That was a short stay at the top of my power rankings for the Philadelphia Eagles. They had simply not been up there long enough to withstand such a flat and surprising loss to Washington. They have the talent to bounce back, though. My biggest risers this week are the Green Bay Packers, with the New Orleans Saints making the most startling fall in the other direction.
The Jaguars won the turnover battle by three against Kansas City, stealing possessions away from Patrick Mahomes. But it didn’t matter. The superstar quarterback still threw for 331 yards and four touchdowns in a 10-point win. This offense is prolific.
Why shouldn’t we start to believe in the Vikings? That was a massive win against a quality opponent on Sunday and Minnesota have now won seven in a row – all by one score. It helps to be confident when you have Justin Jefferson and his magnetic hands in the lineup.
It’s not an alarming slide for the Eagles but they did come out flat against the Washington Commanders and seemed out of sorts all night. Only rushing for 94 yards was a big concern as Philly have dominated in the trenches up until Monday’s loss.
Josh Allen had three turnovers in the fourth quarter and overtime duringthe loss to Minnesota. All three turnovers were costly – the goal-line fumble for a Vikings’ touchdown and two end zone interceptions. But he should not change his approach. He is Buffalo’s best hope.
The Dolphins added some balance to their free-wheeling passing attack during Sunday’s win over Cleveland as they rushed for 195 yards. Jeff Wilson looks like a wonderful addition and Miami definitely look for real as the new number one team in the AFC East.
The Ravens are in great shape in the AFC but must avoid stubbing their toes. Their next three games are all extremely winnable against Carolina, Jacksonville and Denver. Get to 9-3 and the Ravens will feel like they are right there seated at the top table of AFC teams.
The 49ers flexed their defensive muscle in defeating the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday Night Football. They held their opponents to zero points and just 52 total yards after the break. I was also interested to see carries split between Elijah Mitchell and Christian McCaffrey.
The Cowboys let one get away against the Packers. They went from leading 28-14 in the fourth quarter to losing in overtime. Dallas gave up plays through the air and especially on the ground last week, so the normally-strong defense took a bit of a knock on Sunday.
The Titans felt the benefit of having Ryan Tannehill back in the starting lineup on Sunday. Derrick Henry was held to just 53 rushing yards but the veteran quarterback took over and threw two key touchdown passes in a 17-10 win.
The Jets are coming off their bye week knowing that if they get their revenge against New England on Sunday, they will take over top spot in the AFC East. Not many would have backed that being the case by Week 11 of the 2022 season.
Joe Burrow and the Bengals are probably still having nightmares about their Week 1 loss to Pittsburgh. They get a chance to exact their revenge on Sunday. If they are to do that, Joe Mixon must remain a big part of the attack after his five touchdowns last time out.
That was more like it from the Bucs. They rushed for 161 yards to provide some offensive balance with Rachaad White the unexpected star. Tom Brady was efficient and the defense flew to the football. They can be a playoff threat on such form.
The Seahawks could not find their footing in the first half, but Geno Smith made some great throws down the stretch. If he signs an expected contract extension at the end of this season; it will be thoroughly deserved. His good form has been no fluke.
The Giants were sloppy coming out of their bye week and let the lowly Houston Texans hang around for far too long. But the Big Blue knew exactly how to escape with the win, handing the ball to Saquon Barkley 35 times as he produced 152 rushing yards and a touchdown.
The Packers rushed for more than 200 yards and Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdown passes in a game for the first time this season. Perhaps more importantly, one of Green Bay’s young receivers came through in a big spot as Christian Watson went over 100 yards and scored three times.
With New England’s offense ranked 26th in the NFL, Bill Belichick will be hoping his defense can do another number on Zach Wilson. It wouldn’t be the first time he has dominated a young QB. New England rank second in sacks and turnovers forced.
The Commanders are on a roll and have now won four of their last five. They have a chance to build on their 5-5 record with their next two games against Houston and Atlanta. The D is playing well and Taylor Heinicke should keep the starting job at quarterback.
It’s so hard to judge this team when star receivers Mike Williams and Keenan Allen are missing from the line-up. Justin Herbert is so limited in the passing game targets he is working with. Injuries have reduced the Chargers from a contender to an also-ran.
The Falcons were not expecting much from this 2022 season and they have done well to remain in the mix at 4-6. But is it not time to see what rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder can do for the NFL’s worst passing attack. What have they got to lose?
The Cardinals are off to Mexico with much still to fix if they are to contend the rest of the way. Kyler Murray (hamstring) could be back to face the 49ers, but I’m still not sure this team is going to make much noise between now and Christmas.
We got an indication during Sunday’s 39-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins of what the Browns would look like if Nick Chubb got shut down on a regular basis. He is too good for that, but this team won’t really have balance until Deshaun Watson takes over at QB.
The Lions are flawed, but at least they are fun this season. As long as Amon-Ra St. Brown plays at receiver and Jamaal Williams and D’Andre Swift get their touches on offense, the attack is dangerous.
The Colts got an interim head coach boost from Jeff Saturday to beat the Raiders. And, more importantly, they got Jonathan Taylor going on the ground. Matt Ryan was steady but one problem remains – a lack of difference-makers in the passing game.
Justin Fields has our attention thanks to his stunning displays as a running quarterback. Now, he and the Bears need to learn how to finish. In their last four outings, Chicago have scored 33, 29, 32 and 30 points and yet they have conspired to lose three in a row. Fields is the real deal, though.
It’s a little drop for the Jaguars but nothing too drastic. Better teams than this one have lost by more points at Arrowhead Stadium. This remains a rebuilding year and stacking wins that lay the groundwork for 2023 are the priority the rest of the way.
I cannot remember a more feeble Super Bowl title defence and things are not about to get any easier with star wide receiver Cooper Kupp heading to injured reserve. It’s going to be a long, cold winter for the Rams, even though they reside in the California sunshine.
I’m not sure what is worse… the fact that the 3-7 Saints are not very good. Or the fact that they are really boring to watch while stumbling to a 3-7 record. It doesn’t help to have such a paper-thin receiving corps and quarterbacks who seem incapable of stealing the job long-term.
The Panthers are one of the worst teams in the league at 3-7 but, like the Saints, they remain just two games out of first place in the NFC South. Also like the Saints, Carolina doesn’t really have much future with any of the quarterbacks currently on their roster.
The T.J. Watt factor. In two games with their star pass rusher this season, the Steelers have gone 2-0 and recorded nine sacks and seven takeaways. In seven games without Watt, Pittsburgh went 1-6 and registered just eight sacks and five takeaways.
There must be some internal pressure in the Broncos’ locker room. Denver boast the league’s number one scoring defense and that unit ranks second in terms of yards allowed. But Russell Wilson and the offense cannot get out of their own way, ranking dead last with an average of 14.6 points per game.
Another game, another lost fourth quarter lead for the Raiders. And yet team owner Mark Davis insists head coach Josh McDaniels is doing a good job and is safe. The defense is a real problem, ranking in the bottom five in seven major categories.
What do you want me to say? What is there left to say? The Texans rank near the bottom on offense and defense and I genuinely don’t expect many arguments regarding the placement of this team in these rankings.
