Welcome to a brand new edition of NFL Power Rankings. Mike ham at Eric at Home with You. This is the show where we rank the teams one through thirty two. For analysis on every single one of them, all you have to do is check out Eric's column on NFL dot Com and Eric before we even get to the rankings. A little bit of a buzzkill to have to start with injuries. I think the question to ask is who's healthy right now in the NFL?
Yeah, and it's affecting the rankings, Mike. I mean every single week I asked, all right, did they win or lose? And who got hurt? Really, that's the biggest thing, especially quarterbacks and wide receivers. You know Brandon Aiyuk, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin in Tampa. You know, Watson obviously is going down for Cleveland, and you know the rookie of the Year favorite for Washington too. We might not have the Caleb Williams showdown we were hoping this week with
the Bears. So, yeah, a lot of movement and the injuries certainly had a big impact.
Yeah, we'll trickle in some of the news throughout the course of this show, but let's get to the rankings, and not a huge surprise, but they did get back up to the top spot. The Kansas City Chiefs the only unbeaten square out of the NFL at number two, all the Ravens dealing. How about at number three the Lines no Aiden Hutchinson now tied for first with Minnesota in the division. Speaking of the Vikings, they actually dropped
three spots to number four. At number five, Josh Allen still no interceptions on the year Packers and Nail Bier.
With Houston they sit in the sixth spot.
As Eric made reference to the Commanders, Jaden Daniels week to week now with the rib injury doesn't matter. Marcus Mariota hello, leading the Commanders to forty points, and at number eight it is the Houston Texans, which I think deserves an interesting conversation, which we will have in just a bit.
Eric.
Let's start with the team of the week, the Kansas City Chiefs. And yes, they're undefeated, and I understand why you have them number one. They deserve to be number one. But I think the real question is are they the best team in the NFL?
Yeah? You know, when Regie Rice got hurt, I opened the door for them to not be the best team in the NFL. You know, the cumulation of injuries, the way they were winning games, and that's continued, but the winning part has also continued, Mike, and so I don't want to overlook that. And if this was a team that had come out of nowhere this season, it was
six and oh maybe more like the Minnesota Vikings. Had they won Sunday, I might have been considering another team here, like the Ravens, like the Lions in the number one spot. But this Chiefs team has such a body of work over recent years and they've kind of reinvented themselves. You know, you've got Kareem Hunt back running like Derrick Henry in his prime here. That was a huge factor. Sunday didn't
need the huge game from Patrick Mahomes. He had a couple of moments where he obviously shined as a runner, made enough plays and that defense did the job. So, you know, when I look at a team like the Niners going ahead against the Chiefs, they're a team that can't afford a bad quarterback production game right now. The Chiefs can. That's why I still have them at number one.
I don't know if the Ravens, for instance, could survive a bad quarterback game from Lamar Jackson and still win against the quality opponent.
Dereck Henry on line number one for you, because the way the King is playing, maybe there's an argument, but I understand your point here, because the Baltimore Ravens now said at number two, Lamar Jackson five touchdown passes, five incompletions, Derek Henry runs for one hundred and sixty nine yards. They've now won five consecutive games. That's sort of the
theme here this number five. But Eric, I gotta tell you, man, like this is the Ravens team that I thought we were going to see at the start of the year. They lost those two first games, they were tight nailed Byers. But at the end of the day, I think you can make an argument Baltimore's the best team in the NFL.
I think it's absolutely there. I wrote a line on my piece this week, I said I strongly considered it when they were sort of putting the hurt down on Tampa Bay in the second half. They're up big, did kind of ease up late, did have some ugly moments early in this game. But look, I mean everything after that touchdown came off the board in the first quarter. There, they dominated the football game at least and put it
away a big enough margin. Hill was huge. Lamar Jackson had a great night, and the reports of Mark Andrews demise are a little bit exaggerated. I think he had a great game as well. So toughest offense right now to deal with. And if you can consistently out rush your opponent by one hundred or more yards, as they've done in every single game this year, Mike, I think you have an edge. And that's why Derek Henry right now is the best closer in the NFL. Look at him.
Just put this team away, carry him on his back and several big runs.
Yeah, explosive run after explosive run, watching the king out on the football field. The only thing that I would throw out there is if we get back to an AFC championship game and it's Kansas City and Baltimore because of the Derek Henry factor, maybe that thing plays out different. I don't even know if this team has even reached the peak of their offensive powers. I think they're still
trying to figure it out. The Lions, you know, a week ago Eric on this show, we were talking about Aden Hutchinson.
What would the fallout be really positive here?
Look, they win a game and offensively, is there a quarterback playing more fishing ball than Jared Goff?
Yeah, I think he's got to be in the MVP discussion at least at this point, especially after the Hutchinson injury. They're going to count on him more. And you know, some absolutely beautiful throws on Sunday. You know, they get off to a little bit of a tough start on both sides of the ball. Goff just kind of calmly some back Jamir Gibbs was terrific. We know how good that offensive line is. You know, Jamison Williams suspension got a factor that in. Sam Laporte has been a little
bit quiet. You know, Montgomery's a little banged up. He had a big fumble on Sunday too, But it just seems like whatever problems come their way, they find their way to get out of it. They find solutions from within, and they have the mental and physical toughness that's up there amongst any other team in the league, right up there with the Chiefs, right up there with the Ravens, et cetera. The Vikings played a very good game. I mean, they were set to win this thing, and Detroit pulled
it out at the end. So both teams that thought it quitted themselves. Well. Detroit's toughness though, just so impressive.
Yeah, and the Vikings are still a team even despite the loss. I know there were some questions, Hey, how much are you buying on the squad? You and I both buying on Minnesota still a really good football team. One other note on Jared Goff because I think it's just pretty remarkable. Eighty three point five completion percentage over his last four games. That's the highest completion percentage over any four game span since nineteen fifty. You watch this
team play, the ball does not hit the ground. I mean, it is awesome to watch this team's offense. And they get Tennessee this coming week. Let's move to your fifth ranked team, Eric, you got the Buffalo Bills.
They move up one spot from last week.
Tell me what you think the upside is with this offense with Amari Cooper there.
Yeah, we really saw it in the second half of that game on Sunday. The first half, I mean, he had one target. It was a drop pass, an easy out route and you thought, oh boy, he's not settling in quite the way we'd hope. But the second half really turned the page. Had the touchdown on that post route or excuse me, on that slant, had a nice sideline round after that. Clear least helped stretch the field. And it was funny because he and Keyon Coleman weren't
on the field together a ton. But Coleman also had his biggest game of the season four catches, one hundred and twenty five yards. So just adding more explosiveness to this team right now, I think it's gonna be, you know, make them even more dangerous.
Now.
Obviously they're a team that can be in long down and distance situations. Josh Allen can pull out miracles. But boy, if they can stay on schedule and getting second and thirds and stuff like that, how dangerous is a guy like Marie Cooper going to be with this team. They already have Dalton King k great young tight end. We've seen Dawson Knox, come on, James Cooks a weapon. Two. Yeah, I think this can help kind of stretch the field on the outside, but also down the mill quite a
bit as well. And we saw the fruits of it the last thirty minutes of that game when they came back and kind of steamrolled the Titans.
Yeah, in my mind, Eric, I think the addition of Marie Cooper thrust them legitimately into that conversation of one of the top two or three teams, not only in the NFL, but certainly in the AFC. This is going to be a tough Shane up on the road against Seattle. We said this earlier this season, We're going to learn a lot about Buffalo in some of these road games. They lost at Houston, lost at Baltimore. Can they get
it done against Seattle? The Packers are a team and they sit in that six position for you, they move up the one spot with a win here against that Houston squad. I don't know what to make of this Teaman like they're overcoming some turnovers here by Jordan Love, and I love Jordan's game and he comes up big in some of these big moments. But is that in the back of your mind while you're doing some of these rankings that maybe the Packers your hedge in just a little bit a little But I.
Still think they're a Super Bowl contender at this point. Right. I mean, the big turnover streak on defense ended. Love did have the first two interceptions in the first half. There sort of a give and take first half. He did settle down a little bit, had some nice throws in that last drive. Romeo Dougs came up big with a couple of grabs, but yeah, you'd like to obviously see him cut down on those. He and Patrick Mahomes tied to the league right now, league lead right now
with eight picks apiece. So you know, obviously the comparisons to far have been made. We know that's a pretty good thing. Brett fahv won a lot of football games up there, But there is that sort of high variance quality about this offense where they can look really really good and they can also let you down by giving the ball up. So I think it makes some dangerous We've seen them go on the road, We've seen them have offensive performances that are spectacular, and I think there's
been measurable growth on defense and Mike. They may have a kicker. Brandon McManus made all four of his tries one field goal at the end of the game. That has been a big issue for a long time in Green bay Books up there are very happy and.
You get to do a little lambe leap at the end of the game, which I'm sure McManus is one of those moments that I know he is never going to forget. Hey real quick here, because I mentioned Houston Texans and we're talking obviously about the Packers. I was hanging with David Carr last night getting ready for a Monday night postgame show on NFL Network, and I brought up Stroud's name. Look, I don't want to call it
a sophomore Steff, because that's not what this is. But it feels like at times you're playing better in his rookie campaign eighty six passing yards. What do you make of what you saw from him past protection?
Biggest thing I took away from that game, you know, the Packers were kind of toying with them. Look at all the guys up on the line on this play. Some drop out. That's because earlier in the game they were successful getting home with the blitzes, so they confused Stroud, they confused the offensive line. They put obvious slow Wick to play caller, and some tough spots there. So I
think that's a huge part of it. It felt like a bigger deal the first three four games of the year than it had recently, but it showed up against Sunday and again no Nicocollins. There's only so much Joe Mixican do. He missed a big chunk of the season earlier as well, so I would focus on the offensive line and right CJ hasn't quite played up to that same level. But if he gets the protection, and maybe it's a different answer, then.
Yeah, once again, still feel really optimistic about Houston's chances totally make a run here, But just something that kind of popped up, I.
Think when we were all watching the game.
All right, just getting underway here on NFL Power Ranking, Let's keep in mind Russell Wilson making the season debut season had thirty seven points. Why the AFC just got put on notice? Back here on Power Rankings, Mike am and Eric at Home with you the complete analysis of every single team on NFL dot Com. But we pick things up with the number nine, the Steelers. We'll talk about Russ's debut in just a moment. Sakuon Barkley haunting
the g minutes. The Eagles at ten eleven, it's the Bears at twelve, the Broncos dominate in New Orleans and Sean Payton's return. Thirteen the Buccaneers dealing with a slew of injuries, which we'll get to.
At fourteen the Seahawks.
They snapped the three game slide with the win against Atlanta. The Falcons just behind them at fifteen. Some some issues right now offensively for the squad after they have come on like gangbusters.
And at sixteen it's the San.
Francisco forty nine or speaking of injuries at that wide receiver spot, another conversation we will have, but we will start with Russell Wilson in his debut thirty seven points season high.
It was a little on the fence. Why go with Russ? Why not just roll with Justin? Fields?
Do they find another level the rest of the season with the play that you saw this past week from Russell Wilson.
Yeah, pretty impressive stuff from Mike Tom at least after one game. Right, they were in an election season and Russ wasn't polling buried well, you know what I mean, people were questioning the decision. Why don't you stick with Justin? He's been getting it done, they've been winning. Look, Mike had had a number at the internal numbers, I should
say they're really good numbers. He knew what was going on, and even after that two for eight start, I think, you know, he felt like this offense is going to hit its groove. It did a lot of short passes, some deep shots as well, and just kind of toy with that defense and really made a difference. Got Pickens involved, got you know, Friarmuth involved, and the run game suddenly opened up too, and Mike when they got close to the end zone, it looked like a justin fields like
cameo appearance moment just didn't happen. There was no fields. This was all Wilson. I think he's the guy from this point on. We'll see what fields the story in Pittsburgh is after this, but I think he's gonna go until the wheels come off at this point.
Yeah, Eric, I know you got kids. You go to the amusement park. You know that little game machine that's got the cloth and it like drops down and you get like the Teddy Bear or whatever. I never used to get that. The real life version of that is George Pickens. Some of the grabs, I mean his hands, it's yeah, it's remarkable. So I'm with you on the Steelers, who've been kind of hovering around this nine to ten area.
We see if they find another notch up.
The Eagles, they actually move up a couple spots, two spots to be specific to number ten. I'm not surprised here. I mean, say, Quon one hundred and seventy six yards. This was the performance we expected to see against his old squad.
There was no chance he would be a no show at MetLife Stadium against his former team, and look he tapped out after three quarters. He kind of gone for that career high in yard. Certainly, it was the most he'd ever had in that stadium, which had the sting for Giants fans, right Mike of just saying, oh sorry, but yeah, yeah, on a day when you know, really not a whole lot was going well for the Eagles. I know that touchdown past d aj Brown was terrific,
maybe the best stow of Jaalen Hurts season. It was really all about Barkley and all about how that Eagles defense really hunted Daniel Jones, knocked him out of the game. They went to Drew Locke late, and you know, the Eagles are a tough team to figure out, but when they have Barkley rolling, it really is you know, you can understand why they paid the money for him this offseason and he's clearly made a big impact on the team.
Yeah, big time matchup looming for this Eagle squad against a Cincinnati squad that I've been defending here on the show for a significant period of time. Moving on to power Movers and the Denver Broncos, the team right now that vaults up four spots to number twelve, Eric, if you would have told me before the season, hey, we'd be talking about this Denver squad kind of the middle of the pack, but up to twelve, I would have been surprised.
Sell me on this.
Yeah, No, I've had to kind of sell myself to Bears, Broncos, other teams that I had five, six, seven, eight, ten spots below. I think most of it has been. Hey, they've been doing pretty well and the teams above them have been losing. Right now, the middle class is a little bit jumbled, but they're making it work. With bo Nicks, He's not been perfect, but he's been effective moving the chains with his legs. He can work out of slumps within games, the run game has been efficient and that
defense too. Cody Barton with a huge game last Thursday in New Orleans. I mean, I didn't think Sean Payton would go in there and lead an offensive showdown, but you know, they came out with a big defensive win and that was the statement they wanted to make. And so, you know, this team is interesting. I don't know how
much what their ceiling is. I don't know if we're talking about a true top ten type of team, but they're right on the cusp right now, and I think a lot of that has to do with how they've played in recent games.
Yeah, a good coaching job by Sean Payne and it helps.
Obviously.
Bonnix is having some really good moments on the football field. At number thirteen the Buccaneers. They actually dropped four spots here. I think this is a sign of things to come for this team. We know the news Chris Godwin is out because of a dislocated ankle. Mike Evans goes down with the hamstring injury. I don't know where this offense goes without.
Arguably the two of the best wide receivers that we have.
In the league.
I agree, you know, when you saw Evans drop that touchdown, Plass, that was the play where he heard his hamstring or reinjured it, whatever you want to say. After that, Baker Mayfield look lost at times. It took him a couple quarters to kind of find his rhythm again. By that point, the game was out of hand. So yeah, I mean, obviously the Godwin thing happened late in the game, but the red zone pick, the interception. After that, Mayfield had
a tough outing out there. Some of it was protection, but I definitely think missing his top guy and eventually now top two guys really hurt. Katee Todten had a big game. Jalen McMillan is a nice rookie. You know, there's some three different options in the backfield they can turn to hand the ball off to. But I'm with you, Mike.
If if Evans is out for any significant period of time along with Godwin, even in this division which remains open and there is a path to winning another division crown in a home playoff game, I'm having a hard time seeing it right now. And as well as Mayfield had played coming in the last Monday Night.
Yeah, I'm with you one hundred percent. I feel back because this is a squad.
That looked like they were the best team, you know, maybe in that division. But I think some of those other squads their eyes just kind of opening up very wide with this opportunity. Speaking of injuries, the Niners dealing with a lot of them, Brandon, I you it gets a huge deal, you know, four years, one hundred and
twenty million dollars deal kind of offseason. I'll use air quotes around that because it went up to the liar here gets hurt, done for the season, and Deebo Samuel also he started this game, played four snaps, had to leave pneumonia. Ian Rapaport's reporting actually had to go to the hospital fluid in his lungs. No timetable on his return. The Niners dropped two spots here. This is this couldn't have gone worse for San Francisco. I mean, Christian McCaffrey
hasn't even hit the field yet. I still want to be optimistic about this team. I just don't know where the production's coming from.
Yeah, I mean, Deebo, I think we'll be back at some point, but he's an annual injury risk. I yuke out of the picture. As you said, Ricky Piersoll now has one game under his belt. Juwan Jennings still a toss up guy as well, you know, as well as Kittle has played the last few games, you know, and the hope of McCaffrey coming back at some point. You have all these issues. You have defensive problems as well.
They can't seem to go a game without some kind of special teams, missque and they just lost to a team that has tormented him and kind of dominated them. I know it's a non conference game and all that, but this had to be a pretty big one going into that game, and you know, they sort of hit in emotional bottom of sorts. But we also know how
good Kyle Shanahan teams are in November December. So I'm still not completely giving up hope, but I hear you, man, it's time to sound the alarm bells a little bit.
Hey, in the Bay Area, they had this game circled and an opportunity to make a statement, you know, sitting at five hundred coming into this game, where hey like, no, we're still legit, we can handle business, and we've had some losing streaks before, and we figure it out. This is what I think every fan wanted to see. It's hard to get it done though without Ayuk and Deebo. Meanwhile, there's more to come here on NFL Power Rankings, the Jets big splash they bring in DeVante.
What does it mean? A loss and more turnovers? We put into focus Dang Green.
Next back here on Power Rankings Team seventeen through twenty four, the Chargers five field goals and a Monday night football loss to Arizona. The number eighteen, it's the Colts. Good news, Anthony Richardson didn't throw a pick and they actually scored a win. I will take that. At number nineteen, it's the Cowboys twenty Since that they've won three out of four, Eric, it's time to move them up a little bit higher. At twenty one, it is the Cardinals, so we'll talk
about in just a moment. At twenty two, it's the Jets, and this has been a little bit of a tough go the last couple of weeks. The twenty third ranked team is the Rams and the twenty fourth rank squad is the Saints. All right, we don't get to always love up Arizona. They move up free spots for you. Kyler's doing his thing, James Conner's running over dudes. I'll
take this as a win. I don't know what it's going to look like at the end of the year, but this looks like a better football team than one.
The one that I saw a year ago.
Yeah. What really struck me early in Monday Night's second game was how the two big plays in the first quarter Starlink Thomas knocking the ball out for a touchback the other way looked like it was going to be a Chargers touchdown. And then you mentioned Connor, the wily old Badger Man. He was great running the football, but he also made a crucial knockout of an interception to help give the ball back to the Cardinals, So who knows what happen. I think those two plays really kind
of set the tone for the night. Situational awareness, toughness, hustle, it was all there, and they kind of out harbored the Harbaugh's Last Night or Monday Night. So really an impressive game with physical power and mental toughness. Not that much explosiveness outside of Murray's run. But there's something about this team. I love the way they play. They throw it all out there every single time in the NFC West, anything is possible, Mike, Yeah, you.
Know, justin Herbert we ran his postgame press conference on NFL Network, got executed in the red zone. He was hammering home that point. The Jets last seven drives in the loss, two interceptions of miss field goal and a turnover on downs. I know it's Davante Adams. I know they're making news. And look, I don't blame any of this on DeVante been there for like two minutes here, but the Jets, dude, like, are we gonna win some games here?
Yeah, They've got to figure this thing out pretty quickly and make it all mesh together. Right. We saw a lot of Davante Adams. His biggest play though, in the game was making a tackle after an interception, saving a touchdown at least briefly here and when Rogers with this pick I think was probably on him. The second one definitely not on him. That was Garrett Wilson bald Voss's off his chest and into the hands of Beanie Bishop Junior.
So you know, it's plays like that that look like they should be a positive for the Jets end up a negative. That's been too common this season, whether it's you know, the wide receivers, the offensive line, penalties and pressures allowed, and even the defense too. Mike, I thought this was a top ten unit. I know there's injuries, I know there's setbacks, but this is not a group that is playing up to its potential right now.
Yeah, Aaron Rodgers right now, six interceptions over his last three games, no point.
No all right.
Teams ranked twenty five through thirty two. The Dolphins, there's some hope on the way, which we'll get to in a moment. The Giants are twenty six, No comment for me. At twenty seven. The Jags, and I see them. You have a win in London. The Raiders sitting at twenty eight. Kind of an ugly performance. The twenty ninth ranked team, the Titans continue to struggle one to five to get Detroit next. Meanwhile, Deshaun Watson done his Browns at thirty one,
It's the Patriot's a long way to go. And I have no idea what to make of the thirty second ranked team, the Carolina Panthers. I don't know if it necessarily matters anymore who's playing quarterback for them this season. Let's go positive here, Miami Dolphins. Tua is knocking on the door. Expect to see him out there. I think maybe the Fins can make a run here.
Yeah, whether it's this weekend or next the big game against the Bills, the team that knocked him out earlier in the season. They have to see an offensive improvement. I mean, he would offer big hope, no question about it. They just can't have games where Tyreek Hill Dion see a target until the third quarter. They can't have games where Jalen Waddle isn't seeing a catch until the fourth quarter. That's the biggest problem, the lack of explosiveness. What happened
to Devin h An. You know, all these big playmakers they haven't been able to use because of the backup quarterback situation. But then how is Tua? Is he ready to go? Is the concussion still an issue? Those are big lingering questions. So I can't really vault him up too much until we have more evidence of him being able to go out there and stay healthy.
You know the tough thing about this is every year it feels like we're trying to find another team that can dethrone the Buffalo Bills. And this season it looked like maybe Miami could have been that squad. I'm not saying it can't happen. They got to go on an epic run, and they need their quarterback back in the lineup and healthy out on the football field.
Eric, you're the best man. I cannot wait to do this again with you next week.
Thanks for watching and listening to Power Rankings.