Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones celebrate their 23-17 victory over the Jaguars, as The New York Giants are 6-1 and have a realistic shot at the playoffs in their sights. Photo courtesy of Douglas DeFelice- USA TODAY Sports
1. Buffalo Bills (5-1) –
Coming off of a bye week, they go up against a struggling Packers team and are expected to dominate like they have to other teams earlier in the season.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (6-0) –
Coming off of a bye week, they hope to continue their dominant run at home vs the Steelers.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (5-2) –
Patrick Mahomes and the offense looked incredible, with three touchdowns from Mecole Hardman, and huge days from JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Travis Kelce. The defense also played well, highlighted by an interception in the red area and a safety.
4. Minnesota Vikings (5-1) –
The teams behind them played well, but they benefited from the bye week, so they get to stay here. But, I need to see convincing play to keep them up here.
5. Dallas Cowboys (5-2) –
The offense had a slow start, but was able to get it going in the 2nd half. The run game was excellent and the passing attack did enough to get the job done in Dak’s return. The defense continued to play great, forcing 5 turnovers on the day.
6. Cincinnati Bengals (4-3) (↑1)
The offense carved up the Falcons defense and seems to be finding its groove. The defense has been consistently playing well, and I like the trajectory this team is on.
7. New York Giants (6-1) (↑1)
They had a tight victory over the Jaguars and continue to prove they are a tough team that will do whatever it takes to win. Give credit to Daniel Jones, as he has played well lately, along with Saquon Barkley, who is having an outstanding season.
8. Baltimore Ravens (4-3) (↑3)
They did enough to earn a divisional victory and have a team that should be competitive down the stretch.
9. Tennessee Titans (4-2) (↑4)
They out-grind their opponent for 60 minutes and consistently end up in the win column.
10. San Francisco 49ers (3-4) (↓4)
They started the game well, but the Chiefs caught up quick and they could not capitalize on opportunities. Their defense struggled on the day and could not stop the Chiefs.
11. New York Jets (5-2) (↓2)
My goodness, Zach Wilson is a heart attack to watch. He continues to act reckless and the Jets’ coaching staff do not trust him. He has talent, he just needs to settle down. As for the defense, they continued to play great. Unfortunately, they got hit with major injuries to two key players, Alijah Vera-Tucker and Breece Hall, who are both out for the season.
12. Miami Dolphins (4-3) (↑4)
After the scripted plays, they were not very good on offense, but the defense played well and forced turnovers. Although I am not high on Tua, he is the starter and gives them a better chance to win .
13. Seattle Seahawks (4-3) (↑9)
Kenneth Walker had a standout performance on offense and the defense also played well. The rookie draft class for this team has looked phenomenal so far and is a big reason why this team is outperforming expectations.
14. Las Vegas Raiders (2-4) (↑4)
They are finding their groove and put it all together behind a third consecutive huge day on the ground from Josh Jacobs.
15. Los Angeles Chargers (4-3) (↓5)
Do not let their record fool you, this team is shaky. They are not playing good football right now. The offense is struggling to move the ball downfield consistently and the defense could not stop the run.
16. Green Bay Packers (3-4) (↓2)
The front office needs to make a move for a receiver, whether it is a trade or free agent acquisition, or both even, but they must do something to help the offense (Chase Claypool, Jerry Jeudy, Odell Beckham Jr., etc.) The run game was very inefficient and AJ Dillon has become irrelevant. The defense was solid, but unfortunately had a defensive TD taken away due to a bad call. Although, they allowed some big plays that hurt their chances of winning.
17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4) (↓2)
What the hell was that? The offense is struggling, Tom Brady does not seem to be all in, and the defense has been trending downwards. Losing to the Panthers was a very low moment, but if they do not turn it around soon, it could get even lower.
18. Arizona Cardinals (3-4) (↑8)
Earned a huge win where the defense capitalized on opportunities with 2 defensive TD’s and the offense was able to get it going.
19. New England Patriots (3-4) (↓7)
The defense’s hot run came to a halt and could not stop the Bears rushing attack. The quarterback situation is a mess, as Mac Jones started and then was pulled, and Bailey Zappe came in and had a few good plays, then it went downhill and he looked ordinary.
20. Los Angeles Rams (3-3) –
Hopefully during the bye week they took the time to think of better ways to move the ball on offense and protect their quarterback.
21. Atlanta Falcons (3-4) (↓4)
The defense got torched and their lack of talent was evident and the offense does not pass the ball enough.
22. Chicago Bears (3-4) (↑9)
Looked great in a big win over the Patriots. The rushing attack was great and the defense also played well.
23. Washington Commanders (3-4) (↑4)
They did not look great on offense but made a few plays when it mattered. The defense stepped up and improved their 3rd down defense. The team is not great, but they have a winnable game this week and could find themselves back at .500.
24. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5) –
They were a yard away from tying the game and potentially winning as time expired, but could not close out the game in the 4th quarter.
25. Cleveland Browns (2-5) –
They came close to a victory but came up short in the end. The team has talented player but is struggling to string together victories.
26. New Orleans Saints (2-5) (↓7)
The defense looked bad and the team played with a lack of effort in the 2nd half. Andy Dalton was bad and they should go back to Jameis Winston. Not to say that will help, but it’s worth a shot. This team is not as good as I thought it would be.
27. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-5) (↓4)
The offense is not good and cannot seem to get much positive going. Besides the first quarter, the defense looked good, but could not capitalize on turnover opportunities, which could have helped them earn a victory.
28. Indianapolis Colts (3-3-1) (↓7)
They are benching Matt Ryan and turning to Sam Ehlinger for the rest of the season. Maybe this can provide a short-term spark, but I do not envision this going well for the long haul.
29. Carolina Panthers (2-5) (↑3)
Found a spark this week and dominated the Buccaneers, which shocked me greatly. I still do not think it is a good team, but I’ll give credit where it is due.
30. Denver Broncos (2-5) (↓2)
The defense continues to play well, but the rest of the team is a mess. If they lose this week, it may be time for an early exit for Nathaniel Hackett.
31. Houston Texans (1-4-1) (↓1)
Kept it close early but allowed the Raiders to run away with it, literally.
32. Detroit Lions (1-5) (↓3)
They turned the ball over 5 times (3 fumbles, 2 interceptions) and struggled to get stops on defense in the 2nd half.