1 Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs just went up against one of the league’s best defenses on primetime and proved once again they can score at will. Patrick Mahomes looks locked in and focused. Travis Kelce looks vintage and uncoverable. The play calling is diverse and confusing, and the defense is playing complimentary football. If it wasn’t for a number of special teams gaffes versus the Colts, this team would most likely be 4-0 right now.
2 Buffalo Bills
The Bills looked sluggish early against the Ravens, which may have been bit of a hangover from their battle in Miami the week prior. The cramping, dehydration, and general exhaustion is difficult to overcome in a week, but Josh Allen did what he had to to to power back from an early deficit in Week Four. The defense also held up in the second half, and the Bills stay right at the top of the NFL.
3 Philadephia Eagles
The only remaining undefeated team leaned into the ground game to win their bad weather game in Philadelphia. They are one of the most complete teams in the NFL, and the only thing left to see from them is how they fare against one of the truly elite teams. Their toughest competition at this point has been the Vikings, who have not been dominant by any stretch of the imagination.
4 Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens go as Lamar Jackson goes. Despite a fourth quarter interception on fourth down, Jackson has dominated up to this point in his quest to secure a new contract. The questions about the receivers have quieted and JK Dobbins has returned to the field. There is little to suggest that the Ravens are anything less than one of the best teams in the NFL right now.
5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers have most of their skill players back, they have perhaps the NFL’s top defense, and they have Tom Brady. They won’t have to play the Chiefs every week, and against most teams 31 points will be enough to get it done. Although the offensive line is an issue, and injuries throughout the season may be their downfall, as of now they must be respected as one of the most dangerous teams in the league.
6 San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers put together a complete game against a division rival on Monday night. Between Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, and Jeff Wilson, the 49ers are a threat to score on any play. Their ferocious defense is a threat to turn the ball over on any play. They may be a little vulnerable at the offensive tackle position, but they are in good shape to get through the woods until Trent Williams makes his return.
7 Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers have been devastated by injuries… or so you would think. Despite having the worst injury luck in the NFL through four weeks, they are 2-2 and looking good overall. A big game from rookie Jamaree Salyer (Kyron Samuels’ Performer of the Week) helped solidify the offensive line after the loss of Rashawn Slater to a bicep tear. As long as Justin Herbert is healthy enough, the Chargers will remain a playoff contender.
8 Cincinatti Bengals
The Bengals are a curious team. They lost their first two games in resounding fashion, and then beat up on the Joe Flacco led Jets and Teddy Bridgewater led Dolphins. Are they capitalizing on playing backup quarterbacks, or are they finding their stride? The defending AFC Champions have the talent to be one of the best, and based on my belief in Joe Burrow, I will consider them trending in that direction until proven otherwise.
9 Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers is going to will this team to 12 wins, I genuinely believe that. With Allen Lazard back, and the gradual development of Romeo Doubbs and Christian Watson, they will be competitive every week and comfortably in the playoffs by mid December. The talent of their defense will have every opportunity to develop into a dominant force by season’s end. Maybe they won’t continue Matt LaFleur’s streak of 13-3 season, but it will be close.
10 Los Angeles Rams
The Rams look like they are still nursing a Super Bowl hangover even after a full month of the season. Despite the overall team talent, they are not playing to the sum of their parts. They have had big plays from all of their defensive stars, but not a complete team defensive effort against the top competition. Cooper Krupp is probably going to break records… but the rest of the offense is lagging behind. Sean McVay I have confidence that the second half of the season will be better, but things will need to chain from the top down.
11 Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins have some incredible firepower on offense, and a talented defense. The questions on the offensive line have been hidden by play calling, explosive playmakers, and the fact that Tua Tagovailoa has been playing very well. The situation with Tua is not only a major black eye for the organization, it may massively impact the trajectory of their season. At this point my instinct says things are about to get rocky, but I won’t drop them too quickly as they are still leading the AFC East and have a game against the Jets this week.
12 Dallas Cowboys
Cooper Rush will have to helm the offense at least one more week, and you can’t help but be impressed with his effectiveness as a game managing quarterback. The offensive line has stabilized to some degree, and the running game has developed well. What is there to say about this defense that hasn’t already been said? Micah Parsons has been a wrecking ball. Trevon Diggs has been much more consistent. Dan Quinn is making his case again for another head coaching opportunity… Once Dak Prescott returns, there is no reason they shouldn’t be even better.
13 Jacksonville Jaguars
They are young, and yes they struggled in bad weather. They will need to win through inclement conditions if they want to be competitive in the playoffs, so this can either be a learning experience or a sign of things to come. You have to be impressed with rookie Devin Lloyd and second year quarterback Trevor Lawrence as they may lead this team to the top of a weak AFC South. It will be a fun storyline if Jacksonville has finally found a winning formula.
14 Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings should absolutely be higher on this list, but they have struggled with consistency. Kirk Cousins plays well in perfect execution, but that’s not how the NFL works. Can they make the playoffs? Yes they very well could, but if you can’t create off schedule offense, you probably can’t be conference contenders. No matter how good Justin Jefferson is, he can’t play quarterback, and he can’t play defense.
15 New Orleans Saints
The Saints have to get right from injuries, and the collective age of their veterans make that a collective challenge. Despite being one of the most complete rosters in the NFL, they are built to be one of the most fragile due to injury. Chris Olave has played very well, but without Michael Thomas and Jameis Winston he is only one player piece of a good offense. The Saints have a great chance to make the playoffs in a questionable NFC, but they just need better injury luck than they have had so far.
16 New York Jets
The Jets are an enigma because there is so much yet to learn about Zach Wilson. Was the first half just rust? Will he consistently be inconsistent? Is he going to be a fourth quarter monster for his whole career? After only one game it is impossible to say, but youth movement for the roster is paying dividends early. No one is anointing anything, particularly with such a banged up offensive line, but very few expected the Jets to be 2-2 at this point with a chance to knock off a Dolphins team missing their franchise quarterback.
17 Cleveland Browns
The Browns are in a dangerous place right now. They have a ton of talent, but if they can’t beat teams like the Jets and Falcons, they may be out of the hunt by the time Deshaun Watson returns. They can run the ball, but that is the only thing you can say with absolute certainty week to week. They will need to improve in other phases quickly if they want to hand over a decent record to Watson.
18 Detroit Lions
The Lions are wildly impressive on offense and hilariously bad on defense. Maybe they should be lower on this list, considering they trail the league comfortably in defensive points allowed. At the same time, it’s hard not to give major credit to the offense in an offensive league. Their offense is comfortably better than any offense of any team ranked behind them, so even a marginal improvement defensively should make an immediate difference in the win/loss record.
19 New York Giants
The Giants have stepped in and made a statement about their franchise going forward. They aren’t contenders in 2022… But they aren’t losers anymore either. They have a long way to go to matchup with the best teams, but leadership looks strong. Will Tyrod Taylor or Davis Webb squeak out a few more wins? Probably yes. Will the Giants draft a quarterback in the first round? Almost certainly. The good news is that they won’t look inept while those things play out.
20 Atlanta Falcons
Do the Falcons remember that they drafted Kyle Pitts fourth overall last year? They might be forced to, now that Cordarrelle Patterson is missing time. Drake Lonon has looked good, and Marcus Mariota has looked athletic. AJ Terrell is awesome. Aside from that and a comfortable 2-2 record, there are clear issues with this roster. The good news is that they look like they are one more offseason away from being a pretty good team. The bad news is that they may be just good enough this year to have fans ultimately disappointed in January.
21 New England Patriots
Mac Jones is injured, there are contradicting opinions on how to handle it, and the team looks like it’s going nowhere fast. It’s respect for Belichick that keeps them out of the bottom 25%, but frankly that may not last long. They have an identity, but it’s not a dominant identity. It just is.
22 Tennessee Titans
The Titans are now 2-2, but they have yet to play a complete game of football. They have been shut out in the second half in back to back weeks, and although it’s been enough to beat the Colts and Raiders, there are better teams they will have to face as the season progresses. They will have to rely heavily on Derrick Henry and Robert Woods more than ever now that their first round rookie has been injured.
23 Denver Broncos
The Broncos have been one of the largest disappointments of the 2022 season up to this point. While I didn’t expect them to make the playoffs, I didn’t expect them to look so inept at times either. The offensive line hasn’t been good, and the game management has been outright bad. Their skill group hasn’t caught any breaks either, with the loss of Tim Patrick before the season and now Javonte Williams for the remainder of the year.
24 Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks are fighting valiantly, although I don’t think some offensive stats skewed by the Lions defense should be taken at face value. Pete Carroll and crew are currently making an excellent case for why they should be allowed to use the hoard of draft picks to rebuild the team this offseason. The decision to move on from Russell Wilson looks better by the week, and the culture seems better off as well.
25 Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders are 1-3, and they haven’t played the Chiefs or Chargers yet. Not that anything is guaranteed in the NFL, but if they lose to the Chiefs on MNF, they better have some deep self reflection coming out of their bye at 1-4. After going all in on Davante Adams and Chandler Jones, they will need to show some real competitiveness soon or they risk being out of the race by November.
26 Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals are a bad football team the has a fragile sliver of hope relying exclusively on the arm and legs of Kyler Murray. A sub par off-season transitioned into a terrible preseason and now a dysfunctional regular season. The offensive line is bad, the receivers are missing DeAndre Hopkins, and the defense is suspect. Being featured on Hard Knocks is brutal for them, as it ensures the world gets to watch their potential meltdowns,
27 Indianapolis Colts
The Colts are a few special teams missteps by the Chiefs away from being 0-3-1, and are now without their best player. Offensive line play was supposed to be their identity, but it’s been mediocre at best. The defense has been ok, but it’s banged up as well. As TNF with the Broncos looms, the Colts have to win to hang with the Jaguars and Titans. If they lose, their season is probably over before it even really began.
28 Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers have officially kicked off Pickett Season. Although it may boost morale, they are probably not sniffing a winning record at this point. Their offensive line has been about as bad as we expected, and the defense is getting banged up quickly. TJ Watt is out indefinitely, and both Alex Highsmith and Minkah Fitzpatrick are sub-optimally healthy at this point. Without Fitzpatrick, this could be a 5-12 season for Pittsburgh.
29 Carolina Panthers
Baker Mayfield has been one of the two worst quarterbacks in the NFL, and both Sam Darnold and Matt Corral are hurt. Brian Burns, Jeremy Chinn, and Jaycee Horn aside, this team is lacking a lot on both sides of the ball. Frankie Luvu has been good, but isn’t Haason Reddick. This is a team that might contend for the first overall pick in 2023.
30 Washington Commanders
The Commanders can’t pass protect. I don’t know if anybody remembers this, but Carson Wentz under duress is a special kind of disaster. They have from a Week One Winking Wentz to… some other corny alliteration I won’t subject you too that involves being crushed by Mike McCarthy and Cooper Rush. Despite the return of rookie Brian Robinson, it’s difficult to find good reason that things will improve in the near future.
31 Houston Texans
The Texans are fighting hard but quite simply, they still lack mightily in too many places. They have the incoming resources, but it’s a bit of a waiting game for Houston fans. They will more than likely have two top fifteen picks in the 2023 draft, so get your mock drafts ready because that’s the most interesting thing about the team at the moment.
32 Chicago Bears
The Bears are not throwing the ball. At all. Justin Fields is not happy. What is there to say here except that this is a bad team at the dawn of a rebuild with a pissed off quarterback who was not their draft investment. At this point there is a great chance that Fields will be some other team’s reclamation project in 2023, and the Bears continue their long term plan without him. Until then, it’s not pretty.
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