NFL Power Rankings – WalterFootball

My current NFL Power Rankings.

I’m going to use these rankings as the order for my 2019 NFL Mock Draft during the 2018 draft season. Follow @walterfootball.

I’ve gone from WORST to FIRST, so if you don’t see reverse numbering (via Javascript), don’t worry; the 49ers and Cardinals aren’t my top teams.

Updated: Oct. 2

San Francisco 49ers (1-3) – Previously: 32.
C.J. Beathard nearly won a game, but I need to see something like that again before I believe it. After all, we just saw the Bills go into Minnesota and destroy the Vikings. Anything can happen in the NFL, except for maybe the Chargers playing a clean game, so that would explain that result.

Arizona Cardinals (0-4) – Previously: 31.
Josh Rosen played very well in his first start despite losing to the Seahawks. However, the Cardinals have reached a new low in their franchise history, as they are four-point underdogs against C.J. Beathard next week. I repeat: Four-point dogs versus Beathard!

Buffalo Bills (1-3) – Previously: 30.
So, I’m guessing the win over the Vikings was a fluke? The Bills had no chance to beat the Packers despite a one-legged Aaron Rodgers missing throws he’d usually complete with ease. Josh Allen was miserable against a defense that isn’t very good. Buffalo has a long way to go, though if the fans are patient with Allen, it could really pay off. Or, they could just torture themselves for no reason. Guess we’ll see!

New York Jets (1-3) – Previously: 27.
If the Jets cared about winning right now, they’d let Josh McCown start. That, understandably, is not the priority at the moment, as Darnold needs as much experience as possible so that he stops checking the ball down on almost every throw. Plus, the Jets are now live to land Nick Bosa in the wake of Oakland’s victory. The Jets’ defense was putrid at Jacksonville, as it’s evident that a dynamic edge rusher is needed.

New York Giants (1-3) – Previously: 26.
One of the Saints coaches called Eli Manning “the slowest player in the NFL,” and I’m wondering if he was talking about Manning’s speed. Zing! Anyway, this loss was a good one for the Giants, as they’ve improved their chances of landing Justin Herbert, as I have happening in my 2019 NFL Mock Draft. The Giants need Herbert, as I counted five horrible passes from Manning in what should’ve been a close game versus the Saints.

Oakland Raiders (1-3) – Previously: 29.
The Raiders finally won, albeit in fluky fashion, thanks to some of the worst officiating you’ll ever see. They better be careful racking up too many victories, or they’ll lose out on Nick Bosa.

That said, there seems to be optimism in the front office:

Detroit Lions (1-3) – Previously: 28.
Give credit to the Lions: I thought they’d be very flat following their “Super Bowl” win over the Patriots, but they fought Dallas very hard. It’s too bad though that the Lions’ great effort can’t translate into better defensive play, as Detroit allowed Dallas to score more than 20 points in a game for the first time all year.

Dallas Cowboys (2-2) – Previously: 21.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Cowboys are an overrated NFL team in our new Overrated-Underrated page.

Seattle Seahawks (2-2) – Previously: 23.
Earl Thomas’ injury severely downgrades the Seahawks. Not just in these power rankings, but also their long-term outlook. They’ve lost out an opportunity to trade for him, which begs the question: What the hell were they waiting for? Why didn’t they trade Thomas and instead risk injury like this? That’s not even speaking in hindsight; it’s just pure logic.

Indianapolis Colts (1-3) – Previously: 25.
It was a pretty bad day for Andrew Luck:

Oh, you’re talking about the fourth-down miss? I don’t know, I feel like being aborted is far worse!

In all seriousness, I thought the decision was pretty bad. The Colts were playing for a win, but even if they converted, there was no guarantee they’d be victorious. Tying might have actually been beneficial during the playoff race, while a divisional loss could prove to be costly.

Houston Texans (1-3) – Previously: 24.
Bill O’Brien should send Frank Reich a gift basket for putting the spotlight on him for going for it on fourth down in overtime. This saved O’Brien from perhaps getting fired at 0-4. O’Brien had some major time and game management gaffes late in regulation that helped get the Colts to overtime. I won’t delve into it because I’m tired about writing how much O’Brien sucks.

Denver Broncos (2-2) – Previously: 22.
The Monday night loss to the Chiefs could be very damaging to the Broncos’ psyche going forward. They threw the kitchen sink at the Chiefs and played very well, yet came up short. They may struggle on a short travel week, and if they lose to the Jets as a result, they’ll be in a big hole at 2-3 with a game versus the Rams coming up.

Miami Dolphins (3-1) – Previously: 20.
When I placed my 35:1 bet on the Chiefs to win the Super Bowl at the Rio, I was talking to the guy at the counter who happened to be a Dolphins fan. He was depressed about his team, but I told him that the Dolphins could start 2-0 because, “It’ll be too hot for the Titans in Week 1, and then the Jets will be looking ahead to their Thursday night game in Week 2.” I gave him my card, so hopefully he remembers that and becomes a frequent visitor of the site!

I’ve been posting this for a while as a reason to show you why the Dolphins were ranked in the 20s this whole time despite their previously unblemished record.

Welp. So much for that. Meanwhile, the Dolphins are considering a logo change to emulate the feelings that their fans have right now:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-2) – Previously: 19.
Ryan Fitzpatrick is on pace to throw for 6,560 yards and 58 touchdowns this season. – last week’s power rankings.

R.I.P. Ryan Fitzmagic: Week 1, 2018-Week 4, 2018 – this week’s power rankings.

It’s amazing how much can change in six days. Fitzpatrick is likely done as a starter, so maybe Jameis Winston can help stop the bleeding.

Los Angeles Chargers (2-2) – Previously: 14.
I’m so sick of this Charger team, as they’ve cost me 14.3 units over the past two weeks. In fact, I nearly marked them down 1-3 without thinking. They stink. They have some very talented players, but they’ve very poorly coached and find ways to make new mistakes every week. How could they barely beat the C.J. Beathard-led 49ers? What an absolutely pathetic showing! If I were Roger Goodell, I’d strip the Chargers of their second win and force them into a 1-3 record.

Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2-1) – Previously: 18.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Steelers are an overrated NFL team in our new Overrated-Underrated page.

Cleveland Browns (1-2-1) – Previously: 16.
I wrote earlier that Roger Goodell should step in and downgrade the Chargers to 1-3 from 2-2 for nearly losing to C.J. Beathard. I think Goodell should do the opposite with the Browns. Rather than 1-2-1, Cleveland should be 2-1-1. The Browns were absolutely screwed by that replay reversal against the Raiders. If the NFL can screw up replay reviews like this, they might as well not have any replay reviews at all. The Browns should’ve won, thanks to a strong first NFL start by Baker Mayfield.

Minnesota Vikings (1-2-1) – Previously: 7.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Vikings are an overrated NFL team in our new Overrated-Underrated page.

Atlanta Falcons (1-3) – Previously: 12.
The Falcons, for the first time all year, are not listed as an overrated team. They’re now 1-3, having lost two of three games in their home stand. They have some major defensive issues, which people are finally beginning to realize. Not having either safety is huge, while Deion Jones’ absence is especially significant. Look at what happened to the Steelers without Ryan Shazier. Jones’ injury is having a similar impact.

Green Bay Packers (2-1-1) – Previously: 6.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Packers are an overrated NFL team in our new Overrated-Underrated page.

Washington Redskins (2-1) – Previously: 15.
I’ve been listing the Redskins as underrated, but in the wake of their victory over the Packers, the NFL Network analysts were opining that they are the best team in the NFC East. I guess Washington’s not so underrated anymore! The Redskins have a good chance to win the division for sure, especially if the Eagles’ complacency continues to linger. At the same token, the Redskins also have a good chance to be one-and-done in the playoffs, based on Alex Smith’s history.

Carolina Panthers (2-1) – Previously: 13.
The Panthers didn’t play, but they had a nice bye week because they signed Eric Reid. Their secondary was the weakest part of their roster, and while Reid doesn’t solve nearly all of their problems, he’ll provide a nice boost. Reid will miss some tackles, but he’s very good in coverage.

Jacksonville Jaguars (3-1) – Previously: 10.
Blake Bortles sucks. I really don’t want another Jaguar fan defending him in the comment board ever again. He really sucks. Oh, and leave it to fellow first-round bust Dante Fowler to upgrade Tennessee’s quarterbacking situation by injuring Blaine Gabbert, Nice going.

I wrote this last week, and it still applies. Bortles had a solid game against the Jets, but it seemed like the New York players were simply melting in the hot Jacksonville 85-degree sun while wearing their dark jerseys. We’ve seen Bortles thrive versus trash opponents at home before. This is nothing new.

Tennessee Titans (3-1) – Previously: 17.
I nearly put the Titans on the overrated list. Here’s why:

There are few things that make a team overrated more than a win over a defending Super Bowl champion. I figured the Eagles would be lethargic entering the Tennessee contest, and that appeared to be the case. And yet, the Eagles were up two touchdowns at one point, but because Carson Wentz had a sloppy fumble, that prompted a Tennessee comeback. The Eagles had the Titans seemingly beaten on numerous occasions, but Tennessee converted fourth down after fourth down. The Titans got the win, but it was costly. They lost some key defensive players, including Wesley Woodyard, their defensive team leader, and Kenny Vaccaro, a solid safety.

However, Tennessee is well coached and plays great defense, plus it’s only had its quarterback healthy for six quarters thus far.

Chicago Bears (3-1) – Previously: 11.
Underrated NFL Team: See why the Bears are an underrated NFL team in our new Overrated-Underrated page.

Baltimore Ravens (3-1) – Previously: 9.
As I wrote last year, Baltimore’s win over Denver was way more impressive than people realize. The Ravens were missing their best defensive player, C.J. Mosley, whose absence allowed Andy Dalton to dissect the Baltimore defense in Week 2. I expected the Broncos to have more success versus Baltimore because of Mosley’s absence, but the Ravens clamped down on him. Thus, it was no surprise that the Ravens dismantled the Steelers in the second half. They won 26-14, but remember, had they not fumbled at the 1-yard line, the result could’ve been 33-14. The Ravens are very good, and they’ll be a threat to reach the Super Bowl, especially given their positive track record versus Tom Brady.

Cincinnati Bengals (3-1) – Previously: 8.
Underrated NFL Team: See why the Bengals are an underrated NFL team in our new Overrated-Underrated page.

New Orleans Saints (3-1) – Previously: 5.
The Saints struggled to put the Giants away, owning just a 12-7 lead in the third quarter. However, they outgained the Giants by a wide margin, and the only reason the game was close was because New Orleans had so many miscues in the red zone. I wouldn’t be worried about that, especially with Mark Ingram set to return in Week 5. Plus, the Saints aren’t as good outside. They’re in sole possession of first place in their division, so they may not have to worry about going outside in the playoffs until at least the NFC Championship.

Los Angeles Rams (4-0) – Previously: 4.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Rams are an overrated NFL team in our new Overrated-Underrated page.

Kansas City Chiefs (4-0) – Previously: 2.
Can I downgrade a team for a win? Patrick Mahomes was absolutely incredible, but the Broncos ran the ball at will against Kansas City. If a mediocre offense like Denver can give the Chiefs problem, what’s going to happen against better offenses? Umm… I guess Mahomes will out-score them, I guess? Something to keep in mind is that Eric Berry will be back soon, so he’ll provide a huge boost.

New England Patriots (2-2) – Previously: 3.
It wasn’t going to take a couple of September losses to move the Patriots down at all. They’ve been 2-2 before and went on to be world champions. They were 2-2 last year, actually, and they at least went to the Super Bowl.

Things figure to improve going forward. Trey Flowers is healthy again, while Julian Edelman will return from suspension. Rob Gronkowski got banged up, but he won’t miss too much action in all likelihood.

Philadelphia Eagles (2-2) – Previously: 1.
Underrated NFL Team: See why the Eagles are an underrated NFL team in our new Overrated-Underrated page.