By CIAN McKEOWN
At the midpoint of the NFL Season, the league is all over the place, with former contenders falling to the middle or bottom tier and bottom feeders rising to lead their divisions and shock the league. We’ve now reached the point in the season where teams who think they can go on a run have to test their mettle and durability with the league’s best. While I’m not a professional NFL analyst, I’ve been following this NFL season closely, and these are my honest but fallible power rankings.
10. Atlanta Falcons
While it remains to be seen whether Atlanta is truly among the league’s best, they have a comfortable two-game lead over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as they sit atop the NFC South. While they haven’t faced the toughest of opponents, they have scored a couple of impressive wins. Such as a Monday Night Football shootout versus the Eagles in which Falcons Quarterback Kirk Cousins led a masterful drive in the final minutes to snatch the victory. With a plethora of winnable games down the stretch, we’ll have to see if the Falcons can keep their hold on the division and make some noise in the playoffs. With the pain and mediocrity of the Arthur Smith years behind them, the Falcons finally look like a real team, equipped with an emerging defense thanks to new defense-minded head coach Raheem Morris, young and hungry receivers, and an automatic kicker in Younghoe Koo, the Falcons appear to be setting themselves up for future success.
9. Minnesota Vikings
Despite their recent skid, the Vikings look like a more convincing squad. As long as wide receiver Justin Jefferson can stay healthy, the Vikings have a chance to be dominant. In a highly competitive division, this remains to be seen. If the defense can get a little bit better down the stretch, the Vikings could make some noise.
8. Green Bay Packers
Despite a demoralizing loss last week at Lambeau Field to the Detroit Lions, it’s hard to count the Packers out at this point. Jordan Love will continue to play through his injury, and it is up to head coach Matt Lafluer to get a hold on this regression, the Packers might have something to work with. The only concern with writing the Packers off at this point would be the evidence we have from last season that they can overcome early strife to win down the stretch. The question remains as to whether or not they are poised to do it again.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers
This choice might be a little bit out there but the Steelers finally seem like an outfit that can reach beyond their current standard of mediocrity. The Steelers have not faced the stiffest of competition so far this season, but have looked incredibly convincing in the last few games, particularly in their Monday night win over the Giants. This has been largely due to having veteran Russell Wilson under center, a shrewd coaching move by Mike Tomlin which has been retroactively vindicated, and the awakening of Najee Harris as a real running back again. This is not to mention the video-game-like body-contorting catches that wide receiver George Pickens can make on a regular basis. TJ Watt will continue to be a defensive force and defensive player of the year contender like he normally is, and old-school Steeler football appears to be returning. I hesitate to put them higher on the list because they still must contend with the Ravens in their division.
6. Houston Texans
Things are looking extremely dicey for the Texans at the moment, but that is not a deterrent from putting them on this list. CJ Stroud is a superstar, even if he is currently dying behind the offensive line. It would be difficult for the Texans to not win their division at this point, barring some insane run by the Indianapolis Colts, and they need to get healthy, with wide receivers Tank Dell and Nico Collins injured, along with defense standout Will Anderson. This current rough period may continue for a time, but they have an easy path to the playoffs.
5. Washington Commanders
Rookie Quarterback Jayden Daniels has taken the league by storm this season, making waves around the league by showcasing his rocket arm and quick feet, reminding Wasington fans of a standout rookie quarterback from a decade ago, Robert Griffin III. After the thrilling last-second hail-mary against Chicago, that was tipped into the waiting arms of receiver Noah Brown, the Commanders seem uniquely invigorated. With a series of winnable division games down the stretch, the Commanders are poised to be contenders if they can stave off the Eagles for the NFC East title.
4. Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens appear to have hit their usual regular season gear of dominance, with Lamar Jackson well on track to defend his title as the league’s reigning most valuable player. The difference this time is royalty in the backfield with him. King Henry, that being running back Derrick Henry, who has been bending defense to his will all season. The main question with this Raven’s team is if they can halt their defense’s apparent regression from last season. This will all be for naught if they suffer another first-round playoff loss, or even don’t make it to the Super Bowl. This must be the year for the Ravens.
3. Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen is playing at an MVP level. The team just acquired a stalwart veteran pass-catcher in Amari Cooper, and is equipped with a top-ten scoring defense. With the full force of the Bills Mafia behind them, there is not much stopping the Bills from going to the Super Bowl, except their historical playoff snakebite. Howeve,r the team is in no danger of sliding down in the standings, as they have basically already begun printing playoff tickets in Buffalo, holding a nearly insurmountable five game lead over the next closest division opponent.
2. Kansas City Chiefs
Yes, the Chiefs are still undefeated. Yes, Patrick Mahomes is still Patrick Mahomes and Chris Jones is still coming for your Quarterback’s soul on the defensive line. Rashee Rice is developing into a solid pass catcher. But the Chiefs have looked human and beatable in almost all of the games they’ve played this year. Mahomes is having his worst statistical year ever, and yet the Chiefs somehow pull out a win every week. It’s like some kind of perverse magic trick. For the sake of parity, we should all be hoping someone takes the Chiefs down a peg, however unlikely that might look at the moment.
1. Detroit Lions
The Lions appear to have dethroned the Dallas Cowboys as America’s team. This is a rather absurd statement to make, the point is taken, but the Lions have shown them to be a fun-loving fun to watch team that the whole nation can rally behind. As opposed to the reanimated corpse of a football team that Geriatric Jerry is putting on the field these days. Jared Goff has been playing lights-out football, often not throwing incompletions until the third or fourth quarter. The thunder and lighting running attack of Jamyr Gibbs and David Montgomery has paid dividends, and despite the loss of star defensive end Aiden Hutchinson for the rest of the year, the defense has stepped up to shut down the league’s best. Head Coach Dan Campbell has been a force that the entire team can rally behind, and that is a lot of the reason why a team with this much talent can actually dominate to this extent. For Lions fans, it’s Super Bowl or bust.
Featured Image: CBS Sports
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