NFL 2020 Week 7 Power Rankings and Week 8 picks

 Two less unbeaten teams.  Only Pittsburgh remains, and they face a tough challenge this week.  The Giants nearly won their second consecutive game, and we had a lengthy discussion to finally reach a final score in the Detroit-Atlanta battle.  Always exciting times in the NFL!

Team Power Rankings [Last week's position]

1.  Pittsburgh Steelers (6-0) [2] : The Steelers reach the top as the league's lone unbeaten team, but their perch is a bit precarious because...

2.  Baltimore Ravens (5-1) [1] : The Ravens lose their top spot during a bye week, and they want it back.  A bout between the top two teams this week!

3.  Kansas City Chiefs (6-1) [3] : The Chiefs continue to roll in impressive fashion

4.  Tampa Bay Bucs (5-2) [8] : A dominant victory over Las Vegas, and this team just seems to get better each week.  They lead the NFC South with both the best offense and best defense in the division.

5.  Green Bay Packers (5-1) [7] : The Pack bounced back from their loss, despite some national analysts predicting a Houston win.  Injuries are starting to show, though, so I wonder how long they can maintain this power ranking.

6.  Arizona Cardinals (5-2) [6] : It took overtime, but the Cards gave the Seahawks their first loss of the season.

7.  Los Angeles Rams (5-2) [10] : A dominant win over the Bears shove the Rams up the power rankings.  QB Jared Goff needs to work on his consistency, but the defense is getting together nicely.

8.  Tennessee Titans (5-1) [4] : The Titans played tough, but they couldn't get past the Steelers

9.  Seattle Seahawks (5-1) [5] : The Seahawks also suffered their first loss of the season, and looked a bit confused in the loss.

10. Indianapolis Colts (4-2) [9]

11. San Francisco 49ers (4-3) [14] : Complete dominance of the Patriots always deserves a sharp rise in the power rankings

12. Miami Dolphins (3-3) [11]

13. New Orleans Saints (4-2) [13] : Nice win, but it was a game they were supposed to win.  Nothing overly impressive about it.

14. Chicago Bears (5-2) [12] : Bad loss by the Bears.  Nick Foles had some brilliant flashes, but he's not looking that much better than Mitch Trubisky

15. Buffalo Bills (5-2) [17] : Better performance by the Bills, but they could not get into the endzone against the worst defense in the league.  That's not a promising sign.

16. Cleveland Browns (5-2) [19] : Nice bounce back game for the Browns, but they let the Bengals score a bit too much.  Their defense needs to sharpen up.

Division Power Rankings

1.  NFC West [1] : All teams above .500 and all teams in the upper half of the league's power rankings (and ALMOST all in the Top Ten!).  Best division BY FAR!

2.  AFC North [2] : Three of four teams well above .500 makes this a tough and competitive division

3.  NFC South [4] : Nice Bucs win, and the Panthers-Saints bout was competitive.  Atlanta tried to scrape out a win, but lost by a decision.

4 (tie). AFC West [3] : An embarrasing tumble by the Raiders brought this division down a bit

4 (tie). NFC North [5] : Pack won in style, the Lions won in a TKO, and the Bears offense sank

6.  AFC South [6] : A Titans loss and the Colts on a bye.  This division counts on those two teams.

7.  AFC East [7] : Miami on a bye, Pats slaughtered, and the Bills and Jets play a snoozer.  Not very exciting for this division

8.  NFC East [8] : The division leader has a 2-4-1 record.  Can we exclude this division from the playoffs?

Week 8 picks

Thursday night

Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers :  Well, at least Atlanta won't need a lengthy discussion by the refs to determine the outcome of this one.  It should be obvious much sooner than that.  PANTHERS, 28-23

Sunday early games

Indianapolis Colts at Detroit Lions : No last second saves for the Lions this week.  COLTS, 30-23

Las Vegas Raiders at Cleveland Browns : This is a hard game to pick.  The Browns come in without dynamic receiver OBJ, but the Raiders are an inconsistent, up and down team.  If the Raiders come in loaded for bear, they should win.  If they get lackluster again, the Browns have a chance to let their defense win the game.  I'm going to give the Browns a win on a "pick six" interception.  BROWNS, 27-23

Los Angeles Rams at Miami Dolphins : The Dolphins had an extra week to prepare, but I'm not sure that will be enough.  The Rams excelled against one of the toughest defenses in the league last week; I don't give the Dolphins much of a chance, especially with a new QB.  RAMS, 27-16

Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers : The Packers have enough of their starters to play well against the Vikings, but if they suffer too many more injuries, it will start to show.  PACK, 31-20

New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills : Can the Pats bounce back from their embarrassing loss last week?  I think they will improve, but the Bills have sharpened their focus after the disasterous showing two weeks ago.  BILLS, 27-20

New York Jets at Kansas City Chiefs :  Geez, will this one be one-sided!  CHIEFS, 34-6

Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens : The Ravens are a tough team, and they play divisional opponents even tougher.  The Steelers have a strong team this year, but the Ravens will be looking for a home upset, and I think they'll pull it off.  We'll have no more unbeaten teams after this game.  RAVENS, 27-26

Tennessee Titans at Cincinnati Bengals : The Titans slaughter the Bengals in a needed "bounce back" game.  TITANS, 31-20

Sunday late games

Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos : Neither team is setting the world on fire, but the development of Justin Herbert makes the Chargers the better choice.  CHARGERS, 23-17

New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears : If the Rams could succeed against the Bears defense, you know the Saints can.  The question will be how much work does the offense put in this week to improve from their devastating Monday night performance?  I think the Bears offense will improve, but the difference will be a Drew Brees interception (he's getting a little careless this season) that gives the Bears excellent field position.  BEARS, 23-20

San Francisco 49ers are Seattle Seahawks : The 49ers might have wished that the Seahawks won last week, as now they have extra incentive to win this game.  The 49ers are still suffering from some key injuries to important players, so Seattle certainly has the edge.  SEAHAWKS, 24-20

Sunday night

 Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles : The Cowboys have a quarterback issue, as both Zak Prescott and Carson Palmer are out this week.  EAGLES, 24-13

Monday Night Football

Tampa Bay Bucs at New York Giants : The Giants are improving, but not as much as the Bucs have.  BUCS, 31-13

Big Ten 2020 Week 1 Power Rankings and Week 2 picks

 We had some surprises this week!  Indiana took a risk in overtime, but it was clearly a calculated one.  It worked, too, as they upset the heavily-favored Nittany Lions.  With the Lions hosting Ohio State this week, they could open 0-2.  The Spartans surprised me with the utter lack of a defense, likely making this a tough year for them.  Maryland had no offense, and was demolished by Northwestern.

Power Rankings

1.  Ohio State (1-0) : They started slowly, but they completely dominated the second half.

2.  Wisconsin (1-0) : Even though they were playing a depleted Illinois squad, the Badgers were very impressive.

3.  Michigan Wolverines (1-0) : They made Minnesota look like the Gophers of the 1990's, when they frequently trailed in the conference.

4.  Indiana Hoosiers (1-0) : Talented offense and a large play book.  Opposing defenses will have a hard time anticipating this team.

5.  Northwestern Wildcats (1-0) : Strong victory against a team that has been decent the past few years.  We need another week to see if this was a fluke.

6.  Penn State Nittany Lions (0-1) : Their offense is still very impressive, but "Linebacker U" needs to take a serious look at their defense.

7.  Rutgers Scarlet Knights (1-0) : They looked like Maryland against the spotty Sparty defense

8.  Minnesota Golden Gophers (0-1) : At times they showed promise, but Michigan seemed to really confuse them.  They need to sharpen their field sense.

9.  Purdue Boilermakers (1-0) : They beat Iowa, but that team has a habit of needing a week or two to get in gear.  Still not sure about this team's real position.

10. Iowa Hawkeyes (0-1) : Let's see if they've gotten their lethargy out of their system

11. Michigan State Spartans (0-1) : Their defense needs an overhaul

12. Nebraska Cornhuskers (0-1) : Just like the last two seasons, their quarterback makes too many mistakes for this team to be a true contender

13. Illinois Fighting Illini (0-1) : Won't get a real picture until this week, since so many players sat out this game

14. Maryland Terrapins (0-1) : What the hell happened to this team between last year and this year?

Week 2 picks

Minnesota Golden Gophers at Maryland Terrapins : If last week was any indication, the Gophers should roll.  Maryland couldn't do anything offensively, and their defense leaked worse than a rusty water pipe.  MINNESOTA

Michigan State Spartans at Michigan Wolverines : After last week, I'm not sure the Spartans can get it up, even for this state rivalry game.  MICHIGAN

Purdue Boilermakers at Illinois Fighting Illini : Purdue works off momentum.  Their win last week against Iowa could carry into this game.  We haven't really seen the true Illini squad, which we'll see this game.  This could be a close game, but I'll go with the known quality over the unknown.  PURDUE

Wisconsin Badgers at Nebraska Cornhuskers : Wisconsin leans on the run, and Nebraska did a good job hampering the Buckeyes running game.  The Badgers love the swing to the sides, though, while the Buckeyes prefer to run straight ahead.  The Cornhuskers defense isn't fast enough to catch the Badger runners on sideline routes.  WISCONSIN

Indiana Hoosiers at Rutgers Scarlet Knights : After the offensive showcase demonstrated by Indiana last week, I don't see how the Scarlet Knight defense can stop them.  INDIANA

Northwestern Wildcats at Iowa Hawkeyes : This game could really go either way.  Have the Hawkeyes warmed up enough to play well, or will the wily Wildcats devise a game plan that they cannot overcome?  I'll pick the home team, but this is really a "u-pick-em" game.  IOWA

Ohio State Buckeyes at Penn State Nittany Lions : There is something missing on the Penn State defense this year.  OHIO STATE

NFL 2020 Week 5 Soapbox : Ax the Coach(es)

 What's this?  A Week 5 Soapbox after Week 6?  Why, yes!  This article was nearly completely written last week, but then I never got around to typing it into Blogger.  I have now rectified that situation, so enjoy...

There seems to be an unwritten law in major sports that it is too upsetting to the synergy of a team to fire the head coach too early in the season.  Typically, this only happens if: the coach is caught violating some NCAA rules (in the college ranks), a star player engineers a coup (in basketball), or the coach so terribly irritates the administration/front office.  Usually the first coach dismissals happen in the last couple of weeks of a season.  However, this year we have not one, but TWO coaches ousted before the NFL season even reaches the halfway point.  [NOTE: This sentence was added this week] Ironically, each team that suffered the loss of their coach won their next game!  Maybe the owners knew something we didn't?

The first coach to face the axe was Houston's Bill O'Brien.  Since arriving at the Texans, O'Brien brought his work ethic and focus on defense to a team that had tasted success under previous head coach Gary Kubiak, but had not been able to capitalize on that.  They had also collapsed so badly in Kubiak's last season that he was also fired mid-season, replaced temporarily by Wade Phillips.

O'Brien had immediate success, escalating the team to a 9-7 record and playoff appearance.  The Texans won the division in the next season, and added two more division titles in 2018 and 2019.  The Texans became renowned for one of the fiercest defenses in the league, and challenged every opponent they faced.  An 0-4 start was O'Brien's undoing, however, and he was dismissed.  

The firing of Bill O'Brien seemed to ignite the possibility of other coaches being fired early, as the very next week saw the dismissal of Atlanta Falcons' coach Dan Quinn.  Quinn took over the Falcons in 2014 after two losing seasons.  Those two losing seasons were preceded by an appearance in the NFC Championship Game, so the fall from grace was taken especially hard.  Exit Mike Smith, enter Dan Quinn.  Like O'Brien, Quinn had quick success, raising the Falcons to an even 8-8 record and second place divisional finish in his first season.  He followed that season with a massively successful 11-5 season that sent to the Falcons to only their second Super Bowl in franchise history.  The loss in that Super Bowl, though, seemed to take the air out of the team.  Despite a rocket-armed quarterback and one of the speediest and talented corps of wide receivers in the league, the Falcons consistently fell, dropping to 10-5, then two 7-9 seasons, and finally opening this season 0-5.  Unlike Houston, they couldn't point to a slate of ultra-tough opponents to open the season -- the offense was simply not functioning.  

So now we are six weeks into an already COVID-chaotic season, and we have two interim coaches.  Has someone opened the floodgates?  How many other underperforming coaches will face the unemployment line before Thanksgiving?  Both New York coaches are probably safe, simply they are still new and in the "rebuilding" stages. The same applies to the Bengals' Zac Taylor. How about Minnesota's Mike Zimmer?  The Vikings look pathetic, especially on defense, and QB Kurt Cousins, after an impressive opening weekend performance, has looked anemic.  Washington coach Ron Rivera is not winning favor, especially by allowing the Giants their first win due to a failed two-point conversion.  Keep your eyes peeled on the paper, folks.  Now that someone has turned on the coaching carousel, it will keep moving.

Big Ten 2020 Week 1 picks

 Well, the whiny Justin Fields got his wish, and Big Ten football returns in the fall.  Somehow I don't think it will work out, as they have left NO ROOM in their schedule for COVID-cancelled games, and both Wisconsin and Michigan are suffering from a renewed spike in cases.  Anyway, let's take a look at the opening weekend games:

Friday Oct 23

Illinois Fighting Illini at Wisconsin Badgers : This will likely be an easy win for the Badgers.  Not only do they want revenge from last year's surprising upset in Champaign, but there are several Illini players who will not travel to COVID-heavy Wisconsin, so the Badgers will be facing a patchwork team.  WISCONSIN

Saturday Oct 24

Nebraska Cornhuskers at Ohio State Buckeyes : Fields has wanted this season for months, and now he gets it.  You know he has kept himself in shape, so no matter how much improved the Cornhuskers claim they are, the Buckeyes will march all over them.  OHIO STATE

Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Michigan State Spartans : Rutgers didn't want to play, so how well conditioned are they?  Worse, they face the tough defense of the Spartans to open the season.  Tough day for the Knights.  MICHIGAN STATE

Penn State Nittany Lions at Indiana Hoosiers : It's a little early in the season for one of Indy's surprise victories, so I have to go with the Lions on this one.  PENN STATE

Iowa Hawkeyes at Purdue Boilermakers : You know, Iowa always likes the early non-conference games as they usually need a couple of weeks to really get going.  If they sputter in this opener, the Boilermakers may gain the first upset of the Big Ten season.  Still, just based on the talent on the Iowa team, I have to favor them.  IOWA

Michigan Wolverines at Minnesota Golden Gophers : Minnesota claims that this could be their season, but they have to get past Michigan, another team that has stayed in shape as they pushed for this season to begin.  This game could be close, but the win goes to the visitors.  MICHIGAN

Maryland Terrapins at Northwestern Wildcats : The Terrapins always like the non-conference games, as they tend to fade once conference play begins.  Now, that's all there is.  Let's see if they can get off to a quick start.  The Wildcats have a good defense, but there are some questions about their offense.  Let's see if Maryland can score enough to leave that questionable offense in the dust.  MARYLAND

NFL 2020 Week 6 Power Rankings and Week 7 picks

 With Green Bay's loss, the Bears amazingly hold a half-game lead in the NFC South.  That also leaves Seattle as the lone unbeaten team in the NFC, while the AFC still has Pittsburgh and Tennessee (who, ironically, face each other this week, guaranteeing only one unbeaten team in the conference by the end of Sunday).  Victories by the Giants and Falcons leave the Jets as the sole winless team in the league.  Given their schedule, that may last for a while.

NFL Team Power Rankings [Last week's position]

1.  Baltimore Ravens (5-1) [1] : They squeaked by the Eagles, but tough performances by other Power teams allowed them to retain the top spot.

2.  Pittsburgh Steelers (5-0) [6] : They thoroughly routed the Browns, escalating them all the way to Number Two, and making the next Ravens-Steelers game an eagerly-awaited event.

3.  Kansas City Chiefs (5-1) [7] : They recovered nicely from their loss to the Raiders by totally dominating the Bills, and proving that they have a running game even before LeVeon Bell joins their roster.

4.  Tennessee Titans (5-0) [5] : They needed overtime to overcome the Texans, but the Titans showed they can complete a comeback.

5.  Seattle Seahawks (5-0) [3] : Okay, yes, I know it's not fair for a team to drop two spots during a bye week.  Sorry, I can't argue with the computer results (after all, I programmed that tool!).  A victory this week over Arizona will rise them up, and a loss would reinforce this position.

6.  Arizona Cardinals (4-2) [10] : And here are those aforementioned Cardinals, moving up after completely demoralizing a Zak-less Cowboys squad.

7.  Green Bay Packers (4-1) [2] : The Packers fall five positions after a mistake-filled outing against the Bucs.  They face the Texans this week, which might lead to enough injuries to continue this slide.

8.  Tampa Bay Bucs (4-2) [9] : And the Bucs rise after such a strong performance, mainly for eliminating their own offensive penalties (since the Pack more LOST their game than the Bucs WON it).

9.  Indianapolis Colt (4-2) [8] : Barely squeezing past Cincy didn't help their power ranking

10. Los Angeles Rams (4-2) [4] : The Rams just couldn't get it going against the rival 49ers, who were still missing several of their starters.  Not a good sign.

11. Miami Dolphins (3-3) [13] : The Dolphins are the highest ranked AFC East team?  After the collapse of the Bills, that is true.

12. Chicago Bears (5-1) [12] : The Bears held an early and lengthy lead in this game, but needed a defensive turnover to turn away a Panthers comeback.  They are not dominating games, although they are winning them.

13. New Orleans Saints (3-2) [14] : The Saints enjoy a bye week, although they lost the lead in the division.

14. San Francisco 49ers (3-3) [18] : The offense is starting to get themselves back on track, and the defense derailed the Rams.

15. Las Vegas Raiders (3-2) [19] : Delayed reaction from their upset of the Chiefs, assisted by dramatic falls by other teams (like the Bills).

16. New England Patriots (4-2) [15] : The offense struggled in a defensive battle against Denver.

NFL Divisional Power Rankings

1.  NFC West [1] : Seriously, they have all four of their teams in the upper half of the league.  No other division comes close!  

2.  AFC North [2] : Despite the Browns fiasco this week, this division still has three good-looking teams, and holds the top two Power teams

3.  AFC West [6] : The Chiefs bounced back, and Denver won.  Byes by the other two teams prevented power drops

4.  NFC South [5] : Wins by the Bucs and Falcons helped, and a near-comeback from the Panthers didn't hurt!

5.  NFC North [3] : The Pack's fizzle pulled down this division even though the Lions won

6.  AFC South [4] : Both the Titans and Colts are competitors

7.  AFC East [7] : The Bills lead the division but look fractured, the Pats offense is sputtering, and the Dolphins just changed quarterbacks.  Not looking good here.

8.  NFC East [8] : Nothing needs to be said

Week 6 picks

Thursday night

New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles : The Giants won their first game last week, but can they make it two in a row?  The Eagles are so inconsistent that you are not sure which team will show up, but their pass rush will be able to shut down Daniel Jones.  Without Saquon Barkley for a running game, the Giants won't have an offense.  EAGLES, 20-13

Sunday early games

Buffalo Bills at New York Jets : I'm not sure the Bills have figured out what happened on Monday, but they don't need a good performance to beat the worst team in the league.  BILLS, 30-13

Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints : The Panthers attempted an excellent comeback against the Bears, but the Saints offense will create a larger gap to overcome, and they'll miss again.  SAINTS, 30-23

Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals : The Browns get to clear their pallet with a win against the Bengals.  Rookie Joe Burrows is looking better, but the Bengals still have a ways to go to return to competitive form.  BROWNS, 27-17

Dallas Cowboys at Washington Wingnuts : Arizona really lambasted a Zak-less Cowboys squad, but
Washington doesn't have that strong an offense.  Plus, you know the Cowboys will want to perform much better after that game, although I think their offense will still be lacking.  COWBOYS, 17-13

Detroit Lions at Atlanta Falcons : The Falcons are starting to catch fire, but so did the Lions.  Matthew Stafford has struggling in the first half of games, but his second half (and especially fourth quarter) numbers are quite impressive.  If the Lions defense can keep this close through three quarters, the Lions should win this one.  LIONS, 27-23

Green Bay Packers at Houston Texans : You know Aaron Rodgers wants a chance to redeem the 3rd worst performance in his career!  The Texans offense is so anemic that the Packers should win this game.  However, the fierce Texans defensive play might result in some injuries to important offensive players, which (as I predicted in my preview column) could result in a downward spiral for the team. PACK, 23-20

Pittsburgh Steelers at Tennessee Titans : Another bout of unbeaten AFC teams.  The Titans took the last one when they upended the Bills, but I think they'll come up short in this one.  The Steelers defense is reminiscent of the "Iron Curtain" days, and Big Ben has the offense rolling.  The Steelers also have one of the best ground games in the league, so they can churn up clock.  STEELERS, 20-16

Sunday late games

Jacksonville Jaguars at Los Angeles Chargers : The Lions defense showed what Jags QB Gardner Minshew dislikes, and now the Chargers defense gets to expand on that.  QB Justin Herbert continues to get better, although he needs to work on his consistency.  The only concern is whether this game will actually be played, as the Jags are in COVID protocol after a practice squad member tested positive.  CHARGERS, 27-20

Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos : The Chiefs have their mojo back, and they welcome LeVeon Bell to the squad!  He may not play a large part in this game, as the Broncos have a strong run defense, but their weak secondary means that Patrick Mahomes get to have some fun.  CHIEFS, 27-17

San Francisco 49ers at New England Patriots : Wow, this game could go either way!  49ers QB Jimmy Garoffolo gets another offensive player back from injury, so the offense will be sharper.  Cam Newton returned to practice and seemed ready to take back the helm on Sunday, but we're not sure if that's a good thing or not.  Given his history in Carolina, his first game back is often rocky.  49ERS, 20-16

Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals : This should be an exciting game!  Both teams are strong, and the Cardinals are itching to "stick it" to the Seahawks.  However, this game will be a test of the field sense of young Kyler Murray, given the amount of motion used by the Seattle defense, and I'm not sure he's quite up to the task.  SEAHAWKS, 20-17

Sunday night

Tampa Bay Bucs at Las Vegas Raiders : The Raiders surprised the Chiefs in their last game, but Tom Brady has seen everything in his career, so no surprises there.  BUCS, 28-23

Monday Night Football

Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Rams : I'd love to pick my Bears, but they just don't fare well on Monday Night Football.  The Rams defense is very similar to the Bears, so the usual advantage the Bears have will be offset.  Worse, with Foles' tendency to throw at least one interception in each game, that might make the difference in this game.  RAMS, 27-20

NFL 2020 Week 5 Power Rankings and Week 6 picks

 Three of the top six Power teams lost this week, so there was definitely some shake-up in the rankings.  Cleveland is proving they are no fluke, and Houston finally found their mojo.  The week ended on a rare Tuesday night game, where the Bills utterly collapsed in a surprisingly messy performance.

NFL Team Power Rankings [Last week's position]

1.  Baltimore Ravens (4-1) [3] : The Ravens returned to the top with another dominating performance, this time completely shutting down the offense of the Bengals.  Despite their loss to the Chiefs, this might be the strongest team in the AFC.

2.  Green Bay Packers (4-0) [1] : A bye week came early to the Pack. That might be poorly scheduled, as they had avoided significant injuries so far.  They might want that bye later in the season.

3.  Seattle Seahawks (5-0) [5] : Even though they only mustered a thin one-point win over the Vikings, they survived a week which saw many of the top Power teams lose.  Maintaining your strength when others around you falter is also an indication of strength.

4.  Los Angeles Rams (4-1) [10] : The Rams followed up their slaughter of the Giants with an equally impressive dismantling of NFC East Washington.  The Rams seem to have found their groove, as one NFL.com analyst now places them at the top of the Power Rankings.  That might be premature, because their best wins have been against weak NFC East teams, but this week will really measure their power.

5.  Tennessee Titans (4-0) [11] : They slaughtered the previously unbeaten Bills, showing that their defense might be the most disruptive in the league.

6.   Pittsburgh Steelers (4-0) [7] : Another nice win for the Steelers where both the offense and defense shined, although the offense had more moments this week.

7.  Kansas City Chiefs (4-1) [2] : Tough loss to the Raiders exposed that their offense takes a few too many risks.  

8.  Indianapolis Colts (3-2) [4] : The Browns beat them handily and showed that the Colts defense still needs some work.

9.  Tampa Bay Bucs (3-2) [8] : Returning to Chicago was not good for the Bucs, as the Bears defense shut them down in the second half.  There is still some work to be done among Brady and his receivers, and they need to strength their running game.

10. Arizona Cardinals (3-2) [NR] : A big win over the Jets helped their resume, and they were also assisted by a poor week among the previous Power teams.  Whether they can stay among the top Power teams will be determined by how well they stretch this winning streak.  A game against Dallas this week likely helps.

11. Cleveland Browns (4-1) [NR] : A strong victory over the Colts pushed this team into the upper levels of the Power Rankings, quite a feat.  This is showing that, after years of hype, the Browns might actually be a contender this year.

12. Chicago Bears (4-1) [12] : Another stirring comeback shows that this team makes excellent halftime corrections.  Let's see if they can do a little better in the first half of games.

And, due to the large fluctuations of the Power Rankings, and the proposed extended playoff rules to allow 14 teams in the playoffs, I extend my Power Rankings to 16 positions.

13. Miami Dolphins (2-3) [NR] : While I am normally adverse to ranking teams with losing records, you cannot ignore the impressive performance against the 49ers, and it shows that Miami may be catching fire.

14. New Orleans Saints (3-2) [16] : They came from behind to force overtime, and then held back the Chargers after they could only muster a field goal.  The Saints are still not as impressive as they started the season, but their defense is starting to spark.  A little more consistency in the offense would be nice.

15. New England Patriots (2-2) [13] : They sat out this week due to COVID, so there's not much to say about them.

16. Carolina Panthers (3-2) [18] : Nice win over Atlanta, although it was expected.  The Panthers need to show up stronger in their games.

17. Buffalo Bills (4-1) [6] : What a fall!  Historically one of the largest single-week power drops I have every charted, the Bills looked absolutely atrocious against the Titans.  Granted, Tennessee has a strong defense, but Josh Allen looked as bad as he did when he was a rookie.  Let's hope the Bills can figure out what went wrong and get Buffalo back on track.  Sometimes, an unexpected blowout like this can so demoralize a team that they never recover.

NFL Divisional Power Rankings

1.  NFC West [1] : Although now longer consisting of nothing but winning teams (the 49ers are 2-3), they are still the only division where all of their teams have positive point differentials.  They are also the only division with three teams in the Top Ten Power Rankings.

2.  AFC North [2] : Cincy lost, but it was to a divisional opponent, so every team won who could.  Cincy is also the only team with a negative point differential, and the only team with a losing record.  The gap between the NFC West and AFC North is shrinking.

3.  NFC North [4] : Although half of the teams did not play, a nice performance by the Vikings and a thrilling squeaker by the Bears boosted this division into third place by just 1/2 a point.  Positions 3-6 are all close, with only a point and a half separating this division from the #6 division.

4.  AFC South [5] : Also creeping up after impressive wins by Tennessee and Houston, the fortunes of this division seem on the rise.

5.  NFC South [6] : Parity is the key, as the top three teams have the same record (3-2) and similar point differentials.  Atlanta is dragging this division down.

6.  AFC West [3] : Despite a fall of three positions, not nearly as bad a fall point-wise.  Still, the Raiders were the only team to win this week, so it wasn't a good week for the division.

7.  AFC East [7] : Miami looked good, but that was it.

8.  NFC East [8] : They have now officially scored the LOWEST divisional power ranking since I've been tabulating them -- over nine seasons.

Week 6 picks

Sunday early games

Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings : The Vikings will follow up their "near" win over Seattle with a strong performance against Atlanta.  The Vikings defense will allow Atlanta some glimmer of hope, but the ending will be another loss for the faltering Falcons.  VIKINGS, 27-23

Baltimore Ravens at Philadelphia Eagles : Another dominant performance for the Ravens.  RAVENS, 31-13

Chicago Bears at Carolina Panthers : Ooh, this game could be very close.  Of course, most of the Bears games have been very close.  I foresee this one starting slowly for both teams, maybe a 10-9 Panthers lead at the half.  Then both teams will find ways to improve over halftime.  The Bears have been better at this season, so I'll give them the edge.  BEARS, 23-20

Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts : The Bengals are struggling on offense, and their defense isn't so hot, either.  The Colts still need to iron out some problems, but they are good enough to overpower the Bengals.  COLTS, 24-16

Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers : If there was ever a season where I might pick the Browns, it would be this season.  However, the Steelers have new life under a rejuvenated Big Ben, so I have to give the edge to them.  Watch for an upset, though!  STEELERS, 30-27

Denver Broncos at New England Patriots : Still not sure if this game will be played, or possibly be pushed to Tuesday, as the Patriots facility remains closed due to a positive COVID test.  Once again, if it is played, see my commentary from last week as to how I see it playing out.  PATS, 20-16

Detroit Lions at Jacksonville Jaguars : Here are two teams who are nearly perfectly aligned on paper.  In situations like this, I weigh two things:  defense, and experience of the team leaders.  The Jags win the defensive battle, but Lions QB Matt Stafford has the experience to spot what the Jags defense might do.  After early hype, Jags QB Gardner Minshew II is showing why I didn't think much of him in my preview column.  LIONS, 27-19

Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans : The Titans defense looks like the Texans defense used to.  Nuff said.  TITANS, 27-17

Washington No-Names at New York Giants : For the first time, I have to pick the nameless Washington team (I promise to get to that soapbox column!  My next one is about the recently fired coaches, though), as they face the second-worst team in the league, and the worst team in the NFC.  WASHINGTON, 17-13

Sunday late games

Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers : The 49ers got back some starters last week and still collapsed.  They seem to have lost their spark.  Perhaps playing their rival Rams will bring back some of that spark, but I still have to favor the Rams here.  RAMS, 28-17

Monday afternoon

We had a Tuesday night game last week, and now we have a game starting at 5pm in the afternoon.  Weird season.

Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills : Two teams looking to redeem from less-than-stellar performances last week, the Chiefs have the advantage that they know where to plug the holes.  For the Bills, it was just an overall dismal performance on both sides of the ball, and Josh Allen looked like a high school quarterback.  They have a much greater distance to rebound.  CHIEFS, 41-27

Monday Night Football

Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys : The Cowboys currently lead the NFC East.  If Washington wins, they'll be tied after this game.  CARDS, 30-20

NFL 2020 Week 4 Power Rankings and Week 5 picks

NFL Team Power Rankings [Last week's position]

Still some shakeup among the top teams, as some fall and others gain strength.  The lack of a true preseason means it is taking longer for new acquisitions to gel (see: Tampa Bay Bucs), but game time is helping to develop the bonds amongst the new teammates (again, see: Tampa Bay Bucs).

1.  Green Bay Packers (4-0) [1] : Still keeping injury effects to a minimum, these team is really lighting up opponents, and scoreboards, this season.

2.  Kansas City Chiefs (4-0) [2] : The defending Super Bowl Champs continue to produce some of the most dynamic offensive plays in the league, and their defense isn't bad, either.

3.  Baltimore Ravens (3-1) [5] : Back to their winning ways and back near the top of the Power Rankings.

4.  Indianapolis Colts (3-1) [3] : The Colts offense was slowed by a tough Bears defense, but their own defense made things hard for new starting QB Nick Foles

5.  Seattle Seahawks (4-0) [5] : Their defense allowed Miami to score a bit more than they should have, but Russell Wilson continues to lead a strong offensive squad

6.  Buffalo Bills (4-0) [9] : Is it my imagination, or does Bills QB Josh Allen get better every week?  If that's true, he might be the best QB in the league come the postseason.

7.  Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0) [7] : The Steelers didn't play due to the Titans COVID outbreak, but that doesn't diminish what they have already accomplished this season.

8.  Tampa Bay Bucs (3-1) [8] : Tom Brady is getting to know his new teammates and passing the ball around like he used to.  With the usually strong Bucs defense, this is a dangerous squad!

9.  San Francisco 49ers (2-2) [6] : Okay, those second-stringers faltered a bit this week, but they did face a tougher team.  They have it fairly easy this week, but they are hoping to get Garrafolo and some others back for their rivalry battle with the Rams.

10. Los Angeles Rams (3-1) [NR] : And speaking of those Rams, they slaughtered the Giants (everyone does!) to jump into the Top Ten

11. Tennessee Titans (3-0) [12] : They may not play this week as more players tested positive, so I may have to start dropping them for that.  Power comes in many forms, after all, and one of those is Responsibility.

12. Chicago Bears (3-1) [10] : A loss to the Colts dropped them, but that defense still shows enough power to remain ranked high.

NFL Divisional Power Rankings

1.  NFC West [1] : This division is so far out front I'm not sure they'll ever drop to Number Two this season

2.  AFC North [2] : Even when Pittsburgh doesn't play this division still impresses, as even Cincy gains their first win of the season

3.  AFC West [3] : KC dominates, and Denver won their first game of the season (against the Jets, though, so does it really count?)

4.  NFC North [4] : In fourth place by the smallest of margins (1/4 of a point!), the Vikings first win helped this division

5.  AFC South [5] : Colts win, but a fourth loss by Houston makes things grim for this division

6.  NFC South [7] : Bucs are looking sharp and the Saints and Panthers each won a game.  Atlanta is the only team with a losing record, but they are so bad they are dragging this division down

7.  AFC East [6] : Speaking of a team so bad they are dragging down their division, did I mention the New York Jets?

8.  NFC East [8] : This division is on track to record some of the worst stats since I've been tracking the NFL, and that dates back to 1981!  The only bright spot is the Dallas offense, but the defense is so porous that even the Cowboys can't win.

Week 5 picks

Thursday night

Tampa Bay Bucs at Chicago Bears : My Bears hit primetime!  I always have mixed feelings about that.  I get to see them play, but they also tend to do poorly as the "spotlight" game.  Admittedly, they haven't suffered on Thursday night as badly as they do on Monday Night Football, but the performance by Nick Foles and company does not fill me with confidence, especially seeing what Tom Brady has done with the Bucs.  It's nice to see these two teams play again (for the youngsters out there, these two teams USED to be in the same division), but it'll be a happier homecoming for the Bucs than for the Bears.  BUCS, 26-20

Sunday early games

Arizona Cardinals at New York Jets : The Cards aren't looking too well these days, but any team will look good matched against the Jets, who have the dubious distinction of having the second worst offense in the league.  The team with the worst offense?  The Giants.  Welcome to New York.  CARDS, 30-13

Buffalo Bills at Tennessee Titans : This game may be cancelled or postponed (no work as of the time I was writing this blog entry), but the Titans might WANT it postponed, given the great progress shown by Josh Allen.  Of course, he might be even tougher later in the season, so perhaps the Titans should be hoping for this game to occur now.  BILLS, 27-23

Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons : The Panthers can win two in a row with a victory over the dazed and confused Falcons.  PANTHERS, 23-16

Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens : The Bengals gained their first victory last week after tying the Eagles the week before, but their improvement stops there.  They have to face the daunting defense of the Ravens, and the unpredictable actions of Ravens QB Lamar Jackson.  He's tough to defend.  RAVENS, 27-17

Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans : Time for the Texans first win as they host the sputtering Jags.  The Texans are over their difficult streak of tough early opponents, and will look to regain form against division rival Jacksonville, whose quarterback is still showing the signs of his inexperience.  TEXANS, 23-16

Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs : The Raiders have a decent defense, but their secondary is a little slow.  Against a team like the Chiefs, that's a killer!  CHIEFS, 34-20

Los Angeles Rams at Washington Who-Cares : The Rams will use Washington as a warm-up game to their rivalry bout with the 49ers next week.  For Washington, who fell from the top of the NFC East (not an especially impressive place to begin with!) due to the Eagles first win, they want to look good.  Against the Rams defense?  Futile hope.  RAMS, 27-17

Philadelphia Eagles at Pittsburgh Steelers : The Steelers are anxious to play after sitting at home last week.  They will unleash all of their hyperactivity against the Eagles.  STEELERS, 24-13

Sunday late games

Denver Broncos at New England Patriots : The Patriots don't seem too sure who to put under center with Cam Newton out.  In this case, no matter who they use, they ought to be able to get past a slow Broncos defense.  On the other side of the ball, the Patriots defense will dominate the struggling Broncos offense.  PATS, 20-16

Indianapolis Colts at Cleveland Browns : This could be an interesting game!  The Colts and Phillip Rivers definitely have the strength, especially on the defensive side of the ball, to make things tough for the Browns.  But the Browns have improved this season, and their offense has just the right level of creativity to try something new and unexpected if they need a surprising play.  This game could come down to the last possession.  COLTS, 24-23

Miami Dolphins at San Francisco 49ers : The 49ers second stringers get one last (we believe) hurrah against a sagging Dolphins before some of the starters are due back from injured reserve.  49ERS, 17-16

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys : The Cowboys may be the best of the bunch in the NFC East.  While that isn't saying much, the Giants are definitely the worst of the bunch, and that's saying a lot.  COWBOYS, 20-17

Sunday night

Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks : The Vikings may have found some offensive life, but their defense won't be able to stop Russell Wilson and company.  SEAHAWKS, 30-24

Monday Night Football

Los Angeles Chargers at New Orleans Saints : The Saints should fair much better on Monday Night than they did two weeks ago on Sunday night.  The Chargers defense could give them some early struggles, but the Chargers offense will not be able to build up much of a lead.  The second half will go the Saints way.  SAINTS, 28-20

NFL 2020 Week 3 power rankings and Week 4 picks

NFL Team Power Rankings [Last week's position]

A lot of changes in the ranks, as some teams started feeling the pressure of injuries while others reached inside and found new strength.

1.  Green Bay Packers (3-0) [2] : Still keeping their injuries to a minimum, they are hoping to build a strong enough lead before their thin bench has to take the field.  With the Bears hot on their heels, though, they may not get that wish, although they are the hottest and highest scoring team in the league right now.

2.  Kansas City Chiefs (3-0) [6] : Knocking off the former #1 team in dominant style certainly earns you a huge jump on the Power Rankings, and only a fraction of a point behind the Pack.  The defending Super Bowl Champs are looking like the favorites to repeat.

3.  Indianapolis Colts (2-1) [NR] : Whoa, talk about dominance!  Granted, they played the worst offense in the league, but the Colts never let up, even when second-stringers like former starting QB Jacoby Brissett came on the field.

4.  Seattle Seahawks (3-0) [5] : A nice win over Dallas pulls the Seahawks up

5.  Baltimore Ravens (2-1) [1] : It's not just because they lost, but they never seemed to have control of the game at all on Sunday.  Good team, but their young quarterback brings a bit of inconsistency that will keep them bouncing up and down the Power Rankings.

6.  San Francisco 49ers (2-1) [12] : Talk about a deep bench!  Losing half of their first-string offense to injury, and four key defensive players, didn't matter at all to the 49ers, who made mincemeat out of a Saquon Barkley-less Giants team.

7.  Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0) [7] : The Steelers found ways to get around one of the strongest defenses in the league, plunging the Texans to an 0-3 record.

8.  Tampa Bay Bucs (2-1) [NR] : Okay, it hasn't taken Tom Brady very long to gel with his new team.  Look out, NFL, here comes the Bucs!

9.  Buffalo Bills (3-0) [9] : Their defense nearly allowed a near-historic comeback, but the offense had enough gas in the tank to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.  They need to work on consistency, as they have the talent and determination.

10. Chicago Bears (3-0) [10] : A sputtering offense completely turned around when Nick Foles took over as quarterback.  Still, their defense never should have allowed so many points scored.  A little tightening of the defense is in order.

11. New England Patriots (2-1) [14] : Okay, so far Cam Newton has played nice and is leading the team well.  We'll see how long that lasts, but Foxborough fans will enjoy it while it does.

12. Tennessee Titans (3-0) [11] : Nearly lost again, against another winless team.  If their game against Pittsburgh happens, I don't see them escaping that one unscathed.

NFL Division Power Rankings [Last week's position]

 1.  NFC West [1] : WAAAYYY out in front of any other division, this division has nothing but winners.

2.  AFC North [3] : Baltimore's loss doesn't hurt them that much, as Cleveland gets their first winning record (at ANY point in a season!) in six years and Cincy pulled out a tie against a better team.

3.  AFC West [2] : Losses by both the Chargers and Raiders pulled this division down, but there's still lots of potential here.

4.  NFC North [4] : Bears and Pack continue to win, and the Lions pulled off an upset over the Cards!  

5.  AFC South [5] : Impressive win by the Colts keeps this division on track

6.  AFC East [6] : Bills and Pats keep winning, and even Miami got a win

7.  NFC South [7] : Only one team with a positive point differential marks a division in disarray.  The Saints need to find some magic, and the Panthers may be wishing they hadn't let Cam Newton go.

8.  NFC East [8] :  Well, the league does need eight divisions.

Week 4 picks

Thursday night

Denver Broncos at New York Jets : Does anyone outside of the Denver and New York City viewing area even care about this one?  Oh well, I pick all the games, so I guess I have to choose a less pathetic team of the two.  That would be Denver.  BRONCOS, 17-13

Sunday early games

Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers : Teddy Bridgewater breathed life into the Panthers last week, but the Cardinals defense will make life hard for them again.  Kyler Murray showed why he still needs some work, but a blitzing defense will keep the Panthers behind.  CARDS, 30-23

Baltimore Ravens at Washington Whatchamacallits : Lamar Jackson and the Ravens will bounce back from the loss to the Chiefs and show why the NFC East is the worst division in football.  RAVENS, 27-20

Cleveland Browns at Dallas Cowboys : Odell Beckham Jr gave Dallas fits when he played with the Giants, so he's looking forward to doing it again on Sunday.  The 'Boys have just looked terrible on offense, but I have go with the Browns history -- just when something good happens to them (like, a long-awaited winning record), the wheels will unexpectedly come off.  COWBOYS in a 23-20 upset

Indianapolis Colts at Chicago Bears : With Nick Foles under center, the Colts defense won't quite know what to expect, and after the ass-chewing I'm sure Chuck Pagano will give the defense, they will come out stoked and punishing.  BEARS, 26-20

Jacksonville Jaguars at Cincinnati Bengals : I don't think last week's tie was a fluke.  I think the Bengals are starting to get it together, and they could muster their first win of the season.  BENGALS, 23-20

Los Angeles Chargers at Tampa Bay Bucs : Brady is warming to his new team, and so he'll keep the passes flying and the Bucs moving.  The Chargers defense is good, but Brady has a great field sense, and will keep them guessing.  BUCS, 27-23

Minnesota Vikings at Houston Texans : Like Thursday, another match-up of winless teams, but these two have more potential.  Both defenses have played well below their skill level, but I think the Texans will shape up first.  TEXANS, 27-20

New Orleans Saints at Detroit Lions : New Orleans could not get it together against the Pack on Sunday night, but the Lions are not nearly as strong, neither offensively nor defensively.  The Saints return to winning ways.  SAINTS, 31-17

Seattle Seahawks at Miami Dolphins : The Dolphins put together a good game last week, but the Seahawks defense will make that more difficult.  Furthermore, only two teams have scored more than 100 points in the first three weeks of play:  Green Bay and Seattle.  Their offense will overwhelm Miami.  SEAHAWKS, 27-16

Sunday late games

Buffalo Bills at Las Vegas Raiders : I think the Bills will face another close game and tough challenge, but again emerge victorious.  The Raiders start to peter out in the fourth quarter, when they might have a lead, but the Bills will engineer a stop, and then a thrilling field-goal-producing final drive.  BILLS, 24-23

New England Patriots at Kansas City Chiefs : The Pats defense is good, but not good enough to stop the charging Chiefs.  Can Cam Newton and company keep pace with Patrick Mahomes and his merry band of playmakers?  For awhile, but I don't think they can do it for a whole game.  CHIEFS, 34-20

New York Giants at Los Angeles Rams : After last week, would there be ANYONE picking the Giants?  RAMS, 24-13

Sunday night

Philadelphia Eagles at San Francisco 49ers : The Eagles want to bounce back from the embarrassing tie against the Bengals, but they face the incredible secondary wall of the 49ers.  I think their second stringers are, for the most part, better than the players starting for Eagles (of course, most of those 49ers second stringers ARE starting for them right now!), so this will be a 49ers victory.  49ERS, 23-17

Monday Night Football

Atlanta Falcons at Green Bay Packers : Green Bay's offense continues to roll.  Injuries have started to set in, but they still have enough tools to take an early lead and force Atlanta to throw, making it easier for the Packers defense.  PACK, 30-17

Postponed (day and time TBD)

Pittsburgh Steelers at Tennessee Titans : COVID-19 strikes the Titans, as several players and staff have tested positive.  As such, the league is preventing them from gathering, thoroughly cleaning their stadium, and looking at when it would be safe to play this game.  If it does take place (and right now there is a 50-50 chance the game will be cancelled, since their bye weeks are different), I think the Steelers are the stronger team.  Of course, when it does play, injuries may play a factor.  They are talking about possibly playing on Tuesday (which the medical professionals who advice the NFL are saying that is too soon).  If it plays in the next two weeks, before the Steelers and Titans play again, then I stick with my Steelers pick.  STEELERS, 27-17