Are the Bucs out of the top ten? A new team enters the top five? Are the Eagles on fraud watch? Let’s find out.
F Tier: Is The Season Over Yet?
32. Tennessee Titans (1-10)
31. New York Jets (2-9) -2
30. Las Vegas Raiders (2-9)
29. New Orleans Saints (2-9) -1
28. Cleveland Browns (3-8) +3
27. Washington Commanders (3-8) -2
26. Cincinnati Bengals (3-8)
D Tier: Next Years Our Year
25. New York Giants (2-10) +2
24. Minnesota Vikings (4-7) -4
23. Arizona Cardinals (3-8) -1
22. Miami Dolphins (4-7) +1
21. Dallas Cowboys (5-5-1) +3
20. Atlanta Falcons (4-7) +1
C Tier: Wild Card Watch
19. Carolina Panthers (6-6)
18. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5) -1
17. Los Angeles Chargers (7-4) -2
16. Houston Texans (6-5) +2
B Tier: Dark Horse Contenders
15. Jacksonville Jaguars (7-4) +1
14. Kansas City Chiefs (6-5)
13. San Francisco 49ers (8-4) -1
12. Chicago Bears (8-3) +1
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-5) -3
A Tier: The Real Deal
- Green Bay Packers (7-3-1) -1
The Packers cruised their way to a win at home against the Vikings in an easy victory against the J.J. McCarthy-led Vikings 23-6. A win is a win, but this was yet just another top team beating down on a very inferior opponent.
Star quarterback Jordan Love had an underwhelming performance in comparison to his performance in New York. Love went 14 for 21 while throwing 139 passing yards and zero touchdowns or interceptions. It wasn’t just Love that struggled in the pass game, no receivers were able to score as well, with the most productive receiver being Chrisitan Watson, who had only five receptions for 49 yards. The real winner in this offense was the run game. Even with Josh Jacobs’ absence the run game still found major success against the Vikings in backup Emanual Wilson. Wilson rushed for 107 yards and two scores on 28 carries, showing off the cheeseheads’ elite run game no matter who the ball carrier is.
Despite an offensive slugfest from the Packers, the defensive side of the ball won them the game by a mile. Minnesota’s offense was unable to get anything going generating only 180 yards of total offense and no touchdowns. On top of holding the Vikings out of scoring all game, Green Bay’s defense was able to generate a fumble recovery and two interceptions. Safety Zayne Anderson recovered the fumble, while linebacker Isaiah McDuffie and safety Evan Williams were both able to snag interceptions off of the young and struggling rookie J.J. McCarthy, who was in trouble before the game even started against Green Bay’s elite pass rush.
The Packers have struggled offensively as of late, although the combination of Matt Lafleur’s coaching and a quarterback’s nightmare of a front seven on defense, even with a less than impressive win against a struggling team, it’s hard to do anything but rank this team inside the top ten.
- Baltimore Ravens (6-5) +2
The Ravens have cracked the top ten for the first time in a while, and although they had a less than challenging matchup against the (2-9) Jets, Baltimore has continued their five game win streak, winning the last four with Lamar Jackson back from injury.
Since being back in the starting line up, Jackson’s presence has been extremely noticeable. After returning roughly a month ago against the Dolphins, Jackson has thrown for 726 yards and five touchdowns with only two interceptions in four games. Even with Jackson’s impact this team struggled to get any momentum against the two win Jets. The pass game was nowhere to be found as Zay Flowers was the leading receiver with five receptions and 58 yards and the second leading receiver in receptions was Derrick Henry with two. The run game was what really got the win for this struggling offense as Henry rushed for two touchdowns, a great game for the veteran running back who has been having a rough season for his standards.
The defense played a key role in this win against the Jets after picking it up recently. The defense struggled early on in the season and played a key role in the Ravens’ early 1-5 start, yet has come back to life since their dominant win at home against the Bears in week seven. Against New York the defense was able to hold the Jets to ten points and only one passing touchdown to John Metchie III. The Ravens’ unit also forced two turnovers, one being a forced fumble on Breece Hall which was recovered by safety Alohi Golman, as well as corner T.J. Tampa, who snagged an interception from quarterback Tyrod Taylor, a big play from a huge weak spot for Baltimore’s roster.
A two score difference against a bottom five team in the league isn’t the most impressive thing for such a high caliber team, yet the Ravens resurgence from 1-5 to 6-5 since Jackson’s return from injury is proof to just how good this team truly is. As Baltimore slowly climbs their way back to an elite team, I wouldn’t be surprised if they are higher in coming weeks, and make a push in the playoffs come crunch ime.
- Buffalo Bills (7-4) -2
Buffalo was exposed once again by an inferior team as they faced off against the Houston Texans this past Thursday and lost 23-19. Although the score may say otherwise, this was complete domination from the Texans on every level as they truly exposed the Bills’ weaknesses.
Josh Allen had his worst game of the season which from a yards perspective wasn’t terrible. Allen went 24 for 34, throwing for 253 yards and two interceptions. Due to Allen’s struggle the pass game was a slug fest outside of Kalil Shakir, who caught eight passes for 110 yards. This game was only truly close because of a successful night from Buffalo’s running back room. James Cook looked solid as he rushed for 116 yards and the offense’s only touchdown on 17 carries. Running back Ray Davis was a major impact player as well, with a huge return touchdown on special teams. Yet even with the offense’s success, the offense overall couldn’t succeed due to Houston’s defensive efforts. The offensive line had no solution for pass rush duo Will Anderson Jr. and Daneil Hunter, who combined for 4.5 sacks and four tackles for loss against the Bills on Thursday night. The constant pressure led Allen to panic as he threw two interceptions to safety Callen Bullock.
Houston was also able to get the best of the Bills offensively. Backup quarterback Davis Mills continues his win streak as C.J. Stroud recovers from injury, slinging the ball for 153 yards and two touchdowns on 30 attempts with 16 completions. Receivers Christian Kirk and Jayden Higgins were both able to get in the endzone as well, tearing up Buffalo’s struggling secondary. Considering the Bills’ level of talent this was an embarrassing showing for the defense as they allowed a true backup quarterback to have a clean game and even get in the endzone twice, proving to be a scary sight for the Bills superbowl’s hopes.
Overall the Texans proved one thing, when Josh Allen is contained, the whole team will struggle as a result. Although yes this is a major flaw in Buffalo’s game and hopes to make a push in the playoffs, we’ve seen the talent flash from the whole team when Allen is clicking, and for that reason they are still a top ten team.
- Denver Broncos (9-2) +3
As the Broncos entered a much deserved bye, I reflected on the Broncos play and came to the conclusion that this team is truly better than I have consistently given them credit for. Outside of young quarterback Bo Nix’s decision making struggles, it’s really hard to stop this team when they are fully healthy, and their play this season has proved that.
Nix has very easily not been the most efficient quarterback, being outside of the top ten in all stats outside of touchdowns. Nix has had a serviceable season throwing for 2,421 yards with 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions, as well as the No.19 best QBR on the season at 53.5. Yet even with Nix’s struggles on the field he has done something that a lot of good quarterbacks struggle to do, and that’s win games. Nix couldn’t put up those numbers without his receivers, who have been having a great season as a group. Wide receiver Courtland Sutton has been solid with 45 catches for 649 yards and four touchdowns. Breakout second year Troy Franklin has also been balling out arguably more than Sutton, with 46 receptions for 509 yards and five touchdowns. The run game has been a huge weapon for this offense as well, the rushing duo of J.K. Dobbins and rookie RJ Harvey have combined for 966 rushing yards and six touchdowns, on top of Harvey’s four receiving touchdowns.
This is not a one sided team, however Denver’s defense has been the major playmaker for the Mile High team. The unit ranks top ten in every major defensive stat among the league and is even No.1 in multiple categories such as opponent’s yards per play, third down conversion percentage, red zone scoring percentage, and opponent’s touchdowns per game. The unit has consistently dominated and won this team ugly games where the offense couldn’t step up, proving to be arguably the best in the league.
After reviewing stats and gameplay I’ve realized that even with the young quarterback’s struggles, Nix has led this talented roster to be easily one of the most successful teams in the league, which is why they jump up in these rankings this week, and will continue to as long as they win.
- Indianapolis Colts (8-3) -1
In a must win game for the most surprising contender of the year, the Colts fell to the Chiefs 23-20 in overtime on the road. Although winning in Arrowhead is a challenging feat for any team, this was a critical game for the young talented roster to prove that they are as good as they really look.
Surprisingly enough, Daniel Jones, who has a habit of struggling in big games, played well, throwing for 181 yards and two touchdowns on 31 attempts and 19 completions. Micheal Pittman, Alec Pierce and Tyler Warren were all big contributors to the offense’s success, combining for 98 yards and a touchdown on 11 receptions. Backup tight end Drew Ogletree was also able to get into the endzone, yet something was off with this offense as a whole: Jonathan Taylor. Taylor, who has been maybe the best player in football all season, and a major part of the Colts’ success, rushed for only 58 yards on 16 carries and zero touchdowns. Taylor was able to get nothing going which showed just how much this offense struggles when Taylor is contained, similarly to Josh Allen and the Bills.
Indy’s defense actually performed really well. The Colts were able to contain Patrick Mahomes quite early on in an uncharacteristic game for the star. On the second pass of the game for Mahomes he was tipped and picked off deep in Chiefs territory by edge rusher Laitu Latu, who has been on fire in his sophomore season. Yet even with Mahomes’ struggles Kareem Hunt rushed right through the defensive line with 104 yards and a touchdown on 30 carries. Too many yards after the catch were allowed by this secondary as well, as Rashee Rice racked up 141 yards on eight receptions, in which a lot of those yards came towards the end of the game in result deciding plays. Overall the defense was out hustled and out coached by a struggling Chiefs offense, which is not excusable for an elite team.
A 23-20 loss on the road to easily the best team over the past five years isn’t the end of the world. Yet the Chiefs exposed the Colts’ true weakness which is their true ceiling as an offense without Johnathon Taylor production. If teams figure out how to contain Taylor consistently, the Colts are in dangerous territory, which is why they fall out of my top five.
S Tier: Super Bowl Contenders
- New England Patriots (10-2) +2
The Patriots have cracked the top five in my rankings for the first time all season after a 26-20 win on the road against the Bengals. Although this isn’t the most impressive win for the Patriots so far, they continue to win, and their success against any level of opponent should be acknowledged.
Drake Maye started off slow and had easily one of his worst performances of the season against the Bengals’ defense funny enough. Maye went 22 for 35 and threw for 294 yards with a touchdown and interception turned into pick six by Bengals safety Geno Stone. Outside of Hunter Henry this pass game struggled as well. Henry had seven receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown. Treyveon Henderson finally got the workload he deserved even with a healthy Rhamondre Stevenson. Henderson easily had his worst game since starting although he still got the job done, rushing for 66 yards on 18 carries.
The defense, on the other hand, had a field day. Outside of a receiving touchdown from Mitchelle Tinsley with a critical catch over Christian Gonzales, the Bengals were able to get nothing going all game due to the Patriots’ defense. Without Jamar Chase on the field due to suspension Tee Higgins was the primary receiver and got nothing going, with only five receptions for 31 yards. The run game got going for the Bengals slightly, as Chase Brown rushed for 19 carries and 107 yards, yet failed to score.
Overall this game was too close for comfort for the first ten-win team of the season, yet a win is a win. Winning a game where your offense struggles as badly as it did is proof of just how talented this roster is on both sides, which is why they enter the top five this week.
- Philadelphia Eagles (8-3) -1
After going up 21-0 the Eagles were defeated by the Cowboys in comeback fashion in a 24-21 loss. Although the Cowboys are better than they are often given credit for, especially on offense, this was an inexcusable win for the reigning champs.
The Eagles got off to a huge start in the first half, with an A.J. Brown received touchdowns and two huge drives that resulted in two Jalen Hurts rushing touchdowns, yet things slowly went downhill. The offense then went scoreless the rest of the game. Although the pass game wasn’t the issue, as A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith combined for 14 receptions and 199 yards, it was the run game. Saquon was a liability all game, only racking up 22 rushing yards on ten carries as well as a costly fumble late in the game. Receiver Xavier Gibson fumbled a return late in the game as well, which led to a Cowboys recovery and score which tied the game.
The Eagles’ offense wasn’t the only side to struggle. Philly’s secondary had no answer for star receiver George Pickens, who caught nine passes for 146 yards and a touchdown, a big win for this offense. This offense couldn’t have done it without quarterback Dak Presscot’s superstar play, as he threw for 354 yards with two touchdowns and an interception on 23 completions and 36 attempts. Even with a pick from safety Reed Blankenship, the unit could not stop the Cowboys in the second half, more specifically George Pickens.
The Cowboys are a good team and divisional matchups are always close, but there is no excuse for a top five team to go scoreless in the second half as the Eagles did, yet they are still a good team, which is why they stay in my top five.
- Detroit Lions (7-4) +1
The Lions beat the Giants at home 34-27 in overtime. Although the Giants’ record says otherwise, they are the best two-win team in recent memory, which is why I am not too critical of this being a close game for the Lions.
This was a rather slow game for the loaded Detroit offense in the air, as Jared Goff threw for 279 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on 42 attempts and 28 completions. Receiver Amon Ra was the only receiver to have an impact as well, with nine receptions for 149 yards and a touchdown. The real X-factor for Detroit was Jahmyr Gibbs. Gibbs rushed for 219 yards and two touchdowns on only 15 carries, and caught 11 passes for 45 yards and a receiving touchdown as well. Although this win wasn’t much of a proven win against a two-win team, the offense got the job done and proved that there is talent on every level of this offense.
The defense, on the other hand, struggled. Despite safety Thomas Harper’s interception, the Giants very easily were in control of this game outside of run defense. Jameis Winston continued to be the Jameis Winston we know and love, throwing for 366 yards with two touchdowns and an interception on 18 completions and 36 attempts. Receiver Wandale Robinson shredded Detroit’s secondary, catching nine passes for 156 yards and a touchdown, exposing a struggling Lions secondary.
Overall the Lions won, yet if the Giants were healthy and Jahmyr Gibbs didn’t have the game of his life, I can see this game easily going in the Giants’ favor. Yet, the Lions continue to win and come playoff time, they are one of the most playoff ready teams in the NFC, and for that reason they stay in my top three this week.
- Seattle Seahawks (8-3)
The Seahawks rolled the Titans on the road in a 30-24 victory. Although the score may be too close for comfort, the film shows exactly what it was, a good team beating up on a bad one.
Sam Darnold got back on track after a rough outing against the Rams, going 16 for 26, throwing for 244 passing yards and two touchdowns. Jaxon Smith-Njigba had another game adding onto what may be the best receiver season of all time, catching eight passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns. The run game had a great game as well. Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet had a normal game for the pairing as Walker had 71 rushing yards on 11 carries, while Charbonnet had 35 rushing yards on only six carries, yet Charbonnet got the rushing touchdown.
Although the Hawks’ defense let up 24 points to the worst team in the league, this was possibly the best game former WSU quarterback Cam Ward has played all season. Ward went 28 for 42 while throwing for 256 yards and a touchdown. Although even with this performance, Seattle’s front seven still gave Ward hell as he was sacked four times with 11 QB hits, as well as six tackles for losses. The secondary wasn’t able to get any turnovers however as the Titans as a whole had possibly the best game of their season.
There isn’t much to say for the Hawks in what should have been, and proved to be an easy matchup. Although it was nice to get back in the win column after a tough loss to the division rival Rams. Overall the Hawks proved yet again just how good they are and I won’t be surprised if they climb back to the number one spot in coming weeks.
- Los Angeles Rams (9-2)
If anyone really proved themselves this past Sunday, it was the Rams. The Rams blew out the Buccaneers 34-7 at home Sunday night in a statement game for the best team in the league.
MVP favorite quarterback Matthew Stafford continued to make his case as possibly the best player in football at the age of 37. Stafford went 25 for 35, throwing for 273 yards and three touchdowns in his eighth game in a row without an interception. The one-two punch in the league Puca Nacua and Davante Adams continued to cook secondaries as Nacua racked up 97 yards on seven receptions and Adams caught five passes on 62 yards and two receiving touchdowns. Tight end Colby Parkinson also got into the endzone, on top of four receptions on 41 receiving yards.
Not only did the offense have a field day, but the defense as well. Los Angeles held the Bucs to seven points on offense, an offense that has been explosive all year despite injuries. Star quarterback Baker Mayfield had a rough go against the Rams as he threw for only 41 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions before being injured and replaced by Teddy Bridgewater. The Rams’ front seven got to Mayfield and Bridgewater all day, with four sacks, six QB hits, and seven tackles for losses. The pass rush made it easy for the secondary, as corners Cobie Durant and Emmanuel Forbes Jr., who continues to resurge his career with the Rams, both snagged an interception.
Overall the Rams stomped all over the Bucs and proved just how elite they are. Although Tampa Bay was quite injured, with star running back Bucky Irving out and Baker leaving halfway through the game, this showing was a true testament to just how good the Rams are this season, and may be the clear Superbowl favorites as we inch closer to playoffs.
