Five up Five Down: 5 Best and 5 Worst NFL Teams Week 4

5 Worst NFL Teams

Five up Five Down: 5 Best and 5 Worst NFL Teams Week.  There are some significant changes in the rankings. What did we learn in Week 3? The refs hate Clay Matthews and the new roughing the passer rule is a joke.  Many teams have not invested in an offensive line properly. Baker Mayfield might be the answer in Cleveland. We also learned that being heavy favorites doesn’t guarantee anything in the NFL, costing some of us some money in Vegas.  Just ask the Vikings, Jaguars, and Patriots fans about that.  Minnesota was a 16.5 point favorite on Sunday and lost by 21 points at home, a historic upset indeed.

5 UP: 5 Best NFL Teams

1.  LOS ANGELES RAMS (3-0)  Last Week: 2nd 

The Los Angeles Rams are the most complete team in the NFL. The Rams are number one in our 5 Up due to an NFL best, plus 66 point differential. They dominated the Chargers in winning the Battle of Los Angeles.  Todd Gurley broke out for 156 total yards including 105 on the ground, and Jared Goff continues to get better (80 % completion level vs. Chargers 354 yards and 3 TD’s), which is scary for opposing teams.  The Rams did suffer some devastating injuries losing both stud Cornerbacks Marcus Peters (might miss 1-2 weeks currently a game-time decision vs. Vikings)  and Aquib Talib (for 4-6 weeks).  If the team has a weakness right now, it’s stopping the run (giving up 5 yards a carry).  Next up: a battle with the Minnesota Vikings (1-1-1) on Thursday night, who come into L.A. with all kinds of red flags.  Some viewed this game as a possible NFC Championship preview.  The Rams want revenge for a 24-7 loss last year in Minnesota.   L.A. is currently 6.5 point favorites with an 80% probability win rate against the Vikings even though Minnesota leads the all-time series 27-16-2 with five straight wins against the Rams.

2.  KANSAS CITY CHIEFS  (3-0) Last Week: 4th

Patrick Mahomes II (896 Yards, 13 Touchdowns, 137.4 QBR, with zero INT’s) is just awesome!  If you have him on your fantasy team, you are winning a lot. After three weeks he is not only the best QB in the NFL, he is the league’s best player. Check out this TD pass by Mahomes against the 49ers, which is utterly ridiculous.  I still think after three weeks the Chiefs defense is soft (allowing 472 yards per game). How long can this last?  Lots of pressure on the 7th ranked offense to make-up for the 32nd ranked defense.  The Chiefs need more out of RB Kareem Hunt and his 3.2 yards average, but then again Andy Reid is not a running back guy (runningbacks under Reid are not in the top 20 in looks since 2013).  Chiefs are 4.5 point road favorites against AFC West Divison rivals the Denver Broncos (2-1) on Monday Night.  Kansas City leads the all-time series 61-54.

3. MIAMI DOLPHINS (3-0)  Last Week: Unranked

Indeed one of the best surprises this year has been the Miami Dolphins.  Some experts did think that Adam Gase was going to get this team headed in the right direction, but 3-0 no way! Well, the fins are a perfect 3-0 and leading the AFC East.   Let’s check it a bit.  They have beaten the Titans, Jets, and Raiders (teams with a combined 3-6 record), but they are doing the little things right and are having fun as witnessed by this TD vs. the Raiders.

The loss of DE William Hayes is going to hurt.  Hayes tore his ACL on this play trying to avoid getting a penalty for roughing the passer.  Ryan Tannehill is playing within the system, and it’s paying off (73% completion ratio, 7 TD’s only 2 INT’s with a 121.8 QBR).  Miami can make a believer out of all of us with a win in Foxboro on Sunday afternoon against the suddenly desperate (1-2) New England Patriots.  This game is at Gillette Stadium, where Tom Brady is 14-1 vs. Miami and the Dolphins and despite being unbeaten, will be heavy underdogs by getting 7 points.  Vegas wants a show me win as well, but hey, maybe Tom’s daughter, Vivian will be pulling for Miami!  The Patriots lead the all-time series 54-51.

4. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (2-1) Last Week: 3rd 

Well, the Jaguars were ranked number one by many in the power ranking, but not mine.  I still think the Jaguars will be representing the AFC in the Super Bowl, but some red flags have developed.  The loss of LT Cam Robinson could be huge, and the lack of depth at the WR position is very concerning.  After a huge week against the Patriots, Blake Bortles came back to earth vs. the Titans (155 yards, zero TD’s).  The Franchise is fully invested in #5, who they feel is a “champion.”  Look, Jacksonville’s defense will continue to be strong, but the offense needs to pick up the pace. If they can put up 17 points, the defense will win most games by themselves.  The Jags only move down one spot in our Five Up, but they better take care of a rookie QB and the (1-2) N.Y. Jets on Sunday at home.  Vegas has the Jags as 7.5 point favorites but the Jets hold a 7-6 series lead, including last years dramatic 23-20 win in overtime.

5.) PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (2-1) Last Week: Unranked

Carson Wentz is back!  The future NFL MVP makes all the difference in the team’s chances at repeating.  The Eagles defense is still excellent and can cause nightmares for opposing teams offensive lines.  The running game has room for improvement, but RB Wendell Smallwood might become a new Philly favorite (17 carries 84 yards 1 TD 4.9 avg). What makes the Eagles so tough is that the offensive line has been so strong and underrated.  The offense is going to get a lot better, and that defense is just incredible!  Philly will be in Tennessee to battle the stingy Titans on Sunday as 3 point favorites.  The Eagles are 0-2 in Nashville but are 7-4 vs. Titans/Oilers all-time.

Closing in on the top 5:  Honorable Mention

Baltimore Ravens (2-1), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1), Cincinnati Bengals (2-1)

5 DOWN: 5 worst NFL teams

28.  BUFFALO BILLS (1-2)  Last Week: 32nd

Oh my, how one week can change everything!  The Bills were the NFL’s worst team last week.  It looked hopeless.  I bought into an on-air host from a big network saying the Vikings were going to cover easily. Buffalo, not only beat the heavily favored Vikings (-16.5), they embarrassed them 27-6.  Josh Allen (196 yards, 1 TD, no interceptions, numerous big runs) showed some serious athletic prowess and bravery with this effort on Anthony Barr that sparked the Bills to a big win.

The Bills defensive line lead by Jerry Hughes terrorized the Vikings offensive line all day, creating three critical turnovers. The Bills will try to make it two for two over the NFC North as they battle the Green Bay Packers (1-1-1) at Lambeau.  Vegas isn’t buying the Bills colossal upset over the Vikings.  The Packers are 10-point favorites, but the Bills hold an impressive 8-4 advantage in the all-time match-up vs. Green Bay.

29.  SAN FRANCISCO 49ers (1-2) Last Week: Unranked 

This has been a disastrous stretch for the San Francisco 49ers.  Fans must be in a deep depression. They have played okay, but losing your starting RB before the season starts and now losing Jimmy Garoppolo to a torn ACL is a nightmare no team can recover from.  This ranking is more about the future of this season than it is reflective of how they have performed so far.  When your season is in the hands of C.J. Beathard or someone from off the streets (Tom Savage gulp!), it’s a recipe for failure.  They will travel down the coast to play the (1-2) Los Angeles Chargers.  Vegas sees this as a blowout and have made the Chargers 10.5 point favorites.  The series is tied at seven games apiece.  The Chargers have won 4 in a row, but the 49ers have the biggest win in the series with a 49-26 win in Super Bowl XXIX.

30. OAKLAND RAIDERS (0-3)  Last Week: 29th 

Defense is an issue, and I hate to say I told you so!  When you trade Khalil Mack away, this should not be surprising.  Mack has four sacks this year, while the Oakland Raiders have three total as a team.  Here is what is disheartening for Raider fans. The team has lead in all three games going into the 3rd quarter.  They have been outscored in the 2nd half, 64-17.  Derek Carr continues to throw bad interceptions, like this one against the Rams, and on Sunday you had this costly mistake.   The Raiders will be at home to face Baker Mayfield, and the (1-1-1) rejuvenated Cleveland Browns, who should be undefeated.  The Raiders are 2.5 point favorites against Cleveland and hold a 14-10 career record against them.  

31. HOUSTON TEXANS (0-3)  Last Week: Unranked

What is going on with The Houston Texans?  I thought this team would be ready for a significant turnaround.  Unfortunately for Houston fans, losing has been very prevalent with the team now holding an ominous streak of 9 straight loses dating back to last year.  Many are getting restless and tired of Head Coach Bill O’Brien (31-36) and his generic play calling.  Will he become the latest Patriots assistant to fail as a Head Coach?

The key to this team’s issues has been the play of the offensive line and defensive secondary.  DeShaun Watson, who is back after devastating injury, has been sacked ten times already and has run away from pressure on numerous occasions.  He is not at the level he played at last year (871 yards 5 TD’s  3 Int’s 89.9 QBR) but is getting closer.  A tough match-up against the Colts (1-2) in Indy is up next on Sunday.  The Texans will be 1.5 point underdogs and, unfortunately, historically are woeful vs. the Indianapolis Colts (7-25).  They lost both contests to Indy last year.

32.  ARIZONA CARDINALS (0-3) Last Week: 31st 

Awful!  At one point, the Cardinals were beating the Chicago Bears 14-0.  It appeared that the Cards were going to get out of the Five Down list.  Nope!  They scored no points in the 2nd half.  Sam Bradford continued to look awful (3 turnovers), which lead to the Josh Rosen era beginning.  With a talented roster, Arizona should be better than this.  I feel the Cardinals are making a huge mistake putting Rosen behind this weak offensive line (6 sacks numerous pressures).  Somehow, RB David Johnson, the Cardinals best player, is averaging just 3.4 yards and the team needs more from him in the running game.  The Cardinals rank dead last in every offensive category with a date against a very aggressive defense looming.  The Cardinals are an NFL worst, minus 54, which makes new Head Coach Steve Wilks cringe.  The Cards have another home game coming up against the Seattle Seahawks, and it will mark the 39th meeting between the two clubs. The Cardinals have a slight 19-18 lead in the series.  Seattle is favored by 3 points on Sunday afternoon.

Knocking on futilities door: 

N.Y. Jets (1-2), Seattle Seahawks (1-2), New England Patriots (1-2)

Come back next Wednesday for Five Up Five Down, The 5 best NFL Teams and the 5 worst NFL Teams Week 5.

Week 12: Playoff Push

Thanksgiving Day games have not been good recently, but I expect different this year. There are three good match ups. TheLions, Packers, Cowboys, Dolphins, Ravens, and 49ers are all respectable teams. This week, divisional races will become more convoluted. Especially the NFC East. No one wants to win, so the Eagles will come and snatch it.


Green Bay vs Detroit–  The unstoppable Packers roll into Detroit for Thanksgiving dinner. Aaron Rodgers is a human. Last week vs Tampa Bay he looked frustrated at times, but then he was spectacular when it counted. The Lions looked terrible in the beginning of the game but thanks to three Cam Newton interceptions they came back and won by 14. Detroit’s offense is iffy at best. Stafford has to play better for this team to make the playoffs. The Packers will leave Detroit with two dinner plates. Their own and the Lions.

Winner: PACKERS

Miami vs Dallas– Do not adjust your television, the Miami Dolphins are a good football team. They play 10 different running backs but they get the job done. Matt Moore is not playing break but he is not turning the football over. The Cowboys were a missed kick away from losing to the Redskins last week. This game will not need snow or Leon Lett for the Dolphins to win. Upset.

Winner: COWBOYS

San Francisco vs Baltimore– For all you people who do not think the 49ers are for real, we will find out this week. The Ravens are a good football team and will be a good barometer to judge the 49ers. These two teams are a near mirror imago of each other. Great linebacker, great running back, and, decent wide receivers. They both want to run the football and play great defense. This game will be about who executes the best.

Winner: 49ers

Minnesota vs Atlanta– The future of Christian Ponder is still up in the air. At times he look like he may be a franchise quarterback, but other times he looks like he is back at Florida State. No Adrian Peterson. Big problem. The Falcons got a gift with this game, rookie quarterback and no running game. If the Falcons cam keep Jared Allen away from Matt Ryan this will be an easy win.

Winner: FALCONS

Carolina vs Indianapolis– Superman has been Clark Kent for the last few weeks. These are the breaks of a rookie NFL quarterback. He started off cooking with Crisco, but hit the rookie wall. I think Cam will get some of momma home cooking this week and rebound for the end of the season. It does not hurt they are playing the Colts this week. There is nothing good happening in Indianapolis right now. Well, Pat Anger is leading the league in tackles.

Winner: PANTHERS

Tampa Bay vs Tennessee– Tampa Bay was very impressive even with loss to the Packers last week. LeGarrett Blount decided he didn’t need any blockers to run to the ball last week. He easily broke 20 tackles in the game. If he runs like that this week the Bucs have a chance to turn their season around. The Titans will be very motivated to win this week because they still have a chance to win the AFC South with Matt Shaub out in Houston. Chris Johnson had what we thought was a breakout game two weeks ago. Then, last week he was under 15 yards. Expect another low output from him.

Winner: BUCCANEERS

Arizona vs St Louis– This is a NFC West showdown. Yes I said that with a straight face. Kevin Kolb should be back this week for the Cardinals. Hopefully his time off helps him play better. I expected the Cardinals to have a few more wins at this point in time. Boy are they disappointing this year. The Rams expected to have a couple more wins too, but injuries have been mean to them.

WInner: CARDINALS

Cleveland vs Cincinnati– I told y’all Cleveland was going to max out at 14 points last week. Where did they end the game?…14. Please listen to the Cleveland radio host go crazy on his Browns. That is 10 minutes audio that will make your day better. The Bengals lost to the top two teams in their division (Ravens, Steelers), but they are still for real. They have a chance to pick up another game of their division leaders and possibly sneak in the playoffs.
Winner: BENGALS

Houston vs Jacksonville– I picked Jacksonville last week and they let me down. This week, they play a better team with a question mark at quarterback. I worked out this summer with Matt Leinart and I think he is ready for his opportunity this year. The Texans control their own playoff destiny, and won’t fall short. I think Jaguars fans are wondering if Blaine Gabbert is really the answer at quarterback. They are also wondering where is the pro bowl tight end they gave 35 million to this offseason. Maurice Jones-Drew cannot win games on offense alone.

Winner: TEXANS

Buffalo vs New York Jets– Am I the one who said the Bills had 9-7 written all over them? I was wrong. Make it 7-9. Now that they have lost their bell cow Fred Jackson, their playoff chances are out of the window. The Jets just came off losing a game everyone expected them to win. New York should rebound this week vs the exploding Bills. The only person who can change the outcome of this game is Mark Sanchez. If he plays terribly, the Jets may lose.

Winner: JETS

Pittsburgh vs Kansas City– Pittsburgh is a good football team and potential Super bowl team. Even though the Chiefs have added Kyle Orton, this game will be a mere speed bump for the Steelers.
Winner: STEELERS

Denver vs San Diego– Do you believe in Tebow yet? John Elway isn’t sold long term either. The Broncos defense is fierce and fast right now. Rookie Von Miller is a nightmare off the edge and has been a force against the run and pass. WTH is going on with Phillip Rivers? Seriously, he is awful right now. He leads the league in interceptions and is the main reason for the Chargers struggles. Ryan Matthews gets hurt every game so if Tolbert is out they are down to a guy they didn’t expect to get more that 20 carries on the season. I believe in Tebow and definitely do not believe in Rivers (this year).
Winner: BRONCOS

Washington vs Seattle-The Redskins put Rex Grossman back at quarterback, and guess what happened? They played well and would have beat the Cowboys if Gano could make a FG. They have to make a long trip to the West Coast and home of the 12th man. Seattle has been playing well they last couple weeks and should continue this week.

Winner: SEAHAWKS

Chicago vs Oakland– The Bears were looking like the second best team in the NFL. For weeks I have been saying I was waiting for Cutler to lose games and blow the season. Well he is going to indirectly do both now that he is out for the season. The Bears front seven can’t play quarterback. Haine will have a chance to prove himself and save the Bears season. Carson Palmer looks like the QB who took the Bengals to the playoffs. Oakland is running the ball well and playing great defense.

Winner: RAIDERS

New England vs Philadelphia– Philadelphia is likely entering a second game in a row without Vick at quarterback. Can Vince Young win 2 games in a row? Not throwing three picks again he can’t. The Patriots do have the last rated pass defense in the league so that should help him out. Expect the Phily defense to press across the board and blitz Brady anytime they line up in empty. That recipe was successful for the Steelers. Another good sign for the Eagles is that the Patriots don’t have a real running game so they should be able to pin their ears back and get after Brady some.

Winner: EAGLES

New York Giants vs New Orleans– This is a great matchup for Monday Night. This game means so much to both teams. They are both leading their closely contested division. A loss would muddy divisional waters and open up the door for chaos. I still have the Eagles making the playoffs. So that is influencing my pick for this game. New Orleans is getting hot at the right time. Brees and the offense are becoming the high powered team we are used to seeing.

Winner: SAINTS

The Fact Is: Week 6

It’s Week 6, and Facts are Facts!

Eagles are still The Dream Team… In your dreams!

There is no ‘I’ in team, and there’s no ‘D’ in Philly either. This collection of Individuals called a defense “can’t stop a nose bleed” (Bart Scott voice). Even with the horrendous play by The Individuals defense, Philly still could be 4-1, or 5-0. Dropped passes, poor pass protection leading to interceptions, fumbles, and bonehead plays are the headlines for Eagles highlights. With all this said, call me crazy but The Individuals still have a good chance to make the playoffs. They will scrape a couple ugly wins together and make a serious playoff run.

The Eagles locker room is in disarray right now. There are a lot of people talking and not a lot of people listening. Everybody wants to stop the underachieving, but they have only been together a short period of time. With the whole off season missed due to the lockout, the leadership they need to pull themselves out of this funk has yet to emerge. You have players yelling at each other, cussing, and talking under their breath. They all want to win and have ideas on how to win, but until they establish a leader and buy in to the plan the Eagles will be The Individuals.

This week: at Redskins – Individuals win

I want to give Detroit a nickname but I refuse to contribute to foolishness!

I predicted Detroit would take a huge leap and make the playoffs this year. So far I look like a genius, but I saw something on Monday Night Football that concerns me. When you heard Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, and Suh talking in the off season they expected to play well and make the playoffs. I understand most of the players on their team are used to losing, and were excited to win on MNF, but did you see all the dancing after the game? It was ridiculous! Players were doing the dougie, the running man, and cranking that soulja boy. You won a regular season game in the beginning of October, that’s all it was. This reminded me of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic a couple years ago. A bunch of young talents…All Flash…No Finish. Detroit fans, buyer beware. These guys should still make the playoffs, but are in for a reality check. Hopefully it doesn’t cost them the season when it happens.

Ok I changed my mind, the Lions are now the Detroit Dougies

America’s Economy > America’s Team

The US economy is more stable than the Cowboys. One half it’s high fives and elbows and the second half it’s tears and tissues. I hate to blame 1 person for all of a teams struggles, but Romo has to take blame for this. He has literally thrown 2 games away (Jets, Lions). Watching a Cowboys game with a fan is a hilarious experience. I liken it to watching the day trader analyze the Dow Jones ticker for 3 hours. My sisters fiance’ is a Cowboys fan and he swears Romo is a Top 5 quarterback and the Cowboys are a Top 5 team. He thinks they should blow everyone out and it’s hilarious to watch his hopes and dreams crushed every week. It’s virtually impossible to predict the Cowboys games or seasons, but they are must see TV. You would be a fool to turn a Cowboys game off early. Whether they are up by 24 or down by 17, the game is NEVER over.

The Cowboys are the most consistent team in the NFL. They are consistently inconsistent!

This week America’s team travels to Foxboro – Patriots win (this won’t end well)

What is going on with the Bills and 49ers? Good News/Bad News

I hate to be the barer of bad news…. but, the Bills are going to finish 9-7 or 10-6 and miss the playoffs. The good news is this is a step in the right direction, and Bills fans finally have hope for the future. They have played from behind in every win, and that’s not a good sign. You cannot keep winning games with a young team playing from behind. Fitzpatrick is proving himself a quality QB but don’t drink the kool-aid until the ink is dry on his new deal.

Good news 49ers fans, unless you have a major injury you will make the playoffs! This will be the best season since Jeff Garcia to T.O. was the go-to combo. Keep your Superbowl dreams in your dreams for now though. The NFC West is still the NFC West.

Is the NFC West really the worst division in football?

As a former member of the AFC South it really pains me to say the NFC West is no longer the worst division in football. The AFC South is not very good right now, an 8-8 or 9-7 team will win this division. We all now know Peyton Manning is the most important player on his team. When Brady went down a few years ago the Pats still won 10 games. The Colts will be LUCKY (pun intended) if they don’t go defeated (0-16). Jack Del Rio has imploded the Jags again and with no WRs and a rookie QB they don’t stand a chance. The Tennessee Titans are looking ok right now with Hasselbeck at QB but the Chris Johnson who wanted a huge payday is nowhere to be found. I think the loss of Kenny Britt for the year is going to be this teams achilles heel. At the start of the year my money was on the Houston Texans to win this division, but injuries to Mario Williams and Andre Johnson have opened up the door for the Titans to steal.

It’s really scary how good Cam Newton can be. I hope he continues to work for years because I want to watch!

Green Bay Packers are the best team in the NFL. #ThatIsAll

Indianapolis Colts- trying to figure out how they are going to draft Andrew Luck without making Manning mad.

New York Giants- have a ton of talent but too many injuries to make a serious run at a championship.

New Orleans Saints- least talked about 4-1 team in the league and we will keep it that way for now.

New York Jets- Rex Ryan has some serious work to do with that defense. They were talking Superbowl at the beginning of the year, now they talking about “Playoffs…playoffs…” (Jim Mora voice)

Ladies and Gentlemen… Those are the Facts!