2024 Asia Trip: Day 1-2

Day 1-2: Asia, I Can't Leave You

My parents are on a 3-week cruise from Lisbon to Cape Town, stopping at various islands and African nations. Currently they are in Lanzarote. Why do I bring this up? Because it is this fact, and the more exact fact that the cruise started on November 15^th and will last through December 7^th. So they are on a boat for Thanksgiving. Because of that my sister and I took that as an opening to spread our wings as well. She’s off to have Thanksgiving with her in-laws, and I took a few extra days off and decided to head back to East Asia. After doing a trip to Korea in 2022, and Japan in 2023 (and both trips including quick jaunts to Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok as well), I didn’t do one this year in September… and I miss it – what can I say.

The impetus of this trip actually is directly attached to that first Korea trip. Due to a typhoon that hit basically the day I was supposed to land, I had to delay my trip a couple days, and change itineraries – having to cancel trips to Busan (the days of the typhoon) and Jeju Island (likely still unwalkable). It always left me feeling I saw Korea a bit half-baked. Well – two years later I’m making up for lost time. Half-way, I guess, as I still won’t be seeing Jeju Island (a nature-heavy destination isn’t ideal in late November), but will be seeing Busan, and also Gyeongju – a more traditional old town in the South of Korea. Add in a day in Seoul at the end, and my customary two days in Ho Chi Minh City and day in Bangkok at the start, and you have a tightly packed 11-day trip.

It all starts with a flight from Newark to Haneda (Tokyo) – finally being able to use my plus-points (United’s upgrade scheme) for the first time on a longhaul flight since February (when I got my upgrade to Frankfurt cleared to start my Turkey & Cape Town trip). I guess mid-week to Tokyo is a pretty low demand route for people to just buy business class, as my upgrade cleared a week before the flight, and the day before everyone on the 10-person upgrade list got cleared.

The day started with a quick trip to the Polaris Lounge, which was fairly empty given there aren’t that many international flights leaving in the morning. I went to the a-la-carte dining area and ate half of a huge omelet (really well made), chugged down a couple cappuccinos and was off to go. I had the better of the United Polaris seat formations, where the seat is closer to the window, and the side table & cabinet area are closer to the aisle. The flight was great, even if I slept less on it than I was hoping to (and less than I did on the same flight a year ago).

United has for a while talked about slowly upping their catering game, and while it still isn’t close to any Asian airline, it was quite good on this flight. The appetizer of duck with parsnip puree and apple was well thought out, as was the crunchy Asian salad. The main of sirloin with mushroom sauce, and roasted carrots & potatoes was actually one of the better steak dishes I’ve had on a plane. The sundae is good as always. Their Chilean red wine was excellent. All in all, a good main meal – paired at the end with a good Japanese “breakfast” fo curry cod, rice and miso soup. Two good meals, some good drinks, some good movies, about 4-5 hours of sleep, and before you know it, I was landing in Tokyo.

I had about a three hour layover in Haneda, and since the airport is like Singapore where if you are doing an international connection you get let out right into the departure area without needing to re-do security, I could maximize that time quite well. The ANA Lounge was close to the gate the flight arrived at. The Lounge isn’t the best – I think I noted this as well in my blog last year that I would’ve expected more from ANA, but there are some good features. First, a really nice shower suite, which was sorely needed. Second, the had a really nice sake, which helped since their food options were fairly poor.

Of course, I ended up getting to spend some extra time in the lounge since the flight got delayed about two hours due to "mechanical issues". I put it in quotes because it seems looking at the particular route's flightaware history, that every few days it gets dealyed the same two hours. Anyway, the flight was fine in the sense I had two glasses of sake, had their meal (a nice lightly fried chicken dish), and then slept. 

We reached late enough that immigration was quick, the drive from the airport to my AirBNB in the heart of downtown was quick, and then so was the grab taxi over to The Gin House - reaching at 12:45, almost exactly one hour after landing. The Gin House was one of my original cocktail haunts in HCMC dating back mostly to my 2019 and 2022 trips. When I returned in 2022, it was a bit sad that post covid they gave up basically half their space. Well, this time they've moved a couple blocks away and got a larger space, quite reminiscent of their pre-Covid peak. The gin-based cocktails were great as usual. 

What's also as great as usual is Pho Quynh, the 24-hour Pho spot nearby that has been a post-drinks/EDM staple for every trip. The place, even on a quiet Thursday, was humming. What's also nice is it is right at the end of a street that if you start walking down the street becomes quite seedy (to be fair, not really seedy - but let's say quite Bangkok-ish), but Pho Quynh is accessible on the main road. It is the best way to end a day (hint: upcoming ranking of late night food spots...).

NFL 2024: Week 12 Power Rankings & The Rest

32.) Carolina Panthers  =  3-7  (167-310)

31.) Jacksonville Jaguars  =  2-9  (208-316)

30.) Las Vegas Raiders  =  2-8  (187-285)
29.) Tennessee Titans  =  2-8  (170-263)

28.) New York Giants  =  2-8  (156-222)

27.) Cleveland Browns  =  2-8  (162-248)

26.) New England Patriots  =  3-8  (182-248)

25.) Dallas Cowboys  =  3-7  (187-293)

24.) New York Jets  =  3-8  (204-242)

23.) New Orleans Saints  =  4-7  (262-260)

22.) Miami Dolphins  =  4-6  (181-221)

21.) Chicago Bears  =  4-6  (194-187)

20.) Indianapolis Colts  =  5-6  (236-250)

19.) Seattle Seahawks  =  5-5  (230-238)

18.) Cincinnati Bengals  =  4-7  (297-296)

17.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers  =  4-6  (279-266)
16.) Atlanta Falcons  =  6-5  (244-274)

15.) Los Angeles Rams  =  5-5  (213-239)

14.) Denver Broncos  =  6-5  (235-183)
13.) San Francisco 49ers  =  5-5  (250-222)

12.) Arizona Cardinals  =  6-4  (238-220)

11.) Green Bay Packers  =  7-3  (250-213)
10.) Los Angeles Chargers  =  7-3  (220-145)
9.) Washington Commanders  =  7-4  (308-243)

8.) Houston Texans  =  7-4  (258-236)

7.) Baltimore Ravens  =  7-4  (334-271)
6.) Pittsburgh Steelers  =  8-2  (233-162)

5.) Minnesota Vikings  =  8-2  (244-170)

4.) Kansas City Chiefs  =  9-1  (240-191)

3.) Philadelphia Eagles  =  8-2  (259-179)

2.) Buffalo Bills  =  9-2  (320-214)

1.) Detroit Lions  =  9-1  (336-177)

AFC

1.) Kansas City Chiefs  =  14-3

2.) Buffalo Bills  =  13-4
3.) Pittsburgh Steelers  =  12-5

4.) Houston Texans  =  11-6
5.) Baltimore Ravens  =  12-5
6.) XXXXXXXXX
7.) XXXXXXXXX

NFC

1.) Detroit Lions  =  14-3

2.) Philadelphia Eagles  =  13-4
3.) San Francisco 49ers  =  10-7

4.) Atlanta Falcons  =  9-8

5.) Minnesota Vikings  =  13-4

6.) Green Bay Packers  =  11-6
7.) Washington Commanders  =  11-6

Looking Ahead to Next Week's Games

Byes: Atlanta Falcons (6-5), Buffalo Bills (9-2), Cincinnati Bengals (X-X), New Orleans Saints (4-7), New York Jets (4-7), Jacksonville Jaguars (2-9)

13.) New England Patriots (3-8)  @  Miami Dolphins (4-7)  (1:00 - CBS)

12.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6)  @  New York Giants (2-8)  (1:00 - CBS)
11.) Tennessee Titans (2-8)  @  Houston Texans (X-X)  (1:00 - CBS)
10.) Kansas City Chiefs (9-1)  @  Carolina Panthers (3-7)  (1:00 - CBS)
9.) Denver Broncos (6-5)  @  Las Vegas Raiders (2-8)  (4:05 - CBS)

8.) Dallas Cowboys (X-X)  @  Washington Commanders (7-4)  (1:00 - FOX)
7.) Pittsburgh Steelers (8-2)  @  Cleveland Browns (2-8)  (TNF - Prime)
6.) Minnesota Vikings (8-2)  @  Chicago Bears (4-6)  (1:00 - FOX)
5.) Detroit Lions (9-1)  @  Indianapolis Colts (5-6)  (1:00 - FOX)

4.) Philadelphia Eagles (8-2)  @  Los Angeles Rams (5-5)  (SNF - NBC)
3.) Baltimore Ravens (7-4)  @  Los Angeles Chargers (X-X)  (MNF - ESPN)

2.) San Francisco 49ers (5-5)  @  Green Bay Packers (7-3)  (4:25 - FOX)
1.) Arizona Cardinals (6-4)  @  Seattle Seahawks (5-5)  (4:25 - FOX)

Update:: The Long Slow Continuing Descent into Madness of the Colts

Update:

Today, just 15 days after the Colts benched Anthony Richardson, they've reinstated him in teh starting lineup. It's not a surprise in terms of play, given Joe Flacco was assuredly not "better" in his two games starting than Richardson was. But the decision to go back to Richardson just reinforces how hopeless, directionless adn stupid this franchise is at the moment. If anything, this is dumber than benching him in the first place.

It seems pretty clear now that this was either (a) a serious overreaction to Richardson "tapping out" of a 3rd & 30, (b) some larger point to punish / coach-up Richardson who was not giving it his all in practice or (c) a seriously misguided effort to "save" the season. If it is C - just fire Steichen tomorrow. Like, what are we doing. Flacco at best would give a 5% increased chance at making the playoffs. That is no reason at all to bench the future.

If it is (b) then I guess it was a credible reason to bench him, but then definitely not a real reason to put him back in the lineup. I mean, has he "learned his lesson" after two games, seeing the team struggle as much, if not more, without him. Clearly all he saw on the bench was worse / equally bad QB play and the team reinsert him as some weird type of hero. 

That leaves us with (a) which might be the dumbest reason of all. Yes, I believe he may have lost the locker room in that moment. Except for one simple thing : Richardson had his best drive of the day on the next possession, leading the Colts to a TD - the drive capped by a picture perfect "wow" throw from Richardson to Downs - with the team celebrating, and more pointedly celebrating WITH Richardson. I truly don't think he ever "lost the locker room." 

At the end of the day, there was no good reason to bench him. There's no great reason to bring him back other than a "two wrongs don't make a right" admission that the initial benching never should have happened. All this exposed is that whoever is calling the shots is way over their head.

****************************************************************************

 

The Colts are benching Anthony Richardson. Not that his play hasn't warranted it - what with the 44% completion percentage. But he's also showed flashes of brilliance. He has a great arm. He can read a defense. He can run. He's started just 10 games. The Colts are 4-6 in his starts, and are 4-4 this season adn in the playoff mix. This is a woeful decision. Sadly just the latest in a long line of them for this franchise, nominally the one I root. It's been 15 years of woeful decisions, ever since that wintery Week 16 in 2009 when the 14-0 Colts pulled their starters. 15 years later, the Colts have still not recovered.

It's not like hte Colts have been a pure embarrassment since then. They've made the playoffs eight times, and in the years they didn't, they generally hovered around .500. They've had some highs. They had Andrew Luck. But really it's been one long descent from that moment of being on top of the football world. Bill Polian made his decision, that resting up a team that wasn't 14-0 good anyway was mre important than chasing 16-0. I disagreed then. Many did. I don't know if I would call everything that's happened since karmic retribution, but it wouldn't be the worst throughline for a 10-part docuseries.

The story goes that Jim Irsay vehemently hated the fact that Bill Polian pushed coach Jim Caldwell to pull his starters and give up on the 16-0 season. Bill Polian was a noted asshole. He was our asshole, the Colts asshole, and ruthlessly good at his job. Jim Irsay hated the fact that Bill Polian basically pulled every string on that franchise. Irsay wanted his franchise back. After a fairly staid 10-6 season in 2010 (their worst in eight years), Peyton Manning got hurt in 2011. The Colts fell to 2-14, got the #1 pick that gifted them a generational prospect, and Bill Polian had everythign he needed to "take his franchise back." He fired Polian, cut Peyton, drafted Luck and it was all supposed to be hunky dory. It all may have worked also, if not for that darn Peyton.

The biggest risk in all of that was Irsay cutting Peyton - the guy who basically built this franchise and turned them into a professional outfit. Manning missed an entire season and had a scary neck injury. The only failure point to Irsay's plan was if Peyton returend as good as ever. It's one thing to cut a guy who wouldn't really play again. It's another when the guy you cut leads a team to a 50-14 record over four seasons, two Super Bowls, one title, and two incredible seasons, one of which would see him set all time records that still haven't been broken for yards and TDs. I honestly don't think Irsay could take the fact that Peyton returend as good as ever and he would be the known as the guy that "gave up on Peyton."

So what did Irsay do? He doubles down on this being his franchise - and namely that he went to some degree to put down the Manning/Polian era. He lamented them winning "just one" Super Bowl. He lamented their "star wars" numbers of offensive glory, noting how teams win on defense and running and that normal bullshit. Forget that the Manning era was incredibly successful in every way - won twelve games in a row seven straight years, had four MVP seasons from Peyton, etc. But no, Irsay wanted somethign different.

That something different ruined Andrew Luck's career. With Luck, he should've just repeated the Manning era - surroudn him with great weapons, invest in pass rush, build through the draft, etc. Instead, through GM Ryan Grigson, and coach Chuck Pagano, they did the opposite. The overspent in free agency on interior lineman and linebackers. They wasted picks on running backs (Trent Richardson!). They never got a real pass rusher. They had a terrible line, made worse by Luck's one failing of holding the ball too much. Luck was great enough to win a lot of games, but also couldn't hold up. He was beaten and battered into a shock retirement right before the 2019 season.

That leads to big mistake #2 (#1 being cutting Peyton and overreacting to Polian). Luck's retirement should have been a moment of introspection. Instead it wasn't that at all. By then Chris Ballard and Frank Reich had replaced Ryan Grigson and Chuck Pagano, and while both have been a step up, neither had the right approach. It's been five seasons since Luck retired and there's still undercurrents of that admitted shock being an excuse for why there is no answer. It definitely lasted through three years of recycling old QBs to worse and worse results (Rivets in 2020, Wentz in 2021, Ryan and 2022). None of those were even medium-term answer, but the Colts trod on.

And then came the Richardson pick. They got a top draft pick eleven years after getting the top draft pick that got them Andrew Luck. Anthony Richardson had a lot of red flags - not many starts, accuracy issues in college. It was going to take time. 10 games isn't enough time. But the rushed decision here, even if Shane Steichen is taking full responsibility, is another sympton of how broken this franchise is mentally. 

It was broken when Irsay "wanted his franchise back." It was broken when he demeaned the Manning era because he couldn't handle he cut a Peyton who could still play at an MVP level. It was broken when it literally broke Andrew Luck - something that was such a gift that they just wasted. It was broken when they decided to keep trotting out old QBs instaed of actually just re-setting thigns for the post Luck world years ago. And it is broken now when they are seemingly either fully giving up on a guy 10 starts in, or just wasting time to further evaluate by pushing that decision into 2025 to see if Flacco can go 9-8 like Wentz did in 2021. I don't think Irsay is a bad owner, but he's a rash and emotional one that has still not mentally recovered from 2009.

Someday the Colts will get out of this cycle of stupid decision making and mediocrity. When that day eventually comes, I hope we can look back at maybe this - the quick trigger failing of Anthony Richardson - being what set them back on track. Fifteen years ago, they pulled their starters. It was a fairly cowardly, weird move, but led to so much madness. Fifteen years later, they've pulled their starter at QB. It is fairly nonsensical. Hopefully not a perpetuation of a fifteen year nightmare, but the more I think about, the more I think it is.

NFL 2024: Week 11 Power Rankings & The Rest

Tier I - The "Sr. Jones" Uno

32.) New York Giants  =  2-8  (156-222) 

The irony is I don't think at all the Giants have the worst roster in the NFL. They ahve some decent talent at receiver, at DL, and even in the secondary. Conversely, the OL is garbage, but really all this comes down to is the continuing humiliation of Daniel Jones. It was a msitake pick back in 2019, and still a mistake pick when they decided to pay him after that mirage of a 2022 season. The rumblings of benching grows louder, but even if they let him play out the string - it is already team to start scouring 2025 draft QBs.

Tier II - The "Scouting Through 2025" Quadro

31.) Carolina Panthers  =  3-7  (167-310)
30.) Cleveland Browns  =  2-7  (148-213)
29.) New England Patriots  =  3-7  (160-220)
28.) Tennessee Titans  =  2-7  (157-240)

A lot of people are commenting on the ridiculous spate of 2-win and 3-win teams at this point in the season. Legitimately so (my next two groups are also such teams). Granted, some of this is there's no 0-win or 1-win team at this point. Anyway, for the Panthers, nice that Bryce Young is 2-1 since his return but that team is still a disaster. Cleveland hopefully can get something back after their bye but I would put tabs on the Jameis-sance being a 1-week mirage. The Patriots showed they can still dismantle bad offenses, but I still think against better schemed teams compared to whatever the bears are putting forward, they will get exposed. And finally the Titans are having one of the most boring seasons of incompetence. Nothing embarrassingly bad, but really nothign aside from continuing good DL play, to enjoy.

Tier III - The "Wishing it was All a Dream" Trio

27.) New York Jets  =  3-7  (177-214)

26.) Jacksonville Jaguars  =  2-8  (202-264)

25.) Dallas Cowboys  =  3-6  (177-259)

Even if Rodgers comes back, this season is full to well shot. What a surprise that firing the defensive coach would make the defense, what was still a good unit at the time of Saleh's firing, turn into a disaster. I don't think there's any team with worse outlook this season. If you're the Jaguars, do you even bring Trevor back? I mean I assume you do, but at this point Lawrence is almost certainly the starter next year, and equally so is Doug Pederson almost certainly not the coach. XXXXXXXXXXXX. The Cowboys are just overmatched at this point, and I do wonder when the plug gets pulled on McCarthy. Jerry is generally not as rash with coaches as you think, but in a similar QB-injury disappointment in 2010, he did can Wade Phillips after a similar-ish track record.

Tier IV - The "Mediocre Mediocrities" Duo

24.) Las Vegas Raiders  =  2-7  (168-201)
23.) New Orleans Saints  =  3-7  (227-246)

I don't really know why I have these two higher than the prior four. I guess I have some more upside potential in the Raiders defense, and the Saints having some life with Derek Carr back. We finally move on from our host of 2-win and 3-win teams here. Each of the seasons since the move to 17-games has seen one team start 3-6 or worse make the playoffs. Since all the 4-6 teams were previously 4-5, that means for the streak to continue, one of the above will have to make it. I guess the only one I have any real potential in seeing is New Orleans. Not sure why, but that team from Week 1-2 may be lingering just enough.

Tier V - The "In Theory Wild Card Fodder" Trio

22.) Miami Dolphins  =  3-6  (147-202)

21.) Chicago Bears  =  4-5  (175-167)
20.) Indianapolis Colts  =  4-6  (208-223)
19.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers  =  4-6  (279-266)

Ok, all four can I guess turn it around, but it all seems a bit hopeless. The Dolphins got a big win in theory but I saw some distressing signs even in that win - huge sacks, some issues in teh secondary, and more frustratingly a continued lower ceiling to the Dolphins offense than there should be. The Bears have had three msierable games on offense in a row, and Waldron just seems lost. It's not like there's not weapons, and while the OL is bad, you would think Waldron can scheme up something better than what we've seen so far. I won't put it all on Caleb just yet. For the Colts, the schedule is easy enough that I can see a path back to 9-8. Again, they never get embarrassed, but strikingly they look way less competitive overall with Flacco. It seems like Steichen's digging his heels here - another potential comeback felled seemingly by coaching malpractice. For the Buccaneers, it's the opposite really. Coaching wise they're fine, but just too many injuries. Baker has been valiant, but the defense is also getting gashed a bit more than they did earlier in the season. When they're not getting pressure, teh secondary is getting exposed at times.

Tier VI - The "Wild Card Contenders" Quadro

18.) Denver Broncos  =  5-5  (197-177)

17.) Seattle Seahawks  =  4-5  (210-221)
16.) Cincinnati Bengals  =  4-6  (270-262)
15.) Los Angeles Rams  =  4-5  (185-217)

Technically the Broncos are the #7 seed in the AFC at this moment, but since they've yet to beat anyone all that good I'm sticking them down here. Nix has played low-msitake football but the top-end needs to get higer for me to have any real confidence. For the Seahawks, it's been a rough few weeks but they remain just 1.5 games out of the division with a high ceiling + low floor combination. They have to protect better for Geno. For teh Bengals, there still is a clean path to the playoffs, starting with a huge game this week in LA. Defensively they have to blitz more; try something to get pass rush from anyone outside of Hendrickson. I'm not sure why I remain being somewhat hopeful about the Rams. Stafford and that offense have to do better in the red zone, and particularly they have to stop taking huge sacks. That was a winnable game, and Kupp and Nacua look good, and the defense continues to play above its level. I think this is a good team with enough of a runway to make it interesting.

Tier VII - The "Imperfect, Untested, but Good" Quadro

14.) Atlanta Falcons  =  6-4  (238-236)

13.) Arizona Cardinals  =  6-4  (238-220)
12.) Green Bay Packers  =  6-3  (230-194)

11.) Los Angeles Chargers  =  6-3  (186-118)

The Falcons couldn't just follow through on promise for once. They had a bunch of positive momentum last couple weeks. They outplayed the Saints in reality, but seeing Kirk struggle to attack and rely on checkdowns on that final drive was alarming. Outside of one out-of-his-mind drive in Philadelphia, they still haven't able to play in all-pass situations. The Cardinals remain a high ceiling team with a defense playing better by the week and a scheme that Murray seems increasingly more comfortable with as well. They cling to that division lead, and have an easier schedule rest of year than the 49ers. Stealing that division is definitely a possibility. For the Packers, let's hope the bye settles down a Jordan Love given a week to rest. He took off in the second half of the season, but for me at least I've seen some definite regression this year. Nothing alarming for a 2nd year player. The Chargers resume is pretty barren on big wins at this point, but man can they jsut suffocate bad offenses. Again, there is some house of cards potential if injuries set-in, but so far Jim Harbaugh has been a good luck charm in that area.

Tier VIII - The "Ships Passing in the Night" Duo

10.) Houston Texans  =  6-4  (247-252)
9.) San Francisco 49ers  =  5-4  (233-202)

It's not even like you could say the Texans should have won that game. They basically decided to stop playing at halftime, and it was only the two more interceptions by Jared Goff that kept it close. The defense though remains excellent, and can get even better when Will Anderson returns. Offensively they need to slow it down for Stroud, but this might just be a sophomore slump season. Finally on the 49ers side, with McCaffrey back there are no more excuses. Be the team that you still very much have the roster to be. Jennings and Pearsall have filled in fine enough for Aiyuk. The defense has found some punch. Purdy is still playing well. Make your kicks and go on your roll. The opportunity is there, admittedly with a tough schedule to navigate. That should have been a dominant win if not for the horrific special teams. Clean that shit up, guys.

Tier IX - The "Just Plain Good Teams" Trio

8.) Minnesota Vikings  =  7-2  (221-157)

7.) Washington Commanders  =  7-3  (290-217)
6.) Pittsburgh Steelers  =  7-2  (215-146)

If Darnold isn't throwing terrible interceptions, the Vikings are pretty damn great. Yes, better offenses can take advantage of Flores (see the Lions). Yes, saying "if Darnold doesn't throw interceptions" is a tough ask, but I still believe in the core of this team and the wins that they've banked to this point. This is still a much better, real version of the Vikings compared to the 13-4 mirage of a team in 2022, even if 2022 Kirk is better than 2024 Darnold. The Commanders probably should've won that game, but a close loss to a good team is probably right given they never should've beaten the Bears. Jayden Daniels is going through a mini-slump, but is still a very good player taking advantage of some good weapons and Dan Quinn's defense remains good enough to keep them in any game of late. Imperfect team, but really high upside still. For the Steelers, my only worry coming out of that game (aside from if Wilson turns into a pumpkin) is the Highsmith injury, but they're deep enough and well coached enough on defense to get around it. The Steelers are just a very good team and have a chance for a real statement next week against the Ravens.

Tier X - The "Are We Allowed to Believe?" Uno

5.) Philadelphia Eagles  =  7-2  (233-161)

Like I get Sirriani can seem like a buffoon. I get that it is hard to trust them after a 10-1 start last year becoming a 1-5 end and a meek playoff exit. But to put it another way, in 2022 they went 14-3, then started 10-1, had that malaise (admittedly after playing nothing like a 10-1 type record), and now are 7-2. Take that malaise out of it, and they are 31-6. There is upside here because the top end is just that strong. Maybe not as strong as the 14-3 team having lost some pass rush punch adn OL dominance, but about as good. This is a very good team that more will trust over time. Starting maybe with this week against the Commanders.

Tier XI - The "Mega Contenders" Quadro

4.) Baltimore Ravens  =  7-3  (318-253)

3.) Buffalo Bills  =  8-2  (290-193)

2.) Detroit Lions  =  9-1  (310-194)
1.) Kansas City Chiefs  =  9-0  (219-161)

The Ravens narrowly averted another frustrating loss. This is a ranking based on offensive dominance, but to me clearly 4th in a group of Four based on thsoe defensive limitations. Jackson is playing at an insanely high level, but it is a bad sign that they need him to do so to win close games, rather than blowout teams like 2019 or 2023. For the Bills, that was a calm win even with some weirdness, but in past years they would lose the games with weirdness and picks and what-not. Cooper and Coleman hopefully will come back soon, but may not be in time for the Chiefs game. For the Lions, if they're able to throw the ball away four times (plus a hail mary pick), fall behind 23-7, on the road against a good team, and still win the game, that is a sign that this is just a really good unit. Finally on the Chiefs, yes it is frustrating for opponents to watch them just win these close games week after week. But this is still a good team. For their sake, I hope they lose at some point because to some degree this is like teh 2009 Colts, that were never 16-0 good despite basically getting that opportunity handed to them on a platter.

\Projecting the Playoffs

AFC

1.) Kansas City Chiefs  =  15-2

2.) Buffalo Bills  =  13-4

3.) Baltimore Ravens  =  12-5

4.) Houston Texans  =  11-6
5.) Pittsburgh Steelers  =  12-5

6.) Los Angeles Chargers  =  11-6

7.) Cincinnati Bengals  =  10-7

NFC

1.) Detroit Lions  =  14-3

2.) Philadelphia Eagles  =  12-5

3.) San Francisco 49ers  =  11-6

4.) Atlanta Falcons  =  11-6
5.) Minnesota Vikings  =  12-5

6.) Washington Commanders  =  11-6

7.) Green Bay Packers  =  11-6

Looking Ahead to Next Week's Schedule

Byes: New York Giants (2-8), Arizona Cardinals (6-4), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6), Carolina Panthers (3-7)

14.) Indianapolis Colts (4-6)  @  New York Jets (3-7)  (1:00 - CBS)

13.) Las Vegas Raiders (2-8)  @  Miami Dolphins (3-6)  (1:00 - CBS)
12.) Cleveland Browns (2-7)  @  New Orleans Saints (3-7)  (1:00 - FOX)

11.) Houston Texans (6-4)  @  Dallas Cowboys (3-7)  (MNF - ESPN)
10.) Los Angeles Rams (4-5)  @  New England Patriots (3-7)  (1:00 - FOX)

9.) Jacksonville Jaguars (2-8)  @  Detroit Lions (9-1)  (1:00 - CBS)

8.) Minnesota Vikings (7-2)  @  Tennessee Titans (2-7)  (1:00 - CBS)

7.) Atlanta Falcons (6-4)  @  Denver Broncos (5-5)  (4:05 FOX)- 
6.) Seattle Seahawks (4-5)  @  San Francisco 49ers (5-4)  (4:05 - FOX)
5.) Cincinnati Bengals (4-6)  @  Los Angeles Chargers (6-3)  (SNF - NBC)

4.) Green Bay Packers (6-3)  @  Chicago Bears (4-5)  (1:00 - FOX)
3.) Washington Commanders (7-3)  @  Philadelphia Eagles (7-2)  (TNF - Prime)
2.) Baltimore Ravens (7-3)  @  Pittsburgh Steelers (8-2)  (1:00 - CBS)
1.) Kansas City Chiefs (9-0)  @  Buffalo Bills (8-2)  (4:25 - CBS)

NFL 2025: Week 10 Power Rankings & The Rest

32.) Carolina Panthers  =  2-7  (147-293)

31.) New England Patriots  =  2-7  (141-217)

30.) Las Vegas Raiders  =  2-7  (168-251)
29.) New York Giants  =  2-7  (139-202)
28.) Tennessee Titans  =  2-6  (140-213)

27.) Cleveland Browns  =  2-7  (148-213)

26.) Jacksonville Jaguars  =  2-7  (195-202)
25.) New York Jets  =  3-6  (171-183)
24.) New Orleans Saints  =  2-7  (207-229)
23.) Miami Dolphins  =  2-6  (124-187)
22.) Dallas Cowboys  =  3-5  (171-225)
21.) Indianapolis Colts  =  4-5  (188-193)
20.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers  =  4-5  (259-243)

19.) Chicago Bears  =  4-4  (172-148)

18.) Seattle Seahawks  =  4-5  (210-221)

17.) Los Angeles Rams  =  4-4  (170-194)

16.) Denver Broncos  =  5-4  (183-161)
15.) Houston Texans  =  6-3  (201-200)
14.) Arizona Cardinals  =  5-4  (207-214)
13.) Los Angeles Chargers  =  6-3  (159-101)

12.) Cincinnati Bengals  =  4-5  (236-227)
11.) Atlanta Falcons  =  6-3  (221-216)

10.) Green Bay Packers  =  6-3  (230-194)

9.) Pittsburgh Steelers  =  6-2  (187-119)

8.) San Francisco 49ers  =  4-4  (210-182)

7.) Washington Commanders  =  7-2  (263-189)

6.) Philadelphia Eagles  =  6-2  (199-155)

5.) Minnesota Vikings  =  6-2  (209-150)

4.) Baltimore Ravens  =  6-3  (283-219)

3.) Buffalo Bills  =  7-2  (260-173)
2.) Detroit Lions  =  7-1  (258-148)

1.) Kansas City Chiefs  =  8-0  (203-147)

Projecting the Playoffs

AFC

1.) Kansas City Chiefs  =  15-2

2.) Baltimore Ravens  =  13-4

3.) Buffalo Bills  =  13-4

4.) Houston Texans  =  11-6

5.) Pittsburgh Steelers  =  12-5

6.) Los Angeles Chargers  =  11-6

7.) Cincinnati Bengals  =  10-7

NFC

1.) Detroit Lions  =  14-3

2.) Philadelphia Eagles  =  13-4

3.) San Francisco 49ers  =  11-6

4.) Atlanta Falcons  =  11-6

5.) Washington Commanders  =  12-5

6.) Minnesota Vikings  =  12-5

7.) Green Bay Packers  =  11-6

Looking Ahead to Next Week's Games

Byes: Cleveland Brown (2-7), Las Vegas Raiders (2-7), Green Bay Packers (6-3), Seattle Seahawks (4-5)

14.) New York Giants (2-7)  @  Carolina Panthers (2-7)  (9:30 - NFLN)

13.) New England Patriots (2-7)  @  Chicago Bears (4-4)  (1:00 - FOX)
12.) Tennessee Titans (2-6)  @  Los Angeles Chargers (5-3)  (4:05 - FOX)
11.) Miami Dolphins (2-6)  @  Los Angeles Rams (4-4)  (MNF - ESPN)

10.) Atlanta Falcons (6-3)  @  New Orleans Saints (2-7)  (1:00 - FOX)

9.) Minnesota Vikings (6-2)  @  Jacksonville Jaguars (2-7)  (1:00 - FOX)

8.) Buffalo Bills (7-2)  @  Indianapolis Colts (4-5)  (1:00 - CBS)

7.) New York Jets (3-6)  @  Arizona Cardinals (5-4)  (4:25 - CBS)

6.) Philadelphia Eagles (6-2)  @  Dallas Cowboys (3-5)  (4:25 - CBS)

5.) San Francisco 49ers (4-4)  @  Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5)  (1:00 - FOX)

4.) Denver Broncos (5-3)  @  Kansas City Chiefs (8-0)  (1:00 - CBS)

3.) Detroit Lions (7-1)  @  Houston Texans (6-3)  (SNF - NBC)
2.) Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2)  @  Washington Commanders (7-2)  (1:00 - CBS)

1.) Cincinnati Bengals (4-5)  @  Baltimore Ravens (6-3)  (TNF - Prime)