1. KANSAS CITY: The Chiefs took advantage of a Cam Newton-less New England Patriots team. Newton missed the game after he tested positive for Covid-19.
KC is making it look easy; they are the clear cut favorite in the AFC, and for that matter…the entire NFL. QB Patrick Mahomes does things every game that make you ask, “How did he do that?” The Chiefs defense has improved and they don’t have to win in shootouts. Good look to anyone playing the Chiefs. Last week: 1
2. SEATTLE: Miami pushed the Seahawks, but Seattle prevailed 31-23. Say it with me…MVP! MVP! MVP! Seahawks QB Russell Wilson is playing out of his mind. Add another two touchdown passes to his season total (16). Wilson averages 4 TD passes a game and over 300 passing yards to boot. Nine different receivers caught a pass from Wilson in the win over Miami. That’s incredible. If I could have any quarterback in the league on my team, I would still pick Patrick Mahomes, but I would strongly consider Russell Wilson. Seattle’s eventual undoing will be their defense. Miami put up over 400 yards of total offense against the Seahawks. That’s not a good sign. Last week: 2
3. GREEN BAY: The Packers are going to be a big problem. Green Bay’s off-season plan of pissing off QB Aaron Rodgers, is working. The Packers drafted QB Jordan Love in the first round back in April. He hasn’t seen the field and Rodgers is playing out of his mind. A-Rod has 13 TD passes and 0 interceptions. He’s also completing 70.5% of his passes. The young bucks Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson get all the love from the media. Maybe it’s time we consider Rodgers as another MVP candidate. It’s not just the offense that is playing well. The Packers defense is holding their own as well. Last week: 3
4. BALTIMORE: The Ravens did what elite teams do…blow out bad teams. Baltimore mashed the Washington football team 31-17. The Ravens are starting to round into form. Their defense is stifling; their offense is majestic in many ways. The Ravens continue to rule the AFC North. QB Lamar Jackson won’t wow you with gaudy passing numbers, but he’s good enough with his arm and fantastic with his feet in the running game. Jackson was responsible for three of the Ravens four touchdowns in the win over the Washington football team. Last week: 3
5. PITTSBURGH: The Steelers didn’t play in week five due to the Titans covid-19 outbreak. Last week: 5
6. BUFFALO: The Bills are legit, folks. Believe it or not, this team has a chance make a lot of noise in the AFC. Buffalo beat Las Vegas 30-23. The Raiders coughed up the football twice to the Bills. QB Josh Allen and company took advantage of the takeaways and cashed in for points in Sin City. Don’t look now, but the Bills remain unbeaten at 4-0. The Bills have a date with the unbeaten Titans in week five. That game will be spicy. Last week: 6
7. TENNESSEE: The Titans didn’t play in week 4 due to 20 players and staff members testing positive for Covid-19. Tennessee has bigger problems. The league is investigating them for protocol violations that led to the outbreak at the Titans facility. Last week: 7
8. TAMPA BAY: The Buccaneers sits atop the NFC South at 3-1. Tom Brady rallied Tampa Bay to a come from behind a Los Angeles Chargers team that looks better than I thought with Justin Herbert under center. Brady doesn’t look like part of a senior’s club to me. He tossed 5 touchdown passes in the 38-31 win over the Chargers with 369 passing yards. I said it often prior to the season, the Saints got Tampa at the right time to open the season. The Bucs look problematic for New Orleans and the NFC South. Last week: 8
9. NEW ENGLAND: Without Cam Newton at QB the Patriots battled against the Chiefs, but they were just outmanned 26-10. I’m not going to drop the Patriots for playing the defending world champions without their best player.
When Cam Newton returns from Covid-19 quarantine, New England will be fine. I expect them to bounce back against Denver this week. Last week: 9
10. LOS ANGELES RAMS: The Giants gave them all they wanted and more. The Rams held off a pesky New York team 17-9. Los Angeles is a team on the rise. L.A. is winning games in a variety of ways. The defense has improved from last year, and the offense can be scary good at times. Last week: 12
11. INDIANAPOLIS: The Colts are quietly sitting at 3-1 after a 19-11 win over the Bears. The Colts want to play games just like the one they played against Chicago. Low scoring slugfest with a defense that can stuff the running game. The Colts allowed just 32 rushing yards against Chicago. The Colts win with their offensive line and defense. Last week: 14
12. CLEVELAND: The Browns are 3-1? Yep! And, Cleveland finally looks like a contender after thumping Dallas 49-38. WR Odell Beckham Jr. rushed for a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass from his fellow former LSU Tiger WR Jarvis Landry. Coach Kevin Stefanski has the dog pound frothing at the mouth, making Cleveland a contender. Fans are jumping in the frigged waters of Lake Earie with excitement. If you appreciate blue collar towns and a great fan base, you are happy for the long suffering Browns fans. Last week: 17
13. NEW ORLEANS: That’s more like it! At least offensively. The Saints spotted the Lions 14 points in the first quarter, before exploding for five straight touchdowns. Please spare me the argument that Drew Brees can’t push the ball down the field. Brees attempted five passes of twenty yards or more in the 35-29 win over Detroit. All five were completed. Just stop it with the noodle arm narrative. The offense looked great! The defense is still leaky. If they don’t clean up on that side of the ball, the Saints aren’t going to the Super Bowl. Not with that defense. Last week: 18
14. CHICAGO: I told you the Bears were pretenders in week 4. No reason to change that opinion, after falling to the Colts 19-11 while taking their first loss of the season. The Bears aren’t very good on offense regardless who’s at QB. If not for the Falcons propensity to blow big leads, this team would be 2 and 2, not 3-1. Da Bears! Last week: 10
15. LAS VEGAS: The Raiders lost two straight games now, and maybe just maybe, they aren’t as good as the team that beat the Saints a couple of weeks back. Las Vegas still can’t consistently play good defense. The offensive is kind of fun to watch, and sure they can run the football. The Raiders are average, nothing special. Last week: 11
16. SAN FRANCISCO: The 49ers are in trouble! No Jimmy G at QB (ankle sprain) and defensive players dropping left and right with injuries. The 49ers look like a shell of the team that represented the NFC in the Super Bowl. San Francisco fell to the previously winless Eagles 25-20. I know they were playing with their backup QB, but so be it. It’s the NFL, we ain’t got time for that. Last week: 13
17. CAROLINA: How about the Panthers? Two straight wins for Teddy Bridgewater and the Cats. Nice Job! Carolina is playing better than we thought capable. Now that being said, I’m not ready to make the case for a playoff push. Last week: 23
18. ARIZONA: The Cardinals dropped two straight games after starting 2-0. Told ya! The Cards are a roller coaster. One week good, the next not good. QB Kyler Murray did his part in Arizona’s 31-21 loss to the Panthers. The Cardinals defense stunk up the joint. The Panthers carved up the Cardinals D for over 400 yards of total offense. That’s not supposed to happen with a Panthers team that is without RB Christian McCaffrey. Last week: 16
19. PHILADELPHIA: Get this…the Eagles led the NFC East with a 1-2-1 record. Ha! Ok, Philly beat a reeling 49ers team. I moved them up! The Eagles still have some major problems both offensively and defensively. Last week: 25
20. MINNESOTA: A win is a win is a win in the NFL. Don’t get too excited, the “purple people eaters” aren’t back and the Vikings haven’t cured what ails them. The Vikings beat the winless Houston Texans. Simple. Nothing more nothing less. Minnesota is still sitting at 1-3, well below the Packers and Bears in the NFC North.
21. CINCINNATI: GEAUX Joe Burrow! The former LSU Tiger got his first win as a pro. The Bengals knocked off the Jacksonville Jaguars in week 4, 33-25. Give Burrow some weapons and help on defense and the Bengals are going to make some noise. It won’t happen this year, but if the Bengals can get out of their own way in the front office, they can have success. Burrow is going to be stud! Last week: 28
22. THE WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM: The team on the other side of the Beltway (Baltimore Ravens) came to your backyard and slapped you around. The Washington Football Team looks lifeless. Last week: 22
23. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS: The Bolts are 1-3, but QB Justin Herbert is fun to watch. The Chargers defense can rush the passer, but that’s about all they do well. Los Angeles comes to New Orleans for a week five matchup against the Saints on Monday night football. Last week: 21
24. DALLAS: Big D! Has No D! The Cowboys have given up 40 points or more in three straight games! Dallas is 1-3, and should be 0-4. Mike McCarthy looks stuck in his old ways with QB Dak Prescott having to drop back and pass nearly 50 times a game. The Cowboys have one of the best running backs in the league in Ezekiel Elliot, but I guess they just don’t realize that? It’s so bad in Big D that owner Jerry Jones probably wishes he would have kept Jason Garret as the head coach. Last week: 15
25. MIAMI: The Dolphins aren’t winning, but they are at least competing. Miami gave the Seahawks a game and deserve to move up. Last week: 26
26. JACKSONVILLE: The Jags. I don’t know what I can say that is positive about this team. My mother raised me right. Don’t pick on the weak! Last week: 20
27. ATLANTA: At least they didn’t blow a lead this week. The Falcons are chasing their tail. 0-4 and the Dirty Birds are just not very good. Offensively they have firepower, but the Falcons defense is just terrible. I am being kind in saying it that way. Last week: 27
28. HOUSTON: The Texans make me very sad. 0-4 and Houston made a change, firing their head coach and general manager Bill O’Brien. Last week: 19
29. DETROIT: I’ve beaten up on the Lions enough and so have the Saints. Last week: 29
30. DENVER: So the Broncos got a win vs the Jets! Party time! Whoooo hooo! Last week: 30
31. NEW YORK GIANTS: The fight after the Rams game was better than they played. Last week: 31
32. NEW YORK CROP-DUSTERS (aka JETS): This team is an insult to pro sports. The Jets are a pandemic of poor play. Last week: 32
