1. Browns (11-0)
Still undefeated. I was pretty shocked when KMFO not only lost to Nef last regular season, ending his perfect season, but also lost in the AFC championship. This season he’s been on the revenge tour beating the Patriots and Rams, but won’t get a chance to play the Falcons this season (unless Nef meets KMFO in the Super Bowl). Yadda yadda yadda, clear best team in the league behind a #1 offense and #2 defense.
2. Seahawks (9-2)
They started 0-2 but are on a 9 game winning streak an sit atop the NFC West, atop the NFC and with new X-Factor QB Bo Nix, the clear choice behind the Browns as #2 in the power rankings. They’re beating good teams, proving to be a contender, making up for last season, and boasting a top 10 offense and a top 10 defense. Z is back baby!
3. Chargers (9-2)
Justin Herbert is one of 3 MVP frontrunners and the Chargers are above average on both sides of the ball. This could be Codes season after an injury-riddled season 1 and a season 2 of never being seen as a guy with a chance to get to the Super Bowl. The offense has completely come together and despite trading every defensive player of value, he’s gotten enough back to still have a good defense.
4. Patriots (8-2)
The two time AFC champion is also a two time Super Bowl loser this cycle and you KNOW he wants to prove he is the best. #1 in defense thanks to an insane defensive back room and very very solid front 7 to pair with it. The offense is also coming together nicely with a versatile RB group and a dangerous WR room. Riley Leonard and Spdot have the chance to make it atop the mountain.
5. Saints (8-2)
New Orleans has not lost a step without Maalik Murphy. The rookie has an uphill climb towards MVP after missing 3 games, but Max Duggan has put together two extremely impressive offensive performances and the defense is back to top 10 after a slow start. The 2nd most points per game at 42 paired with the best rushing offense in the league is a nice start but they still sit behind the Seahawks after dropping their head to head matchup with them earlier in the season.
6. Chiefs (8-2)
The KC Offense is back to form and Mahomes is on his way to another playoffs along with the best defense he’s had all cycle. This would point to the Chiefs having the same post-season success we see from them in real life, but with a loss to the Patriots and Chargers, it may just be more regular season success with nothing to show for it. Top 5 roster with a top 5 offense and defense, this is the year to prove the doubters wrong.
7. Texans (8-3)
The Texans are back after an extremely disappointing 8-9 season 2. They’re back to owning the division at 5-0 and have a top 10 offense and defense to solidify themselves as a top 10 team. CJ Stroud is the current MVP favorite and Malik Benson is lighting it up after a subpar rookie season. They haven’t played many good teams though so it’s hard to tell if they’re legit or just benefiting from an easier schedule.
8. Lions (8-3)
The Lions drop one to the Falcons and announce that rookie Kyle McCord is going to take over as the starter next week against the Bears. Overreaction or about time? It’s hard to tell but with a top 5 defense and an offense full of speed, McCord and his strong arm should be able to succeed. The goal for the Lions is clear though, don’t have a repeat of last year’s wildcard blowout loss.
9. Broncos (7-3)
DK is back in contention for the second straight year after a bad season 1. He’s firmly placing himself as a guy who can win without a roster coming off of a Super Bowl, but can he win when it matters remains the question. The offense is thriving behind Trey Lance and Nick Chubb, but the defense leaves a lot to be desired, especially against other top teams.
10. Vikings (7-4)
Wimmy is the guy who sees the value of every draft picks as d*** near his whole team are guys that didn’t start on the Vikings and were in college seasons 1 and/or 2. They’ve now lost back to back games but one of them is a 1 point loss to KMFO so I’ll say Wimmy’s having a good season and looks like he can compete with the best of them. NFC North looks to be the toughest division right now.
11. Rams (5-5)
The Rams are on a two game winning streak but still sit outside the playoff picture in the NFC. The defense led by Aaron Donald and an army of speed rolls is still one of the best units, but Jaylen Henderson is in a bit of sophomore slump as the offense is in the bottom half pretty easily. As the defending back to back champion, Cook gets the benefit of the doubt, though, and will try and sneak in and win it all from the wildcard like season 1.
12. Bears (6-4)
The Bears have been a quiet team this season but are in a place to make the playoffs at 6-4, but they need to win some more division games. 1-2 and a meeting with Detroit upcoming, the NFC is crowded and Jefe better take control of his season before he’s on the outside looking in. The offense and defense both need to step it up as neither are terrible, but neither is winning games singlehandedly either.
13. Packers (6-5)
Hypemike is slinging the rock like he doesn’t care because Jordan Love has way more yards and TDs than he had in the first couple seasons, but he has way more interceptions, too. This isn’t the efficient offense led by Aaron Jones anymore, it’s a season 3 letdown as the defense that once helped the Packers take the first round bye in the NFC is one of the worst in the league as Green Bay continues to slide and potentially out of the playoffs.
14. Jets (6-5)
The AFC is crowded and dropping games to Arod cannot happen, but it’s exactly what happened last week as the Jets move to a cluster of teams on the edge of the wildcard. They have the Patriots next which doesn’t help either. New York has a great defense led by the monstrous Quinnen Williams and Jonathan Allen, but a bottom 5 offense despite Caleb Williams is keeping them from being a playoff team.
15. Steelers (6-5)
Another team in the AFC blob of users and rosters that it’s hard to tell if they’re good or not. The Steelers drop to the turnover prone Bengals then beat the tough Texans and it’ll confuse anyone. Maybe Curt just needed to be able to bet on his ML because the bottom 10 offense put up 45 on a top 10 defense. If that offense can be consistently that good, Pittsburgh can make the playoffs with their defense above average already.
16. Jaguars (5-5)
This Water isn’t freely flowing, but it’s not freezing or running dry either. 5-5 on the outside looking in but close is respectable for a first year guy in PML. The offense and defense are both painfully average, but at least they aren’t bad. There are winnable games left and tough games left so we’re going to see which way the tide turns for the Jaguars and I hope it sees them in the playoffs.
17. Cowboys (5-6)
It’s supposed to be a timeshare but the Cowboys are just 2-2 in the division this season and lucky the other 3 NFC East teams are pooing the bed with a combined 6-28 record. They should be on their way to a home playoff game, but I don’t think they’re the same team that blew out the Lions. The offense is doing worse and the defense has followed. The Micah Parsons trade may go down as a lose-lose.
18. Bengals (6-5)
Good for the Bengals and Silent for being over .500, but Joe Burrow has 34 interceptions. They aren’t beating good teams with turnovers like that, but the offense is still producing at an above average rate. The defense however is letting up 40 points a game. But hey, lets congratulate Silent on his first piece of content!
19. Falcons (4-6)
Nef is good at what he does and what he does is use players well. Chris Lindstrom is back from injury and I expect the Falcons to make a playoff push with him as he truly is the Atlanta team MVP. He gives Bijan the blocking to make plays at the second level and lets Dart have less pressure to deliver to Pitts and Waddle. The Parsons trade hasn’t helped the defense but that’s mainly the lack of Jessie Bates, Parsons has produced himself. The Falcons have 1 game left against a team at .500 exactly, everyone else is below .500.
20. Colts (4-7)
Anthony Richardson has kinda been lighting it up with 23 Total TDs and only 16 interceptions. We sadly live in a world where it’s “only” 16 but hey it is what it is. The Colts are below average on both sides of the ball despite an elite cornerback duo and a solid offense. They have an uphill battle at the playoffs this season, but can create a nice floor to build off of for next season.
21. Buccaneers (4-6)
I really really really really hope Cammy decides to learn defense instead of just guessing because the offense is putting it together and Jalen Milroe is getting a hang of PML. The defense is letting up 39 points per game, though, and they have talent. If Cammy can figure out defense, he’s back to being a yearly contender because he’s proven he doesn’t need Burrow to do well on offense.
22. Ravens (5-7)
Props to Arod for getting some wins on the board and with Lamar Jackson injured, too. But the truth is that they’re still bottom 10 in both offense and defense and have the 3rd worst point differential in the league. It seems they’re sneaking by wins and getting blown out when they lose. The Ravens can silence every doubt by continuing to win, but history says it’s more likely they go back to losing by 20+ weekly.
23. Cardinals (3-8)
Run defenses are stepping up as the Cardinals are back in the dumps and can’t be hit with those tanking allegations anymore. They still boast an above average defense, but the offense is letting them down despite a top RB and the new 40 yard dash record holder in Xavier Worthy. I think Que is demoralized by his h*** division and will return strong next cycle if not earlier.
24. Panthers (3-7)
JT has held up pretty well this cycle and with the new automated draft classes he’s gonna keep trending up. The Panthers are coming together and have a new star TE after a sneaky little position change. The defense is average, but the offense is still bottom tier. I have a hope season 5 JT is coming in season 4.
25. 49ers (3-7)
How do I say goodbye to what we had?
The good times that made us laugh
Outweigh the bad
I thought we’d get to see forever
But forever’s gone away
It’s so hard to say goodbye to yesterday
I don’t know where this road
Is going to lead
All I know is where we’ve been
And what we’ve been through
If we get to see tomorrow
I hope it’s worth all the wait
It’s so hard to say goodbye to yesterday
And I’ll take with me the memories
To be my sunshine after the rain
It’s so hard to say goodbye to yesterday
And I’ll take with me the memories
To be my sunshine after the rain
It’s so hard to say goodbye to yesterday
– Boys II Men
26. Dolphins (3-7)
Props for developing Achane and using him well, but outside of that the Dolphins roster has been murdered. Say what you want about Tua but Allar has more INTs than TDs and Tyreek Hill is averaging less than 35 yards a game. Deebo is very open about how he sucks at passing and likes to run, but if you get the Dolphins maybe learn to use them and learn to pass. We’re in season 3 and Miami is in an atrocity to watch. Next cycle hopefully he gets a better team fit.
27. Raiders (3-7)
I hope Mike gets a division he can compete in next cycle so we can see if he’s truly washed or just trapped in the h*** that is Matigy, Codes, and DK. Bottom offense, below average defense on a 4th place schedule. It’s gonna get a whole lot harder in Vegas with 3 upcoming division games, too, and only 1 game left against a team under .500, what is Vegas gonna do? My guess is keep losing.
28. Eagles (3-9)
A good win over the Cowboys that is for sure. And you have to commend him for still being top half of the league in offense despite all of the injuries. But, it’s the season 3 Eagles and the defense is bottom 3, gross. And he’s spent 3 top 65 picks on backup QBs only to complain that they suck. If you can’t win with Hurts and you’re gonna complain about the high end backups you’ve gathered, well 2+2=4. I can’t wait for the day HD chooses wins over backyard football and flashy GMing.
29. Bills (3-7)
Realistically, it’s impressive Beast somehow found himself in the playoffs season 1. Josh Allen is devless, he sold his weapons on offense and only has Quez Watkins to show for it. Speed trees be damned, he isn’t a WR1, especially in season 3. Bottom half in both offense and defense, 0-3 in the division. Bills have been trending down for two straight seasons.
30. Giants (2-9)
The Giants have reached a new low losing to the lowly Commanders. Burn has built this roster extremely well and every single move goes to waste. The least points scored in the league despite the best receiving duo in the league, 98 speed Saquon Barkley, and an above average quarterback. If it’s not working now against an easy schedule, it will never work.
31. Titans (1-9)
9 game losing streak. Beyond disappointed in the season the Titans have put together following a playoff appearance. The team hasn’t changed dramatically in any way. They have the second to worst defense but are just average in offensive scoring. They’re gameplan of ‘just score more’ is failing and there are losses to teams they should be beating. They have an insanely hard schedule but no excuses in PML. If you’re good enough to win a division, you should be good enough to overcome a first place schedule.
32. Commanders (1-10)
They finally won a game but that isn’t enough to move them up past 32. They have the worst point differential in the whole league and it’s 77 points worse than the next worst. The defense is allowing 48 points per game and the offense is bottom 10 as well. Drake Maye has 78 interceptions in less than 2 seasons. Pair that horrendous gameplay with bottom tier GMing…. yikes
