With three weeks left in the NFL Season, this is where the mettle truly hits the road. We are up to 13 eliminated teams, and two teams that have already clinched the postseason…the top two teams in this week’s rankings, (Broncos and Rams). There are 17 other teams left to fill 12 remaining spots. The Ravens and Lions still have a 40% chance at the postseason, while the Cowboys have less than a 1% chance at the playoffs. Realistically, it will be back to the drawing board for Jerry and The Boys. We’re getting down to the wire. Here are this week’s rankings:
The Eliminated:
32. NEW YORK GIANTS: The Giants continue to stay at the bottom…or top of this list, depending on how you look at it.
31. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS: Truth be told, the Raiders may be worse.
30. ARIZONA CARDINALS: The Cardinals are in the toughest division in the league, which doesn’t make it easy for them.
29: CLEVELAND BROWNS: The Browns are going to have three more weeks to get a good look at Shadeur Sanders.
28: TENNESSEE TITANS: While it looks like I’ve been dead wrong about Drake Maye, I’m feeling much better about my assessment of Cam Ward.
27: NEW YORK JETS: Where do the Jets go from here? Can they fire another HC and start from scratch, yet again?
26: CINCINNATI BENGALS: Before this week’s game, Joe Burrow seemed despondent. The team pulled a complete no-show, officially making it another lost season. It feels like an offseason of soul-searching for the Bengals QB.
25: ATLANTA FALCONS: The Falcons have had a couple of solid victories this season. Maybe it will be enough to build on for next season.
24: NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: The Saints have been playing fairly well as of late, led by QB Tyler Shough.
23: WASHINGTON COMMANDERS: We’ll chalk this season up as a blip. If they have back-to-back seasons like this, then Commander fams can push the panic button.
22: KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: Remember, the Patriots went a decade without a Super Bowl in the middle of their 20-year run. Patrick Mahomes just had successful surgery, and Travis Kelce should retire at the end of the year. While there are more questions than answers, Mahomes should be good enough to get the Chiefs back to a Super Bowl… although it may take a while.
21: MIAMI DOLPHINS: With their dud of a loss in Pittsburgh, the Dolphins are officially out of the playoffs…and Tua Tagovailoa still hasn’t won a game below 40 degrees.
20: MINNESOTA VIKINGS: Even with the victory against the Cowboys, the Vikings are out of the playoff race.
Holding on for dear life:
19: DALLAS COWBOYS: So you’re saying there’s a chance…It’s about 1%, but they still have hope. It may be time for Jerry Jones to blow the whole thing up.
18: TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: Baker Mayfield seems to have turned into a pumpkin. They lost another excruciating game this week, but somehow are still clinging to first place in the NFC South.
17: CAROLINA PANTHERS: The Panthers are just ahead of the Bucs on this list, while at this point, they are looking up at Tampa. The two teams share a 7-7 record, with Tampa Bay holding the tiebreaker.
16: INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: Good for Philip Rivers. He didn’t die, and he didn’t embarrass himself. He also didn’t win. The Colts now find themselves on the outside looking in, in the playoffs.
15: BALTIMORE RAVENS: Speaking on looking in from the outside…The Ravens won again, but so did the Steelers, who are proving to be a resilient bunch.
Alive and battling:
14: PITTSBURGH STEELERS: With three weeks left in the season, the Steelers need one more win to give Mike Tomlin another .500 season.
13: DETROIT LIONS: The Lions had a massive showdown against the Rams, and came away empty. They are currently the eighth seed in the NFC and sitting with a 40% chance of getting into the playoffs.
Could Make A Run:
12: GREEN BAY PACKERS: Speaking of coming up empty…the Packers had a tough task this week, going into Denver and trying to come away with a win. They couldn’t, and because of it, are still looking up at the Bears in the NFC North. That damned tie!
11: HOUSTON TEXANS: This has been building for the better part of a month now. The Texans are my “It” team, and they are officially in the playoffs if the season ended today.
10: JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: The Jaguars look legitimate and are in first place in the AFC South. They have blown past the Colts, but now have the Texans hot on their tail.
9: PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: To be the man, you have to beat the man, and until the Eagles are officially knocked out, they are still the defending champs. They have all but won consecutive NFC Division titles and will host at least one playoff game. They will be tough out, come playoff time.
8: CHICAGO BEARS: The Bears are in the lead in the NFC North and sitting with the No. 2 seed. Truth be told, I think the Packers or Lions will catch them, but at the moment, they are the big man on campus.
The Contenders:
7: BUFFALO BILLS: The Patriots may end up prevailing in the AFC East, but on Sunday, the Bills showed why they are the five-time defending division champs. Down 21-0, Josh Allen put on his cape and brought the Bills back, outscoring the Pats 35-10 the rest of the way.
6: NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: The loss to the Bills dropped the Pats four spots, from no.2 to no.6. They have another tough matchup, as they head to Baltimore to play the Ravens on Sunday night. A loss may start to prove Cam Newton right…”Fool’s Gold”.
5: SAN FRANCISCO 49ers: At 10-4, the Niners are third in the NFC West, and the sixth seed in the NFC. They are one game behind the Seahawks and the Rams. Overall, they have a 98% chance of getting into the postseason.
4: LOS ANGELES CHARGERS: We are starting to see a changing of the guard at the QB position. It’s hard to believe that Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow are out of the playoffs, and Lamar Jackson is currently not in either. But names like Trevor Lawrence and Justin Herbert are in. The Chargers are a dangerous team heading into the postseason. They are a safe bet, with a 93% chance of getting in.
3: SEATTLE SEAHAWKS: The Seahawks may be the best two-way team in the league. But as good as Sam Darnold was last year, and as good as he’s played this season, doubts remain.
2: LOS ANGELES RAMS: The Rams have been my team to prevail in the NFC for much of the season…but Davante Adams’ injury creates a huge loss in their passing game, regardless of how great Puca Nacua is.
1: DENVER BRONCOS: The Patriots and the Broncos were each home dogs this week. And each team was on a 10-game winning streak. The Pats couldn’t hold on…while the Broncos did. Drake Maye still hasn’t led a fourth-quarter comeback, while Bo Nix seems to do it on a weekly basis. At this time, the playoffs go through Denver, which is not an easy place for a road team to play.
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