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Welcome to a brand new edition of NFL Power Rankings. If you want complete analysis of all the teams, all you have to do is check out Eric's article on NFL dot com. Eric, it's wild to me. I had a couple teams before the season started that I thought could win a Super Bowl, and yet sometimes I'm wrong. Actually usually I'm wrong. But I cannot wait to hear where you think some of those teams actually deserve to be in your latest edition of the Power Rankings.
Absolutely right. I had the forty nine ers near the very top the start of the season. I was a big Bengals believer. Believe I had them in the top ten. You know, we can go down the list, Cowboys. You know, there are other teams that certainly fit that bill, and we've kind of pushed them to the side. Mike, I'm sorry they're not in that upper half right now. They're kind of out of the picture and looking in.
Yeah, they are. But we still have some premier teams that have absolutely balled this season, and not necessarily a ton of change at the top of the rankings. As we go through some of your squads. Here in fact, with the top four teams, with the Lions, the Bills, the Eagles, and the Kansas City Chiefs in that order sit one through four. By the way, from a Lion's perspective, eleven and one. That is the best start in franchise history. The Vikings maybe not getting nearly enough love. I'm gonna
make sure we talk about them. The Packers sit at number six. Cannot wait to see them on Thursday Night Football against the Lions squad at seven, it's the Steelers rust with over four hundred passing yards he was cooking in week number thirteen. And the Ravens at eight. Yeah, we have a real kicking problem. Time for the team
of the week. Instead of one singular team, I'm gonna ask you about the group of the top four, Eric, These are really talented teams, and yet as I was watching some of these games unfold, I started to hedge over the weekend and say, is this the right order? So I'm gonna frame it this way to you. Of the top four teams, who do you think is best situated to make a deep run and more importantly, win a Super Bowl?
Yeah? It may not reflect how I have him right now. I mean I always say it's what the team is at this very moment, right and we can obviously have a big effect on the rankings. Didn't this week, But yeah, if you just take those top four, I can obviously make a case for the Kansas City Chiefs. We know their recent track record. They're going for their third straight Super Bowl. I can clearly make a case for the Lions. They've been the best team arguably weeks one through now
in the NFL this season. Certainly could make a case for the Bills the way they're playing, killing the Niners. But I'm gonna go with the Eagles just because I think that win over the Ravens did kind of tell us a lot about them as a team. They played phenomenal ball since the buy. They march into Baltimore come out with a win after falling behind by two scorers. It really was a statement victory in a lot of ways. Up by two scores late before the cosmetic touchdown, but
they could beat you in so many ways. The long ball, the power run game, the finesse run game, the screen game. Defensively, they've gotten so good the secondary Zach Bonnett, linebacker Jalen Carter wrecking people on defense. It's really a full team effort right now, and it's been impressive to watch after you know, frankly a disappointing season, even one that started ten to one a year ago. So I'm buying on the Eagles even if they are number three in my power rankings right now.
I also think you made a really good point in your article about all of these teams on NFL dot Com. The Eagles an easier schedule than the Lions the rest of the way, so I think there's a reasonable conversation about home field advantage what's going to end up being more important. I'm glad I'm not alone here because I've been loving up this Lions team all season long. But after the win that the Eagles had against the Ravens, game is done, and I sort of lean back on
the couch for a second. I was like, are they better than Detroit? Because that was a really impressive win. Although once again I can story every single one of these losses for the Ravens, it's still a little bit of a head scratcher. We'll talk about Baltimore in just a second, but I want to move on to number five, the Minnesota Vikings. In any other year we're talking about them as one of the premier teams. Got double digit wins already. I started the show asking you about perception.
Is our perception of Sam Darnold the reason why this team does not get more love nationally?
Yeah? I think there's absolutely something too that the Darnald factor. Right, you look at the teams above them on the list, they have more established quarterbacks or more established systems perhaps, And you know, there has been a little bit of volatility for a ten to two team. You know, they've had some ups and downs, they've blown some big leads, they've had a fight off some lesser teams. But you're right.
I mean, you know, a couple of years ago they won a lot of football games, and I think everything was undone because they lost that wildcard game to the Giants. But you know, we shouldn't forget the fact that they were a competitive team with all the quarterback injuries last year. And Donald has been pretty darned steady all things considered,
as he'd been amazing. I don't know, but really from overtime against Chicago, I think until now, you know, he's played some pretty good ball and has the Lions in a great spot. Excuse me, the Vikings in a great spot heading into that big game against the Lions on Thursday.
You know, I think everyone makes a big deal about the quarterback, and rightfully so. You'd want one of the more talented guys than not have one the most talented guys. Say what you want about Sam Darnold, who once again is just delivering this season. Joe Burrow is top five quarterback in the NFL and he's having, at least numbers wise, an MVP type season. Doesn't matter. They can't win some
football games. This is a really good football team. Emphasis on the team part from a Vikings perspective, the Steelers checking in at number seven, I gotta tell you if they if the offense looks like you did this last time out, they are one of the scariest teams in the AFC. I just don't know how reliable that is, considering some of the hiccups leading into this pass game that they had had offensively.
Yeah, I think you should start the game tape immediately after the pick six, which really wasn't what Russell Wilson's fault. It may not have been pickings fault. There may have been a call there that went uncalled, but absolutely did Wilson look good on Sunday. I mean, this is the Bengals. They've had a lot of bad defensive performances. You can't overlook that. But you know, the long ball was there. The few opportunities he had, he took him and he
hit him short and intermediate stuff. He was just carving up those Cincinnati zones all day long. And when it took time to, you know, move around a little bit and find guys like friar Me down the middle, he did. I mean, Russell Wilson has taken this job and run with it. I know the play has been a little bit up and down leading into this game, but I don't think there are very many questions about whether Mike
Tomlin made the right decision. And they could still bring in justin Fields for a game ceiling scramble there at the end, and he's got his role. Wilson's got a bigger one right now.
By the way, when Tomlin went to fields there, what was your going through your mind? Because personally, I was like, don't do this, don't do this. Then obviously right once again about the quarterback situation. Tomlin knows his guys.
He knows his guys, he knows the situation. He's bypassed some of those opportunities in the past, but he took it late in the game and it paid off with a seven yard run. And yeah, I mean this is the kind of Steelers team that can make some noise in the playoffs. All right.
Number eight, The team that I think has got the best roster in the NFL, and that is the Baltimore Ravens. There is now officially, if you didn't think there was before, you have to now there is a kicking problem with arguably the greatest kicker in the history of the game, who's probably you know, a Hall of Famer one. It's all said and done. What am I supposed to do if I'm a Ravens fan with the Justin Tucker situation?
Yeah, eight miss field goals, two missed extra points on the season, you know, cost him in the in the Steelers game, cost him on Sunday as well. And you know, look, it was a close game. They could have made it a ten to nothing score. Misses that one missed two x two other kicks throughout the course of the game, had a chance to take the lead both times, couldn't
do it. It really was frustrating. And look, this is a player who's obviously had, you know, built a reputation as one of the greatest kickers of all time, arguably the goat as far as kickers go. But this season has not gone according to plan. Now, most of the misses have been longer once right, they've been fifty and above. But we've seen the last three games he's missed some sub fifty yard kicks, and boy, this is the Ravens team that that hasn't been as proficient in the red
zone every single week. So you know, this is the kind of opportunities that they have to cash in on if they want to be a serious Super Bowl contender. At this point, what do they do? I mean, they're sticking with them for now, but it's a tough tough call.
Do you bring someone in to compete?
I think I would at least have somebody at the ready on the practice squad, ready to go, maybe take you know, some of the kickoff duties away from things like that. But you know, John Harbon knows his team, knows his guy. There's also the chance that Tucker could work himself out of this slump, after all, you know, his his credentials. If there's a mechanical issue, a health issue, maybe they can figure it out. Yeah.
I just don't know what the next move is because if it's a confidence thing and then you bring in a kicker to compete, I don't know if that sinks the point one way or another. Right, I don't know Justin Tucker like that. I mean, Harbond knows the strings to pull, but from a play calling perspective, I mean, it just it's got to change in absolutely in some of these games. By the way, crazy stat here five losses obviously for the Raisin Raven a combined point total
in those games of twenty two. The miskicks in those games from Justin Tucker, those were worth twenty two points. All right. More to come here on power rankings. In fact, we were worried that the season was spiraling out of control for the Houston Texans. What does a win do for the perception of this team? The Dancers coming up next? Back here on power rankings, Squads nine through sixteen, The
Charge are still a top ten team. One hundred and eighty seven total yards in a win against the Falcons, who we will talk about in just a moment. The Broncos victorious on Monday Night Football. At eleven, it's the Commanders. Nice to see Jayden Daniels get back into the win column. Same for the Texans, who are at twelve. At thirteen, a crazy overtime win for the Bucks against Carolina, who deserve some flowers. I know there's some losses for this
Panther squad, but they're playing well. At fourteen, the Seahawks. Leonard Williams the big Man touchdown that was the difference in the game against his former squad, the Jets. At fifteen, it's the Cardinals. Two straight losses after a four game winning streak. That NFC West little dice you right now. Because the Rams sit at number sixteen. Their offense came alive against the Saints in the second half. All right, number ten, I want to focus and get your take
on the Broncos. Bonex hadn't been turning the ball over Sue picks in this game. I don't know if they were necessarily his fall. There were some explosives in this game, but are you concerned about the defense that had been balling out and all of a sudden had some issues against Famous Jamis.
Yeah, they came up with the big plays, right obviously, the two pick sixes and the game sort of ceiling interception. Nick Benito was great. He had a sack, a lot of pressures and one of those pick sixes. But yeah, the coverage, I mean, the secondary bus were at times glaring. I will say that Jamis did make some great throws. This was not one of them. Obviously he got baited into both interceptions maybe, but yeah, I mean, look, that's
something you got to look for. And Jerry Jude going into his old house and tearing him up the way he did concern me. But you know, I will say too, I mean bow Knicks made some poor decisions in this game. I liked when he was playing within the confines of Sean Payton's offense a little bit more, and you know, taking those opportunities when they come like this pass right here. But there was some risk involved too, so bo Nick's got a little a little greedy at times, I thought. On Monday night.
Yeah, by the way, Jerry Judy who you name dropped two hundred and thirty five receiving yards, the most ever in a revenge game by a wide receiver Beatto when he matched up against the Niners. I think it was two hundred and thirteen receiving yards. Point is Judy put on an absolute show at eleven. It is the Commander's get back in the win column. Here are they a dangerous team in the NFC?
Yeah, you've been waiting for this kind of offensive breakout really, you know, since before the Hail Mary game. But it was great to see their run games start. I mean, Brian Robinson, I think is such an important part of what they do. You know, he was streaking into the open several times. That helped out Daniels quite a bit. It helped out Terry McLaurin. I mean, getting the ball to Robinson and Terry McLaurin early in games is never a bad thing in my opinion. The Commanders finally did that.
And look, you can say, Okay, it's just the Titans, but Titans have been playing fairly competitive lately, and this is a good defense. Statistically, they still remain in the top ten even after giving up two hundred whatever yards on the ground, So this is a good defense that the Commanders had really a bounce back game against and that's always good to see, even if the wins haven't
been there for Tennessee. So I think they're dangerous. They're back, but you know, they still have some questions to answer.
Twenty three rushing touchdowns for the Commanders this season, second in the NFL only behind Jalen Hurt, Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles. At thirteen, it's the Buccaneers. What an exciting game down the stretch against Carolina. But I'm going to take this thing big picture here, because they pull
even with the Falcons inside that division. Atlanta's still in head because of the head to head that they have with that squad, but because of some of the disarray that we've seen, and I know the Bucks haven't been playing great, but they battled some injuries. Generally speaking, is the trending up for them to win the division?
Yeah, I mean they've obviously been so competitive in a lot of these games. The two head to head losses against Atlanta really really sting right now because that momentum would be even stronger. But getting Mike Evans back into the offense was a huge development. You know, even if Baker wasn't great on Sunday, he had somebody could rely on and they may have a breakout star here at Bucky Irving who took I want to say, had thirteen
touches in fourth quarter and overtime. You know, this is a guy who was averaging maybe thirteen a game for a big stretch of the season. Kind of took over that lead role for Rashad White. And give Mayfield credit. Even on a night when he didn't have his best stuff, he's still making things happen, living around, scrambling for first downs, enough plays from the defense just enough, and then Baker doing his thing along with the run game that it's a close win, but a much need to win for Tampa.
Not for nothing. Man. You know, Baker Mayfield, He's slowly become one of my favorite guys in the league to go and watch. There's this moxie, this intensity confidence. You know, they go down late in regular and there's like thirty seconds I think they had at least one time out in hand. I'm like, they're gonna get in a field goal territory. Baker's gonna will it to happen, and he did, and they go on to win in overtime. Taking a
look at the odds in the NFC West. This thing not exactly how we drew it up before the season. The Seahawks still the leaders of the pack. Arizona fouled following them. Then it's the Rams in that third position in the San Francisco forty nine ers, who will discuss a little bit later the worst odds right now to go and win this division. Let's look at team number four team. It is the Seahawks. What do I make of this team? I week to week here, I'm always a little confused about the squad.
Yeah, and let's hope they don't have as adventurous a special team's day next week. Is they did Sunday against the Jets, against a better team, Maybe they can't come back from their self inflicted mistakes, the fumbles, the muffs, allowing a ninety nine yard touchdown, having an extra point blocked. Yes, they made a couple of field goals too, and made life tough for Aaron Rodgers. There put some pressure on
him a little bit. But you know, I do give him credit for crawling back from a deficit like that. But I just don't know, man, there's something about this team that's kind of holding me back. Just a little bit. Even with that golden opportunity in the NFC West.
You know what it is in first place, but we've seen some losses from them and some inconsistent inconsistency from Genosmith with some big turnovers. So it scares you a little bit. Charbonay though, if he runs like he did against the Jets, and by the way, even being down against Gangreen early in that game had me a little bit worried about what this team really could be. But
if Sharbonay continues to run like this, he's an absolute force. Meanwhile, some big name teams before the year that had Super Bowl aspirations might be long gone. Is Eric willing to end their postseason dreams today? Find out next Mike Cam and Eric at Home with you back here on NFL Power Rankings, Eric's teams seventeen through twenty four of the Colts a big drive to get a win, sitting in
the seventeenth position at eighteen. Thanksgiving not kind to the Miami Dolphins at nineteen, zero touchdowns, six interceptions in the last three games for Kirk Cousins. That team is a reeling. So are the San Francisco forty nine ers at twenty at twenty one, it's the Cowboys first home win in this season. Get it done against a divisional opponent in the Giants on Thanksgiving. At twenty two, the Bengals tough loss to Pittsburgh twenty three, Who is the Bears next
football coach? That might be the biggest question right now. And at twenty four, Saints couldn't close the Los Angeles Rams. Time for power moves up three spots. It is the Indianapolis Colts. I want to get your thoughts on this team, Eric should I, I don't know, give him some love right now, like a team that's playing with a little bit of confidence. Anthony Richardson, it feels like there's some swag late in these games.
Absolutely, I mean I will say, did they get a little bit of a bump from the teams ahead of them last week? All losing? And yes, absolutely, that's one way to power up. But when you've seen Anthony Richardson kind of take a step forward and play the way he has, especially laight in games, you know, with the game on the line, when he threw that interception with about five minutes to go down a touchdown, I thought, boy, this isn't looking good. They're going to lose at foxbro.
He willed them back. They stopped him on defense a couple times. That was impressive, but really it was Richardson. His legs were a big part of the story on Sunday. Look, he's flawed, he's still a fifty percent passer, but this
is a tough guy to defend. You know when he makes the throws, he's a tough guy to tackle, tough guy to bring down the backfield, and you know he can power through some of those those attempts too, and get off unusual looking passes like that little lob to Taylor for the touchdown and back of the end zone there to Alec Pearce. He's done a lot of interesting things this year. Even if the development is still needed,
I'm taking my chances on him. I think he's got an opportunity to kind of wiel the Colts into the back end of the playoffs.
I don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves, but the Week fifteen match up against Denver, all of a sudden, it has got my attention because of the play of the Cold who once again move up three spots in your power rankings at nineteen. It's the Falcons. Should we be talking about Michael Pennix.
I think you almost have to at this point. It would have been crazy. Obviously, think back to the draft and we said, what are they doing drafting Pennix? He's not going to play this year? Well, hold that thought just a minute. Obviously, we haven't seen a whole lot of Pennix came in laid against Denver, had some throws. We saw a ton of them in the preseason. There's obviously hype about him. His former Zc's in the NFL,
so you could see how this would translate. He's got the skills, the arm, talent, everything there is, and the way Cousins is playing. Obviously Sunday wasn't just the first bad game. Four interceptions, but he hasn't thrown a touchdown in four games. Now. The turnovers are piling up. Some of those passes are looking like frisbees out there, and
that's how you give up the game on Sunday. Essentially, that one right there was the one that kind of caught my eye a little bit too much of a floater out there, and teams are just saying we're going to jump those routes. I would rather have the chance of getting beat deep because I know I can make a play on those balls. Yeah, this is really a problem for Atlanta. They were six and three, they were loaded with this division. They were all setting ready to
go coast down the stretch to a playoff spot. Not like that anymore. Man Tampa is breathing down their necks and they've got to figure out what to do with the quarterback position.
Yeah, it's funny because if you're watching this show right now as opposed to listening to it, I guess the point still remains. Some of these throws, I mean, they're like just wobbling it. Just I don't It makes me think almost something's wrong with Kirk in terms of a health situation. Meanwhile, two teams that I think we're on the short list to win a Super Bowl this year, I want to know if you're going to sink both of them. I'm going to start at number twenty here
with the San Francisco forty nine ers. No Christian McCaffrey, No Jordan Mason. Both those guys, well, McCaffrey obviously the PCL injury, and Jordan Mason just got put on IR. The season continues to tailspin in the wrong direction. Are they out of the postseason? In your mind?
They're nominally in it, right I think they have something like a three to four percent chance. It would take an inside straight. They're in the one division that's kind of forgiving, if you will. The NFC West is so tight right now. Everybody's kind of logged together. But Hurd, he's hurt obviously. You know Ayyuk's out for the season. Kittle's been playing banged up. You mentioned the running back injuries.
It extends throughout the roster. It's feeling more and more in my mind, like the twenty twenty season, which has been the one outlier year under Kyle Shanahan. Normally so good in November and December, you know, able to go in and battle teams like the Bills head to head and even win occasionally. That's not the case for this team. You can see McCaffrey wasn't right. He left the game.
He's probably done for the year, and with it go the hopes of the forty nine ers, who I think will be a title contender next year depending on what happens with the roster. But this was a missed opportunity I believe this season because of all the bad luck that piled up.
Yeah, it really has. Bad luck is probably the best way to describe it. With all of these injuries around this squad. It's funny. A couple weeks ago on the show, I said to Eric, I'm done loving up Cincinnati. They're done. And then we did game day preview on Sunday mornings on the NFL channel, and I thought they were going to win, that they're going to win convincingly against the Steelers. That did not happen. But there's not a lot of games left here Bengals. Are they done? In your mind?
I think they're done. You know, Joe Burrow, they asked them. He gave kind of a Jym mora like playoffs, Are you kidding me? That's the last thing on my mind right now. Burrow's been okay. I didn't say his play is leveled off, but I feel like he's got this burden on him to play as spectacularly as he possibly can every single week. He even kind of talked about
it after the game because of what the defense is allowing. Now, there are issues offensively they have to figure out, but they're far less concerning about what's happened to lou Anaumo's unit. We saw this trend in the wrong direction last season. It is most certainly there now. They've had a handful of decent performances on defense, but the vast majority have been bad, regrettable, and it questions whether this team can make a super Bowl in Burrow's time in Cincinnati.
Which is just wild to think because we always talk about needing the quarterback to get it done. They have the quarterback, They got this offensive firepower. Yeah, got to be such a concerted effort to get better defensively in this year's draft and over the next couple of years, even in free agency, just to try to make this thing competitive. Just a couple of years removed from a super Bowl. It is just wild to think. Meanwhile, teams twenty five through thirty two. Here the Browns jamis is fun,
but not able to get it done. They sit at number twenty five. Bryce Young the guy the rest of the season. He's at twenty six in this Panther squad. The Jets at twenty seven, the Titans twenty eight, The Patriots are twenty nine, the Raiders checking in at thirty. At thirty one, it is the New York Giants and good news from a Jaguars perspective, Trevor Lawrence saying that he's home after that vicious hit that he suffered, that
he's home and he is feeling better. Eric, Before we get wrap up here, I got to tell you there's something that's been bothering me for basically the thirty minutes that we've been doing.
The show.
Started off the program talking about perception. I just want to get your take on this. I mentioned Minnesota, Sam Donald. Are we not giving them enough love? Because the Sam Donald factor? People just don't believe it. Doesn't this remind you, though, of a couple of years ago when the Detroit Lions they had Jared Goff. People are like, oh, ok, Jared, can he really get it done? Doesn't it have? Like we don't question if the Lions can go and win
a Super Bowl? Should we be having the same conversation about Minnesota.
I mean, look, it's a fair question, right. I think even brock perty faced this at one point. Certainly other guys have. But once you kind of graduate to that, most of the times, unless you get to that latter stage of your career, like Aaron Rodgers, will start failing. But yeah, there is a negative perception against him that I think we have to sort of wean off of. And you know it applies to multiple quarterbacks around this league.
O Okay, the best man, Love working with you.
You're the second best.
I'll take that in most people's eyes as well. Appreciate everyone watching.
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