The Chiefs come into the playoffs as the clear-cut favorites despite how deep and strong the rest of the conference is. Mahomes likely missed out on his second MVP, but the good news is that he has a 4-1 playoff record so far in only two appearances. The Chiefs are well equipped with a slew of receivers to throw to and may also get back their star rookie running back. As the defending champs they have been favorites all year and have maintained their status as a really good team, yet they have only covered the spread seven times this year, meaning they have yet to solidify themselves as a super great team. Still, expect this team to turn it up for the last month of the season. 

The Packers have the bye on the other side of the bracket after reeling off six straight wins to end the season. The Packers are red hot behind the expected MVP Aaron Rodgers, who threw for a career high 48 touchdowns and only 5 picks all year. Most of his scores have gone to Davante Adams (18) who has been making a case as the best receiver in the league. They suffered a crucial loss with All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari tearing his ACL, but with Rodgers playing at an MVP level they should be favorites to come out of the NFC and compete in the Big Dance for the first time in a decade.

The Bills are as hot as any team coming into the playoffs finishing with six straight impressive wins (all by double digits), including a Week 17 thrashing of a Miami team that needed a win to get in. Josh Allen is playing at an MVP level by throwing for 37 touchdowns and running for another 8. Stefon Diggs has been incredible this year, leading the league in receiving yards by a wide margin, and the Bills are only one crazy hail mary away from a 14-2 record. The Bills surprised a lot of people this year, especially bettors, seeing as they covered the spread 11/16 times this year. Some of the low expectations come from last year’s playoff meltdown against the Texans, a performance I am sure Allen and co. will like to amend against Indy. 

New Orleans was not able to capture the NFC’s top seed, but they were able to put together a solid final performance without Kamara, who got a well-deserved day off after his 6 touchdowns in the previous week. In their final game Drew Brees put together a good 3-touchdown game and the defense, who has been pretty good all year, forced 5 picks. The experience that Brees has is a plus, but their Super Bowl win was in 2010 and since then Brees has maintained his HOF play but with no more rings to match. In their last three playoff trips, where the Saints were solid favorites to make a trip to the SB, they either terribly blew it or just got flat unlucky. With Michael Thomas returning the Saints should get through two rounds and should be able to give the Packers a fight if they meet, but either way this looks like the last chance for Brees and New Orleans.  

The Titans barely held on to win the division with a wild finish in Houston, but they got here thanks to their offensive weapons. They have a very underrated pass game with Tannehill throwing for 33 touchdowns and nearly 4,000 yards, with Brown and Davis combining for over 2,000 of those. However, this is all secondary to King Henry’s MVP campaign that saw him rack up over 2,000 yards and 17 touchdowns (1st in both). The problem with Tennessee is their defense, which is surprisingly atrocious despite what it may look like. They have allowed over 30 points in half of their games and have the worst defense among playoff teams, so in order for them to compete they will have to win in a shootout.  

After a mid-season slump losing four out of five, the Ravens’ playoff chances were desperately low. However, the Ravens have finished the season with 5 straight wins and are starting to look like the 2019 Ravens. The Ravens racked up a historic 400+ rushing game to end the season, which saw their team total over 3,000 yards for the second straight year. They have four players who can consistently run the ball and after their surprising playoff upset last year, it is clear that Lamar has something to prove against the team that knocked him out. One could draw a comparison of what Lamar can accomplish to what Mahomes pulled off last year; take the league by storm in his second year by winning the MVP and then win the Super Bowl the next year after a surprising down year. Their defense has always been solid and Harbaugh has Super Bowl winning experience, so they can certainly make a run. 

The Buccaneers are another team that comes into the playoffs with a decent winning streak of at least four games, although those games have come against Minnesota, Detroit, and twice against Atlanta. Brady has 12 touchdowns and 1 interception in those last four games and he surely wants to prove that he can get it done on a team not in New England. He has an astonishing 40 TDs this year (the most since his historic 50 TD 2007 season) and the addition of Antonio Brown has certainly been a big help - another player who has something to prove. The team has been inconsistent and leading receiver Mike Evans is questionable for Saturday, so there is a decent chance that they get upset on Saturday, but we can never count out Brady in the playoffs. 

Seattle managed to clinch the division with an impressive comeback against the 49ers, but they have been shaky and inconsistent. Halfway through the season their offense was historically good while their defense was historically awful, but going into the playoffs it seems that the two have switched places. Despite putting up 40 touchdowns on the year, Wilson has been struggling mightily in the second half of the season (only 12 TDs in the last 8 games) but I do think he will be able to turn it on when he needs to. DK Metcalf was balling early on, but in the last five games only has 1 touchdown on 50 yards a game. His day won’t get much easier seeing as he has to face Jalen Ramsey again, who has locked him up in both matchups so far. The good news for Seattle is that they have allowed 10 points on average the last month and have allowed the second-lowest QBR on the season. 

The Rams limped into the playoffs by way of beating a mostly Kyler-less Arizona team, despite not having their own starter in Jared Goff. Only a couple weeks after losing to the Jets, the Rams may have to face a much-improved Seattle defense while without Jared Goff, which could be a disaster. The Rams defense allows the lowest QBR and is especially good on downfield throws, which Russel Wilson has struggled with recently, and their defense is the best in the league and will be the only reason they have a chance. Even if they get Goff back he is only an average QB, although he is a good game-manager. They have super-bowl experience and McVay has great play calling, which is more than a lot of teams have, but a wild-card matchup against Seattle is a tough first-round matchup. 

After their fantastic 11-0 start Pittsburgh found themselves losing 4 out of their last five. If not for an amazing comeback against the Colts they could have very well lost their last 5 and the division. They have had some bad losses and have suffered some debilitating defensive injuries that will hurt them in the playoffs. They have the weapons at wideout to be a dynamic team, but without a solid run game they will certainly struggle. They lost a throwaway Week 17 game to the Browns that they almost won with their backups, so that is encouraging going into the rubber match, especially with the Browns’ problems. However, they have been in a slump at the worst time of the season and I would not be surprised to see them exit early.  

The Browns have come a long way from a winless season only a few seasons ago, reaching the playoffs for the first time in almost two decades. They have been inconsistent at times this season, with many questioning the abilities of Baker Mayfield as the leading QB, but Cleveland has managed to get it done. COVID-19 issues sidelined their receiving core which led to an ugly loss against the Jets, but with their receivers back healthy they should not be taken lightly. Their offensive line is one of the best in the league and that has led to a dominant run game behind Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. However, Pro-Bowl guard Joel Bitonio and their head coach Kevin Stefanski will be out for the wild-card matchup which will severely hinder their offensive play calling. Their defense behind Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward need to step up in order to get by Pittsburgh.  

The Colts got by with an easy matchup against the Jaguars, a team hoping to lose in order to get the #1 pick in the draft, but I do not see this team getting very far. They have a stable run game behind rookie Jonathan Taylor (who rushed for over 250 yards vs Jacksonville – second most by a rookie since Adrian Peterson) and dynamic receivers in Pittman and Pascal, but Philip Rivers has never been able to get it done in the playoffs. The Colts defense is solid and they have a top-2 turnover differential, but expect the Bills to run through this team fairly easily. 

The Football Team became only the third team in the modern era to reach the playoffs with a losing record, joining the 2010 Seahawks and 2014 Panthers. What may be surprising is that both of those teams ended up winning their wild-card games against an 11-5 team. Washington has a top pass defense led by rookie Chase young and the rest of the D-line. They need serious help on offense since Alex Smith is running on one leg and their other QB Heineki has only a few minutes of NFL experience. Additionally, everyone other than McLaurin and Thomas are nonexistent in the pass game. Nonetheless, this team has heart and could somehow pull the upset if everything goes their way.

Chicago snuck into the playoffs thanks to the expanded format and Kyler Murray going down early for Arizona in a must-win game for them, but there is not much hope for this team playing against the Saints. Trubisky is playing for a contract and a good game would actually be bad for Chicago if they have to pay him. The Bears have one good win against Tampa and every other win has been against really bad teams. Their defense has carried them this far but I would not expect them to even be close in New Orleans. 

Kansas City extended their win streak to nine by knocking off the Saints, who saw the return of Drew Brees for the first time in a month. The Chiefs got out to a quick and comfortable 14-0 lead, but although they lost the lead briefly they were able to answer impressively. The Saints defensive pressure kept them in the game, forcing Mahomes to scramble almost every play, resulting in a very subpar 55% completion rate. He did have his fair share of highlights and adding another 3 TDs gives him a chance at 40 (as well as possibly 5000 yards), but with a win they would clinch the #1 seed and maybe rest their starters week 17. There was a concern that Edwards-Helaire had suffered a season ending injury, but there is no need to panic since there is hope for his return soon and backup Le’Veon Bell is proving he is a solid player still, which is pretty easy in this offense. 

Aaron Rodgers had made it really tough to choose Mahomes as the league MVP, as Rodgers is vying for his third trophy. A running and passing TD from him helped the Packers jump to a 21-3 halftime lead, but Green Bay was sloppy the rest of the game and managed less than 60 total yards in the second half. The Packers totaled less than 300 yards for only the second time this year and Rodgers had his lowest passing total of the year at 143 yards; even Aaron Jones outrushed him by 2 yards to propel the win. They have a tough, must-watch game on Sunday night against the Titans, and with a win combined with Seattle loss they can clinch the #1 seed. 

The Bills easily handled the Broncos to clinch their division for the first time in over two decades, and they did it behind their star QB Josh Allen. Allen had over 350 yards and 2 TDs through the air and added another 33 yards and 2 TDs on the ground. The Broncos are a very challenged team, but his play was still very impressive. He has the Bills finally back into the playoffs and they look poised to make a run. They’ve won four straight with the help of good defensive play as well, and while they can mathematically still clinch the #1 seed, they seem certain to lock up the #2 seed with a slipping Pittsburgh. They will be contenders in this year’s playoffs as well as for years to come.

Drew Brees came back just in time for the Saints’ biggest game of the season, but unfortunately it came against the league’s best. Although he threw for 3 TDs, Brees struggled all game long, resulting in a season low 44% throwing and a QBR under 25. He deserves some slack returning after serious injury, but there is concern if he will be able to perform against a good defensive playoff team, especially if he continues to take hits like he is. The offense has proven it can get it done without its stars, but losing Michael Thomas again will undoubtedly hurt and they need him if they want to go far in the playoffs. They probably won’t get the #1 seed at this rate, so they just need to be healthy.

The Browns somehow still have a shot at the AFC North crown if they win out, including a week 17 matchup with Pittsburgh, but need to remain consistent. In a should-win game against the Giants, the Browns handled their business on both sides of the ball. The offense looks good under Baker, but that is mostly because they are carried by Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt in the backfield. Mayfield has proven that he is a legit starter and winner, and his enthusiasm - while sometimes described as arrogant – is contagious for the team. The defense also is decently suffocating at times. Other times they are sloppy, specifically penalties, but this team is no pretender. 

Seattle escaped out of Washington with a win, but the game made me question if Washington is actually a good team or if Seattle isn’t that good after all. Their loss to the Giants seemed to be a fluke, but they were staring at a potential defeat with Washington looking poised to score with only a minute left in the game. Two sacks sealed the game, but they should have put this away earlier. They felt confident up 20-3, but they let Haskins and the Washington offense gain confidence while also being stifled by the Washington defense (which is actually very good). Russel didn’t put up MVP numbers but Seattle had three different players run for 50+ yards, which helps when the pass isn’t going well. Oh by the way, Jamal Adams is really good and is in the running for defensive MVP. He is 7th in the league in sacks, with 9.5, while the next best defensive-back only has three (88th).  

The Titans continued to run through their schedule, literally, smashing the Lions with nearly 200 yards on the ground and three of their six TDs. The Lions are pretty pathetic, but the Titans are also legit. They now have more points scored than the Chiefs and Packers, and most of that must go to Henry. He’s averaging nearly 120 yards a game and has 15 TDs on the year as well. He will surely finish third behind Mahomes and Rodgers in the MVP voting, but credit also goes to Tannehill. He is no scrub, he is efficient, and his game-managing ability to throw the right pass allows Henry to run the ball as much as he does. Big game against the Packers which you cannot miss.

Tampa Bay has been holding a spot in the rankings for a few weeks, while the Ravens have been out since their string of three straight losses. While Brady had another nice comeback against Atlanta, it was ugly, and Baltimore has been impressive in recent weeks. They absolutely demolished the Jaguars behind an impressive day through the air from Lamar. Baltimore is near the bottom of the league in passing and their running game is top of the league, so it is nice to see them get it done differently. If they can manage a more balanced offensive attack they should be a problem for anyone. However, ball security has been an issue for them recently, fumbling four times on Sunday but luckily only losing it once. 

With the Rams somehow losing to the Jets, they had to be bounced. In their place the Colts, who are still tied with the Titans for the AFC South and have a huge game next week against the Steelers. The Colts still have one of the league’s best defenses, which was able to hold the Houston offense to only 20 points. However, a miracle fumble at the goal line from Houston was needed for the Colts to hold on in regulation. The Colts defense forces the third most turnovers and the offense has the third fewest giveaways, resulting in a T-1 for best turnover differential (with guess who, the Titans). Phillip Rivers is still a bit shaky but if the defense can manage to hold their own they should be a tough team to beat. 

Kansas City took a comfortable 30-10 lead into the fourth, but should not be thrilled with how they played overall against Miami. The defense allowed 17 points in the final quarter and Mahomes finally showed that he is capable of being human at times. In the first quarter he was either too relaxed or was not completely focused, because his first of three interceptions came on a lazy throw and on the next drive he sloppily fumbled a snap and then took a 30-yard sack. He did have another near 400-yard game but it helps when you have world class sprinters such as Hill and Watkins averaging over 25 yards per catch. Not to be left out of the conversation, Mecole Hardman has elite speed which returned a punt for a score. The Dolphins have been playing well this year so I am not shocked by the final score, but KC has to remember not to get too comfortable or else they could run into trouble later on. 

It wasn’t easy for the Packers in Detroit, but they managed to survive and win their division for the 7th time in 10 years. With the win they also took control of the NFC’s #1 seed and look poised to clinch it with a fairly easy remaining schedule. Aaron Rodgers made another statement in his MVP-hopeful campaign with a very clean game; 3 touchdowns, 290 yards, no turnovers, and no sacks. The defense played well when it needed to step up, sacking Stafford four times and holding the Detroit rush to only 51 yards, but Detroit has been at the bottom of rushing all year. The Packers played much better than the final score represented, but they had a total of 12 penalties and half of them were defensive-holding penalties that helped Detroit extend drives into touchdowns. If they can limit the defensive penalties and hope Aaron Rodgers continues this MVP play, they will surely be favorites to come out of the NFC. 

Just as I thought New Orleans would have no trouble playing without Brees, they were exposed against an ailing Eagles team. The NFC East provided another surprise to the NFL’s top teams, this time with Jalen Hurts providing a much-needed spark in his first start. The Saints defense came in with a top-2 run-defense but allowed nearly 250 yards on the ground in Philly. A lack of film on Hurts may have contributed to the struggles on defense, but there is no excuse for the offense being held scoreless in the first half. The Saints made it close at the end, but two costly missed field goals and two additional turnovers from Taysom Hill proved critical for their loss. It is more evident now that the Saints need Brees back, especially with the Packers looking to take the #1 seed. The Saints will hope to have a decent showing against the Chiefs, although don’t count on an upset, but their main focus should be to avoid any further injuries in these final three games and hope to hold off LA and Seattle. 

Buffalo took a commanding two game lead on Miami for their division and closed the gap on passing the Steelers for the AFC’s #2 seed. While the Bills struggled for most of the first half, they were helped by poor play from the Pittsburgh offense. Just as the Steelers look poised to score at the end the half, Taron Johnson returned a crucial pick-six that gave Buffalo the halftime lead and the momentum. Josh Allen did not have his best game, especially because the Steelers defensive forced him to scramble most of the time. However, Stefon Diggs was able to get open almost every play and got the Bills downfield every chance he got. This Bills passing game is right behind the Chiefs and Packers and I believe they will be a tough team to beat for years to come. 

After their loss last week, I predicted that a loss against Buffalo would be likely. After their best start in franchise history they have now lost two in a row with problems continuing. A week after three drops from their top target Diontae Johnson, two more early drops led to his benching for most of the game. This severely hindered what Pittsburgh wanted to do on offense and combined with their very weak run game they could not get anything on offense. They haven’t scored 20 points in the last three games and this needs to be fixed in order for them to win. The Steelers have also lost key defensive starters recently and this continued with the losses of Joe Haden and Terrell Edmunds, which allowed Stefon Diggs a lot of time and space to make plays. They will bounce back against the Bengals, but they need to fix their offense first and stay healthy. 

The Rams defense played exceptionally well against the Cam-led Patriots, who for sure are done for the season. Other than a late half field goal, the Rams held the Patriots to 5 three-and-outs, 3 turnovers on downs, and even took an interception back for six. They have one of the top defenses in the league, they just need their offense to be consistent. They were able to put two touchdowns on the board, but were not much better than the Pats. McVay’s offense gained a total of 21 yards on their last four possessions, with the game pretty much over anyways, but definitely not a sexy win for LA. It is a win nonetheless, and it keeps them atop their division and still within reach of the NFC’s #1 seed. 

Despite the loss the Browns stepped up in a primetime game against a division rival with huge playoff implications. This was definitely the game of the year so far with both teams leaving everything on the field. The Browns run game was solid, and while Baker did miss a few throws, he had a big game through the air. He did well in the pocket, not taking any sacks, and engineered three touchdowns in the fourth quarter as the Browns clawed back from a two-score deficit to take the lead. The Cleveland defense struggled to contain Lamar’s running ability all night, but before the final drive they held him to just over 120 yards passing on only 7 completed balls! Hard to imagine the Ravens escaping with a win again with no more than 10 completed passes. I will say though; the Browns fumbled seven times and did not lose a single one. They had some critical errors but also got quite lucky. I am confident that the Browns will have two straight easy wins in New York and finish with a statement against Pittsburgh.

After their measly 12-point performance last week the Seahawks came out aggressive and hungry in a dominant showing against the winless Jets. 40 points is the highest output so far for Seattle and it very easily should have been more. The Jets’ defense is filled with holes so it was easy all day for the Seattle offense. The run game saw contributions from all around and Russel Wilson threw for four easy touchdowns. After allowing a field goal on the first drive the Seattle defense held the Jets offense to pretty much nothing the rest of the day. Credit the Jets kicker for missing three field goals, but otherwise they had a field day with Sam Darnold. The only thing the defense didn’t do well was catch the passes that he threw them, dropping a couple potential interceptions. 

The Titans had some fun against the Jaguars, a team that has now lost 12 straight after their opening win. The Jaguars defense is very problematic and that’s how Derrick Henry was able to thrive with over 200 yards rushing and another two touchdowns. We talk about Rodgers and Mahomes but is no one including him in the MVP conversation? He’s tied with Dalvin Cook for the most rushing touchdowns at 14, and with almost a 200-yard cushion he will likely be the rushing leader by a wide margin. With a few more games like this he may even break 2K. I also like the game management of Ryan Tannehill, because he does what he’s supposed to do; hand the ball to Henry and throw to the open man. He doesn’t force throws and he has good receivers who can get open. Whether or not they can hold off the Colts for the division, they should be a tough matchup in January. 

It’s hard to write about the Bucs sometimes because they are so inconsistent. They started off hot and have cooled down a lot in the last month, but they had a good bounce back game against the Vikings to keep them in the mix in the NFC. Despite the weapons he has on offense, Brady just hasn’t been able to reach his guys as much as we are used to seeing. While he is on track to have one of his best seasons statistically, he’s missing a lot of routine throws. However, there is hope for this team through the defensive end. Their defense sacked Cousins six times and pressured him all game. They are top-5 in sacks and forced turnovers so they will keep them afloat. Despite this, I can’t help but think that without Dan Bailey missing three field goals and a questionable penalty on a hail mary this game could have been much different for Tampa. 

The defending champs ran into a bit of trouble in Denver but were able to rally for a win that clinched them a sixth straight playoff berth. The Chiefs looked ready to put up big numbers against a Denver team that was lit up by Taysom Hill just last week, but the offense was unable to convert four redzone trips into touchdowns and settled for field goals. Denver has a top-10 passing defense, but Mahomes was still able to throw for over 300 yards and one touchdown. For a player like Mahomes this was a bad game, which is crazy because any QB would take that stat line. From the media he is starting to get the Lebron James treatment, meaning that he’s not playing up to his standard unless he puts up all-universe numbers. That being said, he is a generational player surrounded by excellent talent and coaching so they are still my favorites to repeat. 

The Saints again had no trouble playing without Drew Brees for the third straight game. Taysom Hill struggled with ball security throughout the day but he had a career day, throwing for his first two career TDs and adding another 83 yards on the ground. Hill proved that he can play the position after many questioned his abilities. He is the ultimate dual-threat QB, who can also catch, and while he did miss some throws there is hope that he can be a viable replacement once Brees retires. With All-Pros in Kamara and Thomas leading the way on offense the Saints should continue to win games and I am hopeful that once Brees takes his starting job back they will be even better. There is no rush for him to return, however, since the Saints became the first NFC team to clinch a playoff-berth and hold a three-game lead on Tampa for the division.  

The Packers defense had a pretty easy day against a struggling Eagles team, holding Carson Wentz to under 80 yards before he was pulled in the fourth quarter. They sacked him four times and pressured him into poor throws all game, and sacked Jalen Hurts another three times once he entered. On the offensive end Aaron Rodgers added another three TDs to his league leading total (including becoming the fastest QB to 400th career TDs), two of which went to Davante Adams who his having a career year as well. The Packers have scored 30+ points in nine of their twelve games and lead the league in scoring, even more than the Chiefs. Speaking of the Chiefs, I don’t think Rodgers is letting Mahomes have the MVP trophy just yet. 

I think everyone knew that the Steelers would lose eventually, but not to a team like Washington. The Steelers legitimacy had been questioned coming into this game, seeing as only three of their opponents thus far have a winning record, and it was only a matter of time until they were truly exposed. Against Washington it became very clear that Pittsburgh has no faith in their run game (even in freezing temperatures), accounting for only 20% of their plays and 21 yards. Washington has one of the best pass defenses and Pittsburgh still was able to take a 14-0 lead, but their receivers struggled to catch passes cleanly, dropping seven balls, and they were unable to do much in the second half. The Steelers had their chances to win but just could not make crucial plays, including failing to convert on two fourth downs which would have led to points. With injuries mounting for the Pittsburgh defense and an offense that is predictable I think it’s possible for Pittsburgh to lose next week against Buffalo as well as against Indianapolis and Cleveland later on. 

Josh Allen had a career game against a 49ers defense that has been quite good against the pass this season. He accounted for 4 touchdowns and 375 yards on 80% throwing, helped by really strong route running from Stefon Diggs and Cole Beasley. The Bills first two drives ended in turnovers, but from there on they scored four touchdowns and two field goals on their next six consecutive drives. While the offense does get good running from Singletary and occasionally Allen, they are predicated on the pass and are as good as anyone when they are clicking. Their defense still isn’t great but it hasn’t been bad, so the offense must be consistent in order to win. They have a very exciting game next week against the Steelers as they hope to maintain a one-game lead on the surging Dolphins. 

The Rams won a critical matchup against the Cardinals in a game that sent them to first place in the division and sent the Cardinals two games back. The offense looked like it had a pretty easy day and credit Sean McVay for his creativity in getting receivers wide open. Jared Goff is the perfect game managing QB to run this system and has great weapons in Woods and Kupp. He’s struggled with interceptions this season but it’s much easier when you are throwing to wide open guys. Defensively, Jalen Ramsey must be given his due after locking up Deandre Hopkins as well as every opposing primary target all season. Additionally, the constant pressure from the pass rush has been key and on Sunday led to a pick-six alongside two long sacks. 

The Cleveland Browns proved that they may be able to compete against good teams after their dominant performance against the Titans. The Titans have been fantastic at home this season but in the first half the Browns led 38-7 (their most first half points in franchise history) and led first-downs 22-6. The Browns lead the league in rushing, partly due to poor weather conditions, but Baker proved that he can win games as well. He completed a pass to 10 different receivers and threw for 4 scores, including a 1-yard TD pass to a lineman. However, tt wasn’t a complete domination for Cleveland. The Browns looked content with their first half performance and were outscored 28-3 in the second half. There is no need to panic, but if the Browns are going to make their first playoff appearance in 18 years, they cannot play lazy when they are winning. Next week they play the Ravens, who they have never beaten in a primetime game, and extending their four-game win streak could be huge towards a surge for the division crown. 

Last week I was gushing over how well the Seattle defense has been playing in comparison to how bad they were to start the season, and in their game against the Giants they were even better. They allowed only 100 passing yards and even blocked a punt recovered for a safety. The issue on Sunday was with the offense. With a field goal on their first drive, the offense did nothing for the next 50 minutes before finally scoring a late TD. The Giants defense is actually quite good but Russel Wilson still did not play like himself. He gave up five long sacks which ruined drives and it turned into the biggest upset of the season (that is until WFT surprised the Steelers). The early season MVP favorite was averaging nearly 4 TDs a game through the first half of the season but only has 4 TDs in his last four outings. The Jets and Washington are up next, who Seattle should beat, but they are trending upwards and Seattle is trending downwards, so don’t count out the upsets. 

The Titans took a big step backwards as they got blown off the field in the first half by the Browns. Two very late touchdowns made the final score respectable, but Tennessee should be embarrassed by their first half performance. The rushing leader Derrick Henry had his lowest output since Week 4 and coughed up his first fumble of the season. Tannehill had a pretty good game overall, engineering two quick touchdowns to start the second half, but a critical red-zone interception ended their third drive and proved devastating for their comeback attempt. The defense played much better in the second half, but that was partly due to Cleveland’s lack of effort. The Titans are now tied with the Colts which will lead to a very exciting final quarter of the season. 

Bye week for the Bucs as they hope to rebound against the Vikings. Both teams have been wildly inconsistent, with the Vikings almost blowing a game to the Jaguars, and both are in playoff contention. This game will be big for a wild-card berth.

Kansas City looked like they were going to blow out the Bucs easily after the first quarter, up 17-0, as the Chiefs offense again showed how easy it is for them to gain yards and score. Through one quarter Tyreke Hill had already accumulated over 200 receiving yards along with two long touchdown catches. He added another one later leading the Chiefs to nearly 550 yards on offense for the game. Does it say something that Hill and Kelce are #2 and #3 leaguewide in receiving yards? The defense looked lockdown as well, holding the Bucs to a punt on their first four possessions. However, both sides of the ball seemed to let up in the second half which allowed the Bucs to make it close and almost come away with a miracle. Taking this into account, I do not see how any team will beat KC from here on out.

Nearly a week after its original scheduled date we finally saw the COVID depleted Ravens take on the healthy and frustrated Steelers. Without Lamar Jackson, their top two running backs, and a few offensive linemen I expected the Steelers to blow Baltimore out by halftime. I must give credit to the Ravens defense, although a few bad drops by Pittsburgh left scoring opportunities on the field. Defensively, the Steelers did an excellent job holding Baltimore under 150 yards and only 7 points (before a last minute 70-yard bomb from third-stringer Trace McSorley). Although they definitely should have been called for a delay of game at the end of the half, which could have given the Ravens another touchdown. The Steelers lead the league in turnovers and sacks, with TJ Watt playing outstanding on the end. Unfortunately, it seems Pittsburgh lost Bud Dupree for the season, their second leading pass rusher, due to a late game ACL injury. While this certainly is a big loss for them it will not be devastating and they will be just fine the rest of the season.   

The Saints extended their winning streak to eight as they made easy work of the QB-less Broncos. The Saints were again without Drew Brees but did not really struggle as they stuck to the run game 44 times, gaining well over 200 yards and 4 TDs. Taysom Hill rarely threw it and when he did it wasn’t great, but a great offensive showing wasn’t necessary. With a rookie practice team WR Kendall Hilton taking over as QB (yes you read that right) for the Broncos, the Saints defense had its easiest game of the year. They held the Broncos offense to just over 100 yards and only six first downs all game, in addition to forcing three turnovers. This just wasn’t fair and honestly, I am confused how this game was allowed to take place. Regardless, the Saints have some pretty easy opponents left and should be okay without Brees for now. 

The Packers came out cooking against a Bears team that I expected to at least give up a fight, specifically on defense. Four touchdowns from Aaron Rodgers, a defensive touchdown, and great running from Aaron Jones and Jamal Williams helped the Packers take a 41-10 lead into the fourth. It was a near perfect game for the entire Packers team until the defense allowed two late touchdowns in the fourth, but overall Green Bay had an amazing showing after last week’s blunder. I am aware that Chicago is not great and Trubisky wasn’t going to make them any better, but Green Bay really played well. The defense forced two interceptions and three fumbles, although only recovered two of them, and overall had a pretty easy day. The Packers have all but locked up their division, and with a pretty easy remaining schedule they’ll look to overtake the Saints for the #1 seed. 

I expected the Bills to have a tough game against the Chargers, who have been within a score in all of their previous losses, and who were welcoming the return of Austin Ekeler. Both defenses played fairly well in a low scoring dog fight, but it was ugly for a good portion of the game. With the Bills only up by a touchdown they turned it over on three straight possessions and I was sure that the Chargers would do something. However, the Bills defense made sure to lock the game up with an interception of their own, with help from completely incompetent play calling by the Chargers with time winding down. Josh Allen looked decent but still has a lot of maturation and growth to undergo before the Bills are legit contenders. 

I am truly impressed with the strides that the Seattle defense has taken recently. The addition of Carlos Dunlap has paid off, with his 4 sacks in the last three games, but others like Jamal Adams and Shaquill Griffin have also stepped up. We all know the Eagles offense is bad, but the Seattle defense sacked Carson Wentz 6 times and pressured him all game into bad throws. If not for the last second hail mary touchdown they would have allowed only 9 points and less than 200 yards, by far their best game this season. On the other side of the ball, Russel Wilson didn’t have a stellar game but DK Metcalf stepped up once again with an amazing performance. He leads the league in receiving yards and may one day be an MVP. For now, Seattle took the lead in the AFC West race and has a very easy schedule upcoming before a huge game against the Rams week 16. Let’s see if they can keep it going. 

The Rams had a mysterious off game against the 49ers, who are one of the most beat-up and handicapped teams in the league. The Rams really struggled in the first half by only managing one field goal alongside three turnovers. In the second half it only got worse as they found themselves down 16-3. At this point the defense ramped it up and got them back in the game. Aaron Donald’s strip-sack led to a touchdown and then he had a critical sack on the next drive which allowed the offense to come down and take the lead. Unfortunately, the Rams could not do much else and let a last second field goal destroy their comeback effort. I am proud of them for fighting back into this game, but in a home game against a below average team, with a chance to solidify first place in the division, the Rams really should be disappointed with their performance.  

The Titans took a dominant step toward the playoffs with their big win against the Colts, now holding a critical one game lead and evening the season record with Indy. The game looked like it would be a shootout at 14-14 before the Titans blew it open. Derrick Henry is in the MVP mix after his performance that didn’t even require a second half. By halftime Henry had already racked up 140 yards and 3 TDs, commanding the Titans to a 35-14 lead. They didn’t need a strong second half to hold on, although they did give the Colts some sliver of hope. The defense for Tennessee isn’t a concern for me, but I am still concerned that the run-first offense won’t be able to put up those kinds of numbers against better defensive teams.   

The Bucs found themselves in a hole down 17-0 with Kansas City about to score again, but if not for a fumble caused by Shaq Barrett the final score may have been much worse. The Bucs defense had a strong second half, forcing Kansas City to three straight punts, but it also looked like Kansas City was content with coasting the rest of the game. Tampa just struggles to be consistent and they had to battle uphill all game to make it respectable. The running game has been underwhelming all year, despite their pretty stacked backfield. Brady struggled again with forcing a few throws which led to Kansas City interceptions, bringing his season total to 11 now. They are still in good position for the playoffs, but sorry Brady fans he’s not getting number 7 this year. 

While they were without star defenders Denzel Ward and Myles Garrett, the Browns barely survived a test against the 1-win Jaguars. Not a game to gloat about, especially because if not for two failed two-point conversions the game may have had a different outcome in overtime. Baker made some great throws, was inaccurate at times, but received major help from Jarvis Landry who had his first TD and his first 100+ yard game of the season. Chubb and Hunt were great on the ground and are truly the driving force for this team. The big news is that the Browns secured their first non-losing season since 2007, and I can’t help but feel good for the Browns. Let’s be honest, it was very difficult seeing them so bad for so long. However, all but one of their wins thus far have been against losing teams, meaning they don’t fare well against good teams. I would not expect much from them in the playoffs but they should make it easily. 

The Chiefs continued to roll and were able to avenge their earlier loss to the Raiders thanks to a last-minute game-winning drive from Mahomes. Derek Carr put on a show all game but in the final drive Mahomes went 6/7 for 75 yards in only one minute to stun Vegas and take the lead in the MVP race. He is the only QB to average over 300 yards a game (ignoring Dak Prescott) and has a ridiculous 27/2 TD/Int ratio. There are so many things one can say about Mahomes but we have to credit the weapons around him and the excellent play calling. With a range of plays featuring jet sweeps, play actions, and rollouts the offense is able to do whatever they want. Next game will be interesting; the GOAT Tom Brady faces the potential GOAT Mahomes. 

The Steelers had a fairly easy matchup against Jacksonville to extend their unbeaten start to double digits. However, I did expect more. The offense got it done but should have put on a show against one of the league’s worst defenses. The Steelers defense on the other hand showed why they are one of the league’s best. They allowed just over 200 yards and forced four interceptions, two of which led directly to Pittsburgh touchdowns. Chase Claypool scored his 10th touchdown of his stellar rookie season, clearly benefiting from the range of offensive weapons that defenses must worry about when facing the Steelers’ offense. It will be tough to hold off Kansas City for the #1 seed but so far so good for Pitt. 

Even without Drew Brees the Saints were able to pull out a win against the struggling Falcons. While they did find themselves down at half, the defense locked in to secure the win. In the second half the Falcons had 3 three-and-outs and an interception while also getting sacked 8 times for the game. The Saints defense has now allowed less than 15 points/g in the last 5 weeks and will carry them without Brees. It was a surprise to me that Winston did not see a single snap, but Taysom Hill was efficient and not bad for his first start under center. The offensive does get more predictable without Brees, because over 60% of their calls were running plays. This hurts the play action and the threat of Kamara catching out of the backfield where he is lethal. This was his first career game without a catch and they need him in the passing game to be a real threat.

A week after suffocating Russell Wilson and the Seahawks, the Rams defense did the same to Brady and the Bucs. In the second half they locked down the Bucs offense, only allowing 10 points (which came off of Rams turnovers and a short field). Jalen Ramsey has had lockdown coverage all season and the defensive line has been great. In this game Aaron Donald failed to record a single tackle and only has 1.5 sacks in the last 5 games, but the extra attention he gets allows others to pressure and forces bad throws downfield. The LA offense has been well balanced throughout the year, but against the Bucs they dominated in the pass game. Despite two interceptions, Goff had another solid game with the help of Woods and Kupp, who combined for 23 catches and 270 yards alone. They are now at the top of the NFC West and control their own destiny.

Bye Week for the Bills as they look to comeback from that agonizing hail mary loss to the Cardinals. They should have a good showing against the Chargers. They need to figure out their run game which will open up the pass for Allen and if their defense can keep up they should be good. 

It’s a shame that the Packers let this one go against the Colts after being in control for most of the game. After an early fumble and interception both from Aaron Rodgers, the Packers scored three touchdowns in the second quarter to take a 28-14 into the half. In the second half, however, the Packers were able to muster ten yards on three drives before turning it over on downs down by 3. While they luckily managed to find themselves in overtime, a fumble on the second play from Valdes-Scantling sealed their fate. The Packers are good against losing teams, but have lost against winning teams with good defensives. While Green Bay should still win the NFC North thanks to a favorable remaining schedule, they have to play the Bears twice who will surely test them.

Seattle probably was not looking forward to a Thursday night game after their loss against LA, but it was good for them to get the bad taste out of their mouth. It was shocking to see the Seattle defense play so well considering how awful they have been this year. Props to the general manager for picking up Carlos Dunlap at the trade deadline because he has been key. He had two sacks on Murray with one securing the win on fourth down, and in three games he has 3.5 sacks and 5 tackles for loss. Regardless of how good their defense actually is they should easily win the next four weeks, since they play the Eagles, Giants, Jets, and Washington who combined are 9-30-1. 

Tampa struggled again in primetime, and Bruce Arians is not afraid to let the media know that Tom Brady was to blame. This is now the third time his coach has called him out so hopefully he responds well, but to be fair the Rams defense is really really good. Brady has a diverse set of weapons in Gronk, Evans, Godwin, and Miller but forced a few throws that cost them the game. In this game on throws 15+ downfield Brady was 1-9 for 18 yards and 2 interceptions, including the game sealing pick. He now has 9 picks on the season (25 TDs is also pretty good to give him credit) but this bad game came only two weeks after his horrific showing against the Saints. The offense has 14 turnovers this year, but this is balanced out with 19 takeaways by the defense (second most). The Bucs are lucky to have a solid defense keeping them in games, because if teams can pressure Brady the way LA did they will be in trouble. 

The Colts showed their fight against the Packers which brought them back into the top 10 of the rankings. Down by two touchdowns at half they completely shut down Rodgers in the second half and stole the game in overtime. The Colts defense forced three fumbles and an interception to bring their season total to 17 takeaways (T-3 in the league) and maintain as one of the league’s best in yards and points allowed. Offensively it is interesting how the Colts are getting it done, since they do not have a go-to guy. Of 11 eligible receivers who have played at least seven games, 8 of them average over 20 yards/g but only one is over 40. What that means is Rivers is sharing the wealth and that makes him unpredictable. If they can beat Tennessee again on Sunday they will be in good position to take the division. 

Arizona may have ruined their chances of winning the division with their loss to Seattle on Thursday. With a league leading offense I expected them to run through the Seattle defense, but most of their first half drives stalled into punts and their defense just couldn’t keep up in the second half. I think the Cardinals are falling into a similar trap which plagues the Ravens; their offense must run through the QB. Whether it’s a Murray pass or Murray run, 80% of their plays ran through him against Seattle. He struggled to find a rhythm and suffered a throwing shoulder injury, both of which are a recipe for a loss. In order to be a real contender they need to rely on him less.

Bye Week for the Chiefs came perfectly before a huge game against the Raiders on Sunday. If Chiefs win they all but wrap up the division and most likely a top-2 seed in the conference. A loss will allow Vegas a chance to win the division since this would be their second win against KC, holding a critical tiebreaker. 

Although the Bengals pulled off a wild upset last week against the Titans, they did not stand a chance against the Steelers. The Steelers defense gave Joe Burrow too much pressure to handle and ending up forcing half of his passes incomplete. The defense also forced two fumbles which puts them tied for the league lead in takeaways and second in turnover differential. While the Steelers remain not much of a running team on offense, Big Ben has been great the last three games and against Cincy he threw for over 300 yards and 4 TDs. Chase Claypool continues to show how versatile of a receiver he is and alongside Juju and Diontae Johnson this receiving core is dangerous. 

The Saints found themselves surprisingly down 10-0 early on, but reeled off 27 unanswered points to take care of business against a broken 49ers team. However, it was a concern for most fans to see Drew Brees sidelined for the entire second half. He suffered 5 broken ribs and a collapsed lung which may keep him out for a while. This is not season ending, but Brees is 41 years old and his body may not be able to handle hard hits from rushing defensive lineman. With Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill taking snaps behind center I am afraid the offense will be closer to average. The defense has carried them most of the season, forcing another 4 turnovers and containing San Francisco for most of the game, and will need to be even better to keep the Saints’ 6-game win streak alive.  

Green Bay showed improvement last week but almost gave it all back in a close game they had to sweat out. Since winning the first game of the season the Jaguars have lost 8 straight and allowed over 30 points in 7 of those. That is why it is very surprising that the Packers only scored 24 points and almost blew it at the end. The Packers started the second half with a fumble, turnover on downs, and then an interception which allowed Jacksonville back in the game. Despite a down game overall for the team, Aaron Rodgers played well again and now is second in the league in TDs, behind Russel Wilson. Green Bay remains as one of the league’s top teams, but needs to step up in games they should win easily. 

Heartbreaking way for the Bills to lose in Arizona. A shootout seemed likely when only one drive in the first half did not end in a score, but I don’t think anyone was expecting that type of ending. Surrounded by three defenders, Hopkins reached directly over two for the insane game winning grab. Unbelievable. For the Bills, Josh Allen played decent and delivered what he thought to be the game winning touchdown with only 30 seconds left. However, his two interceptions were backbreaking since one directly led to an Arizona touchdown and another was at midfield late in the game. Allen and Stefon Diggs lead the league in total yards for their respective positions, but have only connected for 4 TDs thus far. I thought the Bills were going to run away with the division but the race might come down to a Week 17 matchup against Miami.  

Even though the Patriots have had a pretty down year, you can never count out Belichick in a classic Sunday Night game, in Foxborough, in bad weather. The rain might have played a role in slowing down Lamar Jackson, but the Ravens just weren’t good enough on all sides. While Lamar threw for the most yards since the season opener, he struggled to make a real impact in the second half. The Pats defense held Baltimore to a little over 100 total yards in the second half as the rain picked up, but the Baltimore defense couldn’t respond either. The Ravens defense has been elite this year but were unable to pressure Cam Newton or force any key turnovers. I am concerned that Baltimore is not as legitimate as we had thought and unless they can fix their kinks they may see another early exit in the playoffs. 

Tampa definitely worked hard this week in practice after their embarrassing showing against New Orleans. While Carolina was not the toughest opponent coming off of four straight losses, they had just pushed Kansas City to the edge and were coming in with confidence. It was a slow start for Tampa but they managed to outscore Carolina 29-6 in the second half, thanks to a great bounce back game from Brady. He threw for three scores and ran for another, alongside great running from Ronald Jones II. Brady was more in sync with his receivers, including getting Antonio Brown more involved in his second game of his comeback season. If the offense can maintain this elite play and the defense can be steady they will surely prove that last week was a fluke and that they can contend in the playoffs.  

Once again, the Seattle defense got exposed while at the same time the offense got confused against a good Rams squad. The game started out hot with 30 first half points, but the defenses got better and there were only 10 points in the second. The Rams offense is not as good as the Seattle offense, but their defense certainly is far superior. Jalen Ramsey absolutely locked up DK Metcalf all game, who only got his first catch late in the fourth, and Wilson was held scoreless for the first time all season. While Wilson still leads the league in pass TDs, he threw another 2 interceptions which brought his season total to 10, third behind Kirk Cousin and Carson Wentz. Seattle has now lost two straight and three out of the last four. It is now clear the defense cannot hold its own and the offense will struggle if they matchup against a good defensive team. Nevertheless, Seattle will look to gain back control on Thursday against a jubilant Arizona team. 

Crazy finish for Arizona to pull off that win against Buffalo. Thanks to Hopkins ‘mossing’ two defenders the Cardinals have found themselves in a three-way tie for first in the NFC West. I think they can be legit contenders this year, if not for years to come, because their defense is solidly above average and their offense is very dynamic behind Kyler Murray. The running game averaged over 6 yards a carry and posted over 200 yards for the third time this year, while Murray aired it out plenty of times to a range of receivers. With a talent like Murray it is no surprise that Arizona leads the league in total yards per game and let’s not forget he already has 10 TDs on the ground (he only had 4 all of last year). Thursday’s game against Seattle will be the biggest game of the year and hopefully we see another wild finish. 

The Rams showed they are a legitimate team by controlling Seattle from start to finish. While there is a three-way tie in the division, this win was big for mojo and momentum. Seattle came in with the league’s top offense and LA came in with the top defense, so one of them had to give. LA locked down Metcalf and Lockett, forcing other non-star receivers to make plays in the check down game. The Rams defense is second in yards and points allowed, so they should be a tough task for any offense coming up. While the Rams offense still has room for improvement, they took advantage of a very bad Seattle defense. Jarred Goff was excellent in his role as game manager, throwing for an efficient 300+, and the running game was able to finish off the drives. They will be put to the test next week against Tampa and still have to face Arizona twice and Seattle one more time, but I think this team could run the table in January. 

Kansas City got off to a surprisingly slow start that saw them down by two scores to a struggling Carolina team, but yet again they were able to figure it out. The Chiefs lead the league in point differential, which speaks to their abilities on both sides of the ball, but this last game was a bit weird. While Mahomes had another brilliant performance, the offense only rushed for 30 yards, the defense allowed 31 points, and they almost blew a 9-point lead in the last two minutes. Nevertheless, it is hard to bet against any team that has Patrick Mahomes. Continue to expect greatness from him and wins for KC. 

While the Steelers did improve to 8-0 for the first time in their franchise’s history, it was very concerning that they barely won the game against such a bad Cowboys team. The Cowboys started Garrett Gilbert, who entered the league in 2014, and had only thrown six passes before his first career start on Sunday. Going into the game favored by two touchdowns, the Steelers found themselves down 13-0 and then down 10 going into the fourth. The defense did not play up to their standard, but they were able to force a very fortunate end zone interception which helped keep them alive. The Steelers did win, but recently they have been cutting it close. Despite the scare it is very possible for Pittsburgh to end the season with 2 losses or less. 

The Saints made a huge leap in the rankings this week after they finally got back Michael Thomas, but this time it did not matter much. After surviving the last few games by field goals, the Saints wiped out the Buccaneers from start to finish and in all parts of the game. The Saints humiliated Tampa 38-3 on their own turf, led by the air with Drew Brees who threw for four scores and on the ground with Taysom Hill (remember his name). While the offense was able to do whatever it wanted, the defense was first-class. They had not allowed fewer than 23 points all season and yet kept Tampa to only 3 points, as well as only 8 yards rushing! New Orleans has won 5 in a row after a slow 1-2 start and I believe they can go for another 13-3 season as long as they stay healthy.   

The Packers also moved up a good amount in the rankings thanks to a good bounce back game, making up for that ugly loss last week. While the 49ers have been pretty beat up this season and did not provide any resistance at all, Green Bay still showed up on the road in a place they are familiar with losing in. They avenged their painful 2019 NFC Championship loss by dominating San Francisco from start to finish. Only a couple of very late touchdowns made the final score a bit more respectable, but the Packers took care of business early and thoroughly. Their offense looked dynamic in the run and pass game, led by Aaron Rodgers who once again provided over 300 yards and 4 TDs on a very efficient night. Aaron Jones and Davante Adams both looked great and I really don’t see Green Bay being challenged in any of their remaining games. As long as they keep the offense rolling like this and the defense stays decent they will have no issues going forward.  

The Ravens defense helped them get by in Indianapolis and showed why they are first in points allowed. Coming into this year I thought the Ravens offense would lead them to a championship, but it’s looking like they will only go as far as their defense takes them. In the second half the Colts could not do much against the Baltimore defense, turning it over on downs twice and throwing a pick that lead directly to a TD drive. However, on offense the Ravens are getting predictable. Even Lamar Jackson admitted that defenses are calling out their plays. They rush it almost twice as much as they pass, and whether it’s a QB draw or an QB option the ball is always certainly with Lamar. Hopefully they can figure out more creative play calling that encourage the pass, because without the air threat good defenses will be able to shut them down.  

The Bills scored on eight of their eleven drives and were able to put up a season high 44 points en route to a convincing win against Seattle. It helps that the Seahawks defense is one of the league’s worst, but the Buffalo defense played better than usual and were able to force four turnovers out of Russel Wilson as well as sack him five times. After a shaky four weeks in a row, including two losses and two nail-biting wins, the Bills put in an impressive performance against a top team. Josh Allen returned to early-season form by throwing for over 400 yards on 80% passing and accounted for another 4 TDs. The Bills remain in control of their playoff destiny but should hope that Miami does not get too hot if they want to win the division for the first time since ’95. 

Seattle’s defense has been problematic all year and when they finally faced a potent offensive test from the Bills they got smacked. Although they did only allow 34 yards rushing, the Seahawks defense let Josh Allen throw for over 400 yards very efficiently. The defense was not fully to blame, since they were able to sack Allen seven times, but the offense did not play perfect which is what they need to win. The tale of Seattle this season has been that in order to win they need Russel Wilson to put up tremendous stats, but with four turnovers that just wasn’t going to get it done. While Russ did throw for a season high 390 yards, three of his turnovers gave the Bills the ball inside the redzone and easy scoring opportunities. On a good note, DK Metcalf is looking like an MVP contender of his own as he is second in the league in both TDs and yards, and can you believe he is only 15th in targets? I would love to see what he can do in a deep playoff run, but their defense may not allow it to happen.

I wouldn’t say Tennessee played well in their win against the Bears, but the Bears just aren’t that good either. In the first half the teams combined for 8 three-and-outs and the only breakthrough of the game was a fumble-return for a touchdown that gave the Titans a solid 17-0 lead. Looking at the box score and seeing total yards and first downs you might think that Chicago thoroughly outplayed Tennessee, but most of that came late in the fourth when the game was settled. The Titans played very well defensively, however, their offense did look troubling. Derrick Henry did not do much at all and Tannehill looked mediocre at best. I will credit the Bears for having a top-10 defense, but this was just an ugly game to watch. Watch out Tennessee, they have two upcoming games against the Colts which might decide the division.

I thought after last game’s close call against the Giants that the Bucs would come out and have a good showing in a key home game against the division rival Saints. It would be a massive understatement to say that I was shocked. It looked like the offense and defense were competing to see who could be worse in the first half. This was by far Brady’s worst loss and his coach his right to criticize him. Four straight three-and-outs to begin, three interceptions, and two turnovers on downs (including one from 1st and goal at the 1) is far below the play of the future HOF. On the other side of the ball the Bucs defense allowed the Saints nearly 300 yards and 31 points by halftime. Tampa is still a very talented team but they need to work on cohesion. Either way, this loss is their second to New Orleans and is backbreaking not only as a tiebreaker but for morale as well. 

Despite a crushing defeat to the suddenly surging Dolphins, I decided to keep the Cardinals in the rankings solely because I have not seen enough from the Dolphins. Miami extended their win streak to four games by beating the Cardinals in a thrilling finish, but got pretty lucky that a makeable 49-yard field goal was left short. The Cardinals lead the league in yards per game and legitimately look like one of the league’s top offenses behind Kyler Murray. He did have one bad fumble that led to a Miami score, but the Dolphins could not contain him on the ground or the air. Rushing for over 100 yards and a score and throwing for 3 TDs should lead to a W, but Arizona could not contain Tua either. While both teams have decent defenses, I give the offensive edge to Arizona with their diverse receiving core. However, I am excited with what I see from Miami and Tua, despite not having any other big-name threats. I would not be surprised if I see them in the rankings soon and maybe even the playoffs.  

Kansas City had a relatively easy matchup against the worst team in football and made it through an upset-themed week in the NFL untouched. It’s always an easy day when you face the Jets, especially if you’re the defending champs. There’s nothing critical to point out about this game, other than Mahomes continued to be great. He completed 74% of his passes for over 400 yards and threw for 5 scores in the contest. Sam Darnold and the Jets struggled to do anything on offense once again and look like the favorites to secure that #1 pick in the upcoming draft. 

Even after taking a 10-point deficit into halftime I could sense that this Pittsburgh team was going to break through. This whole season they have been able to fight in games and they certainly did not give up in a huge divisional game with so many playoff implications. They were able to pressure Lamar a lot, forcing him to make very risky decisions leading to four turnovers. Lamar’s two interceptions directly led to touchdowns and his two fumbles occurred when Baltimore was within the Steelers’ 10-yard line. The Steeler offense did not look great, despite their diverse receiving core, but their defense ultimately won this game and handed them a huge win. 

Although the final score may not look like it, the Seahawks handled business early and thoroughly to bounce back from their crushing lost last week. For the first three quarters the Seahawks were getting whatever they liked on offense and held the 49ers offense to mostly punts and turnovers. Russel Wilson looked great again with another 4 TDs, two of which went to his favorite second-year DK Metcalf, who is looking like a future star. He has 7 TDs (through seven games), the same amount as he had all of last year, and looks on his way to passing 1,500 yards receiving. The defense was better this game, until the fourth quarter, but it helped that San Francisco lost Jimmy G to injury again. San Francisco has already been hit hard with the loss of Nick Bosa, and losing Jimmy and Kittle will surely not help their season. Looks like a race between Seattle and Arizona for now. 

I expected a Monday night blowout against one of the league’s worst teams, but it looks like the Giants can never seem to allow Brady an easy game. I think everyone was a little shocked to see the Giants up two possessions in the second quarter. However, Brady stepped up in the second half and delivered a score on four of their five second half possessions, two of those coming directly off Daniel Jones’ interceptions. Despite all of this, the Giants were one two-point conversion away from overtime and possibly a huge upset. 25 points is the lowest in a win that the Buc’s have put up this season, but their defense has maintained an elite level to sustain wins. Devin White and JPP have helped anchor this defense with their superb play and will keep this team in games all year.

The Ravens might be in trouble. Nothing to panic about just yet, but Lamar needs to work on his pocket presence and fully trust the time and space he is given. Of course, he can still make the highlight reel play, but it looked like he was trying to do it every time that there was pressure. While this won’t be a problem against average teams, this is a reoccurring and concerning trend when Baltimore plays good teams. The Steelers have a very strong defense this year so it was awfully impressive that Baltimore gained twice as many yards as Pittsburgh. However, bad decisions (penalties and turnovers) cost Baltimore this one. Players seem to recognize their flawed system as well, because their top receiver Marquise Brown, who was only targeted twice on Sunday, tweeted and then deleted a not-so-subtle jab at the offensive play calling. Hopefully Baltimore can handle this drama soon or else Pittsburgh will run away with the division.

The Saints had to do without Michael Thomas yet again, and they were just barely able to survive again this week. This is the Saints third straight game winning by a field goal, and while yes, they are getting wins, I am not fully convinced they are as strong as their record shows. Alvin Kamara has been their #1 receiver thus far, mostly because three of their top four receivers have been out, and he is on a record setting pace for most catches by a running back with 55 through the first 7 games. I will say this team is resilient. They have comeback in each of their last four wins and have remarkable contributions from Taysom Hill (who caught his first touchdown this season) which they have desperately needed. Once they get everyone healthy again I think they will be much better.   

Hard to say what happened against the Vikings. Aaron Rodgers and the offense looked very good on their only two drives in the first half, but in the second half could not get much going downfield. I wonder about the play calling when Green Bay decided twice to go for it on fourth-and-long and failed going deep. Through the first four weeks Green Bay was scoring almost 40 points a game, but now it seems as though they need another dynamic playmaker on offense. Their struggles without running back Aaron Jones are very visible, but they will get him back soon. Defensively, Green Bay hasn’t been outstanding this year but they had absolutely no answer for Dalvin Cook, who scored a touchdown on each of the Vikings’ first four drives. Green Bay should have come into this more prepared. How do you let the Vikings win a game when Kirk Cousins only completes 11/14 passes? 

This was another shocker to watch, especially after their good showing last week against the Steelers. I expected Tennessee to come out very strong against Cincy. In the last two games Tennessee has averaged only 22 points, after averaging nearly 35 in their previous four (all wins). In fact, 20 points is their lowest output since their opening game and to do that against a weak Cincinnati defense should be concerning. Tannehill simply wasn’t accurate enough and they should have kept Henry working. Tennessee have now lost two straight after starting out 5-0, but what is more concerning is the fact that they will need Henry to put up 200 yards and maybe two scores for them to have a chance. 

Arizona is still brimming with delight off their amazing win last week against the Seahawks and winning before a bye week was good for the Cardinals, as both the Rams and 49ers suffered losses, leaving Arizona one game back of Seattle. 

The Bills made a return to the rankings thanks to a Cam Newton fumble and the Rams getting completely embarrassed by the Miami defense. Buffalo didn’t play great, Josh Allen didn’t play great, but Cam and the Pats have been inconsistently bad this year. Buffalo started the year with a very dynamic offense and Josh Allen playing like an MVP, but since then they have severely cooled down. While they are leading the AFC East so far, I would not be surprised if Miami keeps pace and takes it from them late in the season. 

It was a relatively easy game for the Chiefs, despite a quiet night from Mahomes and the dynamic offense. They struggled to get the big play on the offense, partly due to the Denver snow, but they were able to get other contributions from all parts of the team. Denver struggled on offense thanks to the Chiefs defense, which forced four turnovers (including a pick-six) and special teams put the game away with a kickoff return TD in the second quarter. Even the backup QB got into the end zone late in the game. Kansas City remains unbeaten on the road and back to the #1 spot. 

Bye Week for Baltimore, who had an extra week to prepare for a showdown with Pittsburgh that will be huge for deciding the division winner.  

Pittsburgh remains as the league’s lone unbeaten after surviving a surprise comeback effort from previously unbeaten Tennessee. The Steelers took a 24-7 lead into the break thanks to a suffocating defensive performance in the first half. However, they seemed to take their foot off the gas and allowed Tennessee to put together good drives and come within three late in the game. Unfortunately, Gostkowski left his 45-yard attempt slightly right as time expired and we did not get to see overtime. The Steeler defense continued to look like the league’s best, despite the second half, and they look like legitimate contenders come playoff time.

Sunday night’s thriller against the Cardinals was the game of the year so far and proved that the NFC West is by far the league’s best. When the Seahawks took a 10-point lead into halftime I assumed they would run away with it, but costly turnovers and penalties lost them the game. Two very critical defensive unsportsmanlike penalties kept Arizona drives alive that led to touchdowns, and an offensive holding call negated a would-be game-winner in overtime. Russel Wilson continued to look impressive, but his three interceptions doubled his season total and allowed Arizona to steal it in overtime. While it is very hard for any team to compete with the Seattle offense, their defense is horrendous at applying QB pressure and will cost them more games, especially alongside avoidable penalties.

Tampa built on their dominant performance last week and provided another beatdown against the Raiders. After scoring 38 last weekend the Bucs put up 45 against a Raider team that was averaging only 30 points allowed per game. It looks like Brady has really found a connection with his variety of receivers, because nine different players caught a ball and four different players scored. The Bucs also had a very strong showing defensively, something they have been doing all season long. Expect another blowout next week against the Giants. 

After their dismal beating last week at the hands of Tampa Bay the Packers had a great bounce back game against the lowly Texans. Green Bay got off to a hot 21-0 start despite missing their top back in Jones, and did not let the lead slip. Aaron Rodgers said last week that they would be better and he made good on his promise, throwing for 4 TDs and finding Davante Adams for two of those touchdowns and almost 200 yards. No one expected Houston to give much resistance, considering they have been one of the league’s worst, but this was a good sign for Green Bay moving forward. 

Tennessee almost had an incredible comeback against the Steelers, despite a quiet night from Derrick Henry and the offense. The Pittsburgh defense was able to stifle Henry for most of the night, although he was able to get into the end zone late in the game. The offense struggled to gain traction until the second half, ultimately gaining under 300 yards for the first time this season. The defense hasn’t been great this year but was able to force three interceptions from Big Ben, including a critical late-game pick in the end zone that sparked a drive to tie the game with a field goal. Despite the miss, the Titans proved that they can contend with a top team like the Steelers and can possibly make another deep playoff run.

The Saints scored a touchdown on three of their first four possessions but their hot start only lasted for the first half. In the second half they struggled to pull away, seeing two 13 play drives end in field goals as they couldn’t seem to breakthrough once in the redzone. The only score of the game in the fourth was a field goal that put New Orleans up by three with eight minutes left, and by a yard, New Orleans survived Joey Slye’s attempted NFL record of 65-yards with two minutes left. Other than that missed field goal, all of Carolina’s drives ended in points except one punt, which is a concerning sight for the Saints defense. There are definitely holes in both the offense and defense, but hopefully next week they will finally get Michael Thomas back to revitalize the offense.

The Rams were so absolutely dominant defensively against the Bears that you would feel bad seeing the Chicago offense have to go back onto the field. After the Bears’ field goal at the start of the second quarter, their last 8 drives ended in punt, punt, punt, interception, downs, downs, interception, downs. The only mistake the Rams made was losing a fumble that Chicago was able to scoop for a score. Although the LA offense did often struggle to continue drives, the Chicago defense is very solid and has been the only reason for their success thus far. The Rams should feel good about a comfortable win, but their division is looking really scary.

The Bills had a very poor showing even in their win and so I had to introduce the Cardinals to the top-ten after their extraordinary (and maybe a little lucky?) overtime thriller against the Seahawks. I’ve had my eye on the Cardinals so far this season and this win officially put them in the conversation. Kyler Murray has grown a remarkable amount since his rookie year, leading Arizona to as many wins already as they had last year. Almost identical to Wilson, his height has not seemed to hinder him much, he is almost unstoppable to catch once he decided to make a play with his legs, and his baseball arms allows him to make great throws downfield. Although the Seahawks definitely should have won this game, I am confident that the Cardinals will make the race for the division crown very interesting. 

Bye week for the Seahawks who are now only one of three unbeatens left. With the Rams losing to the 49ers the Seahawks increased their division lead to 1.5 games. Four of their next five games are against division opponents so we will see if Seattle can stay in the driver’s seat. 

The Kansas City defense was able to pressure Josh Allen all night long, forcing him into quick throws and scrambling a ton. The Chiefs held the Bills to a season low 206 yards which is very impressive considering the Chiefs defense hasn’t exactly been elite and the Bills offense has been fluid up until last week. Amazingly, this past week the Chiefs were also able to add to their stacked backfield by picking up former All-Pro Le’Veon Bell. He has struggled in recent years and unfortunately may have to wait a while to contribute. The rookie Edwards-Helaire racked up over 160 yards on the ground and opened up the passing game for Mahomes and Kelce. The Chiefs should remain favorites in every game. 

Lamar Jackson looked like what we were missing for the past few weeks. He surpassed 100 yards rushing for the seventh time in his career as the Ravens looked easily in control for most of the game. At one point it looked like the Eagles were going to pull Carson Wentz for Jalen Hurt, but Baltimore let the Eagles hang around by allowing three touchdowns in the fourth quarter. There is no need to worry just yet, but this type of careless finish should serve as a wake-up call for the Ravens to put away and finish mediocre teams. Despite the sloppy play late the Ravens defense still leads the league in points allowed per game, but they should be concerned about letting teams back late in games. 

The Steelers have their second 5-0 start in franchise history behind a defense that is second overall in points allowed and yards allowed per game. The defense wreaked havoc on Baker Mayfield and the Browns in a 38-7 beating that was over after the first quarter. The held the Cleveland running-game 100 yards under their season average while also returning an interception for a score. With Diontae Johnson sidelined again they got another strong performance from Chase Claypool, who they may have to consider as one of their go-to guys from here on out. Big Ben isn’t looking any younger, but this defense is impressive and will certainly keep winning them games.

Tennessee survived a stunning overtime-thriller against the Texans in one of the best games so far this season. Derrick Henry is putting together an MVP case as he racked up over 200 yards on the ground, along with his third straight game with two TDs, including a 94-yarder that put them up early in the fourth. The offense totaled over 600 yards and is clicking as it ranks second in points and yards per game. In contrast to what we saw in the playoffs last year, Mike Vrabel seems more confident in Tannehill making throws, allowing him to toss in four TDs on Sunday. Besides the Buffalo game last week all of the Titans’ wins have been shaky and unconvincing, but they deserve praise for continuing to get it done. Next Sunday against the Steelers will pit the top ranked offense against the top ranked defense to determine the AFC’s last unbeaten. 

It looked like a promising start in Tampa as Aaron Rodgers and the Packers took a 10-0 lead after the first quarter. Unfortunately, not much went well after that. After their early touchdown the Packers only managed a little over 50 yards for the rest of the game, including Rodgers taking 5 sacks for over 53 yards. After two interceptions (one taken back for a score) Tampa Bay went on to score 38 unanswered against Green Bay. The Packers elite offense was severely outplayed, but Rodgers said postgame that a beatdown like this may be good for them long-term. Fans shouldn’t be too worried either, since the Packers have a pretty easy schedule the rest of the way.  

After the unfortunate fourth-down Brady blunder last week, Tampa Bay stepped up big time against the Packers on both sides of the ball. The defense swarmed Rodgers all day, picking him off twice, returning one for a score, and held him to zero touchdowns for the first time this season. Offensively, the Bucs still have room for improvement, but Brady found the end zone twice including one to his old friend Gronk. With Leonard Fournette inactive, the run game got a massive contribution from Ronald Jones II with 113 yards and 2 touchdowns (his third straight 100+ game). This was a great sign that the Bucs are legitimate contenders. 

A Bye week for the Saints helped them rest Michael Thomas for another week. Assuring his comeback this week, Thomas and the Saints hope to keep pace with the Buccaneers after their dominant showing against the Packers. 

Buffalo did a good job of holding the Chiefs offense relatively quiet, considering their defense has struggled throughout the season. However, offensively they could not get anything going. After a bad showing last week I did not expect the offense to have an even worse game. They just couldn’t figure out how to get decent yards consistently. The offensive line was pressured and bullied all game forcing Allen to scramble and struggle with throws downfield. I still like how this team fought and I’m confident that they will get their offense rolling again next week in an easy visit against the Jets.  

I am still quite confused about how this Bears team is winning games. They are near the bottom of the league offensively but their defense is strong and has won them nearly every game. Although, their competition hasn’t been great and all five of their wins have been one-score games. I also wonder how Bears fans feel, because although they are winning, they did it by benching their former second-overall pick in Mitchell Trubisky in favor of former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles. Foles hasn’t played outstanding, in fact he has been pretty subpar, but the Bears grit has won them games and they are well positioned to find a spot in the expanded playoffs. However, I would not expect this success to last long as their schedule gets much tougher in the upcoming weeks. 

I have no clue how the Seahawks won on Sunday night. They looked awful in the first half; less than 100 total yards, sacked four times, and a 13-0 deficit. Early in the third the offense finally found their rhythm, scoring three touchdowns within two minutes thanks to a couple turnovers from Kirk Cousins, who now has nine for the season. Minnesota could have put Seattle away with a field goal but instead allowed Wilson to complete a sensational 95-yard two-minute drill, twice converting on 4th down, including the game winning toss to Metcalf. Their troubling defense continues to allow the most yards in the league, but with Russ in sync with his receivers it’s hard to stop them from scoring. 

If the Seahawks had not escaped the Vikings the Packers very well could be #1 on this list, without even playing. Nevertheless, Green Bay look to continue rolling on offense against the Bucs next week.

This AFC West battle with the Raiders looked like it was going to be a thrilling shootout tied 24 at half, but the Chiefs couldn’t score again until four minutes left in the game. They struggled offensively in the second half, as Mahomes only threw for 103 yards after entering halftime with 237. He also threw a critical interception late in the fourth (his first of the season) and the defense was unable to hold Las Vegas to a stop. Kansas City allowed more than 20 points for the first time this season and as well as a season high 490 yards. Watch out, the AFC West may not be decided quite as early as expected this year.  

It looks like the Ravens could have won 50-0 against Cincinnati if they really tried, but they took their foot off the gas while still holding a defensive clinic. The Ravens defense is first in points allowed and looks like the key to a championship run so far. They held the Bengals to 205 yards, had 7 sacks, forced three turnovers (scored off a fumble), and only allowed one field goal with 30 seconds left in the game. On the other side, Lamar Jackson did not have any eye-popping numbers and has looked average in the last two wins, throwing for less than 200 yards and a pick in each game. If the Ravens want to get further this year they need MVP Lamar.

Coming off an impromptu bye week, the Steelers showed they are booming with young talent, as they just had a breakout game from another young star Chase Claypool. It’s still too early to tell how far he’ll go, but the rookie caught 3 TDs and ran for another to lead Pittsburgh in a surprising close win. Considering the Steelers defense has been one of the tops in the league so far and Carson Wentz has been very poor this season (6TDs to 9 Ints) I did not expect the score to be so close. The Steelers are putting up numbers, granted against bad teams, but will have to maintain an elite defense to keep winning close games, especially against better opponents.    

The Titans had a great comeback game after eighteen days off, handing the Bills their first loss of the season in a blowout. In addition to a superb 90-yard drive, four out of the six Titans touchdown drives started deep in Bills territory. The Bills have struggled on defense all year, and that helped Tennessee score 6/6 when entering the redzone. Maybe the Bills expected Tennessee to be slow after their COVID bye, but this Titans team came to play. If Derrick Henry can continue to find the end zone this team is unstoppable in the redzone.

The Rams had an easy game against a struggling Washington team, who benched their second-year starter Dwayne Haskins after just four games. It was a great sight to see Alex Smith make his return to football two years after his gruesome leg injury, but not so good that the Rams defense was absolutely smothering. In the second half the Washington Football team had seven drives totaling for zero first downs and -6 yards. For the game the Rams had 8 sacks (4 from Donald) and held Washington to 108 yards of offense and 10 points. The offense also looked good, scoring 30+ points for the third time this season, as Goff and McVay try to keep pace with the Seahawks.  

Josh Allen struggled for the first time this season, not looking as sharp as he has been. It was weird since offensively they were superb on third down conversions, yet just couldn’t get any big plays to help the scoring. They had a late push but failed to stop Tennessee’s offense. Unforced errors were the reason for this loss; bad turnovers giving Tennessee great field position and bad penalties that allowed Tennessee to continue drives. Without Allen having an amazing game, the Bills defense is a huge reliability and will get them in trouble against good teams. 

I wanted to sneak the Browns into last week’s rankings but couldn’t quite jump them over the Colts until their matchup. Finally, the Browns are starting to look like what most people expected from them last year. After scoring only 6 points in their opener, the Browns have won four straight while averaging 37.5 points and forcing a league leading 12 turnovers. Baker Mayfield has been solid but inconsistent, and neither OBJ nor Landry have broken 100 yards yet this season, but the running game has been great with their three backs. With Nick Chubb out for another several weeks, Cleveland has a chance next week against the Steelers to prove if they are really contenders. 

The Saints barely scraped by for this victory, finding themselves down by 17 to the sub-par Chargers as well as surviving a last-second field goal by inches. It has been an unusual slow start for the Saints, who have won 13 games the last two seasons, but any team with Drew Brees is dangerous. The threats of Alvin Kamara out of the backfield and Taysom Hill throwing, running, or receiving show how dynamic they can be on offense. They are also hoping they can get their All-Pro receiver Michael Thomas back soon, who has missed practically all season, and then they should really takeoff. That being said, they have a pretty favorable upcoming schedule and I would not be surprised to see them higher on this list in the coming weeks.

It was unusual to see the Chiefs offense stifled the way the Pats did in the first half. Credit to Bill Belichick for coming up with a good defensive game plan, however, Any Reid and Mahomes were able to get it going in the second half. The Chiefs scored two touchdowns in 9 seconds in the fourth quarter which erased any chance of the Pats coming back. The Chiefs defense didn’t have to deal with Cam Newton under center and it was easy forcing 4 turnovers, leading them to being the first team ever to start 4-0 for four straight years.  

Aaron Rodgers is giving Russel Wilson a good fight for the MVP trophy, tossing another 4 TDs (now second in the league behind Wilson). This may be a stretch but the Packers tight-end Robert Tonyan is looking like he may be the future ‘best-TE in the league’ title holder in a couple years as long as he keeps getting passes from Rodgers. He had 3 TDs last night and now has 5 total; granted the Atlanta defense might be the worst in the league. The Green Bay defense hasn’t been exactly amazing so far this season, but they slowed the Atlanta offense which had been top-10 coming in, holding them below their yards and scoring averages. 

Russel Wilson had to settle for only 2 TDs this week, but tied Peyton Manning with a record of 16 through the first 4 weeks, after Wilson had previously set the 3-week record. The Seattle defense allows a staggering average of 400 yards through the air, and struggled again by giving up another 315 to Ryan Fitzpatrick. Although, they did manage to pick him off twice as well as hold Miami to settle for 5 field goals. Good news for Seattle, the last time they started 4-0 was 2013, where they went on to win the Super Bowl. However, that defense was ranked first, not last, in the league. 

This was an easy bounce back game for the Ravens after losing last week. Washington hoped to have a good showing against their beltway neighbors, but was unable to get anything going against the Baltimore defense. Jackson shined with 3 TDs, including a scintillating 50-yard run that made him the fastest QB to reach 5K and 2K rushing yards (4 games ahead of Michael Vick). We even got to see the return of RG3 to FedEx field, which the Washington fans would have appreciated. 

The Buffalo offense is continuing to soar behind the third year out of Wyoming. Josh Allen had a shoulder scare in the second half but came back to finish strong. He can throw effectively downfield, showing as he is second in average yds/completion and third in TDs. The defense struggled a bit, allowing over 400 yards of offense, but was able to force two critical fumbles during drives in which Vegas looked prime to score by getting deep into Bills territory. They now hold a two-game lead for the division and everyone outside of NE hopes they hold it. 

I’m surprised it took this long for a game to be suspended due to COVID-19. This week essentially turned into a Bye week, therefore they stick at 6. 

Brady and the Bucs defense did not look good in the first half, getting down by as much as 17 against the rookie Justin Herbert, who has looked great so far (only rookie to throw for 300+ yards in first three starts). A 72-yard toss took the lead late, but Brady was able to engineer another amazing comeback. He has comeback from 17+ for the 6th time in his career now and did it by throwing for his 7th career 5 TD game. It was a vintage Brady show, but the defense was able to lockdown Herbert and the run game to seal it. Side note: Mike Evans is a top red-zone threat, scoring in every game so far while leading the league with 5 TD receptions. 

I should move them down for a lack of social distancing, but again their Bye week should not hurt them. 

Los Angeles was able to bounce back from their crushing defeat last week, and against a Giants team which has really struggled it looked like it would be a blowout early. However, the Rams offense stalled, only managing four first-downs in the second half and 240 yards of total offense. The Rams defense sacked Jones 5 times and is now top-5 in opponents pts/g, but nevertheless, the Rams should have blown out this Giants team. 

After an ugly week 1 loss against the Jaguars, the Colts pushed their way into the top-10 with their latest performance. Their defense is first in pts/g (14) and yds/g (236), as well as T-4th with 7 takeaways (2 pick-sixes). On the offensive side Phillip Rivers is proving he is a little less washed-up than most people were saying. In his first year as a Colt, Rivers is now completing a career high 73% of passes, yet only throwing for 4 TDs thus far. I almost had the Browns at 10 (surprised?), so we will see next week who is more deserving when these two teams matchup. 

The reigning Super Bowl champs didn’t look great last week against the Chargers, but they rolled through the Ravens and the reigning MVP Lamar Jackson in an impressive road victory. Patrick Mahomes proved his greatness once again, easily handling pocket pressure by throwing for 4 TDs and adding one on the ground. The rookie Edwards-Helaire has excelled in the run and pass game while the defense put the clamps on Baltimore, holding Jackson to a career low 97 pass yards. They maintain as favorites to repeat in my eyes.

Both Aarons, Rodgers and Jones, have led this offense to a league leading 40 points per contest. Matt Lafleur’s play calling has proven his team’s 13-3 record and NFC Championship appearance last year was no fluke, as they hope to make it one round further this year. They look like the easy favorite to win the NFC North and bid for a playoff-bye, since their upcoming schedule only gets easier.

The Seahawks kept their undefeated season going thanks to another MVP performance from Russel Wilson. He threw for another 5 touchdowns and leads the league with 14 total, which should be 15 if not for a D.K. Metcalf goal-line blunder early on. Metcalf redeemed himself with the game-winning touchdown catch and the defense was able to hold on. Despite their troubling 500 yards allowed per game (last in the league) and struggling pass rush, with Wilson’s superb play they are legit contenders in the NFC.   

Lamar struggled, unable to put together an MVP performance against the reigning champs and his fellow face of the league Mahomes. Throwing for a career low, Jackson is now 0-3 as a starter against Mahomes and the Chiefs - meanwhile he is a stellar 21-1 against everyone else. However, their offense is predicated on controlling the run, thus getting an early lead is critical for their success. Ravens fans should not be concerned until a possible rematch in the AFC Championship game. 

Bills mafia should be extremely excited about the play of Josh Allen. The Buffalo offense ranks 4th in pts and yds/g, led by Allen who has an impressive 10 TDs to only 1 pick while completing over 71% of his passes. It is concerning that the Bills blew a 25 pt lead, but Allen led the league with 5 game winning drives last year and did it once again. Could we see an AFC East champion other than the Patriots for the first time since 2008? The defense was expected to lead this team, but so far they've been underwhelming. If Allen can't keep this up, they'll need to step up.

The return of Big Ben has put the Steelers in great position so far, but their defense has been more impressive. Led by T.J. Watt they have 15 sacks, forced 5 turnovers, and are second in the league in yds/g. However, it should be noted that the Steelers’ three opponents thus far have yet to win a game between them. Nevertheless, they are the winning games they should win. They probably won’t give the Ravens much trouble for the division, but could see a wild-card bid come playoff time.

The Cam experiment in New England has proven to be successful so far. Cam has only thrown for 2 touchdowns but has contributed 4 on the ground alongside good running from Sony Michel and Rex Burkhead. Their defense stepped up against Las Vegas, forcing 3 fumbles and holding the Vegas offense 14 points below their average. The Pats were one goal line push from a 3-0 start as the battle for the AFC East crown looks to be a two-horse race.

The Titans have won three straight close games, and their most clutch player has been their kicker. Stephen Gostkowski hit 6 field goals on Sunday, 3 of which were over 50 yards including the 55 yd game-winner. Henry has the most workload of any back and finally got in the end zone this week, which we should be expecting more of. While the Titans could easily be 0-3, they have managed to get it done thus far.

This Tampa team brought in many high-profile names both on offense and defense, but haven’t looked like a super-team so far this season. The running game has stalled to under 100 yds/g while Brady’s age has shown at times, but he seems to be getting more into a rhythm with his receivers, something that has made him a winner for two decades. The Bucs’ defense has been solid thus far keeping them afloat, so we will see if they can hold off the Saints for the division.

The Rams showed incredible resolve coming back from a 25-point second half deficit, with Jared Goff leading his young team with the help of Kupp and Woods, who have both looked impressive. The defense struggled, thus the deficit, but overall has looked solid. Aaron Donald is still the game’s most dominant on the defensive line, but the NFC West is once again proving to be extremely tough to win.