Will the Jets ever get a win? Who is the best team in the NFC West? Is there a new number one? Let’s find out.
F Tier: Is The Season Over Yet?
32. New York Jets (0-7)
31. Tennessee Titans (1-6)
30. Miami Dolphins (1-6) -1
29. Las Vegas Raiders (1-6) -1
28. Cleveland Browns (2-5) +2
27. New Orleans Saints (1-6)
D Tier: New Year’s Our Year
26. Baltimore Ravens (1-5)
25. Arizona Cardinals (2-5)
24. New York Giants (2-5) -1
23. Dallas Cowboys (3-3-1) -1
C Tier: Wild Card Watch
22. Carolina Panthers (4-3) -1
21. Cincinnati Bengals (2-5) +3
20. Minnesota Vikings (3-3)
19. Atlanta Falcons (3-3) -3
18. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) -3
17. Houston Texan (2-4) +2
16. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-3) -2
B Tier: Dark Horse Contender
15. Chicago Bears (4-2) +2
14. New England Patriots (5-2) +4
13. Los Angeles Chargers (4-3) -2
12. Washington Commanders (3-4) -2
11. Denver Broncos (5-2) +2
A Tier: The Real Deal
- Kansas City Chiefs (4-3) +2
The Chiefs shut out the Raiders 31-0 in what was nothing short of public embarrassment for the Raiders and a statement made by the Chiefs.
This team seems to be back into its championship form as both sides of the ball are on fire. MVP candidate Patrick Mahomes has been having himself a start to the season with 14 touchdowns and two interceptions and the third best QBR on the season with a 77.7. It is only up for Mahomes and this offense as they just got their wide receiver one Rashee Rice, back from a six-game suspension. His impact was missed as he had one heck of a season debut with seven receptions for 42 yards and two touchdowns. Although this team seems to have another wide receiver to breakout for them as well: Hollywood Brown. Brown leads the teams receiving room this season with four touchdowns and receiving yards with 316.
This defense has had ups and downs to the season, but really showed out against the Raiders leading to the fourth shutdown of the season. They are also standing out on the stat sheet, being No. 4 in opponent touchdowns allowed per game with two and No. 3 in opponents points allowed per game with 17.7. With possibly one of the best defensive coordinators of all time in Steve Spagnola at the helm, it’s hard to count this team out defensively, and it shows on the field.
After early season struggles, this team looks to be back on track. With superstar coaching, a standout quarterback, and a true wide receiver on the field, it’s hard to argue any case where the Chiefs aren’t top 10, and that’s why they land at 10 on my list.
- San Francisco 49ers (5-2)
San Francisco continues to defy the odds this season improving to 5-2 after a 20-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night. The 49ers are easily the most banged up team in the league, with their starting quarterback Brock Purdy, wide receiver Ricky Pearsall and a few others being named on the injury report for week seven. Yet, somehow they continue to win.
It starts with coaching. Head coach Kyle Shanahan and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh are on fire to start the season. Shanahan and Saleh have developed a true next man up mentality and have prepared all their players to make impact plays for them, no matter who they play. Shannahan’s ability to coordinate an offense well enough to lead a Mac Jones led offense to a 4-1 record is unreal. Meanwhile on the defensive side of the ball, this unit is top 10 leaders in opponent’s points allowed per game, opponents points per play, and opponent’s touchdowns per game. All this is being done without star defensive end Nick Bosa and star linebacker Fred Warner.
One thing has stayed consistent though: Christian McCaffrey. CMC has been playing like arguably the best back in the league, only rivaling leading rusher Johnathon Taylor, and CMC 2.0 Bijan Robinson. CMC has proven to be this offense, being their leading receiver and rusher. CMC has 465 yards on the ground three touchdowns over 132 attempts and 516 yards in the air with three receiving touchdowns on 53 receptions.
Despite possibly the worst start for a team’s playoff hopes in recent memory, the star power is too deep on and off the field for San Fran to lose, and they continue to prove that.
- Los Angeles Rams (5-2) -1
The Rams traveled across the pond and put on a show, humiliating the Jaguars in a 35-7 blowout. They pulled this off all without their star receiver Puka Nacua, cementing themselves as a top ten team in the league.
Matthew Stafford showed up and showed out in London, throwing for 182 yards and five touchdowns on 21 completions, continuing to add to his for some reason disregarded MVP case. Davante Adams stepped up as the wide receiver in place of Puka Nacua and proved he still got it. Adams had five receptions for 35 yards and three touchdowns, being the focal point of the offense against the Jags.
The defense continues to be a nightmare for teams, and more specifically, quarterbacks. Pass rushing duo, Byron Young and Jared Verse, balled out for another week, as they combined for two and a half sacks on Trevor Lawrence, totaling at 13 in total for the duo this season. The secondary lights out as well. Safety Kam Curl has put up quite the stats through seven weeks with a sack, two tackles for loss, four passes defended and two interceptions.
The Rams looked dangerous for yet another week and proved that even without Puka on the field, they are still dangerous. When he’s on the field, it’s going to be a long 60 minutes of football for the opposing team.
- Seattle Seahawks (5-2) +1
The Hawks are legit, and they continue to impress me week in and week out. Even though they may have dropped an embarrassing loss week one to the 49ers, I truly believe this team is the best in their division.
Let’s start with the obvious. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is here to stay. Through seven weeks number 11 has 819 receiving yards, which is first among all receivers. He also has four touchdowns in the air, all of this being on 50 receptions this season. Yet he couldn’t do any of this if it wasn’t thanks to his MVP caliber quarterback Sam Darnold. Darnold continues this insane run the Hawks are on with 1,754 passing yards on 131 completions, with 12 touchdowns and four interceptions. The stat line doesn’t even do Darnold’s play justice, as his ability to place the ball just about anywhere he wants on the field while averaging less than a pick a game is genuinely mind blowing and does not get enough attention. Darnold’s elite play was not a one season fluke, he is truly the real deal.
This defense has been one of the most consistent in the league as well. The Hawks Unit ranks top ten defensively in every overall statistic except for one, being No. 14 in the league in opponents fourth down conversion percentage of 57.14%. Outside of this minor flaw they are top ten on every other stat and stand out defensively on the ground and in the air, proving to be elite under defensive mastermind Mike McDonald, who coached one of the most lights-out defenses in recent memory being the 2023 Baltimore Ravens.
Seattle is balling out this season on both sides of the ball, and it feels like there’s no slowing down this team when they get rolling. They are truly one of my favorite teams to watch in football and I wouldn’t be surprised if they enter the top five in coming weeks.
- Green Bay Packers (4-1-1) -2
Despite a win, there’s no excuse for a game against the Jacoby Brissett led Cardinals to come down to the wire. Although I’m still quite high on Green Bay, they have a lot of flaws that need to be cleaned up.
The offense has been far from the issue. Jordan Love has had a great season and a decent game against the Cardinals. Love had 19 completions on 29 attempts and a touchdown, with 179 yards in the air. The trifecta in the pass game of Romeo Doubs, Matthew Golden and tight end Tucker Kraft have been consistent for Jordan Love. The trio has combined for 879 yards and eight touchdowns on 47 receptions so far this season. The run game is where this offense really lights up. Josh Jacobs has continued his run with the Green Bay Packers, with 414 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, in which he’s tied for No. 2 in the league among all running backs.
The defense is where this team really struggles, especially in the secondary. The defensive line is fantastic with a star-studded pass rush led by Micha Parsons, as they’ve combined for 18 sacks this season. The secondary is the problem with this unit. Green Bay’s secondary let Jacoby Brissett throw for 279 yards and two touchdowns with zero interceptions. Tight end Trey McBride put on a clinic against this secondary too, racking up ten receptions on 74 yards and two touchdowns.
This team has struggles for sure, but I still have faith that with the power of this offense that they are still a top team in the league.
S Tier: Super Bowl Ready
- Buffalo Bills (4-2) -2
The Bills went into the bye coming off a few rough losses vs the Patriots and Falcons but let’s not give up on Buffalo just yet because they are true contenders.
Josh Allen has been putting up a crazy season, racking up 1,397 yards on 11 touchdowns and four interceptions. James Cook III has also been an elite back this season, with 537 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground, in which he is top five for both statistics. The pass game has been solid too, especially for a rather abysmal wide receiver room. Tight end Dalton Kincaid has been the leading receiving leader with 287 yards and three touchdowns in the air. Kalil Shakir and Keon Coleman follow closely behind, as they both have over 200 yards in the air and two touchdowns.
As previously mentioned last week, this team’s biggest struggle is defense. The teams leading sack leader has a total of two on the season, and the secondary has a total of two interceptions over six games. The defense has significantly struggled the last two weeks, in which they’ve let up the teams only two losses. In those weeks they let Drake Maye put up 273 yards and only eight incompletions and let Bijan pick apart their run defense the next week with 170 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.
Buffalo’s offense is in fantastic hands under reigning MVP Josh Allen, but they have some things to clean up on the defensive side of the ball. Yet even with those mistakes, this team is still dangerous, which is why they land top five on my rankings.
- Philadelphia Eagles (5-2) +2
The Eagles bounced back with a 28-22 win on the road against the Vikings. Yet a narrow win against the Carson Wentz Vikings isn’t exactly the most impressive feat, but they redeemed themselves on the offensive side of the ball.
Jalen Hurts silenced the haters after a disappointing start to the season. Hurts threw for 19 completions on 23 attempts, with 326 yards and three touchdowns. The wide out duo DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown balled out as well, with a total of 13 receptions for 304 yards and three touchdowns between the duo on Sunday. The running game has been on a slump, however. Reigning offensive player of the year Saquon Barkley racked up only 44 yards on 18 carries and did not get into the endzone against the Vikings.
The defensive struggles have been what’s flying under the radar for those that like to criticize their offensive struggles. This unit that was widely regarded as a top unit in the league last year is only top ten in three overall statistics for defense, with those being opponents fourth down conversion, opponents red zone scoring percentage and allowed opponents touchdowns per game. They have also been having to resort to sitting some starters like corner Kelley Ringo, which is never a good sign for what is supposed to be a top unit.
This offense came back and silenced the doubters after a rough two weeks, but there are still other struggles flashing on this team that they need to clean up before they enter the top three.
- Indianapolis Colts (6-1) +2
Indianapolis put on a showing in a huge win against the Chargers on the road 38-24. This team has been the underdog story of the year as the Colts improve to 6-1 and the team with the best record in the league through seven weeks.
My comeback player of the year Daniel Jones has been on fire for Indy and continued his run in Los Angeles this past Sunday. Jones completed 23 passes on 34 attempts for 288 yards in the air and two touchdowns. Leading rusher Jonahtan Taylor had a special game against the Chargers with 94 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries. Taylor continues to hold the lead rushing record after another week of his special season. Rookie tight end Tyler Warren continued his rookie of the year campaign as well, with four receptions on 69 yards and a touchdown as he makes his case as a top five tight end in the league.
The defense has played its part in this team’s legendary run as well. This past Sunday the team combined for three sacks and two interceptions. Two of those sacks came from star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner. Safety Nick Cross contributed to one of those interceptions, while the big man Grover Sterwart had the highlight of his season with a line of scrimmage interception for a beloved big man pick.
The Colts are firing on all cylinders and fall into the top three for the first time this season. Yet I can’t move them up any higher as I believe the teams above could beat them, so they land at three on this week’s rankings.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-2) -1
Tampa dropped a rough one to the Lions after an exciting six-week campaign. Although I am not counting them out at all, one thing is for sure – they have a few things to clean up.
Yes, not having Mike Evans, Bucky Irving, or Chris Godwin in an offense that primarily runs around them is rough, but this roster is too talented to fall that short in the 24-9 loss. Baker Mayfeild had a rough game after an MVP caliber six-week campaign. Mayfeild threw 28 completions for 50 total attempts and 228 yards on a touchdown and an interception. The Emeka Egbuka to Mayfield connection was off this game, as Egbuka only had four receptions on 12 targets and 58 yards. Tez Johnson was the single bright spot for the offense this game, as Johnston racked up four receptions for 58 yards and the team’s only touchdown all night. Johnson has really stepped up into that wide receiver two role barring major injuries to this wide receiver room.
The defensive unit let up a big game for this Lions offense, yet considering how explosive Detroit is, it’s hard to judge them for letting up 24. This defense still had a decent showing, racking up four sacks and a pick from linebacker Jamal Dean, who has been having himself a season. Although you must account for the mistakes. Tampa’s unit let Gibbs run all over them as the back ran for 136 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries. The secondary also allowed 241 yards in the air on 29 passing attempts and let Amon-Ra have a day on only six targets, with 86 yards and a touchdown.
Yes, this team has a lot to fix, but when you consider the adversity they were facing and the competition they were dealing with, it’s hard to drop them and lower them on this list. Tampa Bay is still clearly a top team in this league, barring one rough week.
- Detroit Lions (5-2) +1
The Detroit Lions ladies and gentlemen. After many wanted to overreact following a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, they bounced back and showed up who everyone was calling the best team in the league in a dominant fashion.
This team was in a flow state as every aspect of their game was perfect. The run game was on fire as Jahmyr Gibbs put on the burners Monday night with 136 yards and two touchdowns. Gibbs showed everyone why they call him Sonic with a 78-yard house call to set the tone for the rest of the game. The pass game was clicking too. Jared Goff had 20 completions on 29 attempts with 241 yards and a touchdown and pick. Amon-Ra St. Brown was on fire too. Brown had six receptions with 87 yards and a touchdown.
The defense got the job done. Baker Mayfeild looked uncomfortable in the pocket all night as the Aidan Hutchinson led pass rush racked up four sacks and eight QB hits. The secondary was on lock as well as they only allowed 228 passing yards in the air and a single passing touchdown against one of the most explosive offenses in the league.
Although yes, this team can struggle at times, but when this team is clicking, not even the best team in the league can stop them. That’s why they stand at the top of my list on this week’s power rankings.
