Fantasy Football Daily - Champ and Chump of the Week + Week 10 Power Rankings | NFL First Read

Episode Date: November 5, 2024

Welcome to First Read, your go-to podcast for the latest in NFL analysis and insights. Join hosts Brett Whitefield and Joe Marino as they break down Champ and Chump of the Week + Week 10 Power Rankings. Whether you're a fantasy football enthusiast, a die-hard fan, or just looking to stay informed on all things NFL, "First Read" has you covered. Tune in for expert opinions, detailed breakdowns, and engaging discussions every week. Don't miss out on the ultimate NFL podcast experience! Where to find us: http://twitter.com/BGWhitefield http://twitter.com/TheJoeMarino Find Our Podcasts Here - https://www.fantasypoints.com/media/podcasts#/ Use promo code - SCOREMORE for 10% off of your subscriptions Subscribe to FantasyPoints for FREE - https://www.fantasypoints.com/plans#/ Check out The Waiver Wire - https://www.fantasypoints.com/nfl/articles/2024/the-waiver-wire-week-5#/ FantasyPoints Website - https://www.fantasypoints.com NEW! Data Suite - https://data.fantasypoints.com Twitter - https://twitter.com/FantasyPts Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/FantasyPts Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/FantasyPts TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@fantasypts #fantasypoints #nfl #fantasyfootball #dynastyfantasyfootball #FantasyFootballAdvice #dynastypoints #dynasty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First read. We are your first read, the film and analytics podcast featuring Joe Marino of lockdown and myself, Brett Whitefield, the C-O-O of Fantasy Points. This podcast is powered by the Fantasy Points. Data Suite, let's get after it. Joe Marino, we are halfway through the season, and I know you loved my intro. I went full metal right there. Full metal singer, grit in the voice, you know, vocal fry, as we call that.

And so, yeah, how are you doing this morning, buddy? Bro, I feel them doing great. Midway through the season. How weird is that to say? I hate it because it's going to be gone so fast. So fast. Like a thief in the night. It just snatches us.

You got to cherish these full weekends of football, man. You only get so many of them a year. It's like watching a kid grow up, man. Just next thing you know, your kid's nine. And you're like, whoa, I'm halfway. Yeah, I'm not, I'm not there yet. I'm not there. We're four and seven months.

My wife hit me with this last week, like late at night. We're about to go to bed. She's like, hey, babe, you realize we're like halfway through with our oldest? And like, bro, it hit me like a truck. Like I got all emotional. I was like, oh my gosh. Like I've never thought of that. Why did you say that, you know?

Well, but you also staggered it out well. You got like three more less than that, you know. So you're halfway through with one, but you're, yeah, I mean, you got a lot of years, bro. A lot of years. You're going to have great. grandkids and all that. It's going to be crazy. It is going to be crazy. All right. Well, we're throwing in a new,

a new kind of segment into the hopper today. It's going to be called champ and chump where we nominate a champ and chump of the week. You know, this is week nine of the NFL season. So, Joe, why don't you get us started here? I want to give you my chump of the week first. Let's start with a little shade. I love it. I want to extend to Mr. Todd Bulls.

Come on, Todd. Come on, Todd. You been paying attention to the league. You know what's up with that Patrick Mahomes guy and the Chiefs? You call that timeout. Are you nuts? Completely unnecessary considering you had plenty of time to operate, score the touchdown.

You got up Patrick Mahomes time. And then you silly, silly man, not going for two. On the road in Kansas City. End that thing right there. Don't leave it up to chance. Don't leave it up to everything that needs. to go right after that. Make it come down to one play or your team gets a couple of yards and you go

win the game. It's just the one thing you don't do in the NFL is give Patrick Mahomes more chances to beat you. Folks, I know this better than anybody. I know this better than anybody. Don't give him more chances. Todd, chump of the week for sure. Oh, man.

What a mess. First and one from the one, Joe, and my guy calls a timeout. Like, did you really feel like you needed 33 seconds to punch the ball in there? You could run five plays with 15 seconds from the one. Indefensible, Brent Whitefield. Yeah, yeah, that was bad, man. That's a good chump call. My chump call is a little more personal to me.

I'm going with Green Bay Packers offensive linemen. Elton Jenkins. This guy, man, what a, what a chump comment after this Lions game. He says, quote, the team who executed today won, not the better team. Brother, what do you think football is? Better teams execute. That's the point of the game, my guy. What are we talking about?

The better team didn't win because the other team executed. I don't understand. my guy. You can live in denial all you want, Elton, but you got out executed. Ergo, you're not the better team. Taking on the identity of the fan base, man. Ooh, that's a good call there. Like the superiority situation here with the Packers and thinking that everything's great about them all the time is insane.

The reality is, for the Packers, we're going to do power rankings today, the Packers are not playing great football. Like be happy that you're 6 and 3 going into Dubai because it could be worse. It could be a lot worse. Yep. This is true. All right. So who's your champ?

Champ of the week. Champ of the week for me, we're going to go personal for this one, Brett Whitefield. Very unexpected hero coming through with a 61-yard field goal to beat the Miami Dolphins. Tyler Bass. And it's not just that he made a 61-yard field goal, right? That's an impressive feat, a franchise record, never been to kick longer. Fifty-nine was the previous long. Steve Christie in 1993. Tyler Bass, plenty of distance, split the uprights. It was a beautiful kick, but Tyler Bass has been bad. He's been not a very good kicker since about midway through last season after he had signed like a very lucrative extension that paid him well as a

kicker. He earned that extension. but the wheels fell off last year about mid-season. And it wasn't just like missing long kicks, man. He's having short kicks blocked, missing extra points. Of course, missed the field goal against Kansas City that ended the bill's season. It was just a lot of kicks, man. He even missed an extra point earlier in that game. And the problem is the bill signed him to this contract.

And like, if they released him, it would be $7 million in dead cap. And that's just bad business, right? You don't want to like move on from an inconsistent kicker to just bring in some other inconsistent kicker while absorbing $7 million in dead cap. So the bills did the thing they could do is make it a competition. They signed someone to the practice squad, Lucas Aversick, and he's on the practice squad for a couple of weeks. They actually released him this week.

They said, okay, Bass, you're better than Haverick. You get to be our kicker. And Bass makes from 40, 49, and 61 to win the game. Tyler Bass, welcome back to the good graces of Bill's Mafia with hitting a 60. Like, you wonder what he would have to do to erase everything that's happened over the last year. And the answer to that is a 61-yard field goal to beat the Miami Dolphins. That's what gets you the back end of the good graces. I texted you right when I happened.

I think I said, holy Tyler Bass. Dude, you should, I should send you my Fitbit stats for that game. I got 99 zone minutes, Brett, 99. I burned over a thousand calories watching the Bills game. I got intense. No, I am not kidding. I have intense heart rates for this. I've never seen anything like this.

Was it so intense because there's like an embarrassment factor if you lose to that Dolphins team? Or like what was causing that intensity? I get it was a tight game, but like you're a veteran at this point. Like what's going on? You know, Brett, I'm a very level-headed fan. So I built, I burnt 920 calories watching the game. An hour and 33 minutes of exercise zone activity.

Absolutely insane. Intense activity for 80 minutes. I'm a very level-headed fan. I believe that should be totally true. I don't allow the results of a football game that I can't control, impact the way that I treat other people or the way that I treat my family. It doesn't put me in a bad mood all week. But as somebody who does 13 episodes a week across all my podcast,

six of them on the Buffalo Bills, do you think I want to spend an entire week talking about a bill's loss of the Dolphins? I didn't want it. I didn't want that. And you know, I do so many different things with Bill's Mafia to create community. I have a subtext community. I have a Discord. You know, I, I kind of do it different.

I'm not just somebody that records podcasts and writes articles and goes, you plays golf, right? I'm very interactive with the community. I didn't want to have to deal with it all week, man. I didn't want it. So, like, there's another layer to it. I want the bills to win for all the reasons any fan will want their team to win. But it's not like it doesn't leave me, man. I got to deal with it.

And so that that's what fueled it. It's like all of that. And then like I'll be completely honest with you. Listenership after a loss drops about 25 to 30%. So not only did my team lose and I have to have annoying conversations all week, I get paid less. Come on. You know what I mean?

Like you want to. So why does my heart rate spike in a football game like that? Hopefully that answers your question. Wow. That's quite the look behind the curtain there for the minded Joe. Oh. hilarious though i i don't think i track my my fitbit stats for for when i'm watching a lines game but i would say the last two years it's been relatively nice you know but all right my

champ of the week is cincinnati bengals edge defender trey hendricksson four sack performance now listen he's not coming he's not coming well i know i know it's okay i still think he's a great player and i want to want to honor the man today now all four of those sacks weren't of the high quality variety right he had a couple cleanup sacks in there But what he did, the Thayer Munford, in the third quarter of that game, I, you know, rest in peace, Thayer. Family's got to schedule a funeral this week because Hendrickson killed him. Did you see this play, Joe? Bro.

I actually didn't see it. No, I don't know the play. Do you remember the Aidan Hutchinson play against Ohio State, his senior year at Michigan, where he basically tells, who is that? Yes. It was a guy plays in the NFL now. was it MPF who's MPF Nicholas Petit Freer

yes it was yes yeah so and he kind of like just absolutely wrecks him just runs right through him that's basically what Henderson did Hendrickson did but to an NFL player in Thayer Munford where he just two hands him in the chest forklifts him two feet off the ground and just throws him

backwards and then sacks the quarterback it happens so fast one of the best sacks I've seen actually it is the best sack I've seen this season incredible stuff he now leads the NFL in sacks what an absolute monster performance did you just watch it yeah i found the play i found the play yeah easy to search that one because everyone was like right uh so mumford let's talk about hand carriage and hand placement and strike timing uh come on man a power rusher like this you're just giving him your chest what are we doing fair what are we doing my theory is so uh hendrickson did beat him with like a a speed rush to a cross chop on the out like winning the outside

probably like two plays in a row right before this. So I think he was oversetting, just thinking it was going to be late hands and then just all of a sudden just got ran through like a truck. Pretty awesome, man. You know, I think one of my favorite qualities, favorite and most important qualities in a pass rusher that probably doesn't get talked enough about

is being able to read the set, right? You've got to be able to tack these tackles where they're most vulnerable. And whether they open their hips too wide, they lead the inside gap wide open, they're laid on their hands. Like you've got to find those little things that's going to allow you to soften an angle and get to the quarterback. And this is great vision, right?

I think this is great vision on this rep by Trey Hendrickson to know exactly how to attack Theramunford. And boy, put a fun one on the highlight reel. Absolutely. All right. If you're watching this on YouTube, by the way, go comment below who your champ and chump of the week are. All right.

Champs, chumps in the books. Fun way to start the Tuesday episode. We'll be doing that every week moving forward. Coming up next, power ranking. It's midway through the season. We're stacking this entire NFL, 1 through 32. We got a conversation on every team coming your way here. The rest of the way, be sure to stick with us.

We got a lot of conversations to have about who the best teams are, who the worst teams are, who's the middle of the pack. I got them stacked 1 to 32. You got them stacked 1 to 32. Let's get into it. Let's start with the best of the best. We'll focus this segment on the top 10 teams in the NFL. The one thing that we haven't solidified is if we're going to go one to 10 or 10 to 1.

So how do you want to do that? I thought we're going to go three segments back to front every time. So 10 to 1 here. Then we'll back it up. Go. Yeah, I got you. Got you. So here's the deal, right?

When I went through and did this, I have a list of all the teams and out of an alphabetical order. And I immediately said to myself, okay, let me just spitball this and not in any particular order, but put them in the buckets. I think this is a top 10 team. I think this is a middle 10 and I think this is back 12. My initial bucket of just kind of manipulating a spreadsheet of the top 10 had 12 teams in it. So I say that to say the team that I have at 10, not really that much different than who I'm going to have at 11 and 12. So interesting kind of that bucket that I feel like the first nine, I don't know, maybe the first 12 were easy to get to, but that stacking the last four or five was difficult. Anyways, let's get into it.

your number 10 team in the NFL. The Atlanta Falcons. Atlanta Falcons are good. Good football team. I think they've got off to a little bit of a rough start. Kirk, you know, had to shake off the rust a little bit.

He missed some time with the Achilles and they're a good football team, man. Defense probably isn't even playing as good as they had hoped it would, right? They need some pass rush help. Maybe they get some of the, today is trade deadline day, by the way, guys. We don't have any news for you yet, but, you know, maybe by the time you're listening to this,

there's plenty of news. but yeah i mean they need a little passers help but man the defense is still holding up at times they're making plays in good situational football uh red zone um defense is good and then the offense is just awesome their offense is really good dude it's jelled the old lines playing well the run game is robust they got multiple pass catchers now Kyle Pitts has come alive they finally they're using him correctly which is unlocked the whole offense he's not he they're not trying to use him as like this big slot out wide guy he's more of an in line he's more of an in line he's not he's not he's not he's not trying to use him as like this big slot out wide guy he's more of an inline vertical field stretcher now, which is what I've been saying all along.

He's more of a gronk than he is, a Kelsey. You got to use him that way. So love the Falcons. Yeah, I do too. I love them a lot more than you. So they're coming here in a little while for me. So you have them at number 10. That's not my number 10 team.

My number 10 team is the Pittsburgh Steelers leading the AFC North with a six and two mark. Now, their schedule gets tough here, man. There's no doubt about it. We're going to find out after the buy how good the Steelers team is where they go to Washington and then literally all of their division games. And then their non-division games are Philly and Kansas City. So they play the NFC, or excuse me, the AFC North, Washington, Baltimore, Kansas City. I mean, we're going to find out about Pittsburgh.

But so far, you have to like a lot of what's happening here. They've won three in a row. And to me, it's the inevitable Steeler script. They get big plays on defense. defense. They get big plays on special teams. They can run the ball. And I think they got a little bit more juice now in the passing game with some of the explosive plays that Russ Wilson is able to generate. And maybe they're not going to run the table or, you know, go. And they played nine. They've got, what is it got eight left to play. Maybe they don't go six and two or whatever.

I'm terrible at math. When I'm, ever, I'm trying, maybe they stumble, you know, they might split the rest of the way. but I think this team, based on just their formula, is something that I like, man, that defense is legit. They get big plays, and I feel like, I feel like in some ways Russ has stabilized the offense here of late. I like the Steelers more than you. So they're coming for me. They're coming for me.

But I agree with everything you just said. The defense really is a special unit. When you have the pass rush capabilities they have, now listen, they have the best four-man rush in the league. How many times have we said that on the show the course of the season? Oh, we've been saying it since before. the year. Yeah. And then on top of that, if they have to dial up a blitz, which they don't do very often, they have very good blitz packages. And then you add a guy like JPJ to the mix, who is a

lockdown corner, good pass rush with a guy who can take away the best receiver. That's a deadly combo, man. And even though their linebackers are kind of, it doesn't matter, man. This, this team gets after it. You nailed it with Russ. He stabilized the offense. They're kind of, he plays the Arthur Smith brand of football very well where it's like, hey, we're going to take our shots downfield. And if it's not there, we're going to take checkdowns and just try to move the ball. And they got the run game going. The rookies on the offensive line are playing very well right now. So like what I see. All right. I guess you went first with 10. I'll go first with nine. For me, number nine, a team we've already kind of talked a little bit about today. It's a

Green Bay Packers who currently sit third in the north at six and three. And I've been impressed with their defense at times this year. I think maybe they can use a little bit more help in the secondary if they can find another corner and that might be helpful to their endeavors here. But what I can really appreciate is the injuries that they've kind of had on offense and how they've been able to still be a quality offense. And I think for them to be six and three while having the injuries that they've had and also like just not necessarily playing their best football, relying a lot on takeaways earlier in the season. Now they're becoming more generous, giving the ball away on offense. They got some things that they have to clean up. And I think for them

to be at this point and be six and three is a pretty good spot to be. I think it's their buy week comes. Obviously, you don't love going into a buy after losing a home game to the Lions. But to be able to kind of reset, get healthy, and gear up for a run here, I think they're in a pretty good spot. So I think their best football is ahead of them. And I think six and three number nine team in the league is not a bad place for them to be considering where they were last year at this point. Still adjusting to a lot of newness on the defense. I think their buy comes at a good time. I'm expecting big things from them down the stretch.

Packers were also my number nine team. So we got that simpatico there. I like a lot of what you said. For me, I think the bones here are still really, really good to have a great season. obviously I don't even at six and three I don't think they've played kind of where they want to play jordan love lead leads the NFL and interceptions and he's only he's only played what six of the games so seven seven of the game so he's missed two games he leads leads the NFL interceptions um not great he's got to clean that up right you got to get healthy too um those two things

happen i think this is a legitimate super bowl candidate team the defense has played very well they've been putting some really bad spots with the turnovers man and and they've they've come through most the time. They would be higher on my list, actually, if they didn't just get beat on their home field by the Lions in a rain game, which everyone claimed they were better suited to win because they're familiar with it. If they would have pulled that out there, they'd be way higher on my list. Has there ever been a quarterback that leads the NFL in interceptions, but also has the lowest percentage of dropbacks that result in a sack? Because that's where Jordan Love is right now. Yeah, I mean, their pass per unit's always phenomenal, right? It was great.

last year too yeah that's crazy good stat well we'll see if it holds that those those numbers don't feel like they should be correlative though so i if you had one of those graphs you know one axis is this you feel like that would not put you in a normal spot all right number eight who you got i have the minnesota vikings another nfc north team um now listen i i i was splitting hairs here trying to figure out who i liked better between the vikings and packers i will say this i like the long-term prospects of the Packers this year a little bit better. But right now, in the way I kind of did these power rankings is like if I had to play any of these teams right now in a Super Bowl situation, who would I not want to play? And the Vikings,

a lot of my criteria as well. I thought about that a lot. Yeah. The Vikings right now are just playing a little bit better than the Packers. Darnold, obviously, we've criticized him. He's kind of turned into a little bit of a pumpkin. But they have so many weapons. It just doesn't matter sometimes. Jefferson's awesome. Addison's awesome. The nailer's good as a wide receiver three. Hockinson's back. Run game looks awesome. Offensive lines jelled a little bit here. And then obviously you got the opportunistic defense that they have with all the crazy blitzing. They force a lot of turnovers. I, yeah, I like a lot of what the Vikings are doing. And right now, I'm a little more scared of them than the Packers. I have the Vikings at 8 as well.

So this is cool. We seem like we're a little bit different on Pittsburgh and Atlanta, but we have the same teams at 8 and 9. This is my justification for having the Vikings over the Packers. First of all, the Vikings beat the Packers. So that matters in Green Bay. Oh, man, that's, is that two division home losses for the Packers? Wow. Yeah. And then the other thing is like Minnesota, look at their losses. They lose a tight game against Detroit, three point loss of Detroit. And then there are other losses a short week on the road against the Rams. And the Rams got healthy, right? All of a sudden, like out of nowhere, They got healthy.

So I can kind of live with that. I think defensively, obviously, this team is a bit of a juggernaut. And their schedule is really soft. I mean, they're going to rip off a bunch of wins here. So I think they're going to have some staying power here. And I mean, they're six and two. And we talked about their two losses. They have a head to head win over the Packers.

I think they deserve to be higher than the Packers right now. Good. Number seven for me, staying in the NFC. we're going to the Philadelphia Eagles, a team that I think is waking up in a lot of ways. They're at six and two. You watch this team earlier in the season. They have a two and two start before they're by, and you started to just wonder about all the issues that they had last year.

And I think the one thing that we probably forgot about is there now four and oh since the buy is they had a new coordinator on both sides of the ball. And that stuff takes a little bit of time. And I think a four game inventory to assess into a buy week has positioned them well. They've come out with four wins in a row. known that they haven't beat anybody particularly good, but I think that win in Cincinnati says a lot, a 20 point win against Cincinnati. I think their defense is absolutely coming together. Cooper to Jean and the slot has been a revelation for them. I think they're playing a lot better there.

And I think offensively, they've dealt with a lot of injuries with skill players. But it feels like it's starting to click being able to lean on Saquan, who's been really, really productive, AJ Brown down the field. I think Hertz is playing a lot better. their offensive line, it doesn't seem to matter who's playing. Jeff Southland gets it out of them. I like where this Eagles team is heading, which I was a little bit unsure if I get to this point after watching them earlier this year.

And then, of course, what happened down the stretch in 2023? Eagles are balling right now, Joe. I have them even higher than you. The thing for me, Jalen Hertz looks back. He looks right again. The progressions, the decision-making has improved since the by week. I think going into the buy, he basically had an even touchdown to turnover ratio. Since the buy, he's got 12 TDs, no turnovers.

So dude is balling. A.J. Brown being back, thankfully, they dodged a bullet with him this week, it looks like. And then Devante Smith is also balling right now. Like everything they're doing, the pass rushes also come alive. Nolan Smith is getting a little bit better. Those detackles are coming alive inside. So I think that's really helped the defense. Quinnian Mitchell is also bawling.

Eagles are, if they do this for the rest of the year, they're going to be scary. No one's going to want to play them in the playoffs because we know what they're capable of when they're at their peak. Well, and dude, the rest of the way, they've got a date with the Rams. They go at Baltimore. They got a home game with the Steelers and the rest. It's soft. Well, no, I forget the commanders are good.

You got to remember the commanders are a good team. Yeah, and that's like the division likely that game. Yeah. Okay. I lied. Their schedule is not soft. They have a very difficult schedule. Two against the commanders.

They've got two against the commanders. They've got Pittsburgh, at Baltimore, at the Rams. Their only easy games are the two against Dallas and the Giants. Those are potential all the Panthers. Yeah. Man, it's going to be fun of the NFC. Nice.

Am I up here? No. You just went, you're seven. I'm going my seven. Okay, your seven? Is the Pittsburgh Steelers, who we've already talked about. You had them 10. So we've already talked about the Steelers.

So give us your six. The team we already talked about the Atlanta Falcons. I have a number six. I'm in, man. I'm in on Atlanta. I've been in on Atlanta. I like Kirk, man. I like Kirk.

He plays quarterback the right way, dude. And I think he's hitting the big plays down the field to like Darnell Mooney. Him coming alive has been really cool. I think they're kind of figuring things out on how to, you know, work their backs in tandem. I think defensively, I'm hopeful that they can add a pass rusher. And they're going to run away with this division. Let's be honest with it. So I like, I like Rant-Lanazat and I think you got staying power here.

Yeah, I agree with that for sure. My six, Washington commanders. Man, I like what I've seen. I'm still a little skeptical, Joe. I don't know why. I don't know what it is. Oh, you know why, because their talent's not that good. Like, their offensive line talent, their defensive talent.

They don't have much in terms of skill players. What they're doing with the offensive line and the edge talent is crazy. I just feel like at some point that's going to bite them. I don't know, though. Dan Quinn might just be the best coach ever. Who knows? But that's why I'm a little skeptical. They're playing great ball right now, though,

and Jadennells is obviously a stud. So, yep, I don't have much more to say. No, I, so what's interesting is I have Washington is my number five. Okay, so we're having the right conversation. It feels like we're going to have the same combination of teams in the top four. Here's the thing with Washington, man. Like, they're seven and two, and it's not like they don't have good wins.

They went into Cincinnati and won. They went to Arizona and won. They played Baltimore a lot tougher than I thought they would. They found a way against Chicago in a game where they didn't play their best football and won a football game. They were in control against the Giants. Like, they destroyed Cleveland. I like what's happening here.

And their offense is surely legit. Defensively, Dan Quinn's getting the most out of the unit. They have some fun individual players. and I think for them to be seven and two and saying, man, I don't think their offensive lines really that good in terms of talent. I think they can use a whole lot more at wide receiver, defensively upgradable, literally everywhere. I'd like it.

And I understand the reasons for concern, but when they played Baltimore tough, it said a lot to me about what this team's going to be. Now look, they get the Steelers next. They go to Philly. They got another one against Philly. They got Atlanta. You know, they're going to get some tests along the way,

but I think that they've, their resume tells us that they deserve to be right here. I have them at five. Where do you have them? Uh, la, blah, blah. Six, right? Yeah, six. Okay. Yeah.

So. So we got your five now. We need your five. We know my five is the Philadelphia Eagles. We've already talked about. You had, you know, at seven. Yeah, Eagles, it's going to, the Eagles commanders race in the East is fascinating, man. that's going to be a great. Obviously, they have two games against each other.

That's probably going to just hold the division there. Right. So now we need your four. All right. So this is this. I feel like this is kind of like the top tier teams in the league. My number four team is the Buffalo Bills. They're seven and two.

Damn near clinched the AFC East already. They're four and a half games up in the division. I think there's a lot to like about the way Josh Allen's playing football. Obviously, a big story is, is how he's taking care of the football. He's thrown interception the last two games. Neither one has been a turnover worthy thrill. Cooper falls out at the top of his route.

The ball goes through Keon Coleman's hands and deflects into the air for Jalen Ramsey to pick it off. But it's sort of the taking care of the football, but Josh Allen continues to share, tell us this year that he's going to be a mature quarterback. It's not just like with being better with decision-making in terms of turnover-worthy throws. He's taking checkdowns.

He's not big play hunting all the time. His average air yards per attempt against Miami, 3.7 yards, the lowest of his career. And like normally you could cash a quarterback for that, but they play, they lived. I got the fantasy points data suite. I know I get these data, this information. They were 61% Miami cover three, cover four, man.

They were taking away everything deep. They said, Josh, we don't think you'll be patient. Josh said bet. And he was rewarding. He dumped that one down to your guy, Ray Davis, houses it for 63 yards. He's taking checkdowns on play action. Josh Allen, are you kidding?

And if you have the fantasy points data, you can sort all the information. You can see what Josh Allen splits are when he takes a checkdown. He gets the most production in the league on checkdowns. He was 18% checkdowns against Miami, dude. He's playing smart, mature quarterback. The bill's zone rushing offense creeping up towards the best in the league. Success rate on zone runs, 77% against Miami.

They're top three, and they're not far away from being number one. zone rushing offense is coming together. I like it. I like where the bills are at. Now, they have two bad losses to the Ravens and Texans, so that hurts. But I think the bills, I don't worry about the bills and, like, resume of wins against good teams. I just don't. You know, they've told us a lot about who they are as a team since 2020. And they'll get their chances, man.

They get Kansas City, they get San Francisco to L.A., to Detroit. God help us that week. They're going to have the test the rest of the way. We'll find out. Bills are also four for me. Your points about Josh Allen are salient. You look at the elite quarterbacks in the league, whether it's Patrick Mahomes or Joe Burrow or now I would say Jared Gough in the way he's playing. The common denominator is take what the defense gives you.

Don't put the ball in harm's way. Just keep the ball moving, get down to the red zone and score touchdowns. And that's what Josh Allen is doing. I would say those four guys are definitely in that mold. Yeah, one of my favorite stats when doing power rankings is point differential. I know it can be misleading if you've got one. blowout, man, bills are number one in the AFC in point differential. I know the schedule's

been a little soft, but man, that's impressive to me considering they also have two losses. 35 to 10 loss to frigging Baltimore. Right, and they still have the second best point differential in the league, which is, and number one in the AFC, that's crazy bro. So, yeah, I like the bills.

Number four for me. You're three? We need my three. My three might surprise you, Joe. It's the Kansas City Chiefs. and I know there ain't no. I know on paper they got the best record. They got the best quarterback in the league, Joe. People are going to think I'm crazy.

They got D-Hop now. He's balling. There's just something about the Chiefs that's just bothering me so bad. They don't seem to have, there's no dynamicism on any point on this team, on defense or on offense. It's kind of weird.

It's a very just stale, blase team. I feel like they've had kind of a softer schedule so far, minus the Baltimore game. I don't know, man. There's something I don't like about this team. And I can't put my finger on it. Every game is a tight game for the most part. They're eight and no,

but their point differential is only 56 plus 56, which, yeah, it's good, but it's not, it's not that of an elite team. If you look at elite teams from past, Super Bowl teams, even the Chiefs last year, it's just not what works. We've come to expect from them. So they're my three.

They're not my three. I think you're getting duped, man. You're falling into it. You're falling into the thing here. Don't do it, man. I'll talk about Kansas City here in just a minute. My number three is the six and three Baltimore Ravens. Obviously, tough to reconcile a loss to the Browns.

I mean, unless you just are reminded of the interceptions that they dropped. But division games are weird, especially on the road. It's hard to reconcile a loss to the Raiders. Come on. What's going on here? but that was week two. It's early in the season. And since then, they've won six to seven.

Good wins against Buffalo smoked them. They beat Cincy. They beat Washington. Smoke the Broncos. I think this, like, going back to what you said about who don't you want to play, right? I don't want to play the Ravens, man. I don't want to deal with this team. Their front is so stout on defense.

Obviously, they got some issues with their coverage, but it's, I feel like they got enough talent. don't think they have a talent efficiency in their back seven whatsoever. Well, they're, they slowly getting it together too. Right. I think they're going to be, I think they're going to be okay in that capacity. Like, I think that's definitely, they've, we've been that at this point with Baltimore so many different times where it's like, oh, I don't think they could sell up the pass.

Well, okay. Early in the season, that's like a very common theme. Remember Miami comeback a couple years ago, they score like 50 points in the fourth quarter. They come back and win it on a bunch of 80-yard. touchdowns like the most ridiculous thing you've ever seen. So yeah, there's some things they've got to figure out on defense. But the efficiency that Lamar is playing with in the passing game, what this run game is, they don't turn over the ball on offense.

They're a problem. I don't want to deal with the Ravens, man. So the whole argument of who don't I want to play, I don't want to play the Ravens. And that's was the tiebreaker for me between them and the Chiefs. Like who I was going to rank ahead. He's like, man, if I have. to play any team. I'd rather play the Chiefs right now than the Ravens, man.

100%. So that's why I have the Ravens ahead of them. So, okay, you're two. My two is the Detroit line. So I've got a feeling is going to be your number one team. And look, I think I think the conversation here is more about, it's more about Kansas City than it is Detroit, to be honest with you, because I have Detroit at two and I have Kansas City at one, obviously. And what it comes down to me with for Kansas City, man. I get it, dude. I get it. They're not like blowing teams out. Has every game been a one score game? Except for San Francisco, I'm pretty sure. No, San Francisco in New Orleans. Everything else has been tight. And they're just an efficient operation. They're number one and third downs.

They find ways to win. Like, they just at some point, they know how to push the button and they win a football game. And I think this team is not what they were built to be. in the offseason. They wanted to be very different. And they've had to morph into something else with the injuries to Rice, Hollywood Brown. Those are big losses. They've become a very different team on offense. And the fact that like, oh, yeah, they're not playing great, but they're 8 and 0. They're the only team in the league that can say that. I, they won three of the last five Super Bowls, the last two. All the benefit of the doubt goes to the Kansas City Chiefs. And you can make, I know you're going to have a great case for the Lions.

And I'll let you make it. They're my number two team. They're awesome. I don't want to play them either. But Kansas, if there's ever a team in the history of football that's earned the benefit of the doubt is Kansas City, the 8-0 Kansas City Chiefs. Yeah,

I don't disagree with anything you said about the Chiefs. In fact, you go back to the comments made about the Packers where I said, I think they have the bones to make a legit run. Obviously, that's true for the Chiefs. And I think maybe eight weeks from now, that's the team everyone's scared of because they're still, playing good still playing hot i just think for right now the way the teams are playing i just think

the ravens and lines are playing better football um ravens obviously were my two by the way lions are my one you got that correct joe um here's what it is with the lions for me and why they're my number one team they are destroying everybody and they do you realize how historical the run they're on is right now every week there is a new record being broken by this team um so like last year you look at their trajectory. Every week was a new franchise record being broken. This year, it's every week there's a new NFL record being broken. Here's a, here's just a couple just from this week. Did you see the Amon Ra 30 for 30 stat? No. Amman Rae, St. Brown, and Jared Gough have hooked up for their 30 for 30 on their last 30 targets to Amonra, St. Brown. 30 for 30. Is this Josh

Allen to Kalil Shakir? Well, the difference is, is these, some of these throws have been super high degree of difficulty. NGS, they track probability statistics, you know, obviously, and they use the GPS tracking to do that. There was a 0.001% chance that these two would go 30 for 30 on those 30 targets. That is insane. It's NGS called it the thing that's happened that's been the least likely to happen in the last, you know, since they've been doing data, which is crazy. Furthermore, the lines point differential at the halfway point is plus 110. You have to go back 25 years to find a team doing what they're doing. In fact, the 07 Patriots were comparable.

I think they were plus 100 at the halfway point. Obviously, they were great. They went undefeated in that season. But to find a team who was plus 110, you had to go back to the 99 St. Louis Rams, the greatest show on turf, where they were plus 110. at the halfway point or through eight games, whatever, whatever the stat is. Absolutely incredible. They're plus 108 in the last six, Joe, in their last six games on the six game

win streak plus 108. To find a win streak that dominant, you have to go back 35 years. I mean, this is insane stuff. They are doing things no one in the league is doing or has done any time recently. And it's not like they're playing cupcakes either, Joe. They've played good teams. Obviously, the Titans stink. but they just beat their arch nemesis and the Green Bay Packers on their home turf in the rain

when nobody said they could win in the rain. Nobody said, you know, everyone thinks Jared Goff stinks in weather conditions. He went out there and went 11 for 11 to start the game. I mean, I'm just the amount of adversity this team has had to overcome too, I think gives them a nice feather in the cap for later in the season when they have to play in these tough pressure situations in the playoffs. There isn't anything. There isn't a team I'd want to play.

less than the Lions right now. That's what it comes down to. I think they are scary. They can beat you pretty much any way they want on offense. Obviously, they got to go trade for a pass rusher. So I think that's the missing thing. They get a Zadarius Smith or an Arden Key or something like that. I feel really, really good about this. But for now, man, they're just blowing teams out.

They're game playing. They're best coach team in the league, I think, by far. What's going to stop the train, man? Should we just go ahead and put the Lombardi in Detroit or what? well obviously you get in the play of football anything can happen right tight games but yeah what's going to stop the train they run up against a team that can overcome you know their lack of pass rush i think so right now one of the things i love though about what they're doing and why the lack of pass rush isn't killing them yet is they have the dudes to play the coverage types they want this man

coverage man match mirror system that aaron glen runs where they are contesting everything Every single route is tightly covered. The amount of plays you see where an opposing wide receiver is catching the ball open against the lines is like nothing. There's none. It doesn't exist. Every single ball is contested that's thrown downfield. I would say 10 yards or more downfield. If you want to get open looks against the lines, you have to throw underneath.

And they're one of the best tackling teams in the NFL. They're linebackers. Jack Campbell and Alex Insolone are playing out of their mind. Brian Branch is incredible, you know, near the line of scrimmage. There's also not a better mismatch weapon on defense in the league than Brian Branch, a guy who can play all the safety spots. He's got great insings, can drop and play zone, but he also can come up and play man coverage.

It allows them to sit in their base packages a little bit more because he can come play man coverage in the slot. He can cover a tight end one-on-one. I mean, they have the goods, man. They have the goods to be great. I really do think they're the best team in the NFL. I look forward to the Thanksgiving 2020. one revenge game or was a 2020 revenge game for the Lions against the bills in week 15.

We know that they're probably stewing over that for the last several years. Stefan Diggs over the middle of the field, game winner from Tyler, Tyler Bass. You're trying to hurt me right now? You think I'm excited about playing the Lions on the road in week 15? You think that gets me excited? No, it doesn't. Oh, one other point about the Lions show. They only have one more outdoor game the rest of the season.

Oh, thank God. It's at Chicago, right? At Chicago, yeah. Good luck to the Houston Texans walking into this buzzsaw in week 10. Okay, that's the top 10. Coming up here, we're going to go to the next 10, 11 through 20. Be sure to stick with us. All right, Brett Whitefield.

So do we actually start at 20 or 21? I'm so terrible at this. You're terrible at this. No, it's 11 through 20, right? All right. So, yeah, yeah, so we'll start at 20. Start at 20. What do you think at this point?

Let's just go. Let's just go in order from this point. Do you feel like that's easier? Sure. Yeah, we can do that. Go in order. We'll also pick up the pace a little bit now that we're through the meat here. Through the.

Yeah. So just throw your 11. My 11's a team and I'm real nervous about it. It's a Houston Texans. That's my 11 too. So we'll just save the. They're tough to reconcile right now. I lost two of the last three.

The team without Collins is a strong. look right to me. Holding on to the ball getting sacked like crazy, losing a million yards every single sack. And no digs as well. Offensive line struggling, but I think some of that's related to C.J. Strav because they run the ball pretty well. I think defensively, you kind of see some chinks in the armor here lately. Situationally bad team, like a worst red zone defense in the NFL. I mean, they're the number 11 team, but I don't like the trajectory here losing two of the last three. They're going to win the South because there's no competition, but I'm feeling not great about my number 11 team, but I think they've done enough to this

point that earns them this kind of spot, though. Yeah, man. So a couple of weeks ago, I tweeted the splits C.J. Stroud with and without Nico Collins. Now this is even worse. Two games have gone by since then at the time with Nico 104.2, now without, and then without Nico 7.8.3. In the last three games, Stroud has a passer rating of 59.2, 58.8. And then he had 995 against the Colts there. So it's gotten worse, though. He's down under 70, pass rating under 70 without Nico Collins in his career. Now, listen, this doesn't mean C.J. Stroud is a bad player. It's hard for young quarterbacks to adjust to not having the best player on the field. And Nico Collins is a top five receiver in the NFL. Make no mistake about it. So I am also cautious with you. I think there's concerns here.

But as long as Nico Collins comes back at some point, and it looks like there's a chance he misses again against the lines, which that obviously might seal the deal on a loss there. But as long as he comes back healthy at some point in the season, I feel good about having them 11 because I do think Stroud gets back on track. Man, this offensive line is bad. It's for the amount they've invested to. It's really disappointing to see this offensive line struggle so much.

And Stroud is kind of doing the thing we saw him do at Ohio State, where it was, he didn't get sacked a ton, but he invited a lot of pressure. He locks onto his first read a lot. You know, I don't want to rehash the whole Stroud conversation. We've had it a bunch of times. Gets away with a lot. He needs Nico Collins back.

He gets Nico Collins back. I think the defense is good enough to, you know, keep them in games, and then the offense will come alive there. So, all right, you're 12. Los Angeles Chargers, probably a little higher than maybe you expected. or do you have them 12 as well? No, they're close.

They're not far away from being 12. Yeah, they're balling. You know, and you look at our preseason coaching rankings. Remember, it was one of the first shows we did together on this podcast, Joe. We went through and broke down our favorite coaches. I think I had Jim Harbaugh like fourth, right? Yeah, it's real high. And this is why.

This is why, right? I'm certainly not victory laping. There's a lot of football left to be played. But what he's already done that Brandon Staley couldn't do, it just shows you how he's a leader of men, man. He gets these guys to play. And he's doing a lot with a little too on defense. He does not have good personnel on defense.

Their defense is playing pretty good. Justin Herbert, the past game has come alive. Justin Herbert's averaging like 310 yards per game, the last three. That's a huge sign. If you're going to get Greg Roman and Jim Harbaugh to turn into a pass heavy team where they're hitting these explosives like crazy, dude, that's scary. Because one of the things I was worried about with them is that the proclivity to run the football too much was going to kill them. And it hasn't yet, man. They've won some impressive games here.

So I like them. I like them a lot. You've used a lot of big words today. I'm impressed with your vocabulary. That's weird because it's very early in the morning and I told you my brain just works. No, did you've been really hitting some big words today? My number 12 team is the San Francisco 49ers. I'm just really impressed with how this offense has been able to be productive despite the injuries that they've had. We'll see how it can sustain itself, but I think they're a really good four and four team. I think their biweek comes at a good time.

It looks like they're going to get McCaffrey back here. They can still run the ball extremely well. It feels like it doesn't matter who they're playing up against. And obviously defensively, they've been getting a lot of turnovers. I'm concerned about a lot of things with this defense. but there's i think purdy might be playing some of the best football of his career and he's he's had a horrible game and i don't know that his stats are as good as they've ever been i like san francisco and they're a team i think down the stretch that is going to be dangerous um yeah you know i i rank

them 14 i don't even feel great about that i think they might be worse than that i think you and i are probably split here we only have them two spots apart in the end but um i think purdy i've all my critique of him is that he's been a guy who gets away with a lot similar to C.J. Stroud puts the ball in harm's way way more often than he has to pay for it. And I just feel like you're starting to see that come undone a little bit with no IEUk. Obviously, the skill player has been banged up with CMC and Debo. If you want to sell me on the fact that CMC makes this offense go and him coming back could be the sauce. I guess I'm cautiously optimistic on that. And maybe that's true. I think the the running backs this year, whether it's Henry, Sequan Barkley, Montgomery and Gibbs,

I mean, they're really fighting back against the running backs don't matter narrative. And maybe CNC is going to come back and do the same with the 49ers here. So I'm just, their defense is a mess. Offensive line is a mess minus two spots. Purdy's kind of regressed a little bit, in my opinion, despite not having the, I shouldn't say despite, you know, in conjunction with not having the best circumstances, his play has regressed a little bit. So I'm a little concerned here.

I have them at 14, but I'm like, I think maybe in a couple of weeks, they might be lower than that, to be honest with you. Well, I mean, we have the same, we have the same top 10. And I feel like there has this is getting into a, your mediocre teams, right? Where there's just not as many glowing things to say about them, where your concerns are a little bit more legit. So very true.

I think that's understandable. So you have 49ers at 14. I have them at 12. Yeah. Let's go 13. who's your 13? I got the Los Angeles Rams. I'm guessing this is a well here I'll just I'll just say with my take here. Matthew Stafford is playing great ball. Some of the best football I've seen him play. We talked about Jared Goff's development as a guy who's willing to take what's given to him. Well Stafford's right there man started last year too like in that playoff run they had and then he really had to like tighten it up with out Cooper Cup and Pooka and really rely on that run game and underneath passing. Now, those guys are back and it changes the complexion of this offense man um it really does i really impressed back-to-back weeks with this team you know i know it was a tight game this past week but they you know

they prevailed they got it done so against a team we both had ranked in the top 10 mind you so feel good about this team um the the rookie defensive line or the young defensive line with byron Young, Braden Fiske, and Jared, our guy. It's really, it's really come. Kobe Turner as well, really coming alive. Like, this is a disruptive unit, man. You saw it on Sunday. I like, like, I think they're going to be trending upwards here in a couple of weeks.

Yeah, I think they're already starting to trend upwards. I have, uh, the Rams at 14. So they're, we're really close on them as well. Um, the receivers are, they're different when those receivers are available, obviously. and young talents come together on defense. And I think that, you know, earlier in the year, playing a guy like Tredavius White and kind of realized that he couldn't play

was a real detriment to that defensive operation. And even when they were short-handed, man, they're playing competitive games against everyone, right? So I have a lot of respect for the Rams. And I think that's another team, like on the uptick here down the stretch. My number 13 team is the Cincinnati Bengals. They're four and five. They're scratching.

Claw and Joe Burroughs playing really well, really well. Some Bengals people think he's playing the best football of his career. Defensively, that's kind of been their issue. I think that's got to stabilize a little bit. They get a short week at Baltimore. I hate that. Their next two at Baltimore at the Chargers, those are big games for them. But this AFC, man, there's not a whole lot of good going on with this conference.

And if this team gets into the wildcard mix, which I I think they're going to. Your reward for winning your division is hosting Joe Burrow. I don't like that. I don't like that. So I think this is a team that I got an eye on the rest of the way. And it looks like they might actually make a trade to help them, which is pretty rare. So I'm in on CINCII.

Are we breaking news in this podcast? I see some breaking news, sir. Zedaria Smith has been traded to the Detroit Lions. I could that bro the level of I I I know it's election day and all but I'm I'm very much stress free now that that happened so cool we can move on I feel great lines number one let's go feels feels in that that felt like it just was a matter of time yeah so Darius smith and a 2026 7 or a 2025 and a 2026 6 so much for the whole uh driving up the cost I mean I'm telling you I think it was about money I think they're fighting about money yeah well that's my

wanted that signing bonus. Good good get for Detroit. Yes, it is. Sorry to cut you or not coming on. I saw it. I was wondering if we were going to do it or not. So yeah, I immediately took my attention because I also got 17 text messages with it.

Oh, yeah. Yeah. All right. Cincinnati Bengals, I have them 15 in hindsight here listening to you talk about them. I actually probably feel better than them about 15 or sorry, I feel better about them than than ranking them 15. Joe Burroughs balling.

He's a great quarterback man. Like he is so fun to watch, dude. And I think when you have a quarterback playing at that level, assuming T comes back healthy, because it's crazy how Mickey Mouse this offense gets when T. Higgins is gone. Well, because schematically they stink, right? Like, I hate the scheme. It does nobody, their run scheme stinks,

and they do nothing to help Burrow. There's no screen game. There's no play action. It's just drop back passing all the time. It's some of that, it's got to be Burrow at this point. though, right? I'd like to think so. And I think that says a lot about Burrow is just a really good processor that can make good decisions and read coverage and go to the right spots with the football. But imagine if they actually did something schematically to help him. He's the old,

Zach Taylor is the only guy from the tree who doesn't have heavy play action, who isn't willing to deviate from outside zone. He said he doesn't want Burroughs back to the defense because he's such a good visual player in terms of like processing. He says he doesn't want his back to the defense. That's almost counterintuitive. If you, you really trust the guy's processing, you don't mind him putting his back to the defense because you know when he gets his head around, he's going to... His eyes are going to be in the right spot. Exactly.

That's kind of weird. So I have Bengals 15, but I, you know, talking this out, I think I probably would bump them up a few spots. Maybe flip them in the chargers. You're 13. That was your 13. That was my 13. It's 14.

Chargers. And the funny thing is for all the things that you talk about with the chargers, the defense is like legit, legit. And you feel like that's talking about a team that could be better personnel wise. It's them on defense. Like so many different players positions on that defense that they can upgrade. All of a sudden we're talking about Jesse Minner as a head coaching candidate very, very quickly.

So yeah, Chargers, chargers are a nice team. Another, you think about that wild card situation in the AFC and I, I look at the Bengals and Chargers as two teams. And so the Bengals Chargers are number two in the AFC North. If it's not those three teams as your wildcard teams, I'd be stunned. All right, 49ers were my 14, Bengals are my 15. So we're on my 16th, right? No, no, you, we need your 15.

My 15, no, so I get my 14s of Chargers, you given your 15, which is the Bengals. Mine's the Chargers. Okay. Excuse me, the Rams. The Rams, that's what it was. Okay. So now we're fresh. Refresh at 16.

We need your 16 here. Tampa Bay Buccaneers are my number 16 team. Ooh. Yeah, I mean, dude, like, okay, I hear you. Let's look at the teams underneath them. There's not a whole lot of excitement to have either. So, like, that's the other part of this. Yeah, I'm concerned about their head coach.

I've been concerned about their head coach. I mean, obviously the injuries at wide receiver are very unfortunate. Defensively, there's a lot of concerns. they've lost three in a row. They've lost four or five. They're not trending in the right direction. They got the 49ers this week. I hate that.

They're going to beat the 49ers. I don't know if they will, but then they have their by week. Out of their by week, they have Giants, Panthers, Raiders. Can we get right there and then go deal with at the Chargers? And then we have Cowboys Panthers Saints to close the year. Like, why should they not win six of their last seven games coming out of the buy? That's exactly what they did last year. too, isn't it? Right. Dude, like they're going to do it. Giants, Panthers, Raiders, Chargers,

Cowboys, Panthers, Saints. Chargers is the toughest game in there, obviously. They can lose it and still win six of the last seven. Yeah. No, that's a great call. Like they're probably going to lose the 49ers and Chargers. There's two losses. It gets them to seven. They win the rest. They're 10 and seven. The bucks are the new Seahawks to me where it's like, I don't know what I'm going to get week to week right now. Baker started on an absolute tear and then it got rough. And now he's having to it without godwin and evans and honestly he looked good last night i thought so too you got todd bold the todd bulls run games also falling apart a little bit too like they did not run the ball well at all yesterday so um i have the bucks are they are very tough to run on but they are very tough to run on

uh i have the bucks at 18 um just because recent like the injuries are so extreme it's hard to see light at the end of the tunnel but you just laid out a great path for for success there so um so my My 16 is the Denver Broncos. It's tough. Rookie quarterback. You don't feel great necessarily about that, especially Bo Nix has been kind of up and down. But man, the defense is playing so good.

Right. So good. I know they got Maliwopped this week by the Baltimore Ravens, but who aren't the Ravens Molly Wopping, man? They're a good team, so. The Raiders. Okay. Dang it.

He's walked into that. You know I had that in my bag, man. You know? Step on a rake. Yeah. Yeah, so I mean, I just think the Broncos are good. Sean Payton is a good head coach. You know, he's he's got these guys playing.

The defense, though, really stands out. They're figuring some things out on offense, too. And I know it didn't look like it. When your game script gets all torn to shreds and you're playing against a team like the Ravens, it's hard to get back on track. Yeah, hear about that. No, no, know that real well. Yeah.

Yeah, same. Ravens did it to the lines last year. I don't know if you remember that game. That game was over by the end of the first quarter, bro. Yeah. When you hit a buzzsaw like that, it's just hard to get going. So I think they'll bounce back. I love what the defense is doing.

Bo Nix is really impressed me in some regards. I think he's seen the middle of the field better than he ever displayed in college, which is, which is good. Run a little bit too. Yeah. 17 for me, Arizona Cardinals, 5 and 4, first place in the West. Winners of four of their last five, including wins over the Niners, Chargers, dolphins, bears.

They impressed me with what they did against the bears. I was kind of thinking that Chicago could go on the road and win that game. But Arizona, I think Kyler's playing good football. They can run the ball, obviously. That's kind of been a thing they could do even last year. And defensively, like, talent-wise, they don't have it. But it's like Jonathan Gannon just kind of gets a little bit out of this group. I like the addition to Baron Browning to give them some juice off the edge.

But I think their offense right now has been able to kind of carry them a little bit. And, you know, defensively, I think it's going to be a challenge for them all year, but they, they're on a hot streak right now. And they took a little time. They had some, dude, their losses have come to the bills, lions, commanders, and at Packers. You know what I mean? It's not like they have bad losses, you know, and they played some of those teams, well, at least a couple of them pretty tough. So give them some respect here. Yeah. Um, they get the benefit too of two games against the Seahawks remaining a Rams game and a 49ers game. You know, you feel like you compete in all those games.

Maybe you win three or four. You're probably winning that division, man. I mean, it's as simple as that. Then they have cupcakes and the Patriots and the Panthers. So, like, they have a clear path to the playoffs here, honestly. Right. They were my, they're also my 17. So we're in lockstep on the Cardinals.

And I think the potential for them to maybe next time we do this in four or five weeks is to get, I think there's potential for them to get in that top 10 based on their schedule. Really? I think so. If they continue playing the way they're playing, yeah. I'm calling fiction on that. I'm not saying it's going to happen. But I think there's a pathway to it.

Let's say they go next four games. They go beat the Jets, beat the Seahawks, Lose of the Vikings, beat the Seahawks. You're telling me you're not going to have them the top 10? or they won't be right there in the conversation. They're only at 17 now. Right. That's, that's got to climb seven spots when I like what's happening with,

I don't think they're going to jump the Rams. I don't think they're going to jump the chargers. I don't think they're going to jump the Niners. Houston, I think that I think they can probably get in the top 15. Okay. Well, yeah, there are only two spots away from that now. Right, but top tens is big jump, sir. I said in the conversation.

And I'm not predicting. I just say, I think there's a chance. If they go four and oh, they're going to be in your top 10? It depends on what happens with the other teams. You're being stubborn. All right. Who's your 17? I told you, the Cardinals.

So we have the same team at 17? The same team at 17. We need your 18. We've identified my 18. Which is who? The bucks. Okay. My 18 is the Jets.

That is gross. I'm kidding. I mean, yeah, it's gross, but bro, like, everything's gross from this point forward. Let's be honest. You're not wrong. Except for maybe I'm slandering the Broncos a little bit because I have them at 20. Do we chat about the Jets? We've talked about the Jets so much on this podcast.

I hate them, Joe. I hate them. I do too. At Arizona this week. We'll see. And they have the Colts by week. Yeah, I've said everything I need to say about the Jets. They're not a good football team.

They're three and six. I don't know. I haven't 20, so maybe maybe I'm giving you a hard time. There's still a piece of this that's like a little bit annoying. Like you know that they can play some opportunistic defense. You know, they got some playmakers. They have Aaron Rogers who could still make some throws, you know. Like they're three and six and they stink, but it's not like there's other teams that are

in a similar record that I'd rather play than the Jets. Sure. I think there's a good possibility of their best football is yet to be played. both offensively and defensively. Yeah, for sure. All right, they're my 20. So we need my 18. No, we need my 19.

Where did you have the Broncos, by the way? 20. Oh, you had them 20. Okay. Yeah. Defense is good. I, I'm always going to be interested in hosting a high variance rookie quarterback like that, Blake Bow Nix.

Yeah. You know what I mean? So as I got into these types of teams, it's like, who don't I want to play? Who do I want to play? That was kind of a separator for me. Yeah. That's a great point. My 19 is the Seattle Seahawks. Same.

We have a hive mind. There's so many, like, you'd think 20 teams under the list here would be a little off. Well, I think this, the NFL is, it's not necessarily hive mind. It's the way the NFL is, man. Like, 25% of the league is two and six are worse. You know, we got some terrible teams out there. And you have some really good teams. And you have the middle.

Like, I think it stacks up pretty logically. True. Seahawks, not much to say. You know, I think they have some D-Line talent that hasn't performed to their capabilities yet. Secondary just is so up and down. It's maddening, dude. Reak Wollin, man. I'm calling you out, dude.

Soft this year, man. Soft. He's a good chump of the week candidate, actually. Oh, God. He was a chump last week, too, man. Yeah. I don't like the way he's playing at all. I don't either.

What's the point to being that big and strong if you're not going to use the strength of the size? man he's rubbed me the wrong way the last couple weeks in a just not a fan yeah dude send send ryan grub to the moon dude what in the world send him to the moon i would if i was a seahawks fan i'd have irreconcilable differences with ryan grum oh for sure he'd be on my list boy but this is he's like he's learning on the fly that's the thing he's a college coach he's never coach at the NFL level not even close actually right so insane yeah trying to deploy insane higher by mike mcdonald as a young defensive minded head coach that's the guy you hand the keys your offense to are you kidding me

yeah i get i get your perspective but at the same time you're a young defensive coach who you feel good that you can handle it if you hit on the next thing on offense in the nfl dude you look brilliant and now now you're you know what i'm saying now you're cooking with gas like it's better hiring a retread and sometimes the coordinator positions the NFL you see him cycled man look at Nathaniel hack it what are you going to go hire a guy like that no I'm not saying that but I think there's certainly better better coaches he could have hired yeah you go pluck like a a QB coach with the promising team you know he could have went got Zach Robinson or something you know sure or Cliff Kingsbury or like just better hires that were made by other your head coaches or whatever like

just I don't know man not a fan all right then so my 20 is Denver Yep, your 20's Denver. My 20 was the Jets. So we got our top 20 done. All right. Bottom 12 coming up. Be sure to stick with us. Snap up Ancestry DNA's lowest price ever in our incredible cyber sale. With 50% off ancestry DNA kits, it's the perfect time to help a loved one unwrap the past.

And with our latest update, they'll discover their family origins like never before. With even more precise regions and new and exclusive features. Their best gift, our lowest price. 50% off ancestry DNA only until December 2nd. Visit ancestry.ca for more details. Terms apply. Worst of the worst time here? Yeah. Here's the thing.

I want to go relatively quick through here because I want to get to some of our biggest differences here and take a look at that. Dude, every one of these teams is basically terrible. I got an idea. Do your next five in a row. So 21 for me is the Colts. 22 is the Bears.

23 is the Dolphins. 24 is the Cowboys. 25 is the Browns. Dude, this is ridiculous. I don't have the same order, but we have the same five in that group. So I went, Dolphins, Cowboys, Colts, Bears, Browns. Very similar to you.

We're only two off on any of those. We both have the Browns 25th. So really no major differences there. Let's talk a little bit about his team. Dolphins, what do you like there? You have them 23rd? I have them 21st. Well, I mean, they're different with two, obviously, right?

Different football team. I think Mike McDaniel emptied the kitchen sink against the bills with just so many creative schemes and plays that he ran. Crow that caused a lot of problems. Defensively, that's their problem. They're two banged up on defense with no sealer. No Chub, no Phillips, no Holland, no Kohoo. They've been a mess on defense.

And I think that's kind of their biggest problem. But their offense is still dangerous and they're a lot better with Tua. Yep. Agreed. 22 are the Cowboys for me. You have them 24th. I'll just say this about the Cowboys. It's tough when your quarterbacks hurt.

It's tough when your best defensive players hurt. Maybe your best two defensive players in DeMarcus Lawrence and Michael Parsons. drawn planned obviously has missed the season as well so far minus the first couple games i think so um you know they've been in a blender not great for them they have talent to bounce back though right that comes back say in three four weeks cd's healthy micah's healthy like dude they they could still make noise it's just it might be just too late is all nobody nobody's afraid of playing dallas nobody nobody they're soft in the middle when they were healthy they got smoked by the saints dude smoked that's that's a salient point and the saints are

very bad. So, all right. Colts, you had 21st. Talk about the Colts. I mean, they're the definition of mediocre, in my opinion. I think they have some potent pieces of their operation

offensively with some of their playmakers, but they're not a very efficient operation. Defensively, I think they got some nice pieces in their front with Grover Stewart and Buckner and Zaire Franklin and E.J. Speed and Grant Stewart's been like a really fun little. like when they want to go base defense to come and get some run fills. But I think that their outside corner situation leaves a lot to be desired.

Their scheme defensively leaves a lot to be desired. To me, they're just the pity of an average football team. Same. Yeah, I mean, man, disappointing all around. We both thought this team was going to be good this year. So disappointing all around. Oh, you're counting on growth from Anthony Richardson. And he's subsequently events.

What do you make of a Versa's daughter being on the sideline with the clipboard and the headset? Did you see this? I didn't see this, no. I feel like this could be a gotcha. During the game the other night against Minnesota, there was a photo posted of her standing right behind Shane Steichen with a headset and a clipboard. No, I didn't do my due diligence and verify that it was actually from that game. But point being, that's happened obviously at some point this season. that seems a bit much.

I'm seeing a lot of pictures here on the social media. So that's an owner. She's the heir to the throne of the Ursae Empire here. You think maybe she's getting familiar with the operations?

In the middle of a game, Joe? It's weird. That's weird. It's weird. And by the way, it's not because it's Jim Ursay's daughter. If it was Jim Ursay, I'd feel the same way. You're a little too close

to the situation. as an owner if you're literally hovering behind your head coach as he's trying to call a game the week after they benched the starting quarterback i don't know that just seems weird to me there's speculation this was an ursay move from the beginning not saying it is or isn't i'm just saying the whole thing is weird it smells funky in indianapolis so um all right Chicago bears you had 22 i had them 24 um young team you see the youth you see the youth stick out a lot and i think that's why they're not for sure the start of the season promising youth without dynamic coaching you know yeah true iber flus is an absolute traffic cone i mean this guy my god also caleb

williams has got to learn how to not take sacks bro he took six in this game some of them weren't his fault where it's just like there's guys on him right away but three or four of those were just him lingering drifting in the pocket you know six seven seconds after the snap taking a set you got you got to stop you have to stop that that's why i didn't love you as a prospect and it's going to kill you if you don't figure that out yeah so um all right uh Cleveland Browns we both had 25 what do what do you see in there just a mess of a situation on offense i mean james comes in and he's certainly more dynamic but he's the turnovers are just never going to go away from him right and that's a that's a problem i like what cedric tilman's doing there that's fun but

injuries on the offensive line. And defense can only do so much there. And obviously it's the depleting talent here as they're obviously sellers. And they've, they've spent the most cash of any team in the NFL over the last three years. They kind of have to reset and reload a little bit. You know, I think that they're taking an honest look here. And they're just not good enough on offense. And I think that when you're, when you can't play complimentary football, it takes away from your defense.

That is very, very talented. But when the offense is 28% on third down. It's putting me in too many bad, bad situations and now they turn over the ball like crazy. I pinged them for trading Zadaria Smith. Without Zadaira Smith, this team is sunken, Joe. Wow. Wow. So Daria Smith, man.

Best best, best defender in the league. Now plays for the best team in the league, man. Yeah. What a day? What a day? No. Yeah, Brown. I mean, dude, I was at the point at 25 where I'm like, you just, I could just pick names out of a hat.

These teams all stink. They have Miles Garrett. That's why they're at 25 and not 32. So, they got some DB talent as well. Yeah, they got some, yeah, they got some DB talent. Although Martin Emerson, ooh, that boy, that boy stinks.

Hmm. You've been on, you've been on him for a while. I know, my goodness. If you, uh, I love watching emotional fans tweet live during a game. John Costco, my guy, shout out John Costco from PFF.

He live tweets the Browns games and it is hilarious. I think 50% of his content, is anti Martin Emerson, which is really funny. Wow. All right. Let's do our final six here, Joe. Why don't you lead us off? So this would be Team 25?

21st. Titans at 26. Big win over the Patriots. True. At least they can play defense. 27, the Patriots. 28, the Jaguars. 29, the Giants.

30, the Raiders. 31, the Panthers. And 32. The Saints. Funny how a lot of these teams played each other recently, right? Who was your 30? Sorry. 30's the Raiders.

We have the same exact bottom three. Raiders, Panthers, Saints? Yeah, Raiders, Panther, Saints. Yeah, I don't know how deep you want to go into any of these teams. They all stink, man. I would say Jaguars have probably the best pathway to get out of this group. Okay. It's got to happen at some point, right?

right? Like they're the most talented team of this group, but that's, that's, that's kind of what I meant. They have the most talent for sure. They have actual defensive players, which is nice. They got some weapons on offense. Trevor Lawrence probably played his best game this week ever. It's a pro ever. Ever. He said ever. I don't know. He looked good. He made some throws. He made some throws. That's all I'll say. Giants are bad until dayball Jones experience is over. That's not going to change. Drake May. Let's talk Drake May.

He's fun. He had some stuff in there. I think he's been promising all the way through. And I think that's impressive under these circumstances with terrible offensive line and no receivers. I mean, if I'm a Patriots fan, I'm very excited about Drake May. Yeah, same. He's blown me away a little bit.

Holding the ball way too long. He's doing a little bit of the Caleb Williams routine for sure. Right. And it's more frustrating, too, because at least Caleb has dudes he can throw to, where it's like, hey, if I can buy some time and scramble around, I might be able to find DJ more 50 yards down the field where, if he stays on the field of DJ. more stays on the field.

True. Just leave in the middle of play. All right. Yeah, Drake May doesn't have that option, though. There's no one. There's no dudes in the Patriots lineup right now. So just, you know, be a little more diligent, getting rid of the ball.

I think he'll be fine. But, man, he looks good. Looks good. I'm excited about them. Then the Titans stink. You know, they had a bounce back win. They did not get the Dan Campbell, you know, following week House of Horace.

The Titans are the team to play, to break that off? There's theories about this, though. Okay. The Titans really only played half a game against the Lions. I, you know, the Honolulu flu, you know, I think that's, and you know, two shades of blue, I think is important as well for Tennessee when you're

considering how they can absorb the Honolulu flu. Okay. Yeah, we've devolved here. Can we fast forward to the Bills and Lions Super Bowl? Can we just get there? Yes. Did you ever bet it by the way? I think so.

Oh, yeah. Yeah, good. Yeah. That line was way too juicy for way too long. It's since shrunk significantly. I think it's like only plus 500 now or something. Hopefully the bills can do their part, man. They're going to have to beat Baltimore or Kansas City in the playoffs.

You have to think, right? That's a fun convo. Who has a easier pathway to the Super Bowl? The Lions or the Bills? The Lions. Come on, man. Oh, yeah, a fun conversation. You got to go through the Ravens and the Chiefs.

Right. You got to be one of them for sure. and you're probably going to have to beat either Herbert or Burrow to get to that point, right? Or that Steelers D. Fine. Beatable, winnable game. Yeah, bring on Steelers D. It's fine.

Yeah, who in the NFC are you really truly scared of if you're the Lions? Oh, the commanders. Oh, yeah, the Eagles. Come on, man. Maybe if the Packers figured out, you're scared of that. Maybe. And you probably don't have to play them in the playoffs because you're a divisional opponent. Yeah.

Leflur can get goofy too in those moments as well with some of his decisions. So I don't know who the threat is. We have another trade in the NFL. Mind bending one here. I don't know what it is. Tell me what it is. The Chicago Bears are sending running back Khalil Herbert to the Cincinnati Bengals. Hey, it's a Kalil Herbert dynasty owner.

I am excited about this. Yeah, Zach Moss obviously going to miss some time here. Chase Brown has looked awesome, but he's, I don't think they've ever. identified him as a bell cow type so getting some help there herbert's an explosive runner joe i'm dude i'm thanks and pass pro like he's he can't he can't pass pro to save his life but he's uh explosive runner there so and he's been for whatever reason in the doghouse in in chicago who's a who's a bigger traffic cone matt eber flus or shane waldron or thayer munford well thayer montford is a traffic cone we we got to end this pot i'm my brain is gone i'm

my brain is gone. I wanted to talk big differences. We don't have a difference here. What is the Falcons? Yeah, Falcons and the Broncos, which is funny because I, I thought I was being sneaky throwing the Falcons in the top 10. You're like, no, I'll want up you. I got them at six, dog.

Got it's six, right. So not really sneaky there. And then the Broncos, I think we both feel similarly about them. It's just that group of teams. It's just there's not a lot of separation. I just went quarterbacks. I said I would rather play. Kyler

I would rather play Bo Nix than Kyler, Aaron Rogers Stafford. Or staff, yeah, it's really what it came down to. Yeah. And I like Bo Nix. Dynasty owner of Bo Nix. You have one dynasty team?

One. I have one fantasy team. That's it. I can't do more than one. I will not do. So don't invite me to be in your fantasy league. I won't do it. You wouldn't do one more.

You wouldn't do one more dynasty league. That's what people say to me. Dynasty is so much less. involved because it's like it's you only really need a macro picture you got to work the waiver wire a little bit but there's not like you're you know you don't have to prep for draft really every year you just watch tape and then draft the guys you like you know i know but what i can't do this thing where it's like oh yeah i have a player in one league and now i'm going against them in the other it's like i don't i hate all that and i'm also team set your lineup and then look at it on

tuesday i never look too i don't never look i don't even know i don't know what my fantasy results were this week. At some point, today I'll look at my phone and I'll find out. My dad and I have a couple joint teams and he'll be texting me Sunday. Like he's sweating out the and I don't, I don't even look until Tuesday. I don't know if we won or lost until Tuesday. I feel bad. I'm not as invested as my dad, but I can't do. I definitely can't do the, I'm in 30 something leagues. I have 70 something best ball teams. I can't look at the, I can't do the scoreboard watching. I watch football with my brother Frank, love him to death. But he is one of those people that will, you'll be a game and let's just say

Jared Goff throws a touchdown pass to Sam LaPorta. He will say that was the wrong decision. I mean, we scored a touch and he's like, oh, I have Alman Ross St. Brown. Come on, man. Are we, are we doing this? Like, it influences the way you watch football and like, like even like you're not serious. That's such an annoying thing to say.

Yeah. Hashtag nobody cares about your fantasy team. Like just accept it. Nobody cares. Watching football with my brother or my dad is like that where it's like depending on how the fantasy day is going that can literally ruin the day. It's like we were watching

the Lions blow out the Titans 52 to 14 or whatever but we're mad because I'm on Rod didn't score three touchdowns in there. I'm like guys. Can't do it. Can't do it. All right. We got to get out of here, man. This is been a great show. We'll be back Thursday. We got a lot of good stuff planned for

that show as well. Thank you for listening. Remember folks no matter what develops, we will always be your first read. We are.