Ranking the 32 Teams
Tier I - The Clear Worst Teams
32,) Cleveland Browns (0-5 = 77-124)
31.) San Francisco 49ers (0-5 = 89-120)
30.) Chicago Bears (1-4 = 78-124)
29.) New York Giants (0-5 = 82-122)
28.) Miami Dolphins (2-2 = 41-67)
27.) Los Angeles Chargers (1-4 = 99-115)
The middle tier of the NFL is so large this year that the true worst teams have easily separated themselves from the rest. Maybe one of the teams not included in this group gets a lot worse and falls back, but I can't see any of these six - including the as of now .500 Miami Dolphins - doing anything. Let's start with Miami, the worst 2-2 team of all time (if not them, then the Jets from last week). Their offense is so incredibly terrible with Cutler leading it. The other teams gives us three 0-5 teams. Only one is not a surprise, though maybe we all overrated the Browns. I sitll believe in what their model is, to gobble up as many picks as possible, but we are a year or two away from seeing if it works. The Giants are really set-up for a disaster given the injuries they just incurred. They are not far away from 3-2, but given the record and the injuries, this could get real ugly. For the Bears, I was somewhat intrigued by Mitch Trubisky as the Vikings are a tough test, but that team probably shouldn't have scored a TD. That last interception was a classic rookie mistake, assuming that the DB couldn't close off that route. Finally, the Chargers got their win, but needed a few things to go their way to beat a similarly bad 0-4 team that lost every receiver.
Tier II - The Worst 3-2 Team Of All Time
26.) New York Jets (3-2 = 92-106)
Looking back, maybe we should have seen this coming. The Jets certainly had a schedule that made it possible for them to win three of their first five games. They got a Tannehill-less Miami team, the Jaguars and then the Browns. The schedule turns quickly, and I would not rule out a 1-10 type finish to the season, but the Jets have shown a competence I was not ready for. Josh McCown's idea to throw basically 4-5 yards each throw is not a dumb one. The defense is decent. They have some pieces. That all said, this is by far the worst team to start 3-2 I have ever seen.
Tier III - Can those QBs Get Healthy Quick
25.) Indianapolis Colts (2-3 = 97-159)
24.) Tennessee Titans (2-3 = 110-142)
With reports that Andrew Luck is still not ready (at this point I would be somewhat happily surprised if he plays at all this year) we get two teams that might easily win the AFC South if their QB just gets healthy, Mariota should be back this week, which in my mind makes the Titans the best team in the AFC South - but then again they lost 57-14 with mariota playing much of the game last week. The Colts are just an unknown. They have the worst point differential in the sport, yet were darn close to being 3-2 right now. If Luck were to come back next week, they can win the division. More likely, they go 4-12 or 5-11 with him missing the full year - another year of Luck's prime down the drain.
Tier IV - Teams worse than their close to .500 record but can improve
23.) Arizona Cardinals (2-3 = 81-125)
22.) Houston Texans (2-3 = 144-130)
21.) Baltimore Ravens (3-2 = 90-97)
All three of these teams are around .500, but have had some really noticeable flaws and mostly looked really bad. sure, the Texans had that 57-14 beatdown, and the Cardinals played the Cowboys really tough, and the Ravens had defensive dominance in the first two games, but on the whole, they are close to .500 and have looked worse. The Cardinals are already well behind the rest of the pack in the NFC, but Houston is just one game behind Jacksonville and the Ravens are tied for first place. Both have a chance here. Quick word about JJ Watt. I feel so bad for him. In my mind, if he decides to retire this offseason instead of come back, he should already be a Hall of Famer. Injuries suck man, and I hope he can come back and dominate in 2018, but by that point he would be three years removed from his last full healthy season.
Tier V - Teams better than their close to .500 record but are they real?
20.) Jacksonville Jaguars (3-2 = 139-83)
19.) New Orleans Saints (2-2 = 93-78)
Now we have two .500 or so teams that have actually been, on the whole, impressive. The Saints defense shut down a Carolina attack that rolled in back-to-back games, and then shutout the Dolphins. Now, shutting out 2017 Jay Cutler seems like something destined to happen multiple times this season, but still, for a defense we all joked about without relent through two games, this is serious improvement. With Jacksonville, we have evidence they still are what they thought with the loss to the Jets and Blake Bortles overall terrible play, we also have ample evidence that defense is quite good. Tennessee wore them down, but they've generated incredible pressure, morphed into a ball-hawking force, and Jalen Ramsey has been a star. Not sure if either team lasts, but both have been surprisingly competent through five games.
Tier VI - One of these may make a god run
18.) Dallas Cowboys (2-3 = 125-132)
17.) Cincinnati Bengals (2-3 = 84-83)
I think most in the public would think Dallas is the better team here, but are they? Dallas Week 1 win over the Giants becomes less meaningful each week, potentially the same with their closer than the score win over Arizona. The Bengals looked awful in Week 1, but probably should have won in Week 2 and almost definitely should have beaten Green Bay in Week 3. In a weird way, the outlook for the Bengals is a bit better. Dalton has started getting better protection and the defense has been solid each game this year and held opposing QBs to a 73.3 rating. That defense is for real. For Dallas, it seems like they just are a less effective version of last year's team, one that is basically the same on defense and just a bit worse on offense.
Tier VII - The Mire of the AFC
16.) Oakland Raiders (2-3 = 108-109)
15.) Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2 = 99-89)
For Oakland, it is simple. If Derek Carr comes back next week like Jack Del Rio expects they should be fine, and if they can beat Kansas City two Thursday's from now in Oakland they are right back in the thick of things. For the Steelers, the questions are deeper. Primary question is if Ben Roethlisberger is still a top QB. He was playing off before his 5-pick disaster, airmailing throws he used to hit easily. His accuracy and efficiency on deeper throws has plummeted this year. The rest of the offense has been fine, as has the defense, but something looks very wrong with Ben, especially since he is seemingly healthy.
Tier VIII - The Mire of the NFC (which is way better than the same in the AFC)
14.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-2 = 85-83)
13.) Washington Redskins (2-2 = 91-89)
I'm not really sure what to think of these two teams. In a way, they are the classic 8-8 or 9-7 teams. They are good enough to beat the bad teams on their schedule, and just quite not good enough to beat the bad ones. Granted, for the Redskins their two losses are to teams that are 4-1 and 5-0, and the defense has improved a lot. And granted for the Bucs, if their kicker was actually competent they likely beat New England, but those easy reasons or scapegoats hide real problems, like Jameis's continued inaccuracy and the Redskins inability to hit big plays anymore.
Tier IX - The Wild Cards
12.) Minnesota Vikings (3-2 = 99-93)
11.) Buffalo Bills (3-2 = 89-74)
10.) Los Angeles Rams (3-2 = 152-121)
9.) Detroit Lions (3-2 = 123-97)
8.) Denver Broncos (3-1 = 98-74)
All of these teams are above .500 deservingly, but still a lot of questions. The Vikings are scary if a healthy Bradford gets back but they've found a decent success strategy with Keenum at this point and that defense is still great. The Bills defense is still special but injuries are starting to take their toll on offense. Sean McDermott is recreating Carolina north on defense but this might be the 2012 Panthers or 2014 unit, rather than the 2013 one. The Rams, in a weird way, impressed by hanging with the Seahawks pretty well. They won't end up the top ranked offense, but even in his worst game Goff didn't look lost. The Lions could easily be 4-1, but you have to wonder about that defense. For the first time they didn't get takeaways and were quite poor for most of the game. The Broncos need to keep Siemian upright, but if they do they have a good offense especially with the growth from AJ Derby.
Tier X - Can Tom Brady just retire, please!
7.) New England Patriots (3-2 = 148-142)
Like honestly. Just retire. Or at the very least play like a 40-year old. What I do find fascinating is the Patriots have changed their offense fairly radically. They are running way deeper routes than previously, and Brady, much belittled for his inability to throw deep, has performed excellently. However, their OL has troubles holding up for these deeper routes to develop, ending up with a lot of series where the Patriots have to convert 2nd/3rd-and-long. Not sure it holds up over 16, but definitely an interesting approach.
Tier XI - The 2nd Level NFC Teams
6.) Seattle Seahawks (3-2 = 110-87)
5.) Atlanta Falcons (3-1 = 104-89)
Seattle is here mostly on reputation, understanding they usually improve as the season goes on anyway. But let's not fret around, they easily could have lost the game against the Rams, and their play so far has been middling outside of 25 minutes against a Jacoby Brissett-led Colts team. Still, the defense is strong and the potential is there, the OL has played better the last two weeks. Atlanta is somewhat of reputation as well as their record could easily be 1-3, but the bye came at the right time, with hopefully Julio Jones and Muhammad Sanu getting healthy. Both teams could get a lot better as the season goes on, and those banked wins may really help in playoff positioning.
Tier XII - The 1st Level NFC Teams
4.) Carolina Panthers (4-1 = 105-94)
3.) Philadelphia Eagles (4-1 = 137-99)
2.) Green Bay Packers (4-1 = 137-112)
Man, it really feels like the NFC is far better right now. The AFC may have the best team, but I feel all three of these would give KC a good run (Philly already did). The Panthers and Eagles test out which goes to 5-1, but even the loser is in great shape. The Panthers and Eagles defenses have been great, and both Cam and Wentz have looked better recently. The Eagles offseason pickup of Alshon Jeffery has paid divedends, and he's gained a good rhythm with Zach Ertz. The Packers are just the Packers, solid, winning games they have lost in the past, and running clear in that division despite injuries. The Panthers get their shot at Philly this week and Packers later (in Carolina). It should be an interesting chase going forward.
Tier XIII - The Last Survivor
1.) Kansas City Chiefs (5-0 = 164-111)
To be honest, I slept when it was 39-20, so not sure how those last 14 points were scored by Houston, but that was another great performance. At this point, the Chiefs are offense heavy. We've never seen THIS from a good Alex Smith team, but here we have it. The defense is still good enough and have nicely compensated for Eric Berry's absence with better play from the corners, but the offense is so good right now. Those intermediate routes that have been emphasized this year are really paying off.
Projecting the Playoffs
AFC
1.) Kansas City Chiefs = 13-3
2.) New England Patriots = 12-4
3.) Pittsburgh Steelers = 10-6
4.) Jacksonville Jaguars = 10-6
5.) Buffalo Bills = 11-5
6.) Cincinnati Bengals = 10-6
NFC
1.) Green Bay Packers = 13-3
2.) Carolina Panthers = 12-4
3.) Philadelphia Eagles = 11-5
4.) Seattle Seahawks = 10-6
5.) Atlanta Falcons = 11-5
6.) Los Angeles Rams = 10-6
Looking Ahead to Next Week's Schedule
Byes: Buffalo Bills (3-2), Cincinnati Bengals (2-3), Dallas Cowboys (2-3), Seattle Seahawks (3-2)
14.) Cleveland Browns (0-5) @ Houston Texans (2-3) (1:00 - CBS)
13.) Chicago Bears (1-4) @ Baltimore Ravens (3-2) (1:00 - FOX)
I call it "Bleccccccchhhhhhh" Sunday, as we get thrash. I guess having two rookie QBs in enticing, (three if Kizer starts), but what we'll end up with is a bad Texans team going 3-3 and a maybe worse Ravens team going 4-2.
12.) New England Patriots (3-2) @ New York Jets (3-2) (1:00 - CBS)
I call it "I can barely type out the words 'Battle for the First Place in the AFC East'" Sunday, as yes the winner will be 4-2 and a half-game up on the Bills who are on a bye, but let's be real: this is no battle, and the winner is very obvious. I don't remember a game this late into the season with teams with the same record that are more unevenly matched than this one.
11.) Indianapolis Colts (2-3) @ Tennessee Titans (2-3) (MNF - ESPN)
10.) New York Giants (0-5) @ Denver Broncos (3-1) (SNF - NBC)
9.) San Francisco 49ers (0-5) @ Washington Redskins (2-2) (1:00 - FOX)
I call it "Slightly more interesting than the 'battle for 1st place in the AFC East'" Sunday and Monday, as these games are not good, but I guess slightly better than that fake 1st place battle. Colts @ Titans would be fun if Andrew Luck was healthy, but alas I'm not expecting that statement to be true until 2018. The Giants @ Broncos may be the worst SNF game of the year, especially when flex scheduling starts up soon. The Redskins game may be interesting just because the 49ers have been playing competitive games so far each week.
8.) Miami Dolphins (2-2) @ Atlanta Falcons (3-1) (1:00 - CBS)
7.) Los Angeles Chargers (1-4) @ Oakland Raiders (2-3) (4:25 - CBS)
6.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-2) @ Arizona Cardinals (2-3) (4:05 - FOX)
I call it "semi-interesting games on a lousy week" Sunday, as these games at least have some decent aspects. The Dolphins are a disaster, so I will watch to see whether the Falcons can beat down a bad team for once. The Raiders should be getting Derek Carr back so it will be interesting to see how their offense performs after a rough stretch and whether Amari Cooper can get untracked. Finally, the Bucs and Cards is an intriguing game of two 7-9 to 9-7 type teams. The Buccaneers to me are slightly better, but these are the type of games they have to win, against a bad opponent on the road.
5.) Los Angeles Rams (3-2) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (3-2) (4:05 - FOX)
I call it "Amazing this is a top-5 game in a week and kind of deserves to be" Sunday, as in fact that is a top matchup. It would've been a bit better had the Rams beat the Seahawks and Jaguars beat the Jets a week back - both easily could have happened. That would have been ridiculous, a 4-1 vs. 4-1 matchup. Anyway, two surprise 3-2 teams. The Rams offense vs. the Jags defense. Seeing if Blake Bortles can complete a pass! So much to be interested in.
4.) Detroit Lions (3-2) @ New Orleans Saints (2-2) (1:00 - FOX)
I call it "Amazing this is a top-4 game in a week and definitely deserves to be" Sunday, as this is actually a good game, especially with a reborn defense on the Saints side. The Lions defense has been really good this year at generating turnovers but now plays a team that hasn't thrown an interception yet. The Saints defense gets a multi-faceted offense with a live QB and a good OL, things that weren't true of Miami (QB) and Carolina (good OL).
3.) Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) @ Kansas City Chiefs (5-0) (4:25 - CBS)
I call it "Game looked a lot better a week ago" Sunday, as the Steelers are officially somewhat depressing. We've seen them lose easy-on-paper road games like they did in Chicago plenty of times. We rarely see it at home, especially with them so far off. Roethlisberger, by advanced stats, is not too far off from last year but he definitely seems to be floating the ball way too much, which is an issue against this secondary. Maybe the Steelers keep in the game with their defense, but their rush defense has been an issue recently as well.
2.) Green Bay Packers (4-1) @ Minnesota Vikings (3-2) (1:00 - FOX)
1.) Philadelphia Eagles (4-1) @ Carolina Panthers (4-1) (TNF - CBS)
I call it "The NFC On Display" Thursday and Sunday, as we get two really nice NFC games. Seems like Bradford may not play, but even with Keenum that team at home is tough. The defense has played Rodgers well in the past, though I can see him torching Trae Waynes. The Eagles and Panthers is just a really nice team built in similar ways with top defenses and risk-reward offenses that aren't as consistent as you would like. The rare really great Thursday game.
Tier I - The Clear Worst Teams
32,) Cleveland Browns (0-5 = 77-124)
31.) San Francisco 49ers (0-5 = 89-120)
30.) Chicago Bears (1-4 = 78-124)
29.) New York Giants (0-5 = 82-122)
28.) Miami Dolphins (2-2 = 41-67)
27.) Los Angeles Chargers (1-4 = 99-115)
The middle tier of the NFL is so large this year that the true worst teams have easily separated themselves from the rest. Maybe one of the teams not included in this group gets a lot worse and falls back, but I can't see any of these six - including the as of now .500 Miami Dolphins - doing anything. Let's start with Miami, the worst 2-2 team of all time (if not them, then the Jets from last week). Their offense is so incredibly terrible with Cutler leading it. The other teams gives us three 0-5 teams. Only one is not a surprise, though maybe we all overrated the Browns. I sitll believe in what their model is, to gobble up as many picks as possible, but we are a year or two away from seeing if it works. The Giants are really set-up for a disaster given the injuries they just incurred. They are not far away from 3-2, but given the record and the injuries, this could get real ugly. For the Bears, I was somewhat intrigued by Mitch Trubisky as the Vikings are a tough test, but that team probably shouldn't have scored a TD. That last interception was a classic rookie mistake, assuming that the DB couldn't close off that route. Finally, the Chargers got their win, but needed a few things to go their way to beat a similarly bad 0-4 team that lost every receiver.
Tier II - The Worst 3-2 Team Of All Time
26.) New York Jets (3-2 = 92-106)
Looking back, maybe we should have seen this coming. The Jets certainly had a schedule that made it possible for them to win three of their first five games. They got a Tannehill-less Miami team, the Jaguars and then the Browns. The schedule turns quickly, and I would not rule out a 1-10 type finish to the season, but the Jets have shown a competence I was not ready for. Josh McCown's idea to throw basically 4-5 yards each throw is not a dumb one. The defense is decent. They have some pieces. That all said, this is by far the worst team to start 3-2 I have ever seen.
Tier III - Can those QBs Get Healthy Quick
25.) Indianapolis Colts (2-3 = 97-159)
24.) Tennessee Titans (2-3 = 110-142)
With reports that Andrew Luck is still not ready (at this point I would be somewhat happily surprised if he plays at all this year) we get two teams that might easily win the AFC South if their QB just gets healthy, Mariota should be back this week, which in my mind makes the Titans the best team in the AFC South - but then again they lost 57-14 with mariota playing much of the game last week. The Colts are just an unknown. They have the worst point differential in the sport, yet were darn close to being 3-2 right now. If Luck were to come back next week, they can win the division. More likely, they go 4-12 or 5-11 with him missing the full year - another year of Luck's prime down the drain.
Tier IV - Teams worse than their close to .500 record but can improve
23.) Arizona Cardinals (2-3 = 81-125)
22.) Houston Texans (2-3 = 144-130)
21.) Baltimore Ravens (3-2 = 90-97)
All three of these teams are around .500, but have had some really noticeable flaws and mostly looked really bad. sure, the Texans had that 57-14 beatdown, and the Cardinals played the Cowboys really tough, and the Ravens had defensive dominance in the first two games, but on the whole, they are close to .500 and have looked worse. The Cardinals are already well behind the rest of the pack in the NFC, but Houston is just one game behind Jacksonville and the Ravens are tied for first place. Both have a chance here. Quick word about JJ Watt. I feel so bad for him. In my mind, if he decides to retire this offseason instead of come back, he should already be a Hall of Famer. Injuries suck man, and I hope he can come back and dominate in 2018, but by that point he would be three years removed from his last full healthy season.
Tier V - Teams better than their close to .500 record but are they real?
20.) Jacksonville Jaguars (3-2 = 139-83)
19.) New Orleans Saints (2-2 = 93-78)
Now we have two .500 or so teams that have actually been, on the whole, impressive. The Saints defense shut down a Carolina attack that rolled in back-to-back games, and then shutout the Dolphins. Now, shutting out 2017 Jay Cutler seems like something destined to happen multiple times this season, but still, for a defense we all joked about without relent through two games, this is serious improvement. With Jacksonville, we have evidence they still are what they thought with the loss to the Jets and Blake Bortles overall terrible play, we also have ample evidence that defense is quite good. Tennessee wore them down, but they've generated incredible pressure, morphed into a ball-hawking force, and Jalen Ramsey has been a star. Not sure if either team lasts, but both have been surprisingly competent through five games.
Tier VI - One of these may make a god run
18.) Dallas Cowboys (2-3 = 125-132)
17.) Cincinnati Bengals (2-3 = 84-83)
I think most in the public would think Dallas is the better team here, but are they? Dallas Week 1 win over the Giants becomes less meaningful each week, potentially the same with their closer than the score win over Arizona. The Bengals looked awful in Week 1, but probably should have won in Week 2 and almost definitely should have beaten Green Bay in Week 3. In a weird way, the outlook for the Bengals is a bit better. Dalton has started getting better protection and the defense has been solid each game this year and held opposing QBs to a 73.3 rating. That defense is for real. For Dallas, it seems like they just are a less effective version of last year's team, one that is basically the same on defense and just a bit worse on offense.
Tier VII - The Mire of the AFC
16.) Oakland Raiders (2-3 = 108-109)
15.) Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2 = 99-89)
For Oakland, it is simple. If Derek Carr comes back next week like Jack Del Rio expects they should be fine, and if they can beat Kansas City two Thursday's from now in Oakland they are right back in the thick of things. For the Steelers, the questions are deeper. Primary question is if Ben Roethlisberger is still a top QB. He was playing off before his 5-pick disaster, airmailing throws he used to hit easily. His accuracy and efficiency on deeper throws has plummeted this year. The rest of the offense has been fine, as has the defense, but something looks very wrong with Ben, especially since he is seemingly healthy.
Tier VIII - The Mire of the NFC (which is way better than the same in the AFC)
14.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-2 = 85-83)
13.) Washington Redskins (2-2 = 91-89)
I'm not really sure what to think of these two teams. In a way, they are the classic 8-8 or 9-7 teams. They are good enough to beat the bad teams on their schedule, and just quite not good enough to beat the bad ones. Granted, for the Redskins their two losses are to teams that are 4-1 and 5-0, and the defense has improved a lot. And granted for the Bucs, if their kicker was actually competent they likely beat New England, but those easy reasons or scapegoats hide real problems, like Jameis's continued inaccuracy and the Redskins inability to hit big plays anymore.
Tier IX - The Wild Cards
12.) Minnesota Vikings (3-2 = 99-93)
11.) Buffalo Bills (3-2 = 89-74)
10.) Los Angeles Rams (3-2 = 152-121)
9.) Detroit Lions (3-2 = 123-97)
8.) Denver Broncos (3-1 = 98-74)
All of these teams are above .500 deservingly, but still a lot of questions. The Vikings are scary if a healthy Bradford gets back but they've found a decent success strategy with Keenum at this point and that defense is still great. The Bills defense is still special but injuries are starting to take their toll on offense. Sean McDermott is recreating Carolina north on defense but this might be the 2012 Panthers or 2014 unit, rather than the 2013 one. The Rams, in a weird way, impressed by hanging with the Seahawks pretty well. They won't end up the top ranked offense, but even in his worst game Goff didn't look lost. The Lions could easily be 4-1, but you have to wonder about that defense. For the first time they didn't get takeaways and were quite poor for most of the game. The Broncos need to keep Siemian upright, but if they do they have a good offense especially with the growth from AJ Derby.
Tier X - Can Tom Brady just retire, please!
7.) New England Patriots (3-2 = 148-142)
Like honestly. Just retire. Or at the very least play like a 40-year old. What I do find fascinating is the Patriots have changed their offense fairly radically. They are running way deeper routes than previously, and Brady, much belittled for his inability to throw deep, has performed excellently. However, their OL has troubles holding up for these deeper routes to develop, ending up with a lot of series where the Patriots have to convert 2nd/3rd-and-long. Not sure it holds up over 16, but definitely an interesting approach.
Tier XI - The 2nd Level NFC Teams
6.) Seattle Seahawks (3-2 = 110-87)
5.) Atlanta Falcons (3-1 = 104-89)
Seattle is here mostly on reputation, understanding they usually improve as the season goes on anyway. But let's not fret around, they easily could have lost the game against the Rams, and their play so far has been middling outside of 25 minutes against a Jacoby Brissett-led Colts team. Still, the defense is strong and the potential is there, the OL has played better the last two weeks. Atlanta is somewhat of reputation as well as their record could easily be 1-3, but the bye came at the right time, with hopefully Julio Jones and Muhammad Sanu getting healthy. Both teams could get a lot better as the season goes on, and those banked wins may really help in playoff positioning.
Tier XII - The 1st Level NFC Teams
4.) Carolina Panthers (4-1 = 105-94)
3.) Philadelphia Eagles (4-1 = 137-99)
2.) Green Bay Packers (4-1 = 137-112)
Man, it really feels like the NFC is far better right now. The AFC may have the best team, but I feel all three of these would give KC a good run (Philly already did). The Panthers and Eagles test out which goes to 5-1, but even the loser is in great shape. The Panthers and Eagles defenses have been great, and both Cam and Wentz have looked better recently. The Eagles offseason pickup of Alshon Jeffery has paid divedends, and he's gained a good rhythm with Zach Ertz. The Packers are just the Packers, solid, winning games they have lost in the past, and running clear in that division despite injuries. The Panthers get their shot at Philly this week and Packers later (in Carolina). It should be an interesting chase going forward.
Tier XIII - The Last Survivor
1.) Kansas City Chiefs (5-0 = 164-111)
To be honest, I slept when it was 39-20, so not sure how those last 14 points were scored by Houston, but that was another great performance. At this point, the Chiefs are offense heavy. We've never seen THIS from a good Alex Smith team, but here we have it. The defense is still good enough and have nicely compensated for Eric Berry's absence with better play from the corners, but the offense is so good right now. Those intermediate routes that have been emphasized this year are really paying off.
Projecting the Playoffs
AFC
1.) Kansas City Chiefs = 13-3
2.) New England Patriots = 12-4
3.) Pittsburgh Steelers = 10-6
4.) Jacksonville Jaguars = 10-6
5.) Buffalo Bills = 11-5
6.) Cincinnati Bengals = 10-6
NFC
1.) Green Bay Packers = 13-3
2.) Carolina Panthers = 12-4
3.) Philadelphia Eagles = 11-5
4.) Seattle Seahawks = 10-6
5.) Atlanta Falcons = 11-5
6.) Los Angeles Rams = 10-6
Looking Ahead to Next Week's Schedule
Byes: Buffalo Bills (3-2), Cincinnati Bengals (2-3), Dallas Cowboys (2-3), Seattle Seahawks (3-2)
14.) Cleveland Browns (0-5) @ Houston Texans (2-3) (1:00 - CBS)
13.) Chicago Bears (1-4) @ Baltimore Ravens (3-2) (1:00 - FOX)
I call it "Bleccccccchhhhhhh" Sunday, as we get thrash. I guess having two rookie QBs in enticing, (three if Kizer starts), but what we'll end up with is a bad Texans team going 3-3 and a maybe worse Ravens team going 4-2.
12.) New England Patriots (3-2) @ New York Jets (3-2) (1:00 - CBS)
I call it "I can barely type out the words 'Battle for the First Place in the AFC East'" Sunday, as yes the winner will be 4-2 and a half-game up on the Bills who are on a bye, but let's be real: this is no battle, and the winner is very obvious. I don't remember a game this late into the season with teams with the same record that are more unevenly matched than this one.
11.) Indianapolis Colts (2-3) @ Tennessee Titans (2-3) (MNF - ESPN)
10.) New York Giants (0-5) @ Denver Broncos (3-1) (SNF - NBC)
9.) San Francisco 49ers (0-5) @ Washington Redskins (2-2) (1:00 - FOX)
I call it "Slightly more interesting than the 'battle for 1st place in the AFC East'" Sunday and Monday, as these games are not good, but I guess slightly better than that fake 1st place battle. Colts @ Titans would be fun if Andrew Luck was healthy, but alas I'm not expecting that statement to be true until 2018. The Giants @ Broncos may be the worst SNF game of the year, especially when flex scheduling starts up soon. The Redskins game may be interesting just because the 49ers have been playing competitive games so far each week.
8.) Miami Dolphins (2-2) @ Atlanta Falcons (3-1) (1:00 - CBS)
7.) Los Angeles Chargers (1-4) @ Oakland Raiders (2-3) (4:25 - CBS)
6.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-2) @ Arizona Cardinals (2-3) (4:05 - FOX)
I call it "semi-interesting games on a lousy week" Sunday, as these games at least have some decent aspects. The Dolphins are a disaster, so I will watch to see whether the Falcons can beat down a bad team for once. The Raiders should be getting Derek Carr back so it will be interesting to see how their offense performs after a rough stretch and whether Amari Cooper can get untracked. Finally, the Bucs and Cards is an intriguing game of two 7-9 to 9-7 type teams. The Buccaneers to me are slightly better, but these are the type of games they have to win, against a bad opponent on the road.
5.) Los Angeles Rams (3-2) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (3-2) (4:05 - FOX)
I call it "Amazing this is a top-5 game in a week and kind of deserves to be" Sunday, as in fact that is a top matchup. It would've been a bit better had the Rams beat the Seahawks and Jaguars beat the Jets a week back - both easily could have happened. That would have been ridiculous, a 4-1 vs. 4-1 matchup. Anyway, two surprise 3-2 teams. The Rams offense vs. the Jags defense. Seeing if Blake Bortles can complete a pass! So much to be interested in.
4.) Detroit Lions (3-2) @ New Orleans Saints (2-2) (1:00 - FOX)
I call it "Amazing this is a top-4 game in a week and definitely deserves to be" Sunday, as this is actually a good game, especially with a reborn defense on the Saints side. The Lions defense has been really good this year at generating turnovers but now plays a team that hasn't thrown an interception yet. The Saints defense gets a multi-faceted offense with a live QB and a good OL, things that weren't true of Miami (QB) and Carolina (good OL).
3.) Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) @ Kansas City Chiefs (5-0) (4:25 - CBS)
I call it "Game looked a lot better a week ago" Sunday, as the Steelers are officially somewhat depressing. We've seen them lose easy-on-paper road games like they did in Chicago plenty of times. We rarely see it at home, especially with them so far off. Roethlisberger, by advanced stats, is not too far off from last year but he definitely seems to be floating the ball way too much, which is an issue against this secondary. Maybe the Steelers keep in the game with their defense, but their rush defense has been an issue recently as well.
2.) Green Bay Packers (4-1) @ Minnesota Vikings (3-2) (1:00 - FOX)
1.) Philadelphia Eagles (4-1) @ Carolina Panthers (4-1) (TNF - CBS)
I call it "The NFC On Display" Thursday and Sunday, as we get two really nice NFC games. Seems like Bradford may not play, but even with Keenum that team at home is tough. The defense has played Rodgers well in the past, though I can see him torching Trae Waynes. The Eagles and Panthers is just a really nice team built in similar ways with top defenses and risk-reward offenses that aren't as consistent as you would like. The rare really great Thursday game.
