Love is hard, but winning a PML super bowl is harder. Today we’re gonna swipe right or swipe left on top teams in PML and find out if they’re a true contender or an ugly pretender. Just a friendly reminder, swipe right means they’re a contender, swipe left means they’re a pretender.
Browns: Swipe Right
The Browns are steamrolling at 9-0 and Cam Jenkins is here to stay, after a brief suspension, and they are all natural. No fillers, no surgery, no drunk goggles. Cleveland is the real deal and this was the easiest decision.
Broncos: Swipe Left
Denver is off to a hot start at 6-1, but weeks 1 and 2 are their most impressive wins and they were small margins of victory. On the other side, they lost to the cowboys without Dak and Ceedee, a borderline criminally bad loss. I need to see them beat their AFC West counterparts consistently before I see them as contenders.
Texans: Swipe Left
It’s an honor to be on this list of teams that are even up as possible contenders and I’m a fan of the way the Texans are trending, but they aren’t there yet to me. 1-2 against teams over .500 isn’t what I love to see, but it’s clear they own the AFC South and they will make the playoffs and play at home. Contenders are teams I wouldn’t be surprised to see in the super bowl, though, and they aren’t there just yet but they are on their way.
Patriots: Swipe Right
This is like the reigning miss universe runner-up of PML, they might not have won the super bowl but making it that close twice is all the proof you need. I’m not sure what happened against Pittsburgh and I don’t care, they are a contender.
Chargers: Swipe Right
I thought about this one a lot, the team is good, the user is good, but even winning a playoff game doesn’t necessarily make you a true contender, especially in the crowded AFC. The final decision came down to the year Herbert is having, if the defense steps up then they are THAT good.
Chiefs: Swipe Right
I thought about this one a lot, too because it’s a similar situation to the Chargers, but almost flipped. The offense isn’t carrying like they did seasons 1 and 2, the defense has really stepped up and returned to what we’ve seen Matigy achieve in the past. With Mahomes on offense, I can see this team win it all.
Lions: Swipe Left
The Lions are the first seed in the NFC right now, but I don’t think the NFC playoffs will run through Detroit and despite their 4-1 record against Minnesota, I don’t even think the Lions win the division. They’ll make the playoffs, but despite great roster building and a stellar first half of the season, all I see is a horrendous playoff loss to the Dallas Cowboys last season.
Seahawks: Swipe Right
They struggle against the Rams, the defense is not very good, but man oh man can they sling it and outscore anyone. The offense is top tier all around, so if the defense puts it together they would be my pick to win it all, but at the very least they are a contender.
Saints: Swipe Right
After week 5, I would have called New Orleans the regular season warriors they were seasons 1 and 2 because despite a cleaner, better, and more efficient offense because of how hard the defense fell off, but they have returned to form the last 3 games and that should continue with 6 straight games against teams under .500 coming up. The NFC is less stacked and therefore the Saints are a true contender even if they may not be in the AFC
Vikings: Swipe Right
The offense and defense have been lighting it up outside of some off games and I don’t think a single player of value besides Justin Jefferson started on this team, Minnesota has built through every avenue and it’s paying off. I think they could end up as the 1 seed of the NFC.
Cowboys: Swipe Left
I’ll give Dallas their props for a playoff win last season, but the team keeps getting worse with no more Micah Parsons, and countless fines and suspensions keep racking up for avoidable offenses. This is not a serious team yet, but they got hot late last season maybe they can do the same. For now, easy swipe left.
Packers: Swipe Left
Hypemike is probably the most decorated PML member without a super bowl, and that’s going to continue for another cycle. Aaron Jones regressed and then was released and this team hasn’t looked the same as it did seasons 1 and 2. The defense is loaded with talent but underperforming, and the offense has taken a hit thanks to no Aaron Jones and gameplay that would suggest a bored coach. More interceptions and more passing means we might just be seeing someone have fun and coast to a playoff loss. Can’t hate on it because it’s still better than over half of the league but it isn’t contending.
