The suits in the NFL office have to be thrilled.
Thanksgiving is usually a time when we start to get a real gauge on the NFL elites, with an eye on the coming playoffs. But not this year.
Parity at the top is real — and the NFL loves it that way.
This is going to be the most wide-open playoffs we’ve seen in a long, long time.
The projected top seeds are the Los Angeles Rams — the No. 1 team in my Power Rankings — and the New England Patriots. The Rams have looked dominant at times, but they lost at home to Mac Jones and the 49ers earlier this year.
The Patriots have ripped off nine straight victories, but do you see that team being unbeatable?
Putting together my weekly Power Rankings has been a major challenge this season since the top changes on a weekly basis.
The Rams stay in the top spot this week, but the Eagles and Colts — two of my top-five teams heading into last week — slip a bit after both lost road games on Sunday.
It was 10 days ago we were talking about the Eagles and Colts possibly being the best in their respective conferences. Now there are questions for both.
Then again, all the teams have questions. That’s why we wonder if anybody is truly any good.
Nobody looks dominant aside from maybe the Rams, and it was nine days ago when the Seahawks had a chance to beat them despite a four-interception performance by Sam Darnold.
It really is still so wide open.
And the NFL higher-ups wouldn’t have it any other way.
Biggest Movers
|
Rk |
Teams |
 |
Chg |
Rcrd |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
|
They are clearly the best team in the league right now. They can score with Matthew Stafford, but the defense has also been dominant at times. | — | 9-2-0 |
2 |
|
They just keep on winning games. The AFC playoffs look like they will be going thorough Foxboro. | — | 10-2-0 |
3 |
|
They come off their bye in firm control of the division. The defense has put them there. Now is the time for the offense to start doing more. | 2 | 9-2-0 |
4 |
|
Sam Darnold bounced back after his four-interception performance against the Rams with a nice showing versus the Titans. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is special. | 3 | 8-3-0 |
5 |
|
How did they blow a 21-0 lead in losing to the Cowboys with Saquon Barkley getting just 10 carries? They have offensive issues in a big way. | 2 | 8-3-0 |
6 |
|
They blew a fourth-quarter lead at Kansas City, which is not a good look. The schedule gets tougher down the stretch too, as their division lead has shrunk to one game. | 2 | 8-3-0 |
7 |
|
The defense was dominant in the victory over the Vikings, but now they have to carry that over to a tough road game against the Lions. The offense still isn’t clicking the way it should be yet. | 1 | 7-3-1 |
8 |
|
They rallied to beat the Giants at home, but the close game is not a good look against a bad team. They have to be better this week against the Packers. | 2 | 7-4-0 |
9 |
|
They have all kinds of problems right now, which makes winning the division highly unlikely. Heck, if they don’t get it going, they might not make the playoffs. | 3 | 7-4-0 |
10 |
|
They keep finding ways to win close games, which is why they sit atop the NFC North. The schedule does toughen up the rest of the way. | 1 | 8-3-0 |
11 |
|
The Patrick Mahomes magic was on full display in the comeback against the Colts. Now they face a tough turnaround on the road against the Cowboys on Thursday. | 3 | 6-5-0 |
12 |
|
It wasn’t pretty against the Jets, but they are in first place. The offense still doesn’t look right, though. | — | 6-5-0 |
13 |
|
Somehow this team is 7-4 with a soft schedule down the stretch. They will likely be a playoff team, but Trevor Lawrence has to be better. | — | 7-4-0 |
14 |
|
They beat the Panthers on Monday night, but Brock Purdy can’t play the way he did if they are going to push for a playoff spot. He has to be better. | 1 | 8-4-0 |
15 |
|
They have lost three straight and Baker Mayfield has a bad shoulder. They better hope it isn’t anything long term. | 6 | 6-5-0 |
16 |
|
That defense is nasty. They got all over Josh Allen. They face a big one this week on the road against the Colts. | 2 | 6-5-0 |
17 |
|
They are alive and kicking and essentially play a playoff game this week against the Chiefs. They can’t afford any more losses the rest of the way. | 3 | 5-5-1 |
18 |
|
Did they find any offensive linemen on their bye? The injuries to their offensive line have crippled this team. It’s hard to scheme around it. | 2 | 7-4-0 |
19 |
|
They seemed to have a big hold on the division a month ago, but now they are in second place. They face a tough one this week with the Bills. | 2 | 6-5-0 |
20 |
|
The offensive inconsistency showed up in the road loss to the 49ers. They can’t seem to build on their successes. | 1 | 6-6-0 |
21 |
|
J.J. McCarthy is a major problem. If Kevin O’Connell can’t fix you, who can? | — | 4-7-0 |
22 |
|
They come off their bye still alive in the playoff chase. It’s unlikely, but the two-game winning streak might save Mike McDaniel’s job. | 1 | 4-7-0 |
23 |
|
They keep losing tough, close games. In the end, it might cost Jonathan Gannon his job. | 1 | 3-8-0 |
24 |
|
They found a way to barely stay alive by beating the Saints on Sunday with Kirk Cousins. But they have a lot of work left to do. | — | 4-7-0 |
25 |
|
Jayden Daniels is still likely out this week for the Commanders as they face a tough Denver defense. The season is all but done anyway. | 1 | 3-8-0 |
26 |
|
The Jameis Winston experience is fun, but it still didn’t produce a victory. Does firing the defensive coordinator really matter? | 1 | 2-10-0 |
27 |
|
Joe Burrow isn’t rescuing this team. At 3-8, they are done. But if he is cleared and wants to play, why shouldn’t he? | 1 | 3-8-0 |
28 |
|
They made the right decision to start Shedeur Sanders this week. He earned that right by beating the Raiders. | 3 | 3-8-0 |
29 |
|
This team is a disaster, and after firing offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, it’s time to wonder if Pete Carroll is next. How did they beat New England in Week 1? | 4 | 2-9-0 |
30 |
|
Tyler Shough is showing he isn’t the long-term answer at quarterback. They have to draft one. | 1 | 2-9-0 |
31 |
|
Justin Fields is benched, but does it matter? They need to find a quarterback next year in the draft. | 1 | 2-9-0 |
32 |
|
Cam Ward played better in the loss to the Seahawks, which is the progress that matters. The first pick looks like it’s going to be theirs. | — | 1-10-0 |