Written By Jordan Rosas
1. New England Patriots (7-4)
Last Week: 3
High: 1
Low: 26
Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme, Patriots and the (AFC) East. Plenty counted them out when their Gaston left, but this Cinderella story is now the team to beat in the NFL. Not because they shut out the Falcons, but because they’ve been on a tear lately, and this year, that makes them just about the most consistent team in the league right now. At +123, they now have the best point differential in the league. The Jets and the Dolphins are jokes this year, and Bills keep shooting themselves in the foot worse than Plaxico Burress. The AFC is more wide open than an undersized, white slot WR playing for Bill Belichick. Just like old times, things are shaping up perfectly for New England.
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3)
Last Week: 7
High: 1
Low: 9
Here we go. The matchup that half the league has been salivating over, and half the league has been dreading. Will Bill and Brady meet in the Super Bowl? The Giants haven’t exactly been a difficult opponent this year, but Tampa beat them in definitive fashion. Ronald Jones even scored a TD. They may not be a “great” team, but there are no great teams this year, and the Bucs have as much veteran championship experience as anybody.
3. Indianapolis Colts (6-5)
Last Week: 13
High: 3
Low: 27
Can anybody stop Jonathan Taylor??? The man is such a force, emergency responder vehicles pull over for him when he’s driving. The Bills may as well have hung a rusty, crooked “No Trespassing” sign on the goal post, because the only thing that finally stopped him from scoring at will was the game clock. 32 carries, 185 yards, 4 TDs. The man averaged 5.8 yards per clip. They could have run HB dives all day and never seen a 3rd down. He even had 3 catches for 19 and a 5th TD on the day. To quote Stephen A. Smith: “He’s a baaaaaaaaaad man!” Look at that smirk, he knows exactly what he did.
(Editors note. Can you include his profile picture that appears in his fantasy and pfr profiles? If not, please delete that last sentence about the smirk. Thanks)
4. Arizona Cardinals (8-3)
Last Week: 6
High: 1
Low: 6
It was a great day for Colts, both Indianapolis and McCoy. The Cardinals’ backup QB threw 35/44 for 328 and 2 TDs, as Arizona picked up a divisional win over the Seahawks. They did it without their starting RB, WR, TE, and QB. Although, TE is debatable, after Zach Ertz posted a 8/88/2 stat line. The Cards have dealt with injuries, but thanks to games like this, they’ve managed to stay among the NFL’s elite. If they get their guys back? Pfff, it’s a wrap.
5. Kansas City Chiefs (7-4)
Last Week: 8
High: 1
Low: 26
I’ve said all season that they just needed decent play out of their defense. They’ve been horrendous most of the season, but phenomenal the past 2 games. The AFC is wide open, and the Chiefs look every bit the part of the 2x defending AFC Champions. Maybe it’s recency bias, or maybe they’re peaking at the right time.
6. Green Bay Packers (8-3)
Last Week: 5
High: 1
Low: 20
I’m not too worried about a last second loss to the Vikings here. Yes, Minnesota is a very good team, but the Packers still lead the division by 3 games. It’s not good to waste an MVP caliber performance by the QB, but it’s Aaron Rodgers, so there’s plenty more where that came from.
7. Baltimore Ravens (7-3)
Last Week: 11
High: 2
Low: 14
Playing with a backup QB, the Ravens scraped by in Chicago. Lamar Jackson missed with a non-Covid illness, so he should be back soon. Star WR Marquise Brown also missed the game. Having those 2 back in the lineup should make a big difference going forward. Unfortunately, they play in the most competitive division, but they’re arguably the best team in it.
8. Minnesota Vikings (5-5)
Last Week: 10
High: 8
Low: 23
The Vikings have been a solid team all season, but now those close early losses really hurt them. Even though they beat the Packers, they’re still 3 games behind for the division lead. At 5-5, they’re in a tough spot to compete for a wild card. They’re certainly good enough to make a strong playoff push, but for the rest of the season, their margin for error is extremely small.
9. Tennessee Titans (8-3)
Last Week: 1
High: 1
Low: 27
If the Titans are the antithesis of the Bills. While Buffalo destroys bad teams and folds against good ones, Tennessee is a monster against quality opposition, but give them a bad team, and they’ll find a way to lose. They just got smothered by the Texans. They were held scoreless at the half and never once led the entire game. Fortunately for Tennessee, they won’t have to worry about facing bad teams in the playoffs. They have a sizable lead over the Colts in the division standings, but Indy is playing lights out right now. A couple more clunkers and the Titans could find themselves looking for a wild card spot.
10. San Francisco 49ers (5-5)
Last Week: 15
High: 10
Low: 26
After a dominant win over the Rams last week, the Niners continued their winning ways over Jacksonville. Kyle Shanahan‘s offensive creativity continues to keep this team’s head above water. This week, star WR Deebo Samuel was the team’s leading rusher, with 79 yards and a TD on 8 carries. Jimmy Garoppolo is limited in the passing game, but San Fran finds ways to get the ball into the hands of electric playmakers.
11. Dallas Cowboys (7-3)
Last Week: 2
High: 2
Low: 13
Maybe the Chiefs are back to being a Super Bowl powerhouse, maybe the Cowboys are struggling in the second half of the season. They’re dealing with injuries, most notably to their top 2 receivers, but everybody’s got injuries, and Dallas still should have had enough offensive weapons to be effective against the Chiefs defense. The NFC East is still a weak division, but the Eagles are creeping up.
12. Los Angeles Chargers (6-4)
Last Week: 12
High: 3
Low: 14
It was a wild, reckless game, but the Chargers managed to come out on top, despite blowing a lead to the Steelers. With how open the AFC is, 6-4 with a conference win is much better situation than 5-5 with a conference loss, but there will be plenty of mistakes for the team to break down in the film room. Still, Austin Ekeler and Justin Herbert were fantastic, especially for fantasy owners.
13. Cincinnati Bengals (6-4)
Last Week: 23
High: 7
Low: 23
The Rams went into their bye week on a bad run, and came out with a big conference win over the Raiders. Joe Mixon was the star of the show, with a massive workload of 30 carries for 123 yards and 2 TDs. There’s no clear leader in the AFC North, but no one has fallen out of the race either, so the Bengals can’t afford to take their foot off the gas.
14. Los Angeles Rams (7-3)
Last Week: 14
High: 1
Low: 14
The Rams had their bye week to figure out how to stop their losing streak. They’ve been good most of the season, so with extra time to incorporate their new pieces, we’ll see if they can turn things around.
15. Buffalo Bills (6-4)
Last Week: 4
High: 1
Low: 15
The Bills have pretty much burned through all the advantages they acquired for themselves with last year’s great season. The AFC is wide open, the Patriots have a rookie QB, Miami has been surprisingly bad, and the Jets are awful. The Bills were given one of the easiest schedules in the league, they’re among the league’s most talented rosters, they’ve been very fortunate in avoiding major injuries to key players, and yet they’re barely clinging to the 7th seed in the AFC, heading into their toughest 4 game stretch of the season.
16. Philadelphia Eagles (5-6)
Last Week: 16
High: 13
Low: 23
The Eagles beat the Saints 40-29 to inch within a game of .500, as the Cowboys lost. Dallas will be tough to catch, and the Eagles dug themselves a pretty deep hole, but they’re doing what they can now to close the gap. They gave up 22 points in the 4th quarter, but until then, they were dominant and outscored New Orleans in each of the first 3 quarters.
17. Denver Broncos (5-5)
Last Week: 17
High: 11
Low: 25
Denver had a bye in week 12 and got a chance to survey the AFC. This team isn’t built for a serious playoff run, but they’re only a few good games away from sneaking in as a wildcard. At that point, they have a 2 headed backfield and a competent defense.
18. Washington Football Team (4-6)
Last Week: 18
High: 15
Low: 27
A 2 game win streak has taken this team from cellar dweller to distant playoff contender. They have quality wins under their belt, and more importantly, all 4 of their wins have come against conference opponents. That’s absolutely huge for a team that will need all the tie-breaker help they can get if they’re going to steal a wild card. They’re heating up at the right time, and all of their remaining games are against divisional opponents. Considering how weak the NFC East has been the past few years, this is a team to keep an eye on.
19. Carolina Panthers (5-6)
Last Week: 9
High: 7
Low: 28
The return of Cam Newton was a nice storyline, and while he did find the end zone again this week, the team appears to be back to the same middle tier status that ended his first stint with the team. They’re at a point where they can’t afford to lose winnable games anymore, especially against a weaker conference opponent like Washington.
20. Cleveland Browns (6-5)
Last Week: 20
High: 3
Low: 20
The Lions are still winless, so beating them by 3 points isn’t much to brag about. The Browns have been highly inconsistent and don’t have the makings of a serious playoff team. Once again, the division and conference are wide open, so anything can happen, but the Browns need to dial in and focus if they’re going to make it.
21. Seattle Seahawks (3-7)
Last Week: 19
High: 8
Low: 25
The return of Russell Wilson was supposed to be a turning point for this team. Instead, the difference between him and Geno Smith has been negligible, according to the scoreboard. If he can’t get this team turned around, maybe they really are as bad as their record suggests. They just lost to the backup QB of their division rival.
22. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4-1)
Last Week: 22
High: 7
Low: 22
They lost in the end, but they orchestrated a successful comeback, until their defense allowed the game winning score from the Chargers. Nevertheless, this is a competitive team, and the tie in their record means that none of the tie breaking measures apply to them at this point. Both the conference and the division are still wide open.
23. Miami Dolphins (4-7)
Last Week: 26
High: 12
Low: 31
Miami isn’t out of the playoffs yet, and slowly but surely, they’re finding wins. Beating the Jets by a TD isn’t going to get them to the post season, but for this week, it’s enough to get a W, and it’s much better than the rest of the teams in this region.
24. Houston Texans (2-8)
Last Week: 31
High: 24
Low: 32
Am I overreacting? Probably. The Texans have been so awful, that 24/32 feels way too high for them. However, they did just beat the team I had ranked #1 last week, and I have to give respect. Tyrod Taylor is back, and scored a crazy acrobatic TD. Maybe he just needed a little time to settle back in. If he can play as well as he’s capable of, there are a few more wins available on the schedule.
25. New Orleans Saints (5-5)
Last Week: 25
High: 2
Low: 25
A 5-5 team seems out of place this low, but it’s important to remember that due to injuries, this isn’t the same team that got those 5 wins. They’re on a losing streak, heading into a Thanksgiving matchup against a pissed off Bills team that only loses to good teams and demolishes bad teams. Considering the Saints are without their QB1, WR1, and potentially RB1&2, they might qualify as a bad team here.
26. Chicago Bears (3-7)
Last Week: 24
High: 16
Low: 26
The Bears lost a close game to the Ravens, which would be a lot more respectable if the Ravens weren’t starting their backup QB. Speaking of backup QBs, Andy Dalton came in when Justin Fields got hurt, and all indications are that the Red Rifle will starting week 12. Despite only putting up 13 points, the Bears somehow managed to have 2 WRs with 100 yards and a TD.
27. New York Giants (3-7)
Last Week: 21
High: 18
Low: 30
So much for Saquon Barkley being back to full strength. The injury-plagued RB was limited to 6 carries and 6 catches in a 30-10 loss to the Bucs. Game script likely played a role in his limited usage as well, but it’s been a rough year for Big Blue. As a result, it’s hard to get an accurate reading on where this team stands healthy. As they stand now though, they’re a banged up bottom feeder.
28. Las Vegas Raiders (5-5)
Last Week: 27
High: 5
Low: 28
The wheels are falling off. 32-13 was the final score against the Bengals. It’s admirable that Derek Carr wants to be the leader that shoulders all burdens, responsibility, and blame for the team, but the fact is, he’s not alone. He was by no means great this week, but he hasn’t been bad this year. They’re sorely missing the pieces they’ve lost due to off-field issues, and those holes probably won’t be filled this year.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-8)
Last Week: 28
High: 25
Low: 32
The Buffalo win was fun while it lasted, but now the Jags are back to their losing ways. They got beat 30-10 by an injury riddled 49ers team. This team at this point is nothing more than a couple good players and a bunch of spare parts. They’re among the worst teams in the league, and a 1 or 2 game improvement over last year’s 1-15 finish may not be enough to save the job of a coach who’s been in hot water on and off the field.
30. New York Jets (2-8)
Last Week: 30
High: 28
Low: 32
The QB carousel continues. Mike White is out with Covid, which means that unvaccinated close contact Joe Flacco is also unavailable. That brings a “healthy” Zach Wilson back as the starter, with preseason frequent flier Josh Johnson backing him up. Yikes. As if that wasn’t enough, rookie RB Michael Carter is sidelined with an injury for a few weeks.
31. Atlanta Falcons (4-6)
Last Week: 29
High: 17
Low: 31
For the 2nd week in a row, P Dustin Colquitt put up more yards than his QBs. This week, after Matt Ryan was benched following 2 INTs, 2 more QBs came into the game. They combined for 1 completion and 2 INTs on 4 passing attempts. Not surprisingly, the Falcons lost 25-0. They’ve been outscored 68-3 over the past 2 weeks. They’re the worst team in football right now, and it’s not close. They just happened to win 4 games earlier in the season. If they played Detroit this week though, they’d probably get cooked.
32. Detroit Lions (0-9-1)
Last Week: 32
High: 24
Low: 32
It’s hard to find weeks where the Lions have looked like the worst team in football. They’ve been competitive in the vast majority of their games, but when every other team has at least 2 wins, it’s even harder to justify moving them out of last place. D’Andre Swift was fantastic, averaging 9.7 yards on 14 carries, for 136 yards and a TD. That’s even more impressive, considering the Lions were playing their backup QB, who threw for just 77 yards and 2 INTs. Even still, the Lions lost by only 3 points. The wins have been evasive, but Dan Campbell deserves a ton of credit for getting his guys to still compete after clinching a losing season before Thanksgiving.
Check out last weekend’s rankings, HERE.
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