NFL (2020-2024)

[Henry]

Looks like the NFC North is the strongest division by far, with everybody above .500. My Bears may be in last place, but they're still 4-2, and Caleb Williams should get some consideration for Offensive Rookie of the Year. I'm not going to jinx it, though; let's just see how the rest of the season plays out.

[thspfc]

My annual power rankings revisit after a third of the season, with change from preseason in parentheses:

Super Bowl contenders as of today
1. Chiefs (-)
2. Ravens (+2)
3. Lions (+5)
4. Texans (+2)
Question marks, but Super Bowl potential
5. Vikings (+19)
6. 49ers (-4)
7. Packers (-)
8. Bills (+1)
9. Eagles (-4)
Playoff caliber but not Super Bowl caliber
10. Buccaneers (+11)
11. Commanders (+20)
12. Falcons (+8)
13. Bears (-2)
14. Steelers (+5)
Mid with bad vibes
15. Bengals (-12)
16. Cowboys (-6)
17. Seahawks (-4)
18. Jets (-1)
Below average but not awful
19. Colts (+4)
20. Chargers (+5)
21. Broncos (+5)
22. Cardinals (+6)
23. Saints (-1)
24. Giants (+5)
25. Rams (-7)
Roll out the tanks
26. Raiders (+1)
27. Jaguars (-15)
28. Titans (-12)
29. Dolphins (-14)
30. Browns (-16)
31. Panthers (-1)
32. Patriots (-)

Noticeable that 9 of my top 13 teams reside in the NFC. The elite of the AFC is stronger. So that means the AFC side of the wild card round is shaping up to be an absolute snoozer, with the the same four teams as last year advancing in convincing fashion. Still way to early for that discussion however.

[jgb191]

Some thought-provoking questions for anyone to respond:

Q1:  Do you believe the Vikings and Commanders have a chance to make the playoffs this year?

Q2:  Which team(s) do you think has the best offense and best defense?

Q3:  Which coaches do you think are on the dreaded hot-seat?

Q4:  Fact or Fiction:  All four NFC North teams will make the playoffs this January -- one division champion plus three Wild Card seeds.

My response:

Q1:  I'll say yes it is certainly possible, but the probability is questionable.  With the Vikings, even a 5-0 start, there is just too much competition in their division to be comfortable.  As for the Commanders, they're looking great, but something in my gut tells me that the Eagles can still find a way to get it together and retake their division.

Q2:  I've been hearing the Jets, Browns, and Vikings in conversation for the best defense.  As for best offense, I'm hearing the Lions, Ravens, Chiefs, and Bills.  Stephen A Smith has been saying the Lions.

Q3:  I'm not seeing any coach out there doing a bad enough job to be in danger of losing his job. So my answer I would say 'none'.

Q4:  I'm going to say Fiction.  The other WC spots will be an NFC South team (either Falcons or Bucs), and most likely Commanders, leaving only one WC spot left for the NFC North.


Anybody else want to respond?

[Big John]

3: I think Pedersen (JAX) and McCarthy (DAL) are on the hot seat.

[Big John]

Adams traded to the Jets, Cooper traded to the Bills.

[JayhawkCO]

Q1:  Do you believe the Vikings and Commanders have a chance to make the playoffs this year?

Yes. Both will. Something isn't right with the Eagles.

Q2:  Which team(s) do you think has the best offense and best defense?

Best O is probably the Ravens or Lions and Best D is the Steelers or Vikings. I'd also add Broncos as an honorable mention.

Q3:  Which coaches do you think are on the dreaded hot-seat?

Stefanski, Pedersen, McCarthy, Pierce, Daboll, and McDaniel.

Q4:  Fact or Fiction:  All four NFC North teams will make the playoffs this January -- one division champion plus three Wild Card seeds.

Fiction. 49ers, Vikings, Commies, Bucs, Lions, Packers, and Falcons.

[SEWIGuy]

3: I think Pedersen (JAX) and McCarthy (DAL) are on the hot seat.

If they look bad this week, Pedersen will be gone right when they get back from London. McCarthy won't be fired mid-season because Jerry isn't paying someone not to coach.

[NWI_Irish96]

All 4 NFC North teams are certainly good enough to make the playoffs, but given the number of division games it would be extremely difficult to pull off. You'd need all of them to be nearly perfect outside the division and all of them to be no worse than 2-4 in the division.

Bears get the benefit of playing the 4th place schedule, which includes the Panthers, Patriots and Commanders, though Washington is much better than the other two.

[thspfc]

Some thought-provoking questions for anyone to respond:

Q1:  Do you believe the Vikings and Commanders have a chance to make the playoffs this year?

Yes

Q2:  Which team(s) do you think has the best offense and best defense?

Offense: Ravens
Defense: Chiefs

Q3:  Which coaches do you think are on the dreaded hot-seat?

Pederson, McCarthy, Allen, Pierce, Taylor, Sirianni, Daboll, Canales

Q4:  Fact or Fiction:  All four NFC North teams will make the playoffs this January -- one division champion plus three Wild Card seeds.

Fiction

[JayhawkCO]

Pederson, McCarthy, Allen, Pierce, Taylor, Sirianni, Daboll, Canales

I thought about including Sirianni. You don't think McDaniel is on the list? I can't see Canales going on the list. Once they benched Young, they haven't been that bad, and it's only his first year.

[thspfc]

Pederson, McCarthy, Allen, Pierce, Taylor, Sirianni, Daboll, Canales

I thought about including Sirianni. You don't think McDaniel is on the list? I can't see Canales going on the list. Once they benched Young, they haven't been that bad, and it's only his first year.

Miami's offense is so neatly tailored to Tua that McDaniel will never be judged by what happens without him. He's young and proven as an elite offensive mind. Ultimately he might be one of those guys that's a great coordinator and mediocre head coach, but I would be shocked if he doesn't survive until at least Thanksgiving of next year.

Canales was hired primarily to "fix" Young, after he resurrected Geno and Baker. The Bryce Young ship has sailed. It's not Canales' fault but it is what it is. Now, Tampa's offense has been lethal without him after they were league average with him. So he doesn't have much of a background outside of fixing broken QBs, and there is no fixing Young. That's how I see it but I agree that he's the least likely to be fired of the coaches on my list.

[epzik8]

I wish the Raiders would have kept Davante Adams

[The Ghostbuster]

I wish Devante Adams hadn't left the Packers. Although even with Adams, it is predicted that the Jets still won't make the playoffs. Let's see how long the Adams/Rodgers reunion lasts, as the Adams/Carr reunion in Las Vegas only lasted a season before Derek Carr was released and joined the New Orleans Saints.

[SEWIGuy]

Adams leaving the Packers worked out just fine. I would much rather have their current WR situation than the Jets'.

[SEWIGuy]

Pederson, McCarthy, Allen, Pierce, Taylor, Sirianni, Daboll, Canales

I thought about including Sirianni. You don't think McDaniel is on the list? I can't see Canales going on the list. Once they benched Young, they haven't been that bad, and it's only his first year.

I also think Pierce will get a pass this year as well...maybe.

Let's see how the rest of the season develops for Taylor. The Bengals hang onto coaches long after they should have departed so a 9-8 year and he's probably safe.

[epzik8]

It's Mason Rudolph time in Nashville.

[JayhawkCO]

Eh, my Vikings lost to the Lions, but I'm actually more assured that they're actually good and not just a flash in the pan. Darnold played pretty well against a very good Lions D.

[epzik8]

Either Marcus Mariota is better than we thought, or the Panthers are just plain bad.

[Big John]

Either Marcus Mariota is better than we thought, or the Panthers are just plain bad.

I think it is the latter.

[thspfc]

Mahomes has been *statistically* one of the worst starting QBs in the league this season. Nobody cares, nor is there any reason to care. An incredible testament to how dominant that damn team has been.

[Great Lakes Roads]

The Jets looked awful tonight... could they make into the playoffs (they're 2-5 now)?

Answer: definitely not, especially with the remaining teams they have to play against.

@ Patriots
vs. Texans
@ Cardinals
vs. Colts
vs. Seahawks
@ Dolphins
@ Jaguars
vs. Rams
@ Bills
vs. Dolphins

[Max Rockatansky]

Eh, my Vikings lost to the Lions, but I'm actually more assured that they're actually good and not just a flash in the pan. Darnold played pretty well against a very good Lions D.

A shame I didn't get to see the game.  It was already over by the time I landed in Hawaii. 

[SEWIGuy]

The Jets looked awful tonight... could they make into the playoffs (they're 2-5 now)?

Answer: definitely not, especially with the remaining teams they have to play against.

@ Patriots
vs. Texans
@ Cardinals
vs. Colts
vs. Seahawks
@ Dolphins
@ Jaguars
vs. Rams
@ Bills
vs. Dolphins

That doesn't seem like a terrible schedule to me. In fact it ranks 27 out of 32 of the toughest remaining. But they'll have to at least go 8-2, maybe 7-3, to make the playoffs. And I just don't see that happening.

[hobsini2]

What did we learn this weekend?
1. Vikings, Lions and Packers (and maybe the Bears) are going be fighting for the top seed in the NFC the whole way. By far, the toughest division where a 10-7 team could miss the playoffs.

2. Texans can still contend without Nico. They will runaway with the AFC South but they will be a tough out in the playoffs.

3. Kansas City is still the team to beat regardless of how poor Patrick's stats are this year. They are a complete team.

4. Steelers may be the biggest dark horse in the AFC. They look sharper than Baltimore at this point.

5. Rodgers looks OLD af. Davonte can't help turn back the clock.

Forks after week 7:
Patriots
Jets
Browns
Titans
Jaguars
Raiders
Giants
Panthers
Saints
Rams
Cardinals

On the brink:
Cowboys
Dolphins

[hobsini2]

Week 8 Schedule (Times are Central)
Game of the Week:
Chicago @ Washington 325p CBS

Games worth watching:
Minnesota @ LA Rams TNF
Philadelphia @ Cincinnati Noon CBS
Buffalo @ Seattle 3p Fox
Atlanta @ Tampa Bay Noon Fox

Games that could be good:
Dallas @ San Francisco SNF
New Orleans @ LA Chargers 3p Fox

Games to keep an eye on if you must:
Green Bay @ Jacksonville Noon Fox
Baltimore @ Cleveland Noon CBS
Tennessee @ Detroit Noon Fox
Indianapolis @ Houston Noon CBS
Kansas City @ Las Vegas 325p CBS
NY Giants @ Pittsburgh MNF

Games to use for nap time:
Arizona @ Miami Noon Fox
NY Jets @ New England Noon CBS
Carolina @ Denver 325p CBS