NFL Week 5 Power Rankings 2015

     Believe it or not, one quarter of the NFL season has passed.  Time flies.  Usually by this stage of the season, we've had a chance to see each team enough times to have at least a decent judgment on just how good they are.  For me, trying to pinpoint a team's potential before this mark is kind of useless, because of the small sample size of games that can be completely turned on its head with one shocking result.  However, with four games in the books, we've gained enough information to really start piecing the puzzle together.  The Packers look incredible.  Sure the loss of Jordy Nelson hurt the team, but they haven't shown it.  On the other hand, Jameis Winston is having far from the ideal start to his NFL career.  The Bucs are clearly not a playoff team, and look like almost surefire cellar-dwellers.  Then there are the teams that I still have no clue about.  Just look at the Rams.  They've beaten the Cardinals and Seahawks, who on paper should both be playoff teams, and I would be surprised if either one wasn't.  But on the other hand, they looked ugly against Kirk Cousins and the Redskins, and could only manage six points against the Steelers.  What about the Cowboys?  What does one think of a team who started 2-0, but blew a huge lead to the Falcons and lost to the 0-3 Saints?  Not to mention, the Cowboys are down Tony Romo and Dez Bryant, each top-5 in their position on good days.

     It's been an odd season.  There are six undefeated teams, but just one winless squad.  Only eight teams are above .500 in total, while 12 teams sit at 1-2 or 1-3.  The Colts have sole possession of 1st place in the AFC South  at 2-2.

     The picture might not be crystal clear, but I'll give it a shot by ranking all 32 teams in the league.  These power rankings will come out every other week so I don't place too much emphasis on every individual game.

     Lastly, here's a few quick notes about how I come up with my rankings.  A team's record is not the deciding factor in where a team will fall.  I don't group all the 4-0 teams together and rank them, followed by the 3-1 teams and so on.  The Lions are the only winless team, but they aren't even close to the bottom of the list.  Also, as I said earlier, I don't like to judge by one game.  Teams have good and bad performances.  It's as simple as that.  I'm not going to send which ever team gives the Lions their first win to the bottom of the list.  On the flip side, if the Lions beat the Packers, it doesn't mean the Lions instantly hit the top 10.  Sure, they'll move up, but only as much as I feel they deserve to.  I prefer to judge teams with the eye test.  An overtime loss is far better than getting thrashed 42-7.  In the same regard, don't be surprised if a team who loses to the best team in the league moves up, while a great team who beats a bottom-feeder 10-7 moves down.  I rank based simply off who I think has over the course of the season played the best football, period.  I don't care about your record or roster, although obviously the more talented teams typically win more games and end up higher on the list.  So, here's my rankings of how each team has performed so far.

32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-3): It would be easy to place most of the blame for the Bucs' struggles on Jameis Winston.  While he definitely has to become more accurate and cut down on turnovers, Winston is far from the only problem.  Kyle Brindza missed six field goals and two extra points, and the defense is one of the league's worst.  The Panthers put up 37 on this team, and their lead receiver is Ted Ginn.  Enough said.

31. Houston Texans (1-3): Who should the Texans start at quarterback: Ryan Mallett or Brian Hoyer?  Does it even matter?  It's almost painful to watch this offense in action, and Arian Foster will need to have one of the best rushing seasons of all time in order to right the ship.  The Texans trailed 42-0 to the Falcons in just the third quarter last week.

30. San Francisco 49ers (1-3): I've been saying for awhile how I feel the 49ers offseason might have been the worst in football history.  To put it simply, the team went from one of the league's best to one of the league's worst in a matter of a couple months, and everyone on the team seemed to retire or get suspended.  However, the team looked like a defensive juggernaut in their opening week win against the Vikings.  Since that game, Colin Kaepernick has looked like the worst quarterback in the league, and the team has scored just 13 points excluding garbage time against Pittsburgh.

29. Chicago Bears (1-3): The Bears finally posted their first entry in the win column against the Raiders last week.  However, they needed a last-second field goal to do so, and didn't look very impressive.  Coupled with the fact they entered that game on a two-game 25+ point losing streak, things are far from looking up for the Bears.

28. Miami Dolphins (1-3): And the NFL's hot mess  award of the first quarter goes to...the Dolphins!  Remember when everyone and their mother picked the Dolphins to be the breakout team of 2015?  It was only a month or two ago!  Look at them now- they've fired the head coach and defensive coordinator, and are sitting firmly last in the division with a struggling offense.

27. New Orleans Saints (1-3): The Drew Brees era is ending, Saints fans.  Just face the facts.  It's been a couple years since these guys looked like actual contenders, and while they haven't been blown out in a game yet, they have looked very good against anyone, and could easily be 0-4 if not for C.J. Spiller.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-3): Wait.  We STILL haven't reached the Lions in the list?  They haven't won a game yet!  Don't worry, their time will come.  The Jags have been funny this year.  Sure, they got demolished by the Patriots, but that was expected.  They've actually looked kinda decent with the Blake Bortles offense, and are just a missed field goal away from having beat the Colts and leading the AFC South at 2-2.  Not so bad when you look at it that way.

25. Detroit Lions (0-4): Hey, there's the Lions!  Yes, they are 0-4, I get it.  However, the Lions have suffered a bunch of close losses, and as much as I usually refrain from blaming referees, were really a missed call away from having a great chance at a win at Seattle, something nearly impossible to accomplish.  This team probably doesn't deserve to be 0-4, and while still far from great, I do believe they are better than every team ranked worse than them on this list.

24. Cleveland Browns (1-3): The Browns are in a similar boat to the Jaguars.  The offense has somewhat come alive, but they just aren't quite there yet.  Critics will claim that Johnny Manziel has a 1-0 record as starter and Josh McCown 0-3, but McCown hasn't performed poorly.  The switch to Manziel is coming, but the concern for the team should be plugging a few defensive holes while the offense continues to develop.

23. Philadelphia Eagles (1-3): I already gave the Dolphins the hot mess award, but the Eagles are just as good candidates thus far.  The genius that is Chip Kelly managed to pull in the NFL's best running back over the offseason in DeMarco Murray, and through four games (three of which he played) he has a grand total of 47 rushing yards on just 29 carries.  Yes, that's an abysmal average yards per carry, but they have to get him more involved.  He currently sits 80th in rushing in the NFL, behind the likes of wide receivers Tavon Austin and Jarvis Landry, and quarterbacks Jay Cutler and Ryan Fitzpatrick.  Great company.

22. Tennessee Titans (1-2): Marcus Mariota looked like the next great quarterback in his stellar showing against fellow rookie Jameis Winston in week 1.  And then the Titans dropped two straight- one against the Browns they probably should have won, and one against the Colts which they deserved to win.  But hey, you have to finish the job, and Mariota's turnovers played important roles in both games.

21. Washington Redskins (2-2): It's funny how one of the biggest surprise stories of the season is only 2-2.  No one expected the Redskins to be any good, and while Kirk Cousins has been far from a good quarterback, he's managed to get the job done twice, including leading a huge fourth-quarter drive against the Eagles last week.  The defense has looked solid, and with a Jarvis Landry punt return touchdown being the only difference in week 1's game against the Dolphins, the Redskins are close to 3-1.  But hey, Skins fans will take a tie for first in the division.

20. Baltimore Ravens (1-3): Words cannot describe two things: first, how important the Ravens win was against the Steelers last week which effectively saved their season, and also how lucky they were to get that win.  The Steelers have since cut Josh Scobee and are moving on to a fourth kicker this year already.  But regardless, the Ravens will have the opportunities over the next several weeks to throw themselves back into the mix, and I like their chances of doing so after starting the year off with arguably their toughest stretch of schedule.

19. Indianapolis Colts (2-2): Oh, I went there.  I see other power rankings listing the Colts in that 10-13 range, and I have one thing to say the people who wrote those rankings: get over yourselves.  Yes, Andrew Luck is supposed to become the league's best quarterback at some point, and the offense looked nearly unstoppable entering the season.  But look at how they've played this year.  They escaped with wins against the Titans and Jags, two teams they should've easily taken care of.  The defense looks shaky, and Luck threw seven picks in his first three games.  I expect them to right the ship, but I judge based off past performance, not how a team should be.

18. Oakland Raiders (2-2): Give yourself a pat on the back if you thought the Raiders would look better than the Colts this year, because you might be the only one on Earth.  Granted, the comparison is close, but Derek Carr is emerging as the future of this franchise and the AC/DC connection with Amari Cooper looks to be a nightmare for years to come.  Both sides of the ball still need a little time, but the Raiders are no longer a joke.

17. Kansas City Chiefs (1-3): In my opinion, the Chiefs have easily looked like the best 1-3 team in the league this season.  The only problem is that for such a great defense led by Justin Houston, they haven't been able to stop anyone, and are tied with the Bears for most points allowed thus far.  However, the potential that offense has with Jamaal Charles is scary if they can get a few stops.

16. San Diego Chargers (2-2): Philip Rivers has been a top-5 quarterback this season, no questions asked.  However, he's been just about the only consistent player on the Chargers this year.  They look good one week, and horrible the next.  Their best performance on the year was actually in a 24-19 win against the undefeated Bengals.  But they also lost 31-14 to the Vikings, and neither one of their wins was too impressive.  Mediocrity it is.

15. Buffalo Bills (2-2): Look!  It's the Chargers in disguise!  Seriously though, the Bills have looked like two distinct football teams.  There's the incredible defense that shut down that led to huge wins over the Colts and Dolphins, and the team that allowed 40 to the Patriots and never got anything going against the Giants.  Is Tyrod Taylor a future great, or just an athletic guy who threw a couple good games together?  I don't know, although I'd tend to say he'll be starting there for a while.

14. St. Louis Rams (2-2): Don't look at me for insight here.  They've beat the Cardinals and Seahawks, and are still this far down on the list.  Why?  Well, they lost to the Redskins and looked pathetic in doing so, and could only manage six points in an all field-goal game loss to the Steelers 12-6.  The win against the Cardinals was huge, but I need more proof that the good Rams are more prevalent than the bad Rams.

13. New York Giants (2-2): Look who's actually a good team this year!  If the Giants could close games properly, they'd be 4-0 and running away with the NFC East.  Unfortunately, that isn't the case, because as a Giants fan, I know they never make it easy on the fans.  But it's been exciting watching this team look competitive in all four games.  The Giants have very winnable games for the next five weeks, and if Eli can limit the turnovers like he has so far this season, I can see a playoff berth in Big Blue's future.

12. Dallas Cowboys (2-2): But of course, the Cowboys aren't about to make it easy on the Giants.  They still hold the division tiebreaker, and Brandon Weeden's looked pretty solid in two games of work filling in for Tony Romo.  The same can be said for the Cowboys as the Giants.  They blew a couple leads and should have a better record.  It might come back to haunt them with the injuries to Romo and Dez Bryant, but the Cowboys still appear strong.

11. Minnesota Vikings (2-2): Inconsistency is kind of a theme with these 2-2 teams.  They lost 20-3 in week 1 to the 49ers, and looked just about as bad as an offense can.  Since, Adrian Peterson has done Adrian Peterson things and now leads the league in rushing.  The 23-20 loss to the Broncos last week was painful, but hanging with the Broncos proved that this team is worth keeping an eye on.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2): So many things went wrong in the fourth quarter and overtime of the Steelers' 23-20 loss to the Ravens last week.  Two blown fourth downs inside the Ravens' 40, two missed field goals, and a controversial decision to not kick a field goal in overtime.  It was a tough loss, but LeVeon Bell is still a beast, and Michael Vick looks just good enough to keep the team competitive until Big Ben returns.

9. Seattle Seahawks (2-2): The defense is back.  Over the last two games, the Seahawks have forced 18 punts and allowed just 3 offensive points.  They caught a huge break against the Lions and will face huge tests at the Bengals and home against the Panthers the next two weeks.  It's time to see what this team is made of.

8. Carolina Panthers (4-0): The Panthers are the first of six undefeated squads to appear on the countdown.  They've looked pretty good so far, and the defense is easily one of the league's best.  However, they haven't really played anyone yet.  All four teams they beat are currently 1-3, and the highest in the power rankings is the Jaguars at #26.  It's easy to beat up on bad teams.  I want to see them beat Seattle in week 6 following their bye.  Then I'll be a believer.

7. New York Jets (3-1): Who would've thought?  Todd Bowles must be one hell of a coach to make these same Jets look one of the best teams in the AFC.  They've been good.  Ryan Fitzpatrick has been better than expected.  But the real story here is the defense, one that looks just as good as any Rex Ryan put together, and he reached the AFC Championship twice.  I can't wait to see them play the Patriots week 6.  That's a real test.

6. Denver Broncos (4-0): Peyton Manning looks a lot like Drew Brees- still better than half the starters in the league, but nothing near like what he used to be, even just last season.  That's okay, though, because the defense has led the team this undefeated record, and Peyton can still turn it on, as he showed on a crucial game-winning drive against the Vikings last week.

5. Arizona Cardinals (3-1): What's gotten into Carson Palmer?  All of a sudden this guy starts looking like one of the best QBs in the league!  In truth, he's been underrated ever since he joined the Cardinals, but man has that offense looked dynamite.  They've put up at least 14 points in six separate quarters this season.  Think about that.  And how about Larry Fitzgerald?  He's just as good now as he's ever been, and he had been sliding for a couple years.

4. Atlanta Falcons (4-0): I drafted Devonta Freeman in the 11th round of my fantasy draft, and man am I reaping the benefits.  To say this guy took the league by storm would be an understatement.  Over the last two games, he's racked up 342 total yards and six touchdowns.  Six!  The Falcons look like the team from a couple years ago which raced to the #1 seed in the NFC.  I'm not saying they'll do it again, but they definitely have a shot- especially with the league's easiest schedule.

3. New England Patriots (3-0): I don't believe for a second that deflate-gate has led Tom Brady to act any more "mad" than in previous years, but he's certainly looked near-perfect in each of his team's first three games this season.  I'm not sure how anyone is going to stop them.  However, people who claim this team will go undefeated should take a step back.  They've won two of their three games this season by just one score, and play in a pretty tough division.  But Tom Brady's quest for a fifth Super Bowl is definitely on.

2. Cincinnati Bengals (4-0): This is a new Andy Dalton.  Everyone's favorite ginger quarterback is back and better than ever, finally ready to take the next step and lead the Bengals on a playoff run.  This also appears to be the strongest offense he's ever had behind him.  I know the Bengals are a team that is never taken seriously as a contender, but this year will change that.

1. Green Bay Packers (4-0): Time for an extremely bold statement: by the time Aaron Rodgers retires, he will be the greatest quarterback of all-time.  There, I said it.  This guy is on a different planet from everyone else.  Sorry Brady, you're close, but this guy is something else- an inhuman combination of skill, athleticism, and intellect.  Across the board, this team is to be feared.  They are the team to beat this season.

     There are my power rankings.  Who would you put higher or lower?  The next edition will come out in two weeks.

     Thanks for reading,
     Connor

Week 9 NFL Power Rankings

     Just when you thought this year couldn't get more confusing, the Cowboys fell at home to the Redskins and the Colts defense allowed 51 to the Steelers.  Luckily, I was able to win this fantasy week despite the Indy D's poor play.  The Saints continued to show that they only win at home, and England got to see what might be the best NFL game ever in Wembley Stadium.  Much has changed since the release of the week 6 power rankings, so it's time to see where we are at the season's midway point.

     Just to clarify, this list will probably be a LOT different from your personal list or any other lists you read, just because how difficult it is to rank teams this year.  Honestly, any team can beat any team as we've clearly seen this year.  I'm just trying to sort through the outliers and figure out are consistently. the best teams.
     32) Raiders (0-7) (Week 6 Rank: 31): I feel really bad for Derek Carr.  So far, he's been the NFL's best rookie QB, but he gets no help at all.  With games against the Seahawks and Broncos next, the Raiders should be begging for mercy.  Don't expect them to move up anytime soon.
     31) Jaguars (1-7) (32): Congrats on getting your first win, Jags!  Unfortunately, in won't be enough to move you up more than one spot, or get you a good quarterback, or stop the NFL from begging London to take you as its NFL franchise.  But keep trying.
     30) Jets (1-7) (30): The Jets haven't gone anywhere in the rankings, and that's because they've been awful.  They now have not one, but two horrible QBs.  Michael Vick will become the temporary starter after fumbling four times last week and still outperforming Geno Smith.  Man, Geno's bad.  Percy Harvin hasn't done much to help yet either.
     29) Buccaneers (1-6) (28): Losing to the Vikings at home really doesn't help your cause when you're trying to get out of the division cellar.  However, somehow the Bucs are still legitimately in their division race, since the NFC South is quite possibly the worst division ever.  That's right.  EVER.  The Panthers lead currently at 3-4-1, and trust me, they've looked worse than the record suggests.
     28) Titans (2-6) (29): Man, these bottom five teams really suck.  I mean, no offense, but this is really atrocious.  Let's think about this for a second.  The Titans are moving up due to a two point home win over the Jaguars, which was followed up by losses against the Redskins and Texans.  If that's not sad, I don't know what is.  But on a positive note, Zach Mettenberger had a decent first career start besides the whole selfie thing.
     27) Falcons (2-6) (20): A huge drop for the Falcons this week is well warranted.  They blew a 21 point lead in London and had HORRIBLE clock management down the stretch in that game, which they really should've won.  They just generally don't look like the same team they had a few years back, which is a shame.
     26) Bears (3-5) (21): Can someone please inform me as to what they heck has happened to the Bears?  The last two weeks have simply been ugly, and while this team looked inconsistent at the beginning of the year, now they look plain bad.  Matt Forte is a huge bright spot, but one lamp isn't enough to light up a house, if you can bear with the horribly analogy and even worse pun that followed.
     25) Rams (2-5) (26): They beat the Seahawks!  And then they got destroyed by the Chiefs...but overall, I am really impressed with the job Austin Davis has done taking over this team this year.  However, they can't go any higher until they start picking up Ws.
     24) Vikings (3-5) (25): Teddy Bridgewater has not played like a winning quarterback.  However, the defense has stepped it up, and they managed to win on the road against the Bucs.  No matter who you play, winning on the road isn't easy.  In addition, they were only a few seconds away from beating the Bills.  So good for them.
     23) Panthers (3-4-1) (18): That's right, here we have a division leading team ranked in the bottom ten of the power rankings.  Laughable as it might be, this is a fair reflection of just how horrible the NFC South has been.  What ever happened to Superman Cam?  That's a question the Panthers need to find an answer to.  Luke Kuechly has kept the defense solid, but there is no O.
     22) Redskins (3-5) (27): Props to the Redskins for actually playing some good football.  They won against the Titans, and then pulled off the upset of the week and took down the previously 6-1 Cowboys.  And who gets the credit for these victories?  It has to be Colt McCoy, who has stepped in and really played well.  Well enough, in my opinion, to have earned the starting role.  It may be finally time to trade Kirk Cousins.
     21) Saints (3-4) (24): What is there to say about the Saints?  They win at home, and lose on the road.  That's it.  I expect them to go 8-8 with an 8-0 home record.  Additionally, it should be enough to win the division.  Somehow.
      20) Browns (4-3) (23): The Browns were due for their big jump in the rankings, potentially into the top fifteen.  They had an incredible statement win against the Steelers, winning 31-10.  This is somehow the same Steelers team that dropped 51 points on what seemed like a good Colts defense.  However, they followed it up by giving the Jaguars their first win.  Ugh.  Even worse, it wasn't close. They lost 24-6.  Luckily and thankfully, they managed to beat the Raiders to avoid giving them their first win as well.  However, a negative points differential against the Jags and Raiders can't move you up too much, even with their strong performance against Pittsburgh.
     19) Giants (3-4) (20): The loss of Victor Cruz really killed the Giants emotionally.  However, they had a decent bounce back game against the Cowboys even though they lost that game.  The issue with the Giants is that they play their four hardest games next and end with five winnable games.  This means they could be looking at 3-8 and be out of the playoffs and still finish around .500.  It'll be interesting to see how they come together these next few difficult weeks.
     18) Texans (4-4) (16): How is it that through eight weeks the NFL has only one 4-4 team?  As unlikely as it may be, that's the situation the Texans find themselves in.  The Texans are better than their record suggests, but making a playoff run will be difficult because of how many 4-3 and 5-3 teams there are in the east.  It seems the wins the Raiders, Jets, and Jags don't have ended up evenly distributed across a conference with a mind-numbing number of 4-3 and 5-3 teams (eight).

     Time for a quick break.  We're roughly halfway through the rankings.  It's time to draw a line.
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     You see that line?  Good.  It represents a big change.  The teams ranked 32-17 were for the most part not incredibly difficult to rank.  I would say the Raiders and Jaguars are in their own group.  Teams 30-27 are also very bad but in a tier of their own slightly better than the Raiders and Jaguars.  Next comes 26-22, composed of teams who have beat a good team or two, but overall still on the weak side of the spectrum.  There was a little difficulty sorting within this group, but not too much.  Then came 21-17, full of by most standards average teams who have a chance to make a playoff push.
     As you can see, overall these teams fit into a few distinct groups, and are probably in basically the same place in most rankings.  Here's where that line I made comes into play.  Besides the clear #1 in my mind (the Broncos) teams 2-16 are largely up to personal interpretation, as each have had their fair share of good wins and all deserve to be ranked highly.  Obviously some are stronger than others, but as a whole there aren't clearly defined tiers like there are with the bottom half of the list, which can make for interesting rankings.
     I just wanted to clear that up before I go throwing teams all over the place.  Got it?  Good.
   
     17) Dolphins (4-3) (22): I'm not sure how much credit I should give the Dolphins for wins over the Bears and Jaguars, but I did see a lot of good from them in their close loss to a very good Packers team.  Overall, it's a well deserved boost from the Dolphins, and enough to keep them in the mess of a conference we call the AFC.  Let's not forget they have beaten the Patriots.
     16) 49ers (4-3) (10): Here come the first of many controversial rankings.  Everyone is just too close to call!  Strictly based off their last few weeks, they won a game against the Rams that they should have, but then got killed in Denver, like they should have.  If they made that game a little closer than 25 points, they might be higher.  Yes, they have beat the Eagles, but that Bears loss just looks worse and worse as the weeks go by.
     15) Bills (5-3) (19): I'm giving the Bills a lot more credit than they've been getting from most people.  I don't know why they're good.  They don't seem great on paper.  However, there's been a noticeable change (at least for me) since Kyle Orton took over as starter.  The team looks much better offensively, and defensively they've been smooth all year long.  They're currently sitting in the huge wild card mess, and I like them to remain in it for the remainder of the year.  They deserve it.
     14) Bengals (4-2-1) (4): It's a huge drop for Cincinnati, and it's not hard to see why.  Since starting 3-0, they have seriously taken a step down in their game.  They tied the Panthers (man saying tie just doesn't seem right), and were shut out by the Colts.  They did manage to capture a much needed win against the Ravens at home, even if it was by the skin of their teeth.  Their defining stat for me is that they've actually allowed more points than they've scored this year.  At 4-2-1, that's alarming.
     13) Chiefs (4-3) (15): Again, I feel they should be higher.  Beating the Chargers is no easy task, and after some early season struggles, the Chiefs look right back in the playoff hunt.  They have a mean rushing game, which is always a good sign, and an easy game against the Jets next.  After that it will be interesting though, as they face the Bills on the road and the Seahawks in two huge potential statement games.
     12) Ravens (5-3) (9): Two losses against the Bengals is a tiebreak killer.  To be perfectly fair, their win agains the Steelers is really the only quality win they have on the season, which makes it tough to place them much higher than 12.  I know Joe Flacco is playing great recently and everything, but ultimately a lot of QBs look really good when playing the Bucs and Falcons.
     11) Colts (5-3) (6): They had an incredible shutout against the Bengals, so I won't knock them for that.  However, Ben Roethlisberger nearly set the NFL record for passing yards in a game while putting up 51 points on the Colts, and it never even looked difficult.  It might be just one bad performance, but that's a really scary sign for a team who is supposed to challenge for the AFC championship this late in the season.
     10) Steelers (5-3) (17): Speaking of the Steelers, they get a strong boost into the top ten this week.  Yes the loss to the Browns was unfortunate, and shouldn't've happened, but it was on the road, making it a little better.  Then the Steelers won a must-win against the Texans and followed it up with a massive 51-34 victory over the Colts which left us all scratching our heads.  I know I hate judging by one week, but that alone gave them mostly of their jump.  All of a sudden their division looks more winnable (despite every team being over .500), and their offense is firing like it hasn't fired in a while.
     9) Packers (5-3) (8): It isn't all that surprising that they lost to the Saints on the road.  Basically everyone does.  However, if Aaron Rodgers has to miss any time for his hamstring injury, Green Bay won't be able to R-E-L-A-X any longer.  They have a great offense, and Eddie Lacy played superbly in New Orleans, but the defense isn't cutting it for a Super Bowl contender for me, especially if Aaron Rodgers isn't fully 100%.  What a lucky time for a bye week.
     8) Seahawks (4-3) (1): I've finally decided to give in.  What a difference three weeks makes.  In the week 6 rankings, the Seahawks took the top spot.  However, I considered putting them as low as 12 this time around, and as high as six.  They got dominated on special teams in their game against the Rams.  They lost at home to the Cowboys, which is especially worrying considering they have issues on the road and bank on going undefeated at home.  Speaking of playing on the road, Russell Wilson was lucky to escape with a 13-9 win against the Panthers.  That game was a must-win, and if they fell, they wouldn't be near the top ten right now.
     7) Chargers (5-3) (3): Man, it's tough being the Chargers.  They are a very good team with an incredible defense and a rebooted offense.  Philip Rivers has been great, and Branden Oliver has proven himself worthy of a starting running back role.  However, they are in a TOUGH division, and losing against both the Chiefs and Broncos could come back to hurt them in the future, even though neither is a bad loss.
     6) Lions (6-2) (14): They've been down 21-0 at halftime two weeks in a row and have pulled out both games.  If that isn't resilience, I don't know what is.  Their second half display in England against the Falcons was truly impressive.  Stafford has been shaky, but that's more because all his weapons are hurt than him being a poor QB, which he definitely isn't.  The defense is still playing fantastic, which has the Lions on top of the NFC North.
     5) Cowboys (6-2) (11): It's official.  I don't know what universe we're living in, but apparently it's one that warrants a six spot increase into the top five for a team that lost at home to the Redskins.  However, simply because of how jumbled everyone is and the lack of "great" teams, this spot is warranted.  DeMarco Murray is the best back in the league this year, and it isn't that close (for me Matt Forte is second, but there's definitely debate over that).  This ranking is more based on their huge win IN SEATTLE, becoming only the second team to do that in the last three years.  The defense is millions of times better than it was expected to be, and ultimately the Cowboys are a really good team.
     4) Eagles (5-2) (5): Despite how good the Cowboys have been, it just isn't enough to claim the spot of top NFC East team.  No more NFC least.  The Eagles fell in a very close game against the Cardinals last week, and had a shot at the end that they just couldn't pull out.  Despite that, they still have an incredible special teams, and you have to love them if LeSean McCoy can return to form.
     3) Patriots (6-2) (12): Officially, this is the jump of the week, since the Patriots went up nine spots.  I remember clearly the beginning of the year, when the Patriots looked like a defeated team and a done dynasty.  Perhaps we said this too soon, however.  Rob Gronkowski has played very well, and Brandon Lafell has given Tom Brady a much needed target, but by far the biggest adjustment has been with Tom Brady himself.  Say what you want about him, but the numbers don't lie, and Tom had 14 touchdowns without throwing a pick this October.
     2) Cardinals (6-1) (7): John Brown's game winning touchdown gave the Cardinals a crucial win, but really only solidified what we've known this whole year: the Cardinals are a force to be reckoned with.  The aggressive defensive play calling worked perfectly against the ultra fast and aggressive Eagles, leaving us to wonder just how far the Cardinals can go.
     1) Broncos (6-1) (2): By far, the Broncos are the best team in this league.  We all know how good the offense is.  It's scary good.  Like, we didn't know it was possible to be this good.  No matter who they play, they put up points and seem to blow by them.  They beat the Cardinals by 21, and they're #2 on this list.  Chargers?  No problem.  49ers?  Easy.  Chiefs?  Sure thing.  The Broncos' only loss was in overtime in Seattle, which is easily excused.  Peyton Manning's team is easily the Super Bowl favorite at this stage in the year.

Thanks for reading,
Connor
   
   

NFL Week 6 Power Rankings

     Weeks 4 and 5 of the NFL season produced quite the show.  The remaining undefeated teams all fell, the Patriots were on both sides of blowouts, and the Buccaneers actually looked like an NFL football team instead of the youth squad that showed up for the first three games.  There has been overall a large shakeup in the rankings, proving just how much of a difference two games can make.  Here are the week 6 power rankings.
     32) Jaguars (0-5) (Week 4 Rank: 32): The Jaguars have looked a little better since playing Blake Bortles, but overall they still have one of the NFL's worst offenses and worst defenses.
     31) Raiders (0-4) (30): The Raiders have fired their head coach Dennis Allen, and I'm not sure how much good it does them in the end.  The Raiders have a long string of problems, and the coach is only one of them.  Losing by 24 to the Lions doesn't bode well.
     30) Jets (1-4) (21): Geno Smith has played very poorly, but Michael Vick didn't perform much better.  They got shutout by the Chargers, and life shouldn't get any easier in a matchup against the Broncos next week.
     29) Titans (1-4) (28): The Titans lost Jake Locker last week against the Browns and followed it up by blowing a 25 point lead, for the third largest meltdown in NFL history.  And if that happens against the Browns, I don't want to see them play better teams.
     28) Buccaneers (1-4) (31): It was surprisingly a strong two weeks down in Tampa.  They pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season by beating the Steelers in week 4, and nearly beat the Saints in week 5.  The NFC South is so weak that somehow I'm willing to put them back into contention if they keep Mike Glennon at QB.
     27) Redskins (1-4) (25): Their loss against the Giants was no better than pathetic, but they were able to make up for it by playing a decent game against the Seahawks.  However, they pick up two losses and in the tough NFC East (hey the NFC East is good again!) they're all but done.
     26) St. Louis Rams (1-3) (29): Somehow the Rams manage to move up in the rankings by losing.  They're a better team than they get credit for, and Austin Davis is actually not that bad at QB.  They're main problem is that the Rams are losing close games that could be Ws, most recently against the Eagles 34-28 last week.
     25) Vikings (2-3) (27): The Vikings have managed to find ways to survive without Adrian Peterson, picking up a huge win against the Falcons in week 4.  Matt Asiata has been better than expected, especially in the passing game.  The Vikes aren't going to be the cellar dwellers that they were supposed to be.  However, they aren't good either.
     24) Saints (2-3) (19): Oh how the mighty have fallen.  The Saints are 0-3 on the road, and got destroyed by the Cowboys.  Somehow they managed to beat the Bucs in OT, and could really be 1-4. They are a bad team this season, but then again, they are in the NFC South and they do have Drew Brees.  They could turn it around, but it doesn't look good.
     23) Browns (2-2) (22): No Johnny Football in Cleveland so far.  Brian Hoyer has done an adequate job leading the Browns and they've been playing alright.  Props to them for being decent, but decent doesn't cut it in the NFL.  And nice 25 point comeback, although they really shouldn't have been down 25 to the abysmal Titans in the first place.
     22) Dolphins (2-2) (26): The only game for the Dolphins in the last two weeks was a 38-14 domination of the Raiders.  Congrats, you beat Oakland in London.  I'll give you a bit of a boost, but now I want to see you beat a real team.
     21) Bears (2-3) (10): The Bears are the first huge slide in the rankings.  On paper, losing to the Packers and Panthers isn't that bad, but they just haven't looked the same in those games, and Jay Cutler has gone Mr. Hyde over the last two weeks.  Da Bears are going to need a win soon, but they'll have to go in Atlanta to do it.
     20) Falcons (2-3) (7): Speaking of huge slides, none is bigger than the horrendous -13 drop the Falcons have suffered is well deserved.  They allowed 42 in a loss to the Vikings, and then were mostly ineffective in their loss against the Giants.  Similar to the Saints, they can't win on the road.
     19) Bills (3-2) (15): The Bills are sitting on top of the AFC East, playing off of a poor start by the Patriots.  They were able to get a nice win against the Lions, however that was mostly due to the 0-3 field goals of Alex Henery, who was recently cut.  Their drop is more about other teams performing well than them playing poorly.
     18) Panthers (3-2) (14): The Panthers win the award for most confusing team so far in my books.  Every week a different team seems to show up.  The last two weeks have seen a 28 point blowout loss to the Ravens and a close win over the Bears.  Their next two games on the road against the Bengals and Packers should be huge tests and will say a lot about who the Panthers are.
     17) Steelers (3-2) (11): It's been a very disappointing pair of games for the Steelers.  They played two teams that came into the matchup winless and came out only 1-1 with a +5 point differential.  Any team that loses to the Bucs is not a strong team in my book, and they were the first team to score less than 34 against the Jaguars, only scoring 17.  Who knows how far they would drop if they lost that game.
     16) Houston Texans (3-2) (24): The Texans defense is for real, and J.J. Watt should be considered in the MVP race this season.  However, their offense is most definitely not for real.  Ryan Fitzpatrick isn't getting it done.  The Texans defense is keeping them in games, and got them a big win against the Bills.  They followed up by losing a close OT game in Dallas.  Now only if the offense would show up.
     15) Chiefs (2-3) (20): I'm a lot higher on the Chiefs than a lot of people are.  They showed a lot of toughness in their 41-14 thrashing of the Patriots and I don't think they should be punished for a five point loss in San Francisco.  Knile Davis has performed very well in the absence of Jamaal Charles, and lets not forget they do have a strong defense.
     14) Lions (3-2) (13): I have no idea what happened to the Lions over the offseason, but it's weird.  Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin has done a tremendous job turning the Lions D into *gasp* one of the better defenses in football.  However, the big problem has been putting points up on the board. Much of that can be attributed to kicker Alex Henery, who went 0-3 losing them a game against the Bills.  Now the Lions need to focus on the health of Megatron.
     13) Giants (3-2) (23): My Giants are on a 3 game win streak!  It's been a great three games for Eli Manning, with nine touchdowns versus only one interception.  Rashad Jennings has been an effective runner, and Andre Williams is an adequate backup.  Odell Beckham Jr. is finally playing and looks good, and the defense is strong.  Things are looking up for Big Blue.  And by the way, how come when the Giants crush the Redskins it's because the Redskins suck and when the Seahawks beat the Redskins by seven it's all Russell Wilson?  Bias much?
     12) Patriots (3-2) (8): I don't know what to make of the Patriots, but I think it's at least a good sign that they have managed to pick up three wins so far, and that they managed to crush the last undefeated team in the NFL.  The offense is still relatively weak, but at least things are looking better now.
     Just a quick note: the next five or six teams are really interchangeable as not much separates them, so don't take the specific numbers too seriously.
     11) Cowboys (4-1) (18): The Cowboys have managed to be a strong team, holding a strong 4-1 record.  However, despite the strong offense and the incredible performance by DeMarco Murray this season, I'm not ready to stick them in the top six or seven like I've seen from some other people.  They're barely escaping with wins, so until they really start destroying people they won't go much higher.
     10) 49ers (3-2) (16): Two strong wins have the Niners up into the top ten this week.  They're only third in their division, but Kaepernick is starting to get his turnovers under control and the team is gaining ground and confidence.
     9) Ravens (3-2) (9): The Ravens haven't moved anywhere in the rankings this week.  They played the Colts to a close 20-13 loss which is solid considering how the Colts are a very strong team with an elite quarterback.  However, they definitely make up for it with a 38-10 win over the Panthers.  The running back situation still confuses me, but as a whole they look like a solid playoff contender.
     8) Packers (3-2) (17): The Packers have finally returned!  But seriously, the last two weeks have really shown an adjusted Packers team who have found themselves.  Eddie Lacy has had a strong two weeks, and all of a sudden the Packers are in a tie for the division lead.
     7) Cardinals (3-1) (4): It looks like Drew Stanton can't win every game.  Peyton Manning was the man to tear apart the Cardinals defense, but then again Peyton does that to everyone, so that's really not that bad a thing for the Cards.  They are still tied with the Seahawks, but they need Carson Palmer back.
     6) Colts (3-2) (12): If I said it once, I'll say it again: Andrew Luck is really good.  So are the receivers, and Bradshaw has really flourished in the Indianapolis offense.  They had an impressive win against a strong Ravens team and have recovered from an 0-2 start.  The Colts should be a strong playoff contender come December.
     5) Eagles (4-1) (5): The Eagles are in a similar boat as the Cowboys in the sense that they're winning close games against less than great opponents and they don't have a strong defense.  LeSean Mccoy has had a disappointing start to his season and the Eagles have offensive line struggles, but they're still a good team.  Sunday night's Eagles vs. Giants matchup will be a big one.
     4) Bengals (3-1) (1): The last remaining undefeated team in the NFL ran into a storm when they played a fired up Patriots team that came angry and came to play.  However, I still believe the Bengals are a very strong team.  The Bengals will have a very hard stretch coming up against the Panthers, Colts, and Ravens, and two wins over that stretch will cement the Bengals' status as a strong contender.
     3) Chargers (4-1) (6): The Chargers believe they are the best team in the NFL, and they very well may be.  They're coming off a 31-0 shutout of the Jets, and have only allowed 12.4 points per game thus far.  Philip Rivers is having an incredible season and Branden Oliver is the fantasy pickup of the week.  It's smooth sailing for the bolts week 6 against the Raiders.  I'm just waiting for them to go into Denver in week 8.
     2) Broncos (3-1) (3): Peyton Manning is closing in on the all-time passing touchdowns record, and should pass Brett Favre in the next two or three games.  This is such a talented team that it's really hard to imagine them not going back to the Super Bowl, despite teams such as the Chargers and Colts hot to stop them.  They have an easy matchup against the Jets next week, but then they take on the 49ers and Chargers in tough games.
     1) Seahawks (3-1) (2): It could've been prettier, but the Seahawks ended up victorious in D.C., defeating the Redskins last week.  Russell Wilson is playing incredibly smart football, and leading the Seahawks to another successful season.  The Bengals loss was all it took to bump Seattle into the top spot this week.
   
Thanks for reading,
Connor

NFL Power Rankings Post-Week 3

     Three weeks have gone by so far in this NFL season, and I think it's safe to say it hasn't gone as planned.  Everyone's sleeper pick, the Buccaneers, have played horrendously, most recently in a 56-14 loss to the Falcons.  Typical playoff teams such as the Saints, Packers, Colts, and 49ers are all struggling at 1-2, and the three remaining undefeated teams - the Bengals, Cardinals, and Eagles, weren't supposed to be even top 5 teams entering the season.
     So where does that leave us?  Who is the best team in the league from what we've seen so far?  The worst?  The two big problems in my opinion with power rankings are that 1) people seem to be slaves to what teams have the best rosters, and should be the best, rather than the best, and 2) people are also slaves to the most recent week, overvaluing a team for a strong performance in one week, when the overall team is actually very poor.  I'm going to attempt to avoid these biases by seeing each team not based on their legacies but performance in only the given season, and by releasing power rankings every other week, in order to have more information to adjust the rankings properly, rather than overvaluing a single performance.
     Now that the formalities are out of the way, let's get down to business.  Here are my NFL power rankings through three weeks of football.
     32) Jacksonville Jaguars (0-3) : It's been a pretty horrible year for the Jags.  They're 30th in scoring, and dead last 32nd in points allowed.  Last week they lost at home by 27 to the Colts, and trailed 30-0 at halftime.  They have no offensive line, which translates into no running game.  They lack any real big time players, and will need Blake Bortles to come in and really perform at quarterback to pick up a few wins.
     31) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-3) : Quite simply, the Bucs are a horrible team in a division with three teams that all have playoff potential.  Everyone thought the new coach Lovie Smith and a strong defense would make this team a contender, but let's just face it: they allowed 56 points last week.  They are only very slightly better than Jacksonville.
     30) Oakland Raiders (0-3) : Come on.  I couldn't put a team with a win below Oakland.  The Raiders did have a strong performance against the Patriots last week, taking that game to the wire in New England, but the other two games weren't as pretty.  While Derek Carr's been decent, he doesn't have the weapons to help him.  Hopefully something changes soon, or it will be another long season for Oakland.
     29) St. Louis Rams (1-2) : To be perfectly honest, I feel rating the Rams this low might be a little harsh.  They played a good game for the most part against the Cowboys in week 3, and really should've won.  But they've failed to convert on good drives this season.  The Rams are 26th in points scored, but tenth in offensive yards.  There's also the fact that they're starting a 3rd string quarterback and that they got blown out 34-6 by the Vikings.  The Vikings.
     28) Tennessee Titans (1-2) : I would like to introduce to you the cycle of the Titans.  The Titans are projected in the pre-season to be a surprise team.  Then they have a relatively disappointing start, and finish somewhere around .500.  Then the cycle repeats.  As a result, for the last five seasons , the Titans have finished between 6-9 wins every year.  This year looks similar, although I'd bet on the lower end of the scale, and around 6 wins for Tennessee.  I attribute much of it due to a lack of talented offensive skill position players.
      27) Minnesota Vikings (1-2) : Props to the Vikings for taking care of business against the Rams in week 1.  However, since then things have not been pretty.  The loss of Adrian Peterson alone likely sends this team to the cellar of the NFC North.  Their leading rusher is Cordarrelle Patterson, a WIDE  RECEIVER.  No one has 100 yards for the Vikings on the ground.  I also have concerns about the quarterback situation and how Teddy Bridgewater will perform.  They showed some signs of life against the Saints, but for now there isn't a ton to suggest the Vikings are contenders.
     26) Miami Dolphins (1-2) : See #28, Tennessee Titans.  Seriously.  The 'Fins are between 6 and 8 wins the last five seasons, and have an incredibly similar cycle, along with very similar issues including struggling young quarterbacks who really need to start performing to keep their jobs.
     25) Washington Redskins (1-2) : The Redskins are a really interesting team, because they're really the first team on this list that I can confidently say has a good offense.  If you can forget about week 1, the two games with Kirk Cousins at QB have shown a dynamic offense with a variety of weapons that has put up 37.5 points per game.  They nearly beat the Eagles in Philly as well.  However, there are far too many question marks with the defense to warrant them coming up too much higher on the last.  However, I will admit that teams 25-21 are pretty interchangeable.
     24) Houston Texans (2-1) : Wait a second.  A 2-1 team falling in the bottom ten spots?  Stop the presses!  Before you doubt me, let's look at the Texans schedule, which is the weakest in the league so far.  Their wins have come against the Redskins and Jaguars, two teams I've ranked at #32 and #25.  Their defense is pretty good, but the offense is poor at best.  Ryan Fitzpatrick was intercepted three times last week by the Giants, and Arian Foster's injury isn't helping either.
     23) New York Giants (1-2) : Speaking of the Giants, here they are, my favorite team.  Man was this last week huge for the G-Men.  I could go on a huge tangent on how that game was a near must win, but I'll save it.  The important part is this: the Giants are confident, Eli is playing better, and an away win against the Redskins this upcoming Thursday would really make things interesting.  However, the biggest point of emphasis for Big Blue is to stop paying a tribute to Plaxico Burress every week by continually shooting themselves in the foot with dumb miscues.
     22) Cleveland Browns (1-2) : Rejoice, Cleveland fans.  You finally managed to escape the bottom ten of an NFL power ranking, and it was well earned.  Knock on wood, Brian Hoyer looks like a solid starting quarterback, and Johnny Football hasn't done anything stupid in a while.  It's really a shame that they're in the best division in the NFL record-wise so far because I could see a team like this contending for the division in the AFC South, per se.  I'm sure that last second loss against Baltimore was demoralizing, and the Browns might have been even higher if that game ended in a win.
     21) New York Jets (1-2) : For me, the Jets are without a doubt the weirdest team in the league.  They haven't played a really good game yet, but they've avoided being blown out against the Packers and Bears, and they did their job defeating the Raiders.  Every game they've played has been within one score.  I'm not a fan of Geno Smith at all, and he's been terribly inconsistent, but he's been good enough to keep Michael Vick on the bench.  To be perfectly honest, they've slightly underperformed on defense for me, but I feel the running game has made up for it.  At the end of the day, I believe spot 21 is fair, and I need to see more from the Jets to evaluate them better.
     20) Kansas City Chiefs (1-2) : It's been a tale of two halves for KC and Andy Reid.  They were embarrassed in their opening week home loss to the Titans, and looked like an easy win for the Broncos for a while in week 2.  Then something changed.  The Chiefs were one fourth-and-goal touchdown away from sending that game into OT in Denver, which would've been very impressive, and handily controlled their game in Miami last week.  If that second version of the Chiefs shows up in the next few weeks, this talented team can make a run at the wild card.  I think it all starts with getting Jamaal Charles back and feeding him the pigskin.
     19) New Orleans Saints (1-2) : It's been a disappointing start for the Saints.  The real issue here is the struggles on the road which have really hurt the Saints for the past few seasons.  They lost a nailbiter in overtime against the Falcons on the road, which is excusable.  However, they also lost in Cleveland.  Then when it came time to play the home opener, the Saints won, but struggled much more than they should have against a weak Adrian Peterson-less Vikings.  Drew Brees is going to need help rebounding this season.

     18) Dallas Cowboys (2-1) : Just when you thought all hope was lost, the Cowboys managed to field a defense in their first three games, albeit not a great one.  However, since this team lost it's

best defensive players, DeMarcus Ware and Sean Lee, and the defense was awful to begin with, the defense has been better than expected.  Turnovers will be the biggest challenge to the Cowboys, and DeMarco Murray has fumbled three times already.  However, of they can start playing consistently, the offense is good enough to compete.

     17) Green Bay Packers (1-2) : It's been a tough year for the Cheeseheads thus far, and it's difficult to find one specific reason.  Eddie Lacy has been disappointing, but overall Aaron Rodgers is still putting up strong numbers.  However, this doesn't always translate to points, and the Packers looked atypically abysmal, putting up only seven points against the Lions.  This is another let's wait and see situation.  I expect the Packers to move significantly in the next few weeks.

     16) San Francisco 49ers (1-2) : After going deep in the playoffs for three consecutive seasons, the 49ers now appear to be third in the always crowded NFC West.  Colin Kaepernick has had a regression so far, along with Frank Gore, which I predicted before the season started.  The defense has been pulling much of the weight, especially in their sole win against the Cowboys.  Their losses have come against good teams, however, in the Bears and Cardinals, which keeps them from falling further.

     15) Buffalo Bills (2-1) : I could really just call the Bills an even worse version of the Dolphins and Titans' cycles, since they've spent seven of the last eight years at 6 or 7 wins, but this year looks a bit different for the only team that hasn't reached the playoffs this century.  Fred Jackson is still running strong at age 33, which is remarkable, and EJ Manuel has only one turnover thus far.  The real strength of this team lies in its pass rush, however, which is led by Mario Williams.

 It shouldn't be long before the Bills start receiving some attention for their effort, and a win against the Texans next week would really do wonders for Buffalo.

     14) Carolina Panthers (2-1) : It was all looking great for Panthers fans during this year's first two weeks.  All signs pointed to a Super Bowl contender building up from last year.  Then week 3 happened, and in a home game against the Steelers they looked dazed and confused while taking a beating.  They need to forget about that game and move forward strongly next week against the Ravens.  And P.S. Kelvin Benjamin is a monster.

     13) Detroit Lions (2-1) : I've seen a lot of people going both ways on the Lions.  Some say they're going to be great, others that they can't finish above the Bears and Packers.  Hopefully, their victory over the Packers last week 19-7 proved something to that second group of people.  I think that we can all take something really important from that victory: the Lions offense didn't play that well, but the defense more than made up for it, which is the difference this year than in years past for me when I look at the Lions.  Over the past few years the points were there, but they consistently lost games while scoring 30 points.  With the offense they have, an average defense will get them in the playoffs.  So far, they're only allowing 15 per game.
     12) Indianapolis Colts (1-2) : My highest rated team with a losing record is the Colts.  They lost tough games to two teams that rank in my top five, the Broncos and Eagles, by a combined ten points.  I don't think they should be penalized too much, because when you go past the record, I think the Colts are still the team to beat in the AFC South.  By far.  The next highest team in my power rankings is the Texans at #24.  The division is just really that bad.  Andrew Luck is really looking like a great quarterback this year, already with nine touchdown passes.  Ahmad Bradshaw has also added so much to both the run and passing games, and they tore apart the Jaguars like they should have last week.  With momentum on their side, let's see what the Colts can do.
       11) Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1) : If only they were in another division.  That phrase is really applicable to all of the NFC North, since the division will be a messy race come December.  The Steel Curtain came to town (and by town I mean Charlotte, NC) and was able to really take the Panthers out of their comfort zone in what was an enormous victory.  That performance definitely moved the Steelers up a few spots in my book.  Their offense looks improved, Big Ben is performing well, the defense is looking good too (with James Harrison coming back as well, and that means Roger Goodell is already preparing the fines) so it's looking up for the Steelers.  The only reason they can't be higher was that they were shut down in a devastating divisional 26-6 game to the Ravens, who must be placed higher.
     10) Chicago Bears (2-1) : It hasn't been pretty, but the Bears are able to find themselves 2-1 so far, and that's a success.  They slide into the top 10 this week strongly due to their incredible comeback victory against the 49ers at the new Levi's Stadium.  Before that they had lost to Buffalo, but now that Buffalo has established themselves as a solid team, that looks a lot better.  One stat that has fallen through the cracks is that the Bears have forced eight turnovers thus far, including six interceptions.  While they've been demolished by injuries, the backups in the secondary have stepped up, and Da Bears are looking good.
     9) Baltimore Ravens (2-1) : Well then, it looks some team has been able to rally and move on past the horrible Ray Rice situation.  They don't have any clear starter at running back, but luckily Justin Forsett, Bernard Pierce, and Lorenzo Taliaferro have all had one strong game.  Hey, whatever works, right?  Joe Flacco looks a lot better than his abysmal 2013 performance, one that left Ravens fans and fantasy owners alike wondering what had gone wrong, as the Ravens missed the playoffs for the first time in the Joe Flacco era.  They've already played everyone in their division once, and 2-1 is  a good start.  They've got a better defense this year than last year, and the Ravens have officially played into wild card and division conversations.
     8) New England Patriots (2-1) : Pretty boy Brady has really suffered from a lack of receivers thus far.  Julian Edelman has been really picking up the load, but after him and an often-injured Gronk, where is there to turn?  Their #2 wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins has six catches.  Basically, someone needs to step up.  However, despite these issues, they have found ways to put up points.  After a really shaky opener against the Dolphins, the Pats have shown up, only allowing 16 total points in weeks 2 and 3, and playing turnover free ball.  A Monday night test in Kansas City will be a crucial game in determining just how good the Patriots are.
     7) Atlanta Falcons (2-1) : Wow.  It's not often you get the opportunity to take your quarterback out of a game in the third quarter up 49-0, but that's the situation the Falcons were in at one stage of their 56-14 romp of the Bucs.  That's incredible, no matter who you play.  However, since I've already established the Bucs as being awful, they also came behind in the second half to beat the Saints in week 1, and their only loss comes to the undefeated Bengals on the road.  Matt Ryan could make a case for being one of the best NFL quarterbacks so far this season.  At this point it looks like a lot of good from a Falcons team that showed a lot of bad last year.
     6) San Diego Chargers (2-1) : They beat the Seahawks.  I could stop their and this position would be justified, but I'll continue.  Last week they gave the Bills their first loss.  The only loss the Chargers have is away against the Cardinals by a single point, and the Cardinals are unbeaten.  So essentially, the Chargers opponents are all 2-0 in other games this season.  That's an insane schedule.  However, a surprisingly strong defense and the comeback of Antonio Gates have worked wonders in making the Chargers look like one of the league's best teams.  Their next three games are against the Jaguars, Jets, and Raiders, so I'd imagine the Chargers won't be fallen down this list anytime soon.
     5) Philadelphia Eagles (3-0) : Here's the first of the three undefeated teams.  What can I say?  I hate the Eagles personally, but I'd be really biased if I didn't praise Chip Kelly's offense.  I don't know all the reasons why it works so well, but with the Eagles' lineup, it just does.  Now did I think they would be 3-0 after trailing 17-0 to the JAGUARS in week 1?  Heck no.  But they rebounded, winning that game 34-17, then came from behind in weeks 2 and 3 to defeat the Colts and Redskins.  They love playing in high scoring games, and usually they can find a way to outscore the other guys, and that's a great trait to have.
     4) Arizona Cardinals (3-0) : Another big surprise.  The Cardinals have managed to beat both the Giants and 49ers without starting quarterback Carson Palmer.  Plus, they have sole possession of first place possession of first place in the NFC West, which last season was football's toughest.  They beat the Chargers as well, and that's really impressive considering how strong the Chargers have come out the gates this year (get it, Antonio Gates pun).  In addition, I really like how they've been able to spread out the passing game.  The defense doesn't know what to expect, and that works in their favor. They're on bye this week, but play Denver in a can't miss week 5 matchup.
     3) Denver Broncos (2-1) : If there are such things as moral victories, the Broncos really picked one up when they took the Seattle Seahawks, who made them look more like the Jaguars in the Super Bowl, to overtime IN SEATTLE where they basically can't lose.  Peyton Manning is angry this year, and hungry for another championship.  The offense has stayed loaded, and the defense has gotten much better this year.  The Broncos will finish this season as a strong contender.  The question is how far can they go afterwards.  Week 5 against the Cardinals will be a huge preview of what a Denver playoff game might look like come January.
     2) Seattle Seahawks (2-1) : After much debate, I have finally come to the conclusion that the Seahawks aren't the best team in football based on performance thus far.  I think way too many question marks came up about the Seahawks' road ability in their loss against the Chargers, and they looked very vulnerable at home against the Broncos, although ending up with the W.  Seriously, they are near unstoppable in Seattle, but if they don't finish #1 in the conference, I don't see them winning on the road in the playoffs.  As for the team itself, it is still very strong, although a few defensive pieces have left.  They still have Sherman and most of the Legion of Boom, though.  Look for the Seahawks to come back strong in week 5 after a bye.
     1) Cincinnati Bengals (3-0) : Did someone say the new Seahawks?  The Bengals are the NFL's best defense.  They've only allowed 33 points total through three games, which is best in the league by 12.  They've proven themselves at home and on the road, and are a force to be reckoned with.  Next week they're on bye, along with everyone else in my top 4, but after that face perhaps their toughest test remaining on the schedule, away against the Patriots.  From what I've seen so far, they should be favored in that game, something very rarely said about a road team against New England.  I still don't love Andy Dalton, but he's been good enough and the rest of the team helps out.  The Bengals are the NFL's best team right now.

     Do you agree with my rankings?  What did I get wrong?  Feel free to comment and I'll reply.  Thanks for reading,
     Connor