Last week’s slate of NFL games broke records amongst its tightly contested games and tragic moments. Now past the midway point of the season, we’re beginning to see what teams are really made of and who might be battling for a wild card spot at season’s end. Some teams are blowing things up, while others are stacking up in the hopes of creating contending rosters. A lot has happened over the past week, so let’s take a look at how the top teams fared in this week’s NFL power rankings.
- Philadelphia Eagles
The defending champs had arguably their most important game of the season in Green Bay on Monday, Nov. 10, defeating the Packers in one of the more underwhelming games of the season. There’s still a tight race for the NFC’s top seed as the game against the Packers gave the Birds an edge over the Bucs and Seahawks, who shared the same record. Philly’s front office made it clear that defence was a priority thanks to a series of acquisitions, including Jaelan Phillips, Michael Carter II and Jaire Alexander — all players who can be a part of their defensive rotation down the stretch. Despite a relatively difficult remaining schedule, the Eagles still possess the most dangerous offensive lineup in the league. If Jalen Hurts can continue his steady play, there’s no question that the Eagles will be ready to defend their title come Super Bowl season.
- Buffalo Bills
The Bills are in the middle of a battle for the AFC East title against the Patriots, who are on a mission to reclaim a division that was once theirs. Although New England took the first matchup of the season, the rematch doesn’t take place until week 15, giving the Bills time to make up some ground with a few big wins. An upcoming flip-flop of competition against the Bucs and the Texans is approaching for a team that needs every win it can get to secure its desired playoff seeding. Josh Allen is still playing as an M.V.P., but James Cook’s injury could come back to haunt them if he isn’t present for upcoming games.
- Indianapolis Colts
It looks as though the Colts are going all in after the acquisition of Sauce Gardner catapulted their secondary to new heights. With that being said, the Colts suffered an eyebrow-raising loss at the hands of the Steelers in week nine. With only two losses this season, the one against Pittsburgh showed some glaring issues with the number of turnovers the offence had, coupled with a lack of structure on the offensive line. The Colts bounced back in their game, playing in Berlin against the Falcons. It’s easy to write this team off as a fraud, but Daniel Jones has proven this season that he can lead this team against solid opponents.
- Los Angeles Rams
The Rams have been nothing short of electric this season, playing a mish-mash schedule of mostly AFC opponents thus far. Matthew Stafford has been playing like an M.V.P. candidate, throwing for a league-best 25 touchdowns — already more than what he threw for in the previous season. More importantly, he’s managed to throw just two interceptions so far, surpassing his career averages by a marginal amount. Key factors to the Rams’ future success rely on Stafford’s continued outstanding play and their defence, which has been almost untouchable.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs have quite the remaining season ahead of them. Mike Evans just suffered a broken collarbone, leaving him out for an extended period, while four of their last five games are against divisional rivals. To this point, the Bucs have mostly done their job by winning games, but time will tell if they can live up to these expectations when the lights are at their brightest. Unfortunately, the Bucs have had bad luck with mid-season runs these past few seasons, and if they fold against division opponents, it would be no surprise to see them slip down this list in the coming weeks.
- New England Patriots
New England has continued to prove their place as a top team amongst a tight AFC. With their upcoming clash with the Bills in week 15, the Patriots should have the same goal in mind as their division rival: make up ground. The defence still looks elite despite a few injuries, and barring any long-term injuries for the offence, this Patriots team can make a splash in the playoffs if they play their cards right.
- Detroit Lions
They may not have the same records as the teams above and even below them on this list; however, the Lions are still one of the NFL’s most dangerous teams after these past nine weeks. Other than some treacherous road losses, the Lions have shown signs of a powerhouse with a dangerous offence that can come alive at any moment. Fans and media alike have been quick to write them off based on last year’s team, but that isn’t fair. Yes, they already have more losses than last year, but there’s still more than enough games left for this team to bring it together.
- Seattle Seahawks
It’s criminal how overlooked the Seahawks team has been this season. Sam Darnold is playing out of his mind, and the team’s defence has proven to be one of the most reliable in the league. In their next five games, they’ll play only one team with an above 500 record. This is the time for Seattle to show who they really are to an NFL world that is still questioning whether they are true contenders.
- Denver Broncos
Denver has cemented itself as the NFL’s most scrappy team so far. With wins that come out of nowhere, the Broncos’ will to win has propelled them into countless winning scenarios throughout their recent stretch of games. The only thing holding the Broncos back is their lack of a great offence. They rank amongst the middle of the pack in terms of overall offensive output, and without a great offence, it’s hard to view this team as a serious contender, regardless of their ability to win games in the regular season. When the playoffs roll around, Denver will need to find a way to fix their lacklustre offence.
- Green Bay Packers
If the Packers want any chance of making noise in the playoffs — let alone making it there — they must fix the issue of the run defence. In their games against the Panthers and Browns, they allowed both teams to torch them on the ground, having no answer for either team. It doesn’t help that they’ll be facing Saquon Barkley soon in a matchup that the Eagles will be licking their lips at. The Packers are still above 500, and if they want to stay alive in the playoff race, they need to fix the holes in their defence.