Five Up Five Down The 5 Best and 5 Worst NFL teams week 13 is where we rank the five best and five worst teams in the NFL. Anybody can list the best teams. It takes real skill to sort through the mess that is the bottom of the league. Week 13 has already kicked off with the Cowboys getting a huge win over the Saints! What did we learn from Week 12? We missed the Chiefs and Rams in action, Vikings gots a must win over the Packers, Colts are good but do we believe in them just yet and the Texans keep winning! Do you like that? Does your team sadly qualify for worst teams for Week 13?
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5 UP: The 5 Best NFL Teams Week 13
1. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (10-2) Last Week: 1st
The Saints lost a close one to the Cowboys 13-10 in Dallas. Drew Brees had a bad game, and the offense was put to sleep by an inspired Cowboys defense. I am going to leave New Orleans in the first position for two reasons. One, they beat the Rams and two the defense continues to get better every week. This is what puts them ahead of the Rams and Chiefs no matter if they have two loses. I have said this all along of New Orleans starts playing defense like they did last year then the rest of the league is in trouble. New Orleans gets a nice bounce-back team in the Bucs next week in Tampa. Call me out all you want the Saints are a better football team then the Chiefs and Rams because the defense is starting to put it together.
2. LOS ANGELES RAMS (10-1) Last Week: 2nd
The high powered Rams are back in action after enjoying a week off. The Rams were fun to watch in a 54-51 win over the Chiefs, but that defense is still a concern. Good news for the Rams they will get veteran CB Aquib Talib back which should help the porous secondary out immensely. Jared Goff (3,547 yards 26 TD’s) and Todd Gurley (1,043 Yards 13 TDs) are the kingpins of what has become an unstoppable machine. The Rams will face the struggling Detroit Lions (4-7) in the Motor City and lead the all-time history between the two teams, 43-41-1. LA is a strong 10 point favorite versus the Detroit but this could be one of those trap games we shall see.
3. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (9-2) Last Week: 3rd
The Chiefs created history! First team to lose a game scoring over 50 points. It was a fun game to watch but also a reminder that the defense still is swiss cheese. Patrick Mahomes II had six touchdown passes and over 400 yards passing, but it was those three costly interceptions that cost them the most. He will learn from it and is on his way to being the league’s MVP. The Chiefs barely lost to the Patriots and Rams on the road, which makes them a trendy choice to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. It’s sort of sad that they won’t be playing this Sunday enjoying the Bye Week. This week Kansas City will be in Oakland (2-9) and should exploit the Raiders horrible defense. The Chiefs are 14.5 point favorites and have an all-time advantage between the two AFC West rivals, 63-53-2.
4. CHICAGO BEARS (8-3) Last Week: 4th
Chase Daniels will get his 2nd straight start this week as the Bears are in New York to battle the mystery that is the Giants (3-8). This team has yet to be behind at halftime all year. The defense ranked 4th overall is superior creating points on turnovers which they would like to do for the 3rd straight week. Khalil Mack should get serious consideration for defensive player of the year. Jordan Howard (536 yards rushing) could have his first big week against a Giants team struggling to stop the run. Bears are 3.5 favorites to get another road win over the New York Giants. Chicago has a huge advantage between the two teams in head to head, 33-23-2.
5. HOUSTON TEXANS (8-3) Last Week: Unranked
Eight straight wins! Remember when we all had Bill O’Brien on the firing block? Now the Texans have taken advantage of a weak schedule, but the play of Deshaun Watson (2,807 Yards 20 TD’s 101.8 QB Rating) has people excited and worthy of this team in the #5 spot. Lamar Miller has put up two straight stellar weekends which had added to the weapons the Texans have offensively. The defense is getting better now ranked #7 overall in the league. This could be a very dangerous team with all the high priced talent moving in the right direction. The Texans will look to make it nine straight as the Cleveland Browns (4-6-1) come to H-town. Texans lead the all-time series (6-3) and are 5.5 point favorites to beat Baker Mayfield and the Browns (Last played last year a 33-17 win by the Texans with Watson throwing 3 TD passes).
Closing in on the top 5 this week:
New England Patriots (8-3), LA Chargers (8-3), Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3-1)
5 DOWN: The 5 Worst NFL Teams Week 13
28. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (3-8) Last Week: Unranked
What a disaster! This was my Super Bowl pick in the AFC and the season has gone straight in the garbage can with seven straight loses. Blake Bortles has proven he is not a franchise QB and why the team did not go out and get an Eli Manning or someone at the trading deadline is inexcusable. Hey Jalen Ramsey what are you saying right now? This is not the defenses fault, ranked 5th overall but the offense has been brutal since the loss of OT Cam Robinson (Torn ACL) and losing Marqise Lee before the season really has shown. The Jags will look to avoid an 8th straight loss in a row vs. the red-hot Colts (6-5) at home with Cody Kessler as the starter. Vegas likes the Colts on the road as 4 point favorites. Indy will be after the clean sweep this year after winning the first affair 29-26 and have a 23-12 lead in the series between the two AFC South teams.
29. N.Y. JETS (3-8) Last Week: Unranked
The season started with promise, and now we can hear the clock ticking on Todd Bowles and his coaching life. Sam Darnold looks like he will play against the Tennessee Titans this Sunday but why put him in harm’s way. He has shown enough now the franchise needs to build around him with a new Head Coach. Not everything has been horrible for gang green, as the play of Jamal Adams has stood out. The Jets will be in Tennessee this Sunday to battle the Titans (5-6). Currently, Vegas has the Titans as eight-point favorites and Tennessee leads the all-time series 24-19-1.
30 SAN FRANCISCO 49ers (2-9) Last Week: 30th
Its been a lost season for San Francisco. Coach Shanahan has done an excellent job of keeping this team fighting. Unfortunately for the 49ers, they play in Seattle this week a place of horrors for them 4-13 at Century Link Field. The fun part of the week has been Richard Sherman taking shots at Russell Wilson all week. This game could get ugly in a must win for Seattle (6-5). The Seahawks are 10 point favorites and are 24-15 all-time versus San Francisco which includes a nine-game winning streak between the NFC West combatants. The 49ers last beat Seattle in 2013 (19-17) and have won only once in the last 12 match-ups (1-11). The best thing for the 49ers is to keep losing and get the first pick in the NFL Draft.
31 OAKLAND RAIDERS (2-9) Last Week: 31st
One of the worst seasons in Oakland Raiders history continues to roll on in its shambolic state. All the excitement of Jon Gruden being back working with Derek Carr. Before the season kicked off, Khalil Mack was moved and from that moment on, the year spiraled out control. They lost to a rookie QB Lamar Jackson in an uninspired effort. This week the Raiders woeful 25th ranked defense will have to figure out how to stop the 3rd ranked offense and leading MVP Candidate Patrick Mahomes. I am guessing a brutal double-digit loss and the Chiefs could score 50 points on the Silver Black sieve-like defense.
32. ARIZONA CARDINALS (2-9) Last Week: 32nd
They got schooled by the Chargers, and the worst offense in the NFL has no hope of getting better this year. Josh Rosen will continue to take his lumps, and this week it will be in Green Bay (4-6-1) to take on the Packers. One has to wonder what the Cardinals are going to do this off-season with the front office and coaching staff. Packers lead the all-time series 45-25-4 and are 14 point favorites to knock off Arizona with an angry Aaron Rodgers. One of the best games between the two franchises was in 2016, the NFC Divisional Playoffs which the Cards won in OT 26-20.
Teams that are knocking on futilities door:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-7), Detroit Lions (4-7), N.Y. Giants 3-8
Come back next Thursday for Five Up Five Down: The five best NFL Teams and the five worst NFL Teams for Week 14.