team. We’ll see how long it takes to come crumbling down.

25 – Lions (1-4) 7

Like another cat team slightly above them, we overrated the Lions a bit too early. The signs were there. Yes the offense was a weekly fireworks show, but you simply cannot win games with the defense being this bad. Now, one is a much more glaring issue than the other. The offense quite literally disappeared to the tune of a big ol’ goose egg on the scoreboard while the defense continued to get absolutely scorched. Having a generationally bad defense will always lead to losses, no matter how effective your offense is. I’m shocked DC Aaron Glenn is still employed right now, because at this rate, the Lions won’t win many more games for the remainder of the year.

26 – Colts (2-2-1) 4

I really don’t want to talk about either team involved in Thursday night’s crapfest. One team had to win it, and it just happened to be the Colts. Even without Jonathan Taylor, the offense found a way to put up enough points to win the game. It helped that their defense was gifted the ball several times by an offense that is incapable of moving the ball. Despite getting the win to get back to .500, this team doesn’t move me at all in large part thanks to their dinosaur of a QB and lack of weapons. But at least they can say that they weren’t the ones to lose one of the worst games ever.

27 – Broncos (2-3) 2

This team doesn’t deserve my time or analysis this week. Just know that I cannot stop laughing at this organization and their QB. I am relishing every moment of hilarity and purely garbage football that this team is providing.

28 – Bears (2-3) 3

Gotta feel for the Bears this week. After going down 21-3, they looked like an actual football team, and Justin Fields played his best game of the season. But, between an incredible rushing touchdown by Fields being called back for a penalty that didn’t even happen and an incredible play by Vikings DB Cam Dantlzer to win them the game, Chicago back below .500 for the first time this year (weird fact, but a fact nonetheless). The good news is that they should be able to return back to an even record with an even worse team coming into town on Thursday.

29 – Texans (1-3-1) 3

Good for Houston to finally get off the schneid and get their first win in honestly impressive fashion on the road against their division rivals. It was deserved after a couple of close losses against the likes of Denver and Chicago. They just keep on doing their thing as they continue to get great contributions from their rookies Dameon Pierce, Derek Stingley Jr., and Jalen Pitre. This is a team with a real future and a plethora of picks to turn things around. I’m starting to feel a lot better about that future than I did before.

30 – Steelers (1-4) 2

Kenny Pickett’s first start in this prehistoric offense on the road against perhaps the best team in the NFL went about as awful as you’d expect. Not much of it his fault, considering the incomprehensibly bad offensive scheme ran by this team and the porous nature of their defense. It has gone from bad to worse to way worse in the blink of an eye, and all of a sudden, the Steelers are staring down the barrel of a top 5 pick. I don’t think any of us saw that coming.

31 – Commanders (1-4) 1

32 – Panthers (1-4) 3

As much as I would love to put the team above them in this spot, the Panthers have more than earned the #32 ranking this week. They just fired their head coach and have an even worse coach as their interim HC. They have the worst offense in the league and will now be starting a 3rd string QB for the next several weeks. All of their players that are worth a semblance of a damn are now on the trade block. They are seemingly on the fast track to the #1 pick. I think they could get comfortable down here for a while. Buckle up, Carolina fans. It’s going to be a rough ride for the rest of 2022.

All stats taken from ESPN.