Are the Rams the best team in the league? Will the Chiefs make the playoffs? What does this loss mean for the Hawks? Let’s find out.
**F Tier: Is the season over yet?**
32\. Tennessee Titans (1-9)
31\. Cleveland Browns (2-8)
30\. Las Vegas Raiders (2-8) -2
29\. New York Jets (2-8)
28\. New Orleans Saint (2-8) +2
**D Tier: Next years Our Year**
27\. New York Giants (2-9)
26\. Cincinnati Bengals (3-7) -4
25\. Washington Commanders (3-8) -2
24\. Dallas Cowboys (4-5-1) +2
23\. Dallas Cowboys (4-7) +1
22\. Arizona Cardinals (3-7) +3
21\. Atlanta Falcons (3-7) -1
20\. Minnesota Vikings (4-6)
**C Tier: Wild Card Watch**
19\. Carolina Panthers (6-5) +2
18\. Houston Texans (5-5) +1
17\. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4) -1
16\. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4) +1
15\. Los Angeles Chargers (7-4) -4
**B Tier: Dark Horse Contenders**
14\. Kansas City Chiefs (5-5) -5
13\. Chicago Bears (7-3) +1
12\. San Francisco 49ers (7-4)
11\. Baltimore Ravens (5-5) +4
**A Tier: The Real Deal**
The Broncos came out on top this past Sunday 22-19 against division rival Kansas City Chiefs in a prove yourself game for both teams, continuing to inch themselves closer to locking down the AFC West.
This past Sunday, Bo Nix blocked out the haters and led his team to arguably the most important game of their season to this point. Despite throwing no touchdowns, Nix went 24 for 37 for 295 passing yards while also throwing zero interceptions. Even without a passing touchdown, the pass game was the big game changer for this Denver offense. Wide receivers Pat Bryant, Troy Franklin and Courtland Sutton all had four receptions and 50 plus receiving yards, as they tore up Kansas City’s secondary. On the other hand, the run game struggled greatly without star running back J.K. Dobbins. In his first game with the majority of the workload, rookie RJ Harvey struggled, racking up only 30 rushing yards on 11 carries, as well as only 20 receiving yards on three receptions. Backup back Jaleel McLaughlin stepped up and had a great game, as he was able to get this offense their only touchdown on the day.
Outside of the abysmal game for the offense, the defense and special teams really stepped up when needed. The Broncos defense confirmed the hype around the unit, as they held the Chiefs offense to 338 all purpose yards between the pass and run game. Corner Ja’Quan McMillian was also able to snag an interception off of Patrick Mahomes, his first of the season.The Broncos kicker came up big for this team especially when the offense came up short, going five for five on field goals, racking up 16 of the Broncos’ 22 points all game.
This team was far from perfect in an important matchup, yet despite those mistakes, the talent is there in every aspect of their roster and it came up big against a division rival, which is why they landed back in the top ten this week.
1. **Green Bay Packers (6-3-1) +1**
Green Bay managed to pull away 27-20 against the Giants in a last second touchdown to ice the game. In a perfect trap game for the struggling Packers, the team managed to win when it matters.
First off, Jordan Love had his statement game of the season after a rough stretch of games. Love went 13 for 24, throwing for 173 yards and two touchdowns. However, it took Love’s major performance to will this team to the win, as the receivers weren’t on the same page. Outside of Christian Watson’s double covered head top in the endzone to ice the game, the receivers were nowhere to be found this whole game. Romeo Doubs had multiple key drops throughout the game, Matthew Golden continued to struggle with key injuries and no tight end has stepped up since Tucker Kraft’s devastating injury. Christian Watson balled out however, catching four of five targets for 46 receiving yards and two touchdowns. With such an abysmal performance, it almost feels like Love and Watson single handedly willed this team to a win.
Green Bay’s run game struggled this game as well, which was no fault of their own. Josh Jacobs went out with an injury late in the first half of this game, only racking up 40 yards on seven receptions. Fortunately it looks that Jacobs will be back in less than a few weeks, although a scary scene no doubt as Jacobs has played such a key role in Green Bay’s success this season. The defense, however, did just enough to hold this New York team when it mattered and give their offense a chance to run away with it. The Packers held Jameis Winston to only 201 passing yards and an interception, an uncharacteristic game for the gunslinger. Yet surprisingly, Green Bay’s biggest struggle was their run defense. The Cheeseheads let up 142 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns from the Giants, two of which came from running back Devin Singletary and one from quarterback Jameis Winston.
After a rough stretch for this Green Bay offense, Jordan Love and company did enough to squeak by the talented, yet injured Giants. In order to win against better competition, however, this defense cannot have the game they had. Despite these struggles, when this team is healthy and firing on all cylinders, they are easily one of the best teams in the league, which is why they land in the top ten this week.
1. **Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-4) -1**
Tampa Bay dropped to 6-4 this past week after losing dare I say a must win game against Buffalo 44-32. As this team looks to recover from injuries, it’s been a tough stretch of game for the Bucs after starting the season 5-1.
Quarterback Baker Mayfeild was far from the problem for the Bucs, throwing for 172 yards with a touchdown and an interception on 16 completions. The receiving room, however, struggled significantly. Tampa’s young receiver core has been quite hit or miss this season, and this game was a miss. The receiver duo of Emeka Egbuka and Tez Johnson struggled, with only six receptions for 46 yards. More specifically, Tez Johnson only had one reception for six yards, which is quite uncharacteristic in comparison to his recent production. Now the real star for this Tampa Bay offense was veteran running back, Sean Tucker. Tucker avoided a disastrous performance for the Bucs as he rushed for 106 yards and two rushing touchdowns on 19 carries. He was also easily the most efficient receiver with two receptions for 34 yards and a receiving touchdown as well.
Tampa Bay’s offense wasn’t the only one with their faults, the defense struggled greatly as well. The Bucs defensive unit allowed the Bills to put up 44 points, and simply had no way to stop the offense. Aside from a legendary performance from Josh Allen, which we’ll get to later on, Buffalo’s offense wasn’t exceptional, yet the defense still let them comfortably lead the game in a rough showing for Tampa’s defense.
This was an uncharacteristic game from Tampa for sure, yet we’ve seen what they can do at their peak. When you go against a top three quarterback who decides to have an iconic game, it’s hard to fault the opposing team, and for that reason the Bucs stay in my top ten this week.
1. **New England Patriots (9-2) +1**
The Pats continued their eight game winning streak with a 27-14 win against the Jets. Despite what the score shows, this was yet another dominant win for New England.
Drake Maye continued his MVP caliber season against New York as he threw for 281 yards and a touchdown, while going 25 for 34. The receiving core had a fantastic game as well. Cardi B’s boyfriend, Steffon Diggs, had quite the game, catching nine balls for 105 yards, Mack Hollins stepped up as well, with four receptions for 64 yards. Now for the man of the night, Treyveon Henderson. Henderson showed up for this offense on Thursday night, rushing for 62 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. Henderson was a killer in the pass game as well, with five receptions for 31 yards and a touchdown in the air. Henders was by far the most important player for this New England offense, managing to snag all three of the Pats touchdowns on TNF.
The offense had a great game against the Jets, the defense however, struggled more than you’d like to see. Justin Fields actually had a great game against New England for his standards. Fields threw for 116 yards and a touchdown on only 15 completions. The run game for the Jets was locked down by this Pats run game, as New York was held to only 140 rushing yards and touchdown on 28 carries, although a rushing touchdown at all against the Patriots is a win in itself. Considering how great the defense has been all season, you’d like to see a better performance from a unit widely regarded to be elite.
In a game that definitely felt like an extra bye week for the 9-2 Patriots, it was still nice to get a win and continue the streak. As their star rookie running back Treyveon Henderson continues to ball out more and more each week, don’t be surprised if New England continues to rise in my rankings.
After an astonishing loss against the Dolphins on the road, the Bills and more specifically Josh Allen, bounced back against Tampa Bay in a 44-32 win at home. Buffalo put on a show and showed just how dominant this team can be against fellow top ten teams.
Let’s start with the obvious. Josh Allen won this game for the Bills. After a few horrendous interceptions early on, Allen proceeded to put the Bucs secondary in a blender, throwing for 317 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions on 19 completions and 30 passing attempts. Allen also dominated this defense on the ground, rushing for 40 yards and three rushing touchdowns on six carries. Allen wasn’t the only Bill to put on a show, as he spread the wealth in the passing game. Tyrell Shavers, James Cook, and Ty Johnson were all able to snag a receiving touchdown, with Shavers’ touchdown catch being maybe the greatest throw I’ve ever seen from Allen, being a 50 plus yard bomb off platform.
The defense on Buffalo’s end had a great game as well. Buffalo was able to take advantage of Tampa’s mistakes as they managed to snag two turnovers. Safety Cole Bishop snagged an interception off of Baker, while linebacker Dorian Williams was able to get a fumble recovery as well. Although the defense had no answer for Sean Tucker, they were able to hold the pass game to only 173 yards, and the receiver duo of Egbuka and Johnson to only 46 yards, a big win for any team that faces Tampa Bay.
In a great team win for Buffalo after a rough week prior, they simply can’t rely on Josh Allen to play hero ball every game to win against good teams, and for that reason they stay out the top five this week.
**S Tier: SuperBowl Ready**
1. **Indianapolis Colts (8-2) -1**
After a much needed bye week, the Colts look to continue to take the league by storm and prove to be the most unexpected team this season.
Let’s start with the obvious. Daniel Jones has been on a redemption arc. Jones is No. 3 in the league in passing yards with 2,659, along with 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions, as well as No. 8 in QBR at 66.4. It hasn’t been Jones alone that has been big for this pass game, but the receivers have come up big as well. The receiving trio of Josh Downs, Micheal Pittman and Alec Pierce have been a great room for Jones to pass to, as the trio has combined for 1,481 and ten receiving touchdowns. Rookie tight end Tyler Warren has also played a major role in this offense success, being Jones ‘ second favorite target outside of Pittman. The Penn State tight end has 617 receiving yards and three touchdowns on only 50 targets.
Now this offense isn’t one dimensional. Indy running back Johnathon Taylor is on pace to have one of the best running back seasons in a long time, and it’s not close. Taylor is leading the league in rushing yards and touchdowns with 1,139 yards on 15 touchdowns, Taylor is also No. 2 in the league in carries with 189. The defense, however, has struggled a little this season. Indy’s defensive unit is all across the board on the stat sheet, but they do have bright spots. The Colts defense is No. 8 in the league on opponents’ 4th down conversion percentage with 50%, No. 7 in the league opponents points per play with .326, and No. 9 in the league in opponents points per game with 20.6.
Although this team does have its faults, they have by far been the talk of the league this season. If the Colts can continue moving in the trajectory they have all season, there is no doubt they’ll stay a top team for the remainder of the season.
The Lions had their work cut out for them Sunday night against the Eagles and fell short 16-9. Although it was a tough loss, let’s not forget just how good Detroit is.
One thing is for sure, if the Lions want to contend for a championship, Jared Goff cannot have the same performance he did Sunday Night. Goff went 14 for 37, throwing for 255 yards for a touchdown and interception. Although it wasn’t just Goff’s fault, the receivers needed to step up as well. Star wide out Amon Ra put up abysmal numbers against Philly with only two receptions and 42 yards on 12 targets. Jameson Williams put up some good numbers on the other hand, racking up four receptions for 88 yards and the only passing touchdown of the night. Despite a slow night from the run game, Jahmyr Gibbs was able to rack up five receptions for 107 yards in the air.
Even with the offensive struggles, the defense did more than their part. The Lions unit was able to hold Hurts and the pass game to only 135 pass yards and zero touchdowns, while also holding Saquon Barkely to only 83 yards on 26 carries with no rushing touchdowns. Despite a questionable pass interference on Corner Rock Ya-Sin to ice the game, this defense did more than enough to stop the Eagles, yet the offense couldn’t do enough to pull off the win.
Although this team struggled as a whole against Philly, the Lions are still easily an elite team. If Detroit can clean up their mistakes, don’t be surprised if they enter the top three in coming weeks.
1. **Philadelphia Eagles (8-2)**
The Philadelphia Eagles were able to hold off the Lions in a 16-9 slugfest, yet despite the win, the Birds have a lot they need to clean up to stay a true contender in this league.
The offense has been a crap show for Philly to start the season, and it didn’t get any better against the Lions. Jalen Hurts went 14 for 28 while throwing only 135 yards with no touchdowns. The receiving and running back room weren’t much better, however. Despite getting the targets he begged for, A.J. Brown only managed seven receptions for 49 yards, and outside of that no other receiver had more than three receptions. Saquon continued his second season slump with Philly, racking up only 83 yards on a hefty 26 carries.
What really won the Eagles this game was the defensive side of the ball. Free agency addition of the season Jaelen Phillips has been balling out as a premier pass rusher for the Eagles. Since leaving the Dolphins he’s revived his career and he only continued Sunday Night. Phillips had five tackles, a sack, a TFL, and was making Goff uncomfortable in the pocket all night. Linebacker Nakobe Dean also got to Goff with a sack, and the team as a whole racked up 52 tackles, two sacks, three tackles for loss and seven QB hits. Overall, Philly’s defense was all over Goff and the front five, giving the Lions offense hell all night, paving a way for Cooper Dejean to snag an interception as well.
In close games against good teams, your defense needs to step up like the Eagles did against the Lions, although if they want a true shot to go back to back, the offense needs to step up as well.
1. **Seattle Seahawks (7-3) -1**
After looking like the best team in the league, the Hawks were bested by division rival Los Angeles Rams in a thrilling 21-19 loss. Although it’s definitely a tough loss, outside of a few mistakes, this team still proved just how good they truly are.
Now one major issue did occur for Seattle this past Sunday, and that was Sam Darnold. In his first game against the Rams defense since his playoff breakdown last season on the Vikings, he fell victim to the same breakdown once again. Darnold went 29 for 44, throwing for 279 yards and a whopping four interceptions. Darnold began to see ghosts again in easily the biggest game for the Hawks yet this season, and if this is any sign of the QB’s future performance in important games, the Hawks may be in danger. One issue actually changed for this offense however, and that was the run game. Kenneth Walker III finally got what he deserved and that was a chance to score. Walker rushed for 67 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, finally getting into the endzone after weeks of being denied a chance to score by Klint Kubiak. Jaxson Smith-Njigba continued to prove to everyone why he is the offensive player of the year, with 105 receiving yards on nine receptions, and trust me he was open a lot more than those nine receptions show.
Now what really kept the game close was the Hawks defensive unit. Despite Darnold throwing four interceptions, the Rams were only able to score two touchdowns throughout the whole game, and the thanks goes to this Hawks unit. The Seahawks defense was able to hold easily the most scary passing attack in football (aside from Dallas) to only 130 total yards. Seattle also held Davante Adams to only one reception and star wide out Puca Nacua to only seven receptions for 75 yards, as well as a fumble which was recovered by the Seattle defense.
Even with what the score says, only losing by two points and being given a chance to win it at the end with a long field goal in a game where your quarterback throws four interceptions, is not as bad as it may seem. The quarterback play may have lost them this game, but the rest of the teams ability to keep this game close is just a testament to how elite the Seahawks roster is, and I won’t be surprised if they claim the victory in the two teams’ next meeting.
1. **Los Angeles Rams (8-2) +4**
The Rams got the best of Sam Darnold and the Seahawks in a dominant showing for this entire team. Although it was a bit too close for comfort at the end, you can’t help but tip your hat to the performance this team put up.
Matthew Stafford continued his MVP caliber tear, going 15 for 28 while throwing for 130 yards and two touchdowns and going without a pick for yet another game. Puca Nacua also continued to dominate after the catch, with seven receptions for 75 yards. Davante Adams had the catch of his career as well, with his only catch and touchdown of the day being the 1,000th catch of his career, a huge milestone for the hall of fame veteran. Tight end Colby Parkinson also snagged a touchdown as well. Kyren Williams also had a game considering the elite defense he was up against. Williams racked up 19 yards and a touchdown on only 12 rushes.
Now for the defense. They capitalized greatly on Sam Darnold’s mistakes specifically. Safety Kamren Kitchens managed to snag two picks of the Hawks signal caller, while corners Darious Williams and Cobie Durant also both snagged interceptions off of Darnold as well. Despite no sacks, the pass rush duo of Byron Young and Jared Verse were pressuring and wrecking the line of scrimmage all day, playing a big role in Darnold’s breakdown. The No. 2 defense in the league in opponents touchdowns per game with 1.7 continued to live up to that title as well, holding the Hawks to only one touchdown from Kenneth Walker III.
Overall, the entire Rams roster, special teams included, outplayed the Hawks on every level, cementing themselves as a force to be reckoned with and the best team in the league through 11 weeks.