*Rankings are based on expected end of season success*
10. Pittsburgh Steelers
9. Dallas Cowboys
8. Arizona Cardinals
7. Buffalo Bills
6. New Orleans Saints
5. Green Bay Packers
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3. Seattle Seahawks
2. Baltimore Ravens
1. Kansas City Chiefs
Many like the Ravens as the top team in the NFL. It is a fair argument; they are the hungrier team. They play a different style of football that is near impossible to defend.
Key word – near. We have seen it twice, when it matters most, a Ravens team that is down late struggles to comeback. When Jackson must throw the ball, and the defense knowing he is going to air it out, he is just not as effective. Until I see it, I can’t count on Lamar Jackson, down 10, 7-minutes remaining in the game.
The opposite, of course, is the case for the Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes has incomparable value that makes any deficit a winnable game for Kansas City. The addition of Clyde Edwards-Helaire adds depth to that offense that is unmatched.
Fortunately for us, we get an absolute bombshell of a game on Monday between the Chiefs and the Ravens. This is Brady-Peyton, Alabama-LSU, The Rock-Stone Cold, and any other example of two titans of their sport duking it out in their primes!
As for the rest of the rankings, if Mike McCarthy can develop a consistent offensive game plan that is any flavor but vanilla, the Cowboys are the clear-cut NFC East Champion. We saw how dangerous that team could be when they came back against the Falcons on Sunday. (Pay Dak!)
The Saints seem to be in the same spot every year. Every postseason, a close game with a wacky ending ends their season before they can truly reach their potential (Minnesota Miracle in 2017, non-call on obvious DPI in 2018, and Kirk Cousins actually playing well on the road in 2019).
This year, I am not buying it. Drew Brees has showed his age slowly but surely, and this is the year I just cannot see a deep post season run for New Orleans.
