The NFL continues to hound Brady

April 25, 2016April 25, 2016 Chris McGlynn Football, NFL Deflategate, New England Patriots, NFL, Roger Goodell, Tom Brady

You know in the movies where there is a relationship that fails but one of the people involved continues to cling on, in hopes that maybe they could salvage something. It’s usually the guy and he usually has no way of fixing things or proving that he can make it work. Right now the NFL is that guy.

CNBC just tweeted that the U.S. Appeals Court reinstated Tom Brady’s 4-game suspension in relation to his involvement in Deflategate. You remember Deflategate, the only thing ESPN could talk about last summer where the New England Patriots were accused of cheating en route to a Super Bowl victory.

Just when we all thought it was finally coming to a close with the NFL Draft coming up. It would definitely be talked about as the Patriots forfeited their first round pick in the upcoming draft due to the allegations of Deflategate. After that, it seemed like we could all put it behind us. Clearly, that isn’t happening.

I have a feeling that the Patriots are not going to stand for this decision, and rightfully so. Because this, according to ESPN, was the ruling from the U.S. 2nd Circuit Appeals Court.

“We hold that the Commissioner properly exercised his broad discretion under the collective bargaining agreement and that his procedural rulings were properly grounded in that agreement and did not deprive Brady of fundamental fairness.”

Well there you go. This all traces back to the one man that is single-handedly ruining the NFL. Roger Goodell once again wields his unchecked and disproportionate power.

What this means is not that Brady was guilty or that the NFL found some new evidence. It just means that Goodell has the power to do this. And that is a problem.

I’ve been saying for years that Roger Goodell needs to be replaced atop the NFL’s hierarchy. (I’ve also been saying the league needs to change its player discipline process since July). He is unreasonable and has let his power go to his head. However, this also shines a light on an organizational issue for the NFL.

The fact is, the court is right. Goodell has the power to make these kinds of sweeping, grandiose decisions. That needs to change. There has been talk for some time about the league taking the power of player punishment out of the commissioner’s hands and delegating it to a third party. That way, the league could avoid situations like this and the commissioner could focus more on the future endeavors of the league, rather than how much he can fine James Harrison in a given season.

So yes, Goodell still needs to go. If you need examples, see Rice, Ray or Hardy, Greg. Either one will demonstrate why Goodell is not fit to be running the league. But this is also an institutional problem, where the NFL has given one man entirely too much power. It is similar to FIFA with Sepp Blatter in the way that the NFL as an institution is thought of as solely Goodell. (For a fun article about those two clowns, click here).

As for Brady’s situation, did he cooperate as needed? Probably not. Does the NFL have the evidence necessary to suspend him for four games? Definitely not. At most, Brady should receive a fine for disorderly conduct. And then that should be the end of it. There is no reason that Jimmy Garappolo should be playing the first quarter of the season for New England.

Unfortunately, it seems like this nightmare just restarted. Only time will tell if this new ruling holds up. Maybe some good will come out of this. Maybe the league will finally realize the flaws in how it lets Goodell govern and begin limit his power. Fingers crossed on that one.

NFL Playoff Preview: Championship Sunday

January 23, 2016January 24, 2016 Chris McGlynn Football, NFL, Playoffs Arizona Cardinals, Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers, Carson Palmer, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, NFL Playoffs, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady

Welcome to the final four. The conference championships. There is nothing quite like it. The Super Bowl is always a great spectacle, but often these games are even more exciting to watch. Today we will get to witness all three MVP candidates on display, the best rivalry in football over the last 15 years and some of the most dynamic defensive playmakers the game has to offer. And all of it comes with a trip to Santa Clara on the line.

New England vs. Denver

When you think of NFL MVP, it is hard not to think of Peyton Manning. The Broncos signal caller has won the award more times than anyone else in history, with five such distinctions. However, he is the only quarterback in Sunday’s games that isn’t in contention for this year’s award.

Tom Brady on the other hand is right in the thick of anpther MVP-caliber campaign. Even with some of his top weapons missing time this year, Brady managed to steer New England to a first round bye and has them playing some spectacular football yet again.

This game is being billed as yet another class Manning-Brady matchup but in reality, this is more a battle between Brady and the Denver defense. The last time Denver and New England met it was Week 12 at Mile High. The Denver defense did not do much to contain Brady that day, as he threw for 280 yards and three scores. However, the Broncos knocked Brady around a lot, hitting him on nine occasions, three of them being sacks. The Patriots also had no running game to speak of, as LeGarrette Blount led the way in rushing for New England with a measly 27 yards on the ground. Brady also struggled to find the mark in that game, completing only 54.7 percent of his passes.

Today is guaranteed to be different though as New England has a different cast of characters in place. Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola are back healthy, after not competing in their previous contest with Denver. However, Blount and now middle linebacker Jerrod Mayo will not be suiting up for this one, as both are on season-ending injured reserve.

The most interesting wrinkle though is that Manning will be starting this game. In that Week 12 showdown, Brock Osweiler started and defeated the Pats. He had a lot of help from his running game, as Denver amassed 179 yards on the ground at a clip of 5.6 yards per carry, but Osweiler took a beating. If the Pats generate the same amount of pressure on Manning, I think he will either be forced into some mistakes or be knocked out of the contest.

In the end, I don’t think The Sheriff has enough left in the tank to outduel The Golden Boy one last time. I think it will be an extremely close game that goes down to the wire as both defenses win the day. I think even with a depleted arsenal, Brady will work enough magic to eke out a win and earn his first career playoff victory in Denver, 24-21. Sad day as this will also probably mark the end of an era.

Arizona vs. Carolina

Even with the 17th edition of Manning-Brady in store for us, I think this is the game of the weekend to watch. This game is equal parts high-flying offense, dynamic defense and attitude.

Enter Cam Newton into his first ever NFC Championship game. He is the front-runner for the MVP award this season with his ability to deceive and out-think defenses. Newton is a supreme athlete and always has been. However, this season saw SuperCam evolve into a much better quarterback. He set a career-high in touchdown passes with 35 and even slightly cut down on his turnovers. He also set new marks for Total QBR and passer rating. All of that culminated in his dominant performance against Seattle last week.

He has still kept his athleticism as an often-used weapon. Newton racked up 636 yards on the ground and scored 10 times when he kept it himself. Couple that with Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert; suddenly, this Carolina ground game is very difficult to stop.

The Panthers will need to control the clock as much as possible in this game as well, mainly to keep Carson Palmer off the field. Palmer struggled a little against Green Bay last week, but that should not discount the MVP-like season he had.

Editor’s note: It was really difficult to think of other ways to describe Palmer and Newton as they both have a lot in common. Both are first number one overall picks and both won Heisman trophies in college.

Palmer was downright lethal this year, completing nearly 64 percent of his passes while throwing for a career high in yards. The 36-year old was beyond effective when throwing the ball this season as well, posting a league-high 8.7 yards per attempt average. Palmer tossed the same number of touchdowns as Newton this year too. He also piloted an Arizona offense that led the NFL in yards per game and was second in scoring only to Carolina. In short, we could be in line for a shootout.

And we probably would be, if it wasn’t for the defenses lining up across from these quarterbacks. Carolina has four Pro Bowlers on their defense and Arizona has three of their own. These two defenses ranked fifth and sixth in yards per game allowed and sixth and seventh in scoring.

One of the great matchups of the weekend will be Larry Fitzgerald against Josh Norman. Fitzgerald is coming of a worldly performance out in the desert while Norman developed into one of the league’s premier shutdown corners. Past Norman though, this is a Carolina secondary that could be vulnerable to the spread offense Arizona will run. Seattle exploited the Panthers’ lack of depth in the divisional round. I think the Cardinals will do the same, getting the ball to John Brown and Michael Floyd early and often.

Between that and the overall speed of this Cardinal defense, I think Arizona will be heading to Santa Clara. Cardinals upset the Panthers at home, 27-21.

NFL Power Rankings: Week 10

November 12, 2015November 12, 2015 Chris McGlynn Football, NFL, Power Rankings New England Patriots, NFL Power Rankings

1. New England Patriots (Last week: 1)
Another week, another win for New England. Losing Dion Lewis is a major blow though. He might not have been a bell cow runner but he filled the role that Shane Vereen vacated when he signed with the Giants. Speaking of the Giants, that’s who New England plays this week in what could be a high-scoring affair.

2. Cincinnati Bengals (Last week: 2)
That was much more convincing for the Bengals. Cincy blew out in-state rival Cleveland on Thursday night and bottled up Johnny Manziel once again. We are only halfway through the season but the Bengals are my pick to win the AFC.

3. Carolina Panthers (Last week: 4)
It looked like the Panthers had all but wrapped up the game yet again but ended up letting the Packers back into the game. However, Carolina won and now holds a two game lead over everyone else in the NFC. Cam Newton has this team as the team to beat in the conference.

4. Denver Broncos (Last week: 3)
It was supposed to be the storybook return. Many circled this game on their calendars early in the season as one to watch because it was supposed to be the one where Peyton broke Brett Farve’s career passing record in the stadium where he started his career. Instead, Manning came nowhere close and the Colts ended walking away with a win. That stingy defense finally seemed to break.

5. Arizona Cardinals (Last week: 6)
A week off for Arizona ended up working out pretty nicely. The Packers fell, as did St. Louis. The Cardinals seem poised for a deep playoff run this year. They have all the right pieces on offense to put up points and Bruce Arians is a mastermind. The desert has a true contender this year.

6. Minnesota Vikings (Last week: 7)
Another hard-fought win for Minnesota moves them into a tie atop the division with the Packers. Even though Green Bay is trending downward, they are still the team to beat in the North. Especially if Teddy Bridgewater misses any time with his concussion.

7. Green Bay Packers (Last week: 5)
Brutal back-to-back schedule for the Packers. After facing the league’s top defense, they headed to Charlotte for a matchup with the stingy Panthers. In years, that would be when Green Bay made a statement and showed that they were the class of the league. This year has been different and the Packers can’t seem to figure out why.

8. New York Jets (Last week: 10)
It wasn’t always pretty and it was closer than the Jets probably hoped but it got them back on track for the second half. New York is never catching the Patriots at the top of the division but they do looked poised to snag a wildcard spot with a favorable schedule in front of them.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last week: 11)
Mike Tomlin has to be shaking his head at this point. Le’Veon Bell went down for the season last week and no Ben Roethlisberger will miss a few weeks with a foot sprain. Yet, the Steelers are still winning games with a third-string signal caller and a 32-year old running back. Stranger things have happened.

10. Oakland Raiders (Last week: 9)
Tough loss for the up and coming Raiders this week. The offense played pretty well but the biggest takeaways from this game for Oakland have to be the four turnovers and allowing Antonio Brown to run all over the secondary. That is not a winning brand of football.

11. Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: 15)
He still didn’t look like the version of him we saw last season but DeMarco Murray played much better this time around and the Eagles earned a much-needed divisional win. This team is far from perfect and Chip Kelly still has a lot of work to do with Jordan Hicks now out for the rest of the year but Philly is still very much alive.

12. St. Louis Rams (Last week: 12)
That could have been a season defining win for the Rams had they pulled it off. Instead, St. Louis remains on the outside looking in at a playoff spot. It isn’t impossible but they just made their road to the postseason a lot tougher.

13. Seattle Seahawks (Last week: 13)
Seattle got the week off to reevaluate the first half for themselves. It hasn’t been pretty but the Seahawks are still alive with plenty of playmakers on both sides of the ball. Only two games back of Arizona with two meetings on the schedule means that the Pete Carroll has to like his chances.

14. Atlanta Falcons (Last week: 8)
Umm…well then. Atlanta seemed like they were off to a flying start under first-year Head Coach Dan Quinn. Now, the Falcons are losing to teams confined to the league’s cellar. Already two and a half back to Carolina, Atlanta really only has a shot at a wildcard spot, which they are quickly losing their grip on.

15. Indianapolis Colts (Last week: 17)
The good news: Indy pulled off a stunning upset of the previously undefeated Broncos. The bad news: Andrew Luck got hurt again. However, you have to wonder how much that will actually hurt the Colts going forward. Hasselbeck is 2-0 this season without a turnover. His poise and control might be just what the Colts need to put together a bit of a run.

16. New York Giants (Last week: 16)
The playcalling in New York has been under scrutiny all season long but the Giants are still finding some ways to win. They shut down Doug Martin this week and forced Jameis Winston to beat them. Big Blue sits atop the NFC East but Philly is right at their heels.

17. Buffalo Bills (Last week: 18)
Sammy Watkins certainly made it clear that he was back. A dominant performance from the second-year receiver gives a .500 Buffalo squad some momentum going into tonight’s critical game with the Jets. Rex will be gunning for his old team in a game that the Bills must have to keep their playoff hopes on track.

18. New Orleans Saints (Last week: 14)
The Saints losing to the Titans is the epitome of why we love football. Both teams were headed in such opposite directions but New Orleans crumbled down the stretch. A win would’ve put them only a game behind the Falcons for a playoff spot.

19. Kansas City Chiefs (Last week: 19)
The second half begins for the Chiefs on an upswing. Kansas City probably does not have a legitimate shot at a playoff spot but this is a time for the front office to see what they have in some youngsters like Charcandrick West, Marcus Peters and Eric Fischer. Building for next year is vital for the Chiefs.

20. Chicago Bears (Last week: 25)
Jay Cutler is now the Bears leader in career touchdown passes and the Bears got themselves a big, come from behind win on Monday night. That’s even more impressive when you consider that they did it without Matt Forte. It doesn’t mean much for Chicago but it certainly instills some confidence in that locker room.

21. Washington (Last week: 20)
About what you expected from Washington in a matchup with the undefeated Pats. There offensive line kept Kirk Cousins clean, only allowing one sack but failed to open any holes for Matt Jones and Alfred Morris. Washington’s 3.6 yards per carry ranks them 29th in the league. Looking for places to improve? That’s where I would start.

22. Miami Dolphins (Last week: 21)
The Dolphins are now 0-3 in the AFC East. For a team that some expected to come in a challenge the Pats at the beginning of the year, this has to be a disappointment. Miami spent big this offseason but poor draft history and inconsistent play have this team looking at a top-10 draft pick.

23. Tennessee Titans (Last week: 31)
One week after firing your head coach always means that you walk out of the SuperDome with an overtime victory right? Well Marcus Mariota certainly made that happen. 371 yards, four touchdowns and no turnovers is the way to make that happen. This is a win that Tennessee would never have pulled off a year ago and shows positive signs in this rebuilding process.

24. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last week: 23)
A solid effort against the Jets made Jacksonville look good but it counts for nothing. The Jags had plenty of opportunities to win against the in New York. Those are the types of games that Jacksonville needs to start winning to get this team moving in a positive direction.

25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last week: 22)
Touchdowns were at a premier for Tampa this weekend in New York, as they only mustered one. However, the game was a lot closer than the scoreline shows (it was a one-possession game until 24 second left in the fourth quarter). Winston took care of the football, avoiding turnovers but the Bucs couldn’t play a complete game.

26. San Francisco 49ers (Last week: 30)
Where did that come from? Some unusual names made big plays for the 49ers this week. Blaine Gabbert tossed two touchdowns to Garrett Celek in a stunning win for the Red and Gold. The real focus should be on the defense though, which held Donta Freeman, the league’s leading rusher until this week, to just 12 yards on 12 carries. This was old school 49er football and definitely brings some hope to this struggling franchise.

27. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 24)
He won’t fix everything but Dallas needs Romo. Sunday was the Cowboys seventh straight loss since losing their quarterback to a broken clavicle. At this point, the Texans might have the best chance of the teams in the Lone Star state to make a playoff run.

28. Houston Texans (Last week: 27)
The Texans have a whole week to prepare for a Monday night clash with the Bengals. I don’t know if any amount of planning will be enough to get Houston the win but right now, the Texans are still very much in the hunt for the AFC South title.

29. Cleveland Browns (Last week: 28)
It wasn’t quite as ugly as I expected but Cleveland still came nowhere close to winning this game. Offensively, Manziel showed that he still does not have a lot of trust in his teammate and would rather scramble. The defense did not have an answer for Tyler Eifert either as he scored three touchdowns. The Browns have a couple of pieces in place but there is still a lot they need to do.

30. Baltimore Ravens (Last week: 29)
A bye week lets Baltimore hash out what the plan is going forward without Steve Smith. Baltimore’s playoff chances are all but none existent at this point and they have to start prepping for next season. That begins with finding a new number one receiver. This is the chance to see if that guy is on the roster right now.

31. San Diego Chargers (Last week: 26)
Phillip Rivers leads the NFL in passing yards per game. Melvin Gordon is 31st in rushing yards per game and has four fumbles to go with no touchdowns on the year. When you are drafted in the first round, it comes with the expectation that you will be an impact player right away. San Diego can wholly blame all of its woes this season on its absolute lack of a ground attack.

32. Detroit Lions (Last week: 32)
A lot of changes going into the bye week isn’t necessarily a bad thing because it gives the floundering Lions a chance to work things out. There is a lot of talent on this offense but the team as a whole looks lost.

Mid-season NFL Playoff Picks

November 10, 2015November 10, 2015 Chris McGlynn Football, NFL, Playoffs Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, NFL Playoffs, Tom Brady

This is painful. I looked back at my preseason playoff picks for the 2015 NFL season and it was ugly. I had the Colts winning the AFC and the Chiefs making it as a strong wildcard team. In the NFC, I had Dallas as the third team in and the Carolina Panthers are nowhere to be found.

Obviously, I made some major gaffes in picking my preseason playoff field. Some of it was due to unexpected injuries. Others were me buying into the hype of some offseason moves. All in all, I have a laundry list of excuses (similar to the one I have for why my fantasy team is so bad this year).

Here we are now though in the middle of the season with every team having played at least eight games. With the second half of the season about to get underway, it is time for me to predict how the season will end. Hopefully, this head start will allow me to do a bit better with these.

AFC Playoffs
1. Cincinnati (14-2)
2. New England (14-2)
3. Denver (13-3)
4. Indianapolis (8-8)
5. New York (10-6)
6. Pittsburgh (9-7)

NFC Playoffs
1. Carolina (14-2)
2. Green Bay (13-3)
3. Arizona (12-4)
4. New York (9-7)
5. Minnesota (12-4)
6. Atlanta (11-5)

For the AFC, Cincy wins the conference because it wins the tiebreaker over the Pats for record in common games. Denver slips up just a little bit too much to earn the first round bye. The Jets take advantage of a fairly easy schedule down the stretch to make it back to the postseason for the first time since 2011. Pittsburgh, despite all of their injuries, has games against the Browns (twice) Colts and Ravens. That allows them to sneak into that last spot.

Over in the NFC though, things are much tighter. The Giants don’t really belong but a Week 17 win against the Eagles locks up the division for them. Carolina continues its dominance on its way to the top spot. Green Bay manages to rebound down the stretch and takes the first weekend of the playoffs off. Arizona outlasts the rest of the rugged NFC West to advance to the postseason once again, this year hopefully with Carson Palmer. Minnesota and Atlanta prove to be the best of the rest and lock up wildcard berths.

Wildcard
Denver over Pittsburgh
New York over Indianapolis
Arizona over Atlanta
Minnesota over New York

Pittsburgh made the postseason but for the second straight year, not having LeVeon Bell proves to be too much for the Steelers to overcome. The Jets pick up their second win over Andrew Luck and Co. on the year behind a dominant ground game and an opportunistic defense. The Cardinals prove to have way too much for that Atlanta offensive line to handle as Matt Ryan has a rough day on the road. Adrian Peterson runs all over the Giants and the Vikings defense finds a way to limit Odell Beckham Jr. enough to get the win.

Divisional
Cincinnati over New York
New England over Denver
Carolina over Minnesota
Arizona over Green Bay

Andy Dalton finally gets his first playoff win as the Jets offense sputters on the road. The game is close but Tyler Eifert ends up being the deciding factor. After beating New England at home in the regular season, Denver fails to take round two in Foxborough. Tom Brady does not lose to Peyton Manning twice in one year. The Carolina defense bottles up Peterson and forces Teddy Bridgewater to beat them with his arm. The Vikings offense is simply not made for that. Despite going on the road, that Arizona defense causes some issues for Aaron Rodgers and the lack of a Packers running game shows.

Championship
New England over Cincinnati
Carolina over Arizona

The AFC Championship game comes down to some simply math. Tom Brady is greater than Andy Dalton and the 37-year old out-duels the Red Rifle to return to the Super Bowl. The defense manages to bend but not break against the Cincy offense. Super Cam continues his super season. He ends up coming nowhere near the MVP award but he is closing in on the Lombardi trophy. Carolina’s offense runs through him, Jonathan Stewart and Greg Olsen. The real reason that the Panthers are Super Bowl bound is that defense though. It managed bottled up the Cardinal running game and pressured Carson Palmer all day without having to truly blitz.

Super Bowl
Carolina over New England

In a rematch of Super Bowl XXXVIII, Carolina and New England meet with the Lombardi Trophy on the line. This time though, its the Panthers who walk away having earned a ring. Carolina is able to pressure Brady without truly having to blitz, which is the same way the Giants beat him in the Super Bowl in past years. The Panthers are so deep along their defensive line, especially after getting Charles Johnson back midseason. The Patriots find themselves missing change of pace runner and pass-catching specialist Dion Lewis as they fail to generate much of a ground game. Cam Newton’s running abilities prove to be something New England struggles to contain as well. Julian Edelman has a big game but the Panthers limit Rob Gronkowski en route to the franchise’s first ever Super Bowl win.

NFL Power Rankings: Week 8

October 28, 2015November 5, 2015 Chris McGlynn Football, NFL, Power Rankings New England Patriots, NFL Power Rankings

1. New England Patriots (Last week: 1)
No change at the top as the Pats took care of the rival Jets. It was far from the best game New England has played this year. Actually it might have been their worst, with 12 total drops by receivers on Sunday. The fact that the Patriots won while not being at their best underlines just how talented this team is.

2. Cincinnati Bengals (Last week: 2)
An off week for Cincinnati allows the Bengals to gear up for the second half. Still undefeated with Andy Dalton playing the best football of his career and a plethora of offensive weapons, this is the best we’ve seen the Bengals in years.

3. Green Bay Packers (Last week: 3)
The bye allows the Packers to prep for Denver. This is one of the marquee matchups of the season. Green Bay’s high powered offense against Denver’s incredible defense. Aaron Rodgers is going to have his hands full dealing with Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware all night long.

4. Denver Broncos (Last week: 4)
Hopefully this bye week allowed the Broncos to figure out what on Earth to do about their offense. They rank third worst in rush yards per game and 14th in points per game. Plenty of those points have been defensive scores as well. If you factor out the defensive scoring, the Broncos’ offense is only averaging 19.2 points per game.

5. Carolina Panthers (Last week: 6)
Cam Newton had a bit of a rough outing against Philly. He threw for less than 200 yards and had three passes picked off. Still, the Carolina defense and run game got the job done. Carolina might be the most unpredictable undefeated team we have seen in some time.

6. New York Jets (Last week: 5)
Well they certainly gave the Pats a challenge, but the Jets could not stop the Patriots in crunch time. The Jets had a one-point lead entering the fourth quarter. The New York defense gave up two fourth quarter touchdowns and ended up losing by seven. Todd Bowles could not generate enough pressure on Brady without having to blitz. When the Jets did blitz, they paid for it.

7. Arizona Cardinals (Last week: 9)
Bruce Arians and Carson Palmer almost mismanaged the clock into a loss. They gave Baltimore a chance late to tie the game but a game clinching interception bailed them out. Arizona has been shaky over the past few weeks but still have a healthy lead atop the NFC West.

8. Atlanta Falcons (Last week: 7)
Whatever happened to that Atlanta offense that dominated the first five weeks, it has completely disappeared. In the past two weeks, the Falcons have 31 total points and five turnovers. They were fortunate to be playing the lowly Titans this past week otherwise Atlanta probably would’ve lost its second straight game.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last week: 8)
The Steelers will be very happy to see Ben Roethlisberger take the field again. Youngster Landry Jones had a tough week against the Chiefs, throwing two interceptions. Pittsburgh’s offense only managed 13 points and looked like a team that lacked an identity. Their leader returning should right the ship just in time for a huge matchup with undefeated Cincy.

10. Minnesota Vikings (Last week: 12)
Everyone proclaimed Teddy Bridgewater a game manager after a few weeks of mainly handing the ball off. He lit up the Lions though for 300+ yards and a pair of touchdowns. Minnesota is showing that it can adjust to play however it needs to get the win.

11. New York Giants (Last week: 16)
It was closer than it probably should have been but the Giants got a big divisional win at home. They find themselves back atop the NFC East and just in time as well. Dallas has Dez Bryant set to return this week with Tony Romo not too far behind. The Giants need to extend their lead now while they can.

12. Oakland Raiders (Last week: 18)
Huge win for the Raiders to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. The scoreline does not reflect how dominant Oakland was in this game. Derek Carr outplayed Phillip Rivers. Latavius Murray almost outrushed the Chargers on his own. Great divisional win for the Silver and Black.

13. Seattle Seahawks (Last week: 14)
Seattle got back on track with a good win against San Francisco. It wasn’t totally convincing for the Seahawks but they out played San Francisco all night. All of Seattle’s wins have come against teams well under .500 this season. They need to beat a good team before anyone buys into them again.

14. Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: 13)
Philly seemed headed in the right direction and honestly, they are still on course. Winning in Carolina was unlikely at best for the Eagles. The defense created some turnovers but the offense was no match for the Panther defense. Because of how weak the NFC East is across the board, Philly is still in the playoff picture but this team is way too inconsistent to be considered good.

15. St. Louis Rams (Last week: 19)
St. Louis has more yards per game and more points per game than only one team in the league. It turns out that it is division rival San Francisco. This was a solid win against Cleveland and Todd Gurley looks like a stud but the offense is far from complete. Nick Foles needs to start holding up on his end of the bargain.

16. Indianapolis Colts (Last week: 10)
A huge comeback seemed imminent for the Colts as they continued to rack up points in the second half. However, Indy couldn’t overcome a very poor start and Andrew Luck threw multiple interceptions in his fourth game this season. Considering he’s only played five, that is a major concern.

17. Buffalo Bills (Last week: 11)
Buffalo probably wasn’t overly satisfied with their road trip overseas. The Bills made a fantastic comeback and pulled ahead in the fourth quarter, but failed to hold the lead. Jacksonville outplayed the Bills for a good chunk of the game and Buffalo’s offense looks inconsistent on a week-to-week basis.

18. Miami Dolphins (Last week: 20)
If this continues, Dan Campbell will be the mayor of Miami by season’s end. The Dolphins blew out two mediocre teams but they seem to have renewed fight in them. They are still on the outside looking in but they are definitely headed in the right direction. The real test comes this week against the Patriots.

19. New Orleans Saints (Last week: 23)
Two weeks and two wins for the Saints put them in a position to potentially salvage their season. They still have a bit of a ways to go but with wins over the Falcons and Colts, New Orleans has shown that they can hang with potential playoff teams.

20. Washington (Last week: 21)
Kirk Cousins is still pumped up! Washington pulled off the biggest comeback in franchise history this weekend in spectacular fashion. Alfred Morris and Matt Jones combined for just 34 yards on 15 carries and the defense got gashed by Doug Martin but the resilience Washington showed was impressive.

21. San Diego Chargers (Last week: 17)
After a great effort against Green Bay where they pushed the Packers to the brink, San Diego fell flat on its face against Oakland. The Raiders ran away with this game early and San Diego did not have enough time to catch up. It seems like Denver has the AFC West all but locked up.

22. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 15)
Matt Cassell played for the Cowboys at quarterback and it wasn’t much of an improvement for Dallas. Cassell threw a pick six against the rival Giants that ended up being the difference in the game. Dallas is hanging tough in most games but they still cannot get a win with Romo and Dez sidelined.

23. Kansas City Chiefs (Last week: 31)
Charcandrick West just made a name for himself in Kansas City. West posted 110 yards on a five-yard per carry average and scored a touchdown. The Chiefs don’t seem like they have any shot of making the playoffs but they knocked off a good team in Pittsburgh even if it was with Landry Jones at the helm.

24. Chicago Bears (Last week: 24)
It is a little troubling to see the Bears playing as poorly as they are. Matt Forte has been on fire and Alshon Jeffrey has been fantastic in his past two weeks. Yet, Chicago sits at 2-4. They haven’t had a tremendous amount of turnovers, but they have the second worst net point differential in the league. Piecing both sides of the game together has been tough for Bears to this point.

25. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last week: 32)
I am not a fan of moving a team to London but the Jaguars might want to get on board with that movement. They got only their second win of the year at Wembley and it was a great win for them. Factions of Jaguars fans exist across the pond already. If any team is heading there, it will be Jacksonville.

26. Cleveland Browns (Last week: 25)
The offense came back down to Earth and the defense was gashed by Todd Gurley. Cleveland had been competitive this season with their last three loses all by one possession. The Browns looked outmatched in this one though and head home to take on the Cardinals. The road doesn’t get any easier for the Browns from here.

27. Tennessee Titans (Last week: 26)
Playing the Falcons close is a moral victory but Ken Wisenhunt isn’t very interested in those. The Titans had every opportunity to win this game against Atlanta. They led 7-3 at halftime and only gave up seven points the rest of the week. Unfortunately, for the defense, the offense never scored again. Not having Marcus Mariota hurt Tennessee and the lack of a running game hurt even more.

28. San Francisco 49ers (Last week: 27)
Getting blown out at home by Seattle seems to be an annual occurrence for the 49ers. This one was particularly brutal as San Francisco only managed three points and never even looked like they had a shot of winning. Colin Kaepernick seems to slowly be losing favor in the locker room and among the coaches. Change will be coming soon in the Bay Area.

29. Baltimore Ravens (Last week: 30)
Someone give the Ravens a break! Baltimore lost all communication between the sideline and quarterback Joe Flacco on the game ending drive against Arizona. The Ravens had some bright spot but it all goes down as another loss.

30. Detroit Lions (Last week: 28)
Detroit failed to get the Minnesota offense off the field and could not hold the ball long when they had the chance. The Lions need to find some success running the football and then do it consistently to keep the pressure of Matt Stafford. The offensive coaching staff got a shake up so we will have to see if that changes anything.

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last week: 29)
It seemed like the Buccaneers had a win locked up in Washington up 24-7 at halftime. Tampa ended up losing by one after Washington scored the decisive touchdown with under a minute left. The Bucs have a great young core but it is a long way from developed.

32. Houston Texans (Last week: 22)
There is a possibility that the Texans would have given up 70 points in this game if the Dolphins had kept their foot on the peddle. Down 41-0 at halftime, Houston made a feeble attempt at a comeback and fell well short. Ryan Mallett got his walking papers on Monday and Arian Foster’s season ended with an Achilles injury. The Texans’ season is quickly spiraling out of control.

The Aftermath

When sporting news breaks, we cover the fallout.

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NFL Power Rankings: Week 10

Mid-season NFL Playoff Picks

NFL Power Rankings: Week 8

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