Tag: week 7

Post-Week 7 Power Rankings

After a week where 14-of-15 favorites won their games, there’s not too much shakeup in this week’s rankings. But, a familiar face at the top spot and more shuffling in the middle highlight the changes.

Cover photo taken from Imagn Images.

1 – Chiefs (4-3) 7

Forget records. We all know Kansas City is the best team in the league.

Patrick Mahomes is playing at an incandescent level. Rashee Rice being back completes the offense. The defense is finding its groove. They’re back to looking like they’re simply bored out there, practicing for the playoffs as they plan for another trip to the Super Bowl.

Monday night isn’t going to be fun for me.

2 – Colts (6-1)

Best record in the NFL? Check. Quarterback playing at an MVP level? Check. Elite offensive line and running game? Double check.

The Colts have found a damn near foolproof winning formula that’s going to carry them to an easy division title. I think it remains to be seen how truly formidable they’ll be in the playoffs, especially as the defense continues to find itself, but this offense is playing at a level that’ll be hard to beat when the time comes. Shane Steichen is cooking with grease.

3 – Lions (5-2)

Arguably the most inspired performance of the young season belongs to the Lions defense on Monday night. Starting players I’ve never remotely heard of before, they played lights out against an elite — albeit shorthanded — offense and made MVP candidate Baker Mayfield look like his Browns self.

If that type of performance can be replicated, the Lions become frightening. Because the passing offense did nothing. It was old school, smash-mouth football: pounding run game and hounding defense. Good luck beating this iteration of Dan Campbell hoops.

4 – Rams (5-2)

No Puka Nacua and a weird travel plan to London? No problem. Ho-hum sleepwalking five-touchdown game from Matthew Stafford and the defense’s best performance of the season gets the job done.

We know what the Rams are by this point. Stafford is a dog, Nacua and Davante Adams are probably the best WR duo in football and the secondary is playing incredible hoops. If you want to argue that this is the best team in the NFC, I’ll allow it.

5 – Seahawks (5-2)

The great teams stay cooking. Sensing a trend?

The Seahawks are still the Seahawks. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is just a delight to watch and the best receiver in football right now. This defense is fast, athletic and suffocating. Sam Darnold should take better care of the ball, but it didn’t matter on Monday night. For a team that lacks relative “star power,” this is a real Super Bowl contender.

6 – Buccaneers (5-2) 5

Oof.

I can’t blame Tampa too much; the injuries have finally caught up to them and are now getting worse with Mike Evans out for the season. But Baker Mayfield playing like the worst version of himself and the run defense getting gashed are two things that are complete aberrations.

I’ll choose to believe that this was a bad game, not a bad sign. But I’m on alert now with the Bucs.

7 – Packers (4-1-1)

The most annoying, confusing and straight up “who cares?” good team in the league right now.

I feel like the only thing I can say with confidence about the Packers is that Josh Jacobs is a stud. That’s about it. Jordan Love is playing fine and protecting the ball, but the passing attack is just boring. The defense is still solid, but not exactly game-wrecking like they were earlier in the year. I feel like Green Bay was lucky to get out of Arizona with a win, because it seemed like they were largely outplayed.

They’re just boring. But still fine. And that’s good enough… for now.

8 – Bills (4-2) 2

Let’s see some life out of the bye week, particularly on defense. You should be able to do that against Andy Dalton, right?

9 – 49ers (5-2) 3

Kyle Shanahan continues to prove me wrong.

The 49ers keep on winning despite the injuries, tough schedule, apparent roster shortcomings and so on and so forth. They’re just a damn good team with elite coaching. Robert Saleh is getting blood from a stone with these young pieces on the defensive side (I do recognize that Michael Penix Jr. kind of stinks, but still) and it’s pretty cool to see. Mac Jones is doing his thing in keeping this ship afloat. Oh, and Christian McCaffrey is still Christian McCaffrey.

How long can they keep this going? I guess there’s no end in sight.

10 – Patriots (5-2) 1

Like so many other teams this week, the Patriots just kept on doing their thing. That was Drake Maye shredding a horrible team and the defense making some splash plays to notch another easy win as they continue to bank Ws and prepare for the postseason.

The 2025 Patriots are the 2024 Commanders. It’s that simple.

11 – Eagles (5-2) 5

The Eagles are the NFL’s greatest enigma.

They don’t want to air it out. But when they do, it’s explosive like it was on Sunday in Minnesota or a few weeks ago against the Rams. But sometimes that doesn’t happen, like last week against the Giants. And one week the defense is great. But the next week it sucks. But they can still make splash plays. But this, and that, and there, and this. What the hell is this team?!

If this is what the Birds are going to be on offense, then they can make another run despite their defensive shortcomings. But they’re far too inconsistent and simply weird to fully trust them.

12 – Broncos (5-2) 3

That was bats—t insane. And I have no idea what to make of it.

I love this defense, but they got shredded by Jaxson Dart. I don’t like the quarterback, but he made every play necessary to win. The run game stunk again, but then found a groove when they were down by a bunch. Nothing makes sense!

But, like many other teams that I don’t have a grasp on, the Broncos have done well to bank wins early in the year to get to a comfortable position where they should make the playoffs again. And that’s good enough.

13 – Steelers (4-2) 3

The NFL’s most obvious paper tiger just crumpled. Shocker!

I do have to admit: Unc still got it. Aaron Rodgers can still sling that pill against bad teams. That part is obvious. But man, this defense is hard to watch. They do the same thing over and over again and it gets beat and beat and beat. And that’s going to hold them back in the playoffs, assuming they get there.

14 – Chargers (4-3) 3

The Chargers somehow get moved up this week because the middle of the league is so… bad?

I guess Justin Herbert was slinging that thing, but he also threw a pair of picks. The run game is just invisible. The defense stinks. It just feels like it’s falling apart, doesn’t it?

LA has the talent and coaching to be a playoff team. But these problems feel close to insurmountable right now.

15 – Vikings (3-3) 3

Minnesota gets a bump this week for the same reason the Chargers did. It has nothing to do with their play on the field, although Sunday wasn’t all bad.

If the Vikings could finish drives with seven points instead of three, maybe they could’ve pulled out the upset win over the Eagles. But they looked completely inept in the redzone and refused to put the ball in the endzone. That’s a problem, especially when Carson Wentz has his moments and turns the ball over.

I honestly might be more concerned with the defense anyways, since it got shredded by Jalen Hurts. But this is a sound team. They’ll bounce back regardless of who’s playing quarterback (side note: is JJ McCarthy ever coming back? Or is he a figment of our imagination?).

16 – Bears (4-2) 4

Ben Johnson is doing a tremendous job of hiding Caleb Williams in plain sight. A playmaking defense and resurgent run game also helps with that.

The Bears are doing what they need to do: stacking wins against bad teams to stay afloat in the playoff race. The cupcakes are few and far between from here on out, so we’ll see how long they can keep up the winning ways.

17 – Panthers (4-3) 4

Fair enough, Carolina. Winning in the NFL is hard. Ripping off a few in a row to get above .500 for this franchise is something to hang your hat on. You’ve gotta feel good for them.

Losing Bryce Young for a week or two hurts, but Andy Dalton is a capable backup. And it might not matter with how elite this rushing offense has been. The defense has been a nice surprise, too, highlighted by Jaycee Horn having magnets in his gloves. The Panthers are squarely on frisky watch.

18 – Falcons (3-3) 7

Michael Penix Jr. is developing a penchant for following up some of the best games of his career with some of the worst. Because Sunday night was extremely hard to watch, to the point where putting Kirk Cousins in at any point in the weeks to come shouldn’t be out of the question.

That’s honestly the story for the Falcons right now. The defense is fine, as is the run game. Penix has to be the guy that guides them, and right now, they’re lost at sea with him any time they face a defense worth a damn. I understand it’s still early for him, but the dude is 25 and now dealing with even more injuries. The clock is ticking fast.

19 – Cowboys (3-3-1) 3

Defense is overrated when your offense is this explosive. Fairs.

The sheer talent between Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Javonte Williams and Jake Ferguson is biblically greedy. The only question remains: is it good enough to carry Dallas to the playoffs in a brutal NFC? I think we’re about to find out.

20 – Commanders (3-4) 7

I’m planning on releasing a column covering the current, dismal state of this team at some point this week, so be on the lookout for that.

In the meantime, we can just call the Commanders what they are: a bad football team. Can’t tackle, can’t cover, can’t force turnovers, can’t catch, can’t convert third downs, can’t run the ball, can’t get open, can’t stay on the field, can’t get off the field. It’s over.

21 – Bengals (3-4) 7

Joe Flacco buddy ball might be enough to keep this ship afloat. Turns out force feeding Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins is a winning formula. Who knew?

22 – Jaguars (4-3) 8

It might be over.

Trevor Lawrence is becoming unwatchable. The run game is getting worse by the week. The defense isn’t as good as we thought they were when they’re not forcing turnovers. It just feels like it’s falling apart at the seams in Jacksonville.

23 – Texans (2-4) 4

You know what the Texans are? The Browns with better PR.

The defense is elite and ballhawking, getting after the quarterback and forcing turnovers at will. The offense is unwatchable with an offensive line that couldn’t pass for 300-pound traffic cones and a quarterback that suffers because of it. And because of that, this team is going nowhere fast. And it’s a crying shame for one of my favorite young squads in football.

24 – Giants (2-5) 1

What a weird team. And what an unfathomable way to lose a football game.

I won’t dog the Giants for finding a historic way to blow a massive late lead because everyone else has done that for me by now. And I won’t sit here and praise them for finding their guy at QB with some other solid young pieces, because everyone has done that too.

I’ll just sit here and say that this team is fun and all, but that’s about it.

25 – Ravens (1-5) 1

Let’s see what life — if any — this team has on the plus side of the bye now that Lamar Jackson is back.

I won’t get my hopes up, but beating the Bears would be a good first step.

26 – Cardinals (2-5) 1

I guess I feel bad for the Cardinals, but again, being competitive is only worth so much in this league. Maybe you should actually win a game or two for once.

Five straight losses by a combined 13 points might be a tough pill to swallow, but winning close games is a skill and losing them is indicative of a larger problem. The Cardinals will get no grace from me.

27 – Browns (2-5) 2

I honestly think if we were in 1970, the Browns would be dominant. Quinshon Judkins is a legit bell cow back and this defense simply has a penchant for making plays.

But, the quarterback ain’t good, and that’s what will matter against the real football teams on their schedule.

28 – Saints (1-6) 1

Both competitive-slash-frisky and bad. The quarterback is both passable and terrible. The talent is both there in pieces and nonexistent.

At the end of the day, you are what your record says you are. And the Saints suck. They’re just a fun version of sucking unlike teams like Miami, Vegas, the Jets, etc.

29 – Dolphins (1-6) 3

Not worth talking about until Mike McDaniel gets fired (I still don’t think it’s his fault, I don’t know) or Tua Tagovailoa gets benched.

This is the NFL’s equivalent of a dead man walking. It’s a dead team playing.

30 – Raiders (2-5)

The Raiders had less offensive plays than the Chiefs had points on Sunday.

Read that again. Then go look at the rest of the box score. Then wash your eyes out.

31 – Titans (1-6)

Maybe Cam Ward just sucks.

I don’t know. The kid’s got a ton of talent, and we need to see him in a competent offense before I make any crazy judgements. But I feel less encouraged by the week with his complete lack of care when it comes to ball security.

32 – Jets (0-7)

Not worth talking about until Aaron Glenn gets fired.

But at least Justin Fields is being benched! That’s step one, right?

Week 7 Picks

The young NFL season plunges forward with a handful of exciting primetime games, potential upsets and big time matchups across the board as we approach the midway point of the campaign.

Cover photo taken from NFL.com.

Last Week: 11-4

Season Total: 60-32-1

Bengals 20-17 Steelers

Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video

Why not?

Short week, divisional matchup means shenanigans are inbound.

Rams 23-16 Jaguars

Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network

Oh look, we decided to send a good game overseas for once. The Brits should enjoy this one, though their “hometown” Jaguars will need to get their run game back in check to win it. And I don’t know if they can.

Even without Puka Nacua, this Rams offense will do enough, and LA’s defense will do the rest.

Bears 24-19 Saints

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX

Do the Saints have what it takes to win this game? Sure. But can they put it together to do so? Seems unlikely.

Chicago isn’t playing at a super high level, but they’re playing well enough to beat bad teams. And that’ll play against New Orleans.

Browns 6-3 Dolphins

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS

Heavy rain and — checks notes — 50-60 mph wind gusts? Yeah, give me the under.

You want a prediction bolder than this abysmal score? Dillon Gabriel gets benched for Shedeur Sanders, who leads the Browns to victory. Have fun watching ESPN on Monday morning, cause I won’t.

Patriots 26-13 Titans

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS

Mike Vrabel probably has a few tricks up his sleeve for this well-timed revenge game. “See what happens when you let me go for no reason?”

Chiefs 28-10 Raiders

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS

Next.

Vikings 19-16 Eagles

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX

Ah, yes. The Carson Wentz revenge game. A few years late, guys.

The fact of the matter is that this game doesn’t come down to Wentz, even against a bad Eagles secondary. It comes down to Minnesota’s defense. Already strong, coming off a bye, playing an anemic offense with no semblance of an identity… yeah, Brian Flores is going to have a field day.

Jets 23-20 Panthers

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX

They’ve gotta get one eventually, man.

The Jets bottled up the Broncos’ run game last week, so we’ll see if Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard go wild on the ground. But the Panthers’ defense isn’t very good, and while New York’s offense is horrible, maybe they can do just enough to win.

Maybe.

Broncos 20-12 Giants

Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS

Two great defenses against two bad offenses. Who wins? The better offense? I’d say no.

Give me the better defense in Denver, particularly against a rookie quarterback who we’ve seen get flustered when things start going wrong.

Colts 27-24 Chargers

Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS

I’ve been torn on this one, but I’ll stick with the team that’s been far more trustworthy on both sides of the ball.

Both teams have proven that they can pull out a close one, but the Colts have at least been more consistent. This one would go a long way to improve their public perception, since I’m apparently the only person who respects them.

Cowboys 34-31 Commanders

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX

Sigh. I guess this is it.

Washington might be without Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel in this game with Noah Brown already on IR. You’re looking at a starting WR group of Luke McCaffrey, Jaylin Lane and Chris Moore for the Commanders. Jayden Daniels can make it work with anyone, especially against this Dallas defense, but come on.

The Cowboys are trending in the opposite direction on the injury front. CeeDee Lamb, Kevontae Turpin and Tyler Booker should be back in this game to boost an offense that’s already getting crazy contributions out of George Pickens and Jake Ferguson. And Dak Prescott — who is already playing at a ridiculously high level — is 11-2 against Washington in his career.

It feels like the Cowboys are catching this Commanders team at a good time. We are beat up as hell and our defense can’t stop a nosebleed. Dallas’ nonexistent defense will give up points and yards to Jayden and company — regardless of who’s out there — but I think Dak will do just a tad bit more. And I will be sent further into the abyss.

Cardinals 24-23 Packers

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX

Again, why not? The Cardinals have been completely stifled by last-second loss after last-second loss. Regardless of who suits up at quarterback — I lowkey think Jacoby Brissett is the better option in any case — I feel like Arizona finds a way to win this one.

The Packers just haven’t been very impressive since… I don’t know, the season opener? I keep waiting for them to be the amazing team we saw in early September, and it’s just not happening. Maybe this is where it comes back to bite.

Falcons 26-20 49ers

Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC

As I said earlier in the week, San Francisco’s injury situation is becoming untenable.

The loss of Fred Warner will be heavily felt against this offense, and I think we’re in for another massive Bijan Robinson game. Plus, Atlanta’s emerging defense can certainly make some plays against a shorthanded but admittedly well-coached Niners offense.

Lions 30-27 Buccaneers

Monday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN

First to 30 wins? Feels like the case with the state of both secondaries.

We know the Buccaneers will score because they can clearly do it with anyone playing with Baker Mayfield, especially against a beat up Lions defense. And we know Detroit can score because of their offensive firepower going up against a bad Tampa defensive backfield.

So, just give me the Lions considering they tend to not lose these home primetime games. In the regular season, at least. Though, Baker tends to cause them problems.

Seahawks 23-14 Texans

Monday, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN

I hate this matchup for the Texans. This offensive line is going to be in for a world of pain against a Seattle front that just racked up seven sacks against Jacksonville. Asking them to keep CJ Stroud upright is like pulling teeth at this point. We can only hope for the best.

Houston’s defense will keep them around for a while, but the Seahawks offense will do their thing eventually to pull away and win this one by a decent margin.

Post-Week 7 Power Rankings

Perhaps the best week of the NFL season thus far has caused a multitude of changes, including one team’s 2023 debut at the No. 1 spot.

Cover photo taken from USA Today.

1 – Eagles (6-1) 2

For the second consecutive year, everything is coming up Eagles. Infuriating, isn’t it?

The greatness of this team cannot be denied. They just do everything so well. Like, annoyingly well. You can’t stop them, and they don’t hurt themselves. They don’t get penalties called on them. Whenever they have any mistakes, they instantly bounce back and score. They get some of the best players via trades and the draft for seemingly nothing. It’s nonsensical. But it’s the case once again this season, and although the Eagles still have to go through a gauntlet of teams, Lady Luck seems to be wearing Kelly and midnight green in 2023.

2 – Chiefs (6-1) 1

The more things change, the more they stay the same. After seven weeks of shuffling and false hype around the league, the two teams with the best records in the league and the 1 seeds in their respective conferences are the Eagles and Chiefs. 

I wanted to put Kansas City at the top of this list, but I think the Birds deserved that spot after dismantling a Dolphins team that we’re pretty sure is great. But the Chiefs have a very good argument. They’re in rarified air, ranking in the top 10 in all three phases, joining an exclusive list featuring a plethora of Super Bowl winners. It’s still early, of course, but that’s a crystal clear sign that this team is not just elite, but well-rounded. Patrick Mahomes put together his best game of the year, Travis Kelce is back to his old ways, Rashee Rice is emerging as a WR1, and this defense just keeps on getting better. 

I think the Chiefs are going to continue to improve as this season goes along. They’ve proven that, when they turn it up, they are simply unstoppable. Once again, the AFC is going through Arrowhead. As if there was any doubt.

3 – Ravens (5-2) 4

I am done doubting the Ravens. This team is absolutely incredible, and it’s honestly a wonder why I was ever so low on them in the first place. They did have some early season struggles, but now that they’re starting to figure out the offense, things are getting scary in the Charm City.

The defense has been elite all year long, but this all starts with Lamar Jackson, who might just be the league’s MVP through seven games. I’ve always loved Lamar, but I never could have seen this type of offensive explosion coming from him. Sunday’s performance against the Lions might’ve just been the piece de resistance of his young career, as he completely dominated a very good Detroit defense with his arm and his legs. Baltimore got absolutely everything they wanted all game long with a take-your-lunch-money type of game. It was not only stunning, but hypnotic. Todd Monken seems to have figured out how to make this offense go, and it is paying huge dividends.

Baltimore might be the NFL’s scariest team right now. They, like the Chiefs, seem to only be getting better as the weeks go by. If only they played each other this regular season. No worries, I can gladly wait till January to see it happen.

4 – 49ers (5-2) 3

I am officially concerned. For the second week in a row, the 49ers lost a game thanks to some struggles from Brock Purdy and an uncharacteristically lackluster defensive performance.

It’s one thing for these problems to arise against the NFL’s elite, like last week in Cleveland against the league’s best defense. It’s another thing for the defense to get completely gashed by a Vikings offense which has had its fair share of struggles on that side of the ball this season while getting no pressure and losing the turnover battle. All the while, Purdy was floating balls left and right, throwing two picks in the clutch. Even Christian McCaffrey fumbled in the redzone.

The offensive injuries are clearly having an effect on them. Without Deebo Samuel as a safety blanket or Trent Williams clearing paths in the run game, this team really doesn’t have an offensive identity. They need to get healthy at the earliest convenience.

This cannot become a trend for San Francisco. Otherwise, it’s seemingly inevitable that this season ends just like 2022 did.

5 – Jaguars (5-2) 1

The Jags just keep on winning. Again, they’re not doing anything mind-blowing, but it’s really hard not to like what they are doing.

Trevor Lawrence has continued to cut defenses into pieces, Travis Etienne has scored multiple touchdowns in three consecutive games and keeps on developing into one of the NFL’s best running backs, and although Calvin Ridley has remained quiet, Christian Kirk has seemingly re-emerged as the teams WR1.

The other side of the ball is also doing its thing, getting key stops and forcing timely turnovers game after game. When you combine that with what the offense is doing, you have a very effective winning formula. As such, the Jaguars are going to keep on winning games.

6 – Dolphins (5-2) 2

I warned you guys about the Dolphins being potential frauds last week, but I didn’t actually think that they were. I just thought the facts were compelling. I even picked them to go on the road and defeat the Eagles. But after perhaps their sorriest performance of the year, they might just be a fraudulent football team.

They’ve played five games against teams with a combined 8-25 record and looked incredible in each one. Their two games against teams above .500 with a combined record of 10-4? Two blowout losses by a combined score of 79-37.

I still really like the Dolphins. But this offense folds against any team that can actually stop them, which the Eagles did and then some. They have not played up to their opposition a single time through seven games. Just some food for thought.

7 – Cowboys (4-2) 2

The Cowboys had the week off before hosting the Rams on Sunday for a game which could feature a ton of offensive fireworks. More on that tomorrow.

8 – Browns (4-2) 2

It’s hard to say that the Browns didn’t deserve to win on Sunday as NFL games hardly boil down to one or two refereeing calls. But this is the second consecutive win for Cleveland that has seemingly been gifted to them down the stretch by some questionable flags.

Still, the Browns keep on riding their elite defense to wins, even when it gives up 38 points to Gardner Minshew and the Colts. The offense continues to look better without Deshaun Watson than with him, which is both hilarious and concerning at the same time. With his shoulder injury clearly being a bigger deal than the team was making it seem, I’m not sure how much more of him we’ll see in upcoming weeks. The running back room is also dealing with a plethora of injuries as Jerome Ford will miss the next 1-2 weeks. But, as long as the defense keeps doing its thing, the Browns should be just fine.

9 – Lions (5-2) 4

The Lions got as harsh of a reality check as the NFL possibly has to offer on Sunday in Baltimore. The threat of a loss was always in the air, but for them to be as noncompetitive and lifeless as they were was shocking. It was the worst performance Detroit has had in almost a year.

Luckily for them, I don’t think those are the real Lions. They just had a tough game. Sometimes that’ll happen in this league, especially without your RB1 who acts as the identity of your offense. I’m far more concerned with the defense, which might as well not have even been on the field. It’s very rare and very concerning to see a team get get dismantled the way they did.

I have faith in this team to bounce back, but they have a steep uphill climb to regain my respect.

10 – Bengals (3-3) 1

The Bengals had a seemingly much-needed bye week to get healthier, and now things are going to get very interesting in Cincinnati.

After a week of rest for Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins, the offense might just find its rhythm again. The defense is already hooping, so if the offense returns to form, then the Bengals should find themselves on the trajectory that I predicted for them a few weeks ago.

11 – Bills (4-3) 3

Congratulations to the Buffalo Bills, this week’s Team of Shame! There is no higher honor to receive after losing as 8.5-point favorites against a team that looked like perhaps the worst in the league with an ineffective offense and incompetent quarterback!

The Bills are in trouble. Their defensive injuries are catching up to them extremely fast, and their offense looks like a shell of itself. And I don’t know how much faith I have in them to turn this thing around. It has gone from bad to worse in Buffalo.

12 – Seahawks (4-2) 1

The Seahawks are still a bit inconsistent offensively, but their defense is continuing to hoop at a very high level. Devon Witherspoon is playing lights out and is on the fast track to winning this year’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award. The addition of Frank Clark will hopefully make up for the loss of Uchenna Nwosu.

Perhaps the most important development is that Jaxon Smith-Njigba is finally getting involved offensively. Once DK Metcalf comes back, we could see Seattle be as complete as they’ve been all season long, which means they’re going to continue winning a lot of football games. Considering how the 49ers have looked in the last two weeks, I wouldn’t count the Seahawks out of the race for the NFC West.

13 – Texans (3-3) 1

The Texans had the week off as they get ready to clash with the winless Panthers in the battle between 2023’s top two draft selections. And I can’t wait to see that quarterback battle — which we sadly never got in college — play out. I’ll dive deeper into that tomorrow.

14 – Steelers (4-2) 3

Matt Canada, I owe you an apology. I wasn’t familiar with your game.

Once again, the Steelers offense actually put together a good performance on offense thanks to some great work from their much-slandered offensive coordinator and improved play from Kenny Pickett. George Pickens continues to ball out on a weekly basis, and getting Diontae Johnson back immediately elevated this offense by giving Pickett his safety net in the receiving corps.

The defense is obviously still great, but they got away with a lot on Sunday. If Rams kicker Brett Maher had put every kick through the uprights, we would have gone to overtime at 24 apiece. Alas, the Steelers are now 4-2 against all odds and in the thick of the AFC North race with wins against Baltimore and Cleveland already this season. As is seemingly the case every year with Mike Tomlin at the helm, this team is not going away anytime soon.

15 – Rams (3-4) 3

Is a little consistency too much to ask for? I guess so. The Rams simply haven’t looked like the same team from week to week at all this season. Neither side of the ball can string together consecutive good performances.

This week, it was the defense — and special teams, for that matter — which let LA down as they were sliced and diced by a Steelers offense which has struggled to find itself for the majority of the year. Brett Maher missed seven points worth of kicks in a seven-point loss and was subsequently sent to the unemployment line. And while Puka Nacua was unstoppable, Cooper Kupp only had two catches all game. Now, Kyren Williams is likely headed for the IR, meaning the offense might have some more struggles in sight. With some great defenses ahead on the schedule, the Rams might be in a world of trouble.

16 – Vikings (3-4) 9

Well, well, well. The Vikings heard the noise.

For old time’s sake, I’ll say it. 11-0 in one-score games in 2022. Now 3-4 in such games in 2023. The fact that this team has played exclusively one-possession games is simultaneously ridiculous and incredibly on-brand. The good news is that, after starting 0-3, they’re 3-1 in these close games in the last month — including a 2-0 stretch thus far without Justin Jefferson — and just beat the former consensus best team in the NFL in a primetime setting.

Kirk Cousins silenced his haters and doubters with one of the best games of his career, Jordan Addison burst onto the scene with two long touchdowns, and T.J. Hockenson played perhaps his best game in a Vikings uniform. But, most importantly, the defense showed up and showed out, including two interceptions for Camryn Bynum. Brian Flores has his guys balling out, which has been the key for this team on this stretch of winning football. If they can keep it up against a lackluster stretch of upcoming opponents, the Vikings will somehow be right back in the thick of things in the NFC Wild Card race.

17 – Jets (3-3) 2

After the electric comeback win against the Eagles, the Jets had their bye week. I think that might just hurt the positive momentum that they took away from that game, but they’re still in a good position to keep the good times going.

Luckily for them, they could have another win coming up in the battle for New York on Sunday against the Giants.

18 – Chargers (2-4) 2

I really don’t feel like talking about the Chargers at this point. There’s really just nothing to talk about.

They’re incapable of winning meaningful games, Justin Herbert has looked like a shadow of himself after getting the bag, Quentin Johnston already looks like an all-time bust, and this defense is historically bad despite hundreds of millions of dollars being poured into it and having a defensive-minded head coach.

Absolutely nothing is going right here. I probably have the Chargers too high here. It’s not going to be shocking when they inevitably keep on falling.

19 – Colts (3-4) 5

Moving up five spots after losing is a bit unprecedented by my standards, but this feels deserved for a couple of reasons.

For starters, Gardner Minshew keeps on balling out whenever his number is called. I know I said I didn’t feel confident about him being the starter moving forward, but he just played an incredible game against the best defense in the NFL. That certainly helps build confidence. The rest of the offense keeps on getting huge contributions from guys like Josh Downs and Zack Moss in addition to the resident playmakers like Michael Pittman Jr. and Jonathan Taylor. And of course, the Colts really could have — and maybe should have — come away with a win on Sunday to improbably be above .500 if it wasn’t for some very questionable refereeing. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be.

The defense could still certainly use some work, but this team feels frisky and competitive enough to win some games as this season progresses. I don’t think they’ll be nearly as bad as I said. For that, they get a big time bump this week.

20 – Falcons (4-3) 2

The Falcons are officially the weirdest team in the league. I want them to go away so bad, but they just refuse to do so. Even in a game that they’re seemingly actively trying to lose with insane turnovers at the goal line or not giving Bijan Robinson a touch until the very last play of the game, they find a way to win. It’s ridiculous.

Let me be clear, I still don’t think this is a very good football team, and I still have less than zero faith in Arthur Smith as a head coach or Desmond Ridder as a quarterback. But a win is a win, and the Falcons should feel good to be back in the win column.

21 – Buccaneers (3-3) 2

Womp womp. I hope the Buccaneers enjoyed their month of relevance and people believing they’re a good team. That’s all over now. You can’t lose like that and get away with it.

This team has come off the bye and laid two complete duds at home when they could have established themselves the team in this division. Instead, they’re back to mediocrity, and while that’s certainly good enough to win the terrible NFC South, it’s not enough to still have my respect.

22 – Packers (2-4) 4

I was very close to making the Packers this week’s Team of Shame. That’s only natural after you lay yet another dud against a pretty bad team and your supposed franchise quarterback continues to single-handedly lose you games with terrible interceptions in the game’s most key moments.

Although this week’s honor went to the Bills, the Packers don’t deserve my time at this point. They have lost my respect entirely. I can’t believe how bad they’re making me look after singing their praises so much this offseason and early in the year. I’m just embarrassed.

23 – Saints (3-4) 3

In a shocking turn of events, the Saints are still not a good football team and Derek Carr is still not a winning quarterback. Who would have thought?

The defense once again got picked apart while Carr literally threw the game away and screamed at his teammates for his own mistakes (seriously, how weird is that?). Now, throw a Chris Olave arrest in the mix and you’ve got a team that’s simply crashing in 2023. What a shame.

24 – Titans (2-4) 2

The Titans used their bye week to figure out their quarterback situation, naming Will Levis as the starter for Sunday’s battle with the Falcons. I’m very interested to see what the rook can do in his debut against a strange, but challenging opponent.

25 – Patriots (2-5) 5

Macaroni is back!

Just kidding. Well, he’s probably not back back. But Mac Jones played his best game of the season — and maybe his best game since his rookie year — including tossing the game-winning touchdown with 12 seconds left to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the season, knocking off the Bills at home as 8.5-point dogs. That was a really cool sight.

I don’t know if this will somehow make the Patriots a competent football team again, but the upcoming schedule isn’t terribly tough. Maybe, just maybe, New England can start stacking some wins. It all starts with Mac, but if he plays like that every week, then this team has a shot.

26 – Broncos (2-5) 3

At this point, I don’t know how much can be garnered from beating Jordan Love and the Packers. But the Broncos looked good on Sunday, and that’s something I haven’t said much this season.

Russell Wilson played a solid game and the defense absolutely dominated to help Denver win its first game at home in the 2023 season. That’s gotta feel good.

What doesn’t feel good, however, is the Broncos upcoming schedule. They might not win again until December. Seriously, check it for yourself and tell me I’m wrong.

27 – Bears (2-5) 1

Good for the Bears. It’s always a good feeling to win football games in this league, especially when there’s feel-good stories involved like Tyson Bagent. The former Division II standout played a very solid game in his first game as a starting quarterback en route to the team’s dominant home win over the Raiders.

I don’t think he’s suddenly the guy in Chicago, and I certainly don’t feel good about the Bears as a whole still, but while Justin Fields remains on the mend, I’ll be rooting for the kid.

28 – Giants (2-5) 3

They called me a madman. But I know my team like no one else, and I can see losses like this from miles away.

The Giants are still a pretty bad football team, but in the last two weeks, they’ve looked far more competitive than they did in the previous five. That’s an extremely low bar, but it means something. It’s interesting how they look infinitely better with Tyrod Taylor at quarterback than they did with Daniel Jones, but we’ll save that conversation for later.

Here’s what’s important for the Giants: the defense looks like its 2022 self again, and the offense is looking better thanks to actually getting the weapons involved. That’s all they have to do to win, or at least be in football games. They have a very easy next two games, so I don’t see why they can’t keep riding that formula and pick up a few more wins.

29 – Commanders (3-4) 8

I don’t know how much longer I can do this guys.

I know I predicted a loss and am this fanbase’s resident pessimist, but this is just atrocious. Between the team’s play on the field and the incompetence in the building which has trickled down to the players (Jonathan Allen said it best), I’m struggling to find seasons where it has been harder to be a Washington football fan than 2023.

The real shot in the arm that I need is for the new ownership to clean house. But I still think it’s too early for that. Still, the clock is ticking, and it is ticking quite fast. I think change is coming much sooner than we anticipated. Can’t come soon enough.

30 – Raiders (3-4) 7

Blown out by Tyson Bagent. That has to be a new low.

31 – Cardinals (1-6) 4

The Cardinals have gone from being sneaky frisky to being actually frisky to being not so frisky anymore to being straight up bad. They were fun to watch for a bit when they had it in them to challenge their opposition, but they have lost the juice, and subsequently have become a terrible watch.

I think they’ll return to their early season form as they continue to get healthier, but until then, I have no interest in this team.

32 – Panthers (0-6)

The Panthers remain the NFL’s lone winless squad thanks to their bye week. After taking a peek at the schedule, it’s hard to see when that first win will come for Carolina. They should get nice and comfy down here.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Week 7 Picks

This week’s matchups continue to bring the heat featuring two fascinating inter-conference clashes — including what might be the game of the year in primetime.

Cover photo taken from ESPN.

Last Week: 9-6

Season Total: 52-41

Jaguars 22-17 Saints

Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video

With the Saints being at home for a primetime matchup, I’d have to imagine this game being close. That defense is going to do its thing for the large majority of the night, but I worry about New Orleans’ offense being able to keep up with Jacksonville’s.

Considering how well both the passing and running games are looking for the Jags, I think they’re just going to chip away as the game goes on and simply outlast the Saints on both sides of the ball. But, if New Orleans’ vaunted secondary makes a play or two, they could easily pull off this upset. 

Bears 19-16 Raiders

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX

This game was bad enough on paper before quarterback injuries entered the equation. Now, it’ll be Tyson Bagent vs. Aidan O’Connell.

I don’t even want to think about this game, and there’s no chance anyone actually wants to watch it. I’m going to pick the Raiders because they’re the better team, but part of me feels like the Bears pull this one out at home. I can’t explain it, and I sure as hell can’t back it up given the current situation with these rosters. It’s just a feeling. 

Browns 17-10 Colts

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS

This is another backup quarterback showdown, but the difference between this game and the one above it is that it features two actually solid rosters, including one which boasts the NFL’s best defense. And Cleveland should be able to ride it all day long once again.

Regardless of who suits up at quarterback for them, Gardner Minshew’s life will be hell on the other side, and that’ll be enough to notch another Browns win. 

Bills 26-13 Patriots

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS

I’m being a bit nice here. Divisional games like these usually tend to be a bit close. But this one has no business even being within two possessions.

Buffalo, for all their faults, is still a pretty good football team. The Patriots are anything but. Even in Foxboro, this one could get very, very ugly. 

Giants 20-17 Commanders

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS

That’s right. I think we’ll lose to the Giants, a team that I’ve been absolutely eviscerating all season long which has shown virtually no signs of life this year. There are a couple reasons why.

First of all, Ron Rivera has always struggled with New York for some reason, with just one single win in six matchups — which came on a missed field goal re-try in a game that we realistically should have lost. The Giants are also coming off a game that they should have won on Sunday night and may have found new life. Tyrod Taylor is probably once again going to be suiting up under center, but that doesn’t seem to hinder this team at all. They actually looked better with him than they did with Daniel Jones. And if Jones does start, then this is virtually a guaranteed loss for us, since he turns into Steve Young every time Washington is on the schedule for some reason. 

But the most obvious reason for us losing this game is the fact that everyone expects us to win. We’re coming off a nice victory in Atlanta, the fanbase feels good about themselves for some reason, and by all accounts, we should win this game. Which means that we won’t. It’ll be a complete dude and yet another chapter of embarrassment in a long, long book of blunders.

Buccaneers 23-17 Falcons

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX

It may be early, but this feels like a fairly pivotal NFC South matchup. The Saints, Buccaneers, and Falcons are all jockeying for breathing room atop this division. The Bucs already proved their ability to go on the road and pick up a huge divisional win when they trounced the Saints in their own building. Now, they get a worse team in Atlanta in the friendly confines of Raymond James. Feels pretty straightforward.

Combine that with the fact that the Falcons are reeling and the Bucs are looking to bounce back from Sunday’s embarrassment in the Creamsicles and you’ve got what I believe is a pretty easy pick. 

Lions 20-17 Ravens

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX

Dolphins-Eagles is going to steal all the headlines as the biggest game of the week, but this is by far my most anticipated game on this slate. The main reason for that is because this acts as a litmus test for both of these teams to see if they’re what we think they are.

I think both of these defenses, which rank towards the top of the league, are going to thrive in this game with neither offense being at full strength. With the offenses struggling, I think this game will be decided by whichever defense steps ups and makes more plays. Crazily enough, I think that’ll be Detroit’s unit. My main rationale for that is how elite they’ve been against the run thus far in 2023. The Lions give up the least rushing yards in the league, and Baltimore’s bread and butter is on the ground. Once that gets stifled, Lamar Jackson and company will have to win the game through the air. Sure, he’s capable of that, we haven’t really seen it other than the Browns game, where Cleveland was starting an incapable rookie quarterback which allowed the Ravens to win by scoring just 17 points. They won’t get away with that against a team as good as the Lions are.

Simply put, Baltimore throws for less than 200 yards per game. Against a defense that’s going to force them to throw, and an offense that can hurt you in all sorts of ways, I think the Lions emerge as the clearly better team in this matchup. They’re going to win this game and prove to everyone who may still be doubting them that they are bonafide contenders. 

Rams 22-19 Steelers

Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, FOX

This is yet another interesting NFC vs. AFC matchup that’ll probably get overshadowed by a few other games which admittedly look much better on paper. But I think this game still has the capacity to be pretty good.

Like I said with the above game, I feel like defense will be the name of the game in LA on Sunday. I think both offenses should have plenty of scoring opportunities, but this game has “redzone struggles” and “field goal-fest” written all over it. That makes this a difficult pick; the Rams clearly have the better offense, but the Steelers defense is legit, and their offense took some positive momentum into the bye. 

However, I’m going to stick with the home team for a valid reason: Pittsburgh’s secondary is terrible. They had a nice bounce-back two weeks ago against the Ravens, but they are going to have their hands more than full against Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, and the Rams pass-catchers. They might be able to get some stops to limit the damage, but I feel like they’ll eventually crack, allowing LA to come out with a very hard-fought win, although I could very well see their front seven doing enough to single-handedly win them the game yet again. 

Seahawks 24-13 Cardinals

Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, FOX

The simple result of a loss for Seattle last week has people forgetting how truly good this team is. I know I was harsh to them yesterday, but I gave very valid rationale for that. At the very least, they’re significantly better than the Cardinals, who are continuing to fall apart.

I know divisional games have a tendency to be close, but with this game being in Seattle, I don’t think it should be particularly close. 

Packers 23-13 Broncos

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS

As I said yesterday, the bye couldn’t have come at a better time for the Packers, who had a week to regroup after the disaster against the Raiders before a cupcake matchup against the Broncos.

Regardless of whether or not Aaron Jones suits up for Green Bay, they should be a-okay in this one. Denver’s defense is one of the worst I’ve ever seen, and this feels like a perfect bounce-back spot for Jordan Love and those young receivers. 

Chiefs 25-17 Chargers

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS

Patrick Mahomes against a divisional opponent with the worst pass defense in the NFL? Maybe I’m being generous saying this will be a one possession game. The Chargers don’t exactly inspire a lot of confidence with a banged up Justin Herbert and Austin Ekeler leading the offense while the defense gets cut apart for sixty minutes. The Chiefs might be dealing with some struggles of their own, but I don’t see a world where they lose this game. They’re still putting the pieces together offensively, but their defense is nothing short of elite, and I think that will once again be the difference in their sixth consecutive win. 

Dolphins 30-27 Eagles

Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC

Game of the Year? Maybe. It certainly has all the makings of one. But, we also presumed that Cowboys-49ers would be GotY two weeks ago. So no more assumptions.

I do think that, with the sheer offensive talent with both of these teams, this should be a very entertaining game. With how even these rosters match up with one another in addition to my continued placement of the Eagles above the Dolphins, I’m actually pretty surprised with myself, because I’ve had no doubts in picking Miami to win this game all week long.

My main reason for that confidence lies in the fact that Philadelphia’s secondary — which was already dealing with a plethora of struggles — is now as thin as it has been all year long. Now, that skeleton crew has to deal with Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and all of the motions and crazy concepts that the Dolphins pose. That doesn’t feel like it’s going to end well.

Yes, the Birds offense is great and due for a return to form after last week’s debacle against the Jets, but I don’t know if they have what it takes to keep up with Miami’s explosiveness. The Eagles have a very methodical offensive approach, which certainly works. But it just feels like they’re going to be out there so much on Sunday night. Yes, the Eagles are dominant up front, and Raheem Mostert will likely have a tough time moving the ball on the ground. But I think that if the Dolphins can keep Tua upright, he’ll do enough to lead his team to a huge victory. 

49ers 24-10 Vikings

Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN

I’d like to think this game will be close. But the Vikings have virtually nothing to work with offensively, and their defense is not nearly good enough to make up for that.

The 49ers are still the NFL’s best team despite their struggles in their loss last week, and they’re going to rebound from that loss in a big way here. The offense will look like its usual self — although Christian McCaffrey’s oblique injury could limit them a bit — and the defense should suffocate a lackluster offense all night long. Considering they’re going up against Kirk Cousins on Monday Night Football, I think 3 or 4 interceptions is certainly on the table. 

All stats taken from ESPN.

Post-Week 7 Power Rankings

A fairly quiet and predictable week didn’t shake up the Power Rankings too much, but there is still plenty of movement as we head towards the halfway point of the season.

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

Week 7 Picks

Another week us upon us as this season chugs along and somehow gets sloppier. Here are my picks for the upcoming slate of games.

Cover photo taken from NJ.com

Another week us upon us as this season chugs along and somehow gets sloppier. I personally think that this has still been a fun first six weeks, but there’s no denying that the quality of football has fallen off. This could be the week that turns things around, but this isn’t the best slate, all things considered. I had my worst performance yet last week, going 6-8 to bring my season total to 48-45-1. I’d like to think this is the week that things get better, but knowing my luck this season, that feels unlikely.

Cardinals 26-21 Saints

Thursday, 8:15 PM EST, Prime Video

This decision lies entirely with the WRs on either side of the field. The Cardinals lost Hollywood Brown last week, but are finally getting DeAndre Hopkins back from suspension. I think he will provide a massive boost to the passing game and the offense as a whole, which is lacking in RBs, to take the load of Kyler Murray has he gets his favorite weapon back. Meanwhile, the Saints are still very thin at receiver, and could once again be without their top 3 pass-catchers. They held their own last week against a solid Bengals defense, so I think they can still be competitive here, but I think the Cardinals offense will separate themselves and be able to come away with a win against a subpar Saints defense.

Bengals 26-23 Falcons

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

Fun fact: the Atlanta Falcons are the only undefeated team ATS this year at a perfect 6-0. Why not keep it going? Vegas likes the Bengals by a touchdown here, but I don’t. I think they win, but Atlanta has been far too competitive to get beat that badly by a Cincinnati team that has yet to put together a complete performance this year. The Falcons are coming off a great win against a 49ers team that’s better than the Bengals are. It wouldn’t shock me if they won this game outright, but I think Cincy can make enough plays defensively to let their offense win it late, perhaps on a walkoff FG. The Bengals are getting their mojo back and it’s hard to see them losing a game like this at home.

Cowboys 27-17 Lions

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

The Cowboys are finally getting Dak Prescott back this week, and it’s going to allow them to look like a bonafide contender. It helps that they’re going up against the Lions, who are coming off a bye but were playing like hot garbage going into it. Yes, they have offensive prowess, but they we haven’t seen them score since Week 5. They are going up against one of the best defenses in football, and will likely be very limited once again on that side of the ball. Meanwhile, their defense can’t stop a nosebleed, and Dak will have a very easy time throwing the ball in his first game back. This one really shouldn’t be close.

Titans 23-20 Colts

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

You wanna know something crazy? This is the only game this week between two teams with winning records. The first time these teams met up, the Titans won by a possession after getting off to a hot start. I honestly see this second matchup going the exact same way. Neither of these teams is anything special, but they’re both playing solid football. I think the Titans coming off a bye is very helpful as the Colts just had a tight, close game and win over the Jags last week. They’ll be well rested and ready to run over the Colts subpar run defense, just like they did a few weeks ago.

Packers 20-17 Commanders

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

This is just gross, isn’t it. The Packers are falling apart and the Commanders have been falling apart for over two decades. But, someone has to win. I’d never pick us to win a game, but I do think this one will be close. The Packers are straight up bad right now, and Aaron Rodgers is dealing with a hand injury. If Green Bay just turns around and hands the ball to Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon on every play, they’ll probably win by 20. But we know that’s not going to happen. I think that we can stick around for a while against a meddling Packers defense before Taylor Heinicke inevitably gives the game away. I won’t complain when it happens.

Buccaneers 21-10 Panthers

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

I really find it hard to believe that the Buccaneers lay a dud for the second consecutive week. I don’t like what they have going on offensively, but they’re going up against the worst team in the league that’s actively tanking. There’s no way they don’t win this one by double digits, right? Well, the Panthers could be feisty and make things interesting considering that Tampa just lost to the Steelers, but I just don’t see that happening again. They need a bounce back win, and this is their best opportunity for one.

Giants 22-16 Jaguars

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

The Giants need to take advantage of an awfully easy in the schedule in the coming weeks. It starts here with a trip to Jacksonville in a game where they are once again not getting their respect from Vegas. It’s ok, New York, I’ll give you my respect. I still don’t think they’re a contender or anything close to one, but they’re certainly better than the Jaguars. They can certainly go on the road and win this game the same way they’ve won all the others: let their defense do its thing and then run the ball to victory.

Ravens 28-19 Browns

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

The Browns are looking worse by the week, and while the Ravens have been a disaster in second halves this year, I’d like to think they can hold it down against a team struggling as much as Cleveland is. The Browns are especially falling apart defensively; if they let Bailey Zappe dime them up, just imagine what Lamar Jackson is about to do. Baltimore should not let this game slip away, and it really shouldn’t be close for a second. I know divisional games tend to be closer than not, but I just don’t see that being the case in Baltimore on Sunday.

Jets 16-10 Broncos

Sunday, 4:05 PM EST, CBS

I am done picking against the Jets, and I am done picking the Broncos just because they’re at home. They do not deserve the benefit of the doubt anymore in any regard. This might be the first time I have ever picked the Jets in over two years of doing this, but it’s well deserved. They have proven that they can go into tough road environments and win games based on their tough style of play. The Broncos meanwhile have proven nothing at all regardless of where or how they play. They are a worthless team that deserves none of my respect or time.

Raiders 27-20 Texans

Sunday, 4:05 PM EST, CBS

Both of these teams are coming off byes after playing their liveliest games of the year with the Texans getting their first win and the Raiders nearly pulling off an upset in Arrowhead. For that reason, I don’t think this game will be terrible. There will be a good amount of points put on the board, and in that case, I have to trust the better offense to get the job done. Vegas is finally getting great contributions from Josh Jacobs, and it has made their offense infinitely better and more viable. I think they can continue to use their balance to score on an actually solid Texans defense and pick up a solid win at home.

Seahawks 24-21 Chargers

Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, FOX

This pick was actually easier than I imagined it would be. The Chargers looked very unimpressive at home on Monday night, and it’s in large part thanks to their offense’s struggles in the midst of all of their injuries. The Seahawks defense has been playing solid ball as of late, and I think they will bring that momentum into this game and stifle LA enough to let Geno Smith and their offense win the game. Last week wasn’t their flashiest game, but I think they can get back to their usual flashy selves against a porous Chargers defense. It also helps that there will likely be more Seahawks fans than Chargers fans at SoFi. Maybe the 12th man can make an impact on the game as well.

49ers 23-20 Chiefs

Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, FOX

My pick for this game is entirely contingent on the health of San Francisco’s key defensive pieces. As of right now, we’re not sure if guys like Nick Bosa, Jimmie Ward, and Talanoa Hufanga will play for the 49ers. On the other side of the ball, Trent Williams might not be healthy enough to return either. Simply put, if the Niners are missing their best player on both sides of the ball, I can’t pick them to win, especially against a Chiefs team coming off a very tough loss. In any case, I think this Super Bowl LIV rematch will be a ton of fun, just like that Super Bowl was. The 49ers will offense will likely be able to return to form after an off game last week and be competitive in this one, but I have to pick the healthier and better team as of right now. However, if they get healthy before Sunday, then they will win.

AUDIBLE: I’m a man of my word. Switching my pick thanks to the 49ers getting healthy on defense as well as their blockbuster trade for Christian McCaffrey.

Dolphins 23-16 Steelers

Sunday, 8:20 PM EST, NBC

This game could be a complete disaster. The Steelers did win last week, but Kenny Pickett got hurt and they had to go back to Mitch Trubisky. Pickett should be returning this week, and he’ll be going up against a fellow returning QB in Tua Tagovailoa, who I honestly never thought I’d see play again after the concussion incident on TNF a few weeks ago. That should help the Dolphins offense get back on track after a couple of rough weeks under Teddy Bridgewater and Skylar Thompson. I think it’ll be enough for them to win the game, but I see this one being sloppy with potentially a lot of turnovers or just bad offensive play. Both of these defenses can shut things down on their best day, and this might be one of those days (or nights, I should say). Regardless, Miami has the superior talent on both sides of the ball, and that will be the difference.

Patriots 19-11 Bears

Monday, 8:15 PM EST, ESPN

With all due respect to these two teams, there is no conceivable way that this game will be good and/or worth watching. I know the Patriots are coming off back to back impressive wins, but something about this team is stopping me from thinking they’re anything but the Patriots we saw in the first few weeks of the year. Bears games are always low scoring and ugly. This one feels like it won’t be an exception. I do think the Patriots are the better team by far and will be able to win, and I actually think it’ll be out of reach for a while for Chicago. The only thing I know for certain is that it’ll be an eye sore.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Post-Week 7 Power Rankings

The Bengals, behind their young stars Joe Burrow and Jamarr Chase, have been the surprise team of the season and currently sit atop the AFC. (h/t Robb Carr, Getty Images)

1 – Cardinals (7-0)

No surprises here. I was considering shuffling around the top a bit, but it just didn’t feel right moving the Cardinals down for covering a 20-point spread. It wasn’t the flashiest of victories on Sunday, but it didn’t need to be. Both sides of the ball still did their thing, and they won extremely convincingly. This week will be arguably their toughest test yet, getting a hobbling Packers team on Thursday night, but I have no doubt they’ll do their thing yet again.

2 – Rams (6-1)

I don’t really care that the Rams were in a dogfight with the Lions on Sunday because it’s exactly what I predicted would happen. Detroit pulled out all the stops and still lost by multiple possessions, and it’s because this team is just that good. Matt Stafford continues to spread the ball around all over the place, and the passing game was the highlight of the game for the Rams. Stafford had 334 yards and 3 touchdowns, Cooper Kupp continued his sensational play with 156 yards and 2 TDs on 10 catches, and the defense slammed the door on the Lions to secure the win. It may not have been what people wanted to see, but it was a vintage Rams win, and it was precisely what I expected out of them.

3 – Buccaneers (6-1)

Tampa absolutely bullied the Bears for 60 minutes on Sunday. It was a thrashing on both sides of the ball. I thought Chicago’s defense would at least slow down this potent offense, but that simply wasn’t the case. Touchdown drive after touchdown drive combined with a dominant defensive performance had this game over before it even started. Tom Brady was sensational once again, throwing for 211 yards and 4 more touchdowns, including his 600th career regular season TD pass, to increase his league lead in both categories. Leonard Fournette is continuing to dominate out of the backfield, and you simply can’t guard every pass-catching weapon that the Bucs have. The defense made Justin Fields’ life a living hell, forcing 5 turnovers. If it wasn’t for a few redzone miscues, the score would have looked even uglier. Regardless, it was an awesome performance from Tampa, and I’m not sure if any team in the NFL is currently capable of stopping them.

4 – Bills (4-2)

The Bills had the week off, but luckily get to stay in place for now. I’m sure the bye was helpful for them to figure out their defensive woes, but I don’t think it’ll matter. Their upcoming schedule is remarkably easy, and I don’t see them struggling much until playoff time.

5 – Cowboys (5-1)

Dallas was on a much-needed bye last week as Dak Prescott gets healthier for a huge primetime clash with the Vikings on Sunday night. All signs are pointing towards him being good to go, and they’ll need him. I’m excited to see how they perform in primetime.

6 – Bengals (5-2) 3

The surprise team of 2021 just keeps on surprising. I picked the Bengals to beat the Ravens, but blowing them out is something I never could have foreseen. That was a close game for a while, but they simply blew it open in incredible fashion in the second half, and it’s thanks to more amazing play from Joe Burrow and Jamarr Chase. Their spectacular 82-yard touchdown connection in the 3rd quarter is what opened the floodgates, and they did not look back. Burrow finished with a whopping 416 yards and 3 touchdowns, with Chase catching 8 passes for an incredible 201 yards and the aforementioned score. Moreover, their defense is continuing to do big things, as they barely let the Ravens move the ball on them while the game was still close. It was simply a dominant, seemingly demon-exorcising game on both sides of the ball, and now, this team is the #1 seed in the AFC. I know it’s early, but I have no doubts that this is a playoff team. They are just so much fun to watch, and I can’t wait to see what else they have in store for us this season.

7 – Packers (6-2)

The Packers weren’t very impressive on Sunday, but they didn’t need to be. Washington shot themselves in the foot all game long, and Green Bay did what they needed to do early to put the game to bed. They were outgained and honestly outplayed offensively, but their defense made the necessary plays to make sure Washington never got back in it. There was nothing flashy about the win, but again, flash wasn’t necessary. This week will be a tough one, as they head to Arizona on a short week to take on the 7-0 Cardinals. To make matters worse, they’ll be without Davante Adams after a positive COVID test. I didn’t think they’d win that game anyways, but without him, it might not be close.

8 – Titans (5-2) 7

Ok, fine. I’ll put some respect on the Titans. I recognize that beating the Chiefs doesn’t mean what it once did, but to beat any team the way they did on Sunday would be impressive. It was absolute domination from start to finish. Their offense had a field day against KC’s terrible defense, and their own defense, which you know I don’t like, absolutely shut down what is one of the best statistical offenses in football. Patrick Mahomes was in hell, and it never felt like the Chiefs had a chance. A 27-0 halftime lead will demoralize any team. The Titans have proven me wrong in recent weeks since losing to the Jets, and if their defense can keep up this level of play, then they could be a real contender in the AFC. I just need to see it more consistently before buying more stock. But, I’ve bought just enough to finally put them in the top 10.

9 – Ravens (5-2) 3

So uh, what the hell happened? For the most part, this team was absolutely stifled on Sunday. They were outplayed, outcoached, and outclassed by a team that they have dominated for so many years. It almost didn’t feel real. The Ravens didn’t have the worst statistical day, but those stats are empty when you lose by 24 points at home. The biggest issue with this team continues to be the defense, which was torn apart to the tune of 520 yards allowed. The secondary is a mess that can’t cover a traffic cone, and they aren’t generating enough pressure to influence the pass game. As long as that’s the case, I don’t see this team contending in the AFC. I wouldn’t be surprised if they make a move for a DB at the deadline. They need it badly.

10 – Chargers (4-2) 2

LA had a bye this week, so there’s nothing to report on here. The upcoming schedule has some challenging games, so I’m excited to see how the Chargers perform in the next few weeks. I hope they don’t let me down.

11 – Raiders (5-2) 1

The Raiders did exactly what I thought they’d do on Sunday. They easily dispatched of a scrappy Eagles team, and Derek Carr was brilliant once again. The Vegas QB had 323 yards and 2 touchdowns on a wild 91% completion (31/34). The defense continues to look improved in the absence of Jon Gruden, outside of some garbage time statpadding from Philly. This team now sits atop the AFC West, and I honestly think they can keep that going. I do think the Chargers are better than them, and they showed that by beating them, but I like the football I’m seeing in Vegas right now. The only thing that can slow them down is themselves, but they seem to overcome adversity pretty well.

12 – Vikings (3-3) 1

Minnesota had a bye this week, and now get their toughest test in a primetime showdown with the Cowboys this Sunday night. I’m excited to see how they perform in that game, and I think it will be a solid benchmark for how real this team is. I’ve been buying their stock all year long, and I hope they don’t let me down.

13 – Colts (3-4) 8

The Colts are officially here. I loved what I had seen from this team in recent weeks, and now it’s all coming to fruition. They are winning games and looking awesome doing it. The defense is back to form, and the offense is seemingly unstoppable. Carson Wentz is looking like his former self, Jonathan Taylor is still unstoppable out of the backfield, and Michael Pittman Jr. is looking like one of the more lethal young WR threats in the NFL. They head into a bye as a team a lot better than their record suggests, and I think they have what it takes to make a real playoff push. They were very unlucky to start this season, but now that they’re starting to win games, I have a lot of faith in the Colts.

14 – Browns (4-3)

I was honestly impressed with the Browns on Thursday night. I really didn’t think they’d win without Baker Mayfield, but Case Keenum stepped in and did his thing. The real star of the show was D’Ernest Johnson, a 3rd string RB filling in for the injured Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Johnson had an impressive 146 yards and a touchdown on just 22 carries. The offensive line is getting back healthy and proving that they are still one of the best in the league. I think I could run for 100 behind those guys. The defense also did its thing against a lethargic Broncos offense. I still don’t know how I feel about this team, especially as their injuries linger. The next few weeks will dictate how Cleveland’s season is going to go.

15 – Chiefs (3-4) 5

Oh brother. Where do you even begin with the Chiefs? This team is falling apart. This is genuinely a bad football team right now. The offense is still putting up stats, but the stats are extremely empty. Just look at them only scoring 3 points and turning the ball over 3 times against a bad defense. Patrick Mahomes continues to be a turnover machine, and the previously explosive offensive weapons are now nowhere to be seen. The biggest problem continues to be the defense, which might as well not take the field at all. There’s just nothing going right in Kansas City, and while I previously trusted Mahomes to make sense of all this madness, he’s proved that he’s incapable of doing so. The Chiefs better hope they find some answers, or this season could be over in a blink.

16 – Saints (4-2)

Is this the worst 4-2 team ever? Probably not. But they’re not a great team by any stretch. The truth about the Saints is there are only 2 things that are good about them. The first is Alvin Kamara, who is still one of the most unstoppable players in football. On Monday night, he had 179 total yards, including 128 receiving yards on 10 catches. The second bright spot in New Orleans is the defense, which has been great for the most part all year long. They shut down an albeit nonexistent Seahawks offense all game long outside of a single long TD pass, and it was very impressive to watch. I just don’t think it’s a formula that will translate into enough wins to put this team in the playoffs, especially with a tough schedule.

17 – Patriots (3-4)

The Patriots had some kind of hostility they were clearly letting out on the Jets on Sunday. 551 yards of offense and 54 points, with 20 coming in the 4th quarter, is a sign of a team that was trying to prove a point. I’m not going to go crazy over a blowout of the Jets, but I was still impressed with the Pats. Mac Jones continues to be efficient and sharp, the run game is back to putting up good numbers, and the defense is back to showing up. I think this team has the ingredients to make the playoffs, but they’re clearly still figuring out a lot of moving parts.

18 – 49ers (2-4) 7

I’m done making excuses for this team. They looked good for a while on Sunday night, but after that, they turtled and played scared football. They 100% deserved to lose. And they deserve the slander. This roster is way too talented to play such conservative football, and I trace it back to Kyle Shanahan. His playcalling and coaching style just aren’t going to work in today’s NFL, yet he refuses to adapt or change anything. The Niners were dominating with the run and, subsequently, the play action, but they refused to use it to their advantage. Jimmy Garoppolo isn’t exactly a QB that can beat you with his arm. The secondary is also very bad, and it hurts the defense tremendously. I just don’t like what I’m seeing out of this team, and I don’t know what it’ll take for them to get back track.

19 – Steelers (3-3) 1

The Steelers had a bye ahead of a huge matchup with the Browns this week. If they can pull a win out, then their season can turn around in a massive way, and based on how they played going into the bye week, it might not be too far-fetched. More on that tomorrow.

20 – Broncos (3-4) 1

This team is just bad. That’s what they have devolved into. The offense is nonexistent, and the once-strong defense can’t even slow down 3rd string RBs. Now, Von Miller is hurt once again, and the defense will get even worse because of it. There’s just nothing to like in Denver. It’s turning into a big, big shame. Hopefully they figure out the QB position this offseason.

21 – Falcons (3-3) 5

Somehow, the Falcons are sitting at .500 through 6 games. Actually, I’ll tell you how. The schedule has been dreadful. Granted, I don’t want to keep them too low, because they are playing better football than the teams currently below them. But I’m not buying any of this team’s stock. Once the schedule actually gets real, there won’t be many positives left to talk about. But, as it stands, this is a decent team with a fun offense, and Kyle Pitts is turning into a legitimate threat. Good for him.

22 – Seahawks (2-5)

Talking about this team is a colossal waste of time. As long as Russell Wilson is out, they won’t be worth a damn. Geno Smith has been dreadful as the starter, and the defense is just as bad as ever. Yawn. Next!

23 – Panthers (3-4) 3

Remember when everyone was crowning this team after starting 3-0? Remember when you all said Sam Darnold was back because he beat the Jets and the Texans? Yeah, those were the days. There’s a reason I never believed in this team. They don’t have what it takes, and it starts with Darnold. The only thing keeping this team together was Christian McCaffrey, and they are now 0-4 without him. Darnold can’t do a thing on his own, and he deserved to be benched long before he actually was on Sunday. Getting crushed by the Giants in 2021 is an absolute disgrace. Deshaun Watson is the only thing that can save this team, and the chances of him coming here is next to none. So, this is a hopeless football team.

24 – Eagles (2-5)

I’ll give the Eagles credit for one thing. They are the premier statpadders in the NFL. Nobody does it better than the Birds. They go down 30 and turn it on in every single 4th quarter. It’s honestly impressive. Unfortunately for Philly, the first 3 quarters also matter, and they aren’t very good in those. It’s just more of the same every week with this team. I am confident in their pieces moving forward, but this is all they’re going to be in 2021.

25 – Giants (2-5) 4

The Giants decide to show up about once a month, and last week’s thrashing of the Panthers filled that quota for October. This still isn’t a very good team, and they still lack a general direction, but good on them for picking up a nice win. Now, they get to be the team that the Chiefs inevitably bounce back against on national television. A very nice prize indeed.

26 – Bears (3-4) 3

This team is a disgrace. There are a lot of other words that can be used to describe the Bears, but I think that’s the most fitting one. They refuse to do anything to improve in areas that are lacking more than any other team in football. Throwing out your first round rookie QB against an elite defensive front with that abysmal offensive line is obviously never going to work. Fields had 5 ugly turnovers as the defensive line got to him time after time and he refused to pick up blitzes or feel the pressure in the pocket. It was everyone’s fault. On the other side of the ball, the defense got absolutely terrorized. How do you explain giving up 35 points in the first half? You don’t. The coaching, decision making, and play of this team is just an absolute joke. That’s that.

27 – Washington (2-5) 2

What do you want me to say about this team? Sunday’s loss was just more of the same garbage we’ve seen all season long. I will give the team credit for putting up a good offensive performance and a relatively good defensive game, in the sense that they looked like an actual NFL defense at times. That doesn’t change the fact that they got carved up whenever the Packers decided to do so. It was a strange game for the offense, as they outgained Green Bay by 127 yards and never punted the ball, yet only put up 10 points. It was a day of questionable decisions and redzone woes. Taylor Heinicke is quickly playing his way out of the starting QB job, and he can’t leave soon enough. I’m not saying he’s the root of all the problems with this team, but I’m ready to never see him play for my team again.

28 – Jaguars (1-5) 1

Thankfully for my eyes, the Jags had a bye last week. They are trending in the right direction, but that doesn’t mean I want to watch them play. Does anyone?

29 – Lions (0-7) 1

The Lions pulled out all the stops, and I mean all the stops on Sunday in LA, and honestly executed them pretty well, but it just wasn’t enough. I guess you can’t win a game in the NFL with fake punts and onside kicks. This is still a good team with plenty of nice pieces that does not deserve to be 0-7. Jared Goff is still terrible, but this team will be in prime position to draft a top QB this year, and I think that will do wonders for them.

30 – Dolphins (1-6) 2

I’ve thought this is arguably the NFL’s worst team for a few weeks now, and they continue to provide merit to that argument. Yes, they had a late comeback and could have won on Sunday, but why are you even down by multiple scores to the Falcons in the first place? Oh right, it’s because Tua Tagovailoa isn’t an NFL QB. Just trade for Deshaun Watson and get it over with.

31 – Jets (1-5)

How do you come off a bye and give up 54 points while only scoring 13? By being the Jets, of course! Oh, and now Zach Wilson has a knee injury that will keep him on the sideline for a bit. Only this team. They will never get it right.

32 – Texans (1-6)

Nothing to see here. Just another blowout loss in which the Texans didn’t even look like an NFL team. Just another Sunday in this league.

All stats taken from ESPN.