50 NFL Observations
We are big into the “take” world in sports media these days. You have shows such as First Take, First Things First. You HAD Undisputed until that got cancelled. Its just the way of the world. With Week 9 officially over, the season is halfway done. Now while we aren’t into the “take” industry, it is ok to make smart observations about what we’ve seen so far during the year. Each season has their surprises and disappointments, and this season is like no other. The worst to first is alive and well in multiple scenarios. The MVP conversation is hot. So much to discuss. In no particular order, here we go…
We are big into the “take” world in sports media these days. You have shows such as First Take, First Things First. You HAD Undisputed until that got cancelled. Its just the way of the world. With Week 9 officially over, the season is halfway done. Now while we aren’t into the “take” industry, it is ok to make smart observations about what we’ve seen so far during the year. Each season has their surprises and disappointments, and this season is like no other. The worst to first is alive and well in multiple scenarios. The MVP conversation is hot. So much to discuss. In no particular order, here we go…
Getting Rid of Stefon Diggs was the perfect medicine for the Buffalo Bills - Who knew that getting rid of a guy who demanded the football would lead to Josh Allen having the fewest turnovers since he’s been in the NFL?
Turns out Coaching Matters for Rookie QBs - the proof is in pudding. Look at Jayden Daniels. Then look at Caleb Williams. Bo Nix has had more “moments” so far in the NFL than Williams. The difference is clear. Matt Eberflus is a waste of space while Quinn and Payton know what they’re doing.
The Kansas City Chiefs three-peat will run through their defense - It truly doesn’t matter that the Chiefs got Hopkins. It doesn’t matter that Pacheco is coming back. Unless your blind, you will understand that the Chiefs offense is missing something. And I don’t think the fix is coming this season. And that’s ok. Their defense has been their rock this year. And that’s after losing Sneed.
The Arizona Cardinals are dangerous - This is the team that can come up from behind and knock teams off the horse. The Cardinals were expected to be awful this year, and they are currently in the NFC West lead through nine weeks. Who saw that coming? The best part. The offense hasn’t lit the world on fire yet. Kyler hasn’t been amazing, and MHJ is still finding his way. Wait for December…
Jayden Daniels is more Lamar Jackson than RG3 - Yes. You are watching Lamar lite in Washington. Daniels has been electric from Week 2 on, and the Commanders are 7-2! He made another brilliant pass to ice the game against the Giants last week. I can’t wait for this team to play Philadelphia. Speaking of…
The Eagles record is good, but something is missing - Yes, they’ve won 4 in a row now. Hurts has been way better the last 4 games than the first four games. But if you watch this team consistently, they just don’t have the it factor that some of these other teams have. Don’t be surprised if the Eagles make a splash at the trade deadline.
Zac Taylor is on the hot seat - No one is talking about it. Not yet anyway. But the Bengals are 4-5. This is a make or break year for them. Joe Burrow is having his best season since their Super Bowl year. If Cincinnati doesn’t capitalize on this, Taylor might be the surprise fire at the end of the season.
The Atlanta Falcons are the second best team in the NFC - Have you noticed the Falcons are 6-3? Many people may not have. They just got done dismantling the Cowboys and are in firm position in the NFC South with two wins over Tampa Bay already. Kirk Cousins has remedied the offense. Bijan is being used properly. London has taken a step. After Detroit, there is a mosh pit for the best challengers are. Don’t look now but…
Don’t let TNF fool you; The New York Jets season is over - does anyone really believe the Jets are going to run the table with an interim head coach? Their remaining schedule includes Arizona, Miami (2x), the LA Rams and Buffalo. You’re telling me you don’t see two losses there. Sure, Miami is 2-6, but they just took Buffalo to the final seconds in Buffalo. The Rams are healthy, Arizona is good. I didn’t mention Indy and Seattle who can screw around and decide they wanna be good on a Sunday. Its not happening folks.
The Texans are only 6-3 because of the division they play in - Look at the numbers. Houston has not played up to snuff this year. This team was exciting and fun last year. They seem very tight this year. The AFC South is a dumpster fire. They’re taking advantage of it. They are 3-0 in the division and haven’t played Tennessee yet! I wouldn’t be surprised if they got walloped in the Wild Card Round this year.
Zero Offensive Creativity is getting Coaches Fired - Look what’s happened already; Robert Saleh and Dennis Allen have been let go. Two of the lamest offenses in the NFL. The Raiders fired their offensive staff. Lame. Who else runs some truly pathetic offensive schemes. The Jaguars, for one. Bears another. And the Dallas Cowboys. Thus, to my next point…
Mike McCarthy has lost the Cowboy locker room - This isn’t hard to tell. Dak Prescott was caught saying “we suck” Sunday in Atlanta. The clock is ticking, but make no mistake; McCarthy will be fired at seasons end. Are we taking bets on how much money Jerry throws Belichick’s way?
Drafting Project Rookies in Round 1 of the NFL Draft continues to be a heinous decision - The latest culprit - Anthony Richardson. He was recently benched in favor of Joe Flacco. Other project QBs who have flamed out include Trey Lance, Kenny Pickett, and soon to be Daniel Jones. Will Levis was taken at the top of the second round and has already been benched. When will these GMs learn?
Sam Darnold has started the regression - Darnold lit the world on fire. And everyone is rooting for him. But, the poor decision making is starting to creep back up. Now the Vikings won’t turn anywhere else (they’re 6-2), but there where early conversations in Minnesota about what to do next season if this continued. There is no discussion. Go to JJ.
The discourse around Mike Tomlin needs to end - I don’t care that Pittsburgh hasn’t won a playoff game in half a decade or so. This man has never had a losing season. He continues to take middling rosters and put them in contention every year. He knew exactly what he was doing when he traded for Russ. When everyone was screaming at him for benching Fields (except for me of course), Russ came in and the offense was noticeably better. The Steelers are the dark horse in the AFC.
Derrick Henry will challenge the rushing touchdown record - I said it before the season began as a bold prediction. Right now, Henry has 11. If he gets one every game the rest of the year that’s 19. But you know that Henry will have one monster game where he goes for 4 scores. He won’t beat the record, but him finishing with 21-23 is absolutely in play.
Jacksonville loves hiding behind the mask of their NFL counterpart - If it wasn’t for the Panthers and David Tepper, the spotlight would be on how horribly run the Jaguars are. Trent Baalke and Doug Peterson have gone from 9-8 (and were 2-6 at one point that season) to 9-8 again (no improvement) and now 2-7 through 9 games. The players brought in this offseason haven’t contributed at all (Gabe Davis, Ronald Darby, Darnell Savage, Erik Armstead) amongst others. Shad Khan said this was the “best Jaguars team ever assembled.” Go figure.
There’s nothing wrong with Patrick Mahomes - It doesn’t matter that he isn’t throwing TD passes. He will make amazing plays in December and January and we will forget.
This Baker Mayfield is here to stay - what else needs to be said? Baker is laser focused and before his two stud receivers got hurt, he was playing at a top five level. The Bucs found a hidden gem and the Bake show will live on in Tampa for some time.
Seattle is wasting time with Geno - I’m penciling in the Seahawks to cash in their remaining chips from the Russ trade this off-season to get into the top 5 of the NFL Draft. Geno was a nice story, but its run its course. The INT in the end zone Sunday was horrendous. Seattle isn’t going anywhere with him. Watch out for them this off-season.
The Dolphins need to be blown the F*** up - This team isn’t going anywhere currently constructed. They just aren’t. Miami is just playing house NFL style right now. This team was supposed to challenge not only Buffalo, but KC for an AFC crown. Even with Tua back, they lost to Arizona at home and Buffalo AGAIN. Massive, sweeping changes need to be done in Miami if they want to truly compete.
Lamar becomes a Top 10 All-Time QB with a 3rd MVP - Do you know how many people have won the MVP award three times? Do you? I’ll tell you. Four. Those names? Jim Brown, Johnny Unitas, Brett Favre and Tom Brady. That’s it. That’s the list. Jackson would go into uncharted waters with a 3rd MVP, which is COMPLETELY in play.
Dan Campbell might be a unanimous COTY winner - We do understand what the DETROIT LIONS are doing is amazing right? They’ve scored 28 touchdowns the last six weeks and have 24 incompletions. Let that sink in. They run, they pass, they sack, they create turnovers. They go for it on 4th down. Unanimous.
NFL Officiating continues to be a disaster - Nothing really needs to be said here. Every week its something else.
The NY Giants are officially in “QB Away” territory - The pieces are there. Nabers is a stud. Tracy is very good. The defensive line is a problem. If the Giants can get a QB and fix their secondary, I think they may be the next team to come up.
The Titans are in the worst position of any team in the NFL - They put their bags into Will Levis and that failed. The offensive line is dreadful. Their prized acquisition of the off-season L’Jarius Sneed has been a disaster. Calvin Ridley has been…not good. Hopkins is gone. The offensive is still a mess. They’re going to be starting over again next season. Not good at all.
The Rams can run the table - When healthy, the Rams are still a good team. The defense is super underrated, and they can strike at any time on offense. The spark from the Super Bowl team is still there…
I haven’t mentioned the 49ers yet - And there’s a reason. They haven’t been good. They haven’t been bad. Are they that reliant on CMC? We will find out.
TJ Watt is in the conversation for the best player in the sport - Is there a player more valuable? Seriously. This dude is just it. Wrecks every game and does what’s needed to win. He should be in the top 3 when the NFL releases their Top 100 next offseason.
Brian Thomas Jr. is the next big WR - Talk about always open? I didn’t see this coming, and I don’t think anyone else did either. BTJ is fast, runs great routes, and catches damn near everything. Jags got a star on their hands.
And Quinyon Mitchell is the next Jalen Ramsey - Mitchell was highly touted out of Toledo. He’s been everything and then some since been drafted. He gets put on the top receivers every week and just does damage. Excellent rookie.
DeShaun Watson may never play again - And he really doesn’t deserve too, but color me shocked if at some point in the off-season the Browns and Watson mutually agree to part ways and void most of the contract and maybe pay it under the table. Cleveland doesn’t want him back. And the NFL always gets their way.
The Green Bay Packers are overrated - Yes, I said it. The Pack are severely overrated. They had an opportunity Sunday to tell the Lions that they weren’t all that. At home. In bad weather. In Detroits first non-dome game. And they got stomped. Jordan Love hasn’t been good this season. Bad turnovers. They may miss the playoffs entirely.
Jim Harbaugh - Yes, Jim Harbaugh. Just ask yourself one question. Have the Chargers “Chargered” once this season?
The Commanders are an EDGE rusher away - I expect Washington to be active come deadline time. They need another pass rusher. You can’t squander opportunities when they come. There’s a realistic possibility this team can make a run to the NFC title game. Need to pounce.
Alvin Kamara should be traded, but won’t be - This is the easiest thing to decipher. Kamara has no business being in NOLA this year. The Saints are non competitive and Kamara is playing at a high level. They just fired Dennis Allen. But Kamara is the face of the Saints. If they really want to pursue the overhaul, they would trade him. But they won’t.
There may be up to 10 HC openings come “Black Monday” in January - We already have the Jets and the Saints. Add in the following guarantees; Jaguars, Bears, Raiders, Cowboys. That’s six. I can also see the following team moving on if things don’t swing their way: Bengals, Eagles, Browns and Patriots. I think Mayo and Pierce have downright horrible this year.
There will be six new playoff team this season - Mark em down: Bengals (yup!), Chargers, Commanders, Vikings, Falcons and Cardinals!
The 49ers will miss the playoffs - This will be the shocker of 2024.
Josh Allen will lead the Bills to the Number 1 seed and get his first MVP - it is written.
The NFL has had a decrease in quality this year - its ok to say it. The play this year in the league has been subpar. And they need to figure it out. The lack of practices in July and August, coupled with no one playing int he preseason has brought this on. The product isn’t as good. Listen to Tom Brady.
And the ratings in the Playoffs will reflect that - Call this a hunch.
The AFC Playoff teams will be: (1) Bills, (2) Chiefs, (3) Ravens, (4) Texans, (5) Steelers, (6) Chargers, (7) Bengals
The NFC Playoff Teams will be: (1) Lions, (2) Falcons, (3) Eagles, (4) Rams, (5) Commanders, (6) Vikings, (7) Cardinals
Going into the Playoffs, the Lions will be the consensus favorites to win the Super Bowl - I never thought I’d type those words when I was 18.
Cincinnati will be the hottest team going into the playoffs and take out the Chiefs on wild card weekend; which sets up a Burrow and Allen showdown in Buffalo - We need some fresh blood in the AFC. Lets talk it into existence!
AFC Title Game: (3) Ravens @ (1) Bills - The top two QBs in the MVP conversation will square off. It will be both Allen and Jackson’s second time in the title game, with both of their losses the first time coming from Mahomes.
NFC Title Game: (2) Falcons @ (1) Lions - I think these two teams are pound for pound the best in the NFC. I almost put Philly here, but they have too much inconsistency for me.
Super Bowl 59 will feature two franchises that have never hoisted a Lombardi Trophy - As good as the Falcons are, the Lions are the clear favorites in the NFC. Hell they might even coast to the Super Bowl. Detroit learns from their mistakes in last years title game, and this one is at home. In the AFC, you need to be able to withstand four quarters. I don’t think Baltimore did enough in the off-season, and their defense has been suspect. Allen and the Bills have been a complete team this year. And the fact they got embarrassed by Baltimore in the regular season is in the back of their heads. Bills and Lions Super Bowl!
The long, long wait is over…for the Lions.
Observations From Divisional Weekend
Did you know that since October 15th Diggs hasn’t recorded a 100 yard game? There was a lot of chatter before the season that Diggs was unhappy in Buffalo, and while he got off to a solid start this season personally, he has been a shell of himself for 3/4 of the season. It all culminated on Sunday when Diggs caught 3 balls for 21 yards in the divisional loss to Kansas City. He had the biggest drop of the game, a beautiful throw by Josh Allen in the most critical point in the game slipped through his fingers. Now it has been reported that Diggs does not want out of Buffalo and is happy with his role, but I think there is something more important to decipher here. The days of Stefon Diggs being an elite receiver are over.
Stefon Diggs is no longer an Elite NFL Receiver.
Did you know that since October 15th Diggs hasn’t recorded a 100 yard game? There was a lot of chatter before the season that Diggs was unhappy in Buffalo, and while he got off to a solid start this season personally, he has been a shell of himself for 3/4 of the season. It all culminated on Sunday when Diggs caught 3 balls for 21 yards in the divisional loss to Kansas City. He had the biggest drop of the game, a beautiful throw by Josh Allen in the most critical point in the game slipped through his fingers. Now it has been reported that Diggs does not want out of Buffalo and is happy with his role, but I think there is something more important to decipher here. The days of Stefon Diggs being an elite receiver are over. He will continue to have nice games, sure, but the dominant performances? I think they are gone. Next season Dalton Kincaid will be this teams leading receiver. You can book that. Diggs may want Buffalo, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Buffalo doesn’t want Diggs.
2. Isiah Pacheco is the most important player on the Chiefs
If Sunday wasn’t an indicator, I don’t know if you will ever get on board. The Chiefs can’t operate any longer as a pass, pass, pass team. They don’t have the horses on the outside (although Rice is coming along nicely). Mahomes only attempted 23 passes Sunday. Pacheco had 16 touches and averaged 6.5 YPC. He is the engine. I whole heartedly believe that if Pacheco was held in check Sunday, the Bills would’ve won. And the same will go for the AFC title game. It will be interesting to see, as Andy Reid has never really leaned on the run during his head coaching career, but if Sunday was any indication, he may be wavering a little. I also love the way Pacheco runs more than I think any other back I’ve ever seen.
3. The Lions will miss their home field advantage on Sunday.
If you were in the camp that home field advantage didn’t matter in the NFL, then you must’ve not watched the Lions two home playoff games. I can’t even begin to count how many pre-snap penalties the Bucs had during this game, but it killed them multiple times. And how many free runners did the Lions defense have? You think that was all Baker? I’m sure communicating during the game was tough. The Lions definitely got some help from their fans, and rightly so, but Sunday will present an even bigger test - doing it away from Ford Field. It has been a storybook season so far, but now the stadium will be against Detroit on Sunday - I will really be paying attention as to how that affects Detroit early on.
4. The Buccaneers do not need to re-sign Baker Mayfield if the price is too steep; their roster is good.
We easily forget how good the Bucs roster was when Brady got their three years ago. That was a “win-now” team. When Brady left last season, the Bucs brought back most of their players, but everyone (myself included) thought they were going to be one of the worst teams in football because Brady was gone. Mayfield came in and had a wonderful season, but lets not pretend the talent on this team is dire - Rachaad White, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Trey Palmer and Cade Otton on offense is nothing to sneeze. And the defense isn’t bad either. There are some lifers on that defense including Shaw Barrett and Lavonte David. Now I will put some stock into Dave Canales possibly leaving, but if returns, I say vehemently - The Bucs do not need to overpay for Baker Mayfield. If you don’t think that the Bucs can do this with a Tyrod Taylor, a Gardner Minshew or even maybe grab Russell Wilson and/or Daniel Jones via trade, then I think you’re kidding yourself. If Baker is in the right range, then yes, sign him. But if he’s asking for obscene money, move on.
5. The Packers will be better next season simply because Joe Barry is gone.
Jordan Love was good this year. He was very good this year. Sure, his last throw was ridiculous and very Brett Favre-esque, but this Packers team is on the right track. Matt LaFleur is a good coach. We got to see what life is with Aaron Jones being the featured guy (and its really good!) And I like the collection of receivers they have. But this team was 9-8 because their defensive scheme was garbage. Now they have the ability to go out and get a young, modern defensive mind to mold these guys. Its seems like Jaire Alexander will be gone, and he will be replaced, but its bad news for the Vikings and Bears. The Pack is here to stay, and so is Love. If the defense can get better, which it will, this team will battle for a division crown next year.
6. The 49ers are a machine…literally.
Hear me out. When you use a machine and everything works, its intended use is always exactly what its supposed to be. However, when there is a malfunction, everything goes awry. This is exactly what happened on Saturday night after Deebo Samuel got hurt. San Francisco looked like a different team. The Niners put this team together very particularly and it shows. This team isn’t super deep, so any big injuries I feel like will derail their season. Brock Purdy was pedestrian AT BEST on Saturday, and he will need to be much better this weekend. Lets not forget when this team was missing Samuel and Trent Williams in the middle of the season they went 0-3. If Samuel is forced to miss Sunday’s game, I think San Francisco will struggle. If Samuel plays, I think they win.
7. The Ravens are the most complete team in the field.
This shouldn’t shock anyone, but it was just confirmed this weekend. The Ravens can beat you a multitude of ways. They have the most dynamic quarterback in the league, they run the ball effectively, their defense is fantastic, and they have the best kicker to ever live. Where is the weakness? The only touchdown they gave up Saturday was on a punt return, and if you think John Harbaugh won’t have that cleaned up you’re crazy. This team made CJ Stroud - the Offensive ROY a wet blanket. It was maybe the most blah Stroud has looked all year. Its funny how these things work out - if the Ravens want to win the Super Bowl, they will have to dethrone the king, who always seems to find ways to win. Sunday will be an excellent matchup.
8. CJ Stroud is fantastic, but the Texans will be the latest worst to first team to miss the playoffs the following year.
I know this will get me in a lot of trouble, but here me out. Dating back to 2019, there have been four teams that went from either worst to first or first to worst in back to back season. Those teams are the Washington Commanders (2020-2021), the Jacksonville Jaguars (2022-2023) the Minnesota Vikings (2022-2023), and the Cincinnati Bengals (2022-2023). The Texans had the benefit of playing a last place schedule and the NFC South. Next year, things aren’t so easy. Next year, they have to play the Bills, Chiefs and Ravens along with the Dallas Cowboys the NFC North (Lions, Packers) and the AFC East (Jets, Dolphins). That schedule alone is a gauntlet. It was proven Saturday the Texans are a young team. And it is imperative that Bobby Slowik stays in Houston. But we have seen too many times how the schedule is meant for parity, and this is the latest example. The Jaguars and Colts will have significantly easier schedules than Houston, so we will find out what his team really is next season.
Playoff Predictions - Whose Going to Vegas!
The time is now! The 2024 NFL playoffs are among us and this crazy season is only getting crazier. The Bills completed the comeback; the Jaguars completed the collapse. Joe Flacco and Mason Rudolph are starting playoff games. The Lions are in the playoffs. It will be -30 in Kansas City Saturday Night. Have I said enough? It really is SUPER wildcard weekend. The guys (myself included) took the week to think about who they think could hoist the Lombardi trophy in Las Vegas next month. I wouldn’t say we all went chalk across the board, but the winners may not surprise a bunch. I’m going to give all of our original predictions as well and see how well we landed (it’s not pretty). Without further ado, let’s see whose going to Vegas!
The time is now! The 2024 NFL playoffs are among us and this crazy season is only getting crazier. The Bills completed the comeback; the Jaguars completed the collapse. Joe Flacco and Mason Rudolph are starting playoff games. The Lions are in the playoffs. It will be -30 in Kansas City Saturday Night. Have I said enough? It really is SUPER wildcard weekend. The guys (myself included) took the week to think about who they think could hoist the Lombardi trophy in Las Vegas next month. I wouldn’t say we all went chalk across the board, but the winners may not surprise a bunch. I’m going to give all of our original predictions as well and see how well we landed (it’s not pretty). Without further ado, let’s see whose going to Vegas!
John McCarthy
Original Pick - Jaguars defeat Eagles
If you asked this to John in Week 10 how he felt about this, he probably would’ve went to the casino and cashed a futures bet. Fast forward to today, and these two teams were the worst teams down the stretch. The Jaguars completely bottomed out, losing 5/6 and missing the playoffs in the last week of the season. The Eagles, after starting off 10-1, finished the year at 11-6, lost the NFC East and have to travel to Tampa Bay to take on Baker Mayfield and the resurgent Buccaneers. Maybe the big guy will do better in his playoff prediction…
NFC
WildCard Weekend
(2) Cowboys defeat (7) Packers 31-14
(6) Rams defeat (3) Lions 38-31
(4) Bucs defeat (5) Eagles 20-17
NFC Divisional
(1) 49ers defeat (6) Rams 31-17
(2) Cowboys defeat (4) Bucs 38-10
NFC Championship
(1) 49ers defeat (2) Cowboys 21-17
AFC
Wildcard Weekend
(2) Bills defeat (7) Steelers 31-10
(4) Texans defeat (5) Browns 17-10
(3) Chiefs defeat (6) Dolphins 28-14
Divisional
(1) Ravens defeat (4) Texans 21-14
(2) Bills defeat (3) Chiefs 17-14
AFC Championship
(2) Bills defeat (1) Ravens 21-16
SUPER BOWL
Bills defeat 49ers 34-31
Super Bowl MVP - Josh Allen
Rich Jones
Original Pick - Chiefs defeat 49ers
This is the only pick of the bunch that is still in play! And there is a scenario where both teams get back to Vegas this February. The Chiefs are looking to become the first back to back Champs since the 03-04 Patriots, but in order to get out of the AFC, they will need to find an answer to their offense. The 49ers have looked like a juggernaut all year, so them getting to the big dance would surprise no one.
NFC
Wildcard Weekend
(2) Cowboys defeat (7) Packers 41-13
(3) Lions defeat (6) Rams 34-21
(5) Eagles defeat (4) Bucs 21-18
Divisional
(1) 49ers defeat (5) Eagles 31-30
(2) Cowboys defeat (3) Lions 27-21
NFC Championship
(1) 49ers defeat (2) Cowboys 38-17
AFC
Wildcard Weekend
(2) Bills defeat (7) Steelers 24-21
(3) Chiefs defeat (6) Dolphins 21-14
(4) Texans defeat (5) Browns 27-21
Divisional
(1) Ravens defeat (4) Texans 30-10
(3) Chiefs defeat (2) Bills 21-14
AFC Championship
(1) Ravens defeat (3) Chiefs 31-21
SUPER BOWL
Ravens defeat 49ers 30-27
Super Bowl MVP - Lamar Jackson
Joe Miglio
Original Pick - Bengals defeat 49ers
This pick is more of an incomplete as Joe Burrow’s season never quite felt right. He eventually got hurt and missed the season after wrist surgery, and the Bengals season crumbled with it. The 49ers have already been discussed so no need to go back to that well.
NFC
Wildcard Weekend
(2) Cowboys defeat (7) Packers 41-17
(3) Lions defeat (6) Rams 35-24
(5) Eagles defeat (4) Bucs 23-21
Divisional
(1) 49ers defeat (5) Eagles 27-16
(3) Lions defeat (2) Cowboys 34-28
NFC Championship
(3) Lions defeat (1) 49ers 28-27
AFC
Wildcard Weekend
(2) Bills defeat (7) Steelers 24-6
(3) Chiefs defeat (6) Dolphins 16-13
(5) Browns defeat (4) Texans 23-14
Divisional
(1) Ravens defeat (5) Browns 17-14
(3) Chiefs defeat (2) Bills 26-22
AFC Championship
(1) Ravens defeat (3) Chiefs 20-17
SUPER BOWL
Ravens defeat Lions 29-27
Super Bowl MVP - Zay Flowers
The year of Harbaugh.
Thanksgiving Check-In: NFL Report Card
Thanksgiving! A time to celebrate what truly matters in life. Family. Friends. Football. The three F’s. Back in October, we did our first quarter check in to see how everyone was holding up. Now, teams are who they are as we head into the holiday break. Is there time to fix it? Yes, but barely. The stretch run is around the corner, and we will finally seperate the men from the boys.
AFC East
Miami Dolphins
Record: 7-3
HomeR: 5-0
AwayR: 2-3
+/-: (+67)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 30.5 (1st)
RuYds/PG - 143.0 (2nd)
PaYds/PG - 291.0 (1st)
Yds/PG - 434.0 (1st)
Penalties/PG - 5.9 (12th)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 23.8 (23rd)
RuYds All/PG - 99.2 (10th)
PaYds All/PG - 220.6 (14th)
Yds All/PG - 319.8 (12th)
Takeaways/PG - 1.2 (22nd)
Record Rank - 8th
Offensive Rank - 1st
Defensive Rank - 15th
Composite Rank - 8th
Miami continues to feast on offense against poor team, but their wireless streak against good teams is alarming. Vic Fangio’s defense is quietly coming around…
Grade: A-
Buffalo Bills
Record: 6-5
HomeR: 5-2
AwayR: 1-3
+/-: (+104)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 26.7 (7th)
RuYds/PG - 117.7 (11th)
PaYds/PG - 254.5 (7th)
Yds/PG - 372.2 (6th)
Penalties/PG - 6.6 (22nd)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 17.3 (4th)
RuYds All/PG - 110.5 (16th)
PaYds All/PG - 204.2 (10th)
Yds All/PG - 314.6 (10th)
Takeaways/PG - 1.7 (7th)
Record Rank - 15th
Offensive Rank - 7th
Defensive Rank - 6th
Composite Rank - 10th
Despite ranking 10th, Buffalo is on the outside looking in. Due to some poor coaching and timely turnover, the Bills have their work cut out for them. They got off on the right foot against the Jets, but the next four games will determine their season.
Grade: C
New York Jets
Record: 4-6
HomeR: 2-3
AwayR: 2-3
+/-: (-54)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 15.0 (30th)
RuYds/PG - 99.8 (23rd)
PaYds/PG - 170.5 (30th)
Yds/PG - 270.3 (30th)
Penalties/PG - 6.5 (20th)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 20.4 (11th)
RuYds All/PG - 137.6 (30th)
PaYds All/PG - 178.7 (5th)
Yds All/PG - 316.3 (11th)
Takeaways/PG - 1.6 (8th)
Record Rank - 22nd
Offensive Rank - 31st
Defensive Rank - 9th
Composite Rank - 19th
The defense woke up. The offense is still asleep. The decision to stick with Zach Wilson may very well cost Robert Saleh his job. The season is slipping away.
Grade: C-
New England Patriots
Record: 2-8
HomeR: 1-5
AwayR: 1-3
+/-: (-97)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 14.1 (31st)
RuYds/PG - 94.9 (27th)
PaYds/PG - 199.6(22nd)
Yds/PG - 294.5 (26th)
Penalties/PG - 6.3 (16th)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 23.8 (23rd)
RuYds All/PG - 97.9 (9th)
PaYds All/PG - 228.8 (18th)
Yds All/PG - 326.5 (16th)
Takeaways/PG - 1.0 (27th)
Record Rank - 30th
Offensive Rank - 29th
Defensive Rank - 20th
Composite Rank - 29th
With rumors swirling around Bill leaving after the season, it would be quite a sour end. One we all saw coming though. This roster is bad. Plain and simple. This is the worst season in New England in over 25 years.
Grade: F
NFC East
Philadelphia Eagles
Record: 8-1
HomeR: 4-0
AwayR: 4-1
+/-: (+57)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 27.3 (5th)
RuYds/PG - 128.1 (8th)
PaYds/PG - 234.8 (12th)
Yds/PG - 362.9 (9th)
Penalties/PG - 5.4 (6th)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 21.2 (16th)
RuYds All/PG - 76.5 (1st)
PaYds All/PG - 248.1 (28th)
Yds All/PG - 324.6 (14th)
Takeaways/PG - 1.3 (19th)
Record Rank - 1st
Offensive Rank - 3rd
Defensive Rank - 13th
Composite Rank - 4th
Different team than last year - same results. Philly keeps on winning, and while Hurts may not be playing at an MVP level, he’s doing what he has to do to win.
Grade: A
Dallas Cowboys
Record: 7-3
HomeR: 4-0
AwayR: 3-3
+/-: (+127)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 30.2 (2nd)
RuYds/PG - 116.8 (12th)
PaYds/PG - 255.5 (5th)
Yds/PG - 372.3 (5th)
Penalties/PG - 7.4 (31st)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 17.5 (5th)
RuYds All/PG - 109.2 (15th)
PaYds All/PG - 157.1 (2nd)
Yds All/PG - 266.3 (2nd)
Takeaways/PG - 1.6 (8th)
Record Rank - 7th
Offensive Rank - 9th
Defensive Rank - 3rd
Composite Rank - 5th
We are at the point in the season where people consider Dallas for the Super Bowl. I need to see it to believe it. Consider me a skeptic.
Grade: A
Washington Commanders
Record: 4-7
HomeR: 1-4
AwayR: 3-3
+/-: (-69)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 21.5 (17th)
RuYds/PG - 95.7 (26th)
PaYds/PG - 245.0 (10th)
Yds/PG - 340.7 (12th)
Penalties /PG - 5.5 (8th)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 27.7 (32nd)
RuYds All/PG - 114.3 (21st)
PaYds All/PG - 258.5 (30th)
Yds All/PG - 372.8 (29th)
Takeaways/PG - 1.2 (24th)
Record Rank - 26th
Offensive Rank - 15th
Defensive Rank - 32nd
Composite Rank - 27th
Unserious football team. Ron Rivera is cooked as a head coach, and the small rebuild has begun. Two losses to the Giants - this season is over.
Grade: D
New York Giants
Record: 3-8
HomeR: 1-3
AwayR: 2-5
+/-: (-136)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 13.5 (32nd)
RuYds/PG - 111.5 (13th)
PaYds/PG - 150.6 (32nd)
Yds/PG - 262.2 (32nd)
Penalties /PG - 5.6 (11th)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 25.9 (28th)
RuYds All/PG - 135.1 (29th)
PaYds All/PG - 236.5 (22nd)
Yds All/PG - 371.6 (28th)
Takeaways/PG - 1.5 (14th)
Record Rank - 28th
Offensive Rank - 28th
Defensive Rank - 31st
Composite Rank - 31st
When the highlight of your season is an undrafted rookie QB who lives at his mom’s house, that should tell you all you need to know.
Grade: F
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens
Record: 8-3
HomeR: 4-2
AwayR: 4-1
+/-: (+127)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 27.6 (4th)
RuYds/PG - 155.1 (1st)
PaYds/PG - 211.5 (20th)
Yds/PG - 366.5 (7th)
Penalties/PG - 6.2 (15th)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 16.1 (2nd)
RuYds All/PG - 103.7 (13th)
PaYds All/PG - 169.7 (3rd)
Yds All/PG - 273.5 (3rd)
Takeaways/PG - 1.4 (18th)
Record Rank - 2nd
Offensive Rank - 5th
Defensive Rank - 4th
Composite Rank - 2nd
Best team in the AFC.
Grade: A+
Cleveland Browns
Record: 7-3
HomeR: 5-1
AwayR: 2-2
+/-: (+57)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 22.7 (13th)
RuYds/PG - 142.7 (3rd)
PaYds/PG - 183.1 (26th)
Yds/PG - 325.8 (19th)
Penalties/PG - 6.3 (16th)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 18.0 (6th)
RuYds All/PG - 99.6 (11th)
PaYds All/PG - 143.7 (1st)
Yds All/PG - 243.3 (1st)
Takeaways/PG - 1.5 (12th)
Record Rank - 9th
Offensive Rank - 16th
Defensive Rank - 2nd
Composite Rank - 9th
Despite all the injuries, the Browns keep on winning. That is impressive. A real nice job by Kevin Stefanski this year. The Browns may not win a Super Bowl in 2023, but they won’t be an easy out at all.
Grade: A
Pittsburgh Steelers
Record: 6-4
HomeR: 4-2
AwayR: 2-2
+/-: (-29)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 16.6 (28th)
RuYds/PG - 110.1 (16th)
PaYds/PG - 170.0 (31st)
Yds/PG - 280.1 (28th)
Penalties/PG - 5.5 (9th)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 19.5 (7th)
RuYds All/PG - 127.7 (23rd)
PaYds All/PG - 239.9 (23rd)
Yds All/PG - 367.6 (27th)
Takeaways/PG - 1.9 (2nd)
Record Rank - 10th
Offensive Rank - 24th
Defensive Rank - 17th
Composite Rank - 18th
Matt Canada has finally been fired. Now, we can see if this offense can do anything. Kenny Pickett needs to play better. Pittsburgh is hanging on to a playoff spot by a thread.
Grade: B
Cincinnati Bengals
Record: 5-5
HomeR: 3-2
AwayR: 2-3
+/-: (-24)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 20.2 (20th)
RuYds/PG - 80.9 (30th)
PaYds/PG - 217.8 (18th)
Yds/PG - 298.7 (24th)
Penalties/PG - 5.0 (3rd)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 22.6 (21st)
RuYds All/PG - 138.3 (31st)
PaYds All/PG - 247.8 (27th)
Yds All/PG - 386.1 (30th)
Takeaways/PG - 1.8 (5th)
Record Rank - 16th
Offensive Rank - 20th
Defensive Rank - 29th
Composite Rank - 22nd
Joe Burrow is done for the season. Chalk this season up as a dud for Cincy. It’s a shame, but now the attention turns towards 2024.
Grade: D
NFC North
Detroit Lions
Record: 8-2
HomeR: 4-1
AwayR: 4-1
+/-: (+43)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 27.2 (6th)
RuYds/PG - 136.6 (5th)
PaYds/PG - 263.0 (4th)
Yds/PG - 399.6 (2nd)
Penalties/PG - 5.5 (9th)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 22.9 (22nd)
RuYds All/PG - 89.5 (5th)
PaYds All/PG - 223.5 (16th)
Yds All/PG - 313.0 (9th)
Takeaways/PG - 1.2 (22nd)
Record Rank - 3rd
Offensive Rank - 2nd
Defensive Rank - 11th
Composite Rank - 3rd
This is the best Lions start since 1963. 60 years. Go. Fucking. Lions.
Grade: A+
Minnesota Vikings
Record: 6-5
HomeR: 2-3
AwayR: 4-2
+/-: (+23)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 23.0 (11th)
RuYds/PG - 93.8 (28th)
PaYds/PG - 266.7 (3rd)
Yds/PG - 360.5 (10th)
Penalties/PG - 4.9 (2nd)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 20.9 (15th)
RuYds All/PG - 94.0 (7th)
PaYds All/PG - 226.6 (17th)
Yds All/PG - 320.6 (13th)
Takeaways/PG - 1.3 (20th)
Record Rank - 13th
Offensive Rank - 8th
Defensive Rank - 10th
Composite Rank - 11th
The Vikings coulda mailed it in at 0-3. Or when Justin Jefferson went down. Or when KirK Cousins tore his Achilles. Yet, they are 6-4. KOC deserves a COTY award.
Grade: B+
Green Bay Packers
Record: 4-6
HomeR: 3-2
AwayR: 1-4
+/-: (0)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 20.2 (20th)
RuYds/PG - 102.1 (21st)
PaYds/PG - 217.5 (19th)
Yds/PG - 319.6 (21st)
Penalties/PG - 7.2 (30th)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 20.2 (10th)
RuYds All/PG - 134.7 (28th)
PaYds All/PG - 193.2 (7th)
Yds All/PG - 327.9 (17th)
Takeaways/PG - 0.9 (29th)
Record Rank - 24th
Offensive Rank - 23rd
Defensive Rank - 18th
Composite Rank - 23rd
The Packers are boring. Which is crazy, cause they’re going. They are just lacking a punch.
Grade: D+
Chicago Bears
Record: 3-8
HomeR: 2-3
AwayR: 1-5
+/-: (-56)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 20.9 (19th)
RuYds/PG - 139.5 (4th)
PaYds/PG - 184.4 (25th)
Yds/PG - 323.8 (20th)
Penalties/PG - 6.6 (22nd)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 26.0 (29th)
RuYds All/PG - 79.5 (2nd)
PaYds All/PG - 245.9 (26th)
Yds All/PG - 325.5 (15th)
Takeaways/PG - 1.2 (24th)
Record Rank - 29th
Offensive Rank - 19th
Defensive Rank - 21st
Composite Rank - 26th
Chicagos hope for a playoff run ended in September. Now, we find out if Justin Fields will have a job come April.
Grade: D
AFC South
Jacksonville Jaguars
Record: 7-3
HomeR: 3-3
AwayR: 4-0
+/-: (+26)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 23.0 (11th)
RuYds/PG - 108.7 (17th)
PaYds/PG - 225.4 (16th)
Yds/PG - 334.1 (16th)
Penalties/PG - 4.8 (1st)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 20.4 (11th)
RuYds All/PG - 87.0 (4th)
PaYds All/PG - 254.4 (29th)
Yds All/PG - 341.4 (20th)
Takeaways/PG - 2.0 (1st)
Record Rank - 5th
Offensive Rank - 11th
Defensive Rank - 8th
Composite Rank - 7th
Jacksonville won 5 straight in October. Last year at this juncture, they were 3-7. Now they’re 7-3. Doug Pederson has worked wonders with this football team.
Grade: A-
Houston Texans
Record: 6-4
HomeR: 4-1
AwayR: 2-3
+/-: (+30)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 23.8 (10th)
RuYds/PG - 99.5 (24th)
PaYds/PG - 277.2 (2nd)
Yds/PG - 377.2 (4th)
Penalties/PG - 6.5 (20th)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 20.8 (14th)
RuYds All/PG - 96.5 (8th)
PaYds All/PG - 241.4 (25th)
Yds All/PG - 337.9 (19th)
Takeaways/PG - 1.4 (15th)
Record Rank - 12th
Offensive Rank - 10th
Defensive Rank - 16th
Composite Rank - 12th
This team will have hardware this year. Whether it’s Demeco Ryan’s or CJ Stroud, or both, they deserve something. A remarkable turnaround. And oh, they are VERY alive for the division.
Grade: A+
Indianapolis Colts
Record: 5-5
HomeR: 1-4
AwayR: 4-1
+/-: (-6)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 24.2 (9th)
RuYds/PG - 118.0 (10th)
PaYds/PG - 218.1 (17th)
Yds/PG - 336.1 (14th)
Penalties/PG - 6.3 (16th)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 24.8 (26th)
RuYds All/PG - 129.7 (25th)
PaYds All/PG - 228.8 (18th)
Yds All/PG - 358.5 (25th)
Takeaways/PG - 1.6 (8th)
Record Rank - 19th
Offensive Rank - 13th
Defensive Rank - 24th
Composite Rank - 17th
The Colts keep hanging around. They’re in every game and Shane Steichen deserves credit. I don’t know if they’ll make the playoffs, but they are a team you can’t take lightly.
Grade: B
Tennessee Titans
Record: 3-7
HomeR: 3-1
AwayR: 0-6
+/-: (-46)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 16.8 (27th)
RuYds/PG - 105.0 (19th)
PaYds/PG - 181.0 (27th)
Yds/PG - 286.0 (27th)
Penalties/PG - 6.1 (14th)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 21.4 (17th)
RuYds All/PG - 112.3 (17th)
PaYds All/PG - 230.8 (20th)
Yds All/PG - 343.1 (22nd)
Takeaways/PG - 0.7 (31st)
Record Rank - 27th
Offensive Rank - 26th
Defensive Rank - 26th
Composite Score - 28th
It’s over - blow it up. And I mean everything. Vrabel. Henry. Everything.
Grade: D
NFC South
New Orleans Saints
Record: 5-5
HomeR: 2-2
AwayR: 3-3
+/-: (+16)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 21.4 (18th)
RuYds/PG - 100.0 (22nd)
PaYds/PG - 237.4 (11th)
Yds/PG - 337.4 (13th)
Penalties/PG - 6.4 (19th)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 19.8 (8th)
RuYds All/PG - 113.6 (20th)
PaYds All/PG - 199.1 (8th)
Yds All/PG - 312.7 (8th)
Takeaways/PG - 1.8 (5th)
Record Rank - 14th
Offensive Rank - 17th
Defensive Rank - 7th
Composite Rank - 13th
NOLA can win some games, they can also lose so games. The only reason this team is in the playoff conversation is because of the division they play in.
Grade: B-
Atlanta Falcons
Record: 4-6
HomeR: 3-2
AwayR: 1-4
+/-: (-28)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 18.9 (24th)
RuYds/PG - 130.4 (7th)
PaYds/PG - 204.9 (21st)
Yds/PG - 335.3 (15th)
Penalties/PG - 5.4 (6th)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 21.7 (18th)
RuYds All/PG - 108.4 (14th)
PaYds All/PG - 200.4 (9th)
Yds All/PG - 308.7 (7th)
Takeaways/PG - 1.0 (27th)
Record Rank - 25th
Offensive Rank - 14th
Defensive Rank - 12th
Composite Rank - 14th
Get this team a quarterback. And a coach who likes Bijan Robinson.
Grade: C
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Record: 4-6
HomeR: 2-3
AwayR: 2-3
+/-: (-16)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 19.2 (23rd)
RuYds/PG - 76.9 (32nd)
PaYds/PG - 227.8 (14th)
Yds/PG - 304.7 (22nd)
Penalties/PG - 6.9 (27th)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 20.0 (9th)
RuYds All/PG - 90.0 (6th)
PaYds All/PG - 270.7 (31st)
Yds All/PG - 360.7 (26th)
Takeaways/PG - 1.6 (8th)
Record Rank - 23rd
Offensive Rank - 27th
Defensive Rank - 14th
Composite Rank - 21st
I feel bad because this team tried hard and Baker is playing well. They just don’t have enough. But they aren’t as far off as we thought they might be.
Grade: C+
Carolina Panthers
Record: 1-9
HomeR: 1-4
AwayR: 0-5
+/-: (-112)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 16.3 (29th)
RuYds/PG - 92.3 (29th)
PaYds/PG - 174.4 (28th)
Yds/PG - 266.7 (31st)
Penalties/PG - 7.0 (29th)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 27.5 (31st)
RuYds All/PG - 129.4 (24th)
PaYds All/PG - 179.2 (6th)
Yds All/PG - 308.6 (6th)
Takeaways/PG - 0.7 (31st)
Record Rank - 32nd
Offensive Rank - 32nd
Defensive Rank - 23rd
Composite Rank - 32nd
Bad football team.
Grade: F
AFC West
Kansas City Chiefs
Record: 7-2
HomeR: 4-1
AwayR: 3-1
+/-: (+65)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 22.5 (14th)
RuYds/PG - 110.2 (14th)
PaYds/PG - 255.2 (6th)
Yds/PG - 365.4 (8th)
Penalties/PG - 6.7 (24th)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 16.4 (3rd)
RuYds All/PG - 112.4 (18th)
PaYds All/PG - 170.8 (4th)
Yds All/PG - 283.2 (4th)
Takeaways/PG - 1.4 (15th)
Record Rank - 4th
Offensive Rank - 12th
Defensive Rank - 5th
Composite Rank - 6th
The Chiefs have only themselves to blame if they don’t win a Super Bowl. They didn’t get a receiver. And it’s extremely noticeable they need one. Their defense is absolutely elite though.
Grade: B+
Denver Broncos
Record: 5-5
HomeR: 3-3
AwayR: 2-2
+/-: (-51)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 21.7 (15th)
RuYds/PG - 110.2 (15th)
PaYds/PG - 191.0 (24th)
Yds/PG - 301.2 (23rd)
Penalties/PG - 6.8 (26th)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 26.8 (30th)
RuYds All/PG - 160.0 (32nd)
PaYds All/PG - 240.1 (24th)
Yds All/PG - 400.1 (32nd)
Takeaways/PG - 1.9 (2nd)
Record Rank - 17th
Offensive Rank - 21st
Defensive Rank - 30th
Composite Rank - 24th
The Broncos are the hottest team in the league. Sean Payton is doing his thing. Can this team make the playoffs?
Grade: C
Las Vegas Raiders
Record: 5-6
HomeR: 4-1
AwayR: 1-5
+/-: (-40)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 16.8 (26th)
RuYds/PG - 79.0 (31st)
PaYds/PG - 198.3 (23rd)
Yds/PG - 277.3 (29th)
Penalties/PG - 5.1 (4th)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 20.5 (13th)
RuYds All/PG - 132.3 (27th)
PaYds All/PG - 210.0 (11th)
Yds All/PG - 342.3 (21st)
Takeaways/PG - 1.3 (20th)
Record Rank - 19th
Offensive Rank - 30th
Defensive Rank - 19th
Composite Rank - 25th
Josh McDaniels was the first HC fired. The Raiders all of the sudden played better. Coincidence? I think not.
Grade: C-
Los Angeles Chargers
Record: 4-6
HomeR: 2-3
AwayR: 2-3
+/-: (+21)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 25.9 (8th)
RuYds/PG - 105.7 (18th)
PaYds/PG - 248.6 (9th)
Yds/PG - 354.3 (11th)
Penalties/PG - 5.2 (5th)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 23.8 (23rd)
RuYds All/PG - 102.0 (12th)
PaYds All/PG - 291.6 (32nd)
Yds All/PG - 393.6 (31st)
Takeaways/PG - 1.5 (12th)
Record Rank - 21st
Offensive Rank - 6th
Defensive Rank - 27th
Composite Rank - 15th
It’s too much of a headache to talk about them. I don’t know.
Grade: D
NFC West
San Francisco 49ers
Record: 7-3
HomeR: 4-1
AwayR: 3-2
+/-: (+122)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 27.9 (3rd)
RuYds/PG - 132.7 (6th)
PaYds/PG - 254.3 (8th)
Yds/PG - 387.0 (3rd)
Penalties/PG - 6.9 (27th)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 15.7 (1st)
RuYds All/PG - 81.4(3rd)
PaYds All/PG - 221.4 (15th)
Yds All/PG - 302.8 (5th)
Takeaways/PG - 1.9 (2nd)
Record Rank - 6th
Offensive Rank - 4th
Defensive Rank - 1st
Composite Rank - 1st
When healthy, they are incredible. Only they will hold themselves back.
Grade: A+
Seattle Seahawks
Record: 6-4
HomeR: 4-1
AwayR: 2-3
+/-: (-2)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 21.6 (16th)
RuYds/PG - 96.6 (25th)
PaYds/PG - 230.8 (13th)
Yds/PG - 327.4 (18th)
Penalties/PG - 7.6 (32nd)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 21.8 (19th)
RuYds All/PG - 112.6 (19th)
PaYds All/PG - 233.0 (21st)
Yds All/PG - 345.6 (23rd)
Takeaways/PG - 1.4 (15th)
Record Rank - 11th
Offensive Rank - 22nd
Defensive Rank - 22nd
Composite Rank - 16th
Seattle is alive and well, but they aren’t particularly doing anything. They are pretty average at everything. However, they are 6-2 against anyone not named the Rams.
Grade: B
Los Angeles Rams
Record: 4-6
HomeR: 2-3
AwayR: 2-3
+/-: (-25)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 19.5 (22nd)
RuYds/PG - 102.6 (20th)
PaYds/PG - 226.4 (15th)
Yds/PG - 329.0 (17th)
Penalties/PG - 5.9 (12th)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 22.0 (20th)
RuYds All/PG - 117.3 (22nd)
PaYds All/PG - 217.8 (13th)
Yds All/PG - 335.1 (18th)
Takeaways/PG - 0.9 (29th)
Record Rank - 20th
Offensive Rank - 18th
Defensive Rank - 25th
Composite Rank - 20th
The Rams are close, but not there yet. The defense is better than we thought. The offense is ok. They are talent deficient, but they’re playing hard. Good job here by McVay.
Grade: B-
Arizona Cardinals
Record: 2-9
HomeR: 2-3
AwayR: 0-6
+/-: (-92)
Offensive Rankings
PPG - 17.5 (25th)
RuYds/PG - 126.2 (9th)
PaYds/PG - 171.8 (29th)
Yds/PG - 298.0 (25th)
Penalties/PG - 6.7 (25th)
Defensive Rankings
Pts/G - 25.8 (27th)
RuYds All/PG - 132.1 (26th)
PaYds All/PG - 217.5 (12th)
Yds All/PG - 349.5 (24th)
Takeaways/PG - 1.2 (24th)
Record Rank - 31st
Offensive Rank - 25th
Defensive Rank - 28th
Composite Rank - 30th
We got Kyler Murray back. So the Cards aren’t tanking? I don’t know, but they are competitive now. It will be very very interesting to see what this team does come draft time. Maybe Marvin Harrison Jr?
Grade: C+
Five “Other” Coaches That We Need to Recognize
It’s Halloween season if you weren’t aware. One of my favorite times of the year - getting to dress up as pretty whatever/whoever you want with little to no repercussions? And an excuse to eat things you probably shouldn’t. Who doesn’t love that? I’m also a horror fan, and growing up, one of my favorite horror movies was “The Others” starring Nicole Kidman. I remember being able to scare my sister at any time of day just by simply saying “the otherrrrssss” and she would run and cry in fear. It was fantastic. But that movie pertained to ghosts, or beings who lurked in the shadows. And that is the purpose of this article today.
We are about to embark on Week 8 of the NFL season. And we have done a solid job talking up teams, players, fanbases, etc. But one area we haven’t really covered is the coaching department. More than any other sport in the United States, NFL coaching is wildly important.
It’s Halloween season if you weren’t aware. One of my favorite times of the year - getting to dress up as whatever/whoever you want with little to no repercussions? And an excuse to eat things you probably shouldn’t. Who doesn’t love that? I’m also a horror fan, and growing up, one of my favorite horror movies was “The Others” starring Nicole Kidman. I remember being able to scare my sister at any time of day just by simply saying “the otherrrrssss” and she would run and cry in fear. It was fantastic. But that movie pertained to ghosts, or beings who lurked in the shadows. And that is the purpose of this article today.
We are about to embark on Week 8 of the NFL season. And we have done a solid job talking up teams, players, fanbases, etc. But one area we haven’t really covered is the coaching department. More than any other sport in the United States, NFL coaching is wildly important. It’s the sport where motivation and messaging to your players is a key ingredient to yearly success. It’s also something that can absolutely derail a team. We always talk about how coaches come in and change the “culture” around the league for different squads all the time. Last year we saw Brian Daboll and Doug Pederson do it. This year DeMeco Ryans and Shane Steichen are doing a really good job at changing the culture in Houston and Indianapolis, respectively. But the purpose of today’s article is to highlight some of the guys who aren’t on the surface, and lay beyond the shadows - much like the ghosts in “The Others”. See how I’m connecting the dots here? I know, really invaluable writing.
I like to think I have a good eye for things like this - so I’ve been thinking about different positional groups and even coordinators who have gone under the radar over the past couple of years and to give them their opportunity to shine today. So if you’re looking for an article on Pete Carroll, Andy Reid, Ben Johnson or Wink Martindale - I apologize, but you won’t here those names. We are taking a much deeper look into some of the “other” best coaches in the NFL.
*These are in no particular order, just five guys who deserve recognition
Hank Fraley - Offensive Line Coach, Detroit Lions (4th Year)
Hank Fraley has been with the Lions now for six years, starting out as assistant offensive line coach in 2018 and taking over the main duties in 2020. Over his time with Detroit, we have seen the Lions become one of, if not the premiere team in the NFL when it comes to offensive line play. You want to hear something wild? This is the Lions current starting offensive line:
LT - Taylor Decker
LG - Jonah Jackson
C - Frank Ragnow
RG - Graham Glasgow
RT - Penei Sewell
Every single one of these players was drafted by the Detroit Lions. Three in the first round (Decker, Ragnow, Sewell) and two in the third round (Jackson, Glasgow). Four of them have spent their entire career with Detroit - Glasgow spent the last couple of seasons with Denver but then came back to Detroit for 2023. And the kicker? Decker and Glasgow started in 2016, Ragnow in 2018, Jackson in 2020 and Sewell in 2021. Hank Fraley developed all of them. And now he is reaping the benefits of his boys dominating every week up front. The Lions currently rank 2nd in pass protection and 4th in run blocking in 2023, according to PFF. This is the second year in a row that they have been in the top 10 in run protection. We all know that EDGE rushers are the hot thing in the NFL today, and while there are plenty of men who make offensive lines sleep at night, the Lions are not one of those teams. They have consistently gotten better in Sacks Allowed since Fraley’s arrival. Their year over year ranking in Sacks Allowed since Fraley took over as OL Coach - 22nd, T-8th, T-5th, T-3rd. You are reading that right. They jumped from 22nd in 2020 to tied for 8th in 2021 (and that was with a Frank Ragnow season ending injury). They also have three all-pro caliber players on the line with Decker, Ragnow and Sewell. Fraley clearly has an eye for talent - he may not be a scout, but if you think he doesn’t have any impact on what lineman the Lions are taking, you are out of your mind. We have seen the Lions go through a massive culture shift since Dan Campbell took over. And Campbell kept Fraley on staff in 2021, believing in his ability to develop. Well, he has done that and then some as the Lions now have one of the most potent offenses in the NFL. And they wouldn’t be able to do it without the play of their dominant offensive line, and Hank Fraley has a ton to do with that. Ben Johnson gets a lot of chatter in Detroit, but don’t forget about Hank Fraley - one of the key cogs to the engine that makes the Lions go.
2. Clint Hurtt - Defensive Coordinator, Seattle Seahawks (2nd Year)
I remember the 2022 off-season. The quarterbacks stole a lot of the headlines - mainly Aaron Rodgers retirement talk and Russell Wilson’s impending trade from Seattle. Once Wilson was traded, everyone (and I mean everyone) had the Seattle Seahawks pegged as being one of the worst team in the NFL that season. Well, the season played out and Geno Smith garnered most, if not all of the attention. Winning comeback player of the year and leading the Seahawks to a playoff berth when everyone thought they would be picking in the top three in the 2023 draft.
Now, if I handed you a blank piece of paper and asked you to name the Seahawks defensive coordinator, would you be able to? Probably not. And that’s ok. They go under the radar, and that’s the way they like it. Clint Hurtt took over in 2022 from Ken Norton Jr. and immediately made some changes. Hurtt switched the Seahawks base defense from a 4-3 to a 3-4 leading to an increase in team sacks from 34 in 2021 to 45 in 2022. Per the Seahawks official website, Uchenna Nwosu and Darrell Taylor were the only pair of teammates to each have 9.5 sacks and three forced fumbles each last season. They also garnered one of the steals of the entire draft is Riq Woolen, a 5th round pick into a star corner who, if not for Sauce Gardner, probably would’ve won defensive rookie of the year. Fast forward to 2023 and the Seahawks are actually being carried by their defense. They are currently 7th in total defense according to PFF, the 6th best team against the run (87.2 YPG) and are one of thirteen teams giving up less the 20 PPG (19.7). They have also drafted extremely well - this past draft they spent their top 10 pick on Devon Witherspoon, the lanky, athletic corner out of Illinois - and that move is already paying dividends. He is currently the front runner for DROY as he already being matched up with top receivers on the other side of the field. They also drafted Derick Hall, the project rookie out of Auburn who is starting to make his presence known in the Seahawks D-line room.
Hurtt has been able to communicate extremely well during his stint in Seattle, and if he continues to impress and help lead the Seahawks to another playoff berth, ears may get perked up about possible NFL head coaching opportunities.
3. Bobby Slowik - Offensive Coordinator, Houston Texans (1st Year)
Let’s get one thing straight - DeMeco Ryans is a hell of a coach, and if the trend keeps on going, he will win coach of the year in 2023. Ryans is the second defensive coordinator to get hired from the Kyle Shanahan tree (Robert Saleh), but unlike Saleh, Ryans is making an immediate impact. He has the Texans at 3-3 through their bye week when people thought they were at least 1-2 years away. Ryans didn’t come alone though - he brought over Bobby Slowik from San Francisco to be his OC and help mold CJ Stroud into an NFL quarterback. Slowik was in San Francisco for 6 years and worked as the passing game coordinator under Shanahan - a role that will never get recognized because Shanahan gets all the praise for the offensive success. But think of the Quarterbacks that Slowik has worked with in his 6 years with the 49ers - Brock Purdy, Jimmy Garoppolo, Trey Lance and Nick Mullens. He has proven to be successful with Jimmy and Brock. He has now moved over to Houston and is working wonders with CJ Stroud. As we all know, Stroud broke the record for most passes before throwing his first INT for a rookie; folks, that’s Bobby Slowik. He has done a masterful job at putting Stroud in positions to succeed. Slowik’s passing attack ranks 12th in the NFL through seven weeks and his receivers rank 6th. The run game hasn’t been able to get going as much, but I think that has to do with the depleted offensive line. The Texans are in the top half of the league in total yards per game and rank within the top 10 for passing yards per game. The turnaround in Houston’s offensive ability has been remarkable.
Will Slowik be able to keep Stroud upright and keep up these kind of numbers all year? I’m not entirely sure. But there is reason to be optimistic. Coming from the San Francisco school of coaching hasn’t been the worst thing in the world. While Robert Saleh and the Jets haven’t been able to find team success yet, Saleh has transformed the Jets into one of the top defenses in the NFL - that’s no accident. He, as well as Ryans, both had schemes in San Francisco extremely conducive to today’s NFL. I have faith that Slowik will fall from the same tree. Kyle Shanahan’s offense has proven to be wildly successful in the NFL - just look at his track record. And Slowik is doing it with guys who many people thought were afterthoughts in the NFL - Nico Collins, Robert Woods, John Metchie; just like the QBs in San Francisco. It seems after the disaster that the Texans went through the past couple of years, they finally got it right with DeMeco Ryans at the helm and Bobby Slowik as the OC.
4. Deshea Townsend - Secondary/Cornerbacks Coach, Jacksonville Jaguars (1st Season)
The one common theme amongst Jacksonville Jaguars coaches? Experience. Playing experience that is. The majority of their coaches have NFL experience prior to coaching, and Deshea Townsend may be the most decorated of them all. He is a two time Super Bowl champ, both with Pittsburgh, and amassed 21 career interceptions as well as 15.5 sacks over nine NFL seasons. Townsend has been around the block, both coaching in the NFL and college ranks. But, one common theme with him is that his secondaries have been successful anywhere he’s been. Lets review:
2011 - Assistant DB’s coach (Arizona Cardinals) Limited opponents to 215.9 net passing yards, 5th best in the NFC.
13-15: Cornerbacks Coach, Mississippi State - Led the nation in passes defensed (89) and passes broken up (73) while ranking 15th nationally in Interceptions (15).
19-21: Secondary Coach, Chicago Bears - Defenses ranked inside the top 12 every year in passing yards per game, with the best output being in 2021 where the Bears ranked 3rd in passing yards per game while finishing 7th in first downs allowed.
*All info via Jaguars.com
Townsend took a year off in 2022 and was then hired by Doug Pederson in 2023 to lead a young, hungry Jaguars secondary that the team had put a lot of resources into. A group led by draftees Tyson Campbell (2nd Round, Georgia) and Andre Cisco (3rd Round, Syracuse) as well as FA signings Darious Williams and Rayshawn Jenkins, the Jacksonville defense saw an increase in 2022, but were looking for more of a spark in 2023. How’s this for a spark. The Jacksonville Jaguars are number one in the NFL in coverage grade in 2023 (90.4). When you think of secondaries, you think of the Ravens, Jets, Saints, Falcons, Chiefs. You normally don’t think of Jacksonville. You need to start doing so. Takeaways? Check. They lead the NFL in takeaways through 7 weeks with 16. 9 of those are interceptions to go along with 29 (!!!) PBU’s. None of their starting secondary has a receiving rate higher than 65.2. They have only been called for five penalties. Five. Stat watchers will point and look at the fact that they rank 31st in passing yards allowed per game and say they aren’t good, but when you actually look at the numbers, this is an elite secondary. The Jaguars have been up in the second half in each of their last 4 games, so the opposing team has had to throw the ball to try and climb out of a hole. Both Gardner Minshew and Derek Carr had 50+ pass attempts when they played Jacksonville, something neither of those offenses want to do. Townsend has come in and been a stud for the Jags secondary, and if Mike Caldwell does get calls for Head Coaching opportunities this year, Townsend will be a popular pick to replace Caldwell as DC for Jacksonville.
5. Stump Mitchell - Running Backs Coach, Cleveland Browns (4th Season)
Right now when you think of the Cleveland Browns, you think of defense. You think of Jim Schwartz. Nick Chubb. Hell, you may still think of Baker Mayfield. I guarantee you don’t think of Stump Mitchell, who outside of rocking a sick beard, is maybe the best running back coach in the entire league. Mitchell has been a coach for 21 years, but his work with Cleveland the past four has definitely been his best. A former player, Mitchell has overseen five running backs rush for over 1,000 yards (Ricky Watters, Shaun Alexander, Clinton Portis, David Johnson and Nick Chubb). That is an impressive list. He was also the man behind Andre Ellington (remember him?) when he had his 1,000 yard scrimmage season. He was the running backs coach when Shaun Alexander set the record for 28 touchdowns in 2005. He has an extremely established background.
His work with the Browns though is great. Starting in 2019, he guided Nick Chubb in rushing for 1,494 rushing yards (2nd in NFL) as well as 1,772 scrimmage yards, which is the 5th most in Browns history. In 2020, Mitchell used the two headed monster of Chubb and Hunt; both running backs had over 1,000 scrimmage yards for the season and amassed a combined 23 touchdowns. In 2021, the Browns led the NFL in rushing average at 5.09. Chubb again finished 2nd in rushing and has been a pro bowler every year under Mitchell. This season has been a little different though. Nick Chubb had a nasty injury on Monday Night Football a few weeks ago that sidelined him indefinitely, and the Browns had little to no avenues of where they were gonna go for a rushing attack. But have no fear, Stump Mitchell is here.
The Browns inserted Jerome Ford into their starting role and picked up Kareem Hunt for a second stint with Cleveland as he was roaming the free agent streets. Anyone who thought the Browns would skip a beat in the rushing department should receive an “F” for something. This year, the Browns rank 5th in rushing with an 82.8 grade according to PFF, and are second in rushing yards per game at 147.5. That’s an astounding number. And doing it without Nick Chubb is all the better. It really is a testament to how Mitchell prepares his room each and every week. This is a Browns team that has had injuries at the QB and RB spot this year, and yet they are 4-2 behind some old school football - a hard, physical, violent defense and a thumping running attack. The days of being an OC or even a HC for Stump Mitchell may be gone, but Mitchell will be in the NFL as long as he wants to be. He’s been nothing but successful every step of the way.
Quarter Mark NFL Report Cards
Week 6 started on Thursday with the Chiefs defeating the Broncos for the 16th straight time. That is the longest streak in the NFL today. We had enough information through five weeks that we were pretty confident that the Chiefs were going to take down the Broncos - but we also have a really good sample size on the rest of the NFL teams through the first chunk of games. So how is your team doing? Does their record indicate how good they are? Is there a run on the horizon? Conversely, is your team playing over their heads and will they come down to earth? We answer all these questions below as we do our first of four quarter mark NFL Report Cards!
Week 6 started on Thursday with the Chiefs defeating the Broncos for the 16th straight time. That is the longest streak in the NFL today. We had enough information through five weeks that we were pretty confident that the Chiefs were going to take down the Broncos - but we also have a really good sample size on the rest of the NFL teams through the first chunk of games. So how is your team doing? Does their record indicate how good they are? Is there a run on the horizon? Conversely, is your team playing over their heads and will they come down to earth? We answer all these questions below as we do our first of four quarter mark NFL Report Cards!
AFC East
Miami Dolphins
Record: 4-1
HomeR: 2-0
AwayR: 2-1
+/-: (+46)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 1st
PPG - 1st
RuYds - 1st
RuYds/PG - 1st
PaYds - 1st
PaYds/PG - 1st
Total Yards - 1st
Yds/PG - 1st
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 26th
Pts/G - 26th
RuYds All. - 17th
RuYds All/PG - 18th
PaYds All. - 21st
PaYds All/PG - 19th
Total Yards Allowed - 24th
Yds All/PG - 23rd
Record Rank - 4th
Offensive Rank - 1st
Defensive Rank - 25th
Composite Rank - 7th
Last season, the Dolphins offense was running circles around teams until had the concussion issues. So far in 2023, nothing has changed. This Dolphins offense has absolutely domimated other squads. You can’t teach speed. Don’t get it twisted - the Dolphins are Super Bowl contenders, but if they want to get to the promised land, the defense will have to step up.
Grade: A
Buffalo Bills
Record: 3-2
HomeR: 2-1
AwayR: 1-1
+/-: (+79)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 3rd
PPG - 3rd
RuYds - 15th
RuYds/PG - 16th
PaYds - 5th
PaYds/PG - 4th
Total Yards - 5th
Yds/PG - 4th
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 6th
Pts/G - 6th
RuYds All. - 25th
RuYds All/PG - 25th
PaYds All. - 9th
PaYds All/PG - 9th
Total Yards Allowed - 13th
Yds All/PG - 12th
Record Rank - 9th
Offensive Rank - 5th
Defensive Rank - 11th
Composite Rank - 5th
This is where the Bills should be. Ranking in the Top 5 in offense and sitting around the Top 10 in defense is great, but they only have 3-2 to show for it. A lot of people (including myself) wrote Buffalo off this-offseason and through five weeks they have proven they are anything but. It will be interesting to see where this defense lands without Tre White, Matt Milano and Daquan Jones.
Grade: A-
New York Jets
Record: 2-3
HomeR: 1-2
AwayR: 1-1
+/-: (-12)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 22nd
PPG - 23rd
RuYds - 12th
RuYds/PG - 11th
PaYds - 31st
PaYds/PG - 32nd
Total Yards - 23rd
Yds/PG - 26th
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 16th
Pts/G - 14th
RuYds All. - 28th
RuYds All/PG - 28th
PaYds All. - 14th
PaYds All/PG - 14th
Total Yards Allowed - 23rd
Yds All/PG - 21st
Record Rank - 24th
Offensive Rank - 25th
Defensive Rank - 23rd
Composite Rank - 25th
On the contrary, this is where Jets shouldn’t be. Granted, if you told me that there record was 2-3 with how their schedule started, I probably wouldn’t have been too surprised. But then you sprinkle in the Rodgers achilles injury, the corpse that is Dalvin Cook, and the fact that their defense is ranked 23rd in the NFL. The defense was supposed to be the backbone of this team and they haven’t been able to replicate their effectiveness from 2022. Zach Wilson has played better the last two games, but the Jets may hover around .500 without Rodgers.
Grade: C-
New England Patriots
Record: 1-4
HomeR: 0-3
AwayR: 1-1
+/-: (-76)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 32nd
PPG - 32nd
RuYds - 24th
RuYds/PG - 25th
PaYds - 17th
PaYds/PG - 18th
Total Yards - 22nd
Yds/PG - 25th
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 24th
Pts/G - 24th
RuYds All. - 15th
RuYds All/PG - 16th
PaYds All. - 7th
PaYds All/PG - 7th
Total Yards Allowed - 10th
Yds All/PG - 9th
Record Rank - 30th
Offensive Rank - 28th
Defensive Rank - 12th
Composite Rank - 24th
I think this rank is a little deceiving. Although the defense still hasn’t been terrible, the offense is putrid and has caused New England’s defense to be on the field more than it should. Their first two losses against Philadelphia and Miami were hard fought games that went down to the final minutes, but the last couple of weeks have been shameful. We are nearing the territory of calling Mac a bust and entering the Patriots into the Caleb Williams sweepstakes.
Grade: D
NFC East
Philadelphia Eagles
Record: 5-0
HomeR: 2-0
AwayR: 3-0
+/-: (+37)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 6th
PPG - 5th
RuYds - 2nd
RuYds/PG - 2nd
PaYds - 10th
PaYds/PG - 10th
Total Yards - 3rd
Yds/PG - 2nd
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 15th
Pts/G - 13th
RuYds All. - 2nd
RuYds All/PG - 1st
PaYds All. - 26th
PaYds All/PG - 24th
Total Yards Allowed - 11th
Yds All/PG - 10th
Record Rank - 2nd
Offensive Rank - 3rd
Defensive Rank - 10th
Composite Rank - 2nd
We’ve seen so many Super Bowl hangovers in the past. But these Eagles are different - they haven’t been flashy like the Dolphins or been a juggernaut like the 49ers, but they have gotten the job done every week. Ranking 3rd in offense and 10th in defense is no joke, and the Eagles are here to stay. A win is always a will - stop questioning it.
Grade: A
Dallas Cowboys
Record: 3-2
HomeR: 2-0
AwayR: 1-2
+/-: (+51)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 7th
PPG - 8th
RuYds - 11th
RuYds/PG - 10th
PaYds - 18th
PaYds/PG - 19th
Total Yards - 17th
Yds/PG - 16th
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 7th
Pts/G - 7th
RuYds All. - 18th
RuYds All/PG - 18th
PaYds All. - 2nd
PaYds All/PG - 2nd
Total Yards Allowed - 6th
Yds All/PG - 6th
Record Rank - 10th
Offensive Rank - 12th
Defensive Rank - 6th
Composite Rank - 6th
The Cowboys once again will be judged by how they do in the postseason. They should get there, but they were once again outclassed by the 49ers in front of the national stage. The criticism of Dak Prescott and Mike McCarthy is warranted. And if the Boys want to get anywhere, they will need to start showing up in big games.
Grade: B
Washington Commanders
Record: 2-3
HomeR: 1-2
AwayR: 1-1
+/-: (-51)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 18th
PPG - 17th
RuYds - 22nd
RuYds/PG - 23rd
PaYds - 12th
PaYds/PG - 12th
Total Yards - 17th
Yds/PG - 17th
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 31st
Pts/G - 31st
RuYds All. - 23rd
RuYds All/PG - 23rd
PaYds All. - 21st
PaYds All/PG - 20th
Total Yards Allowed - 25th
Yds All/PG - 24th
Record Rank - 27th
Offensive Rank - 18th
Defensive Rank - 28th
Composite Rank - 27th
If there is a definition of a seesaw team, its the 2023 Commanders. If you watch this team play, you would think they aren’t that bad. Sam Howell throws a good ball, they have some weapons on offense, and their defensive line is elite. But their offensive line has given up the most sacks through five games. Their secondary is poor and I’m not sure Ron Rivera is the right coach for them. They failed their big test agains the Bills horribly and then lost at home to the Bears. Maybe this team isn’t there yet.
Grade: C+
New York Giants
Record: 1-4
HomeR: 0-2
AwayR: 1-2
+/-: (-91)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 31st
PPG - 31st
RuYds - 21st
RuYds/PG - 22nd
PaYds - 30th
PaYds/PG - 31st
Total Yards - 30th
Yds/PG - 32nd
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 29th
Pts/G - 29th
RuYds All. - 30th
RuYds All/PG - 30th
PaYds All. - 19th
PaYds All/PG - 18th
Total Yards Allowed - 27th
Yds All/PG - 26th
Record Rank - 31st
Offensive Rank - 32nd
Defensive Rank - 31st
Composite Rank - 32nd
I don’t care that the Panthers are 0-5. I don’t care that the Broncos gave up 70 points. The New York Giants are the worst team in football. They can’t throw. They can’t block. They can’t tackle. An unmitigated disaster over in East Rutherford. It’s time to watch Caleb Williams and Drake Maye tape.
Grade: F
AFC North
Pittsburgh Steelers
Record: 3-2
HomeR: 2-1
AwayR: 1-1
+/-: (-31)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 29th
PPG - 30th
RuYds - 29th
RuYds/PG - 30th
PaYds - 24th
PaYds/PG - 26th
Total Yards - 26th
Yds/PG - 30th
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 19th
Pts/G - 17th
RuYds All. - 27th
RuYds All/PG - 27th
PaYds All. - 25th
PaYds All/PG - 23rd
Total Yards Allowed - 31st
Yds All/PG - 30th
Record Rank - 15th
Offensive Rank - 31st
Defensive Rank - 29th
Composite Rank - 29th
We were promised an elite offense this preseason. I drafted as such. But the Steelers offense has looked extremely similar to that of last season. Kenny Pickett has not been good, but may have quelled the critics for a bit with his clutch throw to George Pickens last week against the hated Ravens. But for me, its about the defense here. Everyone will point to TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith, as you should, but there really hasn’t been a ton of other bright spots for the Steelers early on. They are 3-2 yes, but their type of play is not sustainable. If there was one team I’m circling to come down to earth, its the Steelers.
Grade: C
Baltimore Ravens
Record: 3-2
HomeR: 1-1
AwayR: 2-1
+/-: (+34)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 17th
PPG - 17th
RuYds - 4th
RuYds/PG - 4th
PaYds - 23rd
PaYds/PG - 25th
Total Yards - 13th
Yds/PG - 13th
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 4th
Pts/G - 3rd
RuYds All. - 9th
RuYds All/PG - 7th
PaYds All. - 3rd
PaYds All/PG - 3rd
Total Yards Allowed - 3rd
Yds All/PG - 2nd
Record Rank - 10th
Offensive Rank - 16th
Defensive Rank - 4th
Composite Rank - 8th
If I was doing tiered rankings, I would put the Ravens in the same category as the Cowboys. The days are done of Baltimore being judged in the regular season. But then you look and they have inexcusable losses to both Indianapolis and Pittsburgh. Their wideouts dropped seven passes last week. Some teams don’t drop seven passes in a year. The defense has been lights out. That’s a fact. Are the Ravens are who we thought they were though?
Grade: B-
Cleveland Browns
Record: 2-2
HomeR: 2-1
AwayR: 0-1
+/-: (+16)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 30th
PPG - 22nd
RuYds - 16th
RuYds/PG - 5th
PaYds - 32nd
PaYds/PG - 30th
Total Yards - 31st
Yds/PG - 19th
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 1st
Pts/G - 4th
RuYds All. - 1st
RuYds All/PG - 4th
PaYds All. - 1st
PaYds All/PG - 1st
Total Yards Allowed - 1st
Yds All/PG - 1st
Record Rank - 16th
Offensive Rank - 26th
Defensive Rank - 1st
Composite Rank - 14th
This defense is elite. They’ve given up the least amount of points so far this season and are almost impenetrable against the pass. If their offense was able to get it going, this would be a shoe-in playoff team. However, the injury to Nick Chubb changes things a ton. Then factor in that DeShaun Watson will be missing his second straight game, and I don’t know if there is a path to postseason football in a extremely competitive AFC.
Grade: B
Cincinnati Bengals
Record: 2-3
HomeR: 1-1
AwayR: 1-2
+/-: (-31)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 26th
PPG - 27th
RuYds - 30th
RuYds/PG - 31st
PaYds - 22nd
PaYds/PG - 24th
Total Yards - 27th
Yds/PG - 31st
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 20th
Pts/G - 19th
RuYds All. - 31st
RuYds All/PG - 31st
PaYds All. - 11th
PaYds All/PG - 11th
Total Yards Allowed - 22nd
Yds All/PG - 20th
Record Rank - 25th
Offensive Rank - 30th
Defensive Rank - 24th
Composite Rank - 30th
Despite the win against the Cardinals last week, which wasn’t easy, the Bengals have been one of the worst teams in the NFL. Just look at the numbers. 26th in scoring, 31st in rushing. 31st in run defense. Those aren’t the numbers of Bengals teams in years past. They are the biggest disappointment so far in 2023. Joe Burrow was running around last week so hopefully they are back on the right track, but the first month has not been what any Bengals fan would have wanted.
Grade: D-
NFC North
Detroit Lions
Record: 4-1
HomeR: 2-1
AwayR: 2-0
+/-: (+41)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 4th
PPG - 4th
RuYds - 7th
RuYds/PG - 7th
PaYds - 8th
PaYds/PG - 9th
Total Yards - 6th
Yds/PG - 6th
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 17th
Pts/G - 15th
RuYds All. - 4th
RuYds All/PG - 3rd
PaYds All. - 18th
PaYds All/PG - 17th
Total Yards Allowed - 7th
Yds All/PG - 7th
Record Rank - 5th
Offensive Rank - 4th
Defensive Rank - 9th
Composite Rank - 4th
The Lions have completely flipped the script. Ranking Top 5 in offense and Top 10 in defense is really incredible. We should’ve known how good this team is after their opening win in Arrowhead, but we credited that to no Travis Kelce and no Chris Jones. All they’ve done since is go 3-1 and look extremely comfortable in doing so. Make no mistake - the Lions have their eyes on the Lombardi.
Grade: A+
Green Bay Packers
Record: 2-3
HomeR: 1-1
AwayR: 1-2
+/-: (0)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 12th
PPG - 13th
RuYds - 26th
RuYds/PG - 27th
PaYds - 19th
PaYds/PG - 18th
Total Yards - 24th
Yds/PG - 27th
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 19th
Pts/G - 18th
RuYds All. - 26th
RuYds All/PG - 26th
PaYds All. - 10th
PaYds All/PG - 10th
Total Yards Allowed - 18th
Yds All/PG - 17th
Record Rank - 20th
Offensive Rank - 21st
Defensive Rank - 20th
Composite Rank - 21st
The Packers are weird. One week you watch them and say that their is something there. And then you watch them against Detroit and Las Vegas and scratch your head. Here is the reality - this is an extremely young team going through some growing pains. Love has accuracy issues, but what “rookie” doesn’t. Their defense is young as well as their skill players. The Packers will be the hardest team to judge week in and week out.
Grade: C
Minnesota Vikings
Record: 1-4
HomeR: 0-3
AwayR: 1-1
+/-: (-12)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 16th
PPG - 15th
RuYds - 27th
RuYds/PG - 29th
PaYds - 3rd
PaYds/PG - 2nd
Total Yards - 9th
Yds/PG - 9th
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 23rd
Pts/G - 22nd
RuYds All. - 13th
RuYds All/PG - 13th
PaYds All. - 23rd
PaYds All/PG - 21st
Total Yards Allowed - 20th
Yds All/PG - 18th
Record Rank - 25th
Offensive Rank - 14th
Defensive Rank - 21st
Composite Rank - 20th
No one wanted to believe last year was a fluke. But 11-0 in one score games was not sustainable. And its showing this year. There are heavy, heavy talks of the Vikings blowing it up, and the rumblings will only grow with their GM at the USC game last night watching Caleb Williams. There could be a massive sell-off here before Halloween, and it may be the smart thing to do.
Grade: D
Chicago Bears
Record: 1-4
HomeR: 0-2
AwayR: 1-2
+/-: (-42)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 10th
PPG - 11th
RuYds - 9th
RuYds/PG - 9th
PaYds - 16th
PaYds/PG - 17th
Total Yards - 14th
Yds/PG - 14th
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 30th
Pts/G - 30th
RuYds All. - 11th
RuYds All/PG - 11th
PaYds All. - 31st
PaYds All/PG - 31st
Total Yards Allowed - 30th
Yds All/PG - 29th
Record Rank - 27th
Offensive Rank - 10th
Defensive Rank - 30th
Composite Rank - 22nd
The Bears have shown signs of life the last weeks, with last Thursdays effort resulting in a win. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. This is a bad football team. The defense is weak and the offense was not able to generate anything before games agains the Broncos and the Commanders, who rank 32nd and 28th in defense respectively. Call me a skeptic, but I need to see Justin Fields do it against an average defense. This is a failure of a season so far for the Bears.
Grade: F
AFC South
Jacksonville Jaguars
Record: 3-2
HomeR: 1-2
AwayR: 2-0
+/-: (+3)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 19th
PPG - 19th
RuYds - 14th
RuYds/PG - 14th
PaYds - 11th
PaYds/PG - 11th
Total Yards - 10th
Yds/PG - 10th
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 13th
Pts/G - 12th
RuYds All. - 7th
RuYds All/PG - 5th
PaYds All. - 29th
PaYds All/PG - 26th
Total Yards Allowed - 21st
Yds All/PG - 19th
Record Rank - 13th
Offensive Rank - 13th
Defensive Rank - 16th
Composite Rank - 12th
The Jags haven’t hit their stride yet. You can just tell by watching them. Nothing is coming easy. But talented teams find ways to win, and the Jaguars are sitting at 3-2 in a surprisingly competitive AFC South. No one would have thought though that its the defense early on carrying the offense. I know the stats tell a different story, but the Jags haven’t been able to put the ball in the end zone like they’ve wanted. One thing is certain.- they wont coast to a division title like everyone thought.
Grade: B
Indianapolis Colts
Record: 3-2
HomeR: 1-2
AwayR: 2-0
+/-: (+5)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 9th
PPG - 10th
RuYds - 8th
RuYds/PG - 8th
PaYds - 14th
PaYds/PG - 14th
Total Yards - 12th
Yds/PG - 12th
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 22nd
Pts/G - 21st
RuYds All. - 18th
RuYds All/PG - 19th
PaYds All. - 30th
PaYds All/PG - 27th
Total Yards Allowed - 29th
Yds All/PG - 27th
Record Rank - 12th
Offensive Rank - 8th
Defensive Rank - 26th
Composite Rank - 17th
Indianapolis has been surprisingly good these first five weeks. They are extremely good up front, and were able to sustain a running game while they sorted out the Jonathan Taylor situation. It’s going to be difficult without Anthony Richardson for the unforeseeable future, but Gardner Minshew is a more than capable backup. We need to see a little bit more, but this team is definitely in the mix.
Grade: A
Houston Texans
Record: 2-3
HomeR: 1-1
AwayR: 1-2
+/-: (+15)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 11th
PPG - 12th
RuYds - 25th
RuYds/PG - 26th
PaYds - 4th
PaYds/PG - 3rd
Total Yards - 11th
Yds/PG - 11th
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 12th
Pts/G - 11th
RuYds All. - 16th
RuYds All/PG - 17th
PaYds All. - 18th
PaYds All/PG - 17th
Total Yards Allowed - 18th
Yds All/PG - 17th
Record Rank - 18th
Offensive Rank - 11th
Defensive Rank - 15th
Composite Rank - 16th
Everything about the Texans starts and ends with CJ Stroud. He has unquestionably been the Rookie of the Year thus far. The upstart Texans also rank inside the Top 15 in both offense and defense, and showed people they were no longer a doormat after a 20 point drubbing of their division rival Jaguars. Keep an eye on this team.
Grade: A-
Tennessee Titans
Record: 2-3
HomeR: 2-0
AwayR: 0-3
+/-: (-5)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 23rd
PPG - 25th
RuYds - 17th
RuYds/PG - 18th
PaYds - 25th
PaYds/PG - 27th
Total Yards - 20th
Yds/PG - 23rd
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 10th
Pts/G - 9th
RuYds All. - 11th
RuYds All/PG - 9th
PaYds All. - 24th
PaYds All/PG - 22nd
Total Yards Allowed - 17th
Yds All/PG - 16th
Record Rank - 21st
Offensive Rank - 24th
Defensive Rank - 14th
Composite Score - 19th
The Titans do what they always do - they make other teams play their game. And that will work during some weeks. But this is a team that has yet to make it to the modern era of football and is battling father time in terms of their competitive clock ticking. Derrick Henry doesn’t seem to have the same juice he’s had in years past an they are nowhere near exciting as the other three teams in their division. Can this team make the playoffs? Maybe. Will they ever make any significant noise? No. Its time for the Titans to start over.
Grade: C
NFC South
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Record: 3-1
HomeR: 1-1
AwayR: 2-0
+/-: (+16)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 24th
PPG - 20th
RuYds - 32nd
RuYds/PG - 24th
PaYds - 27th
PaYds/PG - 13th
Total Yards - 32nd
Yds/PG - 21st
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 3rd
Pts/G - 8th
RuYds All. - 6th
RuYds All/PG - 10th
PaYds All. - 4th
PaYds All/PG - 16th
Total Yards Allowed - 2nd
Yds All/PG - 11th
Record Rank - 7th
Offensive Rank - 27th
Defensive Rank - 5th
Composite Rank - 11th
The Bengals are the biggest disappointment. Well, the Bucs are the biggest surprise. Baker Mayfield looks revitalized in Tampa when everyone left him for dead. The defense is still elite. Todd Bowles knows what he’s doing on that side of the ball. And while the offense still figures itself out on the ground, the defense is happy to pick them up. This is a feisty team, and while they may not be a Super Bowl contender yet, its not an automatic “W” on your schedule like you may have thought.
Grade: A+
Atlanta Falcons
Record: 3-2
HomeR: 3-0
AwayR: 0-2
+/-: (-13)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 25th
PPG - 26th
RuYds - 13th
RuYds/PG - 12th
PaYds - 20th
PaYds/PG - 22nd
Total Yards - 17th
Yds/PG - 18th
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 11th
Pts/G - 9th
RuYds All. - 14th
RuYds All/PG - 15th
PaYds All. - 8th
PaYds All/PG - 8th
Total Yards Allowed - 9th
Yds All/PG - 8th
Record Rank - 14th
Offensive Rank - 20th
Defensive Rank - 7th
Composite Rank - 13th
All off-season I clamored for the Falcons to inquire about Lamar. They told the world that Desmond Ridder was their guy. Here’s a proclamation that probably isn’t a world shocker; if the Falcons had an above average quarterback, they would be a Super Bowl contender. This defense is absolutely for real and has players at every level. Bijan Robinson is a human joystick while their receivers are oozing with talent waiting to be unleashed. Maybe Desmond Ridder is good. Maybe he’s not. The fact that we don’t know yet is quite frankly the issue.
Grade: B
New Orleans Saints
Record: 3-2
HomeR: 1-1
AwayR: 2-1
+/-: (+20)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 20th
PPG - 21st
RuYds - 18th
RuYds/PG - 20th
PaYds - 21st
PaYds/PG - 23rd
Total Yards - 21st
Yds/PG - 24th
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 5th
Pts/G - 5th
RuYds All. - 10th
RuYds All/PG - 8th
PaYds All. - 5th
PaYds All/PG - 4th
Total Yards Allowed - 5th
Yds All/PG - 4th
Record Rank - 12th
Offensive Rank - 22nd
Defensive Rank - 3rd
Composite Rank - 9th
New Orleans has the same issue they had last season. This team has a Super Bowl worthy defense, but their offense is constantly stuck in the mud. Derek Carr was supposed to change that. And last week was the first week they looked like they had a pulse, but that was against the Patriots. We need to see it on a more consistent basis before we call the Saints contenders, but they are trending in the right direction.
Grade: B+
Carolina Panthers
Record: 0-5
HomeR: 0-2
AwayR: 0-3
+/-: (-53)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 22nd
PPG - 24th
RuYds - 19th
RuYds/PG - 21st
PaYds - 20th
PaYds/PG - 21st
Total Yards - 19th
Yds/PG - 24th
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 27th
Pts/G - 27th
RuYds All. - 25th
RuYds All/PG - 25th
PaYds All. - 6th
PaYds All/PG - 6th
Total Yards Allowed - 13th
Yds All/PG - 13th
Record Rank - 32nd
Offensive Rank - 23rd
Defensive Rank - 18th
Composite Rank - 28th
Like John mentioned in his rookie report card, I feel like this team gets an incomplete. They are bad. I’m not trying to not say that. But I think with a more competent offensive line there was a win or two in there so far. Their statistics aren’t awful but they aren’t scaring anyone. I will say this; the fact that Frank Reich wanted a different QB and they are the last winless team is not a coincidence. The front office seems to be the overarching problem in Carolina.
Grade: F
AFC West
Kansas City Chiefs
Record: 5-1
HomeR: 2-1
AwayR: 3-0
+/-: (+59)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 5th
PPG - 9th
RuYds - 6th
RuYds/PG - 15th
PaYds - 2nd
PaYds/PG - 7th
Total Yards - 2nd
Yds/PG - 7th
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 8th
Pts/G - 2nd
RuYds All. - 18th
RuYds All/PG - 12th
PaYds All. - 16th
PaYds All/PG - 5th
Total Yards Allowed - 19th
Yds All/PG - 5th
Record Rank - 3rd
Offensive Rank - 6th
Defensive Rank - 8th
Composite Rank - 3rd
It’s scary when a team isn’t playing their best and are still the class of the conference. That’s the Chiefs. Nobody, including themselves would tell you that they are operating where they want to. But they still have a Top 10 offense. The difference this year is that their defense is very, very good. I won’t call them elite yet, but the duo of L’Jarius Sneed and Trent McDuffie is a top unit in the league.
Grade: A
Los Angeles Chargers
Record: 2-2
HomeR: 1-1
AwayR: 1-1
+/-: (+6)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 15th
PPG - 7th
RuYds - 19th
RuYds/PG - 13th
PaYds - 13th
PaYds/PG - 6th
Total Yards - 19th
Yds/PG - 5th
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 14th
Pts/G - 23rd
RuYds All. - 8th
RuYds All/PG - 14th
PaYds All. - 22nd
PaYds All/PG - 32nd
Total Yards Allowed - 12th
Yds All/PG - 31st
Record Rank - 17th
Offensive Rank - 9th
Defensive Rank - 22nd
Composite Rank - 18th
The Chargers are the following meme:
“Whenever I think I’m out, they pull me back in.”
Team starts off 0-2, then wins two in a row with Khalil Mack taking a dive in the Lazarus Pit (Batman shout out) for at least one week is nice. But can we get a little consistency?
Grade: B
Las Vegas Raiders
Record: 2-3
HomeR: 1-1
AwayR: 1-2
+/-: (-35)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 27th
PPG - 29th
RuYds - 31st
RuYds/PG - 32nd
PaYds - 15th
PaYds/PG - 16th
Total Yards - 25th
Yds/PG - 29th
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 21st
Pts/G - 20th
RuYds All. - 22nd
RuYds All/PG - 22nd
PaYds All. - 12th
PaYds All/PG - 12th
Total Yards Allowed - 15th
Yds All/PG - 14th
Record Rank - 25th
Offensive Rank - 29th
Defensive Rank - 19th
Composite Rank - 26th
The definition of “meh”. The defense has slightly improved, but the Raiders still have their issues. They are one of two teams who have yet to eclipse the 20 point mark this season. Throw in their offense has Josh Jacobs, Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers and that is an absolutely inexcusable statistic. However, they are 2-3 and have a favorable schedule coming up. Lets see if they can take advantage of it.
Grade: C
Denver Broncos
Record: 1-5
HomeR: 0-3
AwayR: 1-2
+/-: (-71)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 9th
PPG - 18th
RuYds - 10th
RuYds/PG - 18th
PaYds - 9th
PaYds/PG - 19th
Total Yards - 7th
Yds/PG - 20th
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 32nd
Pts/G - 32nd
RuYds All. - 32nd
RuYds All/PG - 32nd
PaYds All. - 32nd
PaYds All/PG - 29th
Total Yards Allowed - 32nd
Yds All/PG - 32nd
Record Rank - 29th
Offensive Rank - 15th
Defensive Rank - 32nd
Composite Rank - 31st
There is nothing to say here that hasn’t already been said. If the Giants weren’t a pee-wee team, we would be highlighting Sean Payton and Russell Wilson a ton more than we are. I don’t care if he’s playing better, he’s making an absurd amount of money. The QB gets all the praise when they win. He’s deservedly getting killed as they are the in the pits of hell in the AFC.
Grade: F
NFC West
San Francisco 49ers
Record: 5-0
HomeR: 3-0
AwayR: 2-0
+/-: (+99)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 2nd
PPG - 2nd
RuYds - 3rd
RuYds/PG - 3rd
PaYds - 7th
PaYds/PG - 8th
Total Yards - 4th
Yds/PG - 3rd
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 2nd
Pts/G - 1st
RuYds All. - 3rd
RuYds All/PG - 2nd
PaYds All. - 13th
PaYds All/PG - 13th
Total Yards Allowed - 4th
Yds All/PG - 3rd
Record Rank - 1st
Offensive Rank - 2nd
Defensive Rank - 2nd
Composite Rank - 1st
Whatever you want to say they are, they are. Are they Thanos with the Infinity Stones? Yes. Are they Optimus Prime. Yes. Are they Danerys Targaryen with all of her dragons. Yes. Are they all these things combined? Also yes. They are the unquestioned best team in the NFL right now. And oh, Brock Purdy is the MVP.
Grade: A+
Seattle Seahawks
Record: 3-1
HomeR: 1-1
AwayR: 2-0
+/-: (+20)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 14th
PPG - 6th
RuYds - 23rd
RuYds/PG - 17th
PaYds - 29th
PaYds/PG - 15th
Total Yards - 29th
Yds/PG - 18th
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 9th
Pts/G - 18th
RuYds All. - 5th
RuYds All/PG - 6th
PaYds All. - 17th
PaYds All/PG - 30th
Total Yards Allowed - 8th
Yds All/PG - 23rd
Record Rank - 6th
Offensive Rank - 19th
Defensive Rank - 13th
Composite Rank - 10th
After a shocking Week 1 loss to a *not bad* Rams team, the Seahawks haven’t lost. Their defense has been surprisingly effective and Geno continues to incorporate the new pieces into the offense. This is a playoff team. They are good. Pete Carroll has done an unbelievable job.
Grade: B+
Los Angeles Rams
Record: 2-3
HomeR: 0-2
AwayR: 2-1
+/-: (+4)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 13th
PPG - 14th
RuYds - 20th
RuYds/PG - 21st
PaYds - 6th
PaYds/PG - 5th
Total Yards - 8th
Yds/PG - 8th
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 18th
Pts/G - 17th
RuYds All. - 19th
RuYds All/PG - 19th
PaYds All. - 15th
PaYds All/PG - 15th
Total Yards Allowed - 16th
Yds All/PG - 15th
Record Rank - 19th
Offensive Rank - 7th
Defensive Rank - 17th
Composite Rank - 15th
Everyone counted this team out. I still probably can’t name five guys on their defense. But this season has proved one thing - Sean McVay is a Top 5 NFL coach. The guy gets his team ready to play every week, and he’s very good at finding diamonds in the rough. The latest crowned jewel? Puka Nacua. The Rams will be around in December.
Grade: B
Arizona Cardinals
Record: 1-4
HomeR: 1-2
AwayR: 0-2
+/-: (-28)
Offensive Rankings
Total Points - 18th
PPG - 17th
RuYds - 5th
RuYds/PG - 6th
PaYds - 26th
PaYds/PG - 29th
Total Yards - 15th
Yds/PG - 15th
Defensive Rankings
Total Points Allowed - 26th
Pts/G - 26th
RuYds All. - 21st
RuYds All/PG - 21st
PaYds All. - 27th
PaYds All/PG - 25th
Total Yards Allowed - 26th
Yds All/PG - 25th
Record Rank - 26th
Offensive Rank - 17th
Defensive Rank - 27th
Composite Rank - 23rd
The Cardinals are tanking, right? Don’t tell them that. Their record is poor, sure. But at the beginning of the season, they were in every game and even beat the Dallas Cowboys. But the last two weeks have been rough. It seems like reality is setting in. But I think we can all say that this team isn’t as far away as we thought they were.
Grade: C+