32. New England Patriots (1-6):
Drake Maye is playing very well considering the cast around him. Kayshon Boutte and Hunter Henry being your top weapons isn’t exactly ideal however.
31. Carolina Panthers (1-6):
Bryce Young will likely be seeing the field soon enough. Clearly Andy Dalton’s first start was a fluke.
30. Cleveland Browns (1-6):
Losing Amari Cooper to trade and Deshaun to injury is a hit. The offense may actually improve with Jameis Winston taking over though.
29. Tennessee Titans (1-5):
Will Levis isn’t great, but there’s nothing Mason Rudolph offers that is better than Levis. The Titans are scrambling for answers when there is none.
28. Las Vegas Raiders (2-5):
Oddly this is the 2nd team who traded their star receiver to an AFC East team this past week and had their starting quarterback go down with injury.
27. New York Giants (2-5):
Incredible defense, but the proof is in the pudding that offense wins games. Daniel Jones is not the answer.
26. New Orleans Saints (2-5):
Carr’s and Rasheed’s injuries diminished any hopes of a Saints playoff storyline. Looking towards a quarterback of the future would be wise.
25. New York Jets (2-5):
Adding Davante Adams did not give the Jets offense the boost they were hoping for. This is simply a poor team and Aaron Rodgers doesn’t look the same.
24. Dallas Cowboys (3-3):
The Cowboys have been embarrassed so far in 2024. We’ll see if they come out of the bye with a chip on their shoulder or with low morale.
23. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5):
The Jaguars offense is booming, but the coaching is terrible and the upcoming schedule is daunting. The talent is there led by Trevor Lawrence and Brian Thomas Jr. offensively.
22. Seattle Seahawks (4-3):
Seattle finally beat an impressive opponent in Atlanta. I won’t be convinced by this team until they beat a division rival though.
21. Los Angeles Rams (2-4):
With Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp returning the Rams could make a comeback to win the division.
20. Los Angeles Chargers (3-3):
Justin Herbert and the passing game are what’s holding the Chargers back right now. If they get the passing game booming then this could be a strong competitor.
19. Miami Dolphins (2-4):
Tua Tagovailoa is on the way. In an extremely weak AFC the Dolphins could easily mount a comeback with their star QB back in the lineup.
18. Arizona Cardinals (3-4):
The Cardinals offense is proving to remain stout even against good defenses. Being one game behind the suspect Seattle, and the 49ers and Rams being riddled with injuries, the Cardinals have a good shot at swooping up the division title.
17. Denver Broncos (4-3):
Bo Nix and Troy Franklin are developing in this Broncos offense and the stellar defense is assisting them in getting wins. The Broncos aren’t quite contenders but they could stumble across a playoff appearance.
16. Chicago Bears (4-2):
The Bears are coming along and developing nicely with a great defense. The rookie vs rookie matchup against Jayden Daniels will be very intriguing.
15. Philadelphia Eagles (4-2):
The Eagles have a very strong team but are yet to impress against real competitors. They will be tested on if they can take the division from Washington soon enough.
14. Indianapolis Colts (4-3):
Anthony Richardson needs to step up to take this team to the next level. He has all the tools but the mental errors are often and evident.
13. San Francisco 49ers (3-4):
The 49ers are still the best team in the NFC West as far as I see it. Aiyuk and Deebo being injured are major losses but there’s plenty of stars getting healthy in turn to make up for it. The 49ers would be wise to make a trade for a game changer though.
12. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2):
The Steelers defense is elite and the offensive system has proven the ability to support any quarterback. Whether it’s Fields or Wilson behind center the Steelers are a playoff team.
11. Cincinnati Bengals (3-4);
The Bengals have been extremely competitive every week, but have only beaten poor competition. I have faith Burrow and the offense will be legitimate contenders, but there is plenty of room for concern.
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-3):
Baker is a gunslinger without a doubt and the Bucs can compete with anyone. Chris Godwin and Mike Evans both getting hurt are incredible losses for Tampa Bay though. If either are out for too long and no one like Jalen McMillan steps up, the Bucs will be swabbing the deck.
9. Atlanta Falcons (4-3):
The Falcons offense has been coming along nicely and Bijan is getting more involved. I expect them to continue improving despite a setback in Seattle, the Falcons are a very solid team.
8. Washington Commanders (5-2):
Jayden Daniels and the Commanders offense are electric, hopefully Jayden’s injury isn’t too serious. This team is too young and lacking on defense for them to be higher on this ranking though.
7. Green Bay Packers (5-2):
Matt LaFleur is one of the best coaches in football and he’s going to make Green Bay a top threat every week. If this offense is healthy it’s extremely deadly no matter the competition.
6. Houston Texans (5-2):
The Texans have cruised for the most part through an easy schedule. Losing to Green Bay and Minnesota though, there is room for concern on how this team performs against the best of the best. Their lone win versus an impressive opponent came against an injured Josh Allen. Nico Collins’ return will be a great boost to this team, but Houston is a very suspect contender.
5. Buffalo Bills (5-2):
This Bills offense is going to just get better and better with Josh Allen, Keon Coleman, and Amari Cooper coming into sync. Getting Allen a certified WR1 is going to go a long ways in Buffalo’s Super Bowl hopes.
4. Baltimore Ravens (5-2):
The Ravens run game is bolstering them to victory week after week. The entire offense is playing well and the defense steps up when they have to. The Ravens are without a doubt a top team in the league.
3. Minnesota Vikings (5-1):
The Vikings have proven to be a legit team this year but fall to their division rivals in Detroit. I have confidence that this team will compete to the end but is Sam Darnold enough to make them favorites as the season progresses?
2. Kansas City Chiefs (6-0):
Never would I have expected Patrick Mahomes to weigh down the Chiefs with more turnovers than touchdowns. I certainly wouldn’t have expected him to remain undefeated while doing that as well. There is no doubt that Patrick Mahomes is the greatest quarterback in the league, but he is not playing up to that level right now. I expect him to step it up but if he doesn’t I don’t see this undefeated record staying the way it is.
1. Detroit Lions (5-1):
The Lions look like they haven’t lost a step despite the loss of Aidan Hutchinson. Jarred Goff and the rest of the Lions offense are playing extraordinary under Ben Johnson. Detroit is currently the most impressive team in the league and may be the Super Bowl favorites. They should strongly consider going all in and trading for a top tier talent before the trade deadline to cement themselves as the top dogs.