Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
What a week of football. Week 11 featured some of the most stressful games I've watched in a while. Here's the best the league has to offer heading into Week 12.
0. The Kansas City Chiefs
While they were finally dealt their first loss of the season by the Bills, this singular loss is no indication that they won't somehow weasel their way to another championship. As such, this column will continue to feature the Kansas City Chiefs at rank 0. Since the NFL appears to currently be rigged for the Chiefs to win it all. I will continue to refuse to have them take up a spot on the list of best teams in the league until they — by some miracle — don’t win a Super Bowl.
8. The Baltimore Ravens
Why am I not surprised that the Ravens lost? Every time I think the Ravens are back to playing winning football, they manage to collapse in the most spectacular fashion. Their team this week pulled the ultimate switch-up, with their defense finally returning to form while their offense floundered. I would ask how a team can manage to lose a game where they only allow their opponent to kick field goals, but another team already managed that — the Falcons in their game against the Steelers in Week 1. It all makes sense now, both are inconsistent, both are bird teams, now all I'm waiting on is for the Ravens to lose a game where they're up 28-3.
7. The Washington Commanders
I don't think it's time to write the Commanders off just yet. Even though many of the talking heads of sports are signaling that Kliff Kingsbury's offense is going through its usual late-season collapse, I don't think that's the case. Their game against the Eagles made it clear that, as of right now, they might not be the top team in the division, but that this could be because Jayden Daniels is still healing from his rib injury. This team is still one of the better teams in the league, and they have an opportunity to show it this coming week if they can win their game against the Cowboys.
6. The Green Bay Packers
After the block at the end of the Chiefs-Broncos game, I wasn't expecting to see another blocked kick so soon. But here I am, astonished at how close the Packers played the Bears. Jordan Love currently looks like he's trying to do his best Jameis Winston impression, somehow leading the league with 11 interceptions despite missing two games due to injury. If this team can get its turnover habit under control, it has a solid chance at making a deep run into the playoffs. If they keep playing bad teams this close though, they're going to get run over in the playoffs.
5. The Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers had me incredibly worried this week. Especially since watching their postseason collapse against Jacksonville last season, I've never felt comfortable watching the Chargers play with a large lead. This past Sunday, it looked like they were going to lose yet another game in spectacular fashion. Somehow, though, they pulled a win out, breaking their habit of choking massive leads. If they can continue to play boring, fundamental football or get a huge lead and maintain their grip on a game, this Chargers team might just have it in them to go the distance.
4. The Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers are just a more boring and consistent Chargers team. Watching them slowly chip away at the Ravens was not pleasant, if anything it was draining. The worst part is that the Steelers never feel like they're in control of games. It seems like they're one big mistake away from their opponents running away with the game, but somehow, their defense always manages to hold their opponents down while the offense methodically takes care of business. It's this death by 1000 cuts approach that has the team atop their division at 8-2 — and just a few games away from securing a playoff spot.
3. The Philadelphia Eagles
I am impressed by how well this Eagles team is playing. I wasn't expecting them to have too much success this year after Jason Kelce's retirement along with other key departures. Here they are, though — atop their division — manhandling most of the teams they're playing. It cannot be emphasized enough how beneficial the addition of Saquon Barkley was for this team — with his presence in both the run and pass game opening up the rest of the offense. This coupled with the hiring of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to put together a potent defense has led to the Eagles being one of the more surprisingly dominant teams this season as they aim to win their second Super Bowl in franchise history.
2. The Detroit Lions
Watching the Lions manhandle the Jaguars once again validated to me that they are a dominant team. Generating over 600 yards of offense and coming up one yard short of 450 total passing yards on the day, the Lions offense was firing on all cylinders in what was essentially a tune-up game following a near loss to the Texans the week before. Looking at the remainder of their schedule, they only really have one more difficult game ahead of them as the Lions look to cruise into the playoffs — and hopefully to their teams' first Super Bowl win.
1. The Buffalo Bills
Speaking of the team the Lions have to play, the Bills are looking unstoppable. Despite having the odds and the refs stacked against them, the Bills managed to upset the undefeated Chiefs as they make a push for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Josh Allen led his team through the air and on the ground, capping their win off with an emphatic 26-yard run to the endzone as the Bills went for it on fourth down. The defense also forced two costly turnovers out of the Chiefs, including the game-sealing interception thrown by Patrick Mahomes as he looked for Travis Kelce downfield — as they had seemingly no answer to the exotic blitzes and coverages the Bills were lining up in. For beating the Chiefs in dominant fashion, the Buffalo Bills are, as of now, the best team in the NFL.
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