What if sports power rankings

Green Bay plays at Kansas City, who won on Monday night against the Giants and looked better on defense in doing so, on the road this week in a game that matches Patrick Mahomes against Aaron Rodgers , although neither is putting up the gaudy numbers of past seasons. Even so, it's a game that could mean a change at the top if the Chiefs were to win. That might be a theme of the season the rest of the way.

The teams that do take over the top spot might not be there for long for a reason:. By Pete Prisco. Nov 2, at am ET 1 min read.

Is any NFL team really that good? Again, I ask the question: Is anybody any good? Watch Now:. Pete Prisco 1 min read. Brinson's picks: Patriots keep rolling Will Brinson 11 min read. Prisco: Raiders, Chiefs in thriller Pete Prisco 5 min read.

SEA Tyler Sullivan 1 min read. They went to Arizona and beat an undefeated team without Davante Adams and others. That's the sign of a good team. The defense is getting better by the week.

The offense is really cooking right now and adding Von Miller to the defense is a good thing. They didn't look great against the Dolphins, but found a way to rally in the second half. The offense looked lethargic at times, which can't happen against good teams. The health of Kyler Murray bears watching after he got banged up last week. The run defense has to be better going forward. They basically locked up the division halfway through the season by beating the Colts, which is a good thing since Derrick Henry is likely gone for the year.

Now comes a real proving game against the Rams. Winning the way they did against Tampa Bay is a testament to Sean Payton's coaching. Listen below and follow the Pick Six podcast for a daily dose of everything you need to follow pro football. One coach told me this summer that there might be something to the idea that getting hot down the stretch is more important than perhaps winning the division.

He used Tampa Bay last season as the example. But that means a team has to get into the postseason party, which means bad losses like this week could cost some of them. I still think teams like the Bills, Rams, Cowboys and Packers will be around in the playoffs -- and maybe deep into them.

But this past weekend shows that you can't just line up and play, no matter who the opponent is on the other sideline. My Power Rankings have been destroyed each and every week this season so far. Parity lovers rejoice. At the halfway point of the season, with nine weeks left, it's time for contenders to emerge and pretenders to fade away.

This past week, the pretenders made life miserable for a lot of the supposed contenders and turned the league upside down in the process. By Pete Prisco. Nov 9, at pm ET 2 min read. Six of the teams in the top 10 of my Power Rankings lost this past week. Among those losses: A The Dallas Cowboys getting blown out at home by the Denver Broncos , who traded away Von Miller last week in a move that signaled maybe they were moving on from this season.

The defense, a maligned unit in recent years, dominated the Rams' offense in the victory. That's six of the top In one week? Watch Now:. Brinson's picks: Patriots keep rolling Will Brinson 11 min read. Prisco: Raiders, Chiefs in thriller Pete Prisco 5 min read. SEA Tyler Sullivan 1 min read. Winning the way they did on the road without Kyler Murray was truly impressive. They are the best team right now. The Packers found out what life is like without Aaron Rodgers.

Technically, that is a small accomplishment for the sixth-worst team in football. With three days to prepare? Good luck with that, Dolphins. But his shortcomings as a passer are exposed when defenses stop blitzing and make him win with his arm. Down 14 heading into the fourth quarter and facing a Steelers team that was in their career when leading by such a score in the fourth, this squad nearly came back.

Fields played well. While it was not enough to come out on top, it told us something about the rookie signal caller and his otherwise average team. Delusions of grandeur are responsible for where the Carolina Panthers are right now. With a The New York Giants should be feeling very confident heading into their Week 10 bye. The little things matter and if this winds up a losing season, Mike Zimmer might get the hook. It seemed like the Von Miller trade represented the proverbial waving of the white flag.

Just a tiebreaker back of the No. Burrow has taken eight sacks in the past two games. Dak Prescott remains a marvel at the quarterback position and has one of the highest play-by-play success rates in the NFL.

While their defense is not, at this moment, championship caliber, Dallas will be a difficult draw in a talent-rich NFC playoff field. Points in poll: Highest-place vote: 6 1 vote Lowest-place vote: 14 1 vote Preseason rank: 1 Last week: Win vs.

Packers, 13—7 Next week: at Raiders. The Chiefs are one offensive breakthrough away from still winning their division somewhat handily.

Points in poll: Highest-place vote: 8 2 votes Lowest-place vote: 15 1 vote Preseason rank: 11 Last week: Win at Panthers, 24—6 Next week: vs. If there is any club poised to surprise the masses over the second half, why not one of the greatest coaches in NFL history armed with a system quarterback and a handful of talented component pieces? Points in poll: Highest-place vote: 1 2 votes Lowest-place vote: 13 2 votes Preseason rank: 12 Last week: Win at Eagles, 27—24 Next week: vs. While they lack the panache of their cross-town rivals, the Chargers remain one of the better teams in the NFL and an absolute nightmare for opponents week in and week out.

Points in poll: Highest-place vote: 9 1 vote Lowest-place vote: 14 2 votes Preseason rank: 15 Last week: Loss vs. Falcons, 27—25 Next week: at Titans. Despite a slew of injuries and a high-profile quarterback retirement behind him, Payton and New Orleans are surging toward another playoff berth despite a carousel of passers. Points in poll: Highest-place vote: 12 2 votes Lowest-place vote: 18 1 vote Preseason rank: 29 Last week: Loss vs.

Browns, 41—16 Next week: Bye. While they may not be quite ready to compete for the division, the Bengals will make life difficult for all those who aspire to do so, which is much more than we could have said about the Bengals during training camp.

Points in poll: Highest-place vote: 10 1 vote Lowest-place vote: 16 1 vote Preseason rank: 14 Last week: Win vs. Bears, 29—26 Next week: vs. The improvement of their offensive line and the ascent of first-round pick Najee Harris should continue to aid their bid for a possible playoff berth.

Points in poll: 99 Highest-place vote: 15 1 vote Lowest-place vote: 19 1 vote Preseason rank: 26 Last week: Loss at Giants, 23—16 Next week: vs. The Raiders are a franchise enveloped in chaos.

The facts are that they logged some signature wins at the beginning of the season but may be too far into the quicksand to recapture that magic on the back end, with a schedule that still borders on brutal.

This is a team with some good component parts that could be a better-than-average starting point for a new head coach and general manager next season. Points in poll: 96 Highest-place vote: 16 1 vote Lowest-place vote: 18 1 vote Preseason rank: 13 Last week: Win vs.

Jets, 45—30 Next week: vs. Each time we are ready to declare the Carson Wentz experiment a grand success, he makes a handful of boneheaded plays. And while that is not outside the norm quarterback play has been both spectacular and somewhat disappointing all at once this year , the Colts are punching below their weight class in one of the worst divisions in the NFL. Their best days in this regime may be behind them with a long road ahead tasked with overhauling a defense and searching for an upgrade at the quarterback position long-term.

Perpetually difficult to figure out, the Broncos can demolish an opponent without one of the best defenders in franchise history, but struggle to hang with some of the other middling opponents on their schedule.