October 21, 2025 • 25 mins
On the latest Power Rankings Podcast, Mike Yam and Eric Edholm examine the latest power rankings leading into NFL Week 8!
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
NFL Power Rankings is a production of the NFL in
partnership with iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
It's a brand new edition of NFL Power Rankings.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
It is presented by Energizer. It was a long, long week,
in fact, so long that when you get a doubleheader
back to back games on a Monday night football, When
your inbox blows up in the middle of the night
and it's Eric's Power Rankings, you know that he's going
to be caffeinated for this show. I feel like you
were working to the wee hours of the morning trying
to fine tune this thing.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
Eric well, not only doing this week's ranking rankings Mic,
but also cleaning up last week's mess. I admit I
had the bills too high, a few other teams in
wrong spots.
Speaker 5 (00:45):
So this is like resetting the decks here a little bit.
This week. It was a lot of work. Stayed up Layton,
the hardworking for you people out there.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
You know, I'm in bed.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
This is probably a Tami, but I'm in bed and
I'm on my phone and I'm reading through your article
which is on NFL dot com right now, and I'm
doing a double take, and I'm like, he didn't really
mean to put that team there.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Oh oh you did. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Let's get to the rankings and some of the over
correction maybe that we have witnessed. All right, back to normal.
The Detroit Lions sitting number one. They move up a spot,
dethroning the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who will get to in
just a minute. Don't look now moving up six bots
the Indianapolis Colts, a six to one football team, sitting
at number two.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
The Chiefs at three.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
The Seahawks with that defense that we saw on Monday
Night Football are fourth.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
They actually drop one spot.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
The Green Bay Packers at five, the Eagles staying even
at six, as do the Rams at seven, and a
significant drop for that Bucks team now sitting at eight.
All right, let's focus in on this number one team.
We did this on the postgame show on NFL Network.
Are they the best team in the NFC? You think
they're the best team right now in the NFL? Is
that solely just based off of the performance that they're
(01:50):
getting from a defense that's banged up right now and
Jamiir Gibbs sort of flexing that he is one of
the top two or three backs.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
In the league.
Speaker 5 (01:59):
Yeah, there's a lot that went into it.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
Obviously, there was a lot that went into putting the
Bucks first last week that didn't sort of pay out
for me. But I felt okay with it because I
know they have a dominant offense that was frankly at
a B minus C plus level against the Bucks. Too
many turnovers, too many miss points. But when you have
a home run hitter like Jamiir Gibbs, you can kind
of get away with that. And you know, he was
obviously special. But look at this defense. You know, guys
(02:22):
like Rock you're seeing he obviously missed some snaps during
the game.
Speaker 5 (02:26):
Had to step up.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
No Kirby Joseph, no Terry and Arnold, no Brian Branch,
no Vante Maddox. They had all backups pretty much in
that secondary and they did a fantastic job. You know,
Evans didn't finish the game, but still to be able
to control a Tampa Bay offense that was at least
among the best half dozen or ten offenses in the league.
You can have somewhat of an off night on offense,
and GoF made some big throws, no question about it.
Speaker 5 (02:49):
This one to domin Ross Saint Brown.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Look, we know they're capable of these big explosive moments.
They don't have to be perfect every drive, and you know,
I just think their overall resume speaks a little louder
to me than some other teams. Although Colts fans may
want to have a word with me.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
I still think about this team that Sunday Night football.
The loss against Kansas City is I don't want to
say a scheme thing, but like Kansas City just did
a masterful job just making sure that Detroit didn't have
the football. You know, in some ways it was a
little bit of a disappointment in terms of the not
the result, but just the game. I expected more fireworks,
but maybe it was just a learning about the parody
that we're getting in the NFL.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
All right, time for power Moves.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
It is presented by Energizer moving up six spots the Colts.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
All right.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
When I think about this number two team, I'm flashing
back to last season.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
On this show, we ran a graphic.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
It was the Commanders and where they started, which would
have like twenty six, twenty eight something along those lines. Yeah,
and then just the rise that they continue to have.
That's the cults this year, like this is legit. I'm
tired of this conversation that I'm hearing in the national media,
which is, hey, are they for real?
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Eric?
Speaker 3 (03:51):
This is a real football team that really could make
a push and a claim that they are the best
in the league.
Speaker 5 (03:57):
Yeah, I'm here to confirm what you just said. They
are for real.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
And of course I'm a little late on it. You know,
I've been holding back a little bit. You know, they
had a blowout over the Raiders. How much stock do
you put on that they lose to The Rams? Made
some self inflicted errors, you know, they had moments along
the way where you thought, okay, are they really that good?
But look at what the offense has done every single
game this season, really outside of the Rams game, they've
scored twenty eight or more every single game. And Jonathan
(04:22):
Taylor and Daniel Jones. I believe if you're making a
serious MVP list right now, you've better have both guys
on it. Taylor is spectacular, kind of reimagining his twenty
twenty one season. That level of production, I think we
could end up seeing him with career numbers in some regards.
Jones has obviously changed the arc of his career too,
and it all works off of the run game. You
(04:42):
see this play action pass, throw it back to Taylor,
and they just have so many different weapons, and Tyler
Warren has stepped in to look like a Pro Bowl
tight end right away from Jump Street.
Speaker 5 (04:54):
So I've just been really impressed.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
The defense set the tone in the first half against
the Chargers and held on late, and you know, they're
a complete football team. And no more talk about Shane
Stikeen on the hot seat, and no we're talking about
Chris Ballard's draft picks.
Speaker 5 (05:06):
They're all hidden right now.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Evan Washburn from CBS I saw this on social media somewhere.
He's interviewing Daniel Johneson in paraphrasing saying, Hey, a little
bit of a surprise, you know where you guys are
at right now. And DJ's response was something to the
effect was like, hey, y'all just didn't know what you
were talking about at the start of the season.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Maybe he's right.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
The Kansas City Chiefs are a team that also was
one of these significant risers in the rankings, moving up
six spots. They sit number three in your Power rankings.
They do have a win against the lines. I'm just
curious because it has looked better over these last two
weeks and maybe you can make a claim that, hey,
Raiders aren't aren't necessarily juggernauts.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Did you it all? Consider them at number one?
Speaker 5 (05:41):
I did? Yeah, I thought about it.
Speaker 4 (05:42):
Look, and I would have thought about the Seahawks had
they had a great perform some Monday night. I'm always
trying to be flexible on these things. And I asked myself,
who is the most dangerous team right now? And if
you don't come up with the Chiefs in your first
three or four answers, I think you're missing the picture here.
Yes it was the Raiders, and yes they were shorthanded,
no doubt about it. But first time we saw Hollywood Brown,
(06:03):
Rashi Rice, and Xavier Worthy on the field together, it
looked pretty darn good.
Speaker 5 (06:07):
I don't even think thirty.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
One to nothing showed the level of dominance, the one
sidedness of this game. The Raiders could do absolutely nothing
on offense. Probably not a huge shock with who they
were missing, But the Chiefs look really good.
Speaker 5 (06:20):
How about the Nolo pass returning too?
Speaker 4 (06:21):
A little bit of that swagger is back where Shee
Rice Surta brings that. You know, we saw another start
to the season where Mahomes was kind of sluggish at
times and all that. I think that's gone. He's not
having to carry the load with all his scrambling and
crazy plays. He could just sit back and throw to
his playmakers. It's just been so much different the last
couple of weeks, and I think they're on a roll.
(06:42):
And even if their resume comes up a little short
from some of the top teams, I.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Think there's some other guys, at least at this point
of the season that I would point to in front
of Mahomes's MVP. A lot of football to be played,
and not for nothing, the way that he has played
so far. I think by the end of the season,
he's absolutely going to be in that conversation, all right.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
At number five.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
It is the Green Bay Packers. I don't I was
ready to crown them after we two.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
I'm like, this seems I got to the Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
And obviously that was a dumb, dumb comment, which is
one of many that I typically make in my life.
Generally speaking, though, this is this team to me is
an enigma. I'm actually surprised that you had them fit,
Like I think there was a case to drop them
further down.
Speaker 5 (07:18):
Yeah, I thought about it.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
I did, and look, it has been a little bit
disappointing some of these games where they match up against
a seemingly lesser team or one that's at least a
notch below them and play them in a one possession game,
or play them in a tight game, or have to
have the fourth quarter to put them away. So still
some questions about the offense. Another kind of sluggish start,
Josh Jacobs limited, you know, you got to factor that
(07:40):
in as well. But when the offense really came alive
was when Matt Lafleur trusted Jordan Love and you know
that big fourth and two. They brought the field goal
team out. They called time out and said, no, we
want the offense out there, and Love delivers a tear
drop to Tucker Craft and he just hit him on
a big third down right before that. So you're seeing
these little kind of kernels of growth in the offense.
It's not to the levels we expect. They still have
(08:02):
to get better on that side, and defensively, they can't
wait for Micah Parsons to just rescue them in the
fourth quarter like he did Sunday.
Speaker 5 (08:09):
A little bit more.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
Consistent throughout, So yeah, there was a case to drop them,
but they ended up waiting played very well in the
fourth quarter. I thought we're gonna hold him steady for
this week, but they're on watch.
Speaker 5 (08:20):
There's no doubt about it.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Yeah, And to be clear, by the end of the season,
if they are playing in the super Bowl, we will
replay the clip of me in week two coming off
of that win. It was lines then Commanders saying that
they were going to be in the super Bowl. So
I will sound like I was right and all is
right in the world at number six is an Eagles
team speaking if things are okay in Philadelphia.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
I mean, we saw some explosive plays.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
People talking about, Hey, the best performance we've seen from
Jalen Hurts, which I guess numerically based on the passer
rating and stuff, you can kind of point to it.
Considering who they were playing in this defense. I don't
know if I'd go that far, but Boyle Boys signs
of life eric in a meaningful way for this Philly team.
Speaker 5 (08:53):
Yeah, and it was, you know, deeper shots.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
Obviously been kind of waiting for that, that aj Brown
connection that's happened a little bit more DeVante Smith. Those
two guys were outstanding and Hurts made it happen. And
I think Hurts working outside of structure too, and not
just pulling up to run or you know, taking the
short gains, but taking some risks knowing that the blitz
was there, and he was fantastic against extra pressure. We
know Brian Flores is going to bring it. The Eagles
(09:17):
certainly knew that coming in. They had a plan for it,
and it didn't just involve you know, screens and dumpoffs
and things like that. They were wanting to work outside
of the pocket and make plays downfield. So look, I
mean he was averaging sixteen points six yards or attempt
per attempt on blitzes alone. So Hurts was fantastic. The
defense got a you know, Jalen Carter stepped up. Jlex
(09:39):
Hunt had the pick six. This is kind of a
get right game against the team that I think is
still moderately competitive in the vikings.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
Yeah, and speaking of another get right game, an opportunity
to avenge a loss from a couple of weeks ago,
it will be the Eagles.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Matching up against the New York Giants.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
All right time for future champions. It is presented by
Fan Duel. Let's take a look at the odds to
go and win the NFC West. The Rams right now
are the favorite plus one thirty five and Niners not
too far behind at one seventy, and then plus two
sixty of the Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals. Well, I
guess technically still have a chance according to FanDuel, though
(10:16):
at plus ten thousand, it's not.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
A great one.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
This is a Rams team that sits number seven right
now in your power rankings. We didn't see Pooka out
there overseas for this game. Matthew Stafford, though, is continuing
to sort of flex here. I don't know what to
make of this team because of that lost couple weeks
ago against the Niners. Do we just say blip on
the radar and Kyle Shanahan just has success against this team?
Speaker 5 (10:42):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (10:42):
Right, in this case, when it's a divisional opponent, you
look at those kind of results, you can say, all right,
there's familiarity.
Speaker 5 (10:48):
There, right. These guys go back a long way.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
When you're talking about a game like Rams Jaguars on
a neutral field and it's pretty one side, and even
if the yards suggested it was a little closer than
it was, you tip your hat to the rams that
say they played a great game.
Speaker 5 (11:01):
You know, they had had five.
Speaker 4 (11:02):
Touchdowns on offense, the seven sacks on defense. That's the
kind of formula you want, you're looking for. You know.
The Jaguars through the ball what fifty times almost and
really didn't have a whole lot of success doing it
until very late in the game. So, you know, I
just thought this was a really good offensive plan. No,
Puka and Akua, you put up thirty five points, get
the tight ends involved, you know, Ferguson, Parkinson.
Speaker 5 (11:24):
Higbee was really nice to see.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
It was just a good even if it wasn't the
most beautiful offensive execution. They were just a step or
two ahead of the Jaguars all game. And yeah, it's
another team that I thought, should I move them up?
Speaker 5 (11:36):
Is that?
Speaker 4 (11:36):
Are they worthy of being a top five team? They're
really close. All these teams are within a hair of
each other.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
Yeah, you talk about this razor thin margin. I started
the show.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
I were talking about being in bed last night, coming
home from the postgame show Monday Night Football, going did
he really do this with his team?
Speaker 2 (11:50):
As I'm looking at your article on NFL.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
Dot com, you did the Tampa day Bucks went from
one and I was like, you got it right. You
slotted them there, they deserve to be there, and then
they go and you drop them seven spots.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
They're now sending eighth in the power rankings.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Like, dude, it, I get it, Like there's injuries, but
they've been navigating it better than any team in the
NFL this season.
Speaker 4 (12:09):
No mercy, Mike, you gotta be got to really got
to know when to cut bait, or at least for now.
I said this one in my piece on NFL dot Com.
I'm not giving up on the Bucks, but given the
state of things right now, first of all, they've been
outscored on the season. I don't know if a lot
of people realize that, giving up more points than they've scored.
You know, everything was a razor thin margin with every
single game, but a clear difference between the Lions and
(12:32):
the Bucks on Monday Night. Now, some of that obviously
had to do with no Bucky Irving, no other pieces.
Evans goes down with the broken collar bone. That's a
huge blow, especially in his return to the field, and
they didn't get anything going with him while he was
out there. So, you know, is Abuga healthy? You know,
he seemed to be playing at maybe sixty seventy eighty
percent on.
Speaker 5 (12:51):
Monday night as well.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
So, you know, just a lot of questions with this
team right now. Can they make enough stops defensively?
Speaker 5 (12:57):
They did a lot of good things.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
On d but what Jamiir Gibbs hits a couple of
bombs is they're going to be up against it. So
it was the injury factor and the factor that I
probably overrated him a little bit last week and they
didn't necessarily deserve that promotion, so it kind of got
him on both ends a little bit.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
Yeah, I don't know if I actually think they did
deserve it because of all the injuries that they have
been able to navigate and figuring out ways to get wins.
The one thing that I will say is like Detroit's
defense last night was pretty terrific.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
And this is the first time I saw.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
Baker just not look totally comfortable in the pocket and
missed them throws, kind of sailed the ball over a
couple different receivers heads a couple of times. So I
don't know, it was just maybe it's a blip on
the radar for this team. I don't know, but it
does concern me what we witnessed and the fact that
you're dropping them seven spots.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
My god.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
You know, there's one team that I actually thought would
be able to crack the top eight, and that is
the San Francisco forty nine ers, But according to Eric,
that is just not the case. We will dissect what
Christian McCaffrey was able to do against the Atlanta Falcons
on Sunday night. Where they sit in the rankings, and
I've been vetoing and I keep losing the Denver Broncos.
Do we need to talk about how they handle business
against my giants?
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Apparently we do. That's still to come here on Power Rankings.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Hey, back here on Power Rankings, Mike amm and Eric
at home with you. We got teams nine through sixteen.
I don't think I've ever had to wait to the
B block of the show to talk about the Buffalo
Bills in the last two years that I've been doing this.
But that's where they sit right now. The Denver Broncos
will get to in just a moment. At ten, the
Patriots moving up five spots. Today at eleven, we got
the San Francisco forty nine ers just figuring out ways
(14:33):
to win even with the depleted roster at twelve, the
Steelers at thirteen, the Bears don't look now for consecutive
wins for this team.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
The Jacks drop two spots, still trying to figure out
what that team is.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
And then we got the Commanders at sixteen. Time for
Team of the Week, it is presented by Truest all Right,
number seven, we got a Broncos squad, nineteen point deficit
in the fourth quarter, figure out a way to get
it done against my giants.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
I asked.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
It was like, do we have to talk about this team?
Everyone said yes, not only do we do that, we're
making them like our team with Week two of course. Right,
So break this down for me, just how impressive are
some of these cardiac moments that we're seeing from Sean
Payton's team, where it doesn't seemingly matter where they sit,
they just figure out ways to get it done. Except
for those two essentially walk off losses if they had
earlier this year.
Speaker 4 (15:21):
Yeah, right, No, I mean obviously some of those kind
of battle harden you, and some of them, you know,
kind of set you up lessons learned.
Speaker 5 (15:27):
This is what we're gonna do next.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
Time, or this is how we're gonna behave in these moments,
and obviously the Broncos dug such a big hole for themselves,
and you know, to be able to just pull it
off is pretty remarkable, But the fact that they almost
blew it a second time just kind of adds to
the ridiculousness of it. Mike, I never know what to
do with teams who do this sort of thing. Remember
we had that crazy comeback against a bad cold Steam
(15:49):
the Vikings scored all those points and everything. You know,
how do you rank a team that plays terribly for
three quarters and then brilliantly for one quarter for the
most part, and then sort of just average it all
out of Are they two thirds good to one third bat?
Speaker 5 (16:03):
You know, it's really difficult.
Speaker 4 (16:05):
But the biggest thing I came away from from this
game was boy bo Nick said, an amazing fourth quarter
and that Denver defense really let me down anyway, and
just expecting a lot more coming off that dominance against
the Jets. And yeah, it's a better team and an
exciting quarterback, but the fact that they got so few
stops until the gift interception late really has me concerned.
(16:25):
Are they a top five defense anymore? I don't know
the answer.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
Yeah, I think generally speaking, I do still buy on
this Denver team. I think they are a good defense.
I think a lot of that has to do with
the pressure that they get up front. Just for context, here,
last three wins for the Broncos a total of seven points.
The two losses, if I can do the math real quick,
a total of four points. And those were those walk
off sort of field goals that we saw in Week
two against the Colts and the Chargers, both of those
games on the road. All right, let's focus in on
(16:49):
the Niners. I think they're too low at twelve, Like,
I think they should be closer into that top ten.
Sell me on why a team that that just is
not healthy, that doesn't have a Fred Wanner out there,
that keeps the Atlanta Falcons you know, to ten points
or whatever? You know, Yeah, points a season low for them.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Why twelve?
Speaker 4 (17:07):
They've got two serious contenders in the NFC West. I
think they're going to have to contend with and fight
off to win that division. They're obviously a team that
has shown incredible toughness and incredibly well coached too.
Speaker 5 (17:18):
They look the more.
Speaker 4 (17:18):
Prepared team between them and Atlanta during this game, and
you know, Christian McCaffrey having his breakout game deserves a
lot of credit. Right, They hadn't had success running the football,
They'd had to get them the ball through the air
pretty much every way they got them the ball on
Sunday night worked and against the good Atlanta defense too.
Speaker 5 (17:36):
I think that has to be said.
Speaker 4 (17:38):
Yeah, I've been kind of slow playing the Niners a
little bit, and the injuries are part of it too,
because they're not getting Warner back, they're not getting Bosa back.
A lot of these other teams that have had similar
grades of injuries and similar swaths of players go down,
a lot of them have chances to return later in
the season. So I do kind of bake that in
a little. But the fact that you know, they were
(17:59):
able to pluck so many guys off the practice squad
and off the second team and have them step up
and play as well as they did against an explosive
offense deserves the credit.
Speaker 5 (18:08):
I hear what you're saying.
Speaker 4 (18:09):
I just don't look at them and say this is
obviously a top ten team. I think they're very close,
and like I said, a lot of the margin for
err between five and fifteen is not that big.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
Right now, I think, yeah, they haven't even come close
to hitting their ceiling, at least in my mind.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
So there's a buffer true here.
Speaker 3 (18:26):
We'll find out over the next couple of weeks where
they where they end up slotting in by really the
end of the season. Explain the Steelers at their team,
like I don't really know what to make of this team,
Like I was starting to kind of get on that bandwagon,
and then I see Joe Flack on the Bengals, like,
roast this defense, Like that's not supposed to happen.
Speaker 4 (18:44):
Yeah, sort of the same question we had with Denver
a little bit. Now, I don't know the Steelers have
quite as good a defense, but to see them really
struggle to generate any.
Speaker 5 (18:51):
Kind of pass rush has me worried.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
Now. Aaron Rodgers had some big moments in this game,
not just the hail Mary, which he threw almost seventy
yards according to next Gen the stats, but the fact
that he extended a lot of plays, made some other
big throws. He used his legs more than we used
to seeing. So there were some good things from the
Steelers offense, even with the two interceptions. But you know,
it was the fact that they seemed incapable of slowing
(19:14):
down Joe Flacco, Jamar Chase T Higgins.
Speaker 5 (19:18):
Those are the only guys you had to really worry about.
Speaker 4 (19:20):
And on top of that, they woke up a dormant
run game from the Bengals. Chase Brown had been locked
up all season and they went kind of.
Speaker 5 (19:27):
Wild against them.
Speaker 4 (19:28):
So again, short week on the road, you factor that
in too, But kind of like the Niners, there's just
been this quality about them that's held me back from
elevating them further on the list.
Speaker 3 (19:38):
To this point, there's two teams in the NFL eric
that I'm legitimately worried about. One of them is the
Houston Texans. The other one is at sixteen, the Washington Commanders.
I know that they're banked up with injuries. Jaden Daniels
doesn't seem all that serious according to Dan Quinn with
that hamstring injury, but.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Check this out.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
They got the Chiefs, the Seahawks, and then the Lions
over their next three games like this could really spiral
out of control for a.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Three and four football team.
Speaker 4 (20:05):
Yeah, they're obviously, you know, this is a crucial point,
especially we don't know when Daniels is going to return
to the field. It could be this week against Kansas City,
it might be a week after that if they don't
have him. You know, look, we've seen Marcus Mario to
go to Atlanta and you know, just come up a
little short in a shootout, So who knows what could happen.
But the way the Chiefs are playing right now that
(20:25):
concerns you. They do have the extra day, which helps,
but yeah, I mean obviously defensively, you know, you have
to ask yourself, is.
Speaker 5 (20:32):
Marshaun Lattimore playable at this point?
Speaker 4 (20:35):
Is there another you know, can they clean up the
mistackling too and the bad angles to the ball that
are giving teams extra yards? It feels like and you
know the receiver situation too with McLaurin, Hurt, Deebo, you know, Brown,
et cetera. I mean, they're just really shorthanded in some
key spots, defense, playmakers on offense, and that's taken last
(20:55):
year's darlings and really kind of neutered them a little bit.
So they've had their moments, but they just haven't been
able to have a full healthy squad out there to
show all their talents.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
Yeah, you know, who's getting a little bit more healthy.
Right now, that's the Dallas Cowboys who just beat them
this past weekend, and we're trying to figure out where
Dak and the Boys actually sit.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
There clearly behind this Commander's team.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
We'll find out exactly where Eric wanted to slot them,
and also check in on that Bengal squad.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
They're on the move as well, considering that when that
we just talked about against the Steelers.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
Hey back here on power rankings along with Eric at home, Mike,
am with you team seventeen through twenty four. We got
the Chargers at seventeen, dropping a spot by Atlanta Falcons
to eighteen. Carolina's figuring things out here. They're in the
top twenty, sitting at nineteen. The Cowboys move up two
spots at twenty.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
The Houston Texans.
Speaker 3 (21:50):
I said I was worried about them, and I am
because of that team's offense. The Vikings at twenty two.
The Ravens, yeah, twenty three at one, and I can't
believe the Ravens are a one to five football team.
And we got Cincinnati sitting at twenty four. They move
up three spots, and there are some signs.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Of life for that ball club, all right. At number twenty.
The move up to spots it is the Dallas Cowboys.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
I think this offense, because Pickens has played as well
as he has so far this season, Ceedee Lamb back
in the fold. That side of the football alone makes
this team dangerous. I don't think we're talking about them
in the top twenty by seasons in.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
I think it's closer to the top fifteen.
Speaker 5 (22:24):
Oh, they're lurking absolutely.
Speaker 4 (22:26):
I mean, you still have to worry about that defense
when you have Dak Prescott playing at the level he is.
And it's crazy to think that a Cowboys quarterback playing
well is not being recognized enough by the national media.
Speaker 5 (22:36):
But you know you saw the big play to CD here.
Speaker 4 (22:38):
You obviously mentioned pick and stew You know they can
get the ball of the tight end. And oh, by
the way, Javonte Williams had a terrific season so far.
We know Brian Schottenheimer loves to run the ball. So
if they can just get marginally better on defense and
be as good as they've always been on special teams
the last few years, they're a scary team.
Speaker 5 (22:56):
Denver better watch out this weekend. That defense canna be
up against it.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
Yeah, I'm with you are you buying Joe Flacco with
the Bengals, Like keeping them alive in the division.
Speaker 4 (23:06):
Completely changed the arc of their season. In my opinion,
there's no doubt. I mean, look, we were sort of
deciding when is this, you know, do you just sit
Burrow for the rest of the year. But he's getting
the ball to his playmakers obviously found Noah fan to
another big plays to do. Yo see this, and you
know they found a run game too with.
Speaker 5 (23:24):
Joe under center.
Speaker 4 (23:24):
They didn't do that with his replacement, so or the
guy he replaced, I says, should say. And there's still
a lot to do, right, They're still swimming way upstream
and a ton of work to do. There's maybe only
three or four games that you say, yeah, that's probably
a win left on their schedule. But with Joe, the
dude's just a contract killer man.
Speaker 5 (23:43):
He's ready to go to work.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
Hearing Mike Tomlin talk about, you know, the effect that
the Browns and.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
The division would trade him, and the disappointment and then
to see it unfold the way that it did, Yeah,
you almost feel bad for this Dealers fans, and I
know Mike Tomlin's certainly thinking about that. May well, let's
get to teams twenty five through thirty two.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
Here in a closer look at some of these rankings.
Speaker 3 (24:02):
We got the Cardinals sitting at twenty five, the Giants
somehow at twenty six. I still don't necessarily know what
to make of what we witnessed on Sunday against the
Denver Broncos.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
At twenty seven.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
It's the Browns at twenty eight, it is the Saints,
the Raiders checking at twenty nine. They got the Dolphins
at thirty thirty one, the Titans and the Jets still
looking for win number one on the season. Eric, if
I'm being honest with you, I misspoke earlier in the show.
I said I was worried about two teams in the NFL,
the Texans and the Commanders. And I still am worried
about those teams. I forgot to.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
Mention the Raiders, the Dolphins, and the Jets.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
I'm worried about all those teams because I hadn't look
pretty for him.
Speaker 4 (24:38):
I think we've already said that we're worried about there
were their past worry. At this point, it is a
freak out stage.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
I think, Yeah, Eric, you're the best man.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
I cannot wait to do this again with you next week,
and of course I always appreciate everyone watching and listening.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
To Power Rankings.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
NFL Power Rankings is a production of the NFL in
partnership with iHeartRadio. 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 (00:13):
It's a brand new edition of NFL Power Rankings.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
It is presented by Energizer. It was a long, long week,
in fact, so long that when you get a doubleheader
back to back games on a Monday night football, When
your inbox blows up in the middle of the night
and it's Eric's Power Rankings, you know that he's going
to be caffeinated for this show. I feel like you
were working to the wee hours of the morning trying
to fine tune this thing.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
Eric well, not only doing this week's ranking rankings Mic,
but also cleaning up last week's mess. I admit I
had the bills too high, a few other teams in
wrong spots.
Speaker 5 (00:45):
So this is like resetting the decks here a little bit.
This week. It was a lot of work. Stayed up Layton,
the hardworking for you people out there.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
You know, I'm in bed.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
This is probably a Tami, but I'm in bed and
I'm on my phone and I'm reading through your article
which is on NFL dot com right now, and I'm
doing a double take, and I'm like, he didn't really
mean to put that team there.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Oh oh you did. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Let's get to the rankings and some of the over
correction maybe that we have witnessed. All right, back to normal.
The Detroit Lions sitting number one. They move up a spot,
dethroning the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who will get to in
just a minute. Don't look now moving up six bots
the Indianapolis Colts, a six to one football team, sitting
at number two.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
The Chiefs at three.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
The Seahawks with that defense that we saw on Monday
Night Football are fourth.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
They actually drop one spot.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
The Green Bay Packers at five, the Eagles staying even
at six, as do the Rams at seven, and a
significant drop for that Bucks team now sitting at eight.
All right, let's focus in on this number one team.
We did this on the postgame show on NFL Network.
Are they the best team in the NFC? You think
they're the best team right now in the NFL? Is
that solely just based off of the performance that they're
(01:50):
getting from a defense that's banged up right now and
Jamiir Gibbs sort of flexing that he is one of
the top two or three backs.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
In the league.
Speaker 5 (01:59):
Yeah, there's a lot that went into it.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
Obviously, there was a lot that went into putting the
Bucks first last week that didn't sort of pay out
for me. But I felt okay with it because I
know they have a dominant offense that was frankly at
a B minus C plus level against the Bucks. Too
many turnovers, too many miss points. But when you have
a home run hitter like Jamiir Gibbs, you can kind
of get away with that. And you know, he was
obviously special. But look at this defense. You know, guys
(02:22):
like Rock you're seeing he obviously missed some snaps during
the game.
Speaker 5 (02:26):
Had to step up.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
No Kirby Joseph, no Terry and Arnold, no Brian Branch,
no Vante Maddox. They had all backups pretty much in
that secondary and they did a fantastic job. You know,
Evans didn't finish the game, but still to be able
to control a Tampa Bay offense that was at least
among the best half dozen or ten offenses in the league.
You can have somewhat of an off night on offense,
and GoF made some big throws, no question about it.
Speaker 5 (02:49):
This one to domin Ross Saint Brown.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Look, we know they're capable of these big explosive moments.
They don't have to be perfect every drive, and you know,
I just think their overall resume speaks a little louder
to me than some other teams. Although Colts fans may
want to have a word with me.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
I still think about this team that Sunday Night football.
The loss against Kansas City is I don't want to
say a scheme thing, but like Kansas City just did
a masterful job just making sure that Detroit didn't have
the football. You know, in some ways it was a
little bit of a disappointment in terms of the not
the result, but just the game. I expected more fireworks,
but maybe it was just a learning about the parody
that we're getting in the NFL.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
All right, time for power Moves.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
It is presented by Energizer moving up six spots the Colts.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
All right.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
When I think about this number two team, I'm flashing
back to last season.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
On this show, we ran a graphic.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
It was the Commanders and where they started, which would
have like twenty six, twenty eight something along those lines. Yeah,
and then just the rise that they continue to have.
That's the cults this year, like this is legit. I'm
tired of this conversation that I'm hearing in the national media,
which is, hey, are they for real?
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Eric?
Speaker 3 (03:51):
This is a real football team that really could make
a push and a claim that they are the best
in the league.
Speaker 5 (03:57):
Yeah, I'm here to confirm what you just said. They
are for real.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
And of course I'm a little late on it. You know,
I've been holding back a little bit. You know, they
had a blowout over the Raiders. How much stock do
you put on that they lose to The Rams? Made
some self inflicted errors, you know, they had moments along
the way where you thought, okay, are they really that good?
But look at what the offense has done every single
game this season, really outside of the Rams game, they've
scored twenty eight or more every single game. And Jonathan
(04:22):
Taylor and Daniel Jones. I believe if you're making a
serious MVP list right now, you've better have both guys
on it. Taylor is spectacular, kind of reimagining his twenty
twenty one season. That level of production, I think we
could end up seeing him with career numbers in some regards.
Jones has obviously changed the arc of his career too,
and it all works off of the run game. You
(04:42):
see this play action pass, throw it back to Taylor,
and they just have so many different weapons, and Tyler
Warren has stepped in to look like a Pro Bowl
tight end right away from Jump Street.
Speaker 5 (04:54):
So I've just been really impressed.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
The defense set the tone in the first half against
the Chargers and held on late, and you know, they're
a complete football team. And no more talk about Shane
Stikeen on the hot seat, and no we're talking about
Chris Ballard's draft picks.
Speaker 5 (05:06):
They're all hidden right now.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Evan Washburn from CBS I saw this on social media somewhere.
He's interviewing Daniel Johneson in paraphrasing saying, Hey, a little
bit of a surprise, you know where you guys are
at right now. And DJ's response was something to the
effect was like, hey, y'all just didn't know what you
were talking about at the start of the season.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Maybe he's right.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
The Kansas City Chiefs are a team that also was
one of these significant risers in the rankings, moving up
six spots. They sit number three in your Power rankings.
They do have a win against the lines. I'm just
curious because it has looked better over these last two
weeks and maybe you can make a claim that, hey,
Raiders aren't aren't necessarily juggernauts.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Did you it all? Consider them at number one?
Speaker 5 (05:41):
I did? Yeah, I thought about it.
Speaker 4 (05:42):
Look, and I would have thought about the Seahawks had
they had a great perform some Monday night. I'm always
trying to be flexible on these things. And I asked myself,
who is the most dangerous team right now? And if
you don't come up with the Chiefs in your first
three or four answers, I think you're missing the picture here.
Yes it was the Raiders, and yes they were shorthanded,
no doubt about it. But first time we saw Hollywood Brown,
(06:03):
Rashi Rice, and Xavier Worthy on the field together, it
looked pretty darn good.
Speaker 5 (06:07):
I don't even think thirty.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
One to nothing showed the level of dominance, the one
sidedness of this game. The Raiders could do absolutely nothing
on offense. Probably not a huge shock with who they
were missing, But the Chiefs look really good.
Speaker 5 (06:20):
How about the Nolo pass returning too?
Speaker 4 (06:21):
A little bit of that swagger is back where Shee
Rice Surta brings that. You know, we saw another start
to the season where Mahomes was kind of sluggish at
times and all that. I think that's gone. He's not
having to carry the load with all his scrambling and
crazy plays. He could just sit back and throw to
his playmakers. It's just been so much different the last
couple of weeks, and I think they're on a roll.
(06:42):
And even if their resume comes up a little short
from some of the top teams, I.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Think there's some other guys, at least at this point
of the season that I would point to in front
of Mahomes's MVP. A lot of football to be played,
and not for nothing, the way that he has played
so far. I think by the end of the season,
he's absolutely going to be in that conversation, all right.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
At number five.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
It is the Green Bay Packers. I don't I was
ready to crown them after we two.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
I'm like, this seems I got to the Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
And obviously that was a dumb, dumb comment, which is
one of many that I typically make in my life.
Generally speaking, though, this is this team to me is
an enigma. I'm actually surprised that you had them fit,
Like I think there was a case to drop them
further down.
Speaker 5 (07:18):
Yeah, I thought about it.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
I did, and look, it has been a little bit
disappointing some of these games where they match up against
a seemingly lesser team or one that's at least a
notch below them and play them in a one possession game,
or play them in a tight game, or have to
have the fourth quarter to put them away. So still
some questions about the offense. Another kind of sluggish start,
Josh Jacobs limited, you know, you got to factor that
(07:40):
in as well. But when the offense really came alive
was when Matt Lafleur trusted Jordan Love and you know
that big fourth and two. They brought the field goal
team out. They called time out and said, no, we
want the offense out there, and Love delivers a tear
drop to Tucker Craft and he just hit him on
a big third down right before that. So you're seeing
these little kind of kernels of growth in the offense.
It's not to the levels we expect. They still have
(08:02):
to get better on that side, and defensively, they can't
wait for Micah Parsons to just rescue them in the
fourth quarter like he did Sunday.
Speaker 5 (08:09):
A little bit more.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
Consistent throughout, So yeah, there was a case to drop them,
but they ended up waiting played very well in the
fourth quarter. I thought we're gonna hold him steady for
this week, but they're on watch.
Speaker 5 (08:20):
There's no doubt about it.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Yeah, And to be clear, by the end of the season,
if they are playing in the super Bowl, we will
replay the clip of me in week two coming off
of that win. It was lines then Commanders saying that
they were going to be in the super Bowl. So
I will sound like I was right and all is
right in the world at number six is an Eagles
team speaking if things are okay in Philadelphia.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
I mean, we saw some explosive plays.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
People talking about, Hey, the best performance we've seen from
Jalen Hurts, which I guess numerically based on the passer
rating and stuff, you can kind of point to it.
Considering who they were playing in this defense. I don't
know if I'd go that far, but Boyle Boys signs
of life eric in a meaningful way for this Philly team.
Speaker 5 (08:53):
Yeah, and it was, you know, deeper shots.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
Obviously been kind of waiting for that, that aj Brown
connection that's happened a little bit more DeVante Smith. Those
two guys were outstanding and Hurts made it happen. And
I think Hurts working outside of structure too, and not
just pulling up to run or you know, taking the
short gains, but taking some risks knowing that the blitz
was there, and he was fantastic against extra pressure. We
know Brian Flores is going to bring it. The Eagles
(09:17):
certainly knew that coming in. They had a plan for it,
and it didn't just involve you know, screens and dumpoffs
and things like that. They were wanting to work outside
of the pocket and make plays downfield. So look, I
mean he was averaging sixteen points six yards or attempt
per attempt on blitzes alone. So Hurts was fantastic. The
defense got a you know, Jalen Carter stepped up. Jlex
(09:39):
Hunt had the pick six. This is kind of a
get right game against the team that I think is
still moderately competitive in the vikings.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
Yeah, and speaking of another get right game, an opportunity
to avenge a loss from a couple of weeks ago,
it will be the Eagles.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Matching up against the New York Giants.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
All right time for future champions. It is presented by
Fan Duel. Let's take a look at the odds to
go and win the NFC West. The Rams right now
are the favorite plus one thirty five and Niners not
too far behind at one seventy, and then plus two
sixty of the Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals. Well, I
guess technically still have a chance according to FanDuel, though
(10:16):
at plus ten thousand, it's not.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
A great one.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
This is a Rams team that sits number seven right
now in your power rankings. We didn't see Pooka out
there overseas for this game. Matthew Stafford, though, is continuing
to sort of flex here. I don't know what to
make of this team because of that lost couple weeks
ago against the Niners. Do we just say blip on
the radar and Kyle Shanahan just has success against this team?
Speaker 5 (10:42):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (10:42):
Right, in this case, when it's a divisional opponent, you
look at those kind of results, you can say, all right,
there's familiarity.
Speaker 5 (10:48):
There, right. These guys go back a long way.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
When you're talking about a game like Rams Jaguars on
a neutral field and it's pretty one side, and even
if the yards suggested it was a little closer than
it was, you tip your hat to the rams that
say they played a great game.
Speaker 5 (11:01):
You know, they had had five.
Speaker 4 (11:02):
Touchdowns on offense, the seven sacks on defense. That's the
kind of formula you want, you're looking for. You know.
The Jaguars through the ball what fifty times almost and
really didn't have a whole lot of success doing it
until very late in the game. So, you know, I
just thought this was a really good offensive plan. No,
Puka and Akua, you put up thirty five points, get
the tight ends involved, you know, Ferguson, Parkinson.
Speaker 5 (11:24):
Higbee was really nice to see.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
It was just a good even if it wasn't the
most beautiful offensive execution. They were just a step or
two ahead of the Jaguars all game. And yeah, it's
another team that I thought, should I move them up?
Speaker 5 (11:36):
Is that?
Speaker 4 (11:36):
Are they worthy of being a top five team? They're
really close. All these teams are within a hair of
each other.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
Yeah, you talk about this razor thin margin. I started
the show.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
I were talking about being in bed last night, coming
home from the postgame show Monday Night Football, going did
he really do this with his team?
Speaker 2 (11:50):
As I'm looking at your article on NFL.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
Dot com, you did the Tampa day Bucks went from
one and I was like, you got it right. You
slotted them there, they deserve to be there, and then
they go and you drop them seven spots.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
They're now sending eighth in the power rankings.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Like, dude, it, I get it, Like there's injuries, but
they've been navigating it better than any team in the
NFL this season.
Speaker 4 (12:09):
No mercy, Mike, you gotta be got to really got
to know when to cut bait, or at least for now.
I said this one in my piece on NFL dot Com.
I'm not giving up on the Bucks, but given the
state of things right now, first of all, they've been
outscored on the season. I don't know if a lot
of people realize that, giving up more points than they've scored.
You know, everything was a razor thin margin with every
single game, but a clear difference between the Lions and
(12:32):
the Bucks on Monday Night. Now, some of that obviously
had to do with no Bucky Irving, no other pieces.
Evans goes down with the broken collar bone. That's a
huge blow, especially in his return to the field, and
they didn't get anything going with him while he was
out there. So, you know, is Abuga healthy? You know,
he seemed to be playing at maybe sixty seventy eighty
percent on.
Speaker 5 (12:51):
Monday night as well.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
So, you know, just a lot of questions with this
team right now. Can they make enough stops defensively?
Speaker 5 (12:57):
They did a lot of good things.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
On d but what Jamiir Gibbs hits a couple of
bombs is they're going to be up against it. So
it was the injury factor and the factor that I
probably overrated him a little bit last week and they
didn't necessarily deserve that promotion, so it kind of got
him on both ends a little bit.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
Yeah, I don't know if I actually think they did
deserve it because of all the injuries that they have
been able to navigate and figuring out ways to get wins.
The one thing that I will say is like Detroit's
defense last night was pretty terrific.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
And this is the first time I saw.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
Baker just not look totally comfortable in the pocket and
missed them throws, kind of sailed the ball over a
couple different receivers heads a couple of times. So I
don't know, it was just maybe it's a blip on
the radar for this team. I don't know, but it
does concern me what we witnessed and the fact that
you're dropping them seven spots.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
My god.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
You know, there's one team that I actually thought would
be able to crack the top eight, and that is
the San Francisco forty nine ers, But according to Eric,
that is just not the case. We will dissect what
Christian McCaffrey was able to do against the Atlanta Falcons
on Sunday night. Where they sit in the rankings, and
I've been vetoing and I keep losing the Denver Broncos.
Do we need to talk about how they handle business
against my giants?
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Apparently we do. That's still to come here on Power Rankings.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Hey, back here on Power Rankings, Mike amm and Eric
at home with you. We got teams nine through sixteen.
I don't think I've ever had to wait to the
B block of the show to talk about the Buffalo
Bills in the last two years that I've been doing this.
But that's where they sit right now. The Denver Broncos
will get to in just a moment. At ten, the
Patriots moving up five spots. Today at eleven, we got
the San Francisco forty nine ers just figuring out ways
(14:33):
to win even with the depleted roster at twelve, the
Steelers at thirteen, the Bears don't look now for consecutive
wins for this team.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
The Jacks drop two spots, still trying to figure out
what that team is.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
And then we got the Commanders at sixteen. Time for
Team of the Week, it is presented by Truest all Right,
number seven, we got a Broncos squad, nineteen point deficit
in the fourth quarter, figure out a way to get
it done against my giants.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
I asked.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
It was like, do we have to talk about this team?
Everyone said yes, not only do we do that, we're
making them like our team with Week two of course. Right,
So break this down for me, just how impressive are
some of these cardiac moments that we're seeing from Sean
Payton's team, where it doesn't seemingly matter where they sit,
they just figure out ways to get it done. Except
for those two essentially walk off losses if they had
earlier this year.
Speaker 4 (15:21):
Yeah, right, No, I mean obviously some of those kind
of battle harden you, and some of them, you know,
kind of set you up lessons learned.
Speaker 5 (15:27):
This is what we're gonna do next.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
Time, or this is how we're gonna behave in these moments,
and obviously the Broncos dug such a big hole for themselves,
and you know, to be able to just pull it
off is pretty remarkable, But the fact that they almost
blew it a second time just kind of adds to
the ridiculousness of it. Mike, I never know what to
do with teams who do this sort of thing. Remember
we had that crazy comeback against a bad cold Steam
(15:49):
the Vikings scored all those points and everything. You know,
how do you rank a team that plays terribly for
three quarters and then brilliantly for one quarter for the
most part, and then sort of just average it all
out of Are they two thirds good to one third bat?
Speaker 5 (16:03):
You know, it's really difficult.
Speaker 4 (16:05):
But the biggest thing I came away from from this
game was boy bo Nick said, an amazing fourth quarter
and that Denver defense really let me down anyway, and
just expecting a lot more coming off that dominance against
the Jets. And yeah, it's a better team and an
exciting quarterback, but the fact that they got so few
stops until the gift interception late really has me concerned.
(16:25):
Are they a top five defense anymore? I don't know
the answer.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
Yeah, I think generally speaking, I do still buy on
this Denver team. I think they are a good defense.
I think a lot of that has to do with
the pressure that they get up front. Just for context, here,
last three wins for the Broncos a total of seven points.
The two losses, if I can do the math real quick,
a total of four points. And those were those walk
off sort of field goals that we saw in Week
two against the Colts and the Chargers, both of those
games on the road. All right, let's focus in on
(16:49):
the Niners. I think they're too low at twelve, Like,
I think they should be closer into that top ten.
Sell me on why a team that that just is
not healthy, that doesn't have a Fred Wanner out there,
that keeps the Atlanta Falcons you know, to ten points
or whatever? You know, Yeah, points a season low for them.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Why twelve?
Speaker 4 (17:07):
They've got two serious contenders in the NFC West. I
think they're going to have to contend with and fight
off to win that division. They're obviously a team that
has shown incredible toughness and incredibly well coached too.
Speaker 5 (17:18):
They look the more.
Speaker 4 (17:18):
Prepared team between them and Atlanta during this game, and
you know, Christian McCaffrey having his breakout game deserves a
lot of credit. Right, They hadn't had success running the football,
They'd had to get them the ball through the air
pretty much every way they got them the ball on
Sunday night worked and against the good Atlanta defense too.
Speaker 5 (17:36):
I think that has to be said.
Speaker 4 (17:38):
Yeah, I've been kind of slow playing the Niners a
little bit, and the injuries are part of it too,
because they're not getting Warner back, they're not getting Bosa back.
A lot of these other teams that have had similar
grades of injuries and similar swaths of players go down,
a lot of them have chances to return later in
the season. So I do kind of bake that in
a little. But the fact that you know, they were
(17:59):
able to pluck so many guys off the practice squad
and off the second team and have them step up
and play as well as they did against an explosive
offense deserves the credit.
Speaker 5 (18:08):
I hear what you're saying.
Speaker 4 (18:09):
I just don't look at them and say this is
obviously a top ten team. I think they're very close,
and like I said, a lot of the margin for
err between five and fifteen is not that big.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
Right now, I think, yeah, they haven't even come close
to hitting their ceiling, at least in my mind.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
So there's a buffer true here.
Speaker 3 (18:26):
We'll find out over the next couple of weeks where
they where they end up slotting in by really the
end of the season. Explain the Steelers at their team,
like I don't really know what to make of this team,
Like I was starting to kind of get on that bandwagon,
and then I see Joe Flack on the Bengals, like,
roast this defense, Like that's not supposed to happen.
Speaker 4 (18:44):
Yeah, sort of the same question we had with Denver
a little bit. Now, I don't know the Steelers have
quite as good a defense, but to see them really
struggle to generate any.
Speaker 5 (18:51):
Kind of pass rush has me worried.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
Now. Aaron Rodgers had some big moments in this game,
not just the hail Mary, which he threw almost seventy
yards according to next Gen the stats, but the fact
that he extended a lot of plays, made some other
big throws. He used his legs more than we used
to seeing. So there were some good things from the
Steelers offense, even with the two interceptions. But you know,
it was the fact that they seemed incapable of slowing
(19:14):
down Joe Flacco, Jamar Chase T Higgins.
Speaker 5 (19:18):
Those are the only guys you had to really worry about.
Speaker 4 (19:20):
And on top of that, they woke up a dormant
run game from the Bengals. Chase Brown had been locked
up all season and they went kind of.
Speaker 5 (19:27):
Wild against them.
Speaker 4 (19:28):
So again, short week on the road, you factor that
in too, But kind of like the Niners, there's just
been this quality about them that's held me back from
elevating them further on the list.
Speaker 3 (19:38):
To this point, there's two teams in the NFL eric
that I'm legitimately worried about. One of them is the
Houston Texans. The other one is at sixteen, the Washington Commanders.
I know that they're banked up with injuries. Jaden Daniels
doesn't seem all that serious according to Dan Quinn with
that hamstring injury, but.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Check this out.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
They got the Chiefs, the Seahawks, and then the Lions
over their next three games like this could really spiral
out of control for a.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Three and four football team.
Speaker 4 (20:05):
Yeah, they're obviously, you know, this is a crucial point,
especially we don't know when Daniels is going to return
to the field. It could be this week against Kansas City,
it might be a week after that if they don't
have him. You know, look, we've seen Marcus Mario to
go to Atlanta and you know, just come up a
little short in a shootout, So who knows what could happen.
But the way the Chiefs are playing right now that
(20:25):
concerns you. They do have the extra day, which helps,
but yeah, I mean obviously defensively, you know, you have
to ask yourself, is.
Speaker 5 (20:32):
Marshaun Lattimore playable at this point?
Speaker 4 (20:35):
Is there another you know, can they clean up the
mistackling too and the bad angles to the ball that
are giving teams extra yards? It feels like and you
know the receiver situation too with McLaurin, Hurt, Deebo, you know, Brown,
et cetera. I mean, they're just really shorthanded in some
key spots, defense, playmakers on offense, and that's taken last
(20:55):
year's darlings and really kind of neutered them a little bit.
So they've had their moments, but they just haven't been
able to have a full healthy squad out there to
show all their talents.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
Yeah, you know, who's getting a little bit more healthy.
Right now, that's the Dallas Cowboys who just beat them
this past weekend, and we're trying to figure out where
Dak and the Boys actually sit.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
There clearly behind this Commander's team.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
We'll find out exactly where Eric wanted to slot them,
and also check in on that Bengal squad.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
They're on the move as well, considering that when that
we just talked about against the Steelers.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
Hey back here on power rankings along with Eric at home, Mike,
am with you team seventeen through twenty four. We got
the Chargers at seventeen, dropping a spot by Atlanta Falcons
to eighteen. Carolina's figuring things out here. They're in the
top twenty, sitting at nineteen. The Cowboys move up two
spots at twenty.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
The Houston Texans.
Speaker 3 (21:50):
I said I was worried about them, and I am
because of that team's offense. The Vikings at twenty two.
The Ravens, yeah, twenty three at one, and I can't
believe the Ravens are a one to five football team.
And we got Cincinnati sitting at twenty four. They move
up three spots, and there are some signs.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Of life for that ball club, all right. At number twenty.
The move up to spots it is the Dallas Cowboys.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
I think this offense, because Pickens has played as well
as he has so far this season, Ceedee Lamb back
in the fold. That side of the football alone makes
this team dangerous. I don't think we're talking about them
in the top twenty by seasons in.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
I think it's closer to the top fifteen.
Speaker 5 (22:24):
Oh, they're lurking absolutely.
Speaker 4 (22:26):
I mean, you still have to worry about that defense
when you have Dak Prescott playing at the level he is.
And it's crazy to think that a Cowboys quarterback playing
well is not being recognized enough by the national media.
Speaker 5 (22:36):
But you know you saw the big play to CD here.
Speaker 4 (22:38):
You obviously mentioned pick and stew You know they can
get the ball of the tight end. And oh, by
the way, Javonte Williams had a terrific season so far.
We know Brian Schottenheimer loves to run the ball. So
if they can just get marginally better on defense and
be as good as they've always been on special teams
the last few years, they're a scary team.
Speaker 5 (22:56):
Denver better watch out this weekend. That defense canna be
up against it.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
Yeah, I'm with you are you buying Joe Flacco with
the Bengals, Like keeping them alive in the division.
Speaker 4 (23:06):
Completely changed the arc of their season. In my opinion,
there's no doubt. I mean, look, we were sort of
deciding when is this, you know, do you just sit
Burrow for the rest of the year. But he's getting
the ball to his playmakers obviously found Noah fan to
another big plays to do. Yo see this, and you
know they found a run game too with.
Speaker 5 (23:24):
Joe under center.
Speaker 4 (23:24):
They didn't do that with his replacement, so or the
guy he replaced, I says, should say. And there's still
a lot to do, right, They're still swimming way upstream
and a ton of work to do. There's maybe only
three or four games that you say, yeah, that's probably
a win left on their schedule. But with Joe, the
dude's just a contract killer man.
Speaker 5 (23:43):
He's ready to go to work.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
Hearing Mike Tomlin talk about, you know, the effect that
the Browns and.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
The division would trade him, and the disappointment and then
to see it unfold the way that it did, Yeah,
you almost feel bad for this Dealers fans, and I
know Mike Tomlin's certainly thinking about that. May well, let's
get to teams twenty five through thirty two.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
Here in a closer look at some of these rankings.
Speaker 3 (24:02):
We got the Cardinals sitting at twenty five, the Giants
somehow at twenty six. I still don't necessarily know what
to make of what we witnessed on Sunday against the
Denver Broncos.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
At twenty seven.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
It's the Browns at twenty eight, it is the Saints,
the Raiders checking at twenty nine. They got the Dolphins
at thirty thirty one, the Titans and the Jets still
looking for win number one on the season. Eric, if
I'm being honest with you, I misspoke earlier in the show.
I said I was worried about two teams in the NFL,
the Texans and the Commanders. And I still am worried
about those teams. I forgot to.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
Mention the Raiders, the Dolphins, and the Jets.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
I'm worried about all those teams because I hadn't look
pretty for him.
Speaker 4 (24:38):
I think we've already said that we're worried about there
were their past worry. At this point, it is a
freak out stage.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
I think, Yeah, Eric, you're the best man.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
I cannot wait to do this again with you next week,
and of course I always appreciate everyone watching and listening.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
To Power Rankings.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
NFL Power Rankings is a production of the NFL in
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