stormtrooper8
- Joined
- May 30, 2022
- Messages
- 11,028
Going to finally add some notes. There's a new number 1.
Last week in parentheses
1. Chiefs (2) - They have some offensive issues, but they are the defending champs and have clearly struck gold on drafting young defenders. Good win against Denver, much more dominating than the score indicated. Now they get to play a desperate Chargers team.
2. 49ers (1) - In hindsight, the Browns game was a let down spot. You just felt they'd find a way to still win given Cleveland's lack of weapons offensively. But that was the first time Purdy looked rattled. Monday night @ Minnesota could be a nice bounce back spot for them.
3. Lions (5) - They are a complete football team, and have gotten over their issues on the road. Their defense has been surprisingly formidable, and they are well-rounded on offense. I'm a little surprised they've lived up to the hype. Big game in Baltimore this week.
4. Dolphins (4) - They are scary explosive offensively, and showed that after basically spotting a bad Carolina team a couple touchdowns early. When they're on, they are very hard to stop. Health is going to be the main obstacle. They looked bad at Buffalo a few weeks ago... now they get another test visiting a Philadelphia team in a bounce back spot.
5. Cowboys (8) - This team has proven to be very good in bounce back situations, going 10-1 following losses since 2021. They still have a very formidable defense and are going to be players in the NFC. They'll hopefully figure out some thing offensively over the bye week.
6. Jaguars (6) - Solid divisional win to grab control of the division. I think they are getting gradually better every week, and will continue to be a good team moving forward. Lawrence is going to have to play better. Short week and a trip to a hungry Saints team.
7. Eagles (3) - I admit I put them too high last week. They've been great in the trenches all year long, but they have been playing with trouble. Hurts just doesn't look the same, and the secondary looks vulnerable. There's a lot to clean up. A visit from the high-octane Dolphins will be interesting.
8. Ravens (9) - Pretty solid performance from Baltimore across the pond, but they left a lot of points on the board. 6 field goals is too many. They seem to be similar to the recent Baltimore teams, and continue not to trust Lamar to throw. They need to figure some things out as they start to play better teams, starting with Detroit this week.
9. Bengals (11) - The offense showed good signs of life in the first half before struggling a bit in the second half against Seattle, but the defense returned to old form with it's red zone masterpiece. And Burrow looks close to 100%. Good momentum for this team going into the bye week.
10. Bills (7) - They have to drop despite the win. They should have lost at home to a 15-point underdog, their offense is inconsistent, they lost a couple defensive pieces. This team looks like same old Bills.
11. Seahawks (10) - This squad has seemed to struggle out of byes sometimes. First drive was excellent, and they showed flashes of offensive greatness. But they continued to struggle on third down and reallllly struggled in the red zone. The defense played its best game of the season though, and is a legit unit now. Home to Arizona this week should give them opportunities to clean some things up offensively.
12. Rams (13) - The team has proven to be at least formidable this year, with their 3 losses coming to good teams and in fairly competitive games. Their defense is pretty solid overall, and their offense is coming to life. Very solid team, which surprises many. Big game at home against Pittsburgh this week.
13. Browns (20) - I hate doing this, but they have to climb. That defense is producing historically great statistics, which is enough to make them a top half team (for now). The offense is going to be an issue for them all year, and I don't think they can replicate that kind of running performance consistently without Chubb. A trip to Indy looms, and is an opportunity to position themselves well in the division.
14. Steelers (15) - They've been underwhelming on offense (as expected), and probably a bit too reliant on defense to make plays. Can they get Pickett and the offense going after a bye week. Very interesting game in Los Angeles against the Rams coming up.
15. Saints (14) - This team continues to struggle to find itself offensively. Their division is for theirs to take, as they have the best roster by a decent margin, but they keep missing opportunities. Short week then hopefully they can find some footing at home against the Jags.
16. Bucs (12) - They've put up a formidable effort this year and the defense is no joke, but you can see the limitations of the offense when it plays good teams. They've failed both home tests against Super Bowl contenders, and pretty badly. Big divisional match-up this week against Atlanta, again at home.
17. Jets (21) - Zach Wilson is bad, but to his credit he seems to be getting incrementally better and is doing enough to keep his team in games and give them chances to win. They've had a couple great home games against quality teams, and that defense is filthy. Good momentum going into the bye week.
18. Raiders (22) - The offense continues to struggle a little bit, but the defense has been very impressive thus far. One of the more pleasant surprises of the season for sure. Golden opportunity to get to above .500 with a trip to Chicago on the horizon.
19. Chargers (16) - The Chargers continue to be the same old Chargers: situationally questionable, bad coaching, un-clutch moments from Herbert. They need to shake it up a little bit and not waste a talent like Herbert. A trip to Arrowhead is not exactly the best thing for this team right now.
20. Titans (17) - This team really is struggling offensively. Big plays from Henry, and the occasional play-action bomb seem to be the only offensive output it can generate. No ability to sustain any rhythm. This team could be looking at a shakeup as well. Bye week is definitely needed.
21. Packers (19) - Defense is ok, but there are a lot of questions at QB and this offense at a whole. Just not a lot to like there. Maybe a trip to Denver can solve their issues.
22. Falcons (18) - Might seem slightly harsh, but just think this team is going to be very limited offensively with their QB and their defense is starting to come back down to expectation a little bit. Interesting test in Tampa Bay this week.
23. Texans (24) - Credit to this team for continuing to battle week in and week out. They have limitations, but Stroud continues to be a great rookie and they seem to get a lot out of the serviceable guys that they do have. 3-3 is a good spot for them heading into the bye week.
24. Commanders (27) - It's kind of strange this team is 3-3 all things considered, but they deserve credit for that because they have some serious issues. Howell is clearly not a franchise guy, and their defense has largely been underwhelming. 3 very non-impressive wins and 3 ugly losses. That said, they have a legit chance to go above .500 with a trip to New York to play the Giants.
25. Vikings (25) - They're sort of getting back on the right track after the 0-3 start, but the wins have been pretty underwhelming. The offense is starting to struggle a little bit without Jefferson (shocker), but the run defense has been OK. SF at home on Monday night will be tough, but they are getting them as a beaten up squad at least.
26. Colts (23) - Man, what a terrible game by Minshew. He's good in relief, but seems limited when he actually starts. There's a reason he's a backup. I think Indy could struggle moving forward, though they've been a little better than expected to this point. Their offense could struggle quite a bit against Cleveland.
27. Patriots (26) - I might be being generous. This team is offensively lost, Mac Jones looks shattered out there from a confidence standpoint. Their defense is the only thing that can keep them from being the completely dumpster fire of the league. Not sure how they'll play against Buffalo at home.
28. Giants (30) - Good fight on Sunday night in Orchard Park -- a game they probably deserved to win quite frankly if not for some bad officiating. The offense showed some life with Taylor at the helm, and the defense finally stepped up a bit. Can they get a win against a streaky Washington team at home?
29. Bears (28) - Just when you think the offense is about to turn a corner a bit, they regress back. But at least the defense finally showed some life in their loss to Minnesota. Winnable game with Las Vegas coming to town.
30. Cardinals (29) - The Josh Dobbs thing is starting to lose steam a bit, as the Cardinals fail to cover for the third straight week. They may start to fold altogether pretty soon. Credit to their coach so far, but this roster is just bad. Visiting Seattle this week will be pretty tough for them.
31. Panthers (32) - The only thing this team has going for itself as it heads to the bye is that Bryce Young seems to be starting to figure it out. The roster is just bad, there's no way around it.
32. Broncos (31) - Yeah, this team is a disaster. Russel Wilson has been bad all year (stats are inflated), Payton is lost as a coach, and this defense blows. At least it showed life against KC I guess, though Chiefs controlled the game quite a bit and left points on the field.
Last week in parentheses
1. Chiefs (2) - They have some offensive issues, but they are the defending champs and have clearly struck gold on drafting young defenders. Good win against Denver, much more dominating than the score indicated. Now they get to play a desperate Chargers team.
2. 49ers (1) - In hindsight, the Browns game was a let down spot. You just felt they'd find a way to still win given Cleveland's lack of weapons offensively. But that was the first time Purdy looked rattled. Monday night @ Minnesota could be a nice bounce back spot for them.
3. Lions (5) - They are a complete football team, and have gotten over their issues on the road. Their defense has been surprisingly formidable, and they are well-rounded on offense. I'm a little surprised they've lived up to the hype. Big game in Baltimore this week.
4. Dolphins (4) - They are scary explosive offensively, and showed that after basically spotting a bad Carolina team a couple touchdowns early. When they're on, they are very hard to stop. Health is going to be the main obstacle. They looked bad at Buffalo a few weeks ago... now they get another test visiting a Philadelphia team in a bounce back spot.
5. Cowboys (8) - This team has proven to be very good in bounce back situations, going 10-1 following losses since 2021. They still have a very formidable defense and are going to be players in the NFC. They'll hopefully figure out some thing offensively over the bye week.
6. Jaguars (6) - Solid divisional win to grab control of the division. I think they are getting gradually better every week, and will continue to be a good team moving forward. Lawrence is going to have to play better. Short week and a trip to a hungry Saints team.
7. Eagles (3) - I admit I put them too high last week. They've been great in the trenches all year long, but they have been playing with trouble. Hurts just doesn't look the same, and the secondary looks vulnerable. There's a lot to clean up. A visit from the high-octane Dolphins will be interesting.
8. Ravens (9) - Pretty solid performance from Baltimore across the pond, but they left a lot of points on the board. 6 field goals is too many. They seem to be similar to the recent Baltimore teams, and continue not to trust Lamar to throw. They need to figure some things out as they start to play better teams, starting with Detroit this week.
9. Bengals (11) - The offense showed good signs of life in the first half before struggling a bit in the second half against Seattle, but the defense returned to old form with it's red zone masterpiece. And Burrow looks close to 100%. Good momentum for this team going into the bye week.
10. Bills (7) - They have to drop despite the win. They should have lost at home to a 15-point underdog, their offense is inconsistent, they lost a couple defensive pieces. This team looks like same old Bills.
11. Seahawks (10) - This squad has seemed to struggle out of byes sometimes. First drive was excellent, and they showed flashes of offensive greatness. But they continued to struggle on third down and reallllly struggled in the red zone. The defense played its best game of the season though, and is a legit unit now. Home to Arizona this week should give them opportunities to clean some things up offensively.
12. Rams (13) - The team has proven to be at least formidable this year, with their 3 losses coming to good teams and in fairly competitive games. Their defense is pretty solid overall, and their offense is coming to life. Very solid team, which surprises many. Big game at home against Pittsburgh this week.
13. Browns (20) - I hate doing this, but they have to climb. That defense is producing historically great statistics, which is enough to make them a top half team (for now). The offense is going to be an issue for them all year, and I don't think they can replicate that kind of running performance consistently without Chubb. A trip to Indy looms, and is an opportunity to position themselves well in the division.
14. Steelers (15) - They've been underwhelming on offense (as expected), and probably a bit too reliant on defense to make plays. Can they get Pickett and the offense going after a bye week. Very interesting game in Los Angeles against the Rams coming up.
15. Saints (14) - This team continues to struggle to find itself offensively. Their division is for theirs to take, as they have the best roster by a decent margin, but they keep missing opportunities. Short week then hopefully they can find some footing at home against the Jags.
16. Bucs (12) - They've put up a formidable effort this year and the defense is no joke, but you can see the limitations of the offense when it plays good teams. They've failed both home tests against Super Bowl contenders, and pretty badly. Big divisional match-up this week against Atlanta, again at home.
17. Jets (21) - Zach Wilson is bad, but to his credit he seems to be getting incrementally better and is doing enough to keep his team in games and give them chances to win. They've had a couple great home games against quality teams, and that defense is filthy. Good momentum going into the bye week.
18. Raiders (22) - The offense continues to struggle a little bit, but the defense has been very impressive thus far. One of the more pleasant surprises of the season for sure. Golden opportunity to get to above .500 with a trip to Chicago on the horizon.
19. Chargers (16) - The Chargers continue to be the same old Chargers: situationally questionable, bad coaching, un-clutch moments from Herbert. They need to shake it up a little bit and not waste a talent like Herbert. A trip to Arrowhead is not exactly the best thing for this team right now.
20. Titans (17) - This team really is struggling offensively. Big plays from Henry, and the occasional play-action bomb seem to be the only offensive output it can generate. No ability to sustain any rhythm. This team could be looking at a shakeup as well. Bye week is definitely needed.
21. Packers (19) - Defense is ok, but there are a lot of questions at QB and this offense at a whole. Just not a lot to like there. Maybe a trip to Denver can solve their issues.
22. Falcons (18) - Might seem slightly harsh, but just think this team is going to be very limited offensively with their QB and their defense is starting to come back down to expectation a little bit. Interesting test in Tampa Bay this week.
23. Texans (24) - Credit to this team for continuing to battle week in and week out. They have limitations, but Stroud continues to be a great rookie and they seem to get a lot out of the serviceable guys that they do have. 3-3 is a good spot for them heading into the bye week.
24. Commanders (27) - It's kind of strange this team is 3-3 all things considered, but they deserve credit for that because they have some serious issues. Howell is clearly not a franchise guy, and their defense has largely been underwhelming. 3 very non-impressive wins and 3 ugly losses. That said, they have a legit chance to go above .500 with a trip to New York to play the Giants.
25. Vikings (25) - They're sort of getting back on the right track after the 0-3 start, but the wins have been pretty underwhelming. The offense is starting to struggle a little bit without Jefferson (shocker), but the run defense has been OK. SF at home on Monday night will be tough, but they are getting them as a beaten up squad at least.
26. Colts (23) - Man, what a terrible game by Minshew. He's good in relief, but seems limited when he actually starts. There's a reason he's a backup. I think Indy could struggle moving forward, though they've been a little better than expected to this point. Their offense could struggle quite a bit against Cleveland.
27. Patriots (26) - I might be being generous. This team is offensively lost, Mac Jones looks shattered out there from a confidence standpoint. Their defense is the only thing that can keep them from being the completely dumpster fire of the league. Not sure how they'll play against Buffalo at home.
28. Giants (30) - Good fight on Sunday night in Orchard Park -- a game they probably deserved to win quite frankly if not for some bad officiating. The offense showed some life with Taylor at the helm, and the defense finally stepped up a bit. Can they get a win against a streaky Washington team at home?
29. Bears (28) - Just when you think the offense is about to turn a corner a bit, they regress back. But at least the defense finally showed some life in their loss to Minnesota. Winnable game with Las Vegas coming to town.
30. Cardinals (29) - The Josh Dobbs thing is starting to lose steam a bit, as the Cardinals fail to cover for the third straight week. They may start to fold altogether pretty soon. Credit to their coach so far, but this roster is just bad. Visiting Seattle this week will be pretty tough for them.
31. Panthers (32) - The only thing this team has going for itself as it heads to the bye is that Bryce Young seems to be starting to figure it out. The roster is just bad, there's no way around it.
32. Broncos (31) - Yeah, this team is a disaster. Russel Wilson has been bad all year (stats are inflated), Payton is lost as a coach, and this defense blows. At least it showed life against KC I guess, though Chiefs controlled the game quite a bit and left points on the field.
