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!

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.

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+