Shake up at the top of the NFL Power Rankings.
As we all wait for the top two teams in the NFL Power Rankings to square off, let’s look at what this weekend changed.
If you are a fan in the New York area, you may just want to skip to the next slide. Although at this point the power rankings are starting to shape up as an inverted list of “teams most likely to end up with Trevor Lawrence” so it isn’t all bad.
32. New York Jets (+0)
At this point, it is becoming painfully obvious that 2020 is going to be a lost season to the New York Jets. The only question is, how do you give this black cloud a silver lining, and I think fans know the answer.
If your spot in these power rankings is a double-digit number that starts with a “3” then you probably know you need a new coach, so commit to moving on from Adam Gase sooner or later and make it your sole mission to lose every game while making Sam Darnold look passable. That way, at least you still have a tradeable asset on the roster for the impending Trevor Lawrence rebuild coming.
31. New York Giants (-2)
Sam Darnold is bad, but Daniel Jones is much worse.
The Giants are in a terrible situation where they asking a bad quarterback to carry them to victories without Saquon Barkley and ultimately it feels like it is going to be the end of the Daniel Jones era before it even began.
This is the dream spot for Trevor Lawrence, and that is the last time I am going to bring him up in these power rankings.
30. Washington (+0)
Washington is a team that is going to have to either win games by scores of 14-13, or they a going to have to wreak havoc and turn the ball over a lot. The problem is, too often that is exactly what happens to them.
I think this team is going to have to add weapons at every skill position next year, but solidifying Terry McLaurin as a true WR1 while setting the defense up for success for the next decade is a pretty good way to spend the season right before you add a new QB.
29. Cincinnati Bengals (-1)
A tie?! Ugh.
I have said before that the Bengals season (and to a smaller extent their spot in these power rankings) is going to be determined by the progress that Joe Burrow makes. The problem is that the offensive line barely gives him a chance to succeed and in a situation where the Bengals had a real chance to win a game in 2020, the coaching staff decided it was alright to tie and that is an embarrassing message.
28. Atlanta Falcons (-3)
I’m not really sure how much I can say about the Falcons that hasn’t already been said. They have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball to be an average team in the NFL, but man they just have the killer instinct of a potato and they have a coaching style to match.
In my wildest dreams, I keep hoping that one morning I wake up and see that the Falcons have traded Julio Jones and Matt Ryan is some sort of mega-deal to load up on draft picks and recoup some cap space to rebuild around an offensive line with some decent parts and Calvin Ridley.
As sad and unlikely as that is, I can’t see another way that a team with this core can get anywhere close to a ring.
27. Jacksonville Jaguars (+0)
Oh, is it Week 4 already? That must mean that the brief spark that the Jacksonville Jaguars showed is gone if my farmer’s almanac is right.
Jokes aside, the Jaguars have a few nice pieces on defense and maybe there is a world where Gardner Minshew, James Robinson, Jawaan Taylor, Josh Allen, and C.J. Henderson are the building blocks of this team long term. However, I just don’t know if they can be good or if they are complete fool’s gold.
26. Carolina Panthers (+5)
Brian Burns is clicking, Derrick Brown is clicking, Teddy Bridgewater isn’t losing games for this team…alright Panthers I’ll bite.
I have been low on this team for a while and I got even lower after the CMC injury, but today I saw a fun team that doesn’t really have a huge identity on offense but whose defense is starting to show some return on investment on those draft picks spent over the last two years.
I still don’t think they are going to be great, but the Panthers absolutely have the chance to be fun and I could see Bridgewater winning this staff over if it looks like they can win “with him” even though they might not win “because of him” every game.
25. Miami Dolphins (+1)
I can’t wait to see Tua Tagovailoa out on the field, but the Miami Dolphins don’t seem to be in a rush to get him out there which I understand. The Dolphins completely dismantled the Jaguars on Thursday Night Football and ended the momentum of a team that really looked like they were starting to feel themselves.
Great defense with aggressive playcalling really suits that unit and they did it despite missing their highest-paid defensive player in Byron Jones. Sure, the Dolphins still need weapons on offense, but the bones of a really good team are there if Tua can come in and be what he is supposed to be.
24. Houston Texans (-4)
The Texans are a team that lives and dies on the chaos created by Deshaun Watson. Sometimes that chaos is great and Watson will scramble from pass rushers and find a wide receiver going across the grain to make a huge play.
However, there are parts that we don’t talk about where he runs around even though there is probably a play to be made inside the pocket. Even when he is right to scramble there are times (like Sunday) where he will scramble and throw a critical interception.
We know the offensive line and parts of the defense are bad, but if this team is going to get to .500 or a winning record then it will be up to Watson to cover for those sins and so far not so good.
23. L.A. Chargers (-4)
Joey Bosa, Keenan Allen, and Austin Ekeler are some of the best players at their positions and if they are hot I think they can compete with any team in the NFL. The problem is that there are just so many holes on that roster or places where they lack impact players.
It is unfortunate how he got the starting job, but it is exciting that Justin Herbert is the starter for the Chargers for now and he has the tools to be good he just needs to take it step by step and use the tools he has at his disposal.
22. Las Vegas Raiders (+0)
Since the last time that the Raiders were featured in these power rankings they beat the New Orleans Saints and lost to the New England Patriots. It might feel like they should be higher than they were, but there is just something about this team that doesn’t impress me.
On defense it feels like Maxx Crosby and a bunch of guys and then on offense it feels like they have to be so precise and if you can take away the tight end then you are probably going to win.
I will keep an open mind, but right now I can’t rank them any higher than this in these power rankings which is going to make you upset when you see whose coaching staff and talent I trust more…
21. Philadelphia Eagles (-5)
I’ll say it again, a tie?! Ugh.
Anyway, the problem with the Eagles goes much deeper than the psychological issues that might go with telling your young QB that it is alright to tie like the Bengals did.
In Philly, they are almost ready to throw Carson Wentz out on the street and sing “Baby Come Back” to Nick Foles who just won a game against the Atlanta Falcons in Chicago. That is a huge problem for a team that should be beyond that point in their process.
Even if the Eagles do switch QBs, who are they going to add/replace Wentz with who is more talented than him? It is a shortlist and Eagles fans are dangerously close to finding out just how ugly the QB market is out there.
20. Denver Broncos (-5)
I probably am too high on the Broncos because I really like their defense with or without Von Miller, and I like their coaching staff as well. The problem is that injuries have absolutely torn this team apart and if they lose on Thursday to the Jets then it is going to be a huge tumble down these power rankings.
Still, they have the weapons to be dangerous on offense and like I said, I am a fan of the defense so maybe this team has hope to squeak in as an 8-8 team if they get hot on offense? But they are running out of time.
19. Detroit Lions (+5)
Woah. I was not expecting this team to bow up and have a great game at home, but the Lions were opportunistic on defense and they had a fine balance between consistency and explosiveness on offense.
In a game where they needed to win, the Lions showed up and reminded everyone that they are one dropped pass away from being 2-1 with a win in the NFC North. Now I want to see if Jeffery Okudah starts to feel himself more after that great interception because if they do then he can completely shut down some of the NFC North’s biggest weapons.
18. Minnesota Vikings (+0)
The Vikings are so hard to be down on this week because they just had their star running back break his career-best rushing numbers while their rookie WR exploded to have on of the best performances to date by a 1st-year player.
Kirk Cousins was fine, the defense was solid but unspectacular, special teams were nondescript, and by all means, the Vikings had a chance to win this game. The problem was that when the chips were down they couldn’t stop the Titans pass rush, and after manhandling the overwhelmed defensive play-callers for Tennessee all day they just fell a little short.
Yannick Ngakoue looks good and there is help coming once the rest of the Vikings defenders get healthy, so don’t despair, but today was just a lost shootout. Nothing more than that (don’t read your head coach’s comments).
17. Indianapolis Colts (+6)
Over the last two weeks, the Indianapolis Colts have done exactly what you should do against bad teams. When you win against a bad team, cool, but when you dominate against a bad team, now you look like you might actually have the killer instinct to win.
I still have serious questions about what they are going to do against good teams, but that really isn’t a question that is going to get answered soon based on their schedule so right now I am just ranking them as one of the best teams in the middle of the NFL.
16. Arizona Cardinals (-3)
This was one of the few times that I have seen Kyler Murray’s mistakes really cost him. He didn’t play poorly enough to have 3 interceptions, but there were a few throws that he probably wants back including one where he stared down Nuk Hopkins and it led to Jeffery Okudah’s first career interception.
On the plus side, Andy Isabella had two touchdowns and we might have just seen the Robin to their Batman (Hopkins) once Larry Fitzgerald retires.
15. Chicago Bears (+6)
Have we seen a team go 3-0 and switch a quarterback in the middle of the game? That is what happened with Nick Foles today and honestly, I love to see the chaos going on in Chicago.
If- sorry let me do that again. IF the Bears can get their passing game going, I loved what they showed today with the trio of Allen Robinson, Anthony Miller, and Jimmy Graham all scoring touchdowns in the passing game. All of that is coming from an offense that really isn’t getting anything from the rushing game, so just imagine the upside if they can get both phases going…now that is a scary team.
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+0)
In order, the Bucs are successful because of: the defense, Mike Evans, and then Tom Brady.
I’m not saying Brady is bad because he has actually rebounded well from that Week 1 game against the Saints. What I am saying is that he is playing within himself and adapting well to the new offense he has to work in.
Like I said though, this is a defensive team that makes it very easy on the offense so don’t expect them to drop any time soon because that is exactly how the Denver Broncos won a Super Bowl.
13. Cleveland Browns (-1)
Here is why the Browns are lower despite a convincing win this week. I think this is what the Browns have to be if they are going to be successful, and that is a team that relies on the running game and big plays from their defense.
The problem is, the highest upside of this team is if they are able to turn to their Pro Bowl receivers early and often and run this offense primarily through the air. Unfortunately, every time I see them win like this it makes me think that Baker Mayfield is never going to be special and that lowers my overall opinion of them.
But again, I still think they are a playoff team if they lean into this style of play.
12. Dallas Cowboys (-3)
It is really hard to knock the Cowboys for losing because they made such a great comeback attempt again this week, but I think that is a problem in itself. You can’t rely on heroic comebacks every week to win in this league or else you are dooming yourself to fail.
In the macro view, we need to talk about the injuries on the Cowboys offensive line and how that is crushing this team. If this doesn’t get fixed quickly then they are going to be in major trouble going forward and they already have to dig themselves out of a 1-2 hole. Luckily they are in the NFC East so 6-10 might make the playoffs.
11. New England Patriots (-1)
The New England Patriots are Cam Newton’s team and so far so good on that front. However, something that needs to be talked about is the diminishing returns that we are seeing from Newton as a runner.
He is producing nearly half a yard per attempt less each week and it is clear that the Patriots aren’t afraid to use him as a runner. Defensively, the response is to make Newton win through the air and that is working, but I trust Cam’s arm less than I trust his legs.
Defensively they are a Bill Belichick team so of course, they are good.
10. San Francisco 49ers (+7)
Alright, deep breath. It looks like the 49ers are ready to be buried yet despite all of those injuries.
The 49ers did what they should have done this week and they beat up on a bad Giants team while getting their new starters some real reps. It looks like Jimmy G is going to be out for a little bit, but not as long as Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas which is good news for the 49ers.
Going forward the 49ers have two more easy weeks in front of them before they have to take on any serious challenges, so if they make it through unscathed then it will give them a nice cushion as they try to get healthy and make a big for the playoffs down the line.
9. Buffalo Bills (+2)
The Buffalo Bills are for real and they look like the clear favorites in the AFC East.
Offensively, Josh Allen has always had a rocket arm, but now he is dicing people up using other options too like Tyler Kroft and Cole Beasley. Combine that with a decent ground game (that didn’t even feature Allen’s legs today) and you have a potent team.
Defensively, the Bills are usually very solid but now the pressure isn’t all on them so they can get a little bit more lax. It isn’t ideal to give up so many points, but as long as you finish strong and don’t make a habit of it then it is fine to see this team win some 35-30 games every now and then.
8. L.A. Rams (-3)
The Rams are ahead of the Bills because this is a ranking of teams that I think would win the most neutral site games, not a ranking of which teams won today.
Jared Goff has been pretty good this year all things considered and the Rams offense has more weapons than people realize. Darrell Henderson has been exciting since his days at Memphis and he looks good in this offense, while Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp are a great WR duo.
Aaron Donald is the best player in the NFL, so really nothing else on that defense matters but it is nice to have another star in Jalen Ramsey and some nice supporting players.
7. New Orleans Saints (-4)
Drew Brees either can’t throw downfield because of his fading arm or he won’t throw downfield because he doesn’t like/trust his options there. Either way, the result is the same and a time is coming quickly where some team fully commits to making him win by throwing guys open deep.
I say that, but the Saints wouldn’t be this high up in the power rankings if they didn’t have some positives. If you try to force Brees to beat you deep, you better be convinced that you can cover Alvin Kamara because if you spread the defense out like that and he gets the ball, he is going to tear that defense up.
Defensively, the Saints are stacked with talent at DB and on the defensive line, but there are lapses where they disappear and that has to be concerning considering that the season is only going to get harder from here on out.
6. Tennessee Titans (-2)
I’m convinced that there was some sort of tribute going on today and the Tennessee Titans decided to just play 10 players on defense all day. It felt like they were simultaneously getting beat in the middle of the field and on the edges by Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson looked like a future Hall of Famer on the field today despite having just a handful of catches before this game.
Offensively, the Titans did great moving the ball down the field and getting into field goal range for Stephen Gostkowski to nail 6 of 6 field goals including three from 50+. Tennessee also finally found the real Derrick Henry this week in the second half which was exciting to see.
There is a world where Gostkowski started out as hot as he is now and the Titans score 26, 34, and 31 points over these last three weeks and they are being talked about as one of the hottest offenses in the NFL even without A.J. Brown playing.
Unfortunately for Tennessee, they have a matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers next week and Taylor Lewan left with a shoulder injury in the 2nd quarter and didn’t’ come back. Will this be the last time they are among the elite in the NFL? It would be nice if they had an offensive tackle that could play right tackle who was worth a first round pick so that Dennis Kelly could back up that left tackle spot.
Sadly, all the Titans have is this.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (+1)
Speaking of Steelers, they won an ugly one today in Houston and that makes sense because they are exactly what the Texans fear the most. That aggressive defense that can dominate on the edges and make big plays when a quarterback panics had a distinct advantage today.
Offensively they seem to really like Chase Claypool and he is rounding out a pretty good trio of receiver who round out an offense with some good running backs themselves. Add all that up and you get an offense that doesn’t really need Big Ben to be 100% to thrive which is good because I don’t know if we will ever see that again.
T.J. Watt is a menace and this definitely feels like a DPOY candidate, not like when people were making stuff up talking about Jamal Adams or Derwin James being candidates before the season.
4. Green Bay Packers (+4)
The Packers look great on offense where they have the highest points per average in the NFL which is really the only stat that matters. Sunday they nearly put up 40 on the New Orleans Saints without suiting up their best non-Aaron Rodgers player.
Defensively there is still a lot to be desired, but the pieces are there for them to create splash plays and completely ruin the day of an offensive coordinator. However, part of scoring so much on offense is that you have to go against aggressive offenses so don’t pay too much attention to that defense yet.
I didn’t think I would say this, but this team definitely feels more dangerous than the 2019 Packers that went to the NFCCG.
3. Seattle Seahawks (+4)
Speaking of teams that feel more dangerous, wow the Seattle Seahawks look like they are about to go 15-1.
D.K. Metcalf fumbled a touchdown through the endzone and he still had a dominant day on offense which should tell you something about his development in year 2. And Tyler Lockett had 3 TDs today and he looked like he could get beat coverage whenever he felt like it which should tell you something about how potent this offense can be.
Defensively they still aren’t great, but when you look back at the top-5 teams in the NFL right now, there is really only one great defense so it doesn’t see to be a prerequisite for success in the NFL in 2020.
Russ for MVP. Let Russ Cook. Whatever mantra the 12s are chanting this week just count me in because whatever they are doing is working.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (+0)
1. Baltimore Ravens (+0)
The Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens play on Monday night, so instead of analysis of what I have seen from each so far, let’s talk about what this game means.
Sure, whoever wins this matchup will be in the top spot of these power rankings, but outside of that, it doesn’t mean that this will constantly be used to figure out which team is the best in the NFL.
Lamar Jackson and Baltimore Ravens are the most complete team in the NFL, but I would argue that the scariest unit on either team is the Kansas City offense. If you can’t stop that or keep up with it, then you don’t have a chance, while I think there are some situations where the Ravens wilt a little bit.
At their best, I am going to say that the Ravens are the best team in the NFL, but I think there is more variance in what the Ravens bring to the table than the Chiefs who are every bit as qualified to be the top team in these power rankings.