stormtrooper8
- Joined
- May 30, 2022
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Here are the rankings for this week (last week's ranking in parenthesis)
Starting to get a feel for these teams, though don't want to be too reactionary this early in the year.
1. Chiefs (1) - They played a pretty crappy game for the most part against the Chargers, but they were able to pull out a gritty win in a divisional battle when it was all said and done. The best teams know how to flex their muscles and overcome a sluggish performance to win. They stay at the top for now.
2. Bills (3) - They put together a very complete game against the Titans on Monday night. It was pretty awesome to see, and so far the hype is well deserved. It will be interesting how long they sustain this level of play.
3. Bucs (2) - Could pretty much just copy and paste what I said about the Chiefs. They were missing some key skill position players and that definitely affected their performance. But the defense is stout, and Brady got his troops in line enough to grind out a divisional win.
4. Rams (4) - The team accomplished the mission of coming out pretty sharp and showing that some of the early season rust is off. Unfortunately they also decided to dick around and almost blow a game to a feisty, but bad team. I was encouraged enough by what I saw for most of the game to feel confident that they’re still a very capable team.
5. 49ers (6) - It’s tough to lose Lance for the year, as I do think it reduces the ceiling of this team. But they have enough weapons that they can compete for a championship with Jimmy. Their defense is the focal point of the team and frankly not talked about very much. They really clamped down on a Seahawk team that was riding high
6. Packers (9) - The home opener was a nice correction game for them. The defense looked pretty stout for the most part, even considering the opponent. Offensively, Rodgers looked in control and this looked more like the normal regular season Green Bay Packers. I expect the chemistry between Rodgers and the receivers to continue to develop.
7. Patriots (10) - This rating is going to ruffle some feathers, I’m sure. But this team has shown me, in both games really, that they can move the ball pretty well. They really should have pulled away from Pittsburgh earlier. They really controlled both sides of the ball. I think their offense is going to continue to improve as well.
8. Dolphins (13) - The fourth quarter showed that this team, when things are going right, has an element of explosion that they’ve been missing. I do have some serious concerns about the defense though, as they weren’t as good as the score indicated in Week 1 and they got pretty demolished by the Ravens. But props to them for stepping up down the stretch. Big test is coming up.
9. Ravens (7) - The health of the secondary is a little concerning (what’s new) and the defense was glaringly bad in its home opener. How much of that is fixable? On the bright side Lamar looked as good as ever and the chemistry is clearly starting to develop on that side of the ball.
10. Eagles (12) - The biggest question heading into that MNF game was how would their defense respond after a lackluster showing. Safe to say it looked great! I think this team is going to be up and down quite a bit, but so far there is no reason to believe they can’t make the playoffs and even be a dark horse contender. Hurts looked improved
11. Chargers (8) - They threw a nice first punch at Arrowhead and showed glimpses of why so many stooges out cream their pants when they think of this team. But they resorted to their old ways – playing not to lose, Herbert making bad reads/decisions, etc. – and they couldn’t take advantage of their Daddy having an off night. Unfortunately this is very familiar territory for them, and I wonder if they are capable of getting out of it. They have a cupcake schedule coming up, so that should help pad their record.
12. Cowboys (17) - Maybe this game was the old first game with a backup rallying cry, but I think this team can still be pretty decent this year. They have a solid defense, and a pass rush that will keep them in games. I do wonder if their offense will become pretty stagnant if they can’t start to get Zeke going. Maybe more Pollard (my fantasy team would like it)?
13. Cardinals (18) - There are a lot of holes on this team obviously, especially on defense. But they appeared to have a lot more fight in them than many of us probably realized after a weak Week 1 showing. There’s a lot of talent on this team, and I think they should be a tough out moving forward. Big one this upcoming week
14. Vikings (11) - Just when we thought maybe they had overcome Prime Kirk Cousins, we get another vintage performance from the QB. 3-18 now in primetime games, which is pretty absurd when you think about it. In general, he really has struggled against teams with a winning record. 7-27. That is a little worrisome, though this just looked like a flat all around performance from the team. Defense didn’t really look right until later in the game.
15. Raiders (15) - Things aren’t looking great for this team right now obviously, losing two pretty winnable games – especially this last one. Carr looks a little bit out of sorts, even though his chemistry with Adams is definitely there. Their defense has held up for the most part, but a lot of backbreaking plays for this team in the first two weeks. I think they are better than their record, and hopefully the breaks go their way.
16. Broncos (19) - They kind of moved up this week by default. Their offensive line has looked pretty good, but Wilson has really struggled so far. They are doing a terrible job executing in the red zone, and I think that falls on both Hackett and Wilson. I do think they’ll get better, but I don’t have that high of expectations for this team anyway.
17. Titans (14) - Absolutely laid an egg last night, and got a nice Tannehill special. Reminded me of his playoff performance. I don’t think they are ever going to look that bad again, but it is concerning that they couldn’t really create anything for Henry. If that trend holds up, then they will nosedive very fast. Big game this weekend for them.
18. Steelers (20) - I thought they played a pretty gutsy game against New England in Week 2. This team has a very nice defense, but they’re just too limited offensively. It’s not just Trubisky – their skill position guys aren’t great, and their offensive line is pretty dreadful. I don’t think that is fixable, but I do applaud them for being feisty through two weeks against good teams and being 1-1.
19. Colts (16) - The Jacksonville curse continues for Indy. It’s pretty inexplicable. In this game they at least looked like they were moving the ball OK. Taylor got neutralized by a good Jags run defense, and Ryan looked out of sorts. They need some time to gel. Defensively they were OK, though some holes there as well. Again, was never that high on this team but they’ll be in the mix just because of their division.
20. Lions (27) - Big jump for these guys. I wasn’t sure how they’d respond to that Week 1 loss and very impressed with how they came out of the gate. The offense seems legit, and the defense looked better too with Hutchison finally getting his feet wet. It’s an encouraging sign, no doubt. Hopefully they continue to trend upwards on that side of the ball.
21. Commanders (21) - Rough start in Detroit, but they at least battled back. It’s pretty clear how much they miss guys like Chase Young, but they’ll get him back and this defense will get on track. They have too much talent on that side of the ball to continue playing like this. Big game this weekend.
22. Saints (22) - This team has not looked good through two weeks. Their defense played a lot better in Week 2, but man are they limited. No Kamara definitely didn’t help the cause, but I think this team’s ceiling is very limited with Jameis Winston at QB. They’re gonna need to solve that issue eventually.
23. Browns (23) - Their running game looks pretty good once again, which isn’t shocking. Everything else looks pretty problematic and I think they’re really going to have to grind to hover around .500 and be in the mix when their good samaritan QB comes back. Their defense really has been disappointing, despite Garrett looking pretty good.
24. Bears (25) - Despite the loss, I actually thought they showed some promising signs. Not Fields’ best game, but they have a running game that I think can translate from week to week. They have faced two great defenses so far, and with their deficiencies on the line, you have to be OK with 1-1 and the Texans coming to town.
25. Seahawks (24) - This game was more of a reflection of the troubles their offense will go through this season, albeit it was against a desperate and super talented defense. I have been a little surprised how feisty their defense looked, despite a clear talent void on that end. They get Atlanta at home this week, so a real chance for 2-1.
26. Giants (28) - Got to give them credit for keeping Saquon healthy this long and for finding a way in two weeks. Neither of their games have been pretty, and their opponents haven’t exactly been the best, but wins are hard to come by in this league and they have two of them. Their defense in particular has looked pretty good. Dallas at home on MNF will be interesting.
27. Jaguars (32) - They were in the cellar last week after getting picked apart by Carson Wentz, and now they are making a decent climb. Great showing against a team they own at home. The challenge for this team will be how consistent they are from week to week, but this is obviously a great start all things considered. Lawrence looks a little more polished and comfortable – great signs.
28. Jets (31) - What a win for this team on the road. Perhaps surprisingly, Flacco looked like his playoff form! Their defense was a little shaky though, and made Brissett look like a Pro Bowler for much of this game. They have a desperate and talented team coming to town in Week 3, so they’ll have a nice test to see if they can compete.
29. Panthers (26) - Two close losses that could have gone either way, but the reality is they weren’t to awesome competition and it appears their offensive line is going to be a perpetual issue. Mayfield hasn’t been great, but he hasn’t been awful; it’s gonna be hard for him or anyone to look good with that line. Defense looked better this week.
30. Texans (29) - Plucky performance by their defense – Lovie has them playing hard and that’s nice to see. Mills didn’t look very good, though Denver is not an easy place to play. They just don’t have much talent, and a game like this was pretty illustrative of that. They have a winnable game coming up in Chicago, but don’t love their chances as a young team going on the road again.
31. Falcons (30) - They made it look interesting at the end, but I thought that was more a reflection of their opponent letting their foot off the gas. They looked overwhelmed for the majority of this game, which is not surprising. They are gonna struggle this year against quality run defenses, as they don’t have much else and their defense is, well, atrocious.
32. Bengals (5) - This is their punishment. They are in the basement for now. I thought this team was one that could overcome the Super Bowl Hangover, but “hangover” is like the epitome of this team. In the first half of both of their games, they looked like a team who had too much to drink the previous night. Then they shake it off and play well in the second half, but they have enough lapses to still lose the game. The offensive line looks kind of lost, which is different from last year when they just got brutally handled by better play. Both issues are equally consequential, and they’re not going anywhere until that is solved.
Starting to get a feel for these teams, though don't want to be too reactionary this early in the year.
1. Chiefs (1) - They played a pretty crappy game for the most part against the Chargers, but they were able to pull out a gritty win in a divisional battle when it was all said and done. The best teams know how to flex their muscles and overcome a sluggish performance to win. They stay at the top for now.
2. Bills (3) - They put together a very complete game against the Titans on Monday night. It was pretty awesome to see, and so far the hype is well deserved. It will be interesting how long they sustain this level of play.
3. Bucs (2) - Could pretty much just copy and paste what I said about the Chiefs. They were missing some key skill position players and that definitely affected their performance. But the defense is stout, and Brady got his troops in line enough to grind out a divisional win.
4. Rams (4) - The team accomplished the mission of coming out pretty sharp and showing that some of the early season rust is off. Unfortunately they also decided to dick around and almost blow a game to a feisty, but bad team. I was encouraged enough by what I saw for most of the game to feel confident that they’re still a very capable team.
5. 49ers (6) - It’s tough to lose Lance for the year, as I do think it reduces the ceiling of this team. But they have enough weapons that they can compete for a championship with Jimmy. Their defense is the focal point of the team and frankly not talked about very much. They really clamped down on a Seahawk team that was riding high
6. Packers (9) - The home opener was a nice correction game for them. The defense looked pretty stout for the most part, even considering the opponent. Offensively, Rodgers looked in control and this looked more like the normal regular season Green Bay Packers. I expect the chemistry between Rodgers and the receivers to continue to develop.
7. Patriots (10) - This rating is going to ruffle some feathers, I’m sure. But this team has shown me, in both games really, that they can move the ball pretty well. They really should have pulled away from Pittsburgh earlier. They really controlled both sides of the ball. I think their offense is going to continue to improve as well.
8. Dolphins (13) - The fourth quarter showed that this team, when things are going right, has an element of explosion that they’ve been missing. I do have some serious concerns about the defense though, as they weren’t as good as the score indicated in Week 1 and they got pretty demolished by the Ravens. But props to them for stepping up down the stretch. Big test is coming up.
9. Ravens (7) - The health of the secondary is a little concerning (what’s new) and the defense was glaringly bad in its home opener. How much of that is fixable? On the bright side Lamar looked as good as ever and the chemistry is clearly starting to develop on that side of the ball.
10. Eagles (12) - The biggest question heading into that MNF game was how would their defense respond after a lackluster showing. Safe to say it looked great! I think this team is going to be up and down quite a bit, but so far there is no reason to believe they can’t make the playoffs and even be a dark horse contender. Hurts looked improved
11. Chargers (8) - They threw a nice first punch at Arrowhead and showed glimpses of why so many stooges out cream their pants when they think of this team. But they resorted to their old ways – playing not to lose, Herbert making bad reads/decisions, etc. – and they couldn’t take advantage of their Daddy having an off night. Unfortunately this is very familiar territory for them, and I wonder if they are capable of getting out of it. They have a cupcake schedule coming up, so that should help pad their record.
12. Cowboys (17) - Maybe this game was the old first game with a backup rallying cry, but I think this team can still be pretty decent this year. They have a solid defense, and a pass rush that will keep them in games. I do wonder if their offense will become pretty stagnant if they can’t start to get Zeke going. Maybe more Pollard (my fantasy team would like it)?
13. Cardinals (18) - There are a lot of holes on this team obviously, especially on defense. But they appeared to have a lot more fight in them than many of us probably realized after a weak Week 1 showing. There’s a lot of talent on this team, and I think they should be a tough out moving forward. Big one this upcoming week
14. Vikings (11) - Just when we thought maybe they had overcome Prime Kirk Cousins, we get another vintage performance from the QB. 3-18 now in primetime games, which is pretty absurd when you think about it. In general, he really has struggled against teams with a winning record. 7-27. That is a little worrisome, though this just looked like a flat all around performance from the team. Defense didn’t really look right until later in the game.
15. Raiders (15) - Things aren’t looking great for this team right now obviously, losing two pretty winnable games – especially this last one. Carr looks a little bit out of sorts, even though his chemistry with Adams is definitely there. Their defense has held up for the most part, but a lot of backbreaking plays for this team in the first two weeks. I think they are better than their record, and hopefully the breaks go their way.
16. Broncos (19) - They kind of moved up this week by default. Their offensive line has looked pretty good, but Wilson has really struggled so far. They are doing a terrible job executing in the red zone, and I think that falls on both Hackett and Wilson. I do think they’ll get better, but I don’t have that high of expectations for this team anyway.
17. Titans (14) - Absolutely laid an egg last night, and got a nice Tannehill special. Reminded me of his playoff performance. I don’t think they are ever going to look that bad again, but it is concerning that they couldn’t really create anything for Henry. If that trend holds up, then they will nosedive very fast. Big game this weekend for them.
18. Steelers (20) - I thought they played a pretty gutsy game against New England in Week 2. This team has a very nice defense, but they’re just too limited offensively. It’s not just Trubisky – their skill position guys aren’t great, and their offensive line is pretty dreadful. I don’t think that is fixable, but I do applaud them for being feisty through two weeks against good teams and being 1-1.
19. Colts (16) - The Jacksonville curse continues for Indy. It’s pretty inexplicable. In this game they at least looked like they were moving the ball OK. Taylor got neutralized by a good Jags run defense, and Ryan looked out of sorts. They need some time to gel. Defensively they were OK, though some holes there as well. Again, was never that high on this team but they’ll be in the mix just because of their division.
20. Lions (27) - Big jump for these guys. I wasn’t sure how they’d respond to that Week 1 loss and very impressed with how they came out of the gate. The offense seems legit, and the defense looked better too with Hutchison finally getting his feet wet. It’s an encouraging sign, no doubt. Hopefully they continue to trend upwards on that side of the ball.
21. Commanders (21) - Rough start in Detroit, but they at least battled back. It’s pretty clear how much they miss guys like Chase Young, but they’ll get him back and this defense will get on track. They have too much talent on that side of the ball to continue playing like this. Big game this weekend.
22. Saints (22) - This team has not looked good through two weeks. Their defense played a lot better in Week 2, but man are they limited. No Kamara definitely didn’t help the cause, but I think this team’s ceiling is very limited with Jameis Winston at QB. They’re gonna need to solve that issue eventually.
23. Browns (23) - Their running game looks pretty good once again, which isn’t shocking. Everything else looks pretty problematic and I think they’re really going to have to grind to hover around .500 and be in the mix when their good samaritan QB comes back. Their defense really has been disappointing, despite Garrett looking pretty good.
24. Bears (25) - Despite the loss, I actually thought they showed some promising signs. Not Fields’ best game, but they have a running game that I think can translate from week to week. They have faced two great defenses so far, and with their deficiencies on the line, you have to be OK with 1-1 and the Texans coming to town.
25. Seahawks (24) - This game was more of a reflection of the troubles their offense will go through this season, albeit it was against a desperate and super talented defense. I have been a little surprised how feisty their defense looked, despite a clear talent void on that end. They get Atlanta at home this week, so a real chance for 2-1.
26. Giants (28) - Got to give them credit for keeping Saquon healthy this long and for finding a way in two weeks. Neither of their games have been pretty, and their opponents haven’t exactly been the best, but wins are hard to come by in this league and they have two of them. Their defense in particular has looked pretty good. Dallas at home on MNF will be interesting.
27. Jaguars (32) - They were in the cellar last week after getting picked apart by Carson Wentz, and now they are making a decent climb. Great showing against a team they own at home. The challenge for this team will be how consistent they are from week to week, but this is obviously a great start all things considered. Lawrence looks a little more polished and comfortable – great signs.
28. Jets (31) - What a win for this team on the road. Perhaps surprisingly, Flacco looked like his playoff form! Their defense was a little shaky though, and made Brissett look like a Pro Bowler for much of this game. They have a desperate and talented team coming to town in Week 3, so they’ll have a nice test to see if they can compete.
29. Panthers (26) - Two close losses that could have gone either way, but the reality is they weren’t to awesome competition and it appears their offensive line is going to be a perpetual issue. Mayfield hasn’t been great, but he hasn’t been awful; it’s gonna be hard for him or anyone to look good with that line. Defense looked better this week.
30. Texans (29) - Plucky performance by their defense – Lovie has them playing hard and that’s nice to see. Mills didn’t look very good, though Denver is not an easy place to play. They just don’t have much talent, and a game like this was pretty illustrative of that. They have a winnable game coming up in Chicago, but don’t love their chances as a young team going on the road again.
31. Falcons (30) - They made it look interesting at the end, but I thought that was more a reflection of their opponent letting their foot off the gas. They looked overwhelmed for the majority of this game, which is not surprising. They are gonna struggle this year against quality run defenses, as they don’t have much else and their defense is, well, atrocious.
32. Bengals (5) - This is their punishment. They are in the basement for now. I thought this team was one that could overcome the Super Bowl Hangover, but “hangover” is like the epitome of this team. In the first half of both of their games, they looked like a team who had too much to drink the previous night. Then they shake it off and play well in the second half, but they have enough lapses to still lose the game. The offensive line looks kind of lost, which is different from last year when they just got brutally handled by better play. Both issues are equally consequential, and they’re not going anywhere until that is solved.
