1- Green Bay Packers (9-3) – Among the best teams on the circuit, this has been the most consistent. The Packers have no glaring weaknesses, and Randall Cobb’s return to Green Bay gave Aaron Rodgers one more option in aerial play. Cobb, however, left his last game with a groin injury.
2- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-3) – Tom Brady threw an interception in each of his last four games and six overall during that span. We saw during the Bucs victory on Sunday in Indianapolis that Rob Gronkowski remained a prime target for his friend Brady. The Gronk had 123 of the club’s 226 passing yards.
3- New England Patriots (8-4) – Six wins in a row for Bill Belichick’s squad, which will play its most important game of the season on Monday in Buffalo. The Pats will then visit the Colts on December 18 before hosting these same Bills on December 26. If they win two or three of those games, the Patriots should be seen as legitimate contenders.
4- Arizona Cardinals (9-2) – The Cards have the best record in the league, but haven’t performed well at all in their biggest test of the season against the Packers. Kyler Murray (ankle) and DeAndre Hopkins (hamstring) were limited in practice on Wednesday and their presence at Soldier Field on Sunday remains uncertain.
5- Buffalo Bills (7-4) – It’s a very heavy loss the Bills have just suffered with the injury of Tre’Davious White, who will miss the rest of the season after tearing an anterior cruciate ligament last Thursday. White is the team’s top defensive player and one of the top five NFL cornerbacks.
6- Kansas City Chiefs (7-4) – That Patrick Mahomes and offense have started playing well again is not surprising, but the improved defense has. The Chiefs have allowed just 47 points in their current four-game winning streak.
7- Cincinnati Bengals (7-4) – It was the first time in more than 30 years that the Bengals had beaten the Steelers three times in a row. They will now face the Chargers in what will be the first clash between Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert. The latter was Tyrod Taylor’s reserve when the two teams played against each other in the first week of the 2020 calendar.
8- Los Angeles Rams (7-4) – Things are not going well on offense or defense for the Rams. Matthew Stafford is ramping up turnovers and is reportedly playing despite injuries, while the defense is playing far too soft to stay up late in January.
PHOTO TONY AVELAR, ARCHIVES ASSOCIATED PRESS
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
9- Baltimore Ravens (8-3) – Lamar Jackson threw four interceptions and the Ravens scored just 16 points, but they still found a way to win Sunday night. The Ravens are lucky to have an 8-3 record, but we are taking our chances.
10- Tennessee Titans (8-4) – Without Derrick Henry, AJ Brown, Julio Jones and Bud Dupree among others, the Titans are considerably weakened and vulnerable right now. Were it not for their impressive streak which spanned the period between mid-October and mid-November, they would be in danger of missing the playoffs.
11- Dallas Cowboys (7-4) – Mike McCarthy (COVID-19) will not be on the sidelines at the Ceasars Superdome Thursday night and will be replaced by defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence will return to the game after missing the last 10 games with a broken foot.
12- Indianapolis Colts (6-6) – How to explain that the Colts have opted for 26 consecutive passing games while they have a running back of the caliber of Jonathan Taylor? The Buccaneers’ defensive front is very good, yes, but Taylor still gained 83 yards on 16 carries (5.2 average).
San Francisco 13- 49ers (6-5) – The Niners are back in the game in the National, but will be deprived of their best player, Deebo Samuel (groin), for one or two games. Samuel already has 1,006 aerial yards, 203 rushing and has 10 TDs.
14- Denver Broncos (6-5) – The Broncos won their first three games, lost their next four, then won three of their most recent four. One of the most unpredictable teams in the league.
15- Los Angeles Chargers (6-5) – Win one, lose one, win one, lose one… The Chargers lack consistency too much to be considered one of the American powers.
16- Las Vegas Raiders (6-5) – If the Raiders are to fight for a place in the tournament until the very end, two players in particular will need to be more productive. On defense, Maxx Crosby has failed a sack in eight of his last nine games, while on offense, running back Josh Jacobs is having a very ordinary season with 420 rushing yards and 3.8 yards per carry.
17- Cleveland Browns (6-6) – It’s frankly astonishing to see the Browns play with so little intensity when their season hangs in the balance. It was believed that they would be successful for several years after their successful 2020 run, but nothing is less certain.
18- Miami Dolphins (5-7) – Unfortunately, it will be too little, too late for the Dolphins, who have won their last four games after a seven-game losing streak. Tua Tagovailoa has recorded an efficiency coefficient of 104.0 or more in each of his last three games.
PHOTO JASEN VINLOVE, USA TODAY SPORTS ARCHIVES
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
19- Pittsburgh Steelers (5-5-1) – The absence of defensive linemen Stephon Tuitt and Tyson Alualu is hugely felt as the defense occupies the 28e league rank in rushing yards allowed per game (133.1). The Steelers play their season Sunday against Baltimore.
20- Minnesota Vikings (5-6) – If the Vikings don’t make the playoffs, it’s safe to assume that Mike Zimmer will be in danger of losing his job. The Vikings have been treading water for a few years, even if their training is very respectable on paper. Zimmer has been the club’s head coach since 2014.
21- Saints of New Orleans (5-6) – In all likelihood, Taysom Hill will be the Saints’ starting quarterback Thursday night against Dallas. After four consecutive losses, the Saints must stop the bleeding in order to stay in the fight, they who must deal with injuries to running back Alvin Kamara and their two regular blockers, Terron Armstead and Ryan Ramczyk.
22- Philadelphia Eagles (5-7) – The Eagles’ first pick in 2021, DeVonta Smith is having a good rookie season with 48 catches for 686 yards and 4 touchdowns. It’s a bit more difficult for the squad’s first choice in 2020, Jalen Reagor, another wide-area winger. Reagor has grabbed just 25 passes for 202 yards and 2 touchdowns this season.
23- Atlanta Falcons (5-6) – Matt Ryan deserves praise for his game in 2021. Julio Jones is gone, Calvin Ridley is sidelined, and Cordarrelle Patterson, a former wide-area winger, is the club’s best running back… Statistics de Ryan aren’t anything out of the ordinary, but it’s a big part of him that the Falcons have had a respectable season.
24- Washington team (5-6) – Is Taylor Heinicke on his way to becoming a long-term starting quarterback after not even in the NFL a year ago? In his last three games, Heinicke completed 69 of his 89 passes and totaled 5 touchdowns against a single interception. Washington has won those three games and is back in the fight for a top second spot.
25- New York Giants (4-7) – Will we see the core Giants offensive players together on the pitch one day? This time, it’s quarterback Daniel Jones who could be absent on Sunday due to a neck injury.
26- Seattle Seahawks (3-8) – Russell Wilson has lost each of his three starts since returning to the game and the Seahawks have only scored 29 points in those. Expect speculation about his future with the team to pick up again very soon.
PHOTO GEOFF BURKE, USA TODAY SPORTS ARCHIVES
Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks
27- Chicago Bears (4-7) – Along with Justin Fields, Darnell Mooney and Cole Kmet, the Bears have some interesting attacking pieces, but other young players will need to join that core. Especially if veteran Allen Robinson II is leaving as a free agent in March.
28- Carolina Panthers (5-7) – Cam Newton’s second stint with the Panthers is not going to last very long… Christian McCaffrey’s season (ankle) is over and that of the Panthers probably is too. Defeated in seven of their last nine games, the Panthers will face the Bills and Buccaneers on two occasions in the home stretch.
29- New York Jets (3-8) – It’s unclear how much of a role Laurent Duvernay-Tardif played in that success, but on their second start with the Jets, the team rushed for 157 rushing yards in their 21-14 win over the Texans. .
30- Houston Texans (2-9) – If the Texans fail to trade Deshaun Watson for several good draft picks, the rebuild could be long and painful. Truth be told, there is no player the Texans could rebuild around right now …
31- Jacksonville Jaguars (2-9) – Urban Meyer reiterated that he was not interested in returning to the NCAA after his name was mentioned for the opening of the head coach position at Notre Dame University. If the Jaguars don’t start winning more often, he might not have a choice.
32- Detroit Lions (0-10-1) – The Lions would need to win at least two of their last six games to miss out on the very first pick in the next draft. But the bad news for the Lions is that there isn’t much hope that can be considered a safe bet at the quarterback.