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Embrace the Chaos.
There's been nothing but that over the course of the first few weeks of the NFL season. Welcome to Power Rankings. Mike am joined by Eric at Home and if you haven't seen the complete list of rankings, all you have to do is head to NFL dot com. And Eric, I love the fact that I get to read your column before it actually hits, and I think you made a great and accurate assessment of quite a few teams. More specifically something you said at the intro, which was
expect the unexpected. I think a quarterway through the season, we've got a pretty good handle on how these teams might be playing the rest.
Of the way. Yeah, we didn't have as much wild movement in Week four as we sorry week five as we did in Week four, but there was still quite a bit of movement. And I think if you take back a look back at what we had in Week one or even the preseason edition, there's been a lot of change. Obviously, especially on the NFC side, where Minnesota, Washington, Tampa Bay some teams have outperformed expectations are certainly in the case of the Commanders. But yeah, we'll see how
long this can hold up too. I mean, Vikings set a four and a record not too long ago finished eight and eight, so that could certainly happen to this club if Sam Donald doesn't keep it up.
So I watched the games now on Sunday a little bit differently. I think to myself, where's Eric going to have this team when the matchup is done? And there was one team in particular, I was like, maybe there's going to be a change.
I didn't think there was really.
Going to be a change at the top, but there was. Use name check Sam Donald and the Minnesota Vikings. We got a new number one. The Vikings still undefeated. They move into the number one spot on the power rankings. Kansas City drops one. They've been sitting there all season long. They did get a win, but it was a close one and there's obviously some injury concerns now with ever Street Rice at that wide receiver spot.
The Detroit Lions.
On Monday night, Jared Goff was perfect number four the Bills.
A little surprise for me.
Just one spot decline for Buffalo after a loss against the Ravens. We'll discuss that the Texans a comeback win against the Jags.
They are at number five.
This Ravens team that we saw on Sunday, this is the one that I think we expected to see all season.
They move up two spots into the sixth position.
The Commanders, Hello, moving up nine spots, and I gotta be honest, it makes sense the way that Jaden Daniels and this team is playing. And then the Tampa Bay Bucks start three to one for the fourth time in the last five seasons. They check in at number eight. But Eric, let's start with the number one team, the Minnesota Vikings.
Here. Break it down for me.
Why you felt confident enough in what you've seen through these first four games to have them number one.
Yeah, part of it had to do what's going on in Kansas City. We'll talk about that in a minute. But obviously we had a little bit of a Alabama Georgia thing going on up there in Green Bay, where you know, Minnesota came out twenty eight to nothing lead, looked like the dominant team, absolutely getting after Jordan Love defensively and seeing Sam Donald continue to throw passes like this.
He's been spot on this year did have the one intercession, but Mike I saw Kevin O'Connell trust Sam Donald when the lead was starting to shrink away to throw the football and throw them to a victory. They had Aaron Jones back in his old house, right, You could easily hand off to the guy who made a ton of lamboat leaves in his career. None on Sunday, But instead they realize they have to remain aggressive. Jordan Love was starting to get hot after some early shaky moments, and
I think the Vikings played it right. Coaching has been a huge part of what they've done this season. It's not to besmirch any other staff like Andy Reid or John Harbor, anybody like that, but what I've seen from Kevin O'Connell and Brian Flores this season has been wildly impressive. In another big game for them on the road against a division opponent, making place like this to seal a victory.
I want to put some context eric around how good this the Minnesota Vikings team has been. They've trailed for just three minutes and twenty six seconds through four games.
That's the fewest in the NFL.
Only team under twenty seven minutes that is wild, and that speaks to what you're talking about, a balance attack. The defense has been great and by the way they hit the road. Now they're going to London against the Jets. We'll talk about Gangreen coming up that matchup exclusively on NFL Network this coming weekend, so you want to make sure that you're tuning in for that. The Chiefs, all right, I got to imagine if they're completely healthy, this is a harder decision to drop them once.
That's exactly right. I mean, I've been kind of stubborn about it. You look at other people's power rankings, they'd moved on from the Chiefs even with the four to zho record, you know, just saying, hey, look, Mahomes hasn't been as great, you know, but I really think it has been enough of a good team to this point prior to the Rashi Rice injury that I would have kept them probably number one, or at least had a
real tough debate in my head. But once the news came out on Rice, still some you know, lack of clarity on whether he's going to be out the entire season or what the deal is. But I'm assuming this is going to be another serious injury in line with losing Hollywood Brown in the preseason, losing Isaiah Pacheco a couple of weeks ago, you know, making some changes on the offensive line. I was very glad to see Travis Kelcey step up on Sunday. It was gonna happen at
some point. And Kareem hunt is first game back since twenty eighteen in Kansas City, was a big part of finishing that one off. They had a bench Carson Steel early in the game after the fumble. There's still some uncertainty there. We're kind of back to where we were last year with all the questions about Mahomes weapons and how is he gonna get this done? We know he can, but you know, is he going.
To Here's the best part about this from Kansas City perspective, there's lulls in the season and they're still winning football games, so they still have some time. I saw a report from Ian Rappaport saying the team exploring some possibilities of acquiring another wide receiver if the rice injury is as significant as we assume that it is. Number three the Detroit Allons I gotta tell you on Monday, and I don't know if we saw the biting of the ankles
and the whole deal. But this team is tough, they are gritty. They were able to sustain a lead and hold on to it. I think there's a lot to love about the Lions.
Absolutely, did they have their hands full defensively with Gino Smith and the Seahawks, No doubt, right. I mean, they had to hold off a team that had I think thirty eight first downs twenty seven them in the second half. Just an incredible job by Seattle to keep making this a game. But when you have the offensive efficiency that the Lions did Monday night, kind of regaining some of their mojo a little bit. Big performance from Tim Patrick, you know, he's now kind of entering the mix a
little bit. Jamison Williams a couple of really important plays. The run duo there was awesome. And then Jared Goff one of his eighteen for eighteen completions there on the night you throw in the touchdown catch you had I'm on Saint Brown and Lions were perfect as a team nineteen for nineteen. So you're gonna win a lot of football games when you don't have a pass hit the turf. But it took every single minute. Did love the way
they closed out the game, right. They could have been a little tighter there, allowing the safety at the end. But man, this is I said in the column I lived in Saint Louis during the Greatest Show on Turf years. There's a lot of similarities between the two teams. Highly explosive, a little volatile, always interesting. And I'm gonna keep watching these guys because there's so much fun and they seem to be kind of getting back on track a little bit offensively.
Yeah, they are fun and look, it was the most memorable play of the game with im and Ross Saint Brown, who had never thrown a pass in his college or NFL career. He's now one for one with the touchdown pass. He's probably telling Jared, Yo, your job is pretty easy. Look at some of my stats and my percentages. And Goff, by the way, his second career reception in his first career touchdown I saw. Obviously, we had the postgame show on NFL Network and we had played some of Jared
Goff's comments after the game. He said it was his first touchdown that he could remember since he was like seven years old, which is just wild to me. Moving on to number four. Here the Bills, they dropped two spots Eric Ause, I'm watching that game against Baltimore and seeing how they lost. I actually thought there was a world where you drop them more than just two spots. Why the amount of respect that you've given them to still keep them where they are?
Yeah, I mean the first three games of this season they had been really good, I thought, and especially the last two, and so they had flexed their muscles a
little bit. And this is a twenty one to ten game where the Ravens kind of kept the door open with some of their mistake I think had that trick play, the one where Allen fumbled and you know the one that Joe Brady says after the game he regrets, had that play gone a little differently, or if they've been able to make something happen on that drive, we'd have a different final score and a different story. Not making excuses they didn't play well defensively, they had their issues
with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. Offensively, we know they were drop passes, there were missed kind of connections there. And it was the first time in forty three games that they lost in regular season games. That they lost by more than ten points, so it does speak to the fact that they are highly competitive. Josh Allen keeps them in almost every game. Sunday was obviously an exception to that. Does it look a little strange that I have the Ravens below them? Yes, but this is sort
of the balancing act you have to do. Where the Ravens had two losses, one of them pretty bad to the Raiders, how do you kind of weigh those two teams head to head? Is only part of the equation. So that's kind of how I arrived there. Don't worry Ravens fans. I love your team. I never moved them out even and zero and two, so I stuck with you guys.
Yeah, no, I'm with you there, and I think you actually slotted it the right way, because it's got to be the entire body of work. And to be fair here, Baltimore hasn't had and I don't think there's someone higher on the Ravens than me inside our building here an NFL network, the Ravens the whole season. They deserve to be at least right now behind the Buffalo Bills. By the way, I thought, Diggs, you know we're talking about
Buffalo not having questions around personnel. I think it showed up how much they missed him in a game like this, and it hadn't creaked its ugly head through the first couple of weeks of the season.
When name checked the Ravens, they.
Or assuse me, they move up to the sixth spot here Derrick Henry, Derrick Henry, and last time I checked, the King.
Is still really good.
Unbelievable to make a statement that early in the game. It really kind of changes your defensive mindset, right, you have a thirty year old running back at that weight and that kind of power ripping off that long a touchdown. The last two weeks, obviously last three really we've seen. You know, this guy is entirely capable of being a huge part of the offense. Didn't happen in week one, but they found that right mix of getting Henry involved. And you know, it wasn't a huge throwing day for
Lamar Jackson. They didn't need him to right. Everything was going so smoothly up front, so almost a near perfect offensive script. As I mentioned in the Buffalo part, there still want to see them cut down on those mistakes they could have taken this thing and blown it wide open earlier than this, but did kind of leave the door open a little bit. We know that was an issue in Dallas held on for victory. It was an issue against the Raiders. That's one thing they have to
clean up. But the talent's there for a top ten team, no doubt. Yeah.
Look the way that they won this football game reminds us of what this Ravens team is in terms of team identity.
Run the football almost two hundred.
Yards for Dereck Henry one hundred and ninety nine of the exact, by the way, which is the most rushing yards by a Ravens player since Ray Rice back in twenty eleven. And then defensively, this is a good Buffalo offense and they looked good on that side of the football. And Eric's super excited for power moves as the Commanders move up nine spots to number seven.
Jayden dan Niels has got this team rocking.
He's been special, you know, and I thought he had a great chance beginning of the year to be offensive Rookie of the Year. And Cliff Kingsbury was a big reason why he goes back to Arizona exacts a little revenge against his former team, but you know, didn't make a big deal out of it because he's got this star quarterback and they are in simpatico right now, and it's been fun to watch the design of the offense. Some power, some spread, a little bit of this and
a little bit of that. They're explosive offensively, they're hard to defend the run games there, and the defense is overachieving too. You can't say enough about the job that Dan Quinn, Adam Peters and the rest of the crew there have done and rebuilding this locker room and this roster as well.
Jayden Daniels for context on what he's been able to accomplish last two games, for him, five touchdowns, three in the air and two on the ground.
I'm going to repeat that five.
Touchdowns, Eric six incompletions over the last two games.
It is he's over eighty for said he leaves the league. It's nuts, it's crazy, it's.
It is, it's wild.
And I think you said something in your column once again on NFL dot Com analysis on all thirty two teams. Why not Washington win this division? Considering how Dallas and New York and Philadelphia are playing so just I can't believe I'm saying that the Washington Commanders might win the NFC East, another team that's on the move.
Seven spots, Tampa Bay up to eight.
I think the win that you witnessed, Eric made you even pause, because this is a significant jump, and I think you were a little on the fence about this team over the last few weeks.
Yeah, I mean two weeks ago didn't have him too much lower than this. The big drop after the Denver game, I think we realized, Look, Denver went on the road and won a tough game against the Jets. Maybe they're a little better opponent than I realized some other folks did. I don't know, this was I think we're going to look back at that Denver game and just say that was kind of their their hiccup, their mulligan, whatever you want to call it. Baker was back in command. The
defense got after the Eagles. Shorthanded Eagles team, Granted, you know they were missing some star players, no doubt about it. But I loved what what the Mayfields, Yeah, what the Mayfield, the fighting Mayfields did against that Eagles defense that really kind of shut down the Saints the week before, made it tough for them to keeping them on the field for long drives and explosive plays, and it was a feel good game, a get right game for the Bucks,
and they certainly made that big statement. And you know, they're my favorites for the NFC South. But there's another team I know you like, we're going to talk about later that could give them a little push. Yeah.
Look, the division is still really competitive, but to your point, I think they have to be the favorite. And by the way, just I do think it's important to highlight this the lives that have been affected in the South because of the hurricane and the absolute debate was able to get a win like this. I mean, look, it's a small level of solace, but I think a lot of people need those distractions on the weekends and Sundays to think about what's happening in their actual lives. That
it's not good right now. So our thoughts and prayers and good vibes that we were sending to everyone that was affected from that perspective. But hopefully if you're watching the show, we're making a little fun for you. In fact, Eric, there's one team and Tampa Bay fans can laugh all that they want because they were a Super Bowl contender and yet they.
Are free falling. We will tell you who that team is.
Come it up next on power rankings. Back here on power rankings presented by Energizer Erics. Teams nine through sixteen. The Green Bay Packers following the last still stay in the top ten. The Steelers, they were perfect on the season, but they lost to the Colts, so they dropped to the tenth position. Seattle, there were questions around how good this team was. They stay flat at number eleven. The Niners also flat. They get back into the win column.
They're number twelve. The thirteenth ranked team the Philadelphia Eagles, who have a free fall. We'll talk about them dropping eight spots. The Saints are at fourteen, the Jets at fifteen, just ahead of that game in London, there's some tension brewing in New York.
And the Colts at sixteen.
Anthony Richardson banged up Joe Flacco, Jonathan Taylor, the keys to success against Pittsburgh all right at number eleven. Here, I think the conversation should start with the Seattle team. Eric, this is a squad that was perfect. We said, hey, who are they beating? How good are they? I know, the score might tell you one story against what we saw in Detroit against the Lions. I actually think they hung tough and I think this is a pretty good football team.
Absolutely yeah. I think when you also consider the fact how much they were actually missing on defense. You know Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy, the first round pick, NWOSU, you know, boy Mafe had a sack in every game up till till Monday night, so a lot of defensive firepower. They lose Julian Love during the game as well, so they
were up against it. But you look at what Gino Smith did, and he played a tremendous game, like really one of his best career games, and was constantly keeping them in the game with darts all over the field. Kenneth Walker, I swear traverse half of Michigan on Monday, barrowing through Lions tackles, and he had a great return of the field after missing a couple of games. And you know what those receivers can do. You know that one DK turnover really cost him early, but he was
him all night, so was Jackson Smith and Jigba. Mike McDonald I think gets it. He's a good coach. He found the right script after they fell behind to kind of keep them in the game. Trust the Gino, you know, did what he could defensively. But when they get healthy on that side of the ball, I think they're going to really push the forty nine ers. I don't know if it's going to be all season long, but I think they're going to have some firepower to stay in the NFC West race.
Yeah, I couldn't agree more.
Three hundred and ninety five yards for Gino Smith, career high for him. Three rushing touchdowns for Walker, also a career high. Couldn't wait to talk to you about this team, the Philadelphia Eagles. I think it's probably panic in Philly. I get what that fan base is, but let's keep in mind here the wide receivers Brown and Smith did
not play Lane Johnson on that offensive line. I can story this team still being a very quality football team, and yet based off of your power rankings and the fact that we're doing this every single.
Week, I felt like you had to drop them.
I did too. I just sat there and said, look, as impressive as Week three was, it was a big win for him. They take a big step back here, even shorthanded.
Right.
We talked about the Seahawks just a moment ago and what they were able to do that felt more impressive than what the Eagles could do. Again against the good Bucks team, I think we need to give them their respect. But the same problems are cropping up. Jalen Hurts another turnover. Those have been adding up. He's got twenty seven of them since the start of last season in about twenty games. There. The defense not being able to stack back to back
impressive performances. That's a problem. I mean, that's you know, they spend all these first round picks on pass rushers, and they go out and spend on you know, defensive tackles, and they're still giving up chunksy yards up front. So I just feel like this bye week couldn't have turned worse in terms of the timing of it. Now, the pressure is all on this Eagles team to come back stronger after the bye. Gonna be a lot of talk
about Nick Sirianni and what he can do. You know, not everybody is convinced he's the right man for the job, you know, fans or otherwise. So I'll be fascinated to see if there is an answer, because I do think the firepower is there. Health is a big part of it, but they got to play better football.
Yeah.
Look, we can point to health and we have, even with the Kansas City Chiefs the top of the rankings, who now fall to number two. The reality is there are some teams that are able to overcome some of these injuries.
Sure.
I mean, in case in point, we'll talk about the Titans, right, they lose their starting quarterback and we'll leves turn the game and yet still figure out a way.
You got to step up? Is really the point here?
Dropping four spots the Saints to fourteen, Young Waiku my guy down in Atlanta bearing a fifty eight yard field goal two seconds left for the whim This is a heartbreaker. The Saints dominant these first couple of weeks, and these like razor edge thin margins that they're losing by. I don't know if that's the mark of, hey, a really good team or one that I should be questioning.
Yeah, They're a tough one to figure out. They've been one that I really kind of grapple with over the first four weeks of the season. The explosives start and then the last two thuds. You know, coming down to the last second, but still in a game where the offense was good, but now I don't think good enough. Now they're missing two offensive linemen the well, but they dominated the first first possession of the game, looked great,
and then things got a little clunky after that. Atlanta won the game with no offensive touchdowns, so, you know, the mistakes in the special teams game and then also a deflected pass that's run back for a touchdown. You know, those are the kind of things that the Saints probably could have overcome when they were scoring forty points a game to start the year. But now the things have slowed down a little bit. You know, those are the
things that shrink the margin of error for them. And you know, Dennis Allen's another guy who came into this season facing a lot of pressure. It cooled way off. Clint Kubiak was the most popular guy in New Orleans, but all of a sudden that's now kind of reverted back to the middle a little bit. So you know, they might be looking up at teams like the Bucks in Atlanta for that division, and they've got to find
a way to get their mojo back right. Alvin Kamar has been great, but they still need other playmakers alive emerged late in that game, but rashid Chi he'd had the early mistake with the fumble and couldn't quite make up for it down the stretch.
Here here's the worst part about this from a Saints perspective, and it's also the best part. Monday night football against the Kansas City Chiefs. You lose this one, it's now three consecutive losses. You win this one, and I think we start talking about the Saints like we did after the first two weeks of the season. Post some more to come here on NFL Power Rankings. Thank you, eric On.
We'll takeo some kudos from you. Chargers Bengals.
At one point during the course of the season, we were talking about them as top ten teams.
They're nowhere close.
See where they land coming up next, Welcome back to Power Rankings presented by Energizer Eric's teams seventeen through twenty four. The Cowboys checking at number seventeen, the Chargers at one point where a top ten squad started to and zero they've dropped. Now back to back games they fall to eighteen, the Falcons at nineteen.
The Broncos with the win against the Jets. It was a tough one. They showed up for bo Nicks. They are at twenty.
The Bengals were also a top ten team at one point they needed to win. They got the win, but they sit at twenty one. The Bears, Hello, run the football. They're at number twenty two, the Rams at twenty three. They are the walking wounded, and at number twenty four hat tip to Antonio Pearson. The Raiders no DeVante Adams, no Max Crosby, and you still are able to take out the Browns at twenty four.
It's down for future champions. As we take a closer look at the odds in the.
NFC South, the Atlanta Falcons still the favorite, the Tampa Bay Bucks behind them. The Saints check in right behind the Bucks, and it's Carolina even with Andy Dalton as not exactly the favorite to go and win this division. The Atlanta Falcons. You had America at number nineteen. They keep winning football games. I get it, there's some questions around that team's offense, but in crucial situations, Kirk Cousins in company, they're dealing.
They are, but you got to get in the end zone. Mike, I mean, that's My big problem with the said they have trouble scoring right now, and they did have a touchdown call back on a questionable penalty. But there are times when Kirk Cousins the passing game is a little laborious and they can't figure out exactly when they should be leaning on their run game. But look opportunistic special teams. They were great on that side of the ball. Defense, made the big play Troy Anderson's pick six. They got
it done. They're kind of the masters of the close games, right. I mean they don't win them all right, They lost in one of the Chiefs and also lost in Week one of the Steelers, but all four games have come down to the final minutes, so they're getting battle tested in these playoff like atmospheres. And they did it with some backup offensive lineman last week, so I do give him credit for that.
Yeah, even late in these games, I start feeling like, hey, maybe Kirk can deliver, and he was able to in young Wig who putting it through the uprights for a career long fifty eight yard Fueld goal. Meanwhile, the rest of the rankings here at twenty five, the Arizona Cardinals, I got annihilated by Washington. The Titans with a win at twenty six, the Giants at twenty seven, the Browns. I don't know what's going on with this team. They check it at twenty eight. At twenty nine, it's the Patriots,
the Dolphins. At thirty thirty one, it's the Panthers, and the winless team in the NFL is the Jacks at thirty two. How concerned are you about Miami who drops five spots?
That was not pretty on Monday night.
I'd love to be able to do the Mike McDaniel face. When there's about five minutes left, they're down twenty two to six. Jordan Poyer's been ruled out, Tyreek Hill is barking behind him, Tyler Huntley struggling on the field. Everything is going wrong. The fans wanted to be anywhere but hard Rocks Stadium. It's a mess right now. They have a couple winnable games, but it is a mess. And then I don't know how they're going to figure it out.
Yeah.
Look, watching his press conference there, he said, number one, all things on the table when it comes to change.
Cutains on on the offensive side. Disappointed. I know, Tyler Huntley is a guy.
That can get it done, but he was disappointed in the guys around him not delivering.
There's a lot of drops in this game. Eric, you're the best. You have the toughest job in the building. Ranking these teams. We will do it again next week. Thanks for watching and listening.
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