Eagles - up and coming and aren’t old enough to know that they shouldn’t be this good
Steelers - despite what some cantankerous fans think - they have a vaunted offence and a solid front 7 on D. They get up for the big games and that’s what they’ll play come January
Small drop
Rams - they are the top of the next few teams by a hair. A swarming pass rush, protection on the back end and an excellent run game. Funny how they stunk last year with Goff and the next team’s QB while under Jeff Fisher
Vikes - same as above but with a mostly mediocre QB and a worse running game. Keenum has shocked with his performance but just waiting for him to put up a stinker and the Bridgewater chants to follow…. or is he having a later career surge #Gannon
Saints - HoF QB, amazing run game and defence playing well - that D is playing above their heads and wont last deep into the winter
Jags - see Vikings, but I WAY have less faith in their QB and more in their D
Titans - they should be higher based on skill, but they seem to play duds out of no where. Solid QB and D team.
Falcons - they may be higher come mid December as I feel they’re regaining their SB mojo from last year
Panthers - inconsistency from their O and D stifle their ceiling. On paper, they should be better, but their D is aging
Big drop
Chargers - they have the roster to go on a run. Rivers’ history of being a notorious December bum precedes him. If they forget what month it is, they will finish 10-6 and have a shot to go to the AFC finale. Excellent swarming D led by Bosa with a fringe HoF QB, great receivers and RBs.
Seahawks - a shell of their former self with 3/4 of their LoB defensive backfield out for the year. Wilson is still a stud
Chiefs - what the hell happened? It’s as if they all simultaneously forgot how to play football. The talent is there, but the confidence is gone. On paper this is a top 7 team
Ravens - subpar O, QB included with a solid if unspectacular RB. Their D is at the top of the league again - but not even in the same stratosphere as their SB winning D of the past
Lions - Stafford is a top flight QB and Tate is a top flight WR (a poor man’s A Brown). Running game is awful. Defence is average.
Small drop
Redskins - they are in almost every game but just don’t have the closing power. Cousins is a top QB and will get paid as such. Their backfield is a mess though and they can’t keep their D off of the field b/c of that. D has been a nice surprise as well. Norman’s time being injured has hurt them.
Raiders - amazing QB, RB (who looks fresher now then in September) and WRs (who unfortunately have had greasy hands all year). Their D is led by Mack, but the rest of the crew has decided it’s time to dust off the Calloways
Bills - surprise team which has been mismanaged. Solid D which has been hurt by the constant loss of the O in the time of possession game. QB mismanagement hurt a lot but the win v KC was a nice surprise. McCoy is showing his age.
Cowboys - what happened to them? Zeke is a star and is necessary for them to win, but without him it looks like they all gave up. Nice LB play on D in big D, and Dak is the real deal, but Dez and co are aging quickly and showing it.
Small drop
Packers - no ARod, no chance. Their D is down to third stringers in the secondary and up front. They’re down to their 3rd RB and once again no longer have the best QB in the game. They have had 10 minutes of total playing time with their starting 5 O linemen. With Rodgers, many of their moles are covered up, but this is a poorly constructed team. Too bad as Adams is quietly having a career year. If Rodgers comes back, they immediately jump to a top 12 team if they get a couple more healthy bodies back soon.
Texans - Watson may be runner up to the MVP-who-is-on-IR in that with him, this team is solid. That D is still amazing led by career year Clowney. If Watson and Watt were still playing, they’re top 8.
Bucs - an undisciplined Winston has hurt what was supposed to be a big year for this team. The pieces are there on both sides of the ball, but just a lost season. They should be back next year as a 9+ win team.
Small drop
Bengals - time to overhaul this sinking ship. Keep Mixon and Green and let the rest of the squad find new employment. Time to tear this mofo down.
Broncos - no starting QB, no chance. They tried to mimic the model that won their last SB led by the armless Manning, but even Manning with no arm, is better than the Simien-Lynch-Osweiller triumverant. Even the D has mailed it in this season, but their points against are more a commentary on the compete and utter lack of O.
Dolphins - Jay Cutler apparently just isn’t a winner. He looks bad. This team looks bad. They need a mulligan in drafting but Landry is a clear stud.
Small drop
Cardinals - the loss of Johnson killed them. This was already an aging team that had an 8 win ceiling, but without their top playmaker, with an aging and inept Palmer, they have no chance. Also - lost too many key defensive cogs to FA. They need a re-do, but don’t have too many holes to fill to return to competitiveness. Fitz still looks youthful.
Giants - what the hell happened? Their D is still solid based on composition, but they just lost their drive to win. Manning isn’t the problem. Losing 3 of your WRs in one week in October was - and they were scuffling at that time as well. They also aren’t far from being relevant again. They should draft a QB for Eli to train and run the greasy McAdoo Back to the Future to hang with Biff Tannen.
Small drop
Bears - they’re doing it right, but are just a ways away from relevance. Jury is out on the QB, but the RBs are legit. They don’t have a WR. That D is the right way to start. Fox will have fun with them
49ers - see above. Lynch has done a nice job starting over here. If Jimmy G is legit, they’re closer than it seems given their 1 win season
Jets - this season was a shock and does them no good for getting a good pick. Nice to see McCown play well. Anderson is a stud on the outside and the D looks good too. They are the best of the worst.
Colts - they’re here by virtue of the Browns being winless. Coaching and front office need to go. They mishandled the Luck PR situation. Brisset doesn’t look like a starer and all they have is Hilton. This is a lost team.
Browns - if they had a win, I would rank them 31 as I like how they’re building this team. They have lost some close games that a more polished team would’ve won. They’re doing it right by stressing building defence until they can nab a solid QB in a draft. Kizer doesn’t look like the guy, but there will be choices in April.
