week 10 – Raza Talks Sports

Post-Week 10 Power Rankings

As we cross the midway point of the 2023 season, both the playoff picture and the Power Rankings are starting to take a more solid shape.

Cover photo taken from The US Sun.

1 – Eagles (8-1)

2 – Chiefs (7-2) 1

3 – 49ers (6-3) 3

4 – Lions (7-2) 3

5 – Ravens (7-3) 3

6 – Cowboys (6-3) 2

7 – Browns (6-3) 2

8 – Dolphins (6-3) 2

9 – Texans (5-4) 3

10 – Bengals (5-4) 6

11 – Jaguars (6-3) 6

12 – Seahawks (6-3) 1

13 – Vikings (6-4) 3

14 – Steelers (6-3) 1

15 – Chargers (4-5) 2

16 – Bills (5-5) 2

17 – Saints (5-5)

18 – Colts (5-5)

19 – Broncos (4-5) 3

20 – Raiders (5-5) 6

21 – Commanders (4-6) 2

22 – Buccaneers (4-5) 1

23 – Titans (3-6) 3

24 – Jets (4-5) 1

25 – Packers (3-6) 1

26 – Rams (3-6) 1

27 – Cardinals (2-8) 5

28 – Falcons (4-6) 1

29 – Bears (3-7) 1

30 – Patriots (2-8) 1

31 – Panthers (1-8)

32 – Giants (2-8) 2

Post-Week 10 Power Rankings

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

Cover photo taken from The Phinsider.

1 – Chiefs (7-2) 1

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

2 – Eagles (8-1) 1

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

3 – Vikings (8-1) 2

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

4 – 49ers (5-4) 2

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

5 – Dolphins (7-3) 4

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

6 – Bills (6-3) 2

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

7 – Cowboys (6-3) 4

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

8 – Ravens (6-3) 1

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

9 – Seahawks (6-4) 1

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

10 – Titans (6-3)

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

11 – Bengals (5-4)

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

12 – Jets (6-3)

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

13 – Giants (7-2)

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

14 – Buccaneers (5-5) 4

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

15 – Commanders (5-5) 6

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

16 – Patriots (5-4) 1

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

17 – Chargers (5-4) 3

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

18 – Cardinals (4-6) 2

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

19 – Packers (4-6) 6

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

20 – Bears (3-7) 2

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

21 – Browns (3-6) 4

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

22 – Falcons (4-6) 6

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

23 – Broncos (3-6)

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

24 – Rams (3-6) 5

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

25 – Colts (4-5-1) 4

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

26 – Lions (3-6) 1

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

27 – Jaguars (3-7) 1

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

28 – Panthers (3-7) 2

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

29 – Steelers (3-6) 2

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

30 – Saints (3-7) 6

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

31 – Texans (1-7-1) 1

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

32 – Raiders (2-7) 4

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

All stats taken from ESPN.

Week 6 Picks

by Raza Umerani October 9, 2025

Post-Week 5 Power Rankings

by Raza Umerani October 8, 2025

Week 5 Picks

by Raza Umerani October 2, 2025

Post-Week 4 Power Rankings

by Raza Umerani October 1, 2025

Week 4 Picks

by Raza Umerani September 25, 2025

Week 10 Picks

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

Cover photo taken from Tom’s Guide.

Last Week: 10-3

Season Total: 80-54-1

Panthers 23-20 Falcons

Thursday, 8:15 PM EST, Prime Video

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

Seahawks 21-16 Buccaneers

Sunday, 9:30 AM EST, NFL Network

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

Bills 27-17 Vikings

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

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

Bears 23-20 Lions

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

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

Broncos 17-14 Titans

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

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

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

Chiefs 31-14 Jaguars

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

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

Dolphins 26-20 Browns

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

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

Giants 20-13 Texans

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

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

Steelers 17-16 Saints

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

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

Raiders 27-10 Colts

Sunday, 4:05 PM EST, CBS

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

Cowboys 23-20 Packers

Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, FOX

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

Rams 20-17 Cardinals

Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, FOX

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

49ers 24-20 Chargers

Sunday, 8:20 PM EST, NBC

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

Eagles 27-17 Commanders

Monday, 8:15 PM EST, ESPN

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

All stats taken from ESPN.

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

1 – Packers (8-2) 1

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

2 – Cardinals (8-2) 1

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

3 – Titans (8-2) 1

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

4 – Cowboys (7-2) 3

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

5 – Bills (6-3) 3

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

6 – Rams (7-3) 1

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

7 – Buccaneers (6-3) 4

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

8 – Patriots (6-4) 2

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

9 – Ravens (6-3) 3

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

10 – Chiefs (6-4) 7

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

11 – Colts (5-5) 3

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

12 – Chargers (5-4) 3

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

13 – Bengals (5-4)

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

14 – Steelers (5-3-1) 3

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

15 – Saints (5-4)

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

16 – Browns (5-5) 4

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

17 – Vikings (4-5) 3

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

18 – 49ers (4-5) 5

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

19 – Eagles (4-6) 2

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

20 – Raiders (5-4) 4

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

21 – Panthers (5-5) 5

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

22 – Broncos (5-5) 3

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

23 – Seahawks (3-6) 5

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

24 – Falcons (4-5) 2

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

25 – Bears (3-6) 1

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

26 – Washington (3-6) 2

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

27 – Giants (3-6) 2

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

28 – Dolphins (3-7) 2

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

29 – Jaguars (2-7) 2

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

30 – Lions (0-8-1) 1

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

31 – Jets (2-7) 2

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

32 – Texans (1-8)

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

All stats taken from ESPN.