2019 NFL Power Rankings: Week 12

November 19, 2019November 19, 2019 Chris McGlynn Football, NFL, Power Rankings Baltimore Ravens, Football, NFL, NFL Power Rankings

Every team in the NFL could learn something from the Ravens at this point. Baltimore has committed to running the football on a regular basis, and it’s working. Actually, the best teams in the league right now rely heavily on their ground games. San Francisco, Minnesota, Seattle all run the ball well week in and week out. In fact, none of the top 11 teams in rushing yards per game are below .500. There are a few teams that could really use a good dose of ground and pound, like Rex Ryan used to say. The Bears, Rams and Chargers all have quarterbacks clearly struggling right, yet keep throwing the ball way more than they should.

All that being said, everyone is looking up at the Ravens once again. It was a pretty drab week in the NFL in terms of upsets and the like. A few came close, but Arizona, Cincinnati and Denver could not pull off the stunning result. Speaking of results, none of the top eight teams moved due to the expected outcomes of these games. Teams 9-32 saw a fair about of movement though. The middle of the NFL continues to feel like a mess right now. The level of parity in the NFL is certainly at an all-time high. Let’s dive in to all the action from this weekend.

1. Baltimore Ravens: 8-2 (Last Week: 1)
Won 41-7 vs. Houston
It was another dominant performance for the MVP front-runner and company. Lamar Jackson accounted for four more touchdowns en route to a blowout victory over the Texans. Baltimore looks like the most complete team in the league by a mile. The offense is clicking and seemingly unstoppable, while the defense continues to get better as the year rolls on. Shutting down Deshaun Watson is not an easy task, but the Ravens had no problem doing it. This looks like a clear challenger to the Patriots’ AFC reign.

2. New England Patriots: 9-1 (Last Week: 2)
Won 17-10 at Philadelphia
It wasn’t pretty. In fact, the offense was pretty ugly once again. For the third time this season, Tom Brady failed to throw a touchdown pass. Now it doesn’t really matter because style points don’t win games, but there is some growing concern about this group’s ability to contend down the stretch given the lack of proven playmakers. Mohamed Sanu has integrated himself well, but New England desperately needs someone to step up during it’s final six games of the regular season.

3. Seattle Seahawks: 8-2 (Last Week: 3)
Bye Week
Seattle is undoubtedly focused on itself, but it had to be hoping for a Cardinals upset of the 49ers to give the Seahawks the division lead. Russell Wilson will get a chance to play the San Francisco again, this time in Seattle, but that will have to wait until after matchups with the Eagles, Vikings, Rams, Panthers and Cardinals. This is going to be a tough final stretch for the Seahawks to reach the playoffs, despite how good they’ve already been.

4. San Francisco 49ers: 9-1 (Last Week: 4)
Won 36-26 vs. Arizona
For a while there, San Francisco seemed headed for a second straight loss after an 8-0 start to the year. The 49ers rallied to avoid an upset, but this was not a feel-good win. Despite the final scoreline, this was actually a one-score game. The Niners recovered a fumble in the end zone on the final play of the game to stretch out their margin of victory. Jimmy Garoppolo remains a big concern. In two games against the Cardinals, he averaged 370.5 passing yards with eight touchdowns and two interceptions. In his other eight games, Garoppolo averages 217.1 yards per game with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He needs to step up against better competition.

5. New Orleans Saints: 8-2 (Last Week: 5)
Won 34-17 at Tampa Bay
New Orleans proved last week’s loss to Atlanta was just a fluke with a get-right win over Tampa Bay. The Saints leaned into the best wide receiver-running back duo in the league, feeding Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara. Four interceptions of Jameis Winston made the offense’s job a lot easier as well. It seems like this team is back on track after a wake-up call in the form of that stunning loss, but Sean Payton has to make sure the Saints don’t slip up again with playoff seeding coming into play.

6. Green Bay Packers: 8-2 (Last Week: 6)
Bye Week
A late-season bye week for Green Bay comes at a time when the team is finally coming together. The outlier obviously still stands after that head-scratching loss to the Chargers, but on the whole, this group seems headed in the right direction. Aaron Jones is tied for the league lead in rushing touchdowns and Davante Adams finally looks like he is at full strength. Matt LaFleur still needs to find a way to patch up a mediocre run defense, but the Packers have a shot at a first-round bye. Green Bay faces San Francisco on Sunday night with massive playoff implications on the line.

7. Minnesota Vikings: 8-3 (Last Week: 7)
Won 27-23 vs. Denver
The first half of Sunday’s game was very reminiscent of Minnesota shocking loss to Buffalo last year early in the season. In some bizarre fashion, the Vikings trailed 20-0 at halftime on Sunday, and it could have been worse. Andrew Sendejo intercepted a pass in the end zone just before half to keep it a 20-point margin. Kirk Cousins led a furious comeback as Minnesota outscored Denver 27-3 the rest of the way. While it would be easy to point and say this was a terrible start, Cousins has struggled to lead comebacks throughout his time with the Vikings. This was actually a huge confidence boost.

8. Kansas City Chiefs: 6-4 (Last Week: 8)
Won 24-17 at Los Angeles (Mexico)
Los Angeles outgained Kansas City by 128 yards, but KC’s defense picked off Philip Rivers four times, including in the end zone to seal the victory. This was one the Chiefs had to have in order to stay atop the AFC West. Andy Reid’s team finally gets its bye week now in Week 12 with a chance to get some nagging injuries taken care of. Damien Williams and Tyreek Hill exited with injuries on Monday night. Kansas City doesn’t quite look like the team that pushed New England to the brink last year in the AFC Championship game, but they are still going to be a tough out with Patrick Mahomes under center.

9. Dallas Cowboys: 6-4 (Last Week: 10)
Won 35-28 at Detroit
It was not quite as convincing as most Cowboys fans probably would have preferred, but it was still a win over an NFC opponent. Dallas now opens up a one-game lead on Philadelphia as well. Dak Prescott was masterful yet again with 444 yards and three touchdowns. However, Ezekiel Elliott went missing in action and the defense struggled to shut down Jeff Driskel. Elliott managed 45 yards on 16 carries, but did reel in a receiving touchdown. Driskel had 209 yards through the air and two touchdowns. He added 51 yards on the ground and another score. It was a win, but the Cowboys also have a few troubling trends.

10. Oakland Raiders: 6-4 (Last Week: 14)
Won 17-10 vs. Cincinnati
In easily the worst game of the week, the Raiders edged the Bengals in an uninspiring showing. Given how well Derek Carr and Josh Jacobs played, it is hard to figure out how the offense only managed 17 points. Give the defense a ton of credit though for making Ryan Finley’s life miserable. He completed just 13 of 31 passes and suffered five sacks. Oakland’s defense has been trending up in recent weeks. Assuming this was just an off week for Jon Gruden’s offense, the Raiders seem like a real threat to the Chiefs for the division title.

11. Houston Texans: 6-4 (Last Week: 9)
Lost 41-7 at Baltimore
We learned on Sunday that the Texans are not contenders in the AFC. In a game between two of the the top three teams according to record heading into the weekend, Houston got steamrolled by Lamar Jackson and company. Deshaun Watson had his least effective game of the year. The Texans have to do some soul searching following this loss. They lost control of the division again and the defense was exposed without J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney. Bill O’Brien has a ton of work to do to right the ship here.

12. Los Angeles Rams: 6-4 (Last Week: 13)
Won 17-7 vs. Chicago
It wasn’t perfect, actually far from it, but there is a lot to like about how the Rams played on Sunday night. Sean McVay finally ran the ball. Los Angeles actually moved away from its traditional zone scheme and tried more of a power run approach. The initial returns seem positive. Todd Gurley had 97 yards even if he wasn’t the most effective in the process. Asking Jared Goff to throw the ball only 18 seems like a better plan going forward, but he has to stop making the backbreaking mistakes and throw the ball away if the Rams are going to keep winning.

13. Philadelphia Eagles: 5-5 (Last Week: 12)
Lost 17-10 vs. New England
Injuries continue to plague the Eagles as Jordan Howard, Alshon Jeffrey and Nigel Bradham all missed the game for Philly, and it showed. Doug Pederson still is not running the ball enough, forcing Carson Wentz to throw the ball 40 times in this loss. Defensively, this was about as good of a performance as anyone could have hoped for. The Patriots might not be as prolific as they once were, but holding Tom Brady without a touchdown is impressive and holding the ground game to 3.4 yards per carry is a good sign of what’s to come. The biggest issue here is the lack of a complete game from the Eagles. Very rarely have we seen them put it all together in the same week.

14. Pittsburgh Steelers: 5-5 (Last Week: 11)
Lost 21-7 at Cleveland
In a weird way, Mason Rudolph was the luckiest player on the field despite being hit in the head with a helmet. He was not suspended for his part in the brawl that broke out Thursday night, he did not suffer a serious injury from the helmet hitting him and the focus was shifted away from his miserable performance. Rudolph threw four interceptions in a total meltdown against the Browns defense. His constant turnovers derailed the Steelers’ postseason chase. An easy schedule still gives Pittsburgh a chance, but this was a huge mistake.

15. Buffalo Bills: 7-3 (Last Week: 17)
Won 37-20 at Miami
After a rough offensive showing in Cleveland, Josh Allen turned in the best outing of his young career. He had three passing touchdowns and added another one on the ground without turning the ball over. John Brown continues to look like one of the best free agent signing in the league, posting nine catches for 153 yards and two scores. It was against a team lacking talent, but this was the exactly the type of performance needed to quiet some of the doubts creeping in about the Bills.

16. Indianapolis Colts: 6-4 (Last Week: 18)
Won 33-13 vs. Jacksonville
In the on-again, off-again saga that is the Indianapolis Colts. One week after an embarrassing loss against the Dolphins, the Colts bounced back with a thorough thrashing of the Jaguars. With Jacoby Brissett coming off a knee injury, Indy gave him plenty of help. With Marlon Mack and Johnathan Williams topping the century mark, the Colts had two 100-yard rushers for the first time since 1985. It’s not all good news though, as Mack fractured his hand. He will likely miss some time. That blow could be softened if T.Y. Hilton ever returns from injury. Despite all the adversity, Indy leads the division.

17. Tennessee Titans: 5-5 (Last Week: 15)
Bye Week
This is the definition of an average team. Tennessee has dominant wins over Cleveland and Atlanta with close wins over the Chargers, Buccaneers and Chiefs. However, the Titans are 0-2 in the division and were shutout by the Broncos earlier this year. What comes next is anyone’s guess. Derrick Henry has shown signs of being the feature back many hoped he could be and Ryan Tannehill has offered a bit of stability, but this team still doesn’t look like a true playoff contender. This will be an interesting team to watch over the final six games. It could end up in the postseason or in the top 10 of the draft.

18. Carolina Panthers: 5-5 (Last Week: 16)
Lost 29-3 vs. Atlanta
Oh boy. Cam Newton needs to come back. I will admit I was wrong when I said Carolina could move on from Newton in favor of Kyle Allen. One game doesn’t dictate a season or a career, but Allen has shown he has a very low floor. He laid an egg Sunday against the Falcons in a game the Panthers needed to win to keep pace in the postseason hunt. It looked a lot like the dud he produced when facing the 49ers a few weeks back. Christian McCaffrey can continue to be the best player in the league, but he needs a bit of help for Carolina to win games.

19. Cleveland Browns: 4-6 (Last Week: 24)
Won 21-7 vs. Steelers
Make it two in a row. Cleveland’s defense has come to play in the past two weeks. Unfortunately, that was all over shadowed by Myles Garrett’s ridiculous decision to rip Mason Rudolph’s helmet off his head and hit him with it. What we would’ve been talking about would be the Browns beating the Steelers and Ravens for the first times since the franchise started back up again in 1999. Instead, Cleveland must find a way to keep this momentum going without arguably its best player.

20. Atlanta Falcons: 3-7 (Last Week: 27)
Won 29-3 at Carolina
I have no idea what has gotten into this Falcons defense, but they are on a roll! After no signs of life for about eight weeks, Atlanta has roared to life. The Falcons have 11 sacks over the past two weeks, which is ridiculous when you consider they had only seven through their first eight games. Whatever changes Dan Quinn is making are clearly working. With four interceptions of Kyle Allen, his defense is suddenly playing like one of the best in the league. That’s also back-to-back games without a touchdown allowed. This looks like the Falcons team I expected coming into the season.

21. Jacksonville Jaguars: 4-6 (Last Week: 19)
Lost 33-13 at Indianapolis
That wasn’t quite the welcome back I’m sure Nick Foles was hoping for. The veteran quarterback was fine in his return from injury, but the defense got gashed by the ground attack. Leonard Fournette could not get going and Foles simply did not make enough plays to make up for all of that. Jacksonville is slipping away from the playoff race, but still just sits two games back of Indianapolis in the division. There is no game remaining on the schedule that feels like the Jags are going to be overmatched in, but there also isn’t one that you feel confident in them one winning. Foles will need to channel some magic if hopes of another run are going to live.

22. Chicago Bears: 4-6 (Last Week 20)
Lost 17-7 at Los Angeles
We might be nearing the end of Mitchell Trubisky’s time in Chicago, at least as the starter. He suffered a non-specific hip injury on Sunday, exiting in the final stages and never returning. He might have genuinely been hurt, but it wouldn’t be a shock if Matt Nagy just pulled him. The Bears have been one of the biggest let downs of the year. The offense still can’t break out of its funk and the defense isn’t good enough anymore to carry them. Chicago’s playoff hopes are all but dead at this point.

23. Detroit Lions: 3-6-1 (Last Week: 21)
Lost 35-27 vs. Dallas
Jeff Driskel played better in his second week of action, but this team still really missed Matthew Stafford. Defensively, the Lions took Ezekiel Elliott out of the equation, holding him to just 45 yards rushing. Unfortunately, they forgot to account for Dak Prescott, who torched the secondary over and over again. Detroit’s defense is a real problem, which makes Matt Patricia a candidate to lose his job at the end of the year. He was supposed to be a defensive specialist coming from the Patriots, but has failed to make his mark on the unit.

24. Denver Broncos: 3-7 (Last Week: 23)
Lost 27-23 at Minnesota
For one half, it looked like the Broncos were finally putting together all the pieces to beat one of the top teams in the league. Then Denver suffered one of the worst collapses we’ve seen this side of Atlanta’s Super Bowl debacle. Defensively, there is a lot to like about shutting down Dalvin Cook, but Kirk Cousins went off after halftime. Brandon Allen struggled to make plays in the late stages. The focus can officially shift to next season now as this team evaluates young players and veterans alike to determine the best path forward.

25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 3-6 (Last Week: 22)
Lost 34-17 vs, New Orleans
Jameis Winston continues to show his incredible talent mixed with maddening inconsistency every week. He is setting himself up to be on a different roster next year as a backup. Four more interceptions on Sunday against the Saints see him distance himself from the pack. He has 18 on the season. Philip Rivers is next with 14. Now, he got no help from the run game. He accounted for 23 of the team’s 36 rushing yards. It also might have helped to run the ball more than eight times. There are a lot of team that need to commit to the run more often to take pressure off some of these struggling quarterbacks.

26. Arizona Cardinals: 3-7-1 (Last Week: 26)
Lost 36-26 at San Francisco
Arizona looked competitive with San Francisco once again, but ultimately came up short again. Defensively, the Cardinals shut down what has been an unstoppable ground game from the 49ers. However, they got carved up in the secondary once again by Jimmy Garoppolo, even without George Kittle. Arizona has been much more of a challenger than its record would indicate and of all the first year coaches, Kliff Kingsbury is probably the one I feel second-most optimistic about, behind Matt LaFleur. It will be interesting to see how the Cardinals fair after a full offseason under their belts with Kyler Murray.

27. Los Angeles Chargers: 4-7 (Last Week: 25)
Lost 24-17 vs. Kansas City (Mexico)
Pull the plug on everything in Los Angeles. I know every one of the Chargers losses this season have been by one possession, but it’s time to rebuild and restructure. Philip Rivers is in the midst of the downturn of his career. He threw four interceptions to bring his season total to 14. His touchdown percentage has plummeted and he simply looks uncomfortable making plays from the pocket, frequently pumping before actually throwing to his target. Injuries have played a role, but Rivers’ poor play is a growing issue.

28. New York Jets: 3-7 (Last Week: 29)
Won 34-17 at Washington
New York goes back-to-back with wins of the NFC East cellar. Sam Darnold put up a career-high four touchdown passes against a struggling Washington defense. These are the types of things that will help Adam Gase keep his job at the end of the year. If Darnold is showing signs of progression, that is going to make a world of difference. Weirdly enough, the Jets are 3-1 against the NFC East and 0-6 against everyone else. Not exactly a great sign of the success this team has had, but this was the type of game where a loss would’ve felt catastrophic. At least the defense is looking stellar. Jamal Adams is making a legitimate case to be an All-Pro.

29. Miami Dolphins: 2-8 (Last Week: 28)
Lost 37-20 vs. Buffalo
This was coming back down to Earth in a way. It might be an odd way to explain a 2-7 team dropping to 2-8, but the loss Sunday against Buffalo snapped a two-game win streak for Miami. It was a good reminder about how far this group still has to go. There is no question the Dolphins are putting a much better product on the field now than they were at the beginning of the season. Turning this roster around will take some time. On top of that, there are some small things to get excited about, like the play of DeVante Parker and scoring at least 20 points for the third time this year.

30. New York Giants: 2-8 (Last Week: 30)
Bye Week
A week off hopefully gives Saquon Barkley, Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram a chance to get healthy. The offensive line has been a bit banged up as well. Thankfully, the offense has looked okay despite the injuries. Defensively, the Giants are a mess. The trade for Leonard Williams still doesn’t make any sense and the back end looks hopeless. If New York is going to win games the rest of the way, it will be by outscoring opposing offenses.

31. Washington: 1-9 (Last Week: 29)
Lost 34-17 vs. New York
It was another lackluster start for Dwayne Haskins. He made some strides late in the game, but it was well out of reach by that point. It was certainly not a good week either for the Washington offensive line, which gave up six sacks and paved the way for a pathetic 2.7 yards per carry. The defense wasn’t much better, giving up four touchdown passes to Sam Darnold. Washington needs tons of help across the board. On the bright side, Derrius Guice finally came back and showed some of the promise he had in college on a 45-yard screen pass he scored. The focus is on next year and possibly even beyond for this group.

32. Cincinnati Bengals: 0-10 (Last Week: 32)
Lost 17-10 at Oakland
The world brutal comes to mind when reflecting on the Bengals game with the Raiders. Despite a decent effort defensively to hold Oakland to 17 points, Cincinnati turned in a woeful performance on offense. Rookie quarterback Ryan Finley spent much of the game running for his life and certainly does not look like the solution at the position. Barring an unexpected resurgence or some kind of otherworldly performance from A.J. Green when he finally gets back on the field, this team is going to have the first overall pick.

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2019 NFL Power Rankings: Week 11

November 12, 2019November 12, 2019 Chris McGlynn Football, NFL, Power Rankings Baltimore Ravens, Football, NFL, NFL Power Rankings

Consistency. It’s what every NFL team hopes to achieve. It’s what each coach wants from his players. It’s what fans count on every week of the season. Turns out it’s also very hard to find these days. After two months with the Patriots atop the power rankings, we have a new team taking over the top spot for the second time in as many weeks. The Saints suffered a shocking loss to the Falcons. The 1972 Dolphins can finally pop their champagne following the 49ers’ loss on Monday as there are no more unbeaten teams. That turned out to be one of the all-time great contests between Seattle and San Francisco, resulting in a game-winning field goal in overtime as time expired.

It was truly a bizarre week, as the Falcons, Browns, Dolphins and Jets all won. Miami is actually on a winning streak right now, as hard as that is to believe. Possibly lost in all of this is the fact the Titans stunned the Chiefs. There is a ton to unpack from this weekend of action. All the chaos led to a massive overhaul of these very power rankings, as you can see below, starting with a completely reordered top five.

1. Baltimore Ravens: 8-2 (Last Week: 3)
Won 49-13 at Cincinnati
Welcome to the top spot Baltimore. After dismantling the Patriots in primetime, the Ravens battered the Bengals to continue their dominance in the AFC North. Lamar Jackson looks like something out of a video game as he accounted for four more touchdowns on Sunday, including potentially the best run of the season. Champions aren’t crowned in November, but that has to be the mindset of this team right now given the current level of play.

2. New England Patriots: 8-1 (Last Week: 4)
Bye Week
Giving New England a bye week almost feels unfair considering who it has at head coach. Bill Belichick is the king of midseason adjustments, which is why he has six Lombardi trophies hanging out in his facility. The Patriots have a tough stretch upcoming with the Eagles, Cowboys, Chiefs and Texans all on the schedule. There is a very good chance the Pats go 3-1 in that span and cruise to another number-one seed in the conference thanks to changes made by this coaching staff during the week off.

3. Seattle Seahawks: 8-2 (Last Week: 6)
Won 27-24 (OT) at San Francisco
For the second straight week, Seattle needed overtime to come out on top. The Seahawks survived a 12-round heavyweight thriller with the 49ers on Monday Night Football to slay the final unbeaten team in the league. Russell Wilson spent a good chunk of the game running from the San Francisco defensive line and very nearly cost Seattle the win with an interception in overtime. In the end, it was the defense who made some critical plays to put Pete Carroll’s crew in position to come out on top. Don’t look now, but the Seahawks are perfect this year on the road.

4. San Francisco 49ers: 8-1 (Last Week: 2)
Lost 27-24 (OT) vs. Seattle
Undefeated no more, the 49ers can put history behind them and refocus after a bitter loss to their division rival. This defense is the best in the NFL, led by clear Rookie of the Year candidate Nick Bosa. However, that is not the area most critics are worried about with this team. It was another rocky performance from Jimmy Garoppolo. He was not on target with a number of throws, including a few passes that should have been intercepted. Losing Emmanuel Sanders certainly did not help matters, but Garoppolo does not look like a quarterback capable of leading this team to a championship at the moment.

5. New Orleans Saints: 7-2 (Last Week: 1)
Lost 26-9 vs. Atlanta
This is what I get for moving the Saints to the top of the power rankings. New Orleans turned in by far its worst performance of the year. The offense was an absolute dud against Atlanta, giving up six sacks and failing to find any sort of rhythm. Drew Brees looked like a quarterback past his prime trying to carry an undermanned offense. They completely abandoned the run as well with just 11 attempts on the ground. All of the concerns people had about the Saints showed up at the same time, resulting in a resounding flop. One divisional loss far from sinks hopes of a title chase, but it provides a reality check for Sean Payton and company.

6. Green Bay Packers: 8-2 (Last Week: 7)
Won 24-16 vs. Carolina
Green Bay bounced back in the snow by stymieing Christian McCaffrey on the goal line as time expired. Aaron Jones had another ridiculous day with three touchdowns on just 13 touches. The defense came up with a pair of takeaways to preserve the lead. This does not feel like the Packers we are used to seeing with Aaron Rodgers at the helm, but they are winning a lot of games with this new style of play. In crunch time, we have seen how dominant the former MVP still can be when needed.

7. Minnesota Vikings: 7-3 (Last Week: 9)
Won 28-24 at Dallas
Kirk Cousins won a big game for the Vikings! He might not have had gaudy numbers, but the Michigan State product turned in one of his better showings off the season. Dalvin Cook took on a massive workload, despite a lack of overall efficiency. The defense deserves some praise too after making Ezekiel Elliott feel like an afterthought. With Adam Thielen and Trae Waynes out, this was a massive win for a Minnesota team currently controlling the wildcard conversation.

8. Kansas City Chiefs: 6-4 (Last Week: 5)
Lost 35-32 at Tennessee
It may be time to start wondering how much of a Super Bowl contender these Chiefs really are. Losing to the Packers without Patrick Mahomes is one thing. Falling to the Titans in the MVP’s return is another. Defensively, Kansas City seemed to regress after all the progress is had made in recent weeks. Derrick Henry tore apart the interior of that line on the ground. Mahomes is now capable of working his magic once again, but he needs some help from that floundering defense.

9. Houston Texans: 6-3 (Last Week: 11)
Bye Week
With Indianapolis losing to Miami, Houston can once again breathe easy atop the AFC South. Deshaun Watson has been playing lights out, even if he is being overshadowed by some of the other great quarterbacks around the league. We will get a chance to see him go up against one of those great quarterbacks in Lamar Jackson when the Texans take on the Ravens this week. With the Colts and Patriots to follow, this is a crucial stretch for Bill O’Brien’s team.

10. Dallas Cowboys: 5-4 (Last Week: 10)
Lost 28-24 vs. Minnesota
No matter how many toe-tapping grabs Amari Cooper comes up with, the Dallas defense needs to play better in order for the Cowboys to win. Dak Prescott looked sharp, but Minnesota completely shut down Ezekiel Elliott. In fact, Dallas as a team managed just 50 yards on the ground. For as good as Prescott has been playing, the Cowboys need to be able to run the ball and keep their defense well rested. They also might want to consider covering Kyle Rudolph in the red zone if these two teams meet again.

11. Pittsburgh Steelers: 5-4 (Last Week: 16)
Won 17-12 vs. Los Angeles
If the Steelers somehow reach the playoffs, Mike Tomlin should be a lock for Coach of the Year. Without Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh has channeled the Steelers of old with stifling defensive play. Minkah Fitzpatrick is making a real case for Defensive Player of the Year after an interception, a fumble recovery and a touchdown on Sunday. Pittsburgh has climbed over the .500 mark and continues to rise to whatever challenge comes its way. After winning five of its last six, with the lone loss coming to the Ravens, this is one of the hottest teams in football.

12. Philadelphia Eagles: 5-4 (Last Week: 13)
Bye Week
Philly had to enjoy watching Dallas fall on Sunday Night Football to bring those two teams level in the division standings once again. While that is an encouraging sign, the Eagles still have a lot to be concerned with. This offense has struggled to find consistency this year, in part because of injuries, but also due to uneven play from key players. The backfield duo of Jordan Howard and Miles Sanders has been better in recent weeks, but Carson Wentz has not looked like the big-money quarterback Philadelphia was hoping for when it signed him to that massive extension. Coming off the bye, this group needs to start scoring points more frequently.

13. Los Angeles Rams: 5-4 (Last Week: 8)
Lost 17-12 vs. Pittsburgh
The offensive struggles continued for the Rams as Jared Goff cost this team a chance at winning. It was one of his worst performances in a season full of disappointment. The offense managed just 12 points and failed to rely on Todd Gurley when he clearly was in a groove. He finished with 73 yards on just 12 attempts while Goff threw the ball 41 times. Defensively, Los Angeles is playing well enough to win games. For a team and a head coach in Sean McVay that made it’s name last year as an offensive juggernaut, this year continues to be the ultimate letdown.

14. Oakland Raiders: 5-4 (Last Week: 17)
Won 26-24 vs. Los Angeles
Far from the most reassuring win of all time, the Raiders move within a game of the Chiefs for the AFC West lead. Derek Carr is playing his best football in years and Josh Jacobs looks like the clear frontrunner for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Defensively, this is more of a bend, but don’t break group. However, the improved pass rush and defensive scores go a long way to making Oakland look like a team to watch as the playoff picture comes together.

15. Tennessee Titans: 5-5 (Last Week: 19)
Won 35-32 vs. Kansas City
Of all the surprising success stories this season, Ryan Tannehill’s resurgence as a NFL quarterback might be the best one of them all. Tennessee put its hope in the Miami castoff when it decided to move on from the Marcus Mariota experiment. After taking down the Chiefs to reach .500, the Titans have hopes of making a playoff run. While I am praising Tannehill, it is really Derrick Henry who deserves recognition. The fourth-year back powered the offense with 188 yards rushing, including a 68-yard touchdown. Tennessee is going to be a tough team to beat down the stretch.

16. Carolina Panthers: 5-4 (Last Week: 14)
Lost 24-16 at Green Bay
Christian McCaffrey played like the MVP once again, but a lack of offensive support saw the Panthers fall. This game was a lot more than just a goal line stuff on the final play. Carolina did exactly what it should have done in giving it to its best player. This team relies so heavily on McCaffrey to carry them. Considering that it does not seem like Cam Newton is coming back, it will have to find a way to win close games with Kyle Allen at the helm.

17. Buffalo Bills: 6-3 (Last Week: 12)
Lost 19-16 at Cleveland
This could be a sign of things to come for a Buffalo team that has had so much unexpected success this year. The Bills took a tough loss to the Browns and looked like the offensively inept team they were last year in the process. Buffalo once again put the Ball in Josh Allen’s hands too many times, failing to lean into its strength of running the football. With a challenging stretch ahead in the schedule, this team will have to find some stability on offense.

18. Indianapolis Colts: 5-4 (Last Week: 15)
Lost 16-12 vs. Miami
The rudder has completely fallen off the boat in Indy. Despite some early success, this team looks extremely average. It even has a score differential of plus-one to help underline that point. Jacoby Brissett’s knee injury held him out of the contest and the offense could not recover. Miami has been playing better in recent weeks, but this was an inexcusable slip up from a team with hopes of winning the division. Brian Hoyer and Adam Vinatieri cost the Colts this game with a number of mistakes. Defensively, Indianapolis has a lot to hang its hat on, but this team needs a lot of help to get back on track offensively.

19. Jacksonville Jaguars: 4-5 (Last Week: 20)
Bye Week
Despite the bye week, this is a week of massive change for the Jaguars. Nick Foles is slated to take over as quarterback, replacing Gardner Minshew. Foles went down with a collarbone injury during the season opener and Minshew has been in the role ever sense. Jacksonville has an unexpected quarterback controversy on its hands and could end up in a very awkward situation if Foles struggles. With chance still to make a run at a wildcard spot, the Jags need Foles to channel some of his late-season heroics.

20. Chicago Bears: 4-5 (Last Week 24)
Won 20-13 vs. Detroit
Chicago played their best offensive game in weeks, but still did not impress with their level of play. Mitchell Trubisky took real strides with three touchdowns and no turnovers, but still only managed 173 yards passing. Progress is progress though and the Bears defense took advantage of a missing Matthew Stafford. This was a game Chicago had to win, but it far from quiets its critics. A Sunday night visit to the Rams is on tap.

21. Detroit Lions: 3-5-1 (Last Week: 18)
Lost 20-13 at Chicago
With the unexpected absence of Matthew Stafford on Sunday, the Lions offense ground to an absolute halt. Jeff Driskel did not do much to fill the void. With Kerryon Johnson already out due to injury, Detroit found itself unable to get going. When healthy, this team has the chops to compete with the best in the NFC. We saw what it could do earlier this year at full strength against the Packers. However, this all but ends the Lions’ playoff hopes, especially if Stafford is not back next week. I think the front office will be investing a bit more in a backup quarterback this offseason.

22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 3-6 (Last Week: 25)
Won 30-27 vs. Arizona
Tampa Bay is one of the most unpredictable teams in the league from week to week. However, this two-week stretch has been the best the Buccaneers have played this season. After pushing Seattle to the brink, Tampa edged out a hard-fought victory against Arizona. If the Bucs could ever find a way to avoid turnovers, this team might just have the potential to get on a real winning streak and create some optimism for next year.

23. Denver Broncos: 3-6 (Last Week: 23)
Won 24-19 vs. Cleveland
Here is a team struggling to find its way with a couple of extremely talented players. Denver is lacking a clear direction forward, but with names like Von Miller, Chris Harris Jr. and Bradley Chubb, the talent is there for a quick turnaround. There is some hope with Drew Lock near a season debut for the offensive side of things and the emergence of Courtland Sutton as a true number one receiver. Vic Fangio is going to need a stronger second half to convince the Broncos brass he is the long-term solution at head coach.

24. Cleveland Browns: 3-6 (Last Week: 26)
Won 19-16 vs. Buffalo
It was ugly, but that really doesn’t matter. Cleveland got a much-needed victory to essentially save their season. The Browns are still a long way from even thinking about the playoffs, but dropping to 2-7 might have genuinely led to coaches losing their jobs. Baker Mayfield and the offense finally took care of the football. Nick Chubb had 116 yards on the ground and Kareem Hunt looked promising in limited action. If Cleveland can lean on its run game the rest of the way and avoid turnovers, this team is good enough to make a playoff push.

25. Los Angeles Chargers: 4-6 (Last Week: 21)
Lost 26-24 at Oakland
The roller coaster season continued for Los Angeles with a troubling road loss in Oakland. Philip Rivers threw three interceptions and the offensive line gave up five sacks. Defensively, the Chargers did not make enough plays to compensate. On the bright side, Melvin Gordon finally showed up with his first 100-yard performance on the ground since Week 8 last year. The season is not over for LA, but the climb towards a playoff spot just got a lot steeper.

26. Arizona Cardinals: 3-6-1 (Last Week: 22)
Lost 30-27 at Tampa Bay
This was a good reminder to everyone that the Cardinals still have a ways to go before they are anything resembling a complete team. There are tons of positives to take away from this loss and it is clear that the combo of Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray can be a winning one. Christian Kirk finally showed up after a sluggish first half of the year with 138 yards and three touchdowns. Arizona has a lot of the pieces in place to compete well in the future, but lacks the depth to win tight games like this on a consistent basis.

27. Atlanta Falcons: 2-7 (Last Week: 28)
Won 26-9 at New Orleans
While the Dolphins winning two straight is unexpected, the Falcons’ road win against the Saints was the most stunning result of the weekend. After weeks of non-existent pass rush, Atlanta came up with six sacks of Drew Brees and shut down what had previously looked like a good New Orleans offense. Keeping the Saints out of the end zone is truly remarkable given how banged up the defense is at this point of the season. This win might just save Dan Quinn’s job.

28. Miami Dolphins: 2-7 (Last Week: 30)
Won 16-12 at Indianapolis
What in the world is happening? The Dolphins have shockingly won two straight games. Brian Flores took down a team who had legitimate aspirations of winning its division. This Miami defense has stepped up well in recent weeks, with three interceptions of Brian Hoyer on Sunday to show for it. The offense is still a massive work in progress, but there is a lot to like about what the Dolphins have started to build this season.

29. New York Jets: 2-7 (Last Week: 31)
Won 34-27 vs. New York
If nothing else, the Jets can point to the Giants and say that maybe their rebuild is going better than the team they share a stadium with. Or not. It’s hard to really how much a win over a two-win team means. Sam Darnold is talking about the playoffs, which is laughable considering the level of inconsistency New York has displayed on a week-to-week basis. Give the defense a ton of credit though for the plays it made to win this game. Jamal Adams was the best player on the field and no one else even came close.

30. New York Giants: 2-8 (Last Week: 27)
Lost 34-27 at New York
This brutal season continues for New York as it failed to maintain control of the city during the battle for Gotham. Daniel Jones played very well in the eventual loss, but failed to get the offense going in the fourth quarter. A lot of that has to do with some terrible play along the offensive line, as the group allowed six sacks. Saquon Barkley also had by far the worst game of his NFL career. He managed just one yard on 13 carries. Barkley’s struggles actually makes Jones’ performance even more impressive, but this Giants defense has a long way to go after giving up 34 points to arguably the worst offense in the league.

31. Washington: 1-8 (Last Week: 29)
Bye Week
And just like that, there is only one one-win team in the NFL. Washington got a week off and saw a lot of teams in the lower part of the standings pick up victories. This group has looked a bit more competitive in recent weeks, but will be continuing to break in a rookie quarterback in Dwayne Haskins. It will probably be a long rest of the season for Washington, but the prospect of drafting Chase Young or picking up a ton of assets in a trade with a team desperate for a quarterback has to be appealing.

32. Cincinnati Bengals: 0-9 (Last Week: 32)
Lost 49-13 vs. Baltimore
Sitting all alone as the final winless team in the league this season, Cincinnati was embarrassed by Baltimore at home. It was a rocky start to the Ryan Finley era. The rookie quarterback from North Carolina State could not get into a rhythm and committed a pair of costly turnovers. Putting a positive spin on things would be looking at Joe Mixon’s most productive game of the season and the possibility of an A.J. Green return next week.

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2019 NFL Power Rankings: Week 10

November 5, 2019November 5, 2019 Chris McGlynn Football, NFL, Power Rankings New Orleans Saints, NFL, NFL Power Rankings

Finally! We had some exciting results in the NFL for the first time in a while. The Patriots went down, the 49ers had a nail-biter and the Seahawks went to overtime. Lamar Jackson showed off his skillset once again, the Packers fell apart on the west coast and the Chiefs proved they could win without Patrick Mahomes. Overall, it was a wild week of football.

With so many important results, the rankings got a good shake up this week, including a new team at the top. Another slate of important games awaits, so there is plenty more to come in the near future. Let’s dive into all the action from this weekend.

1. New Orleans Saints: 7-1 (Last Week: 2)
Bye Week
It is good to be on top. New Orleans took the week off and moved to the top of the power rankings. Funny how that happens. It does have a loss this year, but the Saints are capable of playing at a higher level than anyone else in the NFL right now. The defense plays lights out and with the offense finally getting healthy, we will see this team at full strength. There is a lot of season left to play, but the team to beat currently resides in NOLA.

2. San Francisco 49ers: 8-0 (Last Week: 3)
Won 28-25 at Arizona
And then there was one. San Francisco is the only undefeated team left in the NFL after New England suffered its first loss of the year. The 49ers were tested by a plucky Cardinals team on Thursday night, but emerged with its eight win of the season. Jimmy Garoppolo tore up what has been a bad secondary, but it was still good to see him get into a groove. He had four touchdown passes in a good offensive showing. San Fran might get its best test of the year yet with a visit from Seattle on Monday Night in Week 10.

3. Baltimore Ravens: 6-2 (Last Week: 5)
Won 37-20 vs. New England
Talk about a statement win. The Ravens certainly managed that with a convincing victory over the Patriots on Sunday Night Football. If not for a couple of untimely fumbles, this might have been a real blowout for Baltimore. Lamar Jackson showed once again why he is so difficult to gameplan for and the defense continues to make game-changing plays. For the third straight week, Marlon Humphrey returned a fumble for a touchdown. The AFC suddenly looks very interesting now that the Ravens have inserted themselves into the conversation.

4. New England Patriots: 8-1 (Last Week: 1)
Lost 37-20 at Baltimore
After playing easily the softest schedule in the league through the first eight weeks, Baltimore punched New England in the mouth. There are real concerns with this offense’s ability to protect Tom Brady and play from behind. Brady threw the ball 46 times as the Patriots could not use the run to control the clock. Defensively, the Pats had no answer for Lamar Jackson, specifically running the ball. After dominating to start the year, New England is suddenly giving up almost 100 yards per game on the ground, surrendering over 150 in back-to-back contests. Championships aren’t won in November, but this was a troubling loss.

5. Kansas City Chiefs: 6-3 (Last Week: 6)
Won 26-23 vs. Minnesota
You got the feeling that Kansas City was capable of hanging with tough teams even without Patrick Mahomes last week against Green Bay. The Chiefs followed that up with a massive win over the Vikings. Moving to 6-3 feels much different than falling to 5-4. It was not a perfect outing, as KC struggled to run the ball outside of a 91-yard outburst from Damien Williams. Excluding that run, the Chiefs averaged 3.3 yards per carry. At the end of the day though Kansas City can just be happy it has Harrison Butker.

6. Seattle Seahawks: 7-2 (Last Week: 7)
Won 40-34 (OT) vs. Tampa Bay
Well that was much too close for comfort. Seattle trailed for much of this contest and looked incapable of stopping Jameis Winston. The 34 points were the most the Seahawks have given up all season. Miscues played a role as well. Chris Carson fumbled yet again and Jason Myers missed three kicks in total. It is good to see Seattle can overcome these mistakes, but it also goes to show how vulnerable the defense can be against a team that can stretch the field. A Monday Night Football divisional battle with the undefeated 49ers awaits.

7. Green Bay Packers: 7-2 (Last Week: 4)
Lost 26-11 at Los Angeles
That was flat out ugly. I don’t know the last time I saw the Packers offense play like that. Aaron Rodgers was seemingly always under pressure and the group as a whole showed very little cohesiveness. Much of the game just felt disjointed from an offensive standpoint. Defensively, the inability to stop the run showed up again as Green Bay gave up 159 yards to a team that entered the game averaging under 70 yards per contest. These are the type of outings the Packers are liable to have given the holes on the roster, but they cannot afford to let them become a regular habit.

8. Los Angeles Rams: 5-3 (Last Week: 9)
Bye Week
A week off was much needed for this Rams team that has struggled through the first half of the season. I say struggled, but this group is still 5-3. The biggest thing missing from last year’s success is the rushing attack. That sets up just about everything else in this offense and keeps Los Angeles’ defense well rested. A date with the Steelers is up next and that should give us a lot of information about which direction the Rams are headed.

9. Minnesota Vikings: 6-3 (Last Week: 8)
Lost 26-23 at Kansas City
In a week where the offense actually played fairly well, it was the defense that let Minnesota down. This has to be chalked up as a disappointing loss after scoring 23 points and facing the Matt Moore-led Chiefs. It was the big plays that killed the Vikings, allowing a 91-yard touchdown run to Damien Williams and a 41-yard touchdown catch from Tyreek Hill. This is a team that feels good enough to reach the playoffs, but at the same time has no chance of actually winning the Super Bowl. It simply does not show up in big games.

10. Dallas Cowboys: 5-3 (Last Week: 10)
Won 37-18 at New York
It was a bit of a rocky start, but Dallas turned in a solid second-half performance. Dak Prescott played really well after throwing an interception on his pass of the night. The ground game showed up big time with 172 yards rushing and the Cowboys forced three Daniel Jones turnovers. Dallas controls the division right now, but next week features a visit from the Vikings for a big-time NFC showdown.

11. Houston Texans: 6-3 (Last Week: 12)
Won 26-3 at Jacksonville (London)
This was the type of performance many have wanted to see from the Texans. Against a tricky Jacksonville outfit, Houston took care of business. The Texans ran the ball well, Deshaun Watson played extremely efficiently and the defense came up with a bunch of turnovers in an important divisional win. With the Colts losing, they take back over the lead in the AFC South. Houston has to feel good about where it stands.

12. Buffalo Bills: 6-2 (Last Week: 13)
Won 24-9 vs. Washington
Hey Buffalo Bill(s)! You are now 6-2 and looking like a playoff team. Beating Washington is nothing to write home about, but it was an important bounce-back win. The defense fared well against a rookie quarterback, but struggled to stop the run for the second straight week. This next stretch of games is important as Buffalo makes its postseason push. With a tough final few games, beating the Browns, Dolphins and Broncos is going to be crucial.

13. Philadelphia Eagles: 5-4 (Last Week: 14)
Won 22-14 vs. Chicago
It certainly wasn’t pretty, but the Eagles gutted out another win to move back above .500. The victory came at a cost as now it sounds like DeSean Jackson is done for the season with an injury. Still, there were some very positive signs here. The defense played well once again against what has been an inept Bears offense. Philly held Chicago to just nine yards of offense in the first half. However, the offense could not find a way to put this one away. The Eagles should be able to build a more commanding lead when the defense plays as well as it did. New England follows a bye week, so Doug Pederson will have to have this team firing on all cylinders.

14. Carolina Panthers: 5-3 (Last Week: 16)
Won 30-20 vs. Tennessee
Carolina bounced back with a convincing win over Tennessee. It was far from perfect, but it was another MVP-type performance from Christian McCaffrey. The defense made its fair share of plays as well with two picks, a fumble recovery and four sacks. It is hard to know how to assess this team. The Panthers have won five of their last six, but the loss was a 38-point drubbing by the 49ers. Carolina has another huge game coming up against a reeling Green Bay side looking to rebound after a shocking loss of its own.

15. Indianapolis Colts: 5-3 (Last Week: 11)
Lost 26-24 at Pittsburgh
Indy lost Jacoby Brissett early and that proved to be the difference in the contest. Sure, Brian Hoyer played well in relief, but he tossed a back-breaking interception that was returned 96 yards for a touchdown. No game is decided by one play, but that momentum swing was huge in what proved to be a two-point affair. Adam Vinatieri also botched the potential game-winning field goal to ice things for a hurting Colts team. Brissett’s status will determine if this team still has hope of winning a division title.

16. Pittsburgh Steelers: 4-4 (Last Week: 20)
Won 26-24 vs. Indianapolis
Flash back to six weeks ago when Ben Roethlisberger was ruled out the rest of the year and the struggling Steelers looked destined for a top-five pick. Well it turns out that Minkah Fitzpatrick trade worked out pretty well for them and now Pittsburgh is back to .500. It hasn’t always been pretty, as the Steelers had to sweat out a missed field goal to squeak by the Colts, but they are winning. Good offensive line play and opportunistic defense has Pittsburgh back on track. This banged up team is building momentum and certainly has its eye set on a postseason run.

17. Oakland Raiders: 4-4 (Last Week: 21)
Won 31-24 vs. Detroit
The Raiders defended the Black Hole in an impressive offensive showing. Derek Carr balled out with 289 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He spread the ball around and got a lot of help from Josh Jacobs, who rumbled for 120 yards and two scores. One week after challenging Houston, Oakland got an important home win to get back to .500. The upcoming Thursday night game against the Chargers is going to be huge in determining which team can challenge for a wild card spot.

18. Detroit Lions: 3-4-1 (Last Week: 15)
Lost 31-24 at Oakland
After a positive start to the year, all of the issues that seem to regularly plague the Lions defense have returned. Derek Carr shredded the secondary and the front seven could not slow down Josh Jacobs. Matt Stafford threw for over 400 yards and tossed three touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough to make up for the porous defense. Seemingly out of the divisional race, Detroit has to hope it can right the ship and make a run at the wild card in the NFC.

19. Tennessee Titans: 4-5 (Last Week: 18)
Won 27-23 vs. Tampa Bay
The Ryan Tannehill experiment went a little bit sideways on Sunday, but maybe it’s not fair to put all the blame on him. He has his share of it after throwing two interceptions, but the defense had no answer for Christian McCaffrey. He racked up 166 yards of offense and scored three touchdowns. I know he is really good, but you would think Tennessee might devote a bit more of its gameplan to stopping him. Regardless, the Titans playoff hopes got dented in the loss.

20. Jacksonville Jaguars: 4-5 (Last Week: 17)
Lost 26-3 vs. Houston (London)
Jacksonville might have had its worst game of the season in London. The offense managed a meager three points and Gardner Minshew looked very much like a rookie sixth-round pick. Credit the Texans for bottling up Leonard Fournette, but the Jaguars just never got in sync. Whether it was turnovers or lack of execution, they could not find a way to stay on the field. The defense didn’t do them any favors either, giving up 216 yards on the ground. A week off is much needed to solve some of these alarming issues.

21. Los Angeles Chargers: 4-5 (Last Week: 24)
Won 26-11 vs. Green Bay
Is it possible the Chargers are on a winning streak? In easily the most stunning result of the week, Los Angeles beat up Aaron Rodgers and completely grounded this high-flying offense. Rodgers will be having nightmares about Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram all week. Offensively, the Chargers really committed to the run, rushing it 38 times to keep Rodgers off the field. If this is the type of performance LA can turn in on a weekly basis, the playoffs are not out of the question just yet.

22. Arizona Cardinals: 3-5-1 (Last Week: 23)
Lost 28-25 vs. San Francisco
Arizona certainly gave San Francisco a Halloween scare on Thursday night with a huge comeback that came up short. The secondary is still a mess, but the offense played lights out against one of the best defenses in the league. Kyler Murray looked comfortable and Kenyan Drake had a monster debut with 162 yards from scrimmage. There is still plenty of room for growth, but the Cardinals are quickly becoming one of the most entertaining teams to watch and a real threat to upset contenders.

23. Denver Broncos: 3-6 (Last Week: 25)
Won 24-19 vs. Cleveland
The Brandon Allen era started on a high note with Denver holding off Cleveland in an ugly game. Courtland Sutton made one of the catches of the year and Noah Fant ripped off a dominating catch and run to propel the offense. The defense was disruptive and did just enough to hold off a late Browns rally. It was a much-needed win for a team struggling with injuries and identity. One easy fix would be handing the ball to Phillip Lindsay more. He had nine carries for 92 yards on Sunday. Both the new starting quarterback and my fantasy team would appreciate a heavier dose of him next week.

24. Chicago Bears: 3-5 (Last Week 19)
Lost 22-14 at Philadelphia
This tumultuous season hit another bump in the road as the offense found a new low. Chicago gained nine yards of total offense in the first half against Philly. Nine! Matt Nagy has gone from looking like a guru to snapping at reporters about playcalling. Mitchell Trubisky is making a case for the worst quarterback in the league still starting this year. It was a better second half, but the Bears dropped another one and look nothing like the group we saw reach the postseason a year ago.

25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 2-6 (Last Week: 27)
Lost 40-34 (OT) at Seattle
It is weeks like this that make it difficult to envision the Buccaneers moving on from Jameis Winston this offseason. He threw for 335 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. He did fumble once, but this was a really good game from Winston. The defense was nowhere to be found, allowing Russell Wilson to toss five touchdown passes. It is very clear where Tampa’s weaknesses lie. Still, this team went on the road and pushed Seattle to overtime. There is something to be said for that.

26. Cleveland Browns: 2-6 (Last Week: 22)
Lost 24-19 at Denver
Turns out the Browns are still the Browns. One week after falling apart against the Patriots, an acceptable thing to do, this team lost to Brandon Allen making his first career start. Baker Mayfield has broken down mechanically because he always looking for the rush. He is not getting the ball to his best playmakers in big moments either, as Odell Beckham Jr. should definitely be getting more targets. Cleveland is extremely undisciplined and looks like a trainwreck. Freddie Kitchens needs to get this team back on track or risk losing his job after just one year.

27. New York Giants: 2-7 (Last Week: 26)
Lost 37-18 vs. Dallas
If you only look at the scoreline, it is easy to assuming Dallas simply blew out New York on Monday Night Football. However, the Giants were in this contest for a while. They had some early opportunities to build a lead at home, but squandered them with poor play in the red zone. A late defensive touchdown for the Cowboys made the result look even more comfortable. It is clear the Giants are close to breaking through the next tier in the NFL, but that will require them to take full advantage of their opponents’ mistakes.

28. Atlanta Falcons: 1-7 (Last Week: 29)
Bye Week
Atlanta has had one of the most disappointing first halves of any team in the league, right up there with Cleveland and Chicago. There are a lot of the major building blocks already in place for this franchise with Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and a decent offensive line. The defense has been what is holding this team back, failing to generate any sort of pass rush. Injuries have also decimated the Falcons this year, but hopefully that allows them to build some depth for years to come.

29. Washington: 1-7 (Last Week: 30)
Lost 24-9 at Buffalo
Dwayne Haskins finally got his first NFL start and it went about as well as you could’ve imagined. Washington failed to score a touchdown and did not threaten much through the air. This was facing a good Buffalo defense, so maybe all Haskins needs is a bit of patience. Adrian Peterson did turn back the clocks though with a 110-yard performance rushing. If Haskins can get into a bit of rhythm, the ground game is good enough to do most of the heavy lifting for this offense to start producing touchdowns.

30. Miami Dolphins: 1-7 (Last Week: 32)
Won 26-18 vs. New York
It finally happened! The Dolphins won a football game in the regular season. It has been a long time coming honestly, as Miami has been building throughout the course of the year. Despite the struggles this season, the Dolphins have a few young players emerging in crucial roles. Unfortunately, Preston Williams went down with a season-ending injury. The offensive line is still getting a bit better and there are some signs of life on defense. This might not be the last game the Dolphins win this year.

31. New York Jets: 1-7 (Last Week: 28)
Lost 26-18 at Miami
This team is once again the laughing stock of the NFL. If not for what is looking more and more like a fluky win over the Cowboys, this team would be hurdling towards the first overall pick. Sam Darnold definitely has regressed since his rookie season. The offensive line is completely out of sync and the secondary looks hopeless. Adam Gase is on thin ice already and if this team does not show any signs of improvement, he will be out of a job at the end of the year.

32. Cincinnati Bengals: 0-8 (Last Week: 31)
Bye Week
It might’ve been a week off for the Bengals, but they suddenly find themselves as the lone winless team in the NFL. Cincinnati should get a boost when A.J. Green does finally return from injury. Zac Taylor has the second half the season to start building a core for this team to lean on in the future. It is all about trying to build for the next few years and hopefully finding a way to win at least one game in the process.

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2019 NFL Power Rankings: Week 9

October 29, 2019October 29, 2019 Chris McGlynn Football, NFL, Power Rankings Football, New England Patriots, NFL, NFL Power Rankings

Don’t look now, but the NFL season is already halfway over. Well just the regular season. Don’t worry, you still have three more months of football ahead of you. It was a fairly predictable week, with the biggest upset coming in the form of Buffalo falling at home. It was far from a shock though to see the Bills struggle. The Eagles cannot defend the pass and the Bills cannot effectively move the ball downfield, so something had to give. Otherwise, we saw first year head coaches not named Matt LeFleur struggle, veteran quarterbacks get upset about playcalling and the Dolphins look like an NFL team for one quarter.

As a result of a slate of mostly expected results, there really wasn’t much movement in this week’s rankings. It was easily the least we’ve had all year. With some exciting matchups on the horizon, things will get a whole less predictable in the weeks to come.

1. New England Patriots: 8-0 (Last Week: 1)
Won 27-13 vs. Cleveland
Win number 300 came for Bill Belichick came against his old ball club as the defense once again led the way for a Patriot victory. New England forced three turnovers early in the game and built a lead that it rode the rest of the way. Baker Mayfield never got comfortable either as the Pats sacked him five times in the contest. With Josh Gordon going on the injured reserve, there might be some room for concern about this New England offense, but Tom Brady has done more with less in the past and there is no reason to think this year will be any different.

2. New Orleans Saints: 7-1 (Last Week: 2)
Won 31-9 vs. Arizona
Welcome back Drew Brees. The future Hall of Famer really didn’t miss a beat as he aired the ball out for 373 yards and three touchdowns. We still have not seen this Saints team at full strength, which is unbelievable given their success on the season. Sheldon Rankins missed the beginning of the year. Brees had missed the past five games and Alvin Kamara has been out the past two weeks. With the division seemingly already locked up, New Orleans might just be the favorite to take home the Lombardi trophy in February.

3. San Francisco 49ers: 7-0 (Last Week: 3)
Won 51-13 vs. Carolina
If there was anyone still sleeping on San Francisco, which there really shouldn’t have been, there is no hiding from how good this team can be any more. Led by its stifling defense, the 49ers pummeled the Panthers en route to scoring 51 points. Tevin Coleman had four total touchdowns to lead the offense. Nick Bosa seems like a lock for Rookie of the Year with three sacks and an interception. No one expected the Niners to be this good, but this team has legitimate title aspirations.

4. Green Bay Packers: 7-1 (Last Week: 4)
Won 31-24 at Kansas City
It seems like Aaron Rodgers has found his groove in Matt LeFleur’s offense and that is a scary thing for the rest of the NFL. Rodgers put together another masterful performance on Sunday night, throwing for 305 yards and three touchdowns. He made one of the throws of the year on that touchdown pass to Jamaal Williams. What has been more surprising though is the emergence of Aaron Jones in the passing game. Green Bay will keep getting healthier and likely won’t face anyone with the speed Kansas City brings to the table again this year.

5. Baltimore Ravens: 6-2 (Last Week: 6)
Bye Week
Baltimore got a chance to rest up and get a few key players healthy. Marquise Brown and Jimmy Smith are expected to be back for a big clash with the undefeated Patriots in Week 9. Given how well we’ve seen this offense operate at times, the Ravens should give the Pats their best test of the year. We’ve already seen the defense starting to play better in recent weeks as well and it’s hard to think of a better secondary than one that boasts Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters and Smith.

6. Kansas City Chiefs: 5-3 (Last Week: 5)
Lost 31-24 vs. Green Bay
Despite missing Patrick Mahomes, this was an incredible showing from the Kansas City offense. Andy Reid did an excellent job to keep Matt Moore doing this he felt comfortable with. Granted, this team might just have the most talent at the skill positions of anyone in the league, but the veteran played well in his first start of the year. However, the defense was exposed once again, this time it was by a running back in the passing game. The Chiefs should definitely make a move at the deadline to bolster its secondary.

7. Seattle Seahawks: 6-2 (Last Week: 7)
Won 27-20 at Atlanta
It was a tale of two halves for Seattle, who led Atlanta 24-0 at halftime. After that, the Seahawks offense seemingly lost its way while the Falcons steadily climbed back into the game. The important thing is moving to 6-2 and staying perfect this season on the road, but that was not the type of second-half performance Seattle can put up regularly. It might be time to find some secondary help as well after allowing Matt Schaub to throw for 460 yards.

8. Minnesota Vikings: 6-2 (Last Week: 8)
Won 19-9 vs. Washington
Clearly, this offense needs Adam Thielen in order to be successful. With the veteran receiver out due to a hamstring injury, Minnesota managed just 19 points against what has been a weak Washington defense. Stefon Diggs and Dalvin Cook put up big numbers again, but this paltry scoring output comes on the heels of three straight weeks with at least 28 points. There is a lot to be positive about though as the Vikings move to 6-2, continuing to keep pace with the Packers in the NFC North. They face significant tests though with road games against the Chiefs and Cowboys up next.

9. Los Angeles Rams: 5-3 (Last Week: 10)
Won 24-10 vs. Cincinnati (London)
Cooper Kupp might still be running past fallen Bengals defenders as you read this. The third-year receiver had an outrageous 220 yards receiving, including a 65-yard touchdown. Jared Goff looked very comfortable for the second straight week. While it is easy to dominate the weaker teams in the league, the Rams still have some holes to address. The ground game mustered 3.8 yards per carry against the worst rush defense in the NFL and the Los Angles defense gave up over 400 yards of offense to Cincinnati. With a bye coming up, Sean McVay needs to get this team firing on all cylinders heading into the second half.

10. Dallas Cowboys: 4-3 (Last Week: 11)
Bye Week
While Dallas can still feel good about its dominant win over Philadelphia the Eagles won in Week 8 and the Cowboys only have a half-game lead in the division. It is important to remember that it has been a rocky first half of the year in Texas. After all, Dallas is still only one game removed from a three-game losing streak. Given how well the offense has played and what the ceiling is for the defense, Dak Prescott and company should be fine. With a tough second-half schedule, the Cowboys will need to get into a good rhythm out of the bye.

11. Indianapolis Colts: 5-2 (Last Week: 12)
Won 15-13 vs. Denver
Indianapolis is proving that it can win close games, but it also seems incapable of winning comfortably. Adam Vinatieri made up for missing a potential game-tying extra point by kicking the game-winning field goal. Still, the Colts need to turn more drives into touchdowns the rest of the way. The defense played very well, but Denver’s offense has been among the worst in the NFL, so it is hard to get too excited about the overall performance. Indy’s slate is one of the easiest ones over the next few weeks though with Pittsburgh, Miami and Jacksonville on the docket.

12. Houston Texans: 5-3 (Last Week: 13)
Won 27-24 vs. Oakland
Where would Houston be without Deshaun Watson? If I had to guess, it would be the dark, scary place called the AFC South basement. The former Clemson standout threw another three touchdown passes and accounted for 325 yards of total offense. He came up clutch in the fourth quarter to pull out a crucial win over another AFC playoff hopeful. It was nice to get back on track, but the Texans are still waiting on an improvement from that pass defense. They have already added one player via trade, now its time for that unit to gel and stop giving up big plays.

13. Buffalo Bills: 5-2 (Last Week: 9)
Lost 31-13 vs. Philadelphia
This was always the concern for Buffalo. In a week where the defense did not play its best game, the Bills offense did not have enough firepower to come out on top. Josh Allen has improved drastically from last season, but without a true big play threat, this is exactly what will happen when Buffalo falls behind. There simply is not enough offensive playmaking for this team to effectively play when down big. I have already advocated for this front office to add a proven contributor at receiver, because this offense needs some help if the Bills want to continue this impressive start.

14. Philadelphia Eagles: 4-4 (Last Week: 16)
Won 31-13 at Buffalo
Welcome back to the win circle Philadelphia. It was a really solid week for the Eagles, who bounced back in a big way after the drubbing they took from the Cowboys. The offense played extremely well against what has been a great defense this year. Philly rumbled for 218 yards rushing and Carson Wentz took care of the football. It wasn’t a huge day through the air, but with DeSean Jackson finally coming back, things are looking up.

15. Detroit Lions: 3-3-1 (Last Week: 15)
Won 31-26 vs. New York
It wasn’t always pretty, but Detroit got back to .500. Matt Stafford played extremely well to lead a banged offense to a big day. Defensively, this team has completely fallen apart. After getting torched by Kirk Cousins a week ago, Daniel Jones had a field day against this Lions secondary. Give them some credit for mostly bottling up Saquon Barkley, who only managed 3.4 yards per carry, but it is time for Matt Patricia get this defense back to where it was at the start of the season. With hopes of a playoff run still on the table, Detroit will need to play more complete games going forward.

16. Carolina Panthers: 4-3 (Last Week: 14)
Lost 51-13 at San Francisco
Wow. That was bad. I understand that may be an oversimplification, but any time you give up 50-plus points in a game, that’s pretty awful. Carolina had no answer for the San Fran ground attack, or Nick Bosa for that matter. The Panthers offensive line hung Kyle Allen out to dry, allowing him to be sacked seven times. He didn’t do much to help himself either though, tossing three interceptions. Allen has already been announced as the starter for next week’s game against the Titans so he will need to find a way to settle down and avoid mistakes against another good defense.

17. Jacksonville Jaguars: 4-4 (Last Week: 18)
Won 29-15 vs. New York
Jacksonville’s defense came to play and so did Gardner Minshew. The rookie out of Washington State tossed three touchdowns and racked up 279 yards through the air. The defense registered eight sacks and intercepted a trio of passes. One major issue that unexpectedly showed up was an inability to run the ball. Leonard Fournette ripped off a 66-yard run, but only managed 10 more yards on his other 18 carries. That is horribly inefficient and will need to pick up for the Jaguars to beat better teams.

18. Tennessee Titans: 4-4 (Last Week: 20)
Won 27-23 vs. Tampa Bay
Suddenly the Titans are .500 and look like they belong in the playoff conversation. There is still a long way to go for this defensive-minded outfit to really deserve serious consideration, but Ryan Tannehill has righted the ship. On the season, Tannehill has completed 73.1 percent of his passes at an average of 8.3 yards per attempt for five touchdowns and just two interceptions. He has actually elevated his play each week. If the defense can keep generating turnovers, it had four in this game, Tennessee is more than capable of picking up some gritty victories.

19. Chicago Bears: 3-4 (Last Week 17)
Lost 17-16 vs. Los Angeles
Kicker woes cropped up again, but honestly that should be the least of Chicago’s worries. The Bears managed just one touchdown despite several drives in their opponent’s territory. Mitch Trubisky had another game to forget despite a huge game from David Montgomery. The rookie back amassed 135 yards on the ground, but that resulted in just 16 points. Matt Nagy had some questionable playcalling leading into the missed field goal as well. This team is a mess right now.

20. Pittsburgh Steelers: 3-4 (Last Week: 19)
Won 27-14 vs. Miami
There were boos raining down at Heinz Field, and it had nothing to do with Halloween. Pittsburgh eventually got back on track and handled Miami, but that first quarter is cause for concern. Credit is due for in-game adjustments by the coaching staff and a stellar night from James Conner. He finished with 145 yards on the ground, but left the game late with a shoulder injury. The Steelers cannot afford to start this slow again with games against the Colts and Rams coming up.

21. Oakland Raiders: 3-4 (Last Week: 21)
Lost 27-24 at Houston
Oakland played three great quarters of football, but could not see the job through to the finish. The Raiders defense gave up 14 fourth-quarter points to drop a heartbreaker to the Texans. It was a massive opportunity for Oakland to secure a solid position in the AFC playoff picture. Instead, the defense wasted a great performance from Derek Carr to fall below .500 again. Don’t be surprised if the Raiders are working to acquire a defensive back at the trade deadline.

22. Cleveland Browns: 2-5 (Last Week: 22)
Lost 27-13 at New England
If you missed the first 10 minutes of this game, you probably thought the Browns played a decent game. In those first 10 minutes though, Cleveland managed to turn the ball over on three straight offensive plays. Spotting any team a free 17 points is a recipe for disaster. Doing so against a team that is already one of the most dominant in the league removes any chance of winning the game. Baker Mayfield had another rough outing and the five sacks he took really underlines how badly this team needs offensive line help if it has any hope of making a playoff push.

23. Arizona Cardinals: 3-4-1 (Last Week: 23)
Lost 31-9 at New Orleans
So that wasn’t a great outing for this young Cardinals team. Granted, it was against one of the best teams in the NFL, but failing to score a touchdown gave Arizona fans little to be excited about. You have to give Kliff Kingsbury some credit for staying aggressive, but as soon as Chase Edmonds went down, this offense could not find a way to string together a drive. Kyler Murray played fine, but ran just twice for 13 yards. Without the top two options at running back and a speedy quarterback, it was a bit surprising not to see Murray involved with his legs.

24. Los Angeles Chargers: 3-5 (Last Week: 25)
Won 17-16 at Chicago
Los Angeles pulled off a big win Sunday, but the offense needs a real rework. The Chargers fired offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt on Monday. That should reshuffle things a bit and it was clear Philip Rivers was unhappy with the playcalling. LA is still in the mix for a playoff push, but they have a long ways to go. Running the ball 12 times for 36 yards, what the Chargers managed against the Bears, is not good enough. This team needs a jolt offensively.

25. Denver Broncos: 2-6 (Last Week: 24)
Lost 15-13 at Indianapolis
Joe Flacco was spot on. This team is playing not to lose and that isn’t exactly going well. Denver decided to punt late in the game, allowing Indianapolis to set up a game-winning field goal. Flacco had a lot of issues with the timid playcalling down the stretch. Well now Flacco is out with a neck injury, meaning Brandon Allen is going to be the starting quarterback going forward. This feels more and more like a lost season for the Broncos and is certainly a troubling start to the Vic Fangio-era.

26. New York Giants: 2-6 (Last Week: 26)
Lost 31-26 at Detroit
Daniel Jones had his best game of the year, but it was his one mistake that ended up being the difference. A lost fumble returned for a touchdown was extremely costly in a close contest. Defensively, this was not a great showing. Matt Stafford tore the secondary apart despite the total lack of a ground game. I also have no idea what the Giants are doing trading for Leonard Williams. Sure, he is talented, but he doesn’t really feel a need for right now for a team sitting at 2-6. Adding a corner or linebacker seems like it would’ve been a better investment of draft picks.

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 2-5 (Last Week: 27)
Lost 27-23 at Tennessee
I know Bruce Arians defended Jameis Winston, but with four more turnovers, it is hard to not blame him somewhat. There is still more to be pinned on a secondary who gave up three touchdowns to Ryan Tannehill though. While Mike Evans showed up for an amazing outing, Tampa Bay has to be frustrated after another tough loss. A struggling secondary and missing running game leaves a lot to desired.

28. New York Jets: 1-6 (Last Week: 28)
Lost 29-15 at Jacksonville
Jacksonville had a lot of fun heckling Sam Darnold and Darnold gave them plenty of ammunition. He threw three interceptions and the offensive line failed to block once again. The hopes that Darnold would solve all of the offensive issues are long gone. Defensively, the secondary had a really rough day again, giving up tons of big plays to the Jaguars offense. There is no question the Jets are focusing on the upcoming draft at this point.

29. Atlanta Falcons: 1-7 (Last Week: 29)
Lost 27-20 vs. Seattle
After a brutal first half, Atlanta did turn things around in the second half. Matt Schaub actually put up monster numbers, with 460 yards and a touchdown. Three turnovers made the 24-0 margin at halftime too large to overcome though as the Falcons dropped their fifth-straight game. Coach Dan Quinn’s seat is getting a little bit warmer and there is talk of making deals at the deadline. This shocking season continues for a team that entered the year with much higher hopes.

30. Washington: 1-7 (Last Week: 30)
Lost 19-9 at Minnesota
Honestly, this was one of the better showings from Washington’s defense all year. It helped that Minnesota’s Adam Thielen could not suit up, but there is a lot to like about some of the young performers from Thursday night. Jonathan Allen played extremely well as part of a great night in the red zone defensively. Unfortunately, Dwayne Haskins struggled again in limited action, but Terry McLaurin looks like a great find. Washington is a long way from competing, but there are a couple of pieces in place to build around.

31. Cincinnati Bengals: 0-8 (Last Week: 31)
Lost 24-10 at Los Angeles (London)
Somewhere, Marvin Lewis is probably laughing. Zac Taylor’s tenure has been a really rough go so far. The offense managed just 10 points and the defense had an embarrassing showing. For the Rams, Cooper Kupp could not be stopped and Jared Goff had one of his best games of the season. It’s par for the course for a struggling team with very little direction. Cincinnati needs a full-scale rebuild. That has to start by making moves at the trade deadline to add draft capital.

32. Miami Dolphins: 0-7 (Last Week: 32)
Lost 27-13 at Pittsburgh
For a short while there, the Dolphins were making a lot of noise. Unfortunately, that early lead disappeared and Miami gave up 27 unanswered points to lose their seventh straight game. What compounds this loss for the Dolphins is that they own the Steelers’ first round pick, which would’ve only increased the value of that draft slot if they could have mustered their first win. Brian Flores still has a long ways to go with this group, but the start was promising and something to build on.

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2019 NFL Power Rankings: Week 8

October 22, 2019October 22, 2019 Chris McGlynn Football, NFL, Power Rankings Football, New England Patriots, NFL, NFL Power Rankings

My goodness that was rough. This past week of NFL action might have been one of the worst ones I can remember. All three primetime games were blowouts. We had a mud bowl shutout in the Washington typically known for politics, not rain. The average margin in these 14 NFL games was 15 points. The closest thing we got to a thrilling finish was a replay-filled, goal line stand between two 2-4 teams in Nashville. In short, the past week of NFL action was brutal.

I know it’s not right to complain because I would beg to watch this slate of games in July, but wow it was so boring. Still, we did learn a lot about the NFL. Week 7 determined the direction of a lot of team’s seasons. The Titans still have hopes of a playoff run while the Chargers seem headed for a top-10 pick. It is clear the Broncos, Jets and Giants are still rebuilding, while the Cheifs, Rams and Cowboys got back on track. Patrick Mahomes’ injury looms over all other NFL headlines, but he should be back on the field relatively soon. Despite a boring week, we have lots of movement in the middle part of the rankings, including a shakeup to the top 10.

1. New England Patriots: 6-0 (Last Week: 1)
Won 33-0 at New York
Dominant. That is the only word to describe New England’s play so far this season. The Patriots blanked the Jets on Monday Night Football. The honeymoon is over for the champs though as the schedule finally starts to get a bit tougher from here. The Browns and Ravens stand between the Pats and a bye week. After that, the Eagles, Cowboys and Chiefs all get a shot at knocking off Tom Brady and company. We are going to learn pretty soon if this team is one of the all-time greats, or just another solid Bill Belichick team with championship potential.

2. New Orleans Saints: 6-1 (Last Week: 2)
Won 36-25 at Chicago
New Orleans is making a very compelling case for being the best team in the league. The Saints have routinely faced down good competition and won. On Sunday, it was the defense that stole the show against a Bears team with a renown defense of it’s own. Don’t let the final score fool you, this was a blowout. Chicago could not get anything going offensively while Teddy Bridgewater dealt with the absences of Alvin Kamara and Jared Cook just fine. He might not be as prolific as Drew Brees, but Bridgewater deserves a lot of credit for the job he has done in keeping this team on track to make a deep postseason run again.

3. San Francisco 49ers: 6-0 (Last Week: 3)
Won 9-0 at Washington
The weather certainly helped, but San Francisco earned a shutout. Playing in the pouring rain on a terrible surface, I am throwing out basically all statistical significance in this one and focusing on a few other things. The 49ers are the NFC’s last remaining undefeated team and boast one of the best defenses in the league. On the flip side, Jimmy Garoppolo still does not seem like he has settled in this year. Things are going to get a lot tougher with the Panthers on tap.

4. Green Bay Packers: 6-1 (Last Week: 5)
Won 42-24 vs. Oakland
Aaron Rodgers put together a vintage performance Sunday, the likes of which we have not seen from him in some time. Well, we have not seen Rodgers put up numbers like this ever before, but he hasn’t played at that level in quite a while. On a day where many games turned into defensive slogs, it was refreshing to see. In addition to accounting for six touchdowns, five through the air and one on the ground, Rodgers earned a perfect passer rating. And that was all without top reciever Davante Adams. With Kansas City’s unreliable defense coming up, who knows what Rodgers might do next.

5. Kansas City Chiefs: 4-2 (Last Week: 6)
Won 30-6 at Denver
It is easy to forget Kansas City dominated Denver on Thursday because the attention immediately turned to the health of Patrick Mahomes. He dislocated his knee and his status is unclear for the weeks that lie ahead. The defense picked up the slack with nine sacks, but this is a huge loss for the Chiefs. With games against the Packers and Vikings up next, Andy Reid must find the balance between wanting to win crucial games and prioritizing getting his star quarterback healthy. The last thing anyone wants is for Mahomes to come back too soon and cost himself the season.

6. Baltimore Ravens: 5-2 (Last Week: 10)
Won 30-16 at Seattle
This was arguably Baltimore’s most complete game of the year. The defense came up with big plays, scoring a pair of touchdowns. Lamar Jackson turned in another incredible performance running the ball as well. There is still some room for improvement when it comes to his throwing ability, as Jackson was just 9 of 20 passing. In time, the Ravens will also need to rediscover a pass rush that has failed to show up consistently. It seems like the addition of Marcus Peters is already going to be a good one though as this team continues to pull away in the AFC North.

7. Seattle Seahawks: 5-2 (Last Week: 4)
Lost 30-16 vs. Baltimore
Sunday in Seattle saw the compounding of a lot issues and mistakes resulting in a surprisingly sound defeat. Russell Wilson threw his first interception of the year, which turned out to be a pick six. DK Metcalf inexplicably dropped the ball while running late in the game to seal the Seahawks’ fate, as that was also returned for a touchdown. In between, the defense struggled to contain Lamar Jackson. A lot of these same issues appeared in Seattle’s other loss this year to New Orleans. Taking care of the ball is important, but so is getting home with the pass rush and controlling the clock with the run game.

8. Minnesota Vikings: 5-2 (Last Week: 9)
Won 42-30 at Detroit
Kirk Cousins has gone from hack to hero in a very short time in Minnesota. He probably hasn’t put to bed all of his critics, but it was another stellar showing. He tossed four touchdowns and 337 yards as the Vikings rolled on offense. It wasn’t a perfect showing all around, as Minnesota seemed incapable of stopping Marvin Jones in the red zone. He scored four touchdowns in the contest, becoming just the third receiver in NFL history to accomplish that feat. With Washington up next, I think we might see another strong showing from this new version of Cousins.

9. Buffalo Bills: 5-1 (Last Week: 8)
Won 31-21 vs. Miami
For a while there, it looked like Miami would finally earn its first win of the year with a stunning upset of Buffalo. The Dolphins got out to an early lead and nearly managed an improbable comeback. Josh Allen and the offense got off to a pretty poor start, but tossed two second-half touchdowns to pull out the win. The Bills desperately need an infusion of talent at receiver and it is time to explore the trade market to find one. This team is trending toward the postseason and it’s time to start preparing for that.

10. Los Angeles Rams: 4-3 (Last Week: 12)
Won 37-10 at Atlanta
I had a feeling all the Rams needed was a get-right game and they had exactly that against a paltry Falcons defense. Jared Goff looked a lot more like he did last year en route to a Super Bowl appearance. Aaron Donald and the defense dominated, keeping Atlanta out of the end zone for the first three quarters. However, this running game is still nowhere to be found. Todd Gurley, Darrell Henderson and John Kelly managed 2.5 yards per carry against an unimpressive Falcons defense. Los Angeles does play the worst run defense in the NFL next week in Cincinnati, but that won’t solve everything.

11. Dallas Cowboys: 4-3 (Last Week: 15)
Won 37-10 vs. Philadelphia
Talk about a bounce back. Dallas beat the doors of Philadelphia to take the top spot in the NFC East. Ezekiel Elliott featured heavily, registering 147 yards of total offense on his own. The defense made a number of big plays, forcing three Eagles turnovers and giving Dak Prescott a level of comfort throughout the game. It certainly looks like that loss to the Jets was just a fluke and this team should be ready to defend its division title. There is still certainly room for improvement, but the Cowboys got back on track.

12. Indianapolis Colts: 4-2 (Last Week: 17)
Won 30-23 vs. Houston
Two months ago, I would have laughed at the idea the Colts could be leading the division after seven weeks of action. Here we are though with Indianapolis knocking off Houston to take sole ownership of first place in the AFC South. Jacoby Brissett continues to be clinical, executing without a whole lot of proven talent around him other than T.Y. Hilton. Indy’s success in the red zone has been particularly impressive so far. The Colts went four for four scoring touchdowns on Sunday. Punching the ball in when it gets close to the goal line has Indy eyeing the postseason once again.

13. Houston Texans: 4-3 (Last Week: 7)
Lost 30-23 at Indianapolis
Some of this can be blamed on suspect officiating, but this loss was a missed opportunity for the Texans. Turnovers plagued Houston again and this time the offense could not score enough to overcome them. Jacoby Brissett also picked apart the secondary to the tune of 326 yards and four touchdowns. A late-game safety didn’t help matters either. Houston already acted to improve the back end of the defense, trading for former first round pick Gareon Conley from Oakland. With corner Phillip Gaines out for the season, Conley should help lessen the blow. However, Houston is running dangerously low on draft capital and excuses for why it hasn’t taken control of this division.

14. Carolina Panthers: 4-2 (Last Week: 16)
Bye Week
Carolina is one of the most interesting teams in the NFL nearing the midway point. The Panthers have won four straight with a backup quarterback and now have a legitimate quarterback controversy. Cam Newton is nearing a return, but Kyle Allen is playing just fine. He will start next week against the 49ers, but after that, things might get tricky. I suggested on Monday Carolina should trade Newton to Tennessee, but maybe it is worth giving the former MVP a chance to compete at full health. It wasn’t that long ago he led the Panthers to a Super Bowl after all. Like I said, this is one of the most fascinating conundrums in the league.

15. Detroit Lions: 2-3-1 (Last Week: 11)
Lost 42-30 vs. Minnesota
Detroit might have felt slighted by their controversial loss in Green Bay last week, but it was soundly beaten by Minnesota. Kirk Cousins carved up the secondary for 337 yards and four touchdowns, wasting another strong performance from his Lions counterpart. Matthew Stafford had four touchdown passes of his own, all to Marvin Jones. Jones joined Jerry Rice and Sterling Sharpe as the only players in NFL history with four receiving scores in one game. All of that was for naught though as the Lions fall below .500. With Kerryon Johnson out for some time with a knee injury, Detroit might have to lean even more on Stafford.

16. Philadelphia Eagles: 3-4 (Last Week: 13)
Lost 37-10 at Dallas
Howie Roseman is going to be making a lot of phone calls this week looking to trade for a corner. Philly looked helpless trying to slow down Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott. Carson Wentz looked pedestrian once again despite some better play from the running game. Costly fumbles by Wentz and Dallas Goedert crushed the Eagles momentum and put the defense in way too many tough situations. At its best, Philadelphia is taking down the Packers. At its worst, the Eagles are losing to the Falcons and getting blown out by the Cowboys. Finding some consistency is going to be key the rest of the way.

17. Chicago Bears: 3-3 (Last Week 14)
Lost 36-25 vs. New Orleans
The Bears are in trouble. Mitchell Trubisky is missing open receivers and throwing into coverage. They cannot establish the run at all. Even this incredible defense cannot find ways to compensate for that. Matt Nagy has to find a way to get Trubisky back in rhythm and take some pressure off him. Starting the game by surrendering a safety doesn’t help that cause. This is a really good Saints team, but given the number of injuries New Orleans is dealing with at key positions, it was a disappointing loss.

18. Jacksonville Jaguars: 3-4 (Last Week: 20)
Won 27-17 at Cincinnati
Cincinnati provided a bit of scare, but Jacksonville survived its first game in the post-Jalen-Ramsey era. Gardner Minshew was not super sharp as he struggled to complete passes against that Bengals secondary, but he made some plays with his legs and handed the ball off to Leonard Fournette well. I joke a little bit about handing the ball off to Fournette, but it happened 29 times. He has already eclipsed his carry total from last year and seems to be fulfilling the potential the Jaguars saw when they drafted him. A strong running game and a talented defense is a combination that can win a lot of games in this league.

19. Pittsburgh Steelers: 2-4 (Last Week: 19)
Bye Week
No team in the NFL needed a bye week more than the Steelers. With Mason Rudolph making his way back from a brutal concussion, James Conner working through some nagging injuries and a banged up defense, Pittsburgh just needed some time to get healthy. The defense has been rounding into form in recent weeks since adding Minkah Fitzpatrick. It is still a long shot the Steelers will make a playoff run with a backup quarterback and an otherwise inexperienced roster, but they will get a chance to ease back into things with a visit from the Dolphins.

20. Tennessee Titans: 3-4 (Last Week: 24)
Won 23-20 vs. Los Angeles
It really wasn’t a sure thing until the very end, but Tennessee picked up a huge win to keep their hopes of challenging in the AFC South alive. The defense came up with a massive turnover on the final drive to preserve a slim victory. Ryan Tannehill was good not great with 312 yards through the air, two touchdowns and an interception. He played at a much higher level than what we had seen from Marcus Mariota in recent weeks, but that’s not saying a whole lot. Potentially lost in the shuffle, 2019 first round pick Jeffrey Simmons made his season debut and did not disappoint. He finished with a pair of tackles for loss and a sack. This team is going to be tricky to beat if it can take care of the football.

21. Oakland Raiders: 3-3 (Last Week: 18)
Lost 42-24 at Green Bay
That was incredibly rough. Oakland was on the wrong end of Aaron Rodgers’ resurgence as one of the great NFL quarterbacks. It was a day to forget for the secondary, which resulted in Gareon Conley being traded to Houston. Some of this loss can be pinned on unfortunate errors, namely Derek Carr fumbling the ball into the end zone for a touch back. That score would have put the Raiders up 17-14. Instead, the Packers drove downfield and made it 21-10 at half. That 14-point swing came at a crucial point in the game and Oakland never recovered. Being .500 is not a terrible thing for the Raiders, but the defense definitely needs to find some quick solutions.

22. Cleveland Browns: 2-4 (Last Week: 22)
Bye Week
This week off came at a very good time for the Browns, who needed some time off to solve their offensive issues. Part of it stems from a porous offensive line, which I think they should fix in the trade market. However, Cleveland only has three really tough games left on the schedule. The Patriots are up next, but then the Browns face the Broncos, Bills, Steelers, Dolphins, Steelers again, Bengals, Cardinals, Ravens and Bengals again. It is definitely not out of the question for Cleveland to win seven of those ten games and sneak into the playoffs at 9-7. Stranger things have happened in the NFL.

23. Arizona Cardinals: 3-3-1 (Last Week: 27)
Won 27-21 at New York
It might be against a weak schedule, the Cardinals have beaten the Giants, Bengals and Falcons, but this is one of the surprise stories of the year. Chase Edmonds powered this Arizona offense in David Johnson’s absence. He posted 126 yards rushing and three touchdowns. Arizona’s defense put together another solid showing in Patrick Peterson’s return. It’s a little early to start buying stock in this young Cardinals team, but it is clear they have greatly improved from a year ago.

24. Denver Broncos: 2-5 (Last Week: 21)
Lost 30-6 vs. Kansas City
If I told you the Broncos knocked Patrick Mahomes out of the game, you might’ve thought they kept it close, or maybe even won. Instead, Denver’s offense flopped against one of the worst defenses in the league. The offensive line looked awful, surrendering nine sacks. It was a long shot for the Broncos to turn the season around, but this loss set them back a ways. Real concerns exists at pretty much every level of this franchise. The year is not over, but there is a steep uphill climb.

25. Los Angeles Chargers: 2-5 (Last Week: 23)
Lost 23-20 at Tennessee
In case you hadn’t heard, Melvin Gordon is back at running back for the Chargers. That hasn’t been a good thing so far. Gordon rushed 16 times for 32 yards in Tennessee. Two yards per carry is not what you are looking for with your season quickly slipping away. Gordon also put the ball on the ground twice Sunday and the latter fumble cost his team the game. This loss does not all fall on Gordon, the defense could not shut down Ryan Tannehill making his first start as a Titan after all, but given the offseason Gordon had, he deserves a lot of criticism.

26. New York Giants: 2-5 (Last Week: 25)
Lost 27-21 vs. Arizona
Remember when Daniel Jones was the greatest thing since sliced bread? That comeback win against the Buccaneers was pretty spectacular, but since then, Jones has been terrible. In his past four games, Jones has thrown for less than 200 yards per contest while tossing four touchdowns compared to seven interceptions. He is a rookie quarterback after all. His offensive line did not help him a ton against Arizona, allowing eight sacks. That being said, Jones needs to work on getting rid of the football faster. He looked like he was playing in slow motion at times Sunday. New York feels very far from competing with the NFL’s elite.

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 2-4 (Last Week: 26)
Bye Week
Tampa got a week off to try to solve it’s offensive woes. The last time we saw this team take the field, Jameis Winston was tossing five picks in London. There is one thing the Bucs do really well that is being overlooked. Tampa has allowed the fewest rushing yards per game so far this year. What might be more impressive is the fact the defense is allowing just 2.9 yards per carry on the season. The closest team to them is the Rams at 3.4. That means that teams trying to run the ball average a half-yard worse per carry than the next best run defense in the league. Tampa is elite at something, but now it is time to make that count.

28. New York Jets: 1-5 (Last Week: 28)
Lost 33-0 vs. New England
Oh, so that’s where the Jets went. Sam Darnold had one of the worst games by a quarterback in NFL history and the offense looked anemic once again. Obviously, it was against an otherworldly defense, but that was pathetic. The Jets offensive line cannot pass block and Darnold struggled to identify where the blitz was coming from. There was very little help from the running game as well. Overpaid corner Tremaine Johnson looks like he didn’t care at all either, getting beat all over the field. This team needs to find an identity on both sides of the ball.

29. Atlanta Falcons: 1-6 (Last Week: 29)
Lost 37-10 vs. Los Angeles
The Falcons’ season is officially out of control. In addition to getting blown out on Sunday, Devonta Freeman was ejected for punching Aaron Donald in the facemask and Matt Ryan left with an ankle injury. Needless to say, Sunday was rough. If there is one bright side, the run defense looked pretty good, holding the Rams to just 2.5 yards per carry. Unfortunately, that is exactly the same average the Falcons mustered with their ground attack. Dan Quinn has a lot of soul searching to do with this group. If Matt Ryan misses time, this already struggling team will only get worse.

30. Washington: 1-6 (Last Week: 30)
Lost 9-0 vs. San Francisco
Some fans will look at the scoreline and think Washington played a competitive game. While it was only a nine-point loss, Washington managed 154 yards of total offense. Some of that was due to the horrible weather in D.C., but a lot of it was due to poor play calling and blocking. Adrian Peterson did his best to carry this team through the mud, but there were just too many mistakes. There is very little to make substantive assessments of given the playing conditions. Bottom line is FedEx field is awful.

31. Cincinnati Bengals: 0-7 (Last Week: 31)
Lost 27-17 vs. Jacksonville
Cincinnati had some moments to be happy with in this game, taking a lead into the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, unlike many of their previous games, where they turned it on in the fourth quarter, the Bengals fell apart in the fourth. The defense played decently well, holding Gardner Minshew under a 50 percent completion percentage. Jacksonville did run all over Cincy though. Leonard Fournette led the way as the Jags racked up 216 yards on the ground. The season is over for the Bengals and it is time to move on from a couple of veterans to focus on the future.

32. Miami Dolphins: 0-6 (Last Week: 32)
Lost 31-21 at Buffalo
It finally seems like the Dolphins are turning the corner. Miami led for a good portion of this game and actually made a late comeback bid. That comeback ended after Buffalo returned an onside kick for a touchdown. This was a more complete showing from the Dolphins. The results haven’t changed yet, but the process is improving. This season is long over for Miami, but it is still valuable for Brian Flores to sort out who has a role to play going forward and who the team can move on from this offseason.

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