1. Cleveland Browns (5-0):Cleveland has proven that they are the top DAWG in the AFC and in the PML considering they are the last undefeated team in the league. They had a scare this week with the game going down to the wire, but Deshaun Watson now has 20 touchdown passes on the season whereas he ended last season with 27.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (5-0):Kansas City took the lead to start the game, but couldn’t hold off a ferocious Cleveland passing attack. Despite the loss, we can expect to see the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes contending for the AFC all cycle long.
3. New Orleans Saints (5-1): The Saints rebound and looked great against the Broncos this week. I’m expecting the Saints to not only pull away from the division, but create some separation in the NFC in the upcoming weeks.
4. Green Bay Packers (5-1): Something about HypeMike this year tells me he’s got the killer instinct in him after going out in the opening round of playoffs last year. They look solid on both sides of the ball. Did I mention Christian Watson looks like the best WR in PML?
5. New England Patriots (5-1): Riley Leonard commanded the team in his first game back from his suspension throwing for 220 yards and three touchdowns. Ameer Speed picked off Will Levis three times and completely shut down his side of the field. I guess when you have 97 speed, you look like the Flash on the field.
6. Los Angeles Chargers (5-1): Is Justin Herbert truly on the block in Los Angeles? Coach Codes has convinced some potential NFC teams that he is and the Chargers traded for DTR, whom Codes is familiar with ( very Madden 23-esque). However, he’s not Justin Herbert and I don’t think it’d be wise for Codes to trade Herbert, but for now the Chargers are clicking on all cylinders.
7. Houston Texans (4-2): CJ Stroud passed the ball 30 times and usually a balanced offense for the Texans looked very pass heavy in a close game. Houston has lost two in a row, but they are sitting comfortable in their division.
8. Los Angeles Rams (5-1): The Rams lose for the first time, in like forever. Henderson had the worst game of his rookie season being absolutely baffled by the Jets defense to the tune of 0 touchdowns to 3 interceptions. Can’t win ’em all I suppose.
9. Arizona Cardinals (4-1): Did Que expect to go into his bye week sitting at 4-1? The Cardinals are solidifying themselves as a dangerous team. With the Bills, Rams, and Jets on deck, we will ultimately find out if the Cards are contenders or pretenders this year.
10. Minnesota Vikings (3-3): Word on the street is Wimmy is back. Personally, I think it is too early to tell, as we all prematurely concluded the Lions were the team to beat in the division. I do however eagerly await the return of the competitive Wimmy we all come to know.
11. Detroit Lions (5-1): The Lions come crashing back down to reality in a rough way. We all expected them to put up a better fight against the Packers, but they fell flat in their big test. They enter the bye licking their wounds as PML waits to see the true identity of this team.
12. Buffalo Bills (3-2): Buffalo enjoyed their bye week this week, but they were seen preparing for the Cardinals during the bye week. The Bills are 19th against the rush this season giving up an average of 142 rushing yards a game, and that was their focus this week, to stop the Cardinals deadly rushing attack.
13. Seattle Seahawks (4-2): Seattle goes into their bye week 4-2 after taking down the CPU Bears this past week to snap a 2 game skid. Nevertheless, Z still remains the quietest title contender we have in PML.
14. Philadelphia Eagles (3-3): I want to see the Eagles play a team over .500, ::Looks at schedule:: Seems only two games on their entire schedule meet the criteria all season long. Must be nice being HD in Philly.
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: (3-3): Uff, Buccaneers had everyone fooled. They could have been sitting at 4-2 going into a showdown with the Saints this week. We were robbed of a first place game.
16. New York Jets (3-3): Greeny has had two impressive back to back wins against playoff caliber opponents, most notably this week’s win against the reigning Super Bowl champion. Critics were counting Greeny out after a couple early season losses, but it seems like he is starting to figure out how he wants to attack defenses with Caleb Williams.
17. Atlanta Falcons (3-3): I personally am still trying to figure out where the Falcons stand in the hierarchy of the NFC. One day playoff contenders, next not so much. I do know that they need to fire their medical staff and bring in a whole new team of trainers. This team just cannot stay healthy enough to reach their ceiling.
18. Indianapolis Colts (3-3): A big CPU win over the Jaguars this week for CB and the Colts. The Colts get back to .500 on the season and they are just one game back from the Texans and the division lead.
19. Las Vegas Raiders (2-4): The Raiders had such a promising start to the season, but Jayden Daniels threw two interceptions, and the Raiders allowed the Ravens to pick up their first win of the season. The Raiders have the 3rd best rushing offense in the league, so why don’t they lean on that attack? The world may never know.
20. Pittsburgh Seelers (2-4): Five interceptions for Zach Wilson this week against a tough Chargers’ defense, but Pittsburgh has to find an identity on defense. Pittsburgh seems destined for mediocrity because they have shown the ability to beat the lower tier teams in the league, but can’t elevate to beat the better teams this season.
21. Denver Broncos (2-4): Denver faced off against their season 1 trade partner and really couldn’t defend anything. Aside from this week, Denver has a top 10 defense in all recordable categories, but you couldn’t tell by their performance this week allowing 45 points.
22. San Francisco 49ers (1-4): I think its safe to say the season is pretty much over in San Francisco as CEO may want to start putting a focus into the draft side of the immersion system. Will they tear it down and go rebuild? Stay tuned.
23. New York Giants (2-4): If only Burn can win games outside the division the Giants would be sitting pretty in first place. The offense has yet to get going this season with the 20 year old rookie at the helm. I suppose we need to give it time.
24. Dallas Cowboys (1-5): Its officially code red in Dallas. I’m actually starting to think the Cowboys season is in serious jeopardy. They do have a very soft upcoming schedule. If Drama doesn’t come out of that part of schedule with more wins than losses, Drama will certainly have to face the music.
25. Washington Commanders (2-4): Drake Maye will lose abilities by week 10. Miles will say screw it and go all in on chasing HD for the division. This is how I see it playing out in Washington.
26. Tennessee Titans (1-5): Will Levis threw 5 interceptions this week against New England and you hate to call it this early in the season, but the fat lady might be singing in Tennessee. Dlloyd has shown grit and tenacity, but he’s going to need a Christmas miracle to comeback this season.
27. Carolina Panthers (2-4): Nice win by JT and the Panthers to upset the Bucs this past week. In typical JT fashion, three running backs found the endzone in the win. A fantasy football player’s worst nightmare.
28. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5): I think Tbandit is just checked out for now. His CPU couldn’t hold off the Colts this week. You can fully guarantee that the Jaguars will be picking in the top five at the end of the season.
29. Miami Dolphins (1-4): Miami headed into the bye week this week on a three game losing streak, and I wish there was something to highlight for this team, but there isn’t. Deebo is struggling, which is tough to see, considering this roster is stout compared to some of the others in the league.
30. Baltimore Ravens (1-5): A huge win for the Ravens and the relief of not winning a game is over in Baltimore. The Ravens have to use this momentum to string off a few more wins just to prove that they can compete in the league.
31. Chicago Bears (1-5): Another lost season as our very own Passport Bro lives it up in South America. Reality is, Jefe is down there on business as he continues to push for the Bears relocation to Rio. As cool as it sounds, I don’t see a 100 year old franchise going to Brazil. Not on JT’s watch.
32. Cincinnati Bengals (1-5): Lets go Cincinatti! They knocked out a bunch of teams this week in PML Knockout, and they probably had one of the biggest upsets of the cycle knocking off the Cowboys this week. They get into the win column and Joe Burrow threw for over 300 yards this week, it was that first time this season that he has surpassed 300 yards.
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Z’s Corner: Divisional Dissections
NFC West: Rams Suffer First Loss of the Season, Seahawks Improve to 4-2. Cardinals, 49ers, on Bye Week.
Rams: 5-1-0
Cardinals: 4-1-0
Seahawks: 4-2-0
49ers: 1-4-0
With the 49ers and Cardinals both on a bye this week, there wasn’t much change in the NFC West standings. The Cardinals have a tough matchup with the Bills on the horizon while the 49ers will host Spdot and the New England Patriots. The Rams and Seahawks both played games this week, however. In a game in which it looked like Marvin Harrison Jr would have a record day, the Seattle Seahawks weathered the storm, beating the Rio De Janeiro Bears 42-20. The Rams would suffer their first loss this season, falling to the New York Jets 23-20. The Rams will host the struggling New York Giants while the Seahawks will head to their bye week.
NFC South: Saints Handle Business in Rainy Mile High, Falcons Medical Staff Fired. Panthers Outlast Buccaneers
Saints: 5-1-0
Buccaneers: 3-3-0
Falcons: 3-3-0
Panthers: 2-4-0
The New Orleans Saints responded to a tough loss in week 5, by going into Mile High Stadium and forcing 6 Trey Lance interceptions as they marched to a 45-17 win over the Broncos. The Atlanta Falcons fell to 3-3, losing even more players as Ridder threw for 4 interceptions before exiting with an injury. In a divisional clash, the Carolina Panthers went into Tampa Bay and hung 46 points on the Buccaneers, moving to 2-4 on the season and dropping the Bucs to 3-3 on the year. The Buccaneers will look to respond next week as they play the New Orleans Saints. The Falcons will host the Chiefs, while the Panthers will host the Broncos
NFC East: Eagles Back at .500, Cowboys Continue To Plummet
Eagles: 3-3-0
Commanders: 2-4-0
Giants: 2-4-0
Cowboys: 1-5-0
All was well in Dallas just a week ago, as they were victorious over their division rival Philadelphia Eagles. A matchup with the winless Bengals loomed, and the Cowboys believed they had an easy victory. They couldn’t have been more wrong, as 4 Dak Prescott interceptions (including an awful one to Jordan Battle in overtime) sank the Cowboys ship as they fell to 1 and 5 on the season. While their schedule is promising, a few more losses and Eagles wins could put them in a dangerous spot as they seek to reenter the playoffs. The Eagles get back to 0.500 with a nice win over the Falcons.
NFC North: Packers Smother Lions at Ford Field, Vikings Pick Up Big Win Over Houston
Lions: 5-1-0
Packers: 5-1-0
Vikings: 3-3-0
Bears: 1-5-0
The Packers went into Detroit and handled business, defeating the Lions 48-14 and taking first place in the NFC North. Coach Hypemike might’ve viewed this as a must-win, as the Packers outgained the Lions 505 to 214. Both of these teams are on a bye next week. The Vikings hosted the Houston Texans, and were able to pull off a 20-13 victory, moving them to 3-3 on the season. The Bears should be returning from Brazil soon and have a tough road ahead of them as they aim to rebound from a 1-5 start.
AFC West: Pushing the Panic Button in Las Vegas and Denver? Chargers Win but QB Durability a Question
Chiefs: 5-0-0
Chargers: 5-1-0
Raiders: 2-4-0
Broncos: 2-4-0
While the league awaits the Browns-Chiefs showdown, the three other AFC West teams have all played their games for the week. The Raiders have unfortunately dropped their last 4 games, including losses to the Indianapolis Colts and the Baltimore Ravens. While Jayden Daniels has shown promise at times, he has also shown a propensity to turn the ball over with errant throws, throwing two interceptions to the Baltimore defense. The Broncos are also searching for answers as they’re reeling from a loss to the Saints. The Chargers continue to win, beating the Steelers 42-28. However, Justin Herbert has taken a lot of big hits and suffered injuries. The Chargers will have to limit these hits if they want to reach the heights that they aspire to attain.
AFC South: Texans In A Rut, Colts Look to Capitalize
Texans: 4-2-0
Colts: 3-3-0
Jaguars: 1-5-0
Titans: 1-5-0
After suffering another loss to the Vikings, the Texans head into Pittsburgh in week 7 without their starting QB CJ Stroud. Can 17 Dugg (Max Duggan) get the job done once again? Or will the Texans fall to 4-3? The Colts move to 3-3 as they beat the CPU Jacksonville Jaguars. They have a big matchup against the Vikings next week as they look to earn their 4th win of the season. The Titans drop a tough one in New England to the Patriots, they will limp into Cleveland next week for a showdown against the Browns. It’s time to begin Travis Hunter watch, and we can start no further than in Tennessee.
AFC East: Patriots Continue to Win, Jets Soar
Patriots: 5-1-0
Bills: 3-2-0
Jets: 3-3-0
Dolphins: 1-4-0
We will find out a lot about the Bills as they travel to Glendale next week to take on the Arziona Cardinals. The Patriots improved to 5-1 on the season, beating the Titans 34-13, and look to continue their momentum against the struggling San Francisco 49ers. Don’t look now, but the Jets may be on the rise. Winners of 3 of their last 4 (Patriots, Seahawks, Rams), the Jets seem to be clicking at the right time. With the Jaguars next up on the schedule, they have a great opportunity to add another W into the win column.
AFC North: Ravens, Bengals, Get First Win of the Season
Browns: 5-0-0
Steelers: 2-4-0
Bengals: 1-5-0
Ravens: 1-5-0
The Bengals finally put a complete game together, winning 28-25 over the Dallas Cowboys in my upset of the week. They have a difficult road ahead with the Chargers and Bills waiting in weeks 7 and 8, but if they continue to perform at a high level, they should at least be in the games. The Ravens were also able to get their first win, forcing 3 Raiders turnovers and playing safe, fundamental football. They have a chance to get win #2 against the Dolphins next week.
