December 25, 2024 • 24 mins
The Chiefs stay atop the rankings but do you trust the team with so many one possession games? How does the Eagles loss affect their standing in the Rankings? Meanwhile, the Commanders make a push after their surprise victory. Plus, why NOT the Vikings?
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
NFL Power Rankings is a production of the NFL in
partnership with iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Welcome to a brand new edition of NFL Power Rankings,
a holiday edition, and of course we'll get a little
bit of chaos at the top. Mike am Eric at
home with you, and of course to get the complete
analysis of all thirty two teams, all you have to
do is head to NFL dot com.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
But I made reference to it.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Maybe the Christmas treat Eric, for all of us is
a change at the top with the rankings.
Speaker 4 (00:33):
Yeah, ended up right where back where we started at
the beginning of the year at Kansas City, kind of
reshuffling their way to the top.
Speaker 5 (00:39):
That's what happens with one loss.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
It is all right, let's go through it, Teams one
through eight right now. You made reference to it. Casey
sitting in the one spot. The Buffalo Bills at number
two still haven't earned just yet the AFC's number one seed,
which if they could and they do, it'll be the
first time since ninety three. The Lions setting a franchise
record with their thirteenth win. At number four, it's the Eagles,
tough loss for them. We'll discuss that squad in just
(01:02):
a minute. The Vikings have now won eight games. There
in the fifth spot, the Packers at six, the Ravens
still alive in the AFC North the seventeam, and the
Commanders sitting at number eight. All right, let's circle back
on this number one squad, and that is the Kansas
City Chiefs. We keep talking about these one possession games
they keep on winning, Eric.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Is it still a thing?
Speaker 5 (01:23):
It is still a thing.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
They've got it down to a science at this point.
I mean, I think at some point, you know, we
realized the suspicions should fade away. And I think the
trust in this team, everything they've built up over the
last five years, certainly, but even this season too. The
ability to close out games. They know how to do it.
First drive, though, for me, set a big statement. We
all came in with questions about Patrick Mahomes's ankle. I
(01:44):
felt like those are answers. He had the big scramble
there on third and thirteen. They convert the fourth and
then all of a sudden, Patrick Mahomes is running fifteen
yards under the end zone. I mean you almost could
hear Arrowhead kind of collectively holding their breath when that started.
But by the end of the drive, I think a
lot of people, myself included, felt like Mahomes is in
decent shape. This team keeps winning, the defense takes care
(02:05):
of business. They've got some people back from injury. I
think the Chiefs are in pretty good shape. We can
respect them now again.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Yeah, at the end of the day, I know we
were talking about that ankle injury.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
You know, pretty quickly into the game.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
We just sit there and go, No, he's fifteen, he's
the magician, he's aoh okay. Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions sitting
into number two spots, or excuse me, the lines sitting
like at the number three spot.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
I say, the Bills are at number two.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
When you look at this Detroit squad, is there a
team that's mentally tougher than them in the league.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
Yeah, I obviously coming off the first loss in three
months and dealing with the spate of injuries on both
sides of the ball, not just that defense.
Speaker 5 (02:41):
David Montgomery as well.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
Look, you're still going on the road, You're still facing
a divisional opponent. The Bears gave them a ton of
trouble on Thanksgiving. They get off to a fast start
answer a bunch of questions right away. Yeah, Look, Gibbs
was great and in kind of a lead role. That
wasn't a big shock. But the trick play, how about that?
The latest sorcery from Ben Johnson, that that fake stumble,
fake fumble, whatever you want to call it. Gibbs played
(03:04):
his part, Jared Goff did his thing, and Sam Laporta
caught it. I almost wonder if Ben Johnson wasn't maybe
showing off a little for the Bears. They've got a
head coaching search in the offseason. That's a story for
down the road, But for the Lions and their quest
for a Super Bowl, this is a great way to get.
Speaker 5 (03:18):
Back on tracks.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
Still have two tough games San Francisco Minnesota, and they've
got to beat the Vikings to ensure they win the division,
assuming both teams win next week. But there's still a
lot to like about this team, Mike, the mental toughness
being I think close to the top of the list,
that fearless factor they bring into most games.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
You know, I think it was Ian rapaport, our colleague
at NFL Network, who reported that Ben Johnson was intrigued
by the opportunity of the Chicago Bears just throwing.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
That out there.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Something tells me I kind of would have thought they
would have pocketed that play for the postseason, because it
would have been crazy in a playoff game to see
something like that, but nonetheless an impressive play call Number four.
It's the Eagles. We just give them a pass. I mean,
Jalen wasn't out there for most of that game.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
You could do that, but you could also say, hey, look,
Hurts is in concussion. You've got Kenny Pickett his backup,
who you know was up and down in his place.
Have an X phrase on his ribs. You know, are
we looking at tit or McKee playing football down the
stretch in pivotal moments for the Eagles. I don't know
that we're at that point yet, but there are some concerns.
It puts a lot more of the onus on Saquon Barkley.
(04:21):
He's got to keep being super hero every week, assuming
there's some concern at the quarterback spot, and then defensively
allowing five touchdown drives and you know, some coverage bus there,
some late breakdowns. Kind of feels like they may have
let the chance to get the number one seed slip away.
Speaker 5 (04:37):
But it's still there.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
They still have that opportunity and I'm not ready to
bury this team, but they did drop out of the
top spot. We had just graduated him to the top
of the heap and a little bit of humble pie on,
you know, before Christmas.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Here it's wow, what's an NFL season?
Speaker 2 (04:51):
What's another edition of power rankings with not a little
chaos at the top there. I got sort of shocked,
to be honest with you, that it did play out
the way that it did. And speaking of that Eagle squad,
they lose to a Commander's team where Jaden Daniels looks like,
you know, maybe he I have cemented himself as the
offensive rookie of the year. I know it's been an
up and down campaign for Washington. How much are you
(05:11):
buying this team?
Speaker 5 (05:13):
I think I'm buying stock again.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
I was ready to kind of unload a little bit ter,
you know, sort of softly get rid of what I
bought up all in the preseason. You know, I was
high on this team early in the year, but they
found their way again, and I think Daniels is obviously
a huge part of it. I mean, you know, to
give them a spark with two receivers who hadn't really
done much off season, at least as far as touchdown production.
Jamison Crowder catches the first one, also the game winner.
(05:38):
Olamide's a kias. They don't win without those two touchdowns
in the fourth quarter from him. So some big plays
from unexpected sources. But Daniels now, even as a rookie,
he is the expected source. He is expected to carry
this offense to him. That's just okay. I think everybody
has kind of fallen in line. They'd grabbed onto his cape,
and I want to see how far it takes him. Right,
(05:59):
Is he going to go on a Jordan Love like
run in the playoffs this year or something?
Speaker 5 (06:03):
I could see it.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
Absolutely, they're building so much confidence in Washington, even after
some stumbles earlier this year.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Yeah, really looking forward to the matchup against Atlanta a
Sunday night football, A lot on the line for both
of these teams, and a great rookie quarterback matchup. We'll
talk about the Falcons in just a moment. The Vikings.
Can't we just say hey, why not us? I mean,
if you're a Minnesota fan, this is a complete balanced team.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
I went on a radio show the other day and
somebody said, where did you move the Vikings up to?
And I said, I got them stuck at five. I
can't find a spot for Maybe they're better than the Eagles,
maybe they're better than some of those other teams in
the top four, but they are terrific and I do
believe they sort of have found a way into that
elite tier of the NFL right now.
Speaker 5 (06:45):
Defense offense.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
How about Sam Donald throwing that ball after taking a
massive hit the play before threading it into Justin Jefferson.
Those are plays that, yes, we've always known Sam Darnold
is capable of, but now he's making them on the regular.
You know, this team, like we said with Washington, is
just brimming with confidence. But they've been doing it now
over the course of a few months. Still get their
chance to get a little payback against the or fight
(07:08):
off a Packers team that's looking for payback, I should say,
and again, I just I feel like this is a
different model than we saw two years ago when they
had an equally impressive record thirteen and four. But the
negative point differential this season feels different to me. I
don't have those same doubts. I think they're really on
a roll right now.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Yeah, I'm sitting there going, you know what, relatively healthy
heading into the postseason playing some really great football. Darnald's
confidence is probably as high as it was in his
last campaign in Southern California playing for SC. I mean,
this is a team that should make some noise in
the postseason. Now they get an opportunity to sort of
prove it here against a Green Bay squad.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
That matchup gets.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Flex to that four to twenty five Eastern time window.
The Packers they pitch shut out. Speaking of balanced teams,
I gotta be honest with you, Eric, They're kind of
like right there with them. Defensively, they look great against
the Saints, and I know a lot of issues offensively
that they have, but the reality is there's a lot
of talented pieces for Lafleur.
Speaker 5 (08:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:03):
The questions about the Packers, at least for me, are
not about what they can do against middling teams like
the Saints. Obviously they're very beat up, and you know,
they took care of business Monday night, no doubt, got
off to the top fast start, put it in cruise
control after that. It's what there the Packers rather can
do against the elite teams in the NFL. We've seen
them come up just short against the Lions, just short
against the Vikings, other teams in that same echelon. And
(08:27):
this next matchup, the rematch against Minnesota, this is their
opportunity not only to you know, change the calculus in
the NFC, in the NFC North for that matter, but
also to send a statement, hey, we can win these
types of games. I love when Josh Jacobs says the
tone early. I love that they have five or six
playmakers they trust. They just got Luke Musgrave back off
the ir They're getting healthy too, and that defense has
(08:50):
responded after some tough outings this year, including the one
at Detroit.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
You know, we had the Monday night football postgame show
on NFL Network when it was done, and you hear Lafleura,
you hear Jordan Love. These guys are just being asked
about this next matchup that wasn't one. They get an
opportunity to redeem themselves.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
It was a close.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
Defeat for him career haus in terms of yardage and
passing touchdowns for Jordan Love, but he threw three interceptions
in that game. It was his return after missing two
with the MCL so this game also feels a little
bit different than the one that we witnessed back in
week number four. All right, take a closer look at
the odds in the AFC North. Yeah, and then there
were two to go and win this division. The Baltimore Ravens,
(09:31):
according to FanDuel, the favorite right now, followed by the Steelers.
All right, let's focus in on the seventh ranked team,
and that is the Ravens. They get Houston on Christmas Day.
Lamar just continues to ball out. I think there's a
lot of different ways that we go with this team.
We can have the MVP conversation, but to me, maybe
the best storyline is a resurgence on the defensive side
by Zach Orr's unit.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
You're right, Lamar, Henry, Rashad Bateman, they're all crucial pieces
of that offense. But I've said, like, you know, this
team last year that was even better on the defensive side.
They didn't win with it, so they had to get better.
We've seen the stripe. It's not just in this last
game against Pittsburgh with the big plays the fumble and
the interception, the pick six, but also over recent weeks two.
So there's a body of work there. I feel like
(10:13):
Mike that we can kind of start to embrace I
don't think they're going to be as dominant. The pass
rush isn't quite as good, the coverage has been a
little bit disappointing over the course of the season, but
still a tough team, and it just feels like they're
on a crash course with the Chiefs at some point.
They met in Week one to kick off the season.
We're gonna see these teams meet again. I'm calling my
shot right now.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
There's something about a potential rematch that's got me intrigued here. Baltimore.
They were the team that was dominant all season long.
Now all of a sudden, I think they go from
the hunted to now the hunters this season with five losses.
I think this is a different vibe heading into the postseason,
which might be a good thing for Harbaugh's squad. Yeah,
I made reference to it Christmas Day. Yes, we will
(10:52):
see this Baltimore Ravens squad. We got two games on
Netflix December twenty fifth. Let's roll, you got the gifts,
you got some football. At one Eastern it's Kansas City
taking on Pittsburgh, and then it's Yes, that Ravens Texans
matchup at four thirty Eastern time. Now we talked a
little bit about the Baltimore Ravens. I think the biggest
(11:12):
question is where does that leave Pittsburgh. The answer to
that is coming up next on power rankings. Back here
on power rankings Teams nine through sixteen. Oh, the Steelers
still controlling their own destiny in the AFC North after
that loss to the Ravens, which we just talked about.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
At number ten, it's the Chargers.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
An impressive win for Justin Herbert and company against the Broncos,
who are at eleven. At twelve, it's the Rams cross
country in the cold in New Jersey. Doesn't matter for
that so Cal team. Thirteen, the Texans tank, Elton Tank.
Dell's injury could loom large. We got the Buccaneers at
four game winning streak it is snapped. The Falcons at fifteen,
we'll talk about them in just a moment. And the Bengals,
(11:54):
Yeah they're still alive.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
But it is time for power moves. All right.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Let's circle back on that tenth ranked team in the Chargers.
I think they're a good stretch of this season. Arc
We felt like, hey, this is it's really dangerous because
of their defense, because of justin Herbert he is.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
He's it feels like.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
At times, especially late in the season with some of
these injuries, he's a one man band on offense.
Speaker 5 (12:15):
Absolutely. We've seen Lad McConkey miss time.
Speaker 4 (12:18):
We've obviously seen some of the receivers struggle with drops too,
so there's been a lot working against him. His favorite
tight end, at least early in the season, will Disley
out too, but Herbert keeps coming back, fighting through that
left ankle injury. We saw him even make a couple
of big scrambles, but really it was finding some of
these receivers Joshua Palmer, who had a terrific one handed
catch in the back of the end zone for the
two pointer, and then also getting some unexpected sources from
(12:41):
guys like Haskins too. And you know, Herbert really has
had a terrific season. And maybe we put too much
stock in that second half against the Bucks. They got
blown out. It happened a couple times this year they've
been They've had a few really bad has Arizona, Tampa Bay, Cincinnati,
et cetera. But when they're at their best, they have
a path to kind of come back and Herbert's got
(13:02):
the ball in his hands.
Speaker 5 (13:03):
Good things usual happened.
Speaker 4 (13:05):
So I'm still pretty encouraged about their chances to maybe
pull a first round upset in the playoffs that they
get there.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Yeah, on look, once again, you play defense the way
that they do, it's definitely going to be give you
an opportunity.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
Once the postseason rolls around.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
We do get to see them on a Saturday, and yes,
we have an exclusive triple header on NFL Network. The
Chargers will be matching up against the New England Patriots.
Coverage of that game, by the way, one Eastern time.
Do not want to miss it. Broncos and Bengals at four,
and then it's the Cardinals and Rams at eight Eastern
once again, this Saturday, only on NFL Network and streaming
on NFL Plus. Subscription required for NFL Plus. I do
(13:44):
love the story around this Atlanta Falcons team who sit
at number fifteen. For you, Michael Pennix, we weren't sure
how they were going to handle Kirk Cousins. The rookie
comes in there signs a life for this team's offense.
I think the arrow might be pointing up for this
team heading into the playoffs potentially.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
Yeah, you know, you talked about kind of the Eagles
mentality or sorry of the Ravens bentality being the hunted here,
and I think it applies to the Falcons too. They've
put themselves in this position obviously, and maybe they waited
too long to make a quarterback switch, but they got
it done, Penni Scott. You know, if we're using baseball
terms here, like a starting pitcher, great run support, his
receivers made plays, Bijon Robinson was a huge part of
(14:22):
the run game that opened up play action. And oh,
by the way, two defensive touchdowns. That's pretty good support
right there. So every you know, perfect situation, everything you
could ask for for a rookie quarterback making his first start,
an experienced guy in college but still got to be
some butterflies. And I thought he handled himself really well,
especially after starting the game two for six. He really
found a rhythm there and took a part a.
Speaker 5 (14:43):
Good Giants defense.
Speaker 4 (14:44):
You can say what you want about them, they're not
a good football team, but the defense has played well
times this year.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Yeah, thirty four answered points for the Falcons once again,
they will match up. I know I made reference to
it earlier against Washington on Sunday Night Football at sixteen Cincinnati.
They are maybe the most interesting team on power rankings
single week. I feel like I'm on the on the
bus and they lose, and I'm off the bus. I keep
(15:09):
going back and forth. For what it's worth. Next Gen
stats put their's chances of making the postseason at seven percent.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
So I'm going to say it, there's still a chance.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
You're saying there's a chance, right, Yes, they're like the
the undead team right now. Nobody can actually kill them off.
We'll see if Denver can take care of business this week.
But you know, to go on the road and get
two road wins and then come back home against Cleveland
and have their you know, probably their best defensive showing
of the season. Granted it came against a third string quarterback,
but still that's the kind of confidence I think you
(15:40):
need from a unit that has been called out and
you still got Joe Burrow, you still have Jamar Chase
t Higgins, and you know, the offense has had plenty
to do this these last several games.
Speaker 5 (15:49):
They've been in this bow where they.
Speaker 4 (15:50):
Feel like they have to beat people via shootout and
that really wasn't the case.
Speaker 5 (15:55):
Sunday.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
They got off to a hot start, kind of put
the game in control and took care of business from there.
So anything could happen down the stretch. Right, They've got Denver,
They've got Pittsburgh.
Speaker 5 (16:03):
I give them.
Speaker 4 (16:04):
A decent shot, a competitive shot to win either game,
and who knows, it would be a crazy story in
a year where there haven't been a lot of playoff
mystery teams sort of coming out of nowhere so far.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
Yeah, you know, not to give away where you have
the Colts because we'll do that coming up in just
a minute. Here they sit at number twenty two. It's
amazing to me just in terms of where the rankings are.
I think we're probably on the same page. Colts probably
are going to be the playoff team. And yet I
think both of us like Cincinnati and their chances if
they were able to make it, to make some noise.
Speaker 5 (16:33):
Yeah, the more dangerous of the two teams.
Speaker 4 (16:35):
Look even when Jonathan Taylor or somebody like that, I mean,
I think the quarterback position and some defensive improvement those receivers,
that's what makes them so scary to a lot of people.
Speaker 5 (16:43):
They got nothing to lose at this point too.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Yeah, winners are three straight games, And once again, I
think there's a lot of fans around the NFL who
might not have a team that it's going to be
in the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
Me that's I'm a Giants fan.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
I kind of just want to see Joe burrowball out
and see what happens when the playoffs roll around.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
One division.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
We've been trying to figure out NFC West Seattle.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
We've been going back and forth.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
We've started to buy their stock, and right now it
feels like it's not worth a whole lot. Eric will
tell us where they sit and the power rankings coming
up next. Back here on power rankings, Mike ham and
Eric at Home with You, Team seventeen through twenty four.
The Seahawks. I really don't know what to make of
(17:27):
the squad. Eric, you're going to be giving that task
to explain it to me in just a moment.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
Here.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
The Dolphins, they roll the Niners. They're at eighteen at nineteen.
The Cardinals, oh boy, there was a time where I
thought they were the team to beat in the NFC West.
That is not the case. Panthers handle them in overtime.
The Cowboys all of a sudden, they're winning some football games.
At twenty the Niners not the season that I had
expected for them, The Colts at twenty two, the Saints
they got shut out. Remember those first few weeks of
(17:53):
the season, we were talking about that offense just rolling.
They were scoring like forty plus every single week. No,
Derek Carr, that's going to be a problem. And the
Bears at twenty four continue to spiral out of control.
All right, Seattle, lay it on me, man, Like, what
is this football team?
Speaker 4 (18:08):
Yeah, it's really hard to sort of categorize a team
that opens the season with three straight wins, then follows
it up with five out of six games that are losses,
and then three more wins and then two.
Speaker 5 (18:19):
Losses in a row.
Speaker 4 (18:20):
It has been a roller coaster, at least as far
as the wins and losses go. In Mike McDonald's first season,
they've dealt with a lot of stuff. Kenneth Walker hurt
again this season. That really has hindered the run game.
It's put a lot on Gino Smith's shoulders mic and look,
they have those receivers, but the protection hasn't always been there.
Gino's throw throwing some red zone picks. He's kind of
inching closer to his rookie year, I int total. You know,
(18:43):
he's also completing seventy percent of his passes and on
pace for a career high in passing yard.
Speaker 5 (18:49):
So there's been some good.
Speaker 4 (18:50):
There's been a reason why they're still in the race,
and they're going to have to beat Chicago the wild
card is out, and then hope for Arizona to beat
the Rams.
Speaker 5 (18:58):
That would set up a take it all.
Speaker 4 (19:00):
Or nothing kind of game in Week eighteen for the division.
But again, they're really swimming upstream at this point. Defensively,
hasn't been the season they hoped, especially with McDonald, but
they got a chance. I don't know what I expected
my coming into the year. I think something around this.
I don't think this is terribly out of a character
for them, at least as far as what I thought
they were going to be coming into the year.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
So in the race with the potential to go and
win the division, you thought was fair, and I guess
in hindsight that is, But I don't know, look to
reality is I don't think there's any team that's better
than the Rams right now in the division.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
They should be the team that goes to the postseason.
Speaker 5 (19:36):
I think so, right.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
I mean they you know, from the one and four start,
they've obviously turned things completely around. And you know, you
could say the same about Seattle after they're tough stretch
right after that. But still, you know, whatever team's been
in the first place, the pole position that see West
the last month or so hasn't had the best of luck. Arizona,
Seattle and now LA's there. Can they hang on? Can
they play some of their best football which they have
(19:59):
and continue their hot streak?
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Yeah, one in four to start the season since the
by eight and two. And I made this point yesterday
on the post game show on Monday Night Football. The
Rams to me if they were healthy at the start
of the season, I think it's a different narrative around
this team. Remember that offensive line was decimated, which is
the reason why they started one to four on the year.
Speaking of teams that can't, I can't figure out the Cowboys.
(20:23):
Where are these wins coming from? I mean this was
tough sledding for a good stretch of this season. I
think we're a question about Mike McCarthy if he's going
to be the coach, Like they're signs to life right
now inside that locker room.
Speaker 4 (20:34):
Whatever McCarthy is telling his players in meetings, in practices
prior to games at halftime, it's working, right. I mean,
he's got this team back on track, starting quarterback out,
injuries all over the place, you know, losing pieces on
defense as well, and boy, they found a spirit that
I didn't know they would have. This was a team
that was sort of caught in the malaise for a while.
Speaker 5 (20:54):
But you know, you saw.
Speaker 4 (20:55):
Them finish off that dramatic game Monday night against a
good Bucks team, a desperate Bucks team, a Bucks team
that was also sort of controlling its fate to a degree.
So does this mean McCarthy back. You know, you're seeing
Cooper Rush perform in an effective level. I mean, he
looked pretty darn good the last month or so. And
you know, Mike McCarthy's expertise is on the offensive side
of the ball. Steedee Lamb is engaged. You've got Rico
(21:16):
Dowdell going late in the season, even with a bad
game Monday, I mean, all the signs.
Speaker 5 (21:20):
Are in a positive direction. I think that bodes well
for McCarthy.
Speaker 4 (21:24):
I don't know if it means he's going to have
his job, But good for them for staying in the
race with everybody had kind of thrown some dirt on him,
and you know, they just got eliminated, but.
Speaker 5 (21:31):
Still competitive football throughout. You got to tip your hat
to that. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
I think if he doesn't have a job in Dallas,
I'm not saying that he won't. If he doesn't, I
think there's a lot of teams that are going to
look at the second half of the season and go,
you know what, We'll take them on our squad. All right,
let's get to the to the rest of the teams
twenty five through thirty two. The Panthers I cannot believe
we're talking about them at twenty five. Let's roll in
front of the Jets, no less at twenty six. Got
(21:58):
do you think about some preseason high at the Browns
at twenty seven hanging up and another loss for them.
The Patriots at twenty eight, twenty nine, it's the Raiders.
I had so many text messages from friends and family
that are Giants fans that were written so hard for
the Raiders to pull off a win, and they got
it done. The Jacks at thirty, the Titans at thirty one,
and yes, the Giants who should maybe possibly get the
(22:22):
number one overall pick who We'll see how it plays
out the rest of the season and if they pick
up a win to make things interesting. But I think
there's a fan base that would love for them to
get the number one selection in this year's coming draft.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
But the Panthers at twenty five.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
Be honest, I mean, if I would have told you
that at week you know this at this point, we
kenned at a week seventeen that this team would be
twenty fifth, you would have said, now you're lying.
Speaker 4 (22:46):
Yeah, I don't know that I would have expected them
to land there, especially not after the first two weeks
of the season things were looking so bad. Bryce Young
was benched, his backup goes and wins their first game
for him. But you got to give Young a ton
of credit for taking the demotion, figuring out what did
he needed to work on, putting it to work behind
the scene, and then when he got his second opportunity
(23:06):
after Dalton got hurt, really made the most of it.
And now people are not talking about what a giant
draft bust he is. He is now all of a
sudden back in that same position it was in the offseason.
As the leader of this team, there's some young pieces
to get excited about. The offensive line we get and
also Cuba Hubbard. Boy, he had that overtime fumble a
couple of weeks ago, ended up being the overtime hero
(23:27):
on Sunday.
Speaker 5 (23:27):
So the arrow's.
Speaker 4 (23:29):
Trending back up for this team. They got a lot
of work to do in the offseason, but I like
the direction they're heading in right now.
Speaker 5 (23:33):
Mike.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
You know, there's that.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
Old adage in the college football world, right when a
new coach takes over. You know, you probably lose big
in year number one, you lose a little smaller in
year number two, you start winning small in year three,
and then you start winning big in year four. That's
obviously the path here. I think we're starting to see
that within one season. Some close losses down the stretch
for Carolina here, but then they go and pick up
(23:55):
a win. So maybe, as to your point, arrow is
pointing up for Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers. Who
would have thunk it after making that quarterback change.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
Eric, you're the best man.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
Merry Christmas to you and your family, Merry Christmas to
everyone that's out there. Enjoy the Christmas Day games, enjoy
the Saturday and Sunday games, and we'll see you next
week for another edition of Power Rankings.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
NFL Power Rankings is a production of the NFL in
partnership with iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the
iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
NFL Power Rankings is a production of the NFL in
partnership with iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Welcome to a brand new edition of NFL Power Rankings,
a holiday edition, and of course we'll get a little
bit of chaos at the top. Mike am Eric at
home with you, and of course to get the complete
analysis of all thirty two teams, all you have to
do is head to NFL dot com.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
But I made reference to it.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Maybe the Christmas treat Eric, for all of us is
a change at the top with the rankings.
Speaker 4 (00:33):
Yeah, ended up right where back where we started at
the beginning of the year at Kansas City, kind of
reshuffling their way to the top.
Speaker 5 (00:39):
That's what happens with one loss.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
It is all right, let's go through it, Teams one
through eight right now. You made reference to it. Casey
sitting in the one spot. The Buffalo Bills at number
two still haven't earned just yet the AFC's number one seed,
which if they could and they do, it'll be the
first time since ninety three. The Lions setting a franchise
record with their thirteenth win. At number four, it's the Eagles,
tough loss for them. We'll discuss that squad in just
(01:02):
a minute. The Vikings have now won eight games. There
in the fifth spot, the Packers at six, the Ravens
still alive in the AFC North the seventeam, and the
Commanders sitting at number eight. All right, let's circle back
on this number one squad, and that is the Kansas
City Chiefs. We keep talking about these one possession games
they keep on winning, Eric.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Is it still a thing?
Speaker 5 (01:23):
It is still a thing.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
They've got it down to a science at this point.
I mean, I think at some point, you know, we
realized the suspicions should fade away. And I think the
trust in this team, everything they've built up over the
last five years, certainly, but even this season too. The
ability to close out games. They know how to do it.
First drive, though, for me, set a big statement. We
all came in with questions about Patrick Mahomes's ankle. I
(01:44):
felt like those are answers. He had the big scramble
there on third and thirteen. They convert the fourth and
then all of a sudden, Patrick Mahomes is running fifteen
yards under the end zone. I mean you almost could
hear Arrowhead kind of collectively holding their breath when that started.
But by the end of the drive, I think a
lot of people, myself included, felt like Mahomes is in
decent shape. This team keeps winning, the defense takes care
(02:05):
of business. They've got some people back from injury. I
think the Chiefs are in pretty good shape. We can
respect them now again.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Yeah, at the end of the day, I know we
were talking about that ankle injury.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
You know, pretty quickly into the game.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
We just sit there and go, No, he's fifteen, he's
the magician, he's aoh okay. Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions sitting
into number two spots, or excuse me, the lines sitting
like at the number three spot.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
I say, the Bills are at number two.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
When you look at this Detroit squad, is there a
team that's mentally tougher than them in the league.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
Yeah, I obviously coming off the first loss in three
months and dealing with the spate of injuries on both
sides of the ball, not just that defense.
Speaker 5 (02:41):
David Montgomery as well.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
Look, you're still going on the road, You're still facing
a divisional opponent. The Bears gave them a ton of
trouble on Thanksgiving. They get off to a fast start
answer a bunch of questions right away. Yeah, Look, Gibbs
was great and in kind of a lead role. That
wasn't a big shock. But the trick play, how about that?
The latest sorcery from Ben Johnson, that that fake stumble,
fake fumble, whatever you want to call it. Gibbs played
(03:04):
his part, Jared Goff did his thing, and Sam Laporta
caught it. I almost wonder if Ben Johnson wasn't maybe
showing off a little for the Bears. They've got a
head coaching search in the offseason. That's a story for
down the road, But for the Lions and their quest
for a Super Bowl, this is a great way to get.
Speaker 5 (03:18):
Back on tracks.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
Still have two tough games San Francisco Minnesota, and they've
got to beat the Vikings to ensure they win the division,
assuming both teams win next week. But there's still a
lot to like about this team, Mike, the mental toughness
being I think close to the top of the list,
that fearless factor they bring into most games.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
You know, I think it was Ian rapaport, our colleague
at NFL Network, who reported that Ben Johnson was intrigued
by the opportunity of the Chicago Bears just throwing.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
That out there.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Something tells me I kind of would have thought they
would have pocketed that play for the postseason, because it
would have been crazy in a playoff game to see
something like that, but nonetheless an impressive play call Number four.
It's the Eagles. We just give them a pass. I mean,
Jalen wasn't out there for most of that game.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
You could do that, but you could also say, hey, look,
Hurts is in concussion. You've got Kenny Pickett his backup,
who you know was up and down in his place.
Have an X phrase on his ribs. You know, are
we looking at tit or McKee playing football down the
stretch in pivotal moments for the Eagles. I don't know
that we're at that point yet, but there are some concerns.
It puts a lot more of the onus on Saquon Barkley.
(04:21):
He's got to keep being super hero every week, assuming
there's some concern at the quarterback spot, and then defensively
allowing five touchdown drives and you know, some coverage bus there,
some late breakdowns. Kind of feels like they may have
let the chance to get the number one seed slip away.
Speaker 5 (04:37):
But it's still there.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
They still have that opportunity and I'm not ready to
bury this team, but they did drop out of the
top spot. We had just graduated him to the top
of the heap and a little bit of humble pie on,
you know, before Christmas.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Here it's wow, what's an NFL season?
Speaker 2 (04:51):
What's another edition of power rankings with not a little
chaos at the top there. I got sort of shocked,
to be honest with you, that it did play out
the way that it did. And speaking of that Eagle squad,
they lose to a Commander's team where Jaden Daniels looks like,
you know, maybe he I have cemented himself as the
offensive rookie of the year. I know it's been an
up and down campaign for Washington. How much are you
(05:11):
buying this team?
Speaker 5 (05:13):
I think I'm buying stock again.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
I was ready to kind of unload a little bit ter,
you know, sort of softly get rid of what I
bought up all in the preseason. You know, I was
high on this team early in the year, but they
found their way again, and I think Daniels is obviously
a huge part of it. I mean, you know, to
give them a spark with two receivers who hadn't really
done much off season, at least as far as touchdown production.
Jamison Crowder catches the first one, also the game winner.
(05:38):
Olamide's a kias. They don't win without those two touchdowns
in the fourth quarter from him. So some big plays
from unexpected sources. But Daniels now, even as a rookie,
he is the expected source. He is expected to carry
this offense to him. That's just okay. I think everybody
has kind of fallen in line. They'd grabbed onto his cape,
and I want to see how far it takes him. Right,
(05:59):
Is he going to go on a Jordan Love like
run in the playoffs this year or something?
Speaker 5 (06:03):
I could see it.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
Absolutely, they're building so much confidence in Washington, even after
some stumbles earlier this year.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Yeah, really looking forward to the matchup against Atlanta a
Sunday night football, A lot on the line for both
of these teams, and a great rookie quarterback matchup. We'll
talk about the Falcons in just a moment. The Vikings.
Can't we just say hey, why not us? I mean,
if you're a Minnesota fan, this is a complete balanced team.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
I went on a radio show the other day and
somebody said, where did you move the Vikings up to?
And I said, I got them stuck at five. I
can't find a spot for Maybe they're better than the Eagles,
maybe they're better than some of those other teams in
the top four, but they are terrific and I do
believe they sort of have found a way into that
elite tier of the NFL right now.
Speaker 5 (06:45):
Defense offense.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
How about Sam Donald throwing that ball after taking a
massive hit the play before threading it into Justin Jefferson.
Those are plays that, yes, we've always known Sam Darnold
is capable of, but now he's making them on the regular.
You know, this team, like we said with Washington, is
just brimming with confidence. But they've been doing it now
over the course of a few months. Still get their
chance to get a little payback against the or fight
(07:08):
off a Packers team that's looking for payback, I should say,
and again, I just I feel like this is a
different model than we saw two years ago when they
had an equally impressive record thirteen and four. But the
negative point differential this season feels different to me. I
don't have those same doubts. I think they're really on
a roll right now.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Yeah, I'm sitting there going, you know what, relatively healthy
heading into the postseason playing some really great football. Darnald's
confidence is probably as high as it was in his
last campaign in Southern California playing for SC. I mean,
this is a team that should make some noise in
the postseason. Now they get an opportunity to sort of
prove it here against a Green Bay squad.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
That matchup gets.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Flex to that four to twenty five Eastern time window.
The Packers they pitch shut out. Speaking of balanced teams,
I gotta be honest with you, Eric, They're kind of
like right there with them. Defensively, they look great against
the Saints, and I know a lot of issues offensively
that they have, but the reality is there's a lot
of talented pieces for Lafleur.
Speaker 5 (08:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:03):
The questions about the Packers, at least for me, are
not about what they can do against middling teams like
the Saints. Obviously they're very beat up, and you know,
they took care of business Monday night, no doubt, got
off to the top fast start, put it in cruise
control after that. It's what there the Packers rather can
do against the elite teams in the NFL. We've seen
them come up just short against the Lions, just short
against the Vikings, other teams in that same echelon. And
(08:27):
this next matchup, the rematch against Minnesota, this is their
opportunity not only to you know, change the calculus in
the NFC, in the NFC North for that matter, but
also to send a statement, hey, we can win these
types of games. I love when Josh Jacobs says the
tone early. I love that they have five or six
playmakers they trust. They just got Luke Musgrave back off
the ir They're getting healthy too, and that defense has
(08:50):
responded after some tough outings this year, including the one
at Detroit.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
You know, we had the Monday night football postgame show
on NFL Network when it was done, and you hear Lafleura,
you hear Jordan Love. These guys are just being asked
about this next matchup that wasn't one. They get an
opportunity to redeem themselves.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
It was a close.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
Defeat for him career haus in terms of yardage and
passing touchdowns for Jordan Love, but he threw three interceptions
in that game. It was his return after missing two
with the MCL so this game also feels a little
bit different than the one that we witnessed back in
week number four. All right, take a closer look at
the odds in the AFC North. Yeah, and then there
were two to go and win this division. The Baltimore Ravens,
(09:31):
according to FanDuel, the favorite right now, followed by the Steelers.
All right, let's focus in on the seventh ranked team,
and that is the Ravens. They get Houston on Christmas Day.
Lamar just continues to ball out. I think there's a
lot of different ways that we go with this team.
We can have the MVP conversation, but to me, maybe
the best storyline is a resurgence on the defensive side
by Zach Orr's unit.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
You're right, Lamar, Henry, Rashad Bateman, they're all crucial pieces
of that offense. But I've said, like, you know, this
team last year that was even better on the defensive side.
They didn't win with it, so they had to get better.
We've seen the stripe. It's not just in this last
game against Pittsburgh with the big plays the fumble and
the interception, the pick six, but also over recent weeks two.
So there's a body of work there. I feel like
(10:13):
Mike that we can kind of start to embrace I
don't think they're going to be as dominant. The pass
rush isn't quite as good, the coverage has been a
little bit disappointing over the course of the season, but
still a tough team, and it just feels like they're
on a crash course with the Chiefs at some point.
They met in Week one to kick off the season.
We're gonna see these teams meet again. I'm calling my
shot right now.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
There's something about a potential rematch that's got me intrigued here. Baltimore.
They were the team that was dominant all season long.
Now all of a sudden, I think they go from
the hunted to now the hunters this season with five losses.
I think this is a different vibe heading into the postseason,
which might be a good thing for Harbaugh's squad. Yeah,
I made reference to it Christmas Day. Yes, we will
(10:52):
see this Baltimore Ravens squad. We got two games on
Netflix December twenty fifth. Let's roll, you got the gifts,
you got some football. At one Eastern it's Kansas City
taking on Pittsburgh, and then it's Yes, that Ravens Texans
matchup at four thirty Eastern time. Now we talked a
little bit about the Baltimore Ravens. I think the biggest
(11:12):
question is where does that leave Pittsburgh. The answer to
that is coming up next on power rankings. Back here
on power rankings Teams nine through sixteen. Oh, the Steelers
still controlling their own destiny in the AFC North after
that loss to the Ravens, which we just talked about.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
At number ten, it's the Chargers.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
An impressive win for Justin Herbert and company against the Broncos,
who are at eleven. At twelve, it's the Rams cross
country in the cold in New Jersey. Doesn't matter for
that so Cal team. Thirteen, the Texans tank, Elton Tank.
Dell's injury could loom large. We got the Buccaneers at
four game winning streak it is snapped. The Falcons at fifteen,
we'll talk about them in just a moment. And the Bengals,
(11:54):
Yeah they're still alive.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
But it is time for power moves. All right.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Let's circle back on that tenth ranked team in the Chargers.
I think they're a good stretch of this season. Arc
We felt like, hey, this is it's really dangerous because
of their defense, because of justin Herbert he is.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
He's it feels like.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
At times, especially late in the season with some of
these injuries, he's a one man band on offense.
Speaker 5 (12:15):
Absolutely. We've seen Lad McConkey miss time.
Speaker 4 (12:18):
We've obviously seen some of the receivers struggle with drops too,
so there's been a lot working against him. His favorite
tight end, at least early in the season, will Disley
out too, but Herbert keeps coming back, fighting through that
left ankle injury. We saw him even make a couple
of big scrambles, but really it was finding some of
these receivers Joshua Palmer, who had a terrific one handed
catch in the back of the end zone for the
two pointer, and then also getting some unexpected sources from
(12:41):
guys like Haskins too. And you know, Herbert really has
had a terrific season. And maybe we put too much
stock in that second half against the Bucks. They got
blown out. It happened a couple times this year they've
been They've had a few really bad has Arizona, Tampa Bay, Cincinnati,
et cetera. But when they're at their best, they have
a path to kind of come back and Herbert's got
(13:02):
the ball in his hands.
Speaker 5 (13:03):
Good things usual happened.
Speaker 4 (13:05):
So I'm still pretty encouraged about their chances to maybe
pull a first round upset in the playoffs that they
get there.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Yeah, on look, once again, you play defense the way
that they do, it's definitely going to be give you
an opportunity.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
Once the postseason rolls around.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
We do get to see them on a Saturday, and yes,
we have an exclusive triple header on NFL Network. The
Chargers will be matching up against the New England Patriots.
Coverage of that game, by the way, one Eastern time.
Do not want to miss it. Broncos and Bengals at four,
and then it's the Cardinals and Rams at eight Eastern
once again, this Saturday, only on NFL Network and streaming
on NFL Plus. Subscription required for NFL Plus. I do
(13:44):
love the story around this Atlanta Falcons team who sit
at number fifteen. For you, Michael Pennix, we weren't sure
how they were going to handle Kirk Cousins. The rookie
comes in there signs a life for this team's offense.
I think the arrow might be pointing up for this
team heading into the playoffs potentially.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
Yeah, you know, you talked about kind of the Eagles
mentality or sorry of the Ravens bentality being the hunted here,
and I think it applies to the Falcons too. They've
put themselves in this position obviously, and maybe they waited
too long to make a quarterback switch, but they got
it done, Penni Scott. You know, if we're using baseball
terms here, like a starting pitcher, great run support, his
receivers made plays, Bijon Robinson was a huge part of
(14:22):
the run game that opened up play action. And oh,
by the way, two defensive touchdowns. That's pretty good support
right there. So every you know, perfect situation, everything you
could ask for for a rookie quarterback making his first start,
an experienced guy in college but still got to be
some butterflies. And I thought he handled himself really well,
especially after starting the game two for six. He really
found a rhythm there and took a part a.
Speaker 5 (14:43):
Good Giants defense.
Speaker 4 (14:44):
You can say what you want about them, they're not
a good football team, but the defense has played well
times this year.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Yeah, thirty four answered points for the Falcons once again,
they will match up. I know I made reference to
it earlier against Washington on Sunday Night Football at sixteen Cincinnati.
They are maybe the most interesting team on power rankings
single week. I feel like I'm on the on the
bus and they lose, and I'm off the bus. I keep
(15:09):
going back and forth. For what it's worth. Next Gen
stats put their's chances of making the postseason at seven percent.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
So I'm going to say it, there's still a chance.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
You're saying there's a chance, right, Yes, they're like the
the undead team right now. Nobody can actually kill them off.
We'll see if Denver can take care of business this week.
But you know, to go on the road and get
two road wins and then come back home against Cleveland
and have their you know, probably their best defensive showing
of the season. Granted it came against a third string quarterback,
but still that's the kind of confidence I think you
(15:40):
need from a unit that has been called out and
you still got Joe Burrow, you still have Jamar Chase
t Higgins, and you know, the offense has had plenty
to do this these last several games.
Speaker 5 (15:49):
They've been in this bow where they.
Speaker 4 (15:50):
Feel like they have to beat people via shootout and
that really wasn't the case.
Speaker 5 (15:55):
Sunday.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
They got off to a hot start, kind of put
the game in control and took care of business from there.
So anything could happen down the stretch. Right, They've got Denver,
They've got Pittsburgh.
Speaker 5 (16:03):
I give them.
Speaker 4 (16:04):
A decent shot, a competitive shot to win either game,
and who knows, it would be a crazy story in
a year where there haven't been a lot of playoff
mystery teams sort of coming out of nowhere so far.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
Yeah, you know, not to give away where you have
the Colts because we'll do that coming up in just
a minute. Here they sit at number twenty two. It's
amazing to me just in terms of where the rankings are.
I think we're probably on the same page. Colts probably
are going to be the playoff team. And yet I
think both of us like Cincinnati and their chances if
they were able to make it, to make some noise.
Speaker 5 (16:33):
Yeah, the more dangerous of the two teams.
Speaker 4 (16:35):
Look even when Jonathan Taylor or somebody like that, I mean,
I think the quarterback position and some defensive improvement those receivers,
that's what makes them so scary to a lot of people.
Speaker 5 (16:43):
They got nothing to lose at this point too.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Yeah, winners are three straight games, And once again, I
think there's a lot of fans around the NFL who
might not have a team that it's going to be
in the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
Me that's I'm a Giants fan.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
I kind of just want to see Joe burrowball out
and see what happens when the playoffs roll around.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
One division.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
We've been trying to figure out NFC West Seattle.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
We've been going back and forth.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
We've started to buy their stock, and right now it
feels like it's not worth a whole lot. Eric will
tell us where they sit and the power rankings coming
up next. Back here on power rankings, Mike ham and
Eric at Home with You, Team seventeen through twenty four.
The Seahawks. I really don't know what to make of
(17:27):
the squad. Eric, you're going to be giving that task
to explain it to me in just a moment.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
Here.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
The Dolphins, they roll the Niners. They're at eighteen at nineteen.
The Cardinals, oh boy, there was a time where I
thought they were the team to beat in the NFC West.
That is not the case. Panthers handle them in overtime.
The Cowboys all of a sudden, they're winning some football games.
At twenty the Niners not the season that I had
expected for them, The Colts at twenty two, the Saints
they got shut out. Remember those first few weeks of
(17:53):
the season, we were talking about that offense just rolling.
They were scoring like forty plus every single week. No,
Derek Carr, that's going to be a problem. And the
Bears at twenty four continue to spiral out of control.
All right, Seattle, lay it on me, man, Like, what
is this football team?
Speaker 4 (18:08):
Yeah, it's really hard to sort of categorize a team
that opens the season with three straight wins, then follows
it up with five out of six games that are losses,
and then three more wins and then two.
Speaker 5 (18:19):
Losses in a row.
Speaker 4 (18:20):
It has been a roller coaster, at least as far
as the wins and losses go. In Mike McDonald's first season,
they've dealt with a lot of stuff. Kenneth Walker hurt
again this season. That really has hindered the run game.
It's put a lot on Gino Smith's shoulders mic and look,
they have those receivers, but the protection hasn't always been there.
Gino's throw throwing some red zone picks. He's kind of
inching closer to his rookie year, I int total. You know,
(18:43):
he's also completing seventy percent of his passes and on
pace for a career high in passing yard.
Speaker 5 (18:49):
So there's been some good.
Speaker 4 (18:50):
There's been a reason why they're still in the race,
and they're going to have to beat Chicago the wild
card is out, and then hope for Arizona to beat
the Rams.
Speaker 5 (18:58):
That would set up a take it all.
Speaker 4 (19:00):
Or nothing kind of game in Week eighteen for the division.
But again, they're really swimming upstream at this point. Defensively,
hasn't been the season they hoped, especially with McDonald, but
they got a chance. I don't know what I expected
my coming into the year. I think something around this.
I don't think this is terribly out of a character
for them, at least as far as what I thought
they were going to be coming into the year.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
So in the race with the potential to go and
win the division, you thought was fair, and I guess
in hindsight that is, But I don't know, look to
reality is I don't think there's any team that's better
than the Rams right now in the division.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
They should be the team that goes to the postseason.
Speaker 5 (19:36):
I think so, right.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
I mean they you know, from the one and four start,
they've obviously turned things completely around. And you know, you
could say the same about Seattle after they're tough stretch
right after that. But still, you know, whatever team's been
in the first place, the pole position that see West
the last month or so hasn't had the best of luck. Arizona,
Seattle and now LA's there. Can they hang on? Can
they play some of their best football which they have
(19:59):
and continue their hot streak?
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Yeah, one in four to start the season since the
by eight and two. And I made this point yesterday
on the post game show on Monday Night Football. The
Rams to me if they were healthy at the start
of the season, I think it's a different narrative around
this team. Remember that offensive line was decimated, which is
the reason why they started one to four on the year.
Speaking of teams that can't, I can't figure out the Cowboys.
(20:23):
Where are these wins coming from? I mean this was
tough sledding for a good stretch of this season. I
think we're a question about Mike McCarthy if he's going
to be the coach, Like they're signs to life right
now inside that locker room.
Speaker 4 (20:34):
Whatever McCarthy is telling his players in meetings, in practices
prior to games at halftime, it's working, right. I mean,
he's got this team back on track, starting quarterback out,
injuries all over the place, you know, losing pieces on
defense as well, and boy, they found a spirit that
I didn't know they would have. This was a team
that was sort of caught in the malaise for a while.
Speaker 5 (20:54):
But you know, you saw.
Speaker 4 (20:55):
Them finish off that dramatic game Monday night against a
good Bucks team, a desperate Bucks team, a Bucks team
that was also sort of controlling its fate to a degree.
So does this mean McCarthy back. You know, you're seeing
Cooper Rush perform in an effective level. I mean, he
looked pretty darn good the last month or so. And
you know, Mike McCarthy's expertise is on the offensive side
of the ball. Steedee Lamb is engaged. You've got Rico
(21:16):
Dowdell going late in the season, even with a bad
game Monday, I mean, all the signs.
Speaker 5 (21:20):
Are in a positive direction. I think that bodes well
for McCarthy.
Speaker 4 (21:24):
I don't know if it means he's going to have
his job, But good for them for staying in the
race with everybody had kind of thrown some dirt on him,
and you know, they just got eliminated, but.
Speaker 5 (21:31):
Still competitive football throughout. You got to tip your hat
to that. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
I think if he doesn't have a job in Dallas,
I'm not saying that he won't. If he doesn't, I
think there's a lot of teams that are going to
look at the second half of the season and go,
you know what, We'll take them on our squad. All right,
let's get to the to the rest of the teams
twenty five through thirty two. The Panthers I cannot believe
we're talking about them at twenty five. Let's roll in
front of the Jets, no less at twenty six. Got
(21:58):
do you think about some preseason high at the Browns
at twenty seven hanging up and another loss for them.
The Patriots at twenty eight, twenty nine, it's the Raiders.
I had so many text messages from friends and family
that are Giants fans that were written so hard for
the Raiders to pull off a win, and they got
it done. The Jacks at thirty, the Titans at thirty one,
and yes, the Giants who should maybe possibly get the
(22:22):
number one overall pick who We'll see how it plays
out the rest of the season and if they pick
up a win to make things interesting. But I think
there's a fan base that would love for them to
get the number one selection in this year's coming draft.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
But the Panthers at twenty five.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
Be honest, I mean, if I would have told you
that at week you know this at this point, we
kenned at a week seventeen that this team would be
twenty fifth, you would have said, now you're lying.
Speaker 4 (22:46):
Yeah, I don't know that I would have expected them
to land there, especially not after the first two weeks
of the season things were looking so bad. Bryce Young
was benched, his backup goes and wins their first game
for him. But you got to give Young a ton
of credit for taking the demotion, figuring out what did
he needed to work on, putting it to work behind
the scene, and then when he got his second opportunity
(23:06):
after Dalton got hurt, really made the most of it.
And now people are not talking about what a giant
draft bust he is. He is now all of a
sudden back in that same position it was in the offseason.
As the leader of this team, there's some young pieces
to get excited about. The offensive line we get and
also Cuba Hubbard. Boy, he had that overtime fumble a
couple of weeks ago, ended up being the overtime hero
(23:27):
on Sunday.
Speaker 5 (23:27):
So the arrow's.
Speaker 4 (23:29):
Trending back up for this team. They got a lot
of work to do in the offseason, but I like
the direction they're heading in right now.
Speaker 5 (23:33):
Mike.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
You know, there's that.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
Old adage in the college football world, right when a
new coach takes over. You know, you probably lose big
in year number one, you lose a little smaller in
year number two, you start winning small in year three,
and then you start winning big in year four. That's
obviously the path here. I think we're starting to see
that within one season. Some close losses down the stretch
for Carolina here, but then they go and pick up
(23:55):
a win. So maybe, as to your point, arrow is
pointing up for Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers. Who
would have thunk it after making that quarterback change.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
Eric, you're the best man.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
Merry Christmas to you and your family, Merry Christmas to
everyone that's out there. Enjoy the Christmas Day games, enjoy
the Saturday and Sunday games, and we'll see you next
week for another edition of Power Rankings.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
NFL Power Rankings is a production of the NFL in
partnership with iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the
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