I had originally planned on doing midseason NFL power rankings during the week this week, then Donald Trump was elected President and things changed. Then I started thinking that since I already do weekly NFL picks anyway, I could just attach my power rankings to this weeks picks. So that's what I'm gonna do.
First, here are the power rankings for the four teams that have their bye this week or played in the Thursday night game: Raiders (3), Ravens (9), Lions (15), Bills (17), Colts (21), Browns (32)
#12 Packers (4-4) at #22 Titans (4-5): Green Bay-Green Bay should be in the top 10...except the Packers keep losing to teams they should beat. That's why a popular preseason Super Bowl pick is only 4-4 at the midway point. In fact, these two teams enter this game with the same number of wins. So why are the Packers so much higher? Because the Titans haven't exactly beaten the Patriots and Cowboys. That's why I'm sticking with the better team and making the Packers the pick.
#7 Broncos (6-3) at #19 Saints (4-4): Denver-This is one of the most evenly-matched showdowns on this week's schedule. Denver's loss last Sunday night really said more about the Raiders than it did about them. Oakland is legitimately good. The Saints still have that incredibly fun offense to watch, but they don't go up against defenses like Denver's very often. The Broncos bounce back and stay in contention in the loaded AFC West.
#28 Rams (3-5) at #25 Jets (3-6): Jets-Remember when the Rams were really good at the start of the season? What happened? They've been playing some solid defense, but they can't score. The Jets, meanwhile, are starting to figure things out after a miserable start, last week's result notwithstanding. If they don't win this one, they're staring at 6-10 or 5-11 at best.
#4 Falcons (6-3) at #16 Eagles (4-4): Philadelphia-Yes, I have Atlanta rated as the second-best team in the NFC behind Dallas. That's because every time you think the Falcons are going to lose, they pull out the victory. It's impressive to see how much they up their game for the good teams. The Eagles are better than their record. They're the best last-place team in football. Something tells me they'll up their game this week.
#30 Bears (2-6) at #26 Buccaneers (3-5): Tampa Bay-It's the Lovie Smith Bowl! Chicago is actually coming off a win--that Monday night upset over the Vikings, while Tampa Bay has lost two straight. Those games were against the Raiders and Falcons, though. Back against a team in their same league, the Bucs should end their three-game homestand with a victory.
#8 Vikings (5-3) at #14 Redskins (4-3-1): Washington-Minnesota was the last undefeated team, and the Vikings looked to be one of the best teams in the league. What a difference a month makes! The Vikings had five wins at their bye. They still have five wins. Now they head to Washington for a matchup with a Redskins team that will beat you if you let them stick around. This game could be another perfect example of that. That's why I'm going with the Redskins.
#5 Chiefs (6-2) at #27 Panthers (3-5): Kansas City-Last season, Kansas City made the playoffs after getting off to a horrendous start. The defending NFC champion Panthers would like to see the exacts same thing happen to them this season. Except the teams the Chiefs lost to at the start of last season were much better than the slate Carolina has been losing to this year. And Kansas City is one of the top five teams in the NFL.
#11 Texans (5-3) at #29 Jaguars (2-6): Houston-There were a number of people, myself included, who thought Jacksonville would be a sleeper team this season. Well, the AFC South sleeper has turned out to be the Titans. Jacksonville is definitely more competitive. The wins just haven't come. Don't expect one to come against the best team in the division, either.
#20 Dolphins (4-4) at #23 Chargers (4-5): San Diego-Among the various local ballot measures that people voted on this week was the Chargers' request for public funding towards a new stadium. As expected, the measure failed. What this means for the future of the Chargers in San Diego, I don't know. But if they want to stay, they have to find some way to pay for the stadium. The Dolphins have moved to 4-4 on the strength of a three-game winning streak. They're playing on the road for the first time in more than a month, though, so I think that streak comes to an end.
#31 49ers (1-7) at #24 Cardinals (3-4-1): Arizona-Everyone's favorite social activist didn't even bother to vote on Tuesday. That guy is such a joke, it's not even funny. Oh yeah, and San Francisco hasn't won since its opening game. Why should that change this week on the road against a Cardinals team that has admittedly been incredibly underwhelming so far this year.
#2 Cowboys (7-1) at #13 Steelers (4-4): Dallas-Pittsburgh continues to be one of the most confusing teams in football. The Steelers should be better than 4-4. But they simply can't stay out of their own way. Dallas, meanwhile, finally had to make that difficult Prescott-Romo decision. And they're making the right one. You've won seven straight games. Don't mess with what's working. Especially since Tony Romo hasn't played all season.
#6 Seahawks (5-2-1) at #1 Patriots (7-1): New England-These two meet for the first time since their Super Bowl encounter two years ago. So of course the showdown is scheduled for Sunday Night Football on the same network that aired Super Bowl XLIX. Seattle has seized control of the NFC West and is right up there with Atlanta as the best team in the NFC not based in Texas. New England is unanimously viewed as the best team overall, though. There's even talk of Tom Brady as MVP despite the fact he was suspended for a month. This one could be really telling, but I think the cross-country trip on a short week against the best team in the league should be too much for even a team like the Seahawks to handle.
#18 Bengals (3-4-1) at #10 Giants (5-3): Giants-Cincinnati makes its second trip to Met Life Stadium this season. The first was a one-point win over the Jets in Week 1. It's been a tough go for them so far, and it doesn't go any easier against New York's other team. The Giants overcame a major mental hurdle and finally beat the Eagles at home to get a three-game homestand started off right. The Bengals need a win on Monday night more than the Giants do, but the Giants can't really afford a loss, either. It's a coin toss, but give me the Giants at home (which is the only reason I'm picking them).
This Week: 1-0
Last Week: 6-7
Overall: 82-50-2
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