Are the Ravens good again? How do injuries affect the ranks? Are the Bucs still a legit contender? Let’s find out.
F Tier: Is The Season Over Yet?
32. Tennessee Titans (1-7) -1
31. New York Jets (1-7) +1
30. New Orleans Saints (1-7) -3
29. Las Vegas Raiders (2-5)
D Tier: Next Year’s Our Year
28. New York Giants (2-6) -4
27. Cleveland Browns (2-6) +1
26. Miami Dolphins (2-6) +1
25. Arizona Cardinals (2-5)
24. Cincinnati Bengals (3-5) -3
23. Minnesota Vikings (3-4 -3
C Tier: Wild Card Watch
22. Dallas Cowboys (3-4-1) +1
21. Carolina Panthers (4-4) +1
20. Baltimore Ravens (2-5) +6
19. Atlanta Falcons (3-4)
18. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3)
17. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-3) -3
16. Washington Commanders (3-5) -4
B Tier: Dark Horse Contenders
15. Chicago Bears (4-3)
14. Houston Texans (3-4) +3
13. New England Patriots (6-2) +3
12. San Francisco 49ers (5-3) -3
11. Los Angeles Chargers (5-3) +2
A Tier: The Real Deal
Kansas City Chiefs (5-3)
The Chiefs dominated the Commanders 28-7 on Monday night, yet I would not call this a statement game for Kansas City.
MVP frontrunner Patrick Mahomes went 25 for 34 on 299 passing yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. The offense was nothing we’re not used to seeing out of Kansas City. The run game was weak as always; Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt combined for 98 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. What continues to stick out is the pass game. Travis Kelce looked like his old self Monday night, with six receptions for 99 yards and a touchdown. Xavier Worthy had quite the night too, racking up five receptions for 93 yards.
Now for the Chief’s x-factor at wide out: Rashee Rice. Rice has had quite the showing these past two weeks after serving his six-game suspension, racking up three touchdowns and 135 receiving yards on 16 receptions in only two games. The defense has had a solid start to the season too, holding down the fort on the defensive side of the ball. Kansas City’s unit is No. 2 in the league in opponents points per game, with 16.4, and No. 1 in the league for opponents fourth down conversion percentage. They are among the top of the league in many other stats besides those two, proving to be a top unit under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnola.
Kansas City has bounced back going 5-1 over six weeks after a 0-2 start, proving to still be a true contender in the league. Yet after a sloppy win against the Marcus Mariota Commanders, I don’t think that proves much when it comes to contention and is why they stay at ten on my rankings this week.
Denver Broncos (6-2) +1
Sean Peyton’s Broncos already looked like true contenders going into week eight against the Cowboys, and this game just proved that even more. Denver humiliated the Cowboys on national television and put the league on notice in a 44-24 blowout.
Bo Nix put on a masterclass of a game, going 19 for 29 on 247 yards and four touchdowns with a pick, Nix looked like an MVP caliber quarterback against this sad Cowboys secondary. The young talent broke out across the board for Denver this past Sunday. Rookie running back and UCF product RJ Harvey ran all over Dallas, racking up two touchdowns on the ground and one in the air, with 49 all-purpose yards. Rookie wide receiver Pat Bryant also got into the endzone for the first time in his NFL career, and second year wide receiver Troy Franklin had what some would say was his breakout game as well. Franklin racked up six receptions for 89 yards and two touchdowns in the air.
The defense had a field day as well, racking up two sacks and eight QB hits. The secondary was lockdown as the offense only threw for 188 yards on 31 attempts and two interceptions with zero touchdowns. Linebacker Dondrea Tilman and the Broncos first round pick this year Jahdae Barron were both able to get a takeaway, with Barrons being the first of his career. This defense did suffer a huge loss this game, losing star corner and former defensive player of the year Patrick Surtain. Surtain seems to have suffered a pectoral strain and is expected to miss multiple weeks, which is a major blow for this secondary.
Denver came out in week eight and left it all on the field. If their young talent continues to ball out as much as they are, on top of this veteran talent, there’s no telling just how far this team can go.
Los Angeles Rams (5-2)
The Rams are coming off a much needed and deserved bye week as they sit at 5-2. Let’s not forget what this bye week meant. Puka seems to be set to return for week nine, and this is a nightmare for the league.
Matthew Stafford has been on a tear of season, racking up 1,866 passing yards and 17 touchdowns and two interceptions. I still do not understand how he is not in MVP conversations despite putting up one of the best QB stat lines in the league this season at 37. The wide receiver tandem is still proving to be elite, even with Nacua out. Despite being out for three weeks in a row, Nacua is still third in receptions at 54, and 4th in yards at 616. Davante Adams has been filling in as the premier wide receiver for Nacua perfectly, with 431 yards in the air on 31 receptions and six touchdowns. The run game has been rather lackluster, as Kyren Williams has been unable to repeat his past dominant seasons, with only 472 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
The defense has been up to championship caliber as well, holding top five spots league wide on the stat sheet in opponents points per game with 16.7, Opponents yards per play with 4.7 and opponents’ touchdowns per game with 1.6. What really holds this unit down is their pass rush. Byron Young and Jared Verse continue to be an issue on the edge, racking up a combined 69 tackles and 13 sacks between the pair.
Despite coming off a bye week, this team is still elite. Going into week nine with their elite wide out in Puka Nacua is only going to make a bigger statement as to why they are a true top ten team in this league and is why they land at eight on my rankings.
Seattle Seahawks (5-2)
The Seahawks are also coming off a much-deserved bye week as well. This team has been playing at an elite level this season, and it shows on the stat sheet.
Free agency pick up Sam Darnold is balling out on his prove-it deal, racking up 1,754 yards on 131 completions with 12 touchdowns and four interceptions. Although his receivers haven’t made it too hard on him. Jaxon Smith-Njigba has had his breakout year and has looked like a top five wide out this season. Smith-Njigba has racked up 50 receptions on 819 yards, in which he’s first in the league among all receivers, as well as four touchdowns in the air. Smith-Njigba isn’t the only one to get some love, as Darnold has spread the ball out quite a bit, peppering Cooper Kupp, rookie receiver Tory Horton and tight end A.J. Barner with plenty of targets.
What’s gone under the radar with the Hawks being as good as they have been is the defensive unit. Since coming to the Pacific Northwest, head coach Mike McDonald has built quite the unit, and they’ve balled out this season. Linebacker Ernest Jones IV has had a season, racking up 30 tackles and three interceptions. Standout Josh Jobe has had a breakout season himself, racking up six passes defended and an interception. What has really improved though, has been the trenches. This defensive line has had an outstanding season so far, racking up 23 sacks as a unit, and is leading the league in yards allowed per rush with 3.3, and opponents rush touchdowns per game, with 0.3.
The Hawks look elite to start the season on both sides of the ball, and despite a close race with the division rival Rams, I wouldn’t be surprised if they win it all in the NFC West this season.
Buffalo Bills (6-2) -1
Buffalo embarrassed the Panthers on the road 40-9, yet this win was less than impressive for Buffalo.
Josh Allen had a rather good game with 163 yards in the air on 19 attempts and 12 completions, with a touchdown as well. Wide out Khalil Shakir had a great game, with six receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown. What really won this game for Buffalo was James Cook. Cook for lack of a better term, cooked on Sunday, racking up 216 yards on 19 carries and two touchdowns. Cook ran all over them with his biggest rush of the day being a 64 yarder.
This defense had a field day as well, racking up seven sacks and an interception from AJ Epenesa against the Andy Dalton offense. Carolina was shut down completely, as Andy Dalton only threw 16 completions for 175 yards and an interception. The run game was somewhat successful against an abysmal rush defense for Buffalo. Carolina had a total of 114 rush yards and a touchdown from Chubba Hubbard. Yet this isn’t an impressive shut down for Buffalo. The Bills struggle defensively especially on the ground, being bottom 10 in every rushing statistic. They don’t look to get any better as well, as this line lost their best player Ed Oliver to a season ending bicep tear.
The Bills destroyed Carolina in what felt like a bye week, yet this didn’t tell us much about their contention. With a weak defense that’s only getting weaker due to injury, it’s hard to see the offense being able to carry them every week. That’s why for the first time this season, they fall out of my top five.
S Tier: Super Bowl Ready
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2) -3
Tampa is going into a much-needed bye week 6-2. Despite a win against the Saints, it’s safe to say this team has struggled the past few weeks, at least offensively.
After a rough matchup against the Lions, Baker continued to struggle against New Orleans while battling injuries. Mayfeild threw 15 completions on 24 attempts for 152 yards and zero touchdowns. This pass game went nowhere against New Orleans, with zero receiving touchdowns and the leading receiver being Tez Johnston with five receptions and 43 yards. Yet it’s hard to get down on this group with Evans and Godwin out, and Egbuka playing through injuries, they are bound to struggle. The run game was rather abysmal too, as the team combined for 88 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown from Sean Tucker.
What has really been the backbone of this team is the defense. As the whole offensive unit heals up with a plethora of injuries, the defense has really pulled their weight. The secondary had two interceptions against the Saints, as Antoine Winfield Jr. snagged a takeaway, and Anthony Nelson put points on the board with a pick six.
Despite two rough weeks, this team has still managed to stay 6-2. It’s hard to bash this team as they are more injury rattled than a hospital, and I’m confident that when they come back healthy following the bye, they’ll be back to the same team we saw in the first six weeks.
Green Bay Packers (5-1-1) +2
Jordan Love and the Packers spoiled Aaron Rogers revenge game in what will most likely be his last time playing in Lambeau Field. Green Bay came from behind and dominated the Steelers, showing off just how tough this team is.
Jordan Love had a near flawless night on Sunday, throwing 29 completions on 37 attempts, with 360 yards and three touchdowns in the air. Christian Watson had a game, playing for the first time this season due to injury. Watson racked up 85 yards on four receptions and a big 33 yard catch to give the team some momentum. The star of the show was feeling festive on National Tight End’s Day, tight end Tucker Kraft. Kraft had seven receptions for 143 yards and two touchdowns. Kraft continues to be a Y.A.C monster, barreling through secondaries, with an average of 20.4 yards per catch vs Pittsburgh.
This defense continues their domination, especially in the front seven. Despite a quiet game from this defense against the Steelers, they got the job done and continue to. The Pack is leading the league in opponents’ yards per pass, with 5.9, and is third in the league in opponents rush yards per game, with 78.9. The front seven has been the star of the show, as edge rush duo Rashan Gary and Micha Parsons have been electric, combining for 14 sacks and 41 tackles.
Green Bay had quite the game against the Steelers. With their wide receiver one Christian Watson back, and Tucker Kraft playing like the best tight end in the league, it’s hard not to see this team as top five in the league.
Philadelphia Eagles (6-2) +1
After an extremely slow start to the season, Philly has been on fire these past two weeks, and has lit up the Giants and Vikings, to win two in a row.
Jalen Hurts had a monster of a game against the Giants, in which he went 15 for 20 on 179 yards and four touchdowns. Even without A.J. Brown this pass game was still electric. Devonta Smith was given receiver one duties and showed out, with six receptions on 84 yards. Jahan Dotson made a play as well, with a 40-yard touchdown to run up the score. Dallas Goedert continues to be a key part of this offense, with three receptions for 28 yards and two touchdowns against the Giants.
The Madden curse has been lifted, Saquon finally broke out for his first major game this season, with 14 carries and 150 yards with a touchdown. Barkley had his first big play of the season too, with a 65-yard house call on his first touch of the game. The defense had their way with this Giants offense as well, with five sacks, seven tackles for loss, and four passes defended against New York. The secondary has been lights out this season, as they are No. 3 in the league in opponents’ completion percentage with 59.33%, and it continued to show against the Giants, as Jaxon Dart had a 58.3% completion percentage.
The Eagles seem to have gotten their spark back, winning back-to-back while their offense is at peak performance this season. If Philly continues to play at this elite level on both sides of the ball, don’t be surprised if the Birds push for back-to-back Lombardi’s.
Indianapolis Colts (7-1) +1
The Colts performed their best impression of a WWE smackdown against the Titans in a 38-14 win, and although this wasn’t a challenge for Indy at all, it truly proves just how good this team is.
The comeback player of the year Daniel Jones had quite the game, going 21 for 29 with 272 yards and three touchdowns in the air. Jones is continuing his near flawless season, with an average QBR of 79.3, which is the second best in the league. The receiving room was nothing short of impressive this game. Micheal Pittman Jr. had eight receptions for 95 yards and a touchdown, which might have been the catch of the year. Yler Warren and Josh Downs were major factors in the pass game as well, combining for seven receptions on 92 yards and a touchdown for the pair.
Now for the MVP. Johnathon Taylor continued to add to his truly special run, racking up 12 carries for 153 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, with an eighty-yard house call, adding insult to injury. If MVP wasn’t a quarterback award in today’s game, Taylor would be the MVP, and it wouldn’t even be close. The defense shut down the Titans all day, as the team combined for four sacks, eight tackles for loss, seven QB hits, and an interception against the helpless Titans.
Although this wasn’t much of a competition for the Colts, they showed and showed out, proving just how dominant and scary Indy truly is. With the MVP and comeback player of the year at the helm, it’s hard to not label the 7-1 Colts as a top three team.
Detroit Lions (5-2)
The best team in the league, or by their more well-known title, the Detroit Lions, is coming off a well-earned week eight bye. The Lions have dropped a few key games this season but overall have been nothing short of impressive this season.
Jared Goff has had a great season, racking up 1,631 yards with 15 touchdowns and three interceptions. Goffs favorite target Amon Ra St. Brown has popped off this season with 538 receiving yards on 50 receptions and seven touchdowns, in which he’s tied for first among all wide outs. Detroit’s receiving room has struggled to be consistent outside of St. Brown though. Tight end Sam Laporta has been rather lackluster, with only 339 yards and two touchdowns over eight games, which isn’t what was expected from someone that was a consensus top ten tight end last season. Jameson Williams has been sub-par as well, with only 289 yards in the air and two touchdowns, which isn’t much for a premier wide receiver two.
Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery have continued the best one two punch running backs in the league this season. The pair has racked up 881 yards and seven touchdowns over 182 carries on the ground. The defense has been up to par as well, doing just enough for this team to shine. Adan Hutchinson has been a nightmare for quarterbacks after coming back from a season ending injury last season. Hutchinson leads the team in sacks and tackles for loss, with six each. Safety Kirby Joseph has been commanding this secondary as well, with three interceptions and four passes defended this season.
The Lions have been the same team they were last year, and now that they have their defensive star back, I won’t be surprised if they hold the title for best team in the league for a long time. Ultimately make a push to hoist the Lombardi by the end of the season.