Hi everyone, the more football that is played the less we truly know about who’s good and who is bad. Well for the most part. We are going to try to figure it out to the best of our abilities. Let’s try to sort it out shall we.
32. Texans 1-6 (Projected Record 2-6, Drew Rating: -11.62) LW: 31
Team Tejas put forth a valiant effort before falling 29-17 to the still undefeated Philadelphia Eagles. Davis Mills is a serviceable stop gap Quarterback but it is almost a certainty that the Texans are going to be drafting somewhere in the top 5. Will Levis, Bryce Young, Hendon Hooker will all be options to be the starter for the Texans in 2023. I have finally surrendered to Davis Mills not being the guy.
31. Steelers 2-6 (Projected Record 1-7, Drew Rating: -18.43) LW: 30
The Steelers head out of their bye week having a rare second half of nothing but pride to play for. But the Burgh knows they need to figure one big this out. Is Kenny Pickett going to be the Steelers starter of the future or is Pickett going to be a bust. I like his poise but he has turned the ball over way too much. The last nine games will be all about finding out if Pickett is the QB of the future.
30. Lions 2-6 (Projected Record 2-6, Drew Rating: -11.62) LW: 32
The Lions got a nice win over the Packers on Sunday but still this is a team that is going nowhere the rest of this season. I do not believe Jared Goff is the long term option and I am growing more confident that Dan Campbell is also not the long term option. The Lions much like the Texans will be in the Quarterback market in the offseason. Likely finding their next guy in the draft, rinse/repeat.
29. Panthers 2-7 (Projected Record 2-7, Drew Rating: -10.14) LW: 29
Baker Mayfield appears to have reclaimed his starting job back (for now) after he had a big second half (even though it was all garbage time) in the Panthers 42-21 loss to the Bengals on Sunday. The Cats get a chance at revenge as they face the Falcons in Charlotte on Thursday night. If the Panthers win and the Bucs lose somehow the Panthers will be 3-1 in division and only 1 game back of first place.
28. Raiders 2-6 (Projected Record 3-5, Drew Rating: -6.70) LW: 28
Could Josh McDaniels be in trouble. Derek Carr has been mostly bad this season. The defense that has talent has also been mostly bad. But the worst part of Vegas struggles to start the year has been the fact that they have blown 3 17 plus point first half leads. Blowing it to Mahomes, well he does that. Kyler Murray, well when he gets hot he’s as good as anyone, but Trevor Lawrence? Bad.
27. Cardinals 3-6 (Projected Record 2-7, Drew Rating: -10.14) LW: 25
This has gotten really bad for my favorite team and now the season is all but over. You can say oh Drew the Cards could beat the banged up Rams this week and keep hope, nope!! This is a bad football team that let a team led by Geno Smith (I know great redemption story but he is still not elite) go 7-7 on third down in the last three Seahawks drives in a must win game, clean house time.
26. Rams 3-5 (Projected Record 3-5, Drew Rating: -8.80) LW: 26
Well okay that was a disaster. The Bucs hadn’t scored a touchdown in 58 minutes and 51 seconds and the Rams Defense just had to keep a flailing Bucs offense out of the endzone for 1 minute 9 more without a timeout to seal a hardfought 13-9 victory. Welp, that didn’t happen as the Rams thought it was okay to play soft coverage and let Tom Brady throw 10 yard outs to WR’s going out of bounds
25. Colts 3-5 (Projected Record 3-6, Drew Rating: -7.42) LW: 23
So in comes Jeff Saturday who has never coached in any faucet at any higher level than high school to be the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. Jim Irsay is more impulsive than my five year old niece. This has about a one percent chance of working as how in the hell is a man that has not been on the coaching staff supposed to come in midseason and even orchestrate a game plan in 5 days?
24. Bears 3-6 (Projected Record 3-6, Drew Rating: -6.41) LW: 24
Daaaa Bears have all of a sudden become a fun team to watch play football. Justin Fields is an electrifying athlete and there may be something there to grab onto moving forward. This would be something serious to talk about for two reasons. The Bears for the first time since the 1940’s would have a franchise QB and for the first time ever, an Ohio State Quarterback would not be a total bust.
23. Packers 3-6 (Projected Record 4-5, Drew Rating: -2.68) LW: 21
It is starting to look like the beginning of the end of the Cheese Packers. When you only score 9 points in a must win game against one of the statistically worst defenses in years it is looking like it’s over. But the Packers schedule gets more favorable over the next few weeks so maybe there still is hope. First off it’s the Cowboys at home, then the Titans at home, then a Sunday night at Philly let’s go!!!
22. Browns 3-5 (Projected Record 4-4, Drew Rating: -1.18) LW: 20
So the Browns after their bye get to go to Miami in a game that Vegas and myself thinks the Orange helmets could steal. The one endearing thing about this team is that they do have an identity. The Browns can run the hell out of the football and have a really good offensive line. If they continue to build on that foundation the season may not quite be over yet for the orange helmets, Chubb/Hunt.
21. Saints 3-6 (Projected Record 4-5, Drew Rating: -.93) LW: 18
Andy Dalton is going to sabotage this team and it’s a shame. The Saints have a fantastic roster but I do have another bone to pick. Outside of the shutout of the Raiders in Week 8 an alleged great defense (which I think it’s talented enough) has allowed the following scores recently, 27, 42 (I know 2 pick sixes), 30, 32 and 28. The Saints have a must win in Pittsburgh on Sunday, if they lose that, night.
20. Broncos 3-5 (Projected Record 4-4, Drew Rating: -.27) LW: 19
The Donkeys come off their bye week with a huge opportunity to possibly get back in the playoff hunt. The upcoming schedule goes like this, at Tennessee (possibly against a QB who literally can’t throw), Vs Vegas and at Carolina. If the Broncos can go 3-0 in those games would be 6-5 and still have an opportunity to make the postseason. Only one problem lies, Nathaniel Hackett is still the coach.
19. Jaguars 3-6 (Projected Record 5-4, Drew Rating: 3.89) LW: 27
The Jags get the huge spike for two things. 1. Winning a one score game. 2. Actually coming back from a huge deficit to do so. The Jags are maybe not Super Bowl contender but they clearly are the second best team in the AFC South. The unfortunate thing for the Jags is they still have games against the Cowboys and this week the Chiefs. But other than those two games very winnable schedule.
18. Commanders 4-5 (Projected Record 3-6, Drew Rating: -7.27) LW: 17
So close for the Commanders as they blew a 17-7 lead with Taylor Heinicke making the massive 4th Quarter mistake of throwing a pick in their own territory to let the Vikings tie and eventually win the game. Washington still is slightly overachieving according to the metrics and you have to give Ron Rivera credit for keeping this team very competitive with all of the b.s going on with ownership.
17. Falcons 4-5 (Projected Record 4-5, Drew Rating: -3.43) LW: 15
The Falcons and Chargers are two of the weirdest teams in football so of course they had to have some fumberooski shennagains at the end of a Chargers 20-17 win on Sunday. Bolts just running out clock to kick a game winning kick fumbles the ball to the Falcons who recover and then without being touched fumble the ball right back. We should have known that game would be super weird.
16. Bucs 4-5 (Projected Record 4-5, Drew Rating: -1.18) LW: 22
Brady just found a way and now the Bucs might just be on the right track. They are playing against Seattle who has to travel 10 timezones after a huge victory. I am tempted to take the Bucs in my best bets as it almost feels like it would be an upset in itself for the Hawks to not have a letdown game in a different continent. Divorce and doubt aside God still loves his only son, Thomas Brady.
15. 49ers 4-4 (Projected Record 5-3, Drew Rating: 7.20) LW: 12
I think the Niners will almost certainly spike up these rankings as this team is loaded but facts or facts. They lost to far less talented teams (Bears and Falcons), lost to Nathaniel Hackett and got housed at home by the Chiefs. So what I am getting at is even though the 49ers are talented they still are only a .500 team so I am not going to have them in the top ten until they get over the hump.
14. Chargers 5-3 (Projected Record 3-5, Drew Rating: -5.28) LW: 16
You do not apologize for road wins in the NFL but man is this team just an unmitigated mess. The Chargers for the 4th game in a row fell down by double digits in the 1st Quarter. Somehow (maybe just due to Justin Herbert’s brilliance) the Bolts are 3-1 in those games, even if they needed the worst pick of the year by Brissett, a muffed punt in overtime, and a fumble from a fumble to get those wins.
13. Titans 5-3 (Projected Record 4-4, Drew Rating: -.65) LW: 10
The Titans aren’t usually a team that is aggressive at the trade deadline but not getting a wide receiver was a massive mistake. With the Bears now having Chase Claypool this is clearly the worst receiver group in all of football. Combine that with a Quarterback who cannot throw the ball it is an absolute coaching clinic that is being put on right now by Mike Vrabel, won’t get votes but COY candidate.
12. Patriots 5-4 (Projected Record 5-4, Drew Rating: 3.59) LW: 14
A very workman like 26-3 win for the Pats over a Colts team that ownership made a mess that wasn’t a huge mess just two weeks ago. Bill Belichick was one shocking home primetime loss against the Bears from having this team on a five game winning streak and being in a good position to get back to the postseason. How good is the AFC East this season? Last place team rated 12 in rankings.
11. Bengals 5-4 (Projected Record 7-2, Drew Rating: 10.81) LW: 13
The Bengals do feel like that team when they win they kill you and when they lose (outside of any game against Cleveland) they lose close. Issue here is even though Cincy clearly by the eye test is one of the best 7 teams in the AFC they have to still play the Bucs, Ravens, Bills and Chiefs. If they go 0-4 in those games they would have to beat Cleveland (ahhhh!!) to even get to 9 wins, will be close.
10. Dolphins 6-3 (Projected Record 4-5, Drew Rating: -.93) LW: 11
The Phins are getting a ton of love right now and it’s deserving. Tua is 6-0 in games he finished this season but the metrics show maybe there is a little luck here. The Phins wins are by 13 (outlier), 4, 2, 6, 4 and 3. In other words they continue to keep winning close games. Vegas sees this and why they are only favored by a 3-5 team with Jacoby Brissett at home by 3.5 points and we all taking Cle.
9. Giants 6-2 (Projected Record 4-4, Drew Rating: .59) LW: 6
I know I’m cruel here but let’s be honest, the Giants are not a top 5 team nor should they be. They have won 6 one score games and the luck eventually runs out in those scenarios. The good news is the Giants do have two home games against the Texans (worst team in league) and the Lions (who can’t win away from home). If the Giants slip up on either game it’s officially playoff watch time.
8. Jets 6-3 (Projected Record 5-4, Drew Rating: 2.10) LW: 9
That was the biggest Jets win since the 2010 divisional round in Foxboro Massachusetts. The Jets are 6-3 and somehow 5-1 with Zach Wilson (who is doing less than I did for the Jets at QB). How are they doing this? Well the defense is one of the five best in football and as I wrote in my column why I was taking all of those points against Buffalo their defensive line is going to beat up Allen, me right!
7. Seahawks 6-3 (Projected Record 6-3, Drew Rating: 7.05) LW: 8
This team should be considered for real at this point as the Hawks are now 6-3 and all of the metrics show their is no smoke and mirrors (as some can say that about the Dolphins and especially the Giants). So now the Hawks travel across the world to play the Bucs in a game that if the Hawks can actually win would put them at 7-3 and in a very probably position to make the playoffs, just wow.
6. Ravens 6-3 (Projected Record 7-2, Drew Rating: 10.80) LW: 7
That was an impressive victory over the Saints on Monday night as the my theory is if you have Lamar Jackson you can have any running back do great. My theory was proven right again as anyone who picked up Kenyan Drake on the fantasy waiver wire probably won their week at the last second. Now the purple birds have a well deserved bye week before the schedule lightens up, 9-3 soon??
5. Cowboys 6-2 (Projected Record 6-2, Drew Rating: 11.32) LW: 4
Cowboys come off the bye week with a game at Green Bay that at beginning of the year you would have said the Boys would have been a 5 point dog in instead of a 5 point favorite. The Cowboys defense has been carrying the day all season which is why in a 49-29 week 8 win it was very refreshing for Cowboys nation to see Dak Prescott in the offense have such a dominating performance, trending up.
4. Chiefs 6-2 (Projected Record 6-2, Drew Rating: 12.24) LW: 5
A lot of the critics will criticize the Chiefs for not blowing out the Titans but I am going to go the other way and applaud the Chiefs for finding a way to win a game in which their coach was clearly outcoached but the Quarterback put the team on his shoulders and found a way. A win like that could go a long way as it looks like Pat Mahomes could continue to only play AFC playoff games in Arrowhead.
3. Bills 6-2 (Projected Record 8-0, Drew Rating: 24.38) LW: 2
If you go strictly by yards per play and third down conversion rate the Bills should have housed the Jets in New Jersey on Sunday. However, Josh Allen had two terrible interceptions and the Bills could not protect the Wyoming product as the Jets defensive line just pummeled the Bills up front. Now all of a sudden Josh Allen has a sprained elbow and he may miss some time, not so invincible here.
2. Vikings 7-1 (Projected Record 5-3, Drew Rating: 5.95) LW: 3
The Vikings just keep finding ways to win as Kirk Cousins decided to again become a meme with his shirt plane video. Kirk Cousins reminds me a suburban soccer dad. He has no charisma, he has no style, but everyone loves him because he is just a big goof. That video embodies what this Vikings team is this season. A team that is good, not great but keeps finding ways to win, next is at the Bills
1.Eagles 8-0 (Projected Record 8-0, Drew Rating: 23.41) LW: 1
The birds are so far and away the best team (and probably the healthiest) in all of football. It would take the Eagles having a huge meltdown at this point to even get knocked off their perch of the top of the power rankings as the number two team in the rankings the Eagles already beat by 17. So what is next for the Philly specials. A Monday night date against the last place team in their division they already by 16 in their house. Now they get to play the Washington Commandos at the fighting liberty bell. This team might not lose anytime soon and yes Jalen Hurts is the current front runner for MVP. If you saw this coming I will please have what your drinking.