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: Nov. 12

Miami Dolphins (2-7) – Previously: 32.
The Dolphins are still the worst team in NFL history despite their two victories. I don’t know how they’re winning. I know Brian Hoyer basically gave Miami the win with his horrible play, but the Dolphins don’t have NFL-caliber personnel on their roster. Many players starting for them would be practice squad players on other NFL teams, so it’s truly remarkable that Brian Flores is able to win with his garbage roster.

Remarkable and stupid. The Dolphins apparently are so bad that they can’t even tank right. So long, Tua.

Cincinnati Bengals (0-9) – Previously: 31.
The Bengals shouldn’t have fired Marvin Lewis, yadda yadda yadda. Cincinnati will at least be in a position to select the quarterback of its choosing atop the 2020 NFL Draft, whether that’s Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert or Joe Dalton.

Denver Broncos (3-6) – Previously: 28.
I suppose we’ll see Drew Lock sometime soon. I don’t have high hopes for him, so it wouldn’t surprise me if the Broncos finished the year with just three or four wins.

New York Giants (2-8) – Previously: 26.
The Giants were the true victors of the Battle of New York, as they’ll likely be in a great spot to land the top tackle in the 2020 NFL Draft, Andrew Thomas. For more on Thomas and the 2020 NFL Draft, check out my 2020 NFL Mock Draft.

New York Jets (2-7) – Previously: 30.
The Jets are getting a bit healthier, which would explain their victory over the Giants. This, however, was a true defeat for the Jets, who lost out on precious draft positioning that they worked so hard to obtain earlier in the season. That said, Sam Darnold apparently thinks the Jets can still make the playoffs. I suppose that could happen, just like I could score a date with porn star Dani Daniels and win a billion dollars in the lottery without buying a ticket.

Washington Redskins (1-8) – Previously: 27.
Dwayne Haskins didn’t look terrible against the Bills, so perhaps this is a sign that he could improve in the second half of the year. If not, I wonder if the Redskins would consider one of the top quarterbacks in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Detroit Lions (3-5-1) – Previously: 16.
‘Member when the Lions beat the Chargers and Eagles to open the year, and everyone thought they were going to the playoffs? Poor Lions. They stand no chance without Matthew Stafford, but it looked like they were heading toward a tailspin anyway.

Atlanta Falcons (2-7) – Previously: 29.
The Saints didn’t try very hard against the Falcons, who were playing their “Super Bowl” at New Orleans. However, I find myself wondering if Dan Quinn figured things out during the bye week. One victory won’t save his job, but if the Falcons continue to play well in the second half of the season and finish with six or seven wins, I could see Quinn getting another chance in 2020.

Arizona Cardinals (3-6-1) – Previously: 24.
It’s amazing that the Cardinals had three trips deep into Tampa territory in the second half, yet came away with ZERO points on all three possessions, thanks to a Maxx Williams fourth-down drop, a David Johnson fumble and a Kyler Murray interception. They covered, which is the most important thing, but they definitely could have won that game outright.

Chicago Bears (4-5) – Previously: 25.
The Bears finally won, but does it count if it came against Jeff Driskel? I’m not so sure. We’ll see if Chicago can get a second-consecutive victory over Jared Goff, who plays nearly as bad as Jeff Driskel when under heavy pressure.

San Angeles Chargers (4-6) – Previously: 19.
If you’re confused about how the Chargers beat the Packers, then lost to the Raiders, consider that the Chargers didn’t really beat the Packers. The Packers beat themselves by showing up hung over, as they arrived in San Angeles too early in the week. The Chargers stink, and they were back to their terrible ways in Oakland.

Tennessee Titans (5-5) – Previously: 21.
The Titans repeatedly shot themselves in the foot the week before against the Panthers, but they were the ones taking advantage of blunders versus the Chiefs. Tennessee had no businesses beating Kansas City, yet it did. The Titans then celebrated as if they won the Super Bowl, so I feel obligated to remind you that they won a very similar game last year versus New England, but then got blasted the following week.

Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5) – Previously: 22.
“The Jaguars have made the correct move to back to Nick Foles in the wake of his return from injury. Gardner Minshew made some great plays that were highlighted by SportsCenter, but he made too many mistakes. The Texans loss was the camel that broke the straw’s back, as Minshew was terrible in a game that would’ve allowed the Jaguars to enter the playoff race.

Buffalo Bills (6-3) – Previously: 18.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Bills are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Cleveland Browns (3-6) – Previously: 23.
Underrated NFL Team: See why the Browns are an underrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Los Angeles Rams (5-4) – Previously: 13.
I’ve listed the Rams as overrated the entire year. Well, times have changed, as the public has finally caught on to them in the wake of their latest loss to the Steelers. Now, people have soured on them enough that they’re betting against them versus Chicago. I never thought I’d see the day when the public would wager on Mitchell Trubisky over Jared Goof!

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-6) – Previously: 20.
Jameis Winston was responsible for several turnovers against the Cardinals, and he would have lost that game had the Cardinals not made more mistakes. Sadly, Winston’s passing yardage numbers have lately been high enough that it’ll give general manager Jason Licht a valid excuse to extend Winston this offseason. Licht could always cut bait and admit that he was wrong, but that’s not something Licht is ever willing to do.

I should note that I’ve moved up the Buccaneers a bit because I’ve been impressed with their offensive line play, now that all of the blockers are healthy.

Oakland Raiders (5-4) – Previously: 15.
Underrated NFL Team: See why the Raiders are an underrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4) – Previously: 17.
I’ve been listing the Steelers as underrated for a while because of their great offensive line and pass rush. People have finally caught on, and the public is betting them versus the Browns, so I can’t list them as underrated any longer.

Houston Texans (6-3) – Previously: 14.
It’s truly amazing that the Texans are 6-3 right now. They can’t block, they’re coached very poorly, and they have tons of injuries on the defensive side of the ball. Deshaun Watson is one of the top two MVP candidates this year (Russell Wilson) because of what he’s doing with this terrible team.

Carolina Panthers (5-4) – Previously: 9.
Kyle Allen made some mistakes against the Packers, but was terrific down the stretch and nearly came away with a victory at the end. It was an impressive showing from the young quarterback in snowy Lambeau. I think he has proven that he can compete with any team in the NFL not named the Chiefs (and perhaps the Patriots.)

Indianapolis Colts (5-4) – Previously: 8.
How does Brian Hoyer go from nearly defeating a great Steelers defense to losing to the worst team in NFL history at home? I really don’t understand, but it’s quite apparent that the Colts need Jacoby Brissett and T.Y. Hilton back from injury.

Seattle Seahawks (8-2) – Previously: 12.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Seahawks are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Minnesota Vikings (7-3) – Previously: 11.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Vikings are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Baltimore Ravens (7-2) – Previously: 10.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Ravens are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Philadelphia Eagles (5-4) – Previously: 7.
Underrated NFL Team: See why the Eagles are an underrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Dallas Cowboys (5-4) – Previously: 6.
I’m done being nice with Jason Garrett. He cost me a 3-1-1 week in the Supercontest because of his idiotic coaching at the end of the Minnesota game. He needs to be fired ASAP for Dallas to salvage its season.

Random Garrett Incompetent Fact: Did you know that Jason Garrett is 1-7 against the spread after Monday Night Football?

New Orleans Saints (7-2) – Previously: 2.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Saints are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Here’s a preview of why the Saints are overrated:

Kansas City Chiefs (6-4) – Previously: 4.
RUN THE BALL. RUN THE BALL. That’s literally all the Chiefs had to do at the end of the Tennessee game. Had they ran twice (or even once), they would have moved the chains and held on to a five-point victory. Instead, they allowed Ryan Tannehill to have an improbable comeback. They’re now 6-4 instead of 7-3, and more importantly, I have 31.5 Supercontest points instead of 32.5. That’s what really matters.

By the way, I was very disappointed in Kansas City’s defense. The unit looked much better against the Vikings the week before, but was helpless to stop Tannehill and Derrick Henry this past week.

Green Bay Packers (8-2) – Previously: 5.
The Packers are some bad calls away from losing to the Lions on Monday night, and they were an inch away from perhaps suffering a defeat against the Panthers. We could say that they’ve been lucky this year, but they’ve also endured some key injuries, so I don’t completely buy into that narrative.

San Francisco 49ers (8-1) – Previously: 1.
Wow, Jimmy Garoppolo was terrible Monday night. To be fair, Garoppolo didn’t have George Kittle or Emmanuel Sanders at his disposal. The 49ers led 10-0 when Sanders was knocked out with an injury, so I wonder what would’ve happened had Sanders remained in the game. Then again, we don’t know if Sanders or Kittle will play in the near future, so Garoppolo could continue to struggle.

New England Patriots (8-1) – Previously: 3.
The Patriots showed some flaws leading up to the Baltimore game, so it didn’t surprise me to see them lose to the Ravens. That said, I wouldn’t be too worried. The Patriots lost at Jacksonville, Detroit and Tennessee last year, yet still won the Super Bowl. They’ll be stronger once they get their injured linemen back from injury.

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