stormtrooper8
- Joined
- May 30, 2022
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Tougher week to decipher with upsets. Here are the rankings (last week's ranking in parenthesis)
1. Rams (4) - There is kind of a similar logic as to last week with the top of the food chain, as this week’s #1 didn’t play amazing. Their defense looked very nice for the most part in Arizona. The offense was a little clunky at times, but they were finally able to get some good production on the ground. They get the top spot sorta by default.
2. Chiefs (1) - Pretty terrible showing in Indy, which is a little surprising after Reid was given extended time to prepare. Missed plenty of opportunities to put their foot down and win this game. They got to have a short memory on this one and chalk it up as losing to a desperate team with some talent.
3. Bills (2) - The Bills showed how one-dimensional they can be when they can’t get their backs going. Josh Allen was asked to do too much and surely enough he faltered a bit in the second half. They gotta get the running game going in Baltimore.
4. Packers (6) - They showed how great they can be in the first half in Tampa, then showed how anemic offensively that can be in the second half. They were fortunate to escape, but it’s a hard-earned win that was led by their defense – which seems to be as good as advertised.
5. Bucs (3) - Another pretty bad offensive showing for Brady and the gang, though they were missing some weapons. Their defense stepped up big time in the second half and kept it close, but there is enough evidence to say their offense is concerning. And Brady doesn’t look great.
6. Dolphins (8) - That was a gutsy win for the Dolphins. They couldn’t control the ball but seemed to be pretty productive when they had it, taking advantage of some Buffalo injury issues on their defense. Their defense does still seem to be a slight concern though, though the run defense stepped up this week. Now let’s see if they can avoid a letdown spot on a short week.
7. Ravens (9) - Their offense is the real deal and going to be a handful for all of them. Lamar has been the best QB so far this year, in my opinion. But their pass defense is very concerning, and they really only escaped New England because of the Patriots' self-inflicted mistakes.
8. Eagles (10) - It took a while to get the offense going, but they had enough of an explosion in the second quarter to score the 24 points they ended up with. They still feel a little hit or miss and I do think they’ll have some clunkers coming up.
9. 49ers (5) - That was an absolute stinker by the offense Sunday night. While they did have a 5.1 to 3.7 edge in yards per play, the mistakes reminded us all of why this team tried so hard to trade Pornstar Jimmy. With no Eli Mitchell and the sexy guy back at the QB helm, there might be a pretty low ceiling for this offense. Their defense looks great though.
10. Patriots (7) - They continue to do an excellent job moving the ball, but they also continue to give the ball to their opponents. It is very un-Belichick like to see a Patriot team that makes so many mistakes. They looked like the better team against Baltimore for most of the game.
11. Bengals (32) - It was far from a perfect game, but Cincinnati was aggressive early on and the line, while they were far from good, played better and gave Burrow chances to show how good he is. The defense also played great for the most part, giving up a lot of yards in prevent/garbage time situations. No TD’s allowed in 6+ quarters. They’re out of the basement for now. Big opportunity on Thursday.
12. Cowboys (12) - It wasn’t pretty for a large part of the game, but this defense is legit and they showed that they are capable of dominating a game on the ground. Credit to Cooper Rush for keeping the team afloat with Dak out. They’re gonna be in the mix for the division, as flashy as Philly looks.
13. Vikings (14) - Divisional wins can be tough to come by, and this was not a pretty one for Minnesota. But to their credit, they came back from double-digits twice in this game and got it done. My view of them really didn’t change much from this game…they kinda are what we all think they are.
14. Chargers (11) - I feel more validated not buying into these guys. Herbert was definitely far from 100% and this had the makings of an off game, but their defense looked terrible for a lot of this game, which is a genuine long-term concern if this team has playoff aspirations. They have to bank wins during this portion of the schedule.
15. Titans (17) - Unlike in Week 1, this team was able to hold on in a tight game. This team is clearly more limited talent wise than a year ago, but getting Henry going at all will at least make things easier for Tannehill – as shown today. Being in a weak division gives them a lot of “meaningful” games coming up.
16. Colts (19) - They looked awful in the first two weeks, but this was obviously a great bounceback spot for them. That was a heck of a finish, and credit to Ryan for being clutch. They’re right back in the mix in the weak AFC South.
17. Broncos (16) - This team looked pretty uninspiring offensively once again. To their credit though, the defense stepped up and made some plays to bail out Russ and the gang. They are getting gashed a bit on the ground still, though this was a little bit of an improvement. They have a long ways to go, though 2-1 isn’t bad all things considered.
18. Cardinals (13) - This may seem like a harsh drop given their opponent, but they really looked like a mess on offense in this game. Their defense looked a little more respectable, but hard to see where this team finds offense if Kyler isn’t playing hero ball.
19. Browns (23) - They’re definitely a weak 2-1 team, but they get credit for beating a rival that has owned them in a prime time game. Brisset has looked pretty comfortable the last two weeks, but I think he ultimately is going to cost them if their running game goes into a slump – so far it’s been awesome though.
20. Steelers (18) - Tough loss in a very winnable game for Pittsburgh. It’s easy to point to Mitch Trubisky, but the reality is the offensive scheme is so vanilla that I doubt you are gonna get anything better out of Pickett. It definitely will be a topic this week though. Maybe the Jets game is a good time to get him in.
21. Raiders (15) - They showed some fight in getting back, but this has been the biggest disappointment of the year so far. Carr has looked out of rhythm in all three games, which in turn has made it hard for Adams to get going. It is concerning, but they aren’t completely dead yet.
22. Bears (24) - This Bears offensive line seems to be all-time bad at pass-protecting, but at the same time very good at run-blocking. A strong running game plus a plucky, opportunistic defense that they’ve been getting so far is a formula to stay in a lot of games and give them a chance to be at least interesting for the time being.
23. Jaguars (27) - This may feel low to some, but I try not to overreact to one game. They’ve shown more good than bad so far, and it’s definitely a team that could fly under the radar and make a playoff run. I wonder how sustainable their running game is as the season progresses with that weak offensive line, as that has been key in allowing Lawrence to get some opportunities. The defense might be for real though.
24. Lions (20) - That was a tough loss for Detroit, and a game they looked like they had won a couple times. It seems like their defense is pretty hot and cold, though mostly cold unfortunately, and their offense – while improved – has obvious limitations.
25. Saints (22) - I’m not surprised by the loss, but I am a little surprised by how bad their scheme looks offensively. They are obviously not talented and limited with Jameis at QB, so coaching and play calling is especially important for a team like this. So far, it’s looking very bad for New Orleans.
26. Commanders (21) - That was a dreadful performance, and we saw a glimpse of why so many people hate Carson Wentz. Just a terrible showing at home in a divisional game. They aren’t a good team, but they’re better than that.
27. Panthers (30) - They made a lot of nice plays defensively which ultimately decided the game. The offense continues to have trouble moving the ball with a mediocre offensive line, and Baker has looked shaky at best. Their defense has been strong enough this year that they deserved a positive result today.
28. Giants (26) - They fought hard in a division game, but it’s pretty clear how devoid of talent this roster is. They’re 2-1 with a very winnable game coming up to get back on track, but just think this team is going to struggle against anyone with a running game and a competent defense.
29. Falcons (31) - Heck of a win for the Falcons on the road in a tough environment, and a very strong performance by Mariota despite a few untimely mistakes. Their defense still looks pretty bad, as Geno sliced and diced them in the first half, but they made some great plays down the stretch.
30. Seahawks (25) - The offense at least seemed to start to get back on track after a dismal performance at SF. Then Geno started to make some mistakes in the second half and missed some chances to give his team a decisive edge. The defense continues to look very vulnerable, especially against the run.
31. Jets (28) - The bright side for this team is that they have shown some glimpses of very good, young talent. Wilson and Gardner could be franchise cornerstone pieces. It’ll be interesting to see what they look like when Wilson comes back. Until then it’s going to pretty tough week to week.
32. Texans (30) - They had some chances to get a win on the road, but ultimately wasn’t meant to be. Their run defense looked pretty bad in Chicago and Mills still looks like a project despite showing some positive glimpses.
1. Rams (4) - There is kind of a similar logic as to last week with the top of the food chain, as this week’s #1 didn’t play amazing. Their defense looked very nice for the most part in Arizona. The offense was a little clunky at times, but they were finally able to get some good production on the ground. They get the top spot sorta by default.
2. Chiefs (1) - Pretty terrible showing in Indy, which is a little surprising after Reid was given extended time to prepare. Missed plenty of opportunities to put their foot down and win this game. They got to have a short memory on this one and chalk it up as losing to a desperate team with some talent.
3. Bills (2) - The Bills showed how one-dimensional they can be when they can’t get their backs going. Josh Allen was asked to do too much and surely enough he faltered a bit in the second half. They gotta get the running game going in Baltimore.
4. Packers (6) - They showed how great they can be in the first half in Tampa, then showed how anemic offensively that can be in the second half. They were fortunate to escape, but it’s a hard-earned win that was led by their defense – which seems to be as good as advertised.
5. Bucs (3) - Another pretty bad offensive showing for Brady and the gang, though they were missing some weapons. Their defense stepped up big time in the second half and kept it close, but there is enough evidence to say their offense is concerning. And Brady doesn’t look great.
6. Dolphins (8) - That was a gutsy win for the Dolphins. They couldn’t control the ball but seemed to be pretty productive when they had it, taking advantage of some Buffalo injury issues on their defense. Their defense does still seem to be a slight concern though, though the run defense stepped up this week. Now let’s see if they can avoid a letdown spot on a short week.
7. Ravens (9) - Their offense is the real deal and going to be a handful for all of them. Lamar has been the best QB so far this year, in my opinion. But their pass defense is very concerning, and they really only escaped New England because of the Patriots' self-inflicted mistakes.
8. Eagles (10) - It took a while to get the offense going, but they had enough of an explosion in the second quarter to score the 24 points they ended up with. They still feel a little hit or miss and I do think they’ll have some clunkers coming up.
9. 49ers (5) - That was an absolute stinker by the offense Sunday night. While they did have a 5.1 to 3.7 edge in yards per play, the mistakes reminded us all of why this team tried so hard to trade Pornstar Jimmy. With no Eli Mitchell and the sexy guy back at the QB helm, there might be a pretty low ceiling for this offense. Their defense looks great though.
10. Patriots (7) - They continue to do an excellent job moving the ball, but they also continue to give the ball to their opponents. It is very un-Belichick like to see a Patriot team that makes so many mistakes. They looked like the better team against Baltimore for most of the game.
11. Bengals (32) - It was far from a perfect game, but Cincinnati was aggressive early on and the line, while they were far from good, played better and gave Burrow chances to show how good he is. The defense also played great for the most part, giving up a lot of yards in prevent/garbage time situations. No TD’s allowed in 6+ quarters. They’re out of the basement for now. Big opportunity on Thursday.
12. Cowboys (12) - It wasn’t pretty for a large part of the game, but this defense is legit and they showed that they are capable of dominating a game on the ground. Credit to Cooper Rush for keeping the team afloat with Dak out. They’re gonna be in the mix for the division, as flashy as Philly looks.
13. Vikings (14) - Divisional wins can be tough to come by, and this was not a pretty one for Minnesota. But to their credit, they came back from double-digits twice in this game and got it done. My view of them really didn’t change much from this game…they kinda are what we all think they are.
14. Chargers (11) - I feel more validated not buying into these guys. Herbert was definitely far from 100% and this had the makings of an off game, but their defense looked terrible for a lot of this game, which is a genuine long-term concern if this team has playoff aspirations. They have to bank wins during this portion of the schedule.
15. Titans (17) - Unlike in Week 1, this team was able to hold on in a tight game. This team is clearly more limited talent wise than a year ago, but getting Henry going at all will at least make things easier for Tannehill – as shown today. Being in a weak division gives them a lot of “meaningful” games coming up.
16. Colts (19) - They looked awful in the first two weeks, but this was obviously a great bounceback spot for them. That was a heck of a finish, and credit to Ryan for being clutch. They’re right back in the mix in the weak AFC South.
17. Broncos (16) - This team looked pretty uninspiring offensively once again. To their credit though, the defense stepped up and made some plays to bail out Russ and the gang. They are getting gashed a bit on the ground still, though this was a little bit of an improvement. They have a long ways to go, though 2-1 isn’t bad all things considered.
18. Cardinals (13) - This may seem like a harsh drop given their opponent, but they really looked like a mess on offense in this game. Their defense looked a little more respectable, but hard to see where this team finds offense if Kyler isn’t playing hero ball.
19. Browns (23) - They’re definitely a weak 2-1 team, but they get credit for beating a rival that has owned them in a prime time game. Brisset has looked pretty comfortable the last two weeks, but I think he ultimately is going to cost them if their running game goes into a slump – so far it’s been awesome though.
20. Steelers (18) - Tough loss in a very winnable game for Pittsburgh. It’s easy to point to Mitch Trubisky, but the reality is the offensive scheme is so vanilla that I doubt you are gonna get anything better out of Pickett. It definitely will be a topic this week though. Maybe the Jets game is a good time to get him in.
21. Raiders (15) - They showed some fight in getting back, but this has been the biggest disappointment of the year so far. Carr has looked out of rhythm in all three games, which in turn has made it hard for Adams to get going. It is concerning, but they aren’t completely dead yet.
22. Bears (24) - This Bears offensive line seems to be all-time bad at pass-protecting, but at the same time very good at run-blocking. A strong running game plus a plucky, opportunistic defense that they’ve been getting so far is a formula to stay in a lot of games and give them a chance to be at least interesting for the time being.
23. Jaguars (27) - This may feel low to some, but I try not to overreact to one game. They’ve shown more good than bad so far, and it’s definitely a team that could fly under the radar and make a playoff run. I wonder how sustainable their running game is as the season progresses with that weak offensive line, as that has been key in allowing Lawrence to get some opportunities. The defense might be for real though.
24. Lions (20) - That was a tough loss for Detroit, and a game they looked like they had won a couple times. It seems like their defense is pretty hot and cold, though mostly cold unfortunately, and their offense – while improved – has obvious limitations.
25. Saints (22) - I’m not surprised by the loss, but I am a little surprised by how bad their scheme looks offensively. They are obviously not talented and limited with Jameis at QB, so coaching and play calling is especially important for a team like this. So far, it’s looking very bad for New Orleans.
26. Commanders (21) - That was a dreadful performance, and we saw a glimpse of why so many people hate Carson Wentz. Just a terrible showing at home in a divisional game. They aren’t a good team, but they’re better than that.
27. Panthers (30) - They made a lot of nice plays defensively which ultimately decided the game. The offense continues to have trouble moving the ball with a mediocre offensive line, and Baker has looked shaky at best. Their defense has been strong enough this year that they deserved a positive result today.
28. Giants (26) - They fought hard in a division game, but it’s pretty clear how devoid of talent this roster is. They’re 2-1 with a very winnable game coming up to get back on track, but just think this team is going to struggle against anyone with a running game and a competent defense.
29. Falcons (31) - Heck of a win for the Falcons on the road in a tough environment, and a very strong performance by Mariota despite a few untimely mistakes. Their defense still looks pretty bad, as Geno sliced and diced them in the first half, but they made some great plays down the stretch.
30. Seahawks (25) - The offense at least seemed to start to get back on track after a dismal performance at SF. Then Geno started to make some mistakes in the second half and missed some chances to give his team a decisive edge. The defense continues to look very vulnerable, especially against the run.
31. Jets (28) - The bright side for this team is that they have shown some glimpses of very good, young talent. Wilson and Gardner could be franchise cornerstone pieces. It’ll be interesting to see what they look like when Wilson comes back. Until then it’s going to pretty tough week to week.
32. Texans (30) - They had some chances to get a win on the road, but ultimately wasn’t meant to be. Their run defense looked pretty bad in Chicago and Mills still looks like a project despite showing some positive glimpses.
