WEEK NINE OF a topsy-turvy NFL season will come to a conclusion this evening when the Indianapolis Colts beat the hit-and-miss New York Giants and, with all teams having completed at least half their season, it seems a good time to reflect on where everyone stands.
And apologies if you spend the rest of the day singing that one Bon Jovi song.
32. Oakland Raiders (0-8)
The Raiders have a franchise quarterback in Derek Carr, half a top-tier offensive line and one really good linebacker. The best Oakland can hope for is they get to trade away the number one pick in the 2015 draft for every other position they need.
31. New York Jets (1-8)
When teams are scoring touchdowns against you sitting down, you know you’re in trouble. Rex Ryan will be very lucky if he still has a job but a lot of his players should be asking themselves if football is the career for them.
30. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-8)
The Jags have looked good in patches this season but last night, after narrowing a 16-point deficit to just three with eight minutes remaining, they gave up a 60-yard touchdown run on the Bengals’ very next play. Their season in microcosm.
29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-7)
The Bucs have been in position to win several more games than the one they have so far and they know they’re still only three games back from a place in the playoffs because of how poor the NFC South has been. They’ll need to start scoring much more than their 18.75 points per game though.
28. Tennessee Titans (2-6)
It seems a long time since the Titans travelled to Kansas City and blew away the Chiefs in the opening game of the season. Since then they’ve only managed a narrow win over the Jags and are on their third quarterback of the season.
27. Washington (3-6)
It speaks volumes for the omni-shambles that is the Washington football team that they can beat the Cowboys in Dallas with their third string quarterback and yet lose to the Vikings with the man they bet the franchise on at the helm.
26. Chicago Bears (3-5)
I’m a big Jay Cutler fan and, while the Bears’ humiliation at the hands of New England doesn’t look so bad now in the light of what Tom Brady and company did to Denver last night, Chicago should have been a playoff team this year, not propping up the NFC North.
25. Atlanta Falcons (2-6)
Looked better in their narrow defeat to the Lions in London just before the bye week but they’ve still lost five in a row. Again, being in the NFC South means they still have a realistic chance to lose in the first round of the playoffs.
24. Carolina Panthers (3-5-1)
We’re nearly finished with the NFC South but the same ‘lucky everyone is so terrible’ caveat applies to Carolina as the other three. Career lows for Cam Newton in completion percentage on Thursday against the Saints is a big worry though.
23. New York Giants (3-4)
The Giants have had a weird season, losing two, winning three, then losing two. With four games against the Colts, Seahawks, 49ers and Cowboys coming up, it looks like Big Blue will be playing for the minor places in the NFC East again this year
22. St Louis Rams (3-5)
Only the Raiders and Jags have scored fewer than the Rams’ 149 points and their points differential of -71 doesn’t make for attractive reading either. That said, they’ve wins over the 49ers and Seahawks under their belt now. No mean feat.
21. New Orleans Saints (4-4)
Without getting home advantage throughout the playoffs, New Orleans haven’t a chance of going to the Super Bowl, let alone winning it. Being the only team with a positive points differential in the division is something I suppose.
20. Houston Texans (4-5)
Having started the season 3-1, the Texans have now lost four of their last five as their strategy of trying to win every game 3-0 has surprisingly failed. There’s talent there but Jadeveon Clowney is edging ever closer to bust material after missing his seventh game of the season last night.
19. San Diego Chargers (5-4)
After looking like legitimate contenders to Denver’s crown in the AFC, the Chargers have now lost three in a row, conceded 37 points to the Dolphins last night and failed to score themselves. At least they’ll play the Raiders after their bye week.
18. San Francisco 49ers (4-4)
For the play calling on the final drive alone I feel like the 49ers should be lower. Frank Gore looks like he was bred to be a goal-line back but they didn’t use him despite being just a couple of yards from the endzone.
17. Minnesota Vikings (4-5)
Teddy Bridgewater is still learning the game and the team are missing their best – and one of the greatest of all time – running back so for the Vikings to have notched four wins is impressive. Two divisional games against the Bears and Packers after their bye week will define their season.
16. Buffalo Bills (5-3)
The AFC East could well have three playoff teams this year but, even if they don’t, the Bills are certainly contenders for the postseason even if scoring (less than 21 points per game) continues to be a problem in Buffalo.
15. Baltimore Ravens (5-4)
On the plus side, the Ravens kept a free-scoring Ben Roethlisberger scoreless for two quarters on Sunday night. On the other hand they allowed the Steelers score 43 points in the other two. This week’s game with the Titans is now must-win after two bad losses.
14. Cleveland Browns (5-3)
The AFC North might be the hottest division in football right now as not only is every team above .500 but all four have a positive points differential. On the back of two wins, the Browns face a big game with the Bengals on Thursday. Oh, and Johnny who?
13. Kansas City Chiefs (5-3)
The Chiefs have put together three wins in a row but with the massive caveat that two have been against the Jets and Rams. That said, Andy Reid’s team is holding their opponents to fewer than 18 points per game which puts them on the cusp of the postseason.
12. Seattle Seahawks (5-3)
Something is rotten in the state of, eh, Seattle and any team with aspirations of winning the Super Bowl can’t be losing to the Rams with 10 players on the field or having to recover onside kicks against the Raiders. With home advantage throughout the playoffs looking unlikely, the chances of a Seahawks repeat is diminishing.
11. Green Bay Packers (5-3)
Four wins in a row for the Packers looked to have them in a great position to make a playoff run but that came to a shuddering halt against the Saints in week eight. Scoring just 23 points when your quarterback throws for 418 yards is a concern.
10. Dallas Cowboys (6-3)
It doesn’t seem that long ago that Dallas were legitimate Super Bowl contenders. However, having protected their defence by significantly winning the time of possession in their six-game win streak, both Washington and Arizona won that particular stat and the last two games. A winning formula against Dallas going forward?
9. Miami Dolphins (5-3)
Any time you hold a team scoreless in the NFL it’s a phenomenal achievement. It’s a three wins in a row now for the Dolphins and all thoughts of the quarterback controversy they went through before beating the Raiders in London has been well and truly forgotten.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3)
The Steelers have been exceptionally good in the last two weeks but you can’t ask a quarterback to throw six touchdowns every week. A loss to the Bucs – as well as heavy defeats to both the Browns and Ravens - shows that Plan B is not something Pittsburgh can win with.
7. Indianapolis Colts (5-3)
The Colts look like genuine Super Bowl contenders one week – particularly on offence – and a high school team the next, particularly on defence. With Andrew Luck at the helm, Indy will always be in a game but can they go deep in the playoffs, I’m not so sure.
6. Philadelphia Eagles (6-2)
Right now, the Eagles are riding high but with Mark Sanchez the quarterback for the next month at least, you have to hope that the run game and defence play to their full capacity if the Philadelphia are to remain in control of NFC East.
5. Denver Broncos (6-2)
Was it just me or did Sunday night’s loss to the Patriots remind anyone else of the Super Bowl? An intriguing, even match up for the Broncos in which they end up being utterly dominated. Denver didn’t get bad overnight but their Super Bowl credentials sure took a hit.
4. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2-1)
Playing in the toughest division in football entitles the Bengals to this lofty position. Alongside AJ Green, Mohamed Sanu gives Andy Dalton a pair of legitimate top drawer receivers and, with the 9th-ranked run offence, dismiss Cincy at your peril.
3. Detroit Lions (6-2)
Yes it’s a cliché but it’s one that’s been proven again and again that defence wins championships. Right now, the Lions have the best defence in football but they’ve already proven they can win games on both sides of the ball. Plus there’s the small matter of Calvin Johnson coming back this week. Scary.
2. New England Patriots (7-2)
Tom Brady’s done they said. New England are going backwards they said. They were wrong. Ranking just 10th on offence and 16th on defence, you wonder how the Patriots have amassed seven wins but they have and, after Sunday night, can rightly claim to be the best team in in the AFC.
1. Arizona Cardinals (7-1)
And just like everyone predicted the Cardinals are the best team in football. They’ve already beaten two of the best three teams in the NFC (Dallas and Philly) and games against the Lions and Seahawks (twice) over the final eight games will show just how good Arizona really are.
Disagree? Of course you do. Let us know why in the comments below.
