NFL Power Rankings

My current NFL Power Rankings.

I’m going to use these rankings as the order for my 2022 NFL Mock Draft during the 2020 season. Follow @walterfootball.

I’ve gone from WORST to FIRST, so if you don’t see reverse numbering (via Javascript), don’t worry; the Jets and Texans aren’t my top teams.

Updated: Oct. 26

New York Jets (1-5) – Previously: 31.
It’s a good thing Zach Wilson had two weeks to prepare for the Patriots, or he really would have struggled. Wilson appeared to be turning the corner before he got hurt, so it’s a shame. On the bright side, perhaps the Jets have something with this young Mike White kid. He looked great on that one play.

Detroit Lions (0-7) – Previously: 30.
The Lions did everything they could have to beat the Rams, short of kidnapping Matthew Stafford’s family and forcing the quarterback to lose. Given how desperate the Lions were to beat the Rams, I’m willing to bet that Dan Campbell will try this strategy the next time he battles Los Angeles.

Houston Texans (1-6) – Previously: 32.
Tyrod Taylor should be back soon – perhaps even this week – so Davis Mills’ days of throwing 3-yard passes on third-and-13 while not under any pressure are numbered. I’m going to miss it, as I have an under 4.5 wins bet on the Texans that will be threatened by Taylor’s presence.

Miami Dolphins (1-6) – Previously: 29.
The Dolphins almost won, so I guess that’s a positive sign. Then again, they definitely would’ve prevailed if Tua Tagovailoa didn’t commit two red zone interceptions. Tagovailoa had a very mixed game. He was so accurate despite missing DeVante Parker and Will Fuller, but those two picks were killers.

Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5) – Previously: 28.
Someone had to win that dreadful London game, I guess. Jaguar fans should’ve been hoping for a loss. Not only would a defeat have helped their draft positioning; it would’ve brought them closer to Urban Meyer’s firing. I imagine Jaguar fans are hoping that they see more scandalous behavior from Meyer during the bye week!

Carolina Panthers (3-4) – Previously: 19.
I can’t tell you how excited I was to see XFL MVP Phillip Walker enter the game for a benched Sam Darnold. “They’ll do much better with him!” I yelled to my confused dog. Little did I know that Walker would be somehow worse than Darnold, who was dreadful. The Panthers can still salvage a playoff appearance, but they’ll need to trade for Deshaun Watson or Tua Tagovailoa.

New York Giants (2-5) – Previously: 27.
I don’t know how it happened, but Daniel Jones didn’t commit a turnover despite missing Saquon Barkley, Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney and Andrew Thomas. The Giants are just 2-5, but Jones has bought himself another year in 2021 with his ability to decrease his turnover count.

Atlanta Falcons (3-3) – Previously: 26.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Falcons are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Washington Redskins (2-5) – Previously: 25.
Underrated NFL Team: See why the Redskins are an underrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Seattle Seahawks (2-5) – Previously: 24.
The Seahawks could have prevailed against the Saints, but they had an unfortunate stretch in which they were penalized for a bogus penalty, allowed a 12-yard run on a third-and-10, and gave the Saints a free first down on an offside penalty during a field goal attempt. Seattle’s defense has been impressive since Russell Wilson suffered an injury, so that is at least a silver lining.

Denver Broncos (3-4) – Previously: 23.
Things are not going well for Teddy Bridgewater:

On the bright side, it’s very likely that Aaron Rodgers will be playing on this team next year.

Chicago Bears (3-4) – Previously: 20.
In the past four weeks, the Bears have been dismantled by two of the dominant NFL teams, the Buccaneers and the healthy Browns, and they hung around with two of the overrated teams, the Packers and the Raiders. Justin Fields had a miserable performance against Tampa Bay, but it didn’t help him that Matt Nagy’s horrible play-calling didn’t allow Fields to challenge the Buccaneers with his legs.

Philadelphia Eagles (2-5) – Previously: 18.
The Eagles’ performance against the Raiders was so dreadful that it had some Eagles fans I know yearning for the days of Doug Pederson. Then again, the Pederson regime drafted this guy:

Ugh. I can’t believe I wagered five units on this awful team.

New Orleans Saints (4-2) – Previously: 22.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Saints are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Pittsburgh Steelers (3-3) – Previously: 17.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Steelers are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Minnesota Vikings (3-3) – Previously: 16.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Vikings are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

San Francisco 49ers (2-4) – Previously: 14.
I saw an article during the week, proclaiming that the Trey Lance “experiment” has failed. Wow, already? I thought he still had a chance because he was a raw rookie with immense potential, but if this click-bait article said he was a sure failure despite starting just one game, then I suppose he’s a sure failure.

That said, I’m eager to see this “sure failure” play next week against the Bears. If Akiem Hicks is out, the 49ers will definitely get back on track.

Indianapolis Colts (3-4) – Previously: 15.
Underrated NFL Team: See why the Colts are an underrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Las Vegas Raiders (5-2) – Previously: 21.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Raiders are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

New England Patriots (3-4) – Previously: 13.
Underrated NFL Team: See why the Patriots are an underrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Tennessee Titans (5-2) – Previously: 11.
The Titans are nearing overrated territory, though it feels like I have half the league on that list. Tennessee has enjoyed some brilliant wins recently, but both were at home. The Bills didn’t give it their all, while the Chiefs committed so many sloppy turnovers. I think we’ll see some regression from the Titans in the near future.

Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) – Previously: 12.
Joe Burrow came into Week 7 ranked second in quarterback rating against the blitz, so it wasn’t a surprise to see him thrive against the Ravens, who blitz more than any other team in the NFL. The Bengals are a legitimate Super Bowl threat, though I don’t think they could consistently beat the Bills.

Green Bay Packers (6-1) – Previously: 10.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Packers are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Cleveland Browns (4-3) – Previously: 9.
It’s still difficult to believe that the Browns were favored by only two points against the Broncos on Thursday. I know they won by just three, but they dominated the game, often leading by double digits. Cleveland will be in good hands with Case Keenum and D’Ernest Johnson until the starting backfield returns.

San Angeles Chargers (4-2) – Previously: 8.
I had a feeling Justin Herbert would struggle against the blitz-happy Ravens because he didn’t play as well versus the Raiders in the second half of the Monday night Week 4 game when the Raiders began heavily blitzing. I wonder if teams will adapt to this, and if so, how soon Herbert will improve against the blitz.

Baltimore Ravens (5-2) – Previously: 7.
I can’t believe how much hype the Ravens got from their win over the Chargers. Just six days before that win, they were losing 22-3 at home to the Colts! Baltimore has severe offensive line issues, especially if right tackle Patrick Mekari can’t return next week.

Kansas City Chiefs (3-4) – Previously: 3.
It’s getting harder to defend this team. At this point, I wonder if the Chiefs should just pull all their starters for the rest of the year so they can draft one of the elite pass rushers in the 2022 NFL Draft class.

Dallas Cowboys (5-1) – Previously: 6.
Good teams find ways to win when things aren’t going their way. The Cowboys trailed for most of the afternoon at New England, but thanks to the brilliance of Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Trevon Diggs, Dallas found a way to prevail. The opposite would have happened in prior years, as the Cowboy teams of old always found a way to lose big games. That’s not the case with this team.

I’ve been praising the Cowboys this year, but that hasn’t stopped some stupid comments like this:

Los Angeles Rams (6-1) – Previously: 5.
Jared Goff would have lost to the Lions, given how that game unfolded. Matthew Stafford remained cool and collected as he ripped through Detroit’s defense in a terrific comeback. Goff, conversely, missed D’Andre Swift for a touchdown and then threw an interception in the red zone.

Arizona Cardinals (7-0) – Previously: 4.
I worry about Kyler Murray lasting the entire season. He took so many hard hits against the Texans, including one where I didn’t think he was going to get up. Last year, Arizona’s season ended when Murray got hurt in a tough Thursday night matchup. Arizona has yet another tough Thursday night matchup coming up this week…

Buffalo Bills (4-2) – Previously: 2.
I wouldn’t penalize the Bills for the loss to Tennessee. They were coming off a huge victory and didn’t bring their “A” game against the Titans. Besides, they were an inch away from winning. I liked Sean McDermott’s decision, as Josh Allen likely converts on the sneak way more often than not.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-1) – Previously: 1.
I didn’t think the Buccaneers would be fully focused on the Bears because they had a matchup against the rival Saints on the horizon. I suppose we’ll never know if Tampa was 100-percent mentally locked in because Justin Fields simply gave the game away with his five turnovers.

MVP Race:

1. Kyler Murray, QB, Cardinals
2. Josh Allen, QB, Bills
3. Tom Brady, QB, Buccaneers
4. Matthew Stafford, QB, Rams
5. Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens

Scrubs of the Week:

1. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers
2. Alvin Kamara, RB, Saints
3. Miles Sanders, RB, Eagles
4. Miles Sanders, RB, Eagles
5. Miles Sanders, RB, Eagles
6. Chase Claypool, WR, Steelers
7. Aaron Jones, RB, Packers