1. Seahawks (11-3): Once Kenny Walker gets that dev upgrade, the Seahawks will be that much more dangerous. Z breezed past the 49ers in convincing fashion this past week as they prepare themselves for the playoffs. Defense looks sharp, and Geno is managing the game. Can’t ask for more right now.ll
2. Saints (10-3): Have we hit Super Bowl or bust territory in New Orleans? The offense is scary, and JC has quietly gone 10-3 and is a contender that nobody is talking about. Sneaky Super Bowl pick, and I could totally see it. This was supposed to be a 2 year rebuild so the Saints are definitely ahead of the curve.
3. Patriots (8-3-2): SPdot is on a four game winning streak and it’s looking like he’s the favourite to win the AFC East. He only needed to put up 200 yards of total offense to beat the Steelers, it’s a testament to the stingy defense that he is building in New England. On paper, they are statistically one of the worst defenses, but they are one of the best defenses at forcing turnovers at the right moment.
4. Packers (9-4): HypeMike treats the regular season as a formality, just get through it and sit up for the playoffs. The field in the NFC is deep, and he’s shown he’s vulnerable this season. Are they as heavy favorites as we thought heading into season 1? He has the roster over most, but a few seem a bit hungrier. Food for thought.
5. Chiefs (10-3): Patrick Mahomes has only thrown 10 interceptions the entire season, but three of those interceptions came in this week’s loss against the Bills. Mahomes looked very indecisive and shaking in his progressions. Matigy had the number one seed in his possession in a win and you’re in, but locked up kinda deal, now he can’t afford to slip up again especially in a tight playoff race. It’s possible the AFC West could come down to their week 18 game against the Chargers.
6. Cowboys (9-3-1): An embarrassing and humbling loss to the lowly Philadelphia Eagles has many questioning the Cowboys legitimacy heading into the playoffs. Were they exposed as frauds this late in the season? Guess we’ll have to find out sooner than later.
7. 49ers (9-4): The 49ers were totally dismantled, out played, and out classed at home against Z and the Seahawks. Not what we want to see as we bust out the proverbial measuring sticks near playoff time. I am not confident with the 49ers right now and a first round exit could be in the cards. It wont get any easier either once the rest of the division begins the roster building.
8. Titans: 8-5: The Titans are one of the hottest teams in PML right now and they have a chance next week to take the lead in the AFC South. They are on a five game winning streak in part thanks to rookie sensation Will Levis. He has thrown 9 touchdowns to just 4 interceptions in his last four games and has been a big part in the success that they’ve found in Tennessee.
9. Jets (8-5): Aaron Rodgers could get the happy ending that he’s dying for, he came to New York to win a Superbowl before he rides off in the sunset, and Greeny is doing his part to stay in the playoff race. Understanding that this is Rodger’s last hoorah, Greeny is going to make a push for the Superbowl because it could get bleak in New York after this season, especially after trading away Zach Wilson to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
10. Chargers (9-4): Quarterbacks are dropping like flies this week and the Chargers were no exception to this when Justin Herbert went out of the game with a bruised sternum against the Broncos. Despite his best effort, Joe Flacco couldn’t lead the Chargers to victory, but a usually stingy Los Angeles defense allowed 206 rushing yards this week.
11. Dolphins: An absolute heartbreaker for Miami after losing on a two point conversion to the Titans this week and there were high hopes after the Dolphins drowned the life out of the Washington Commanders last week. Sitting at 7-6, it’s sink or swim for the Dolphins because another loss could put them out of the running for the playoffs.
12. Bills (8-5): In one of the most entertaining games of the week, Buffalo knocked off the potential number one seed in the playoffs this week. The game appeared to be heading towards an all-time record in scoring after 56 points were eclipsed at halftime, but both teams had some turnover trouble in the second half. The road to the playoffs start now for the BIlls because their next four games are against teams that are fighting for their playoff hopes in their respective conferences.
13. Rams (9-4): Do we have a late season QB controversy in Los Angeles? Matt Stafford was pulled mid-game against the Ravens, as they elected to go with Stetson Bennett IV to close out the game against Baltimore. Stetson stepped in and closed out the Ravens after Stafford struggled to move the ball. Cook has stated Bennett is the QB moving forward, but that remains to be seen.
14. Texans (9-4): Max Duggan couldn’t really get the offense moving down the field and CJ Stroud’s presence was severely missed, but in part to his bionic healing, he will be available in next week’s game against the Titans. The Texans have a chance to possess a one game lead if they can pull off the victory, but will they reveal their entire gameplan in this matchup considering they play the Titans again in week. Very nice of the NFL schedule makers to have two teams face off twice in three weeks, wild.
15. Steelers (7-6): Pittsburgh is 2-4 against teams that are over .500 outside of their division. I think they have what it takes to win their division, especially since they only have to face 1 opponent with a winning record in their last four games. However, to make a deep playoff run, they need to be more consistent protecting the ball.
16. Bears (8-5): Don’t look now,but the Bears may be in contention for a divisional crown if they could win the next few games on the schedule. With the Browns, Cardinals, and Falcons up next, they could potentially set up a week 18 showdown with the Packers for the division.
17. Cardinals (4-9): Que and the Cardinals are a tough out and could play spoiler or mix up a few playoff seedings down the stretch. They will have a good opportunity to give the current roster a final test run against some top competition as they assess talent for next season.
18. Falcons (7-6): The Falcons are still alive, but are they really? Nef has a favorable two game stretch that could keep him in the mix before a week 17 showdown with the team he is chasing, the Chicago Bears. Personally, I hope he keeps it close so we have some meaningful wildcard chases in the NFC to close out the season.
19. Broncos (4-9): This was probably the most impressive victory for DK to date, even though Justin Herbert was knocked out of the game so early. Javonte Williams hasn’t seen much action since week 8, but he rushed for a season best 188 yards and for three touchdowns this week. The season isn’t over quite yet, but look for DK and the Broncos to play spoiler, especially with another matchup for the Chargers on the horizon.
20. Jaguars (4-9): Bandit has shown his potential and there are spurts of life in Jacksonville because they are on a two game winning streak. Trevor Lawrence has thrown 8 touchdowns to just 1 interception in those two games. Lawrence is having a rough season overall, but Bandit has proven that he can sling the rock with Trevor when he’s making smart reads from sideline to sideline.
21. Vikings (6-7): The nail just might be in the coffin on Wimmy’s season. The ‘Great Quarterback Scramble of 2024’ will certainly feature the Minnesota Vikings as they are ready to move on from the aging, slow, pocket passer Kirk Cousins.
22. Browns (7-6): Mali has lost to two 4 win teams in the past four games, but he defeated a Rams team that is destined to make the playoffs, so what’s really going on in Cleveland? Are the Browns overlooking teams that have low records and getting stunned when they come out swinging? In this week’s game against the Jaguars, Deshaun Watson threw a season high of 4 interceptions. He needs to protect the ball better if the Browns want to make the playoffs.
23. Eagles (4-9): Eagles user was caught yet again cheating a system after it was exposed he was ‘unknowingly’ scamming the league out of content points using ‘Player Props’ as a storefront for his illegal operations. The fans of Philadelphia are eagerly awaiting the day they could actually focus on Eagles football, and not the controversies their owner gets himself into day in and day out.
24. Raiders (4-9): Don’t call it a tank job. KingMike beat the breaks off the Vikings this week and he’s out to prove that he’s still competing at a high level despite some turnover issues that his team is aiming to improve. Josh Jacobs has rushed for over 100 yards in his last three games and the Raiders need to get him going if they want to keep winning games.
25. Lions (5-8): It’s become evident the rest of the season will be focused on the development of Jahmyr Gibbs and Jameson Williams as the playoff hopes took a drastic turn over the past few weeks. The quarterback position will be addressed in the off-season, more than likely through the draft, and Fallen should be able to be a bit more competitive next season with all the young talent on the roster.
26. Bengals (5-8): Bengals: Some life for Bengals fans this week as they get a close victory over the Colts. Cincinnati is playing for a longshot division title, but technically not out of reach just yet. They are just two games back from the leader, but winning out is a must, and that would include picking up wins over the Browns and Steelers. What a comeback story that would be for Goose.
27. Buccaneers (4-9): The rumor mill is spinning, and what it tells me is that the Buccaneers are major players in the Caleb Williams sweepstakes. Of all the teams vying for his services, the Buccaneers might have the most dangerous team to surround him with in year 1 and would make them instant contenders in the NFC.
28. Giants (3-10): The G-Men are just not playing good football at the moment. Perhaps a fresh slate season 2 will freshen the air for Burn and the Giants. For now, they are limping their way to the finish line, and a roster overhaul may be in the works in the off-season. I truly think Burn can compete in this division with the right pieces.
29. Colts (3-10): A 7th straight loss for CB and his Colts and another two interceptions for Anthony Richardson bringing his total up to 31. The Colts haven’t quite implemented a game plan that suits their style of offense, but they’re going to satisfy their needs in the off-season and make an attempt to stay competitive the rest of the season. Also, you gotta feed Jonathan Taylor, giving him just 14 carries simply isn’t enough.
30. Panthers (3-10): The Panthers are one of the more interesting, or maybe confusing teams heading into the off-season. We know JT has his players he enjoys using, such as Shenault Jr., and we see him (maybe) developing players such as Brooks. Is this all irrelevant come off-season? Are we due for a roster overhaul? Your guess is as good as mine. I know one thing, Bryce Young will be QB1 for 5 full seasons in Carolina.
31. Commanders (3-9-1): Talk about salt in the wound, the Commanders had an entire bye week to think of the 72-0 loss to the Dolphins. Will the team move on from Sam Howell and focus on a heavy quarterback draft early in the cycle? My guess is yes.
32. Ravens (2-11): Another tough loss for the Ravens, but this game was a lot closer than the score would indicate. The Ravens have only scored 28 points once this season and they are averaging about 15 points per game while allowing 30 points per game. They have to find an offensive game plan that allows them more trips into the redzone.
