My Week 14 NFL Rankings

[Voltaire 4,573]

1) San Francisco 49ers  9-3 (3)

2) Baltimore Ravens 9-3 (2)

3) Philadelphia Eagles 10-2 (1)

4) Dallas Cowboys 9-3 (5)

5) Miami Dolphins 9-3 (6)

6) Kansas City Chiefs  8-4 (4) 

7) Detroit Lions 9-3 (8)

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Buffalo Bills 6-6 (9) 

9) Houston Texans 7-5 (11)

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10) Los Angeles Rams 6-6 (14)  

11) Seattle Seahawks 6-6 (12)

12) Green Bay Packers 6-6 (19)

13) Indianapolis Colts 7-5 (16)

14) Denver Broncos 6-6 (13)

15) Pittsburgh Steelers 7-5 (10)

16) Cleveland Browns 7-5 (15) 

17) Cincinnati Bengals 6-6 (21) Maybe Browning is fool's gold... maybe not... put them with their AFC North rivals for now

18) Los Angeles Chargers 5-7 (17)

19) Minnesota Vikings 6-6 (18)

20) Jacksonville Jaguars 8-4 (7) Sux for the Jags. I've no idea what to do with them, so I found Minnesota and slid them just under. 

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21) Atlanta Falcons 6-6 (22)

22) New Orleans Saints 5-7 (23)

23) Las Vegas Raiders 5-7 (24) 

24) New York Jets 4-8 (20) I've finally given up the ghost

25) Chicago Bears 4-8 (25) 

26) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 5-7 (26)

27) New York Giants 4-8 (29) 

28) Tennessee Titans 4-8 (28)

29) Arizona Cardinals 3-10 (30)

30) Washington Redskins 4-9 (27) they play like they've given up

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31) Carolina Panthers 1-11 (31)

32) New England Patriots 2-10 (32)

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My criteria is if I were a .500 team with a league average offense and a league average defense, who would be hardest team to beat through who would be the easiest pushovers.

[Reality 2,710]

Philly seems high. Very underwhelming.

[MDC 5,934]

What’s that 1 next to Philly mean?

[Voltaire 4,573]

Packers and Bengals both have a chance to make big moves up into that massive clusterfock under Houston. GB particularly could even move up with a close loss, but I won't be dropping them.

Bengals still need to be rightsized a couple of games from losing Burrow, and that may well mean entering the purgatory of being on par with the NFC South (where I almost stuffed them last week).

[Voltaire 4,573]

8 minutes ago, MDC said:

What’s that 1 next to Philly mean?

Where I had them last week.

[Voltaire 4,573]

10 minutes ago, Reality said:

Philly seems high. Very underwhelming.

They got whooped at home but they still have both a better record and Ws over teams #4 and #5.

[cmh6476 767]

Don't you feel like the Chiefs have faced the more difficult schedule and is likely to end up with a better record than the Ravens?

[Voltaire 4,573]

2 minutes ago, cmh6476 said:

Don't you feel like the Chiefs have faced the more difficult schedule and is likely to end up with a better record than the Ravens?

The Ravens division had been the toughest in football and they were on top of it before all the other teams lost their QBs. Granted, the Jets were a bad loss.

Also, I'm not factoring in where the records ends up, rather it's more the 'OMG, I'm playing THEM! cr@p your pants' factor. 

[Reality 2,710]

34 minutes ago, Voltaire said:

They got whooped at home but they still have both a better record and Ws over teams #4 and #5.

Yup, agreed. Just extremely underwhelmed.

[IGotWorms 3,383]

I’d still put Philly over Baltimore.

[MDC 5,934]

Packers up 14-3 on KC. Shouldn’t GB be Top 10?

[cmh6476 767]

Why do you hate the Lions?

[Voltaire 4,573]

20 minutes ago, cmh6476 said:

Why do you hate the Lions?

I love the Lions, I don't hate them. Because I love them, I watch most every play of every game and am not sold on Aaron Glenn's schemes as defensive coordinator. Opponents are not scary but games are too tight, we're not blowing out bad teams anymore.

The offense is carrying the team but sputtered with turnovers againat Chicago and GreenBay.  

Signing Bruce Irvin seems like a catch, he doesn't look washed up. he already got a sack in his first game and knocked David Carr out of the game with a clean but incredibly hard hit. (It looked to me that it was clean, but they gave him a roughing the passer flag, which I thought was total BS, so -whatever- opinions differ). The Lions should be getting James Houston back soon to also help with the pass rush and CJGJ may well return by the end of the year. Moseley is done for the year an so is Vaitai most likely.

Alex Anzeloni missed this game. Both Alim McNeill and Frank Ragnow just got dinged in the NO game, hopefully they'll be OK.

I do want the Lions to win the NFC because I don['t like their chances to go into Philly or SF and win, but Green Bay just fouled that up last week to make it tougher.

[IGotWorms 3,383]

54 minutes ago, cmh6476 said:

Why do you hate the Lions?

Reverse jinx 

[Voltaire 4,573]

I'm telling you, I see the injuries and the flaws. It's been a while since they've been beating teams by two TDs each game. They barely escaped against the Chargers and Bears, they lost to the Packers, and today were spotted a 21 point lead on New Orleans, then let the focks back in the game to make the ending a bit scary.

Good teams win, great teams cover; we've not been covering lately.

[listen2me 23 1,558]

Lets get the Packers up above the focking Chargers.

[Gepetto 997]

Dallas Cowboys schedule is difficult next 4 games.

vs Eagles

@ Bills

@ Dolphins

vs Lions

[IGotWorms 3,383]

1 hour ago, listen2me 23 said:

Lets get the Packers up above the focking Chargers.

I’d put em at 9. Then Texans at 10 and Buffalo down to 11

[League Champion 1,593]

SF is definitely #1 and it's probably not close after that ass whipping they gave Philly. I think Detroit needs to be in that top 5. I'd probably bump Miami down, they still haven't beaten anyone. 

[supermike80 1,317]

14 hours ago, Voltaire said:

I'm telling you, I see the injuries and the flaws. It's been a while since they've been beating teams by two TDs each game. They barely escaped against the Chargers and Bears, they lost to the Packers, and today were spotted a 21 point lead on New Orleans, then let the focks back in the game to make the ending a bit scary.

Good teams win, great teams cover; we've not been covering lately.

They covered Sunday.  But I get your point.  Something is just missing from this team.  They have grit and resolve which as a Lions fan we haven't see in forever and I think that is clouding our judgment locally of this team.  Still good , and enjoying the ride.   Just a couple years ago they would have been 3-9 and discussing mock drafts.  So this is good.  But they are not a superbowl team with that defense.

[Voltaire 4,573]

4 hours ago, supermike80 said:

They covered Sunday.  But I get your point.  Something is just missing from this team.  They have grit and resolve which as a Lions fan we haven't see in forever and I think that is clouding our judgment locally of this team.  Still good , and enjoying the ride.   Just a couple years ago they would have been 3-9 and discussing mock drafts.  So this is good.  But they are not a superbowl team with that defense.

It's glass half full/glass half empty. They'll win their division and likely the home playoff game against the Ram, Seahawks, Packers, or Vikings (I don't list Dallas because they have a hot date with whatever pukes out of the NFC South). If that's good enough, OK. Coming out of the preseason, I thought it was god enough.  Then, a few weeks into the season, I got my hopes up and thought that they were a legitimate Super Bowl contender, but over these last four weeks, its becoming clear that they aren't as good as Philly or San Francisco.  

They don't have a pass rush, and their defensive coordinator is mediocre. Ragnow, Anzelone, and McNeill likely won't play against the Bears but maybe the week after. James Houston finally returns around Christmas, maybe CGJG returns later. Vaitai and Moseley are done.

They just signed Bruce Irvin, he's six years older than the second oldest player but in his first game, he got a sack and KOed David Carr in limited time... he only played like twelve snaps as he gets is game-legs under him...  so, maybe there's still magic in him yet and he's not a washed up big name.

[Engorgeous George 1,235]

17 hours ago, Voltaire said:

It's glass half full/glass half empty. They'll win their division and likely the home playoff game against the Ram, Seahawks, Packers, or Vikings (I don't list Dallas because they have a hot date with whatever pukes out of the NFC South). If that's good enough, OK. Coming out of the preseason, I thought it was god enough.  Then, a few weeks into the season, I got my hopes up and thought that they were a legitimate Super Bowl contender, but over these last four weeks, its becoming clear that they aren't as good as Philly or San Francisco.  

They don't have a pass rush, and their defensive coordinator is mediocre. Ragnow, Anzelone, and McNeill likely won't play against the Bears but maybe the week after. James Houston finally returns around Christmas, maybe CGJG returns later. Vaitai and Moseley are done.

They just signed Bruce Irvin, he's six years older than the second oldest player but in his first game, he got a sack and KOed David Carr in limited time... he only played like twelve snaps as he gets is game-legs under him...  so, maybe there's still magic in him yet and he's not a washed up big name.

Packers and Lions are maybve on a playoff collission course.  Maybe.

[edjr 5,625]

On 12/3/2023 at 8:22 PM, MDC said:

What’s that 1 next to Philly mean?

c'mon man

[listen2me 23 1,558]

4 hours ago, Engorgeous George said:

Packers and Lions are maybve on a playoff collission course.  Maybe.

Packers got to get in.  But Id be fine with that matchup.  Packers can beat the Lions again.  They cant beat the 9ers Cowboys or Eagles. 

Would be hilarious if GB gets in and sends Detroit home after round 1.  

[Engorgeous George 1,235]

24 minutes ago, listen2me 23 said:

Packers got to get in.  But Id be fine with that matchup.  Packers can beat the Lions again.  They cant beat the 9ers Cowboys or Eagles. 

Would be hilarious if GB gets in and sends Detroit home after round 1.  

I would like to see the Packers healthy, or relatively so for at least one game this season.  If they got back Jones and Musgrave, if they got back Alexander and Stokes, and if Watson is hleathy they have some substantial pieces.  Basically we have been seeing a very young, and very hurt team this year.  I'd just like a glimpse of them healthy.  I have no illusions about them, but i believe they are somewhat better than they have thus far shown.  We shall see.

[listen2me 23 1,558]

2 minutes ago, Engorgeous George said:

I would like to see the Packers healthy, or relatively so for at least one game this season.  If they got back Jones and Musgrave, if they got back Alexander and Stokes, and if watson is helathy they have some substantial pieces.  Basically we have been seeing a very young, and very hurt team this year.  I'd just like a glimpse of them healthy.  I have no illusions about them, but i believe they are somewhat betteer than they have thus far shown.  We shall see.

Theyve shown pretty well.  Youngest team in the league.  Theyve been competitive all year.  Early struggles to find ways to win games was expected.  

Its basically half a college team out there.   

[Engorgeous George 1,235]

17 minutes ago, listen2me 23 said:

Theyve shown pretty well.  Youngest team in the league.  Theyve been competitive all year.  Early struggles to find ways to win games was expected.  

Its basically half a college team out there.   

Not to mention thney are crippled salary cap-wise with Rodgers and Bahktieri getting the lion's share of the cap.  next year, with Rogers wasjhing out of the cap, and hopefully with bahktieri eiater healthy or gone, and another draft choice for rogers they can maybe start making some real noise.  i will need to see them stop making stupid penalties and for their receivers to want the ball more than life itself, but I see a bright future.

[Voltaire 4,573]

Packers have a pretty cupcake schedule moving forward, so you know they'll be in the playoffs. 

[avoiding injuries 1,230]

Even at 32, WSH would be too high. 

[Reality 2,710]

40 minutes ago, Voltaire said:

Packers have a pretty cupcake schedule moving forward, so you know they'll be in the playoffs. 

Still, pretty incredible turnaround. They didn't look capable of playing actual football when the season started. 

[League Champion 1,593]

On 12/4/2023 at 12:30 AM, Gepetto said:

Dallas Cowboys schedule is difficult next 4 games.

vs Eagles

@ Bills

@ Dolphins

vs Lions

1-3 after that stretch. I wouldn't want to be Dallas this week. Philly is looking for blood. 

[Voltaire 4,573]

5 minutes ago, League Champion said:

1-3 after that stretch. I wouldn't want to be Dallas this week. Philly is looking for blood. 

It'll be a good test for them. Their biggest win so far was this past week against Seattle. They do take care of business well against bad-to-average teams, not a lot of nail-biter games.

[shorepatrol 1,740]

NINERS 

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[Voltaire 4,573]

46 minutes ago, shorepatrol said:

NINERS 

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m

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Maybe so. This is the best team in the NFC by a good margin. They have been dropped three times though. Is Christmas Day a Super Bowl preview?

[shorepatrol 1,740]

1 hour ago, Voltaire said:

Maybe so. This is the best team in the NFC by a good margin. They have been dropped three times though. Is Christmas Day a Super Bowl preview?

Healthy they have beat down everyone. Badly. This isn't changing. I bet NIners beat Dolphins in the SB before the season started. 100 bucks at +11000. Hoping for that but it won't matter who they play. 

[Voltaire 4,573]

On 12/4/2023 at 4:59 PM, Voltaire said:

It's glass half full/glass half empty. They'll win their division and likely the home playoff game against the Ram, Seahawks, Packers, or Vikings (I don't list Dallas because they have a hot date with whatever pukes out of the NFC South). If that's good enough, OK. Coming out of the preseason, I thought it was god enough.  Then, a few weeks into the season, I got my hopes up and thought that they were a legitimate Super Bowl contender, but over these last four weeks, its becoming clear that they aren't as good as Philly or San Francisco.  

They don't have a pass rush, and their defensive coordinator is mediocre. Ragnow, Anzelone, and McNeill likely won't play against the Bears but maybe the week after. James Houston finally returns around Christmas, maybe CGJG returns later. Vaitai and Moseley are done.

They just signed Bruce Irvin, he's six years older than the second oldest player but in his first game, he got a sack and KOed David Carr in limited time... he only played like twelve snaps as he gets is game-legs under him...  so, maybe there's still magic in him yet and he's not a washed up big name.

So, now Alim McNeill goes onto IR. We're down five starters on defense... McNeill, Anzalone, Moseley, CJGJ, and Houston.

[Engorgeous George 1,235]

16 hours ago, Voltaire said:

Packers have a pretty cupcake schedule moving forward, so you know they'll be in the playoffs. 

They do indeed.  That said, I will believe it when I see it.  Am I encouraged over the last two games, yes.  Am I sold, no.  Sometimes the bounces and the calls just go your way.  Look at Denver and their now over 5 game streak.  Denver sucks but for five games the calls and the bounces went their way.  maybe that's what happened for the P-ackers the last two games.  Time will tell. 

[edjr 5,625]

Do we really need to finish the season?  Lets give the 9ers the trophy and start a new season

[Engorgeous George 1,235]

11 hours ago, Voltaire said:

So, now Alim McNeill goes onto IR. We're down five starters on defense... McNeill, Anzalone, Moseley, CJGJ, and Houston.

It takes good fortume to win a Superbowl.  Good health being primary.  Not getting screwed by the refs secondary.

[Engorgeous George 1,235]

2 minutes ago, edjr said:

Do we really need to finish the season?  Lets give the 9ers the trophy and start a new season

They desperately need to keep Purdy, McCaffery, and Samuels healthy.  We shall see.