1. Kansas
City Chiefs (8-0) Last
Week: 1
The Chiefs completed the first half of their schedule in perfection, a season after finishing with the worst record in the NFL.
2. Seattle
Seahawks (7-1) Last
Week: 2
The Seahawks escaped St.
Louis with a win to remain atop the NFC standings. Seattle’s next three
opponents (versus Tampa Bay, at Atlanta, versus Minnesota) have combined for
four wins total in 2013.
3. Denver
Broncos (7-1) Last
Week: 3
The Broncos have
scored 343 points in eight games, leading the NFL with 42.9 points per contest.
4.
Indianapolis
Colts (5-2) Last
Week: 4
5. New
England Patriots (6-2) Last
Week: 5
Despite gaining
just 59 first-half yards versus the Dolphins, the Pats managed to quickly
reverse their fortunes at Gillette Stadium behind their running back trio of
Stevan Ridley, (14 carries, 79 yards, 1 TD) LeGarrette Blount, (11 carries, 46
yards) and Brandon Bolden (8 carries, 22 yards, 1 TD). Rookie Aaron Dobson had
his best game of his young career, hauling in four catches for 60 yards,
including a critical TD reception in the third quarter of New England’s 27-17
win.
6. New
Orleans Saints (6-1) Last
Week: 6
Drew Brees threw
five touchdown passes in the Saints’ win versus the Bills on Sunday. Brees now
holds the NFL-record for most 5-TD passing games with eight.
7. San
Francisco 49ers (6-2) Last
Week: 7
The 49ers have scored 30+ points in five straight games. In each of those games, the 49ers
were able to win by 12 points or more, with their most recent victory a
42-10 pummeling of the Jaguars in London.
8. Cincinnati
Bengals (6-2) Last
Week: 8
Cincy proved that
they are for real in the AFC, unlike the Jets, who the Bengals annihilated 49-9
on Sunday. Scorching-hot QB Andy Dalton threw five TD passes in
the win… Second-year WR Marvin Jones reeled in four TD receptions, becoming the
first Bengal to record a 3+ reception TD game since 2006… The Bengals' ferocious
defense returned two interceptions for touchdowns off Jets rookie QB Geno
Smith.
9. Green
Bay Packers (5-2) Last Week: 9
Without the
services of Randall Cobb, James Jones and Jermichael Finley, Aaron Rodgers posted
a career-best 98.6 Total QBR. He completed 24-of-29 passes for 285 yards with
two TD's in the Packers’ 44-31 victory over the hapless Vikings.
10.
San
Diego Chargers (4-3) Last
Week: 10
11. Detroit
Lions (5-3) Last
Week: 12
Calvin Johnson finished just 8 yards shy of breaking Flipper Anderson's NFL single-game record
of 336 receiving yards in the Lions dramatic 31-30 win over the Cowboys at Ford
Field. QB Matthew Stafford played exceptional with the game on the line,
culminating in a 1-yard TD leap with seconds remaining to pull off an
improbable comeback. Stafford was 33 of
48 for 488 yards with two interceptions and two TD’s (one rushing TD).
12. Carolina
Panthers (4-3) Last
Week: 16
By demolishing the
winless Bucs, the Panthers moved above .500 for the first time since 2008,
ending their dubious streak of 70 straight contests without a winning record... QB Cam Newton is playing MVP-caliber football, posting three straight games with a
passer rating above 100 and three straight with a QBR of 85 or better, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
13.
Chicago
Bears (4-3) Last
Week: 13
14. Dallas
Cowboys (4-4) Last
Week: 11
The Cowboys failed
to finish the job at Detroit, letting another game slip away in the final
minute. The Cowboys seemingly invent ways to lose in heartbreaking fashion. Dallas has
lost 11 contests by three points or less since 2010, the second most
gut-wrenching defeats in the NFL in that time span.
15.
Tennessee
Titans (3-4) Last
Week: 15
16.
Baltimore
Ravens (3-4) Last
Week: 18
17. Arizona
Cardinals (4-4) Last
Week: 22
Rookie RB Andre
Ellington shined in his first career start at tailback, rushing for 154 yards
and a TD…The Cardinals’ tenacious defense notched four sacks and intercepted
Falcons QB Matt Ryan four times in their 27-13 win.
18. Oakland
Raiders (3-4) Last
Week: 27
Terrelle Pryor took the opening snap of the game on Sunday and ran for a 93-yard TD, the
longest TD run by a QB in NFL History (Via
Elias Sports Bureau). Pryor’s scramble was the longest run from scrimmage
in Raiders franchise history, eclipsing the 92-yarder Bo Jackson had against
the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1989 season.
19. New
York Jets (4-4) Last Week: 14
The Jets are mired
in a season-long win-lose-pattern. After shocking the Patriots last weekend,
the Jets were demolished on Sunday at Cincinnati as QB Geno Smith threw two pick-six’s in New York’s 49-9 loss.
20. Buffalo
Bills (3-5) Last
Week: 17
The Bills banged-up secondary had no answers for Saints QB Drew Brees, surrendering 309
passing yards in their 35-17 defeat at New Orleans… The Bills will battle the
undefeated Chiefs next week in Buffalo at Ralph Wilson Stadium, a venue where
opposing teams have struggled in 2013.
21. Miami
Dolphins (3-4) Last
Week: 19
The Dolphins spent
roughly $200 million in the offseason in free agency—including $100 million
guaranteed, yet remain light years away from unseating the Patriots in the AFC
East… QB Ryan Tannehill was atrocious
throwing the deep ball on Sunday, completing just 2-of-11 passes for 35 yards
and a pair of interceptions on throws deeper than 10 yards downfield (Via ESPN
Stats & Information).
22. Cleveland
Browns (3-5) Last
Week: 21
QB Jason Campbell provided
the Browns a ray of hope for the remainder of the 2013 season, completing 22 of
36 passes with two touchdowns in a near colossal upset at Arrowhead Stadium against the undefeated Chiefs. Josh Gordon, the subject of unremitting trade rumors,
caught five passes for 132 yards and a touchdown in Cleveland’s 23-17 loss.
23. Philadelphia
Eagles (3-5) Last
Week: 20
The slumping Eagles have scored just ten points combined in their past two contests, both home losses
within the NFC East division… The Eagles woes at home continued on Sunday as they dropped their
10th straight game at Lincoln Financial Field.
24. Pittsburgh
Steelers (2-5) Last
Week: 23
The Steelers
failed in all three phases of the game on Sunday. Big Ben threw two interceptions
and the offense looked completely out of sync for much of the game, before
collecting two meaningless TD’s in the fourth quarter of their 21-18 loss to
the Raiders. The Steelers’ defense gave up a whopping 197 yards on the ground,
while kicker Shaun Suisham (entered the game 14-14 on field-goal-attempts for the season) missed two
critical field goals.
25. Washington
Redskins (2-5) Last
Week: 25
The Redskins were
on their way to a season-defining win in Denver as they led 21-7 late in the third quarter, before enduring a
complete meltdown in the final frame. The Redskins had four straight drives
end in interceptions, the final pick coming in demoralizing fashion as Dominique
Rodgers-Cromartie intercepted backup Kirk Cousins and returned it 75 yards to
the house. The Redskins were outscored 31-0 in the fourth quarter of their 45-21 loss to the Broncos. Robert Griffin III was ineffective, completing 15 of 30 passes for 132
yards, finishing with a woeful 45.4 passer rating.
26. Atlanta
Falcons (2-5) Last
Week: 24
The Falcons
offensive line was exposed in their 27-13 loss to the Arizona Cardinals as QB
Matt Ryan was hit 11 times and sacked four times. Ryan had a miserable outing,
throwing four interceptions in a loss that ended any realistic playoff hopes for Atlanta.
27. New
York Giants (2-6) Last
Week: 29
The Giants' two-game win streak has as much to do with the opponents they played (defeating
Vikings, Eagles in Philadelphia) as their improved ability to take care of the
football and win the turnover battle…Eli Manning threw 246 passing yards versus
the Eagles, giving him 33,694 passing yards for his career. Eli has now passed Phil Simms (33,462) for the most
career passing yards in Giants history.
28. Saint
Louis Rams (3-5) Last
Week: 26
The Rams picked up 16 more
first downs than the Seahawks and outgained their NFC West foe by 204 yards,
yet still found a way to lose at home on Monday Night Football. Rough night for St. Louis sports...
29. Houston Texans (2-5) Last Week: 28
30. Minnesota
Vikings (1-6) Last Week: 30
The Vikings have
started a different QB in each of their past three losses. Matt Cassel has already been ruled out as the starter for Sunday's contest in Dallas. Will the Vikings stick with Christian Ponder for a second straight week or hand the rock back to Josh Freeman? Deciding between Ponder and Freeman as the team's starting QB all but guarantees the Vikings will draft a quarterback early in the 2014 draft.
31. Tampa
Bay Buccaneers (0-7) Last Week:
31
How is Greg
Schiano still the coach of the Bucs after his team laid a complete egg on
national television via Thursday Night Football?
32. Jacksonville
Jaguars (0-8) Last Week: 32
The Jaguars are
the fourth team in NFL history to lose their first eight games by 10+ points,
according to ESPN Stats & Information.
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