BY ADAM GREENE<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019re into the second half of the season now and it\u2019s brought movement all over the Power Rankings outside the Top Two. There are no wholesale changes and, even with seven games to go for most teams, the real contenders appear to have already separated themselves. As for the rest, there\u2019s always next year. And for a few of them, that could actually mean something good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. PITTSBURGH STEELERS (9-0)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You know at some point the Steeles have to lose a game, but their schedule is very friendly. If they get past the Bills on the road on Dec. 13, the 72 Miami Dolphins need to start feeling nervous. Last week: No. 1<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (8-1)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Chiefs have one blemish on their record, a loss to the Raiders and a chance to avenge it. Andy Reid has decided to add some fuel to the fire this week, complaining of a victory lap<\/a> Las Vegas took as they were leaving the stadium after their win. He was a tad irked. Take the over is what I\u2019m saying. Last week: No. 2<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (8-2)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Drew Brees has multiple rib fractures and a collapsed lung<\/a>. It\u2019s the kind of injuries you would sustain in a car wreck, which shows you how violent the NFL is and why it\u2019s rare a man in his 40s can still play at a high level. This team could start dropping fast, but I\u2019m not too sure Jameis Winston will be a serious downgrade at this point. They\u2019ll definitely attack more downfield. Last week: No. 4<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. GREEN BAY PACKERS (7-2)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If the Saints do take a nap sans Brees (and they didn\u2019t last year), the Pack would be the beneficiaries and they need it. Few teams have a better homefield advantage in the playoffs, fans or no, than Green Bay, especially considering the warm weather squads currently populating the Wild Card rankings. Last week: No. 6<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. LOS ANGELES RAMS (6-3)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking of warm weather teams. I told you in the preseason the advantage they would have once November and December hit in the pandemic. Looking at the league\u2019s weekly COVID-19 list, that\u2019s been the case so far and it\u2019s only going to get more pronounced as we head into the final month of the regular season. All the Rams have to do is stay healthy and they can stay at home, a place they\u2019re undefeated this season. Last week: No. 9<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 6. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (6-3)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Bucs and Rams can\u2019t knock each other out of the playoff seeding in their Monday Night Football match up this week, but they\u2019ll flip the order, regardless of the outcome. Last week: No. 10<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 7. ARIZONA CARDINALS (6-3)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Everyone\u2019s talking about the Rams and Seahawks, but it\u2019s the Arizona Cardinals that currently lead the NFC West thanks to head-to-head wins and tie breaks. Last week: No. 12<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 8. BUFFALO BILLS (7-3)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n That was a tough way to lose a game, a completed Hail Mary pass you had three defenders on versus a wide receiver who might be the best in the game. Luckily for you, and thanks to Bill O\u2019Brien, the only way you\u2019ll see DeAndre Hopkins again is if you make the Super Bowl. And if you do, and the Cards are your opponent, maybe try four guys on him next time. Last week: No. 3<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 9. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (6-3)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Seahawks\u2019 three losses are all against good teams, with either the same record that they currently enjoy or better. The wheels haven\u2019t fallen off just yet, but they really need a victory over the Cardinals Thursday night to get back on track. Last week: No. 5<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 10. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (6-3)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n So are the Colts a team that\u2019s good every even numbered week or bad every odd numbered week? Last week: No. 13<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 11. TENNESSEE TITANS (6-3)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Titans have lost three of their last four games with three potential playoff teams staring them in the face over the next few weeks (at Ravens, at Colts, vs. Browns). With the complicated and competitive AFC Wild Card picture, Tennessee has a chance to clear it up before the Christmas trees go up, regardless how these games go. Last week: No. 8<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 12. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (6-3)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If Jon Gruden keeps this up with the Raiders he\u2019ll have the team back to being as good as they were two years before he was hired. Last week: No. 11<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 13. MIAMI DOLPHINS (6-3)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Dolphins have won five straights and beaten three NFC West teams in the process. This is what Year Two under a good head coach is supposed to look like. Last week: No. 14<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 14. BALTIMORE RAVENS (6-3)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Ravens\u2019 playbook is more exposed than a premium snapchat screenshot, but with their schedule it may not matter. Last week: No. 7<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 15. CLEVELAND BROWNS (6-3)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019re heading into Week 11 and the Browns are not only in the playoff hunt, but they\u2019ve had the chance to blow it multiple times and they haven\u2019t. This won\u2019t be the weirdest thing about 2020, but it\u2019ll at least get a footnote in the history books. Last week: No. 15<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 16. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (4-5)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n What did I tell you? This is the Jason Vorhees of teams and this year we\u2019ve had not one, but two Fridays the 13th<\/sup>. Yes, I\u2019m going with Fridays the 13th<\/sup>, not Friday the 13ths. It\u2019s a judgment call. Last week: No. 18<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 17. CHICAGO BEARS (5-5)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The good news for the Bears is that Nick Foles might not miss much time with his injury suffered in the waning moments of their game against the Vikings. The bad news is, he\u2019s still going to be Nick Foles. Last week: No. 16<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 18. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (4-5)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n On the bright side, the 49ers is they didn\u2019t lose anymore players over their bye week. On the not so bright side, they didn\u2019t get any back either. Last week: No. 17<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 19. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (4-5)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Vikings have accidentally got themselves back into the playoff race. One that they\u2019ll absolutely lose, but sometimes when you root for a moribund franchise, math is all you\u2019ve got. Last week: No. 26<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 20. DETROIT LIONS (4-5)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Like the Vikings, the Lions are still in the \u201creal math\u201d area of playoff possibilities. Also, like the Vikings, they will be enjoying the postseason on their La-Z-Boys. Last week: No. 23<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 21. ATLANTA FALCONS (3-6)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I know I\u2019ve been talking playoff math and we\u2019ve had some fun. Technically, every team still has a mathematical probability to make the playoffs as most have just played nine games with seven to go. Realistically, the playoff field is probably set in the NFC and the AFC will have a Wild Card scrum and that\u2019s it. Why am I saying this in Atlanta\u2019s entry? Because while the math might still be there for the Falcons, the will and the coaching just isn\u2019t. And all they can really do is spoil positioning for the Saints and Bucs at this point. Last week: No. 21<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 22. NEW YORK GIANTS (3-7)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n So I started running playoff scenarios this week and I have horrible news. The NFC East winner can make the playoffs with five wins. So, yeah. We\u2019re living that nightmare. Last week: No. 28<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 23. CAROLINA PANTHERS (3-7)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For the first time in a month the Panthers got to enjoy a nice, comfortable, old school beat down instead of the heart stopping and emotionally deflating one-score losses they\u2019ve piled up this year. So, progress. Last week: No. 22<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 24. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (3-5-1)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s how awful the NFC East is. The Eagles, after an embarrassing loss to the Giants, are still in first place. Last week: No. 19<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 25. DENVER BRONCOS (3-6)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For a while the Broncos were ignored. Then they got fun. Now they\u2019re just sad. No team has ever wanted to \u201csim to the offseason\u201d more than this one. Last week: No. 20<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 26. HOUSTON TEXANS (2-7)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Texans better hope ownership nails the next head coaching hire, because some of these losses are just downright demoralizing for a team with this kind of talent. They wouldn\u2019t be the first team that was so ruined by a head coach that there was no way to pull out of it. They\u2019re looking a lot like the late 1980s\/early 1990s Los Angeles Rams to me and that\u2019s not a good thing. Last week: No. 24<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 27. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (2-7)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When you look at what Brian Flores has built in just two seasons in Miami, and with a rookie QB this year, Anthony Lynn should be unemployed before the sun sets on Week 17. Last week: No. 25<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 28. CINCINNATI BENGALS (2-6-1)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Unlike the Chargers, I\u2019m not saying the Bengals need to start looking to replace Zac Taylor after Year Two, but Brian Flores and the Dolphins should be lighting a significant fire under his seat. Year Three better be significantly different. Last week: No. 27<\/p>\n\n\n\n 29. WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM (2-7)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Alex Smith is all but securing the NFL\u2019s Comeback Player of the Year Award every time he gets out on the field. What he\u2019s also doing is solidifying the QB position in Washington, something no one would have believed back in August. Or even September. Last week: No. 29<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 30. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (1-8)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n How in the Hell did this team beat the Colts in Week One? That really happened. Last week: No. 30<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 31. DALLAS COWBOYS (2-7)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Cowboys are currently the worst team in the worst division in football. What\u2019s tingling now, Jerry Jones? Last week: No. 31<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 32. NEW YORK JETS (0-9)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Hope you enjoyed the bye week without a loss, because 0-16 is staring you in the face. Last week: No. 32<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Follow our BetOnline Twitter accoun<\/a>t for the latest sports news and betting odds, and stay tuned on the Instagram feed<\/a> for more good information too.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" BY ADAM GREENE We\u2019re into the second half of the season now and it\u2019s brought movement all over the Power…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":14453,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[129],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14452","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14452","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14452"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14452\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14454,"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14452\/revisions\/14454"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14453"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14452"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14452"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.betonline.ag\/news-room\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14452"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}