Walt
I'm going to use these rankings as the order for my 2027 NFL Mock Draft during the early stages of the 2026 season. Follow @walterfootball.
NFL Power Rankings updated Nov. 11, 2026
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San Francisco 49ers (7-1)Team Hub - Previously: 1.
Kyle Shanahan said he wanted to run the ball 40 times against the Raiders. He ended up running it 43 times, allowing the 49ers to dismantle Las Vegas and bounce back from their ugly Week 7 loss to the Falcons. Everyone is focusing on Jeffery Simmons enhancing Chicago's defense, but it seems as though people have forgotten that the 49ers acquired DeForest Buckner as well.
If you haven't visited the site in a while, you may have noticed the new look. Yes, after nearly two decades, we've finally re-designed our site to be more modern. This was not done on a whim, but rather out of necessity because of what occurred during the 2023 NFL Draft. Our site crashed during the entire first day of the draft, which was disastrous for our revenue stream because we make more money during the draft than any other time. The site crashed because a line of code conflicted with the old format of the site, so we had to transition to this new look.
Because we lost so much money during the draft, I want to point out that you can really help support the site by paying for the ad-free version of it. It's $8.99 per month, but you'll get a super-fast site with no ads. My developer will be adding new features to paid subscribers as well, so look for that in the near future. If you don't want to pay, please spread the word about the site through word of mouth. That would also be a big help!
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Buffalo Bills (7-1)Team Hub - Previously: 2.
The Bills had a bye and have since surrendered only 16 total points in two games. However, it's impossible to know if they've improved on that side of the ball because they battled Joey Fagnano for three quarters and then Carson Wentz. We might get a slightly better idea against Geno Smith, but given how poorly he performed against the Chiefs, we may not know until a bit later.
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Jacksonville Jaguars (6-2)Team Hub - Previously: 6.
Backup quarterbacks typically have a very difficult time against top-10 defenses, and that's what we saw on Thursday night when Joey Fagnano went nearly two quarters of action without completing a single pass. The Jaguars look great at 6-2, with their only losses coming in the final seconds against the Broncos and Texans.
The Jaguars have moved into Group A as a result of the Jessie Bates and Jordan Davis trade. Go here for NFL Trade Grades.
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Chicago Bears (7-2)Team Hub - Previously: 3.
I don't know what happened to Caleb Williams between the Bears going up 14-0 and the final drive of the game. It's almost as if the sportsbooks contacted him and asked him to make sure Chicago won by fewer than six points. I'm joking, of course. Well, maybe not really. It's the only way I can explain how Williams suddenly turned into an interception machine after looking unstoppable at the beginning and the end of the game.
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Los Angeles Rams (5-4)Team Hub - Previously: 5.
The Rams won on the road, so they can't be criticized too much. However, their offense was extremely sluggish against a pedestrian defense. The Rams were just 3-of-14 on third down. It's clear that Matthew Stafford is not 100 percent, and Davante Adams is sorely missed.
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Kansas City Chiefs (6-2)Team Hub - Previously: 7.
For a few seconds, it looked like the Chiefs' season might be over. Patrick Mahomes grabbed his arm in agony, and it appeared as though Justin Fields would have to play the rest of the way. Somehow, Mahomes remained in the game and didn't miss a single snap. It reminded me of the Super Bowl victory over the Eagles, when Mahomes could barely walk, only to suddenly become unstoppable in the second half.
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Seattle Seahawks (5-4)Team Hub - Previously: 4.
The Seahawks were able to rebound from their ugly Monday night performance with a win over the Cardinals. Still, there are some troubling developments because Sam Darnold is injured, and Drew Lock has some sort of elbow tendinitis, which scared me away from betting Seattle. That's what I get for looking at medical and injury reports.
The Seattle ranking has been adjusted for these quarterback injuries.
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Cincinnati Bengals (6-2)Team Hub - Previously: 9.
Perhaps Sleepy Joe Burrow just needed to play overseas the entire time. The Bengals should consider moving to Spain or some other European country because Burrow is at his best and was completely locked in versus the Falcons.
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Detroit Lions (6-2)Team Hub - Previously: 8.
The Lions didn't have a pretty win in Miami, as their offensive line somehow struggled against the Dolphins' pass rush. However, this was a very bad spot for Detroit, coming off a win against the Vikings and heading into an overseas trip to Germany.
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Green Bay Packers (6-3)Team Hub - Previously: 12.
The Packers continue to amaze despite having absolutely no running game and a poor run defense. Despite these shortcomings, they're 6-3, and Jordan Love looks like he'd be the MVP if Josh Allen didn't exist.
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Minnesota Vikings (6-2)Team Hub - Previously: 13.
To the Minnesota fans who criticized this ranking a couple of weeks ago, you now know why I had the Vikings outside of the top 10. Their offense is terrible. They couldn't score against bad defenses, so what was going to happen against good defenses?
Minnesota should put in a trade for Kirk Cousins. I don't know if that'll help, but it's the only potential solution I can find. Plus, it would allow the Raiders to start Fernando Mendoza.
Update: The Vikings have moved up in the wake of the Cousins trade.
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Denver Broncos (7-2)Team Hub - Previously: 11.
The Broncos might be the luckiest team in the NFL. I'm sure Denver fans would disagree because of Bo Nix's injury prior to the AFC Championship, but the Broncos had no business coming away with that bizarre interception in the end zone against Carolina. That pick completely turned the game around, as the Panthers appeared to be firmly in control before the turnover, only to be dominated afterward.
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Houston Texans (3-5)Team Hub - Previously: 14.
C.J. Stroud looked great against the Chargers. I know he was battling a winless opponent, but the Chargers' defense hasn't been that bad this year. Meanwhile, Houston's defense allowed 22 points, but two touchdowns came in garbage time, so the Texans' defensive effort should be viewed positively.
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New England Patriots (5-4)Team Hub - Previously: 10.
Every team plays three games each year in which it performs way below expectations, and the loss to the Packers was certainly one of those games for New England. It felt like everything that could have gone wrong went wrong for the Patriots. Sure, their pass defense might not be any better in a rematch, but they certainly wouldn't turn the ball over a million times again. What's troubling is that the left side of the offensive line suffered injuries, so that's something to monitor heading into the Germany game.
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Baltimore Ravens (4-5)Team Hub - Previously: 26.
I have no idea why the sharps hammered the Ravens so much heading into the Thursday night game, but they lost a lot of money. Things would look very bleak for the Ravens right now if they didn't have Jacoby Brissett coming in to serve as a fill-in quarterback for the next couple of months.
I've moved the Ravens up with Brissett joining the team.
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Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2)Team Hub - Previously: 15.
The Steelers became the first team this year to overcome jet lag coming back from London. Teams were 0-3-1 straight up and 0-4 against the spread in this situation heading into this week, but Pittsburgh defied the odds with a blowout win over the Browns.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-6)Team Hub - Previously: 16.
The Buccaneers fell behind 14-0 right away, and Baker Mayfield didn't look 100 percent. And yet, Tampa Bay still somehow nearly won in Chicago. I can't explain what happened in that game, even though I watched the entire thing live.
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Washington Redskins (2-5-1)Team Hub - Previously: 17.
How in the world does Dan Quinn still have a job? I don't understand how this team continuously screws up in late-game situations. One of these debacles is bad enough, but the Redskins keep making the same mistakes and embarrassing themselves.
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New York Giants (5-2-1)Team Hub - Previously: 18.
The good news is that the Giants keep winning. The bad news is that these victories are extremely unconvincing. I can't rank the Giants in the top half of these power rankings because they would easily have a losing record if they had played against good teams.
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Dallas Cowboys (4-5)Team Hub - Previously: 19.
The Cowboys repeatedly shot themselves in the foot against the Colts, but still managed to prevail. It wasn't a pretty victory, but Dallas has now won two of its past three games. Perhaps this could be the start of a turnaround. Probably not, but Cowboys fans can only dream of some level of competence.
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Carolina Panthers (3-5)Team Hub - Previously: 20.
The Panthers bounced back nicely from two horrible performances. They lost by five points, but actually outgained the Broncos in both net yards and yards per play. Carolina was extremely unlucky with a ridiculous interception in the end zone.
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Cleveland Browns (5-4)Team Hub - Previously: 23.
The Browns once showed a lot of promise at 5-2, but they've now dropped two games in a row, and their carriage appears to be turning into a pumpkin. Granted, Deshaun Watson was sidelined, but I don't think Shedeur Sanders is much worse than him.
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Atlanta Falcons (3-6)Team Hub - Previously: 21.
Remember when everyone thought the Falcons were a legit threat to make a deep run in the playoffs? Whoops. I guess that's what happens when two NFC South teams play each other. One dominates the other, and then everyone falls in love with the winning team. And then that winning team embarrasses itself against top competition in the NFL.
Update: The Falcons have dropped because of the two trades.
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New Orleans Saints (3-5)Team Hub - Previously: 27.
Are the Saints once again going to catch fire in the second half of the season? This time, they're much closer to their divisional foes in the standings, so they'll have a legitimate chance to win the division.
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New York Jets (2-7)Team Hub - Previously: 24.
Geno Smith had a great matchup against the Chiefs, who struggled against the pass heading into this game. Kansas City was also missing its top two cornerbacks. And yet, Smith couldn't do anything, especially in the second half. There's really no point in Smith starting anymore, now that the Jets are 2-7. They might as well see what they have in Cade Klubnik. He's a fourth-round rookie, so it's not impossible that he could develop into something substantial. Either way, it's likely that the Jets will be drafting a quarterback with one of their three top-10 picks.
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Las Vegas Raiders (4-5)Team Hub - Previously: 22.
Anyone who bet the Raiders should probably contact their local law firm to recoup any money lost in this game. Las Vegas had so many opportunities to cover the spread, but lost potential touchdowns on a Michael Mayer fumble just shy of the goal line and a penalty that nullified another Mayer score. Plus, Brock Bowers lost a fumble in field goal range. It was absolutely absurd that the Raiders somehow failed to cover the spread.
Update: The Raiders have dropped because of the Kirk Cousins trade.
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Miami Dolphins (1-7)Team Hub - Previously: 30.
The Dolphins don't have much talent, but at least they're fighting hard. They've been competitive in most of their games, unlike low-effort teams like the Chargers, who are getting blown out almost every week.
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Tennessee Titans (1-7)Team Hub - Previously: 28.
The Titans lost once again, but give them credit for fighting hard this time in their second matchup against an Ohio team. It was a perfect game for the Titans, as it gave their fans hope that Cam Ward could amount to something, while they still preserved their great draft position.
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Philadelphia Eagles (2-7)Team Hub - Previously: 31.
The Eagles looked like they had a chance to upset the Giants when they went up 8-6 and Joe Milton did a backflip following a two-point conversion. That backflip turned out to be the highlight of Philadelphia's afternoon. The Eagles continue to lose, but at least the players are putting the front office in a position to potentially land Jeremiah Smith.
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Arizona Cardinals (3-6)Team Hub - Previously: 25.
I'm shocked the Cardinals didn't cover the spread at the end. I thought the Seahawks would definitely blow it when the flags flew after Gardner Minshew's pass toward Trey McBride fell incomplete in the end zone. I was actually prepared to throw some things, but then realized that the penalty occurred after the play, so the Cardinals weren't awarded a fresh set of downs.
Update: The Cardinals have dropped because of the Gardner Minshew and Michael Wilson injuries.
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Indianapolis Colts (2-7)Team Hub - Previously: 29.
It's becoming clear that the Colts can only do one thing very well, and that's run the football with Jonathan Taylor. And that's about to change because Taylor is likely to be traded. If he's not, it's pure incompetence on the part of the Colts ownership because there's absolutely no reason to keep an aging running back on a roster that's nowhere close to winning.
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San Angeles Chargers (0-8)Team Hub - Previously: 32.
The Chargers were gifted two charity touchdowns at the end of the Houston game. If those aren't counted, which they really shouldn't be, the Chargers still haven't scored a legitimate touchdown since Week 5, which is pretty insane.
Group A:
Group B:
Group C:
Group D:
Group F:
2026 NFL MVP Projection:
1. Josh Allen, QB, Bills
2. Brock Purdy, QB, 49ers
3. Jordan Love, QB, Packers
4. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs
5. Caleb Williams, QB, Bears
Go to 2027 NFL Mock Draft
NFL Picks - Nov. 12
NFL Power Rankings - Nov. 11
2027 NFL Mock Draft - Nov. 11
Fantasy Football Rankings - Sept. 7
2022 NFL Power Rankings. Week:
Post-Super Bowl Power Rankings |
Post-Free Agency Power Rankings |
Post-NFL Draft Power Rankings |
Post-Preseason Power Rankings |
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2021 NFL Power Rankings. Week: Post-Super Bowl Power Rankings | Preseason Power Rankings | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Playoffs |
2020 NFL Power Rankings. Week: Post-Super Bowl Power Rankings 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Playoffs |
2021 NFL Power Rankings. Week: Post-Super Bowl Power Rankings | Preseason Power Rankings | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Playoffs |
2020 NFL Power Rankings. Week: Post-Super Bowl Power Rankings 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Playoffs |
Charlie Campbell
Walt said the Sportsbooks wanted Caleb Williams to sandbag the middle of the game, but I call it The Law of NBC. My conspiracy theory is NBC rigs the Sunday Night games to be competitive and keep people watching
wf19a
teerible
Walt, why are the 6-0, division-leading Vikings ranked 15th? I get they’ve had shaky wins but they beat both the Bears and the Packers who you have ranked above them. Sure, Kyler Murray is kinda bad, but their defense shut down Caleb Williams and Jordan Love. Yeah, I get it’s hard to trust defensively led teams, but at a certain point you have to make it make sense.
He will always make excuses for their wins and completely ignore them. Once they lose a game he will act like that’s the proof he’s been right all along. But teams that he wants to do well like the Rams he will completely ignore every loss and just say they weren’t trying so I’m gonna act like the game never happened. Hahaha. The absolute biggest joke of a power rankings. I’ll give it to him though because I check his rankings every week just to see the worst rankings imaginable for a laugh.
Walt,
As a Browns fan, even though I find myself completely disagreeing with some of your takes, I want to thank you for calling out this team, specifically the offense, for what it is. If it wasn’t for our defense, there’s a good chance that we’re winless through 6 games. Four late game comeback wins, each in the final minute of low scoring games, does not fill me with much confidence for this season and I’m DEATHLY scared of the possibility that we may resign Watson (which imo should get AB fired if that happens, and I’m a BIG supporter of his, even through his first few years as our GM).
Fortunately, he has drafted very well over these past 2 drafts and one more good draft (that involves getting a new QB) would put as among the contenders for the AFC North. I think he’s starting to settle in as our longterm GM, but that’s as long as he avoids the urge to make stupid decisions.
Not sure if I like Monken longterm, but he has done a great job despite the disaster he has in his QB room. Overall, he’s been a boon to this team, especially the younger players.
Rutenberg looks like a good DC, but how much of it is his input vs what Schwartz already put in place????
The defense looks legit, but where you have this team ranked is pretty accurate imo because of the shotgun only offense that they have to run due to this team not being able to move on from Watson. The sooner they come to terms with that, the better.
Sanders is not the answer either, but I’d rather watch him try to prove everyone wrong (he likely won’t) than watch a “woe is me” guy who blames everyone but himself for his issues.
You do the same thing every year. You obviously want the Rams to win so they can prove you right so every single time they lose you make an excuse for it (they only lost due to some bad calls or they only lost because the other team got lucky or my favorite…. they didn’t even try to win.) So you completely ignore the fact they lost because of whatever excuse you reach for that week and keep them at the same spot. Then teams like KC and Minnesota who you obviously don’t like you just ignore all their wins because of the same kinda excuses (the other team gained more yards so they should have lost so I’m going to act like they lost) and punish them for winning just because you don’t like them. Wins and losses carry more weight than your excuses.
Ah darn, you got me. I really want the Rams to win because they’re paying me to have them rated highly in these power rankings. They could go 0-17 and I’ll have them in the top five. KC and MIN go 17-0? No way are they in the top five!
Just curious. Broncos 7-2 beating 4 of your top 7 teams. So a better record and heads up wins against Jags, Rams and Seattle. Also a stronger schedule than all of them by far. But ranked 11th. So better record even with a tougher schedule and heads up wins against all 3 teams but much worse in your rankings.
This is my first time here and.. wow. The Ravens aren’t 3-2 first off and this is the only ranking that doesn’t put them in the top 10. I think you might have smoked something before you made this list. Not to mention there were some very valid points made in the comments as well that the writer seems to lash out at with childish responses instead of poised and thought out replies. Definitely wouldn’t recommend using this site, my lord.
I find that extremely offensive. I may lash out, but I definitely don’t do so in childish fashion. I’m beginning to think you’re the childish one
What exactly do you mean by “struggling to pull away”? The Vikings won by 10 and knelt it out. They outgained their opponent by ~200 yards and held one of the NFL’s leading passers in Shough to under 100 yards. They didn’t rely on mistakes, they forced mistakes with tons of pressure. Having the Bears who they beat and the lions who have arguably the worst defense in the league both over them is impossible to defend.
It was a one-score game most of the day
Don’t waste your time trying to understand this clown. Actual wins and losses mean nothing to him. He goes by cherry picked stats that will fit the narrative he wants. Minnesota is one of the teams he doesn’t like so whenever they win he’ll search for some stat or mistake that he can blame it on and ignore the win. He does the same with KC. Then he has teams like the Rams that he does the opposite when they lose. This is more of a list of which teams he likes than it is a power rankings.
I have a suggestion. If you really want to see rankings based on wins and losses, you can go to NFL.com and click on standings. That’ll give you exactly what you want!
I remember this site back in the day, right now just found a random link to it and decided to visit it, but damnnnnnn! How can you take a site seriously that won’t even update team names and logos even though it’s been years?
Shows the owner is stuck in his ways and is inflexible and biased with his thoughts. If you can’t adapt, than you can’t see actual changes, it’s no wonder these rankings look like they been pulled out of a hat.
I’m guessing you’re referring to the Redskins. Sorry to hear that you hate Native Americans so much that you want to remove their imagery!
Where do you have the Giants Ranked about 15. You have the Jets ranked over the Giants. Who biased joke.
“Who biased joke?” Bernard, the only joke here is the public school system
Wow, Walt, did you criticize Trump and I didn’t see it? Some of these guys act like MAGAs do with all that hate when you point out valid things their cult leader did wrong. Anyway, I think there MIGHT be some validity to you letting whether you like teams or not affect your rankings of them. I think it does with the Chiefs, anyway. They should be top 3 being undefeated this year and Mahomes back to playing well again. As far as not blowing other teams out, they rarely did that even in their Super Bowl winning seasons. I don’t know why, they always seem to let inferior teams keep it close until they pull it out in the end. But then they DO pull it out in exciting fashion. That’s why they are fun to watch. Of course, I am also letting my love for them affect my rankings, but they have been an incredibly successful franchise in the Mahomes era. Last year was a fluke.
Don’t be shocked if the Bucs wind up with Arch Manning/Darian Mensah/Dante Moore next April. Baker’s new contract is moveable in 2028 (~$50 in cap savings) so he can be an expensive bridge for 1 year
List of overrated teams:
-Cleveland Browns
-Las Vegas Raiders
-Pittsburgh Steelers
-Minnesota Vikings
-New York Giants
-Detroit Lions
List of underrated teams:
-Tampa Bay Buccaneers, even if you’re not going to include them. They could easily be 3-1 right now.
-Cincinnati Bengals
-New England Patriots
-Atlanta Falcons
-Dallas Cowboys, for once.
Until further notice, I am DONE with Walter football.com. I used to be a regular visitor, but lack of quality and clownish “hot takes” have earned y’all this. Everyone don’t waste your time closing ads just to waste more time reading a subpar article. Go to YouTube. Better quality and more entertaining than the mess they put out here!
We actually have the best power rankings in the business. Sorry to hear that I hurt your feelings by ranking your team too low!
“The Broncos are 2-1, but they got outgained by the Rams, 482-257 in net yards and averaged only 4.3 yards per play compared to the Rams’ 5.9. The officials gave Denver the victory on a silver platter with a bogus interception at the end.”
Damn!!! You sound big mad!!! Do you want a cookie????
This guy is a complete clown. He has teams he doesn’t like and when this teams win all he does is go to the box score and search for something that the other team did better and say they should have lost because of that. Then he always throws in some bad calls. He’s the complete opposite with the teams he likes. Looks for any stat that he can point to and say they should have won because of this stat and again throws in the blaming the refs for the loss.
You are 1000% correct. This whole website has clown vibes!
Sorry I hurt your feelings when I ranked your team too low, Sean. If you have an actual case to make about a team, I’m all ears
I really do enjoy coming here every season to get a good laugh. It’s always so obvious as to which teams you like and which teams you don’t. The teams you do like you always make excuses for their losses (“if not for some bad calls they would have won”) and the ones you don’t you always make excuses for their wins (“if not for some bad calls this team would have lost”) and if you didn’t do it for the same teams every year somebody might actually believe you
The Bills being named the best team in the AFC after that Detroit demolition feels right — it was as complete a performance as I’ve seen from them, and they made it look easy. I can’t get on the Rams for losing in Australia either, because that kind of travel genuinely drains you before the game even starts, no matter the roster. I’d been messing around on https://1dollardeposit.com before this and honestly, this breakdown was a far better use of my attention span.
I love this time of the season. Walt’s NFL Power Rankings come into first contact with the season. Not an easy business. I guess the Rams may have been a tad high, Seattle a tad low…maybe (TBD), 49ers a tad low. Patriots probably at the right spot.