NFL Power Rankings

My current NFL Power Rankings.

I’m going to use these rankings as the order for my 2020 NFL Mock Draft during the 2019 season. Follow @walterfootball.

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

Updated: Oct. 22

Miami Dolphins (0-6) – Previously: 32.
Don’t look now, but the Dolphins are 2-0 against the spread in their previous two games! I have a feeling the public is going to pound them as two-touchdown underdogs in Pittsburgh, and everyone will get burned in the process.

Cincinnati Bengals (0-7) – Previously: 31.
I tried to warn all of you. I really did. I said the Bengals would transform back to the Bungles if they fired Marvin Lewis, and none of you listened.

I wrote this last week and the week before, and the week before that one, and I’m going to keep on writing it as an example of the media being very stupid and incompetent when it comes to making demands of teams. The media called for Lewis’ firing, which was completely asinine, and now no one in the press will take responsibility for this horrible decision.

Washington Redskins (1-6) – Previously: 30.
Why isn’t Dwayne Haskins playing yet? Can anyone give me a legitimate answer? I know he was terrible against the Giants, but what’s the point of using Case Keenum right now?

Atlanta Falcons (1-6) – Previously: 29.
It doesn’t sound like Matt Ryan will miss much, if any action in the upcoming games. This is almost a shame, as starting Matt Schaub would ensure that the Falcons would finish with a 1-15 record, allowing them to obtain Ohio State edge rusher Chase Young in the 2020 NFL Draft.

New York Giants (2-5) – Previously: 26.
The Giants’ 10-day layoff is coming at the exact, right time. It’ll give everyone a good chance to heal. Evan Engram, Sterling Shepard and even Saquon Barkley could return in Week 7, so it’ll be exciting to see how the Giants begin to develop following their mini-bye.

I wrote this last week, and it was disappointing to see the Giants struggle so much after a week off. I suppose I shouldn’t have been too surprised, given that Pat Shurmur is such a terrible coach. He needs to be replaced this offseason.

By the way, did reporters really ask Shurmur if he was planning on benching Daniel Jones? What a dumb question. I can’t believe how stupid journalists are sometimes. Why in the world would Shurmur even entertain the notion of benching Jones?

Arizona Cardinals (3-3-1) – Previously: 27.
The Cardinals are suddenly 3-3-1. They also suddenly have a competent defense with Patrick Peterson on the field. I was initially on board with them trading Peterson, as time is running out for them to get multiple high draft choices for him, but Arizona could compete for the playoffs as early as 2020, so having him around next year would provide the same sort of boost we saw versus the Giants.

Oakland Raiders (3-3) – Previously: 25.
The Raiders were blown out in Lambeau, but some may forget that they nearly took a 17-14 lead when Derek Carr did that stupid thing where he nonsensically throws the ball at the pylon, which results in a touchback for the other team. You’d think he’d learn not to do that by now.

Tennessee Titans (3-4) – Previously: 24.
Mike Vrabel is so lucky Melvin Gordon fumbled at the goal line. His decision not to challenge an obvious Ryan Tannehill first down on the quarterback sneak was mind-boggling.

By the way, I wrote this on the NFL Game Recaps page, but I’ll repeat it here: Why aren’t there chips in the balls so we know where the spot should be? NFL players have chips in their jerseys that tell us how fast they’re running, so the league can afford to put chips in balls. Doing so would make it so we don’t have to rely on old men with bad eyesight to properly spot footballs.

San Angeles Chargers (2-5) – Previously: 28.
The Chargers stink. Their only cover this year has been against the Dolphins, which doesn’t count. Their only win besides that occurred because Adam Vinatieri couldn’t kick his way out of a paper bag. They’ve been blown out in two home games against teams with a combined record of 4-9.

That said, there’s some cause for optimism, as it sounds like left tackle Russell Okung will return to action this week. That would be the reason for the Chargers moving up in these power rankings despite losing to Ryan Tannehill.

Jacksonville Jaguars (3-4) – Previously: 23.
I’m glad the Jaguars were able to win by more than four points this past week because I was pulling the hair out of my head for three quarters, as Jacksonville floundered around and allowed the abysmal Bengals to remain in the game. The Jaguars won to remain alive at 3-4, but their defense is not very good. Jalen Ramsey is gone, their safeties suck, and Myles Jack looks like he’s running in slow motion.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-4) – Previously: 22.
Jameis Winston might be very inconsistent and downright terrible at times, but at least he can know that he wasn’t benched in favor of Ryan Tannehill like his 2015 NFL Draft counterpart was.

Denver Broncos (2-5) – Previously: 21.
The only positive moment of Joe Flacco’s night was when he tried to emulate Patrick Mahomes with the no-look pass:

I can’t believe how bad Flacco was against one of the worst defenses in the NFL. What a joke. If Drew Lock sucks, Denver should tank for Trevor Lawrence next year.

That said…

Underrated NFL Team: See why the Broncos are an underrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Pittsburgh Steelers (2-4) – Previously: 20.
Underrated NFL Team: See why the Steelers are an underrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

New York Jets (1-5) – Previously: 19.
I’m not going to overreact to Sam Darnold turning sixth sense by seeing dead people on the football field. He was great against the Cowboys the week before. I expect the Jets to rebound. Meanwhile…

Underrated NFL Team: See why the Jets are an underrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Cleveland Browns (2-4) – Previously: 17.
One of the site readers suggested something via Facebook. They recommended adding the Browns into the underrated category because Cleveland has a great pass rush, a secondary that will get healthier following the bye, and some nice offensive weapons. While all of this true, I can’t get past the idea of Freddie Kitchens weighing this team down. He’s a terrible coach, and I imagine the Browns will continue to underachieve with him.

Chicago Bears (3-3) – Previously: 12.
I’ve had the Bears listed as underrated for quite some time, but that has been incorrect. Two things have become clear: 1) Their offensive line is nowhere near as good as it was last year; Kyle Long is out, while the two tackles have regressed for some reason. 2) Akiem Hicks’ injury is a HUGE blow. Chicago isn’t stopping the run nearly as well anymore.

Buffalo Bills (5-1) – Previously: 13.
I’m very close to listing the Bills as overrated. Let’s discuss their wins:

– They trailed the Jets and mono-stricken Sam Darnold 16-0 entering the fourth quarter, when they received a boost from C.J. Mosley’s departure.

– They struggled to put away the horrible Giants, quarterbacked by the benched Eli Manning.

– They nearly lost to a Cincinnati squad that was dumpstered by the 49ers at home the previous week.

– They beat the Titans by seven even though Tennessee missed 12 points’ worth of field goals.

– They trailed the Dolphins, 14-9, and needed some sloppy Miami turnovers to beat the worst team in NFL history.

If the public bets the Bills this week, I’ll move them into the overrated teams section.

Detroit Lions (2-3-1) – Previously: 8.
I’ve had the Lions listed as underrated for several weeks, but they lost so many players to injury in the Minnesota game that the underrated designation doesn’t apply to them anymore.

Kansas City Chiefs (5-2) – Previously: 6.
This might as well have been me instead of Simba in this picture:

I had 40 DraftKings lineups in the Chiefs-Broncos showdown slate. All 40 had Patrick Mahomes. FML.

On the bright side, Mahomes should be back following the Week 12 bye. No team is challenging the Chiefs for the division, so if Mahomes misses three games or so, it won’t be the end of the world.

Los Angeles Rams (4-3) – Previously: 16.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Rams are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Seattle Seahawks (5-2) – Previously: 14.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Seahawks are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Baltimore Ravens (5-2) – Previously: 18.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Ravens are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Houston Texans (4-3) – Previously: 11.
I’ve been calling the Texans “Jekyll and Hyde,” but they’re easy to figure out. If they’re playing a team with no pass rush, they’ll have a great offensive game and probably win. If they’re playing a team that can rush the quarterback, they’ll struggle to move the chains and probably lose. This formula has worked since Week 2.

Philadelphia Eagles (3-4) – Previously: 4.
Underrated NFL Team: See why the Eagles are an underrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Minnesota Vikings (5-2) – Previously: 15.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Vikings are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Indianapolis Colts (4-2) – Previously: 9.
Man, imagine this team with Andrew Luck right now. Jacoby Brissett is playing well, but I have to think that a Luck-led Colts squad would’ve defeated the Raiders at home and Chargers on the road. It’s very likely that Indianapolis would be 6-0 with a healthy Luck at the moment.

Carolina Panthers (4-2) – Previously: 7.
I don’t know how Kyle Allen is doing it, but I’m not going to complain because I have a 60:1 prop on the Panthers winning the Super Bowl. Here’s to hoping his improbable, interception-less winning streak continues!

Dallas Cowboys (4-3) – Previously: 10.
I had the Cowboys listed as underrated heading into Week 7, as it was obvious that the public didn’t understand why Dallas had lost three in a row. I suppose the Cowboys aren’t underrated anymore following their 37-10 victory. Conversely, they’ll be overrated if some of the players who suffered injuries versus Philadelphia remain sidelined for a while. Luckily for the Cowboys, they’ll have a bye to get everyone healthy.

New Orleans Saints (6-1) – Previously: 5.
As I’ve been writing, the Saints will be the No. 2 team in these power rankings once Drew Brees returns from injury. Teddy Bridgewater is undefeated at the moment, but the Saints will need a quarterback to out-duel the Packers or cut through the 49ers in the playoffs, which is why having Brees under center during the second half of the season is so important.

Green Bay Packers (6-1) – Previously: 3.
The Packers are 6-1, and yet Davante Adams hasn’t even played in about half of their games. Aaron Rodgers is absolutely on fire now, and if he stays healthy, the Packers will be very difficult to defeat, especially if they have the officials, I mean, Lambeau magic on their side.

San Francisco 49ers (6-0) – Previously: 2.
The 49ers might get some flak for winning just 9-0 over the 49ers. Don’t pay attention to those who criticize them for that, as it was impossible to throw the ball in the deluge in Washington this past Sunday. There was standing water on the field, so the 49ers were literally playing in a swamp! San Francisco’s defense was as impressive as ever, while the offense will get a nice boost with Joe Staley set to return soon.

New England Patriots (7-0) – Previously: 1.
Will the Patriots ever play a good team this year? They have the Browns and Ravens coming up, and neither is a top-10 squad. They later go against the Chiefs, but there’s a chance Patrick Mahomes won’t be available.

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