The Steelers are hitting some bumps in the road. They were given a scare by Dallas in Week 9 and Ben Roethlisberger injured both knees before going on the Covid-19 list. But they are still unbeaten in 2020.
The Chiefs are rolling on offense with Patrick Mahomes throwing 25 touchdowns and one interception. He is back on MVP form. KC are poised to make a Super Bowl run when they come off their bye.
The Saints have won five in a row and delivered a real statement of intent with their 38-3 hammering of Tampa Bay. The Saints D is ranked third in the NFL and has not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 46 games.
The Ravens have scored 20 points or more in a record 31 straight games, but they will truly be judged in January when we wait to see if they can topple the other big boys to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.
Josh Allen was the big story of last week as he threw for more than 400 yards, but Sean McDermott’s defense also stood up huge against Russell Wilson. That could be a vital development the rest of the way.
The Packers did what they needed to do against a depleted San Francisco team last week. There is now a genuine conversation to be had about Davante Adams being the best receiver in the NFL.
There is absolutely no margin for error for Russell Wilson on Sundays, so when he turns it over in games like Buffalo; the Seahawks lose. Their defense gives up way too many big plays against the pass.
What on earth was that from the Bucs on Sunday night? It takes me 90 minutes to drive home from Sky Sports and Tampa didn’t have a first down and were 28-0 down by the time I was getting into bed!
The Titans need to get Derrick Henry going again in the backfield and the offense is not quite as dynamic as earlier in the season. But the losing streak has been snapped and Tennessee remain a viable contender.
The Dolphins have won four straight and deserve a spot in this top 10 given how rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa gave the offense a real shot in the arm at Arizona last week. Miami are fun to watch in 2020.
The Cardinals are not going to get hammered for losing a thriller on a 49-yard field goal attempt from Zane Gonzalez against Miami. There are times when quarterback Kyler Murray is close to being unstoppable.
The Rams are coming off a bye and the questions about Jared Goff being a system QB remain. Of most importance this week, though, will be the form of the NFL’s second-ranked defense against Russell Wilson.
The offensive limitations with Philip Rivers at the helm reared their worrying head again last week. Rivers is okay but only occasionally more than that this season and finding a long-term QB answer is needed.
The Raiders feel like a middle-of-the pack team at the moment, but they are quietly moving into playoff position. Las Vegas are the six seed in the AFC right now and could win their third in a row on Sunday.
Cleveland are tough to work out or to rely on. One week they are looking to have all the offensive answers and the next, they are on a down week. The defense also doesn’t have much outside of Myles Garrett.
Let Dalvin Cook! That is the recipe for success in Minneapolis and, at 3-5, I wonder if the Vikings are out of the NFC playoff race? They are only two games back from the final postseason spot in their conference.
Until a late rally in Nashville last week, one of Chicago’s best offensive plays against Tennessee was a fake-punt run by linebacker Barkevious Mingo. That about sums up the state of the Bears’ offense in 2020.
I’m not dropping the Niners further than this for now because I trust in the coaching of Kyle Shanahan and in the depth created by general manager John Lynch. But this has the feel of a lost season in San Francisco.
The Eagles are the best of a bad bunch in the NFC East but some help is coming off their bye. Running back Miles Sanders and receiver Alshon Jeffery should be back to boost a 27th-ranked attack.
There are no moral victories in the NFL but only losing by two at Arrowhead Stadium last week comes close. The Panthers are fighting hard for first-year head coach Matt Rhule and their offense is creative.
My biggest takeaway from Monday night was how deep the Patriots had to dig in order to defeat the worst team in the league. A win’s a win but I am not impressed with this team at all this season.
There is much to like with this team and I would love to place them higher in these rankings. But they find ways to lose close games, undoing all the good work often being done by rookie QB Justin Herbert.
The Falcons have now won three of their last four to improve to 3-6. If you take the most galling of their blown losses and flip them, this could very easily have been a 6-3 squad at this stage of a frustrating year.
The Bengals are coming off a bye, have done nothing but mind their own business and they still get dropped three places in these rankings. I would imagine Joe Burrow is absolutely furious!
Deshaun Watson to Will Fuller… that’s about all the positivity I can muster for this team. Oh, and the occasional sack by JJ Watt, who recorded the 100th of his career last weekend.
I feel like I said this last year, but I think the Broncos could be quite decent next season. When Courtland Sutton rejoins a passing attack featuring Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler, look out. And Von Miller will return.
The Lions are mired in another losing season with no apparent way out of their current predicament. They should give up on the pretence of offensive balance and let Matthew Stafford throw it on every down.
Although the more recognizable names are on offense, that is the problem with this team. The attack is ranked 31st in the NFL and Daniel Jones has been a mistake waiting to happen with 13 turnovers (2nd in NFL).
Alex Smith can bring some stability and leadership to Washington’s attack as he subs for the injured Kyle Allen, but the veteran must calm down and avoid the rash mistakes that were part of his game on Sunday.
There was some promising fight from the Cowboys against Pittsburgh, but it needed a fair bit of smoke and mirrors. It doesn’t matter who is at quarterback, this team is going to struggle the rest of the way.
Jake Luton almost played the Jags out of the ‘Tank for Trevor’ stakes last week. It is a tough second half of the season for Jacksonville, who will surely be positioned to grab a high-end quarterback in April.
The Jets almost came away with their first win of the season on Monday. They have their moments and could yet leapfrog the Jags, which would be a very Jets thing to do on the way to losing Trevor Lawrence.