#17: 49ers take top spot, Cowboys idle, Vikings stunner, Jaguars hot, Special Steelers win, and Titans tumble

but the company has, so that's great for them. That's funny about the Emmy thing, because I feel like everyone in my orbit has multiple Emmy's and I've never we The Around the NFL podcast was won a Best of Apple Podcast two thousand thirteen. We want a Stitcher in fourteen. But we're sitting on like a cold streak in the awards game, and I've never touched anything close to an awards, So don't feel bad. Um, it's something to work towards. Don't feel bad about the Eagles not being number one

of the Power Rankings either this week. I mean, and I know you could come after me if you want on this and we're gonna get into it, but it is indeed the forty Niners who have taken the top perch for the first time the season. In fact, So let's check out the quad. Oh No, Niners up one to number one, Eagles down one to number two, Bills, Bengals, Chiefs, and Cowboys all hold at three through six, respectively, Vikings up one to seven, and those Chargers who clinched a

playoff spot up one to number eight. It's a nice quad. It's a good beef quad. I think we have both Super Bowl teams in that quad. Or I'm doing this wrong, Connie, But let's start with the Niners. Are you cool with me moving them to this spot? Does at least make

sense to you on some logical level. I don't like it, but I'm a fair person, and I need to look at this like I am not an Eagles fan, and like my heart wasn't broken, that Jalen Hurts is hurt, and that all of these injuries are plaguing in the team, and we'll get to the Eagles in a second. I have to look at this like the Niners are crushing it and they're clearly the best team in football right now, Like they have eight straight wins. They're in play for

the second team. They dominated on both sides of the ball against Washington, and what they're doing with brock Purty is kind of insane. He was efficient, he was poised, and he was playing with an oblique injury and without the help of a run game. So they have the best defense in the NFL. They effectively benched poor Taylor Heineke. Nick Bosa is an absolute nightmare for every single offense. He's having a career year. I don't love this for the Eagles, but they lost to the Cowboys and they

didn't play their best ball. They had too many turnovers. And right now this Niners team is intense and they're winning these games with complete wins, and they look like

their team that can't be stopped. Before you join me, Connie on the power rankings, the great Matt Money Smith and I used to do this, and Money used to his viewpoint on the power rankings was it came down to, you know, who has the best path in the playoffs, who is set up in the best possible way to win the Super Bowl, And from that perspective, the Niners being one would be wrong because it still should be the Eagles in that case, because even after getting beat

by Dallas, they still need just one win in the last two weeks to take that number one seed. I have forty Niners at number one though, because I do look at it differently. I just see where things are right now, and it's not all Brock party. But three weeks ago, all we talked about was, wow, woe is me?

From the forty Niners perspective, how come we had this great team in the quarterback situation ruined us and through their own organizational ability to draft, identify talent, bring him into the building, get him coached up, and now he's running this offense with great efficiency. Then you add everything else. They didn't even skip a beat without Jimmy Garoppolo. And yes, Nick Bosa is gonna win Defensive Player of the Year. He leads an awesome unit to Miko Ryan's is gonna

get a head coach job. But right now he's finishing out. The Miners look like and I wrote this in the Power Rankings County they are fully formed death machine, destroying everything in their way, and I don't know who stops him, including the Eagles. Eagles, better get home Field, Better get home field. Well, that's the thing, because the Niners just won't be denied right now no matter who their quarterback is.

So that's the thing that I think is so scary about them because they have this momentum right now at the exact right time. And the Eagles, of course, I'm always going to argue to the death that they are the best team in the world every single year, but right now, with the way that the injuries are falling for them, this is a team that maybe should get bumped down a spot because they aren't crushing teams like they almost lost to the Bears like that, what that

was a little too close for comfort. And then they go in with Gardner Minshew, who he played a good game. He passed a lot of yards, he moved the ball around, but the turnovers just crushed them. Yeah, I think that's the other part of this, that Minshew is a good backup. But yes, he did make mistakes in that game against Dallas. He did, like you said, move the ball as well. But if Hurts is gonna miss a no their week, and that's possible, Minshew is gonna probably be able to

hold it down. But the Lane Johnson injury, you know, He's one of the best right tackles in football, and you take him out of the mix. He has suffered an abdominal injury. He's gonna miss the rest of the regular season and maybe more than that. So I think this is the first time I really do feel like the Eagles are being tested right now through injuries. I think they're gonna be okay. They were an easy team to keep it number two, but it just felt at this time it was the Niners time at number one.

Let's talk about the Cowboys Countie who beat your Eagles. They didn't move which I could see some Dallas fans getting annoyed. Oh, we beat the number one team, but we didn't move up to power rank as well. You beat the number one team with their MVP candidate quarterback out of the game, so you gotta factor that in. Also,

you look at the teams ahead of him. I just think the big five in the league Kansas City, Cincinnati, Buffalo, Philly, and San Francisco just a touch above where the Cowboys are. But that's not to say that the Cowboys don't deserve love and credit and should not be taken seriously. As we spend closer to January Football in the playoffs, because I think they showed in this game again that they have the offense and the defensive playmakers to win games

against big teams. And that's still what the Eagles are even without Hurts. Okay, the Eagles didn't have their best player on the team, the MVP candidate Jalen Hurts, and yet they still were able to lead for the majority of the game. They still had the ball at the end when they had a chance to win it, Like,

if Jalen Hurts plays that game, they absolutely win. But I think that the way and I thought about the Cowboys, I'm just saying, I'm just saying, but the Cowboys, like what's going on with their pass rush, what's going on with their run game. The Eagles liability on defense is their run defense and Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard, they still weren't able to average a great clip in that game.

And then the pass rush. I remember Jalen Hurts them taking him down like four times when they played in October, and they didn't bring him down once in this game. And I think they only have about one sack in the last two weeks, So that's kind of disappeared, and that's something they're absolutely going to need if they're going to make a long run in this postseason. Yeah, I hear you on that. And and Parsons, it's actually one

second three weeks now. It's interesting yet Philly shut them out last week and not just you know what, I kind of think, Connie, there's some ebbs and flows to the season. Parsons, who leads. Obviously that defense is too good for that to continue. I mean, they could have six sacks next week, that's just the way. Or Thursday. They have a Thursday night game against the Titans, who, man, they really do set up to have a big day. I expect that their Dallas defense to get right in

terms of their pass rush. And I think the Dak Prescott side of this, he's playing very well. I know he's been a little loose with the football times. He threw the pick six to start this game. And you're right, the Eagles were up ten nothing in this game. I believe they were up seven to seventeen as well. But it also shows that Dallas has an offense that could

dig itself out of a hole. In the average, nearly nearly ten yards an attempt against Philadelphia, and you saw Ceedee Lamb really as a true number one receiver should step up in that moment. Ten for one, twenty and two scores on eleven targets. So if I'm a Cowboys fan, I'm feeling confident. I'm feeling like I can make some noise in this postseason. But just get to this finish line strong, don't limp into the playoffs. And I thought that's why that was such an important win for them.

If you got beat by Jalen Hurts is backup, there's a lot of confidence issues I would think going forward. Well, yeah, but it was a close game still, And I think too that we've all sort of been robbed at this point, the fact that we haven't had a Cowboys Eagles game with both Dak Prescott and Jalen Hurts at quarterback. Earlier in the season, Dak Prescott was hurt. Now we had Jalen Hurts hurt. I want to see these two teams at full strength in the playoffs. Yeah, it might happen.

And right behind the Cowboys is the Vikings. I haven't at seven up one spot, and again this is exactly where where I think they should be. I think they're very much behind those six teams ahead of them, and I think they are kind of righting it. I have the Chargers at eight, for instance, the Jags at nine, the Ravens at ten. That feels right. I feel good about where I have the Vikings, even if twelve and three suggests they should be way higher. It was yet

another close game against the Giants. They get a sixty one hard field goal at the gun to win the game, and Kandie I just think, like what, there's bozos like me that are out there saying, oh, regressions gotta take hold. They gotta start losing some of these games. But you know, Somelmo's New Year's Day. So maybe this is just a different type of year in a in an absurd NFL season in general, and this is who the Vikings are, and this could continue to February. Maybe it's time to

look at it from that perspective. It's like one of those things where at the beginning of the year, even like the first month and a half, you're saying this about teams who you kind of think or frauds, like we did with the Giants, for instance, and then the Giants showed us who they are their true selves. They

kind of like fell back down to Earth. But with the Vikings, They've continued to win like this every single week, and honestly, now I'm kind of thinking this team is really resilient and nobody obviously believes in them unless you're a Vikings fan at this point, which kind of makes them scary in a way. I don't think anyone can look at this team though and be afraid of them

in the playoffs once they're playing really stiff competition. I am starting to rely ate a little bit to the Vikings though, a little bit, because I've realized that my life motto is just in time, and that is literally every single game that I watched with them, Like I didn't even have to watch Greg Joseph kick even though it was sixty one yards. I already knew what was going to happen. It was done. It was a rap. They were going to win this game, and they just

keep doing it. Like I can't believe that they have gotten twelve wins this way, all of the one score games. But you do have to think about the fact that they beat the Bills and then they came back down thirty three points beat the Colts, Like it doesn't even matter how far they are down or how close it is, like they just keep coming out on the right side. So I guess that does say something about this team.

What's Twitter think about this? I mean Twitter? There was some some dude on Twitter that got after me for having the Cowboys ahead of the Vikings, like, oh, you must hate the vice. Like no, I actually watched the forty two three Cowboys win over the Vikings in Minneapolis a few weeks ago. For some reason, that sticks in my brain a little bit. Connie, just in time that

angle my You know, you and I are friends. We go back many years now, and uh, I think one of the reasons we're friends as we see certain things in life similar viewpoint. But one thing we definitely are different on is like airport etiquette and your need to to just push things to the very limit when it when it comes to boarding an airplane, and I need I want to be at that gate, and I want to be as soon as the first boarding starts, even if I'm in like group Z, I want to be there.

Connie's like ordering a steak meal and when they start boarding and then you just sneak in right at the end. And that's a difference between you and I. I can't believe you're that guy like I can't deal with the people who are waiting right at the front and they're like they are group Z. If I have ten minutes to spare, I'm getting a drink, maybe I'm looking at magnets. I'm gonna go to the bathroom one more time. I'm gonna get everything in order, and then I'm gonna get

on the plane. At that last second, I had you. I had you. I wish I could look at life that way. I'm always afraid here's quad to take us through a cutting. Okay, So we got the Jags up top. I mean they are so hot right now now in the top ten. Up got the Ravens, they really are. Ravens up two spots at ten. The Lions, our Lions down four spots after that heartbreaking loss. This week they're at eleven. Packers up five. Big win this week. You got two Dolphins down three and now two us out

of the mix as well. Giants down one at fourteen. Your Jets, I'm sorry, down one at fifteen. Rough Thursday night football. And then the Commanders down one at sixteen. So do you want to start with those Jags. Let's start with some power moves presented by Energizer, because the Jags are a big mover up two more spots to get into the top ten. Let's look at their season ranked trajectory and these charts since week twelve they went they were number twenty nine Colleen in the NFL Power Rankings.

In week twelve, they jump from twenty nine to twenty three, down to four, up to seventeen, up to eleven, up to nine, and that's where they sit now, a top ten team for the first time. Really, I've been doing the Power rankings for four years. They've never cracked the top ten before. And they seem set up. Obviously it's gonna come down. It's a bit of a weird situation going on in the ANFC South right now, because no matter what happens with the Jags or the Titans in

weeks seventeen, it's Week eighteen that decides that division. Now, those teams could potentially still be in the wild card mix. So it's not like this game doesn't matter. The records could matter, but in terms of winning the division, everything is two weeks from now, and yet what makes me think that the Jaguars won't be playing January playoff football

based on the way they are. They're by far better team than Tennessee at this point and their ability to show and I understand Zach Wilson, who now isn't even a member of the jets um depth chart, was holding that team hostage on both sides of the ball, in my opinion. But the Jaguars getting done on the road to to put themselves on the driver's seed. I'm just

really impressed by him right now. This is a note for producer Drew going forward too, because I think the first week our first show of Power Rankings, you had said that you think that the Jags could be a sneaky team that could make the playoffs. So we gotta pay that off. We gotta go back and get that clip I think started the week. They started as a ten seed. This week before Thursday Night Football, now they are the four seed in the a f C. This

team is unstoppable. Three straight wins. Trevor Lawrence, he looks great. I can't honestly believe that was the first road, prime time win for the Jags in the regular season in twenty two years. That is saying something Doug Peterson. He's done such a good job with this team, and Trevor Lawrence is really reaping the benefits. He's peaking at the absolute best possible time. They're the best team in the division without a doubt right now. Lawrence looks really good

too on the ground as well. He was rushing, he was running. The quarterback sneak was the only touchdown of the game. I don't have to tell you this, damn because you watched it, but that defense forcing so many turnovers I think eight in their last three games. They look really good. And I'm just happy for this fan base because for so long they have been down in like like the Texans kind of category. They've been down to the bottom of the power rankings with not a

lot of hope, especially coming off of last year. So now this this is a nice Christmas present for them. Absolutely, And look at their last three wins. They got Tennessee. They put up thirty six points in Tennessee. Then the Cowboys and other very good defense put up forty points. Then the Jets, one of the best defenses in the a f C. The score doesn't reflect it in the nineteen points, but they moved the ball really at will

against the Jets of times. So that's a three game stretch where Doug Peterson in that offense is really showing that they could take it out on anyone and their ability. They didn't attack the Jets with deep passes, but they kind of ripped them up underneath and then move in Travis a t n did the work on the ground. They're just a really good balance offense and everything with Lawrence is there. You see it now. You see the guy that everyone talked about in the ramp up to

the draft is the generational talent. I think he could have not only you know, a division win, they could be a tough out in the playoffs. Keep an eye on them. We'll talk about the Jets. Now. Let's talk about the Jets, because in a way, when Thursday Night happened, the Jets were it looked like it was all over, and perhaps it is all over. Who knows, but Zack Wilson, that experiment felt like it ended with a miserable performance by Wilson, but then a bunch of good stuff happened

for the Jets. The rest of the week played out with every team they kind of needed to lose, lost, and then Mike White on Monday gets cleared by doctor, so he's back in the lineup now. So you have Mike White on the road in Seattle, with the Jets having a path to the playoffs. They win this week against Seattle, next week in Miami, and the New England Patriots lose once the Jets are in the playoffs. So there's a real path there. And you know what, Conny,

I feel good about their chances in Seattle. The Seahawks are going the other way and the Jets match up well against them. I think we're gonna see the Jets win, setting up a huge Week eighteen against Miami. I love this for you, like I know that this is not how you were feeling on Thursday night after this game, which by the way, looked absolutely miserable in a weekend filled with weather games, that Jets Jags game might have looked the worst of all, Like seeing the rain come

pouring down. You know that it was cold, it was messy. Then you have Chris Draveller coming in out of nowhere and watching him play was kind of wild to just the way that he was running around. He is built a little bit like a wrestler. I kind of think like he just has like a very different body type for a quarterback. But I worried about your offensive line. But at a local go go bar type built. Yes, he works at the Jersey Shore. Maybe he's like a bouncer at the Ocean Drive and he's there for a

no shower happy hour getting it done. Like this is a guy that I kind of love. I love, first of all, I always love a backup quarterback. But if you can bring a quarterback off the practice squad and have him come in and make a game more exciting than it was previously, signed me up for that a zillion times over. I mean, I'm into it. I see that you love Mike White. I was gonna say, if Jets fans have any hope this year, you'll never see Straveler again outside maybe some type of package play. This

is Mike White's team. Now, Mike White gets to two weeks the audition for the job next year, so he has an opportunity here. I hope he stays healthy and the Jets find a way. Now, the Dolphins the team, I said that they were setting up for a potential Week eight team if things break a certain way. It could be Jets Dolphins playing in Week A team for that last playoff spot. Who will be the quarterback of the Dolphins? Now, very a bad situation there, Connie, we

learned of on Monday. Yeah, so I guess they're going to have to ride now with Teddy Bridgewater. For the Dolphins, we knew that this stretch of their schedule was going to be the most difficult and this has not been a December to Remember sales event at all. Four straight losses get paid for that collapse to go No, but I wish I did a tough collapse to go into the playoffs though, for sure, And they might potentially miss the playoffs at this point with the way that they're

playing and now not having to either. But those three interceptions in the fourth quarter were absolutely brutal on their three last possessions, Like it was just tough to watch. And we knew it was going to be an issue when they went out and played the Niners and when they had the Chargers and then they went up to the Bills and then the Packers on Christmas and all of those games were exactly what we thought like a

really difficult time for them. Yeah, and there was I think there was some optimism coming out of the Buffalo loss because even though they got being on the field goal at the end, they really went up there and played well and you were there, Connie. It was a game that was disappointing, but also like, Okay, they're not going to fold like an accordion here in December. But that's what happened against the Packers. They had that game

in hand. The question, of course, now before you kind of bury two in the in the fourth quarter, like where is he at mentally like in terms of his health in that moment, because we don't know exactly and the Dolphins don't know troubling Lee when the injury happened that put him into the protocol. So I would be very surprised if we see him at Gillette Stadium this weekend. Given the history here and then it is very it's a very real possibility he gets shut down, which has

big ramifications for the Dolphins. Obviously, Teddy Bridgewater is a very good backup quarterback, but you know he hasn't been playing much of the season. It's it's asking a lot for him to step in and have that chemistry that too I had built with those receivers. So the Dolphins are a team influx right now, to say the least, and I hope to uh is okay, all right, let's take a break and we'll hit the rest of the thirty two Power Rankings. Baby doll, all right, welcome back

to the Power Rankings podcast. Here's Quad three. The Steelers. They won't go away. In fact, there are five spots two number seventeen. The Patriots state at a t the patre It's what a weird year. The Panthers also up five spots after just an insanely impressive dominating effort. We'll get to that um on the ground. Uh. In weeks sixteen, the Bucks up three spots to twenty. They kind of just live in that twenty area, which is obviously disappointing.

The Raiders. We could finally kind of stop talking about them, even if they are still technically in the hunt for a playoffs spot down five, Seahawks down one to two. They're fading away. The Saints hanging in there in the NFC South, up two to twenty three, and the Titans down five more spots to twenty four. Let's start with

the Pittsburgh Steelers here. Connie Um a team that back in the end of let's say early November, this felt like a team that could have easily created and win four or five games and if they're deep in and rebuild.

But instead, again Mike Tomlin and the T J. Watt return and Kenny Pickett making plays, this is a team in the hours pointing up on them, even if it doesn't end with the playoffs this year, you know, it didn't feel like this game was going to go to the Steelers at all, and it felt like it had to go to them. Like being in Pittsburgh for this game, first of all, I've never been outside for such a

cold game in my entire life. That was the most freezing I've ever been and snow was coming down sideways. It was we all had so many layers on. We started the show and m j D said that he was going to quit. I mean, everyone was just like being very very brutally honest. But it was Christmas Eve, and as soon as I landed, the very very honest

Christmas sounds like a good Lifetime movie. I got more on that coming your way later in the show, maybe, But when I landed in Pittsburgh, it was one o'clock in the morning, and there were so many Franco Harris

jerseys everywhere. Everyone was wearing them. And you know that they have the Frank o' harris statue in the airport and it was there in front of the Christmas tree, and like people were leaving notes for the family, and it just felt like the whole city the whole time, like this game had to go to the Steelers, and when it wasn't going that way, just it didn't feel right. So when Pickett completed that touchdown pass two Pickens, that's when everything kind of felt like it started going the

way that it should. And it's a shame for Raiders fans like Derek Carr those three interceptions he threw. It was ugly for them. And you know, the Steelers for the majority of this game, they were moving the ball, but they just didn't have anything to show for it.

They just weren't getting the points. And so I just thought that it was really fitting on Christmas Eve in Pittsburgh, the night that they were there celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the Immaculate Reception and celebrating Frank o' harris and his life, and he should have been there for that he should have been there to see his number retired,

but he wasn't. And we talked to Naji Harris after the game, who had a really close relationship with frank o' harris, and he said that they all dedicated the game to frank O Harris's family. They were going to give his wife the game ball. They all walked in wearing thirty two. So it was a really cool, emotional night. And after Pickens had scored that touchdown, all of a sudden, the whole stadium just erupted in Franco Chance the most freezing night ever. I had even more chills and it was

just like a perfect ending. That's nice and it's um you know. Not only was it an emotional win for the organization in the city, it was also huge for them in the standings and it keeps them in the mix. And now their season will be essentially on the line against the Ravens on Sunday Night football on New Year's Day, so that will be interesting to see if they make this even more interesting. The Ravens already going to the playoffs, but the Steelers have a chance to put themselves on

the doorstep with yet another win. They've won four out of five games. Let's move to the Carolina Panthers, and I think Connie. With the Panthers, it's like every time I want to write them off, they have a big, big week that makes me say, Okay, we can't do that, Connie. They had a hundred yards rushing by their second drive, two forty on the ground by halftime, and they finished with a franchise record three twenty rushing yards in the

win over the Lions. Our Lions, the team of around the NFL, and it's like, it's it's hard to imagine. They had five seventy total yard which tied to team record, and Sam Donald is leading this offense well, but it is that running game that was just blowing open huge holes in Cuba. Hubbard and donte Foreman are are getting the job done. This is a fun team to watch. I can't believe that they had three hundred more rushing yards total than they did the week before when they

only know that's what I means. I had written them off after the Steelers basically beat them at their own game the previous week, and Detroit was coming on a on a high plane as well as anybody to see the way that turned out. It was really eye opening. Yeah, it's just like, don't overthink it, just run the ball. When they can run the ball, they win these games. And Sam Donald, he did look really nice in that second half to his chemistry. You can see it building

with Dj Moore. They have a really nice rapport. I mean, next they have the Bucks, to who they already beat earlier this year and rushed a hundred and seventy three yards on. Then they have the Saints and they rushed a hundred and forty five yards on them earlier this year. They could win both win the division, and then eventually hire Steve Wilkes. I feel like that is the path. Yeah, I think Wilkes is definitely putting himself in position to

keep that job right now. Is the interim coach. I wonder what Matt Rule thinks with the team playing at this level right now after he was let go earlier this season, And yeah, I think, you know, you could look at other paths. I know, the Atlanta's out of the mix now they're eliminated. The Saints are still hanging on, but really, when it comes down to it, this game against the Bucks will decide the division. Whoever wins that game.

I think you're gonna see carry that division and then be an underdog most likely and whatever matchup they have. How about let's move. Let's want to get a little depressing. You know it's post Christmas. Now, let's get you know, the post Christmas blues. Let's talk the Tennessee Titans. You want to see the Titans chart. You want to see the art of sadness on the Titans. Yeah, you're getting it.

They were the number six team in our league in week twelve, and here we go twelve to seventeen, they went from six to nine, held at nine, so still in the top ten. Is recently his Week four team Connie down to fifteen and Week fifteen down to nineteen last week and now this week they are at twenty four. From six to twenty four and six weeks and uh,

you're not gonna believe this. It's not a coincidence, kind of haven't won in those six weeks, and every week feels like it gets a little bit lower, But it doesn't get much lower than losing to the one win Texans when you needed the game. Yeah, and it's terrible timing for the Jags to be on a three game

winning streak, two in the division. But I'm just wondering how things have created so far, so fast for this Titans team, because now with Ryan Tannehill hurt, Malik Willis going forward, I don't know, he never got the passing game going finished with fewer than one hundred passing yards.

I don't know what to think about willis. Not that he's been put in a great position either, but Derrick Henry, these fumbles are now a concerning trend at this point, like he was stuffed multiple times to add or behind the line of scrimmage. And also you look at his numbers and if you didn't watch this game, you would think, Okay, Derrick Henry, he had a nice day, because he always has a nice day against the Texans. But he finished with a hundred and twenty six rushing yards outside of

that forty eight yard touchdown run. Though the Texans held him to three and a half yards per carry, So this was not a normal afternoon for Derrick Henry against the team that he constantly dominates. Yeah, it's a good call to about the ball security because it feels like he's putting it on the ground every game now and this is when they've kind of needed him to be perfect. Things are not perfect the Titans. I don't think they

make the playoffs. But even if they do, and they could still recover if they beat the Jaguars next week, they have so much work to do to kind of figure out who they had. They took their best swing the last couple of years. They really need to kind of revamp what they're doing with that team. And Mike Vrable obvious lee you know his they lost a general manager or they made him go away. Uh, Mike Rabel is a big man in charge there and they're gonna

have to make some big moves. Let's check Quad four. Now we mentioned the Texans, Let's give him some love, County, Let's give him some starting with twenty five. Let's say Rams up to Baker and another big game. Uh. So there are twenty five Browns down six, they are eliminated from contention. Uh, twenty six Houston Texans up five to seven, Falcons down two, Toy Bears, Cards and Colts all hold

their spots to one. And the Broncos, who just fired Nathaniel Hackett after a humiliating Christmas loss to the Rams where they got the fifty Burger dropped on they hit the bottom of the Power ranks for the first time. Let's start with Houston. Let's start with the good news. Yes, let's give him some love. They've been number thirty two in the Power rankings for I think about a month

and a half, and to move out. It's not just finally beating a team, which they did in the Titans this week, but they've been playing teams tight for several weeks now and now they have something to show for it. I just love that in this last quadrant we can come up with something that's positive, because it always feels

like this is the Debbie Downer block. And I just love that the Texans finally broke through because they played both the Chiefs and the Cowboys really tough, and now they have something to show for it, ending that nine game losing streak. That's got to be just like a nice bump for the locker room in general, especially this time of year. You finally don't have to leave the stadium with a loss or get on a plane after a loss. I mean, I just think I don't know

what this does for love e Smith going forward. But the defense, they forced three turnovers they've been playing frisk ear and frisk gear, and I like that about them. I think that this isn't a team that by any means is about to turn the whole thing around. But at least it gives you a little bit, a little speckle of optimism right now in December, a specle of optimism. I like like that, Connie. Also, you know, if you're a Houston fan that is looking at the big picture,

all right, that was nice, nice win. Let's hold right there at to twelve and one. They currently hold the number one overall pick in the upcoming draft. If they don't win another game in Chicago's right behind them at three and twelve. So I'll leave it at that. You keep playing competitive football, But let's get that first pick.

And the Broncos a team that you know, speaking of looking ahead to the draft, they can't even do that because the blockbuster trade that brought Russell Wilson here cost them multiple first round picks, including two thousand, twenty three. So the Seahawks currently would pick third in the draft based on worthy stand And let's look at the season rank trajectory for the Broncos since Week one. I had them at the top ten. I had everybody in the a f C West in the top ten, just like

everybody else who thinks they know it all. I said, oh, it was one of division adiot number eight. By week five, they were sixteen. By week nine they were twenty six. And finally now they have parked themselves at the bottom of the rights. They have ownership, a new ownership that filed fired Nathaniel Hackett on Monday. They have a ton of money, so they could potentially lure a big name head coach Sean Payton as an example, in the off season and still take care of Hackett because they owe

him that money despite firing him. But there's so much to figure out here, kind of including like what do you do with Russell Wilson if this is just who he is now? Right? I think this whole Broncos season has been one of the biggest surprises, at least coming in from all of the chatter and all of the

storylines in training camp. I was in Denver in Inglewood there and it was so optimistic and this was before Tim Patrick went down their wide receiver, and then from there just seemed like everything really started to spiral from the clock management issues that Nathaniel Hackett was having and everything else. So I would put that up there as one of the biggest surprises, right next to me being attacked by a dog on Christmas Day, because that was

pretty damn surprising. So I think that the Broncos, you know, they just it's been a tough season. I don't want to talk about Broncos anymore. I want to talk about dogs. Are you okay by the lead? Right? I'm all right. I'm a little ammatized by it. But I guess you know, Christmas you gotta deal with a lot of different things, and being around family is sometimes stressful, and especially if a family dog turns on you and get your arm and locks on it. So it's just been an eventful

time of year. And I may or may not be on painkillers right now. Well I think if you are heavily medicated, I can't really tell. I wonder, and I know your last day is wolf? What Aunt Doreene? You know she she's always on a nice cocktail. You are wearing a hat that has like a ferocious howling wolf it appears, so is that kind of like you know, sticking your thumb up at the canine that came after you. Well, it says lone Wolf, so it's sort of that. And

you know, just my last name. It's a good day to be in sweats, mostly because I can't have anything tight around my arm, Colley, and I hate to hear that. Please get well soon. Come back to California where it's safe, That's what I'll say, coming back all right, I'll be there shortly. Thank and everybody for listening and watching. The Power Rankings podcast will be back again next week as we take a look at the final week of the regular season. Here we go all the way down to

Yelbick Road, Connie. Until then, remember what you gotta do either call. NFL Power Rankings is a production of the NFL in partnership with I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from my Heart Radio, visit the i Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.