Analysis: 1-8 Wumbo, 9-16 Bacon, 17-24 Arod, 25-32 Tbandit
1. Philadelphia Eagles (9-1) (Previous 1)
Philly keeps winning. Silent but deadly is the game plan as the Eagles are frustrating opponents with flawless play while staying out of the public eye. Philly should be the betting odds favorite it win the Superbowl. They face a big threat in division rival Dallas this week
2. New England Patriots (9-1) (Previous 2)
With a roster getting thinner and thinner New England has continued to pull out close victories through gameplan alone. Cincinnati will be no watch for the Patriots this week.
3. Denver Broncos (7-2) (Previous 3)
Brady and co have proved to be much better than last year when the team relied on Drew Lock. With a tough matchup against the Chargers this week we may be looking at a potential AFC Championship preview.
4. Dallas Cowboys (8-1) (Previous 7)
The Cowboys have had a phenomenal year but have been overshadowed by Dallas. This week they have a chance to take the division lead and prove that they can be legitimate Superbowl contenders.
5. Los Angeles Chargers (7-2) (Previous 4)
Despite the loss to Seattle, the Chargers need to put that past them and take care of division rival, Denver. In one of the toughest divisions in the league, all division games are ultra important.
6. Kansas City Chiefs (7-2) (Previous 5)
KC suffered a loss without Mahomes in week 9, lets see after the bye week if they can defeat struggling Las Vegas without Mahomes yet again. If Mahomes can return They will be back to being the same threat they’ve been all season.
7. Buffalo Bills (6-2) (Previous 8)
Buffalo has been jockeying for position in the AFC all season and after the bye week they get a bit more rest playing the 2-8 Jets. A much needed tune up game to warm them up for the playoff stretch to come.
8. Indianapolis Colts (7-3) ( Previous 6)
New head coach Codes picked up a big win against the Texans upon arrival with the team, the question will be if he can keep up the success. Indy is set up with a good lead in the division and has another easy game upcoming against New York.
9. Los Angeles Rams (5-4) ( Previous 9)
Coming off of a four game stretch that saw the Rams go 1-3, Que is going to be looking to bounce back this week against a Cardinals team that has been quietly putting up big points recently. Despite an average record, Los Angeles has hung with just about everyone they’ve played, with only one loss decided by more than one score. They’ve struggled a bit offensively this year, ranking in the bottom half of the league in most offensive statistics, but have made up for those shortcomings with lights-out defense. If they want to keep pace in the tight NFC West race, the Rams are going to need to have some success against a loaded Arizona defense this week.
10. Baltimore Ravens (5-4) (Previous 12)
Playing in a weaker division, the North is theirs to lose. The Ravens have been led by an elite rushing attack all season, but their 31st ranked defense is going to be their Achilles’ Heel if they want to have any postseason success. You need to be able to generate stops consistently to win big games in PML, so something is going to need to change defensively in Baltimore if they hope to make a title run. They will match up with the Washington Football Team this week in a strong test of their defense.
11. Miami Dolphins (6-4) (Previous 14)
The Dolphins have one of the best passing attacks in the league, and are getting things done through the air to battle for the second spot in the East with Buffalo. Russell Wilson and Jaylen Waddle have great chemistry, and are one of the best quarterback/receiver duos in the league. Much like the Ravens, Miami has struggled to stop the run consistently, which can lead to games getting out of hand at times. They will have a couple tune up games in the next few weeks before they enter the final stretch of divisional games that will make or break their season.
12. Seattle Seahawks (6-3) (Previous 17)
Seattle has been playing as well as anyone in PML recently and are coming off of a big win in Los Angeles over the Chargers that they hope can give them the momentum to lock up their division and make some noise in the NFC playoff picture. As is common with the other teams in this range of the power rankings, the Seahawks have struggled defensively, especially against the pass (probably because their best defensive back is playing linebacker). They have some big tests down the stretch against the Patriots, Rams, and 49ers where they will have an opportunity to prove themselves to the league as a contender.
13. Green Bay Packers (5-4) (Previous 10)
After a strong start to the season, the Packers have only won one of their last five games. Their remaining schedule features coaches that have struggled this season but are capable of beating just about anyone any given Sunday. If they want to win games, they are going to need Devante Adams to step up and they are going to need whoever is under center to stop throwing picks. With a 1:2 TD:INT ratio, it is a miracle that the Packers have a winning record. This is a very winnable division if Green Bay can get things figured out.
14. Washington Football Team (4-5) (Previous 16)
Don’t look now but elder Mikes boys are sitting 1 game out of a wildcard spot. Winners of two straight- the Football team will have their hands full as they take on a pair of mobile QBs in their next two games in Watson (PHI) and Jackson (BAL). This will be a true test for a hungry and league best rush defense.
15. Tennessee Titans (4-6) (Previous 11)
The ship is sinking fast in music city. Losers of 4 straight games, including a tough one in Philly, Wimmy and the boys are in uncharted waters this season as they fight to prolong their season. Though not totally out of the picture, the Titans will take on the Texans in a matchup that will ultimately put a dagger in one of the two teams’ seasons
16. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5) Previous 13)
On the outside looking in, the Jaguars have a prime opportunity to climb back into the race with a week 11 win over the lowly Vikings. A solid core of players that are all under contract for next season, the Jaguars have a solid foundation in place to be major players in years to come if things don’t fall into place this season.
17. San Francisco 49ers (6-3) (Previous 18)
Trey Lance throws 5 touchdown passes, 3 of them to his pro-bowl TE George Kittle as the 49ers lose? A perfect opportunity squandered as the 49ers drop a heartbreaker to the New Orleans Saints on the road 46-42. I’ve said it before, the defense has to do a better job of decreasing the opposition pass/rush yards, especially with a top 3 rushing attack.
18. Houston Texans (4-6) (Previous 15)
Make or break game this week. One must die as they host the Titans in a crucial game to decide their season 2 livelihood. Cook’s defense is playing lights out this season. If only they could spread some of that love to the offense.
19. New York Giants (3-6) (Previous 25) –
An impressive week 10 win over HypeMike and the Lions keep showing flashes of what Burn is capable of. However, the odds are stacked against them to make a playoff run this cycle. Another high draft pick can’t hurt these odds can it? Rumors are swirling of a QB change in for Big Blue.
20. Detroit Lions (4-5) (Previous 19)
I may need to flip flop a bit this week. In my last post I said the Lions would be looking at draft positioning very soon. With the recent struggles in Green Bay due to Aaron Rodgers injury, the Lions are given an opportunity, at 4-5, to make a run at first place this week. Can they get it done at home? Should be a must-watch game.
21. Arizona Cardinals (5-4) (Previous 24) –
Look who we have here climbing the big board. Winners of 4 straight, the Cardinals are eyeing not only a final wildcard spot, but a division title as the underdogs of the NFC West continue to shock PML and play winning football. Kyler Murray is spreading the ball out, and Hines has been a TD machine. A huge week 11 matchup for Que and the Rams is on deck.
22. Cleveland Browns (4-6) (Previous 23) –
This season has been a struggle in Cleveland and Desmond Ridder’s rookie season has not gone as hoped. This is a team that can show serious promise in moments, but lacks the consistency to string those moments together and turn them into big wins. Despite all of their shortcomings, the Browns are still in the running to win the AFC North. With a strong finish to the season, they could very well have a shot at their first division title of the cycle.
23. Atlanta Falcons (4-5) (Previous 21) –
Despite their low ranking, the Atlanta Pitts are in the driver’s seat for their division. With the most dominant tight end duo in the league combining for nearly 2000 yards and 20 touchdowns, Matt Corral has had a strong rookie season. They have handled the pass well on both sides of the ball, but have had serious struggles on the ground on both sides, ranking in the bottom 4 offensively and defensively. The Falcons don’t have the toughest schedule to finish out the season, so if they can remain consistent and improve their success against the run, maybe they can turn some heads this postseason.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-6) (Previous 22) –
Despite a QB controversy that feels extremely forced, the Steelers have actually moved the ball very well this year, only struggling to get the ball in the endzone and turn possessions into touchdowns. If they can cut down on the turnovers, this is a team that has the balance to adjust their game plan week to week and play to their opponent’s weaknesses. Pittsburgh needs to commit to one passer and invest in their development. This team still has a chance to contend for the division despite their abysmal start, with one of the cushiest remaining schedules in PML.
25. Chicago Bears (3-7) (Previous 20) – After starting off the season strong Lq and the Bears are in a major slump losing 6 of their last 7 games. Going into the bye there’s some hope with winnable games left and being in the Nfc you’re never out of it.
26. Cincinnati Bengals (3-6) (Previous 27) – King Ke came into the season with a ton of noise but it’s slowly faded away. Sitting at 3-6 there’s still hope being only 2 games out of 1st place but me knowing the Bengals.. It’s time to get ready for season 3.
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-6) (Previous 28) – For the majority of the season Mali struggled mightily, mainly because of qb play. Coming off a bye the Bucs made a qb change and while it wasn’t pretty they got a much needed win over a struggling Packers squad. Lets see if Mali can ride that momentum and finish strong in a very winnable Nfc South
28. Las Vegas Raiders (2-8) (Previous 26) – The Raiders have had an awful season after a promising year one. The one positive is that, after a well deserved benching rookie Qb Jayden Daniels has shown major signs of improvement in his last 5 starts. With their season all but over it’s time to develop the young guys and get ready for year 3 in Vegas.
29. New York Jets (2-8) (Previous 31) – In a completely lost season after a very promising off season there needs to be some type of urgency down in New York. They have a bunch of young pieces that are solid players in very key spots that should be performing better. Look for the Jets to work on developing those guys and putting together some quality performances to ride that momentum into season 3.
30. Carolina Panthers (2-8) (Previous 30) – In a disappointing season 2 where Jt started off showing signs of life, all is not lost. The Panthers are sitting at 2-8 and while they’re about 3 games behind, in the final 7 games they face only one opponent over .500. If Jt can lock in he still has a shot being in the South but only time will tell. On the bright side Jt might’ve found his franchise guy in 58 Ovr Spencer Sanders who put on a show in Vegas last week.
31. New Orleans Saints (2-8) (Previous 29) – Cammy and the Saints have struggled mightily all year after securing a playoff spot last year. While Cammy missed some games on vacation he played poorly and might’ve drafted a bust in 1st round pick Spencer Rattler. I believe in Cammy but his remaining schedule gives him no shot this season, look for Cammy to improve his QB play over the last 7 games and ride that momentum into next year.
32. Minnesota Vikings (1-8) (Previous 32) – After starting season 1 4-1 the Vikings have been on a complete downfall since then showing no signs of life and just looking like a completely different user. Jp isn’t as bad as he’s showing on film, so I expect him to show signs of improvement over the course of these last 8 games. Not being able to establish the run game has really stunted the growth of Kellen Mond but he just may not be the guy in my opinion. With the #1 pick in arms reach look for the Vikes change signal callers in a draft full of franchise guys.
