Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
Week 10 was confusing. Nothing makes sense anymore, so let's get into the top teams heading into Week 11.
0. The Kansas City Chiefs
This column will always feature the Kansas City Chiefs at rank 0. The NFL is currently rigged for the Chiefs to win it all; as such, I refuse to have them take up a spot on the list of best teams in the league. They aren't one of the best teams in the league; they just get constantly bailed out by the refs and Alex Forsyth's inability to not get laid out by the opposing special teams unit. That is my stance unless, by some miracle, they don't win a Super Bowl. God help us all if they three-peat this year.
8. The Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers are an odd case. I feel like every time they're playing this good I'm just waiting for the wheels to fall off the bus. But this year, I feel like they're playing such boring, sleep-inducing football that they can't possibly collapse. Jim Harbaugh, in his first year as head coach pivoted from the team's offense needing to connect on deep shots to a more balanced run-and-pass scheme — nearly identical to the formula that brought his Michigan team an undefeated season and a national championship last year. It's not fun to watch, it isn't glamorous, but this Chargers team will continue to play methodical football until another team makes them play flashy.
7. The Washington Commanders
The Commanders’ offense seems like it's finally slowing down. While they were able to finish drives this week with touchdowns instead of field goals, they were still held out of scoring for the entire fourth quarter by a stout Steelers defense. I don't think it's time to panic yet, after all, the team's defense did hold up as the offense was failing to score. But if the offense isn't able to get back to playing solid for a full 60 minutes, I'm worried this team might fall out of the playoff conversation entirely despite their early season success.
6. The Pittsburgh Steelers
I have not been able to take the Steelers seriously all season. You cannot expect me to take you seriously when you rattle off losses to the Colts and Cowboys in back-to-back weeks then make Russell Wilson your starting quarterback. Yet, here I am, starting to take these Steelers seriously. Despite squandering a chance to score early in the fourth quarter of their matchup against the Commanders, Russell Wilson led yet another drive down the field, capping it off with a vintage 32-yard moonball to Mike Williams. And after successfully drawing the defense offside to ice the game, Mr. Unlimited might just be back — and this team might just have what it takes to be a serious contender in January.
5. The Green Bay Packers
The Packers haven't gotten worse over their bye week, other teams have just leapt ahead based on their play last week. I think they still have a lot to prove after their tough loss to the Lions two weeks ago, but the team has had plenty of time to evaluate what went wrong in that game. Beyond that, they're playing a Bears team reeling from a putrid showing against the lowly New England Patriots and a firing of their offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. The Packers can make a statement this week with either a dominant win over a division opponent or a catastrophic loss against a team that, a week ago, seemed anemic at best.
4. The Philadelphia Eagles
While I never like to use a win over the Dallas Cowboys as justification of another team's dominance, this wasn't just a win for Philadelphia — it was a 60-minute dismantling. The Eagles defense held both Cowboys quarterbacks under 50 yards passing, forced five turnovers and held the team under 150 yards total. The offense played very balanced football, dominating through the air and on the ground to the tune of 348 total yards and 34 points while managing only two turnovers. This team can cement its place atop their division with a win over the Commanders as they look to extend their winning streak to six weeks.
3. The Buffalo Bills
The Bills played a game that shouldn't have been as close as it was, but also never felt out of their control. While it looked like Josh Allen's turnover habit might begin to rear its ugly head, the Colts really weren't able to turn those interceptions into major points. The Bills defense did its job, not only minimizing the turnover damage but also generating three of its own turnovers, and that ultimately made the game never seem like it was getting out of hand. This week against the Chiefs will be a major test of this team. If they somehow win, my faith will not only be slightly restored in the competitive integrity of the league — I think the Bills might just win it all.
2. The Baltimore Ravens
Well, that just happened. The Ravens-Bengals matchup this season has been some of the most exciting football to watch all year, and while it not only has the Bengals looking like the most dangerous 4-6 team, it also places the Ravens as one of the best teams in the league. Lamar Jackson has been keeping the ball safe, not throwing an interception since Week 6 and, in that same span, throwing 14 touchdowns. I don't know if the defense will get back to holding their opponents to a reasonable amount of points, but for now the offense is picking up the slack — and then some.
1. The Detroit Lions
Oh boy, did the Lions have me worried on Sunday night. Digging yourself a 16-point, five turnover hole is not how you win a football game. Despite putting themselves in such a horrible position, the Lions kept Houston from scoring in the second half while scoring 19 unanswered. The team made its mistakes and had no business winning the game, and yet they did. Someone might need to tell Jake Bates that the goal is to kick the ball down the middle of the uprights, not barely sneak it in on the side. But if they can make their field goal attempts less heart attack inducing, this Detroit Lions team will get it done. I feel like a broken record, but yet again, the Detroit Lions are the best team in football.
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