NFL: Week 11 Power Rankings

1. Green Bay Packers (9-0): Another victory for Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. The Packers find themselves one win away from their regular season total of 2010. The Packers should continue to win handily, at least until facing off against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving and the New York Giants after that. 

Last Week: #1

2. San Francisco 49ers (8-1): The 49ers victory over the Giants on Sunday was probably the biggest test they’ve had all season. San Francisco’s defense held Eli Manning in check throughout the game, and Alex Smith did enough to help the offense as Frank Gore was unable to do nothing against the Giants defense. Sunday proved it, the 49ers are the second best team in the NFC.

Last Week: #2

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3): The Steelers managed to jump back into first place of the AFC North after defeating the Bengals on Sunday. The Steelers were helped by the Jekyll & Hyde Ravens losing to the Seahawks. As of right now, the Steelers look like the best team in the AFC, but the way the conference has worked out this year, there’s no telling how they’ll look next week. 

Last Week: #5

4. New England Patriots (6-3): The Patriots do what they always do when the division is on the line, they win. Tom Brady and the New England no-huddle offense proved to be too much for the Jets defense. Looking at the Patriots schedule, they could run the table and be in the hunt for the #1 seed going into the playoffs. 

Last Week: #6

5. New Orleans Saints (7-3): Who knows what would have happened if Mike Smith had just decided to punt on fourth down in OT on their own 30-yard-line. We all know what transpired, Michael Turner got stuffed behind the line and the Saints kicked a field goal to take the victory. Now, the Saints are in the drivers seat in the NFC South. 

Last Week: #7

6. Baltimore Ravens (6-3): Who are the Ravens? I mean seriously, they look dominant against the Steelers one week, then on Sunday Baltimore loses to Seattle. It’s been the story of the Ravens season, inconsistent and a wishy-washy identity. The Ravens should make the playoffs, but who knows how Baltimore will play against the Bengals twice in the next seven weeks. 

Last Week: #3

7. New York Giants (6-3): The Giants had a chance to tie the game up on Sunday in San Francisco, but an Eli Manning batted-down pass at the line of scrimmage halted all of that. Now, the Giants are still in the division lead, but they have two December match-ups against the Cowboys and a Christmas Eve game with the Jets that could decide their playoff hopes. 

Last Week: #4

8. Houston Texans (7-3): This morning I had the Texans much higher than #8, but with the injury to Matt Schaub, the Texans are in a lot of trouble. Houston will have to turn to Matt Leinart for the foreseeable future, and with the Titans still in the thick of things in the AFC South, the Texans playoff hopes are now questionable. 

Last Week: #10

9. New York Jets (5-4): The Jets had a chance to control their own destiny and finally knock the Patriots off of the Division lead. Instead, the Jets came out totally soft and unprepared and lost to New England. The Jets will once again have to fight their way into the playoffs. The schedule is soft, with games against the Giants and Philadelphia as the only tough match-ups. 

Last Week: #8

10. Dallas Cowboys (5-4): Dallas and Tony Romo looked like a playoff team on Sunday against Buffalo. December will make or break the Cowboys playoff hopes, with two crucial games against the Giants. If DaMarco Murray continues to run like a wild-man, the Cowboys could end up being a very, very scary playoff team. 

Last Week: Not Ranked

NFL: AFC Contender/Pretender

AFC: Contender/Pretender 

As we get to the last seven weeks of games, we’ve seen teams in the AFC look elite one week to horrible the next. Look at the Ravens, who after beating division rival Pittsburgh last Sunday lost to the Seahawks yesterday. Pittsburgh has gone from good to bad to great to good. The Jets lost three games in a row at the beginning of the season. Buffalo and Cincinnati came out of the gate looking like actual football teams. The Patriots look mortal. With such a logjam in the conference, it’s time to clear up the AFC playoff picture...its time to decide whose a contender, and whose a pretender. 

Baltimore Ravens (6-3; tied for 2nd place in AFC North): Baltimore is one of the most confusing teams I’ve ever watched. In some games, such as against the Jets and Steelers, they look like the best team in the league. Then, when they play teams like Arizona and Seattle, they barely win or lose. That’s a good sign for Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, but the Ravens have too good of a defense to falter late in the year. I don’t know if it will be out of the division or wild card, but Baltimore should be a team that plays deep into the winter. 

Verdict: CONTENDER

Buffalo Bills (5-4; tied for 2nd place in the AFC East): It may be too soon, but you have to wonder if the Bills are re-thinking that $50 million extension they handed Ryan Fitzpatrick earlier this year. In the past two weeks, Fitzpatrick and the Bills have been held to poor performances against the Jets and Cowboys. Fitzpatrick completes a high percentage of his passes, but his arm is weak and he’s starting to make poor decisions with his throws. The Bills still have two games against the Patriots and Jets, along wit match ups with scrappy teams like Denver, San Diego, and Miami. They could be right back in the thick of things with victories over New England and New York, but I get the feeling that the slipper is coming off of this cinderella team. 

Verdict: PRETENDER

Cincinnati Bengals (6-3; tied for 2nd place in AFC North): Yesterday, for the first time all season, Andy Dalton looked like a rookie quarterback. Dalton threw two interceptions and struggled against the Pittsburgh defense. The Bengals got off to a hot start with he benefit of playing poor teams like Cleveland, Jacksonville, and Indianapolis. Over the next seven weeks, Dalton and the Bengals will have to play the Ravens (twice), the Steelers, and the Texans before meeting up with St. Louis and Arizona. I can see the Bengals getting to 9 wins, but it takes 10 to get into the playoffs from the AFC in this day and age. If they can steal a game from Pittsburgh or Baltimore, they might sneak in. I don’t see it. 

Verdict: PRETENDER

Denver Broncos (4-5; tied for 2nd in AFC West): I’m going to get this out of the way right now, the Broncos are not as good as Cincinnati or Buffalo, but they might have a better chance at making the playoffs. Currently, Denver has the tie-breaker over Oakland and Kansas City. To me, it looks like no one really wants to win the division. The Chargers are playing like they never win, Oakland is as bipolar as any team, and Kansas City stinks. Denver, however, is a team with a great defense and a “quarterback” who can run it like no other. As history tells us, a strong defense and a good running game leads to victories. Somehow, someway, the Broncos keep winning. I don’t think they’re good, but they play in a division that can help them out. 

Verdict: CONTENDER

Houston Texans (7-3; 1st place in the AFC South): It looks as though the Texans have already locked up the South, currently standing 2.5 games ahead of the Tennessee Titans. However, the Texans still have to play games against Atlanta and the Titans, so a late season collapse is not out of the question. For all the talk focused on the Ravens, Patriots, and Steelers being the AFC elite, the texans have quietly put together a strong season. Should they stay the course and make the playoffs, they’ll be a scary team to face. 

Verdict: CONTENDER

New England Patriots (6-3; 1st place in the AFC East): For as vulnerable as the Patriots have looked this season, they seemed to have turned it around after defeating the Jets last night. Now in soul possession of first place in the East, don’t look for New England to lose any ground in the coming weeks. When all is said and done, the Patriots will more than likely enter the playoffs with a first round bye and a top seed out of the AFC.

Verdict: CONTENDER

New York Jets (5-4; tied for 2nd place in the AFC East): The Jets had a chance to take first place in the East last night and squandered it. Corner man Donald Strickland got exposed by Rob Gronkowski all night. Now the Jets will have to compete with Buffalo, Cincinnati, and either Pittsburgh or Baltimore for a wild card seed. They hold a tie breaker over Buffalo, but still have to play the Giants, Eagles, and Bills in the next seven weeks. Knowledge says they can afford to lose two more games this season if they want to make the playoffs, but with that schedule it will be no easy feat. 

Verdict: CONTENDER

Oakland Raiders (5-4; 1st place in the AFC West): I thought for sure that the Raiders would have fallen out of contention by now, considering Darren McFadden being injury-riddled and Carson Palmer being...well...Carson Palmer. However, the Raiders looked excellent Thursday night against the Chargers, with Palmer looking like he’s developing quite the chemistry with his receivers. With the Raiders in the division drivers seat, all they will have to do is hold off the Fighting Tebows of Denver to make the playoffs. 

Verdict: CONTENDER

Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3; 1st place in the AFC North): If you were going to tell me that after 10 weeks the Steelers would have lost to Houston and the Ravens (twice) and still be in first place in the division, I would have called you crazy. For as weird as the Ravens have been this year, the Steelers have been weirder. Just like the Ravens, Pittsburgh can look dominant one week and porous the next. I think they have the experience and ability to make it into the playoffs out of the crowded North, but there is no telling who will win the division. 

Verdict: CONTENDER

Tennessee Titans (5-4; 2nd place in the AFC South): Oh, what could have been for the Titans this year. With Peyton Manning out and the Colts playing awfully, the Titans had a legit shot to steal the division. Then, Kenny Britt was lost for the season due to a torn ACL. Chris Johnson only just got his first 100-yard rushing day (and first touchdown) of the season yesterday. The Titans are only 2.5 games back of Houston, but it may be a little too much too late for Tennessee. 

Verdict: PRETENDER

PREDICTIONS:

AFC East- New England Patriots (1 seed)

AFC North- Pittsburgh Steelers (3 seed)

AFC South- Houston Texans (2 seed)

AFC West- Oakland Raiders (4 seed)

Wild Card- Baltimore Ravens (5 seed)

Wild Card- New York Jets (6 seed)

Wild Card Round- Pittsburgh over New York; Baltimore over Oakland

Divisional Round- Baltimore over New England; Pittsburgh over Houston

Championship Round- Pittsburgh over Baltimore 

NFL: AFC Changing of the Guard?

For the last decade, there have been three teams in the AFC that have been the perennial contenders in the playoffs and their divisions. The New England Patriots have had a stranglehold over the AFC East since 2001. Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts have won seven division titles in the last nine seasons. The Pittsburgh Steelers have been battling it out with the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North, capturing the division five times on their way to two Super Bowl victories in the last decade. Out west, the division has been fairly shared, with the San Diego Chargers most recently being the dominant team of the four (Denver, Oakland, and Kansas City the others). 

While the Colts, Steelers, and Patriots have been the powerhouses of the AFC, they have always looked down at the “little brothers” in their respected divisions. The Patriots have dominated the New York Jets (more so than Miami and Buffalo) in the division ever since Mo Lewis knocked out Drew Bledsoe in 2001. Baltimore, while winning the Super Bowl in 2000, have always been second fiddle in the AFC North to the Steelers. Down south, the Houston Texans have yet to make the playoffs in their history, forever being overshadowed by Manning and the Colts. 

2011 has brought about a bit of a change in the conference. As we stand in the midst of week 10, the Texans, Ravens, and Jets are all in either sole possession or tied for first place in their divisions. The Colts, without Manning for the year, are steamrolling to the number one pick in April. Pittsburgh is still one of the best teams in the league, but two of their three losses have come at the hands of Baltimore. Could it be that the old days of the AFC dominance by the holy trinity is over? Let us take a division by division look, analyzing the new and old of each. 

In the AFC South, Houston has had the talent to make a playoff run for several years now. The final piece has seemed to be the arrival of defensive coordinator Wade Phillips and the rejuvenated Texans secondary. Matt Schaub, Arian Foster, and Ben Tate are successfully shouldering the load on offense while injured superstar Andre Johnson has sat out. It remains to be seen whether or not Houston is taking over the South. Without having to face a Manning-led Colts team, Houston is coasting to the division title. We’ve seen this year that the Colts are awful without Manning, so it could be that Houston is on the up-swing in the South, easily the most complete team among three rebuilding franchises in the Colts, Jaguars, and Titans. 

The AFC North is much different than the South. Baltimore and Pittsburgh have consistently been the two major players in the division in recent memory. However, it seemed to always end with the Steelers in first place and Baltimore having to settle for a wild card entrance to the playoffs. Now, we see Baltimore apparently getting the Pittsburgh monkey off of their backs. The Ravens offense may be younger than that of the Steelers, but it is questionable how much time Ed Reed and Ray Lewis have left in their careers for the Ravens defense. The Steelers have Troy Polamalu locked up for the rest of his career, along with a young superstar in Lamarr Woodley at linebacker. Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown, Rashard Mendenhall and Ben Roethlisberger are all still in their twenties for the Steelers offense. I’m not ready to say that this season is a changing of the guard in the North, but all signs point to it being the Ravens year. In the next two or three seasons we could see momentum switch back to the slightly younger Steelers squad, or we could see the Ravens and Joe Flacco create their own monopoly on the division. Either way would not shock me. 

Which brings us to the AFC East. For years, Tom Brady and Bill Belicheck have ruled over the division like kings. Even in the Brady-less 2008 season, the Patriots came within a single game of capturing the division. The Bills appear to be on an up-swing of sorts, with young talent like Ryan Fitzpatrick and Fred Jackson leading the charge. However, I’ve always viewed this division as a two team race between the Jets and the Patriots. I have always said that no division lead is safe in the East as long as Brady is the starting quarterback for the Patriots, but this season the team has not looked as God-like as past years. They’ve currently dropped two games in a row and stand tied for first place with the Jets and Bills at 5-3. Comparing the two teams, the Jets and Patriots are both very young in spots and very old in others. On New England’s offense, Brady and the offensive line are starting to show their age. On defense, the Patriots have one of the youngest units in the league. The youth on D may explain why the Patriots have the 31st overall defense in football, but you have to figure that as the players mature the team will get better in coming years. In New York, Rex Ryan has young players on both offense and defense. Darrelle Revis and David Harris are just hitting their primes, while Antonio Cromartie, Kyle Wilson, Mohammad Wilkerson and Kendrick Ellis are all young cornerstones for the defense. On the other hand, Bart Scott and Calvin Pace are both slow and old, while Plaxico Burress is attempting his comeback at 31. On offense, the Jets are still developing third year starter Mark Sanchez, supplying him with “youth” in Dustin Keller, Nick Mangold, D’brickashaw Ferguson, Shonn Greene, and Santonio Holmes. Both teams are “ready to win now” and built for the future. The race for the AFC East could be decided this Sunday night when these two teams square off on NBC. This division is the closest to call in terms of the changing of the guard. In New York I see youth and bravado, but with New England it’s impossible to look past the greatest quarterback-coach combo in NFL history and presume that they could ever fall off. 

One thing is definite, this season has seen the “little brothers” of the AFC make strong statements in their divisions. Whether or not this is a precursor for a shift in the conference landscape remains to be seen. My advice? Let’s not all worry about who is falling off and who is rising, let’s enjoy these division races for the next seven weeks before the playoffs start and all logic gets thrown out of the window. 

NFL: Week Ten Power Rankings

1. Green Bay Packers (8-0): Many thought that the Chargers would be the team that finally knocked the Packers down and gave them their first loss. Those people must have forgotten that Aaron Rodgers is a superhuman. Rodgers threw as many touchdowns (four) as incompletions against the Chargers. The defense allowed four passing touchdowns by Philip Rivers (three to Vincent Jackson), but they can afford to give up points as long as Rodgers is leading the offense. 

Last Week: #1

2. San Francisco 49ers (7-1): Another east coast road trip, another victory for the 49ers. It seems the most obvious trend for the 49ers 2011 season is “defying the odds”. Whether it be a rookie head coach, a quarterback who has always been considered a bust, or playing four games on the east coast, San Francisco is defying all odds. What has to be the sweetest part, they could clinch the NFC West by Thanksgiving. 

Last Week: #3

3. Baltimore Ravens (6-2): Late Sunday night, I started to put my power rankings together and I had the Ravens below the Steelers, then Torrey Smith made that catch with eight seconds remaining. The Ravens seem to have the biggest monkey off their back’s, not being able to beat the Steelers. Sweeping the series has put Baltimore in the drivers seat in the AFC North, and finds them as the best team in the AFC. 

Last Week: #5

4. New York Giants (6-2): What a great game on Sunday at Foxborough. Eli Manning may have shown that you can’t spell “Elite” without E-L-I. I’m not ready to jump the shark and call Manning elite, but he proved that he can do what it takes in crunch time to lead his team to victory. With Philadelphia’s loss last night, the Giants are in prime position to win the division. It will all depend on how New York performs against Green Bay, the Jets, San Francisco, and New Orleans in the coming weeks. 

Last Week: #6

5. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3): Tough loss for the Steelers. Just when it was looking like they were the team that went to the Super Bowl last year, Pittsburgh dropped a crucial game against Baltimore. They are only one game back in the division, but it will be important for them to bounce back next week and not lose any more ground to the Ravens. 

Last Week: #2

6. New England Patriots (5-3): Could it be that the Patriots aren’t as good as we all thought? I’m not ready to say that, not as long as #12 is still under center. However, New England showed Sunday that they can lose any game if it comes down to the defense in crunch time. The Patriots can play close games all they want, but the only way they’ll win is if it’s Brady and the offense going for the win, not the defense trying to hold it. 

Last Week: #4

7. New Orleans Saints (6-3): It just seemed all too predictable that the Saints and Drew Brees would bounce back against Tampa Bay after losing to the Rams last week. Brees is on pace to put up some crazy numbers this season, but the most exciting thing about the Saints is the division race between them and the Falcons as the season continues. 

Last Week: #7

8. New York Jets (5-3): The defense in green on Sunday in Buffalo was one that could win championships. The Jets and Rex Ryan completely dumbfounded the Bills offense, making Fred Jackson and Ryan Fitzpatrick completely irrelevant. Funny to think that three weeks ago the season looked lost to Gang Green, and now they can be in sole possession of first place with a victory over the Patriots this Sunday night. It should be a great one in New Jersey, so be sure to tune in. 

Last Week: #10

9. Detroit Lions (6-2): A bye week for the Lions this week (which really hurt my fantasy team. The schedule is soft for the time being, with Green Bay on Thanksgiving as the marquee matchup in the month of November. 

Last Week: #8

10. Houston Texans (6-3): I went back and forth between the Texans, Falcons, and Bengals for the number 10 spot in this weeks rankings. I went with the Texans because A) the Falcons dominated the Colts (big whoop), the Bengals smell more like a pretender than a contender this year, and B) the Texans are winning without their best player. Andre Johnson should be coming back this week, but the job that Arian Foster and Ben Tate have done shouldering the load on offense is very, very impressive. The Texans should make the playoffs out of the AFC South, and they’ll be a team to fear come January. 

Last Week: Not Ranked

NFL: Week Four Power Rankings

1. Green Bay Packers (4-0)- Aaron Rodgers notched up 70 points in my fantasy league this week after a 408 yard passing, six total touchdown day (four in the air, two on the ground). Rodgers has had his best season to date so far, and if there are people who don’t put him in the Brady-Manning-Brees echelon then I would love to meet them. 

Last Week- #1

2. New England Patriots (3-1)- Wes Welker is having the season of all seasons for the Patriots this season. Through the first-quarter of the year, Welker has 40 receptions for 616 yards and five scores. Until teams can learn how to stop Welker from going over the middle or on short slants, the Patriots will continue to win. They head home for a divisional game agains the bipolar New York Jets, but if history tells us one thing its that anything can happen when these two teams meet. 

Last Week- #2

3. Baltimore Ravens (3-1)- The score doesn’t reflect it, but the Ravens offense was nowhere to be found in the second half of Sunday night’s 34-17 win over the Jets. Quarterback Joe Flacco went the entire third quarter without completing a pass, but the Baltimore defense forced four Jets turnover, three of which went for touchdowns. The Ravens are showing that they are for real this season, and with the Steelers playing without an offensive line, it looks as though Baltimore is already close to punching their playoff ticket. 

Last Week- #3

4. New Orleans Saints (3-1)- Drew Brees didn’t light up the Jacksonville Jaguars defense like so many thought he would, but the Saints still managed to in 23-10. Tight end Jimmy Graham continued his superb season with a 10 reception, 132 yard and one touchdown day. Next week the Saints head to Carolina for a (surprisingly) difficult divisional game against Cam Newton and the Panthers. 

Last Week- #4

5. Detroit Lions (4-0)- Its time to give the Lions the respect they deserve. So far this season their the league’s comeback kids. Down by 24 points in the third quarter in Dallas, the Detroit defense got them right back into the game, taking two Tony Romo interceptions to the house before Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson connected on two second half touchdowns, the latter a game winning score that put the Lions ahead for good. So far this season Johnson has had four straight two touchdown games, a Lions first. Detroit will go as far as Stafford can take them, but its time to give them the respect they deserve; the Lions have come to play. 

Last Week- #7

6. San Diego Chargers (3-1)- This is where the power rankings list starts to get a little hazy. There are a boatload of teams that are 3-1 so far, but some of them I don’t believe are better than some of the leagues 2-2 teams. This isn’t the case for the Chargers, though. San Diego has quietly put together a strong first month, their only loss coming at the hands of the Patriots. I don’t believe the Chargers are among the elite in the AFC this year, but they are going to be a team no one will want to face in late December. 

Last Week- Not Ranked

7. Chicago Bears (2-2)- The Bears move up three spots from last week to this week, even though they only beat the Panthers by 5. The Bears will continue to be competitive, but if they can’t fix the offensive line then they will not be able to keep up with the Packers and Lions in the AFC North. And also, why do teams still kick the ball to Devin Hester?

Last Week- #10

8. New York Giants (3-1)- The Giants won last weekend in Arizona on a controversial call where wideout Victor Cruz fell to the ground on a catch and was not touched, but the whistle was blown and Cruz let the ball go. According to the NFL rulebook, a player is considered down if he makes himself known to be down, as if to say he slides or falls to the ground on his own. I’m not sold on the Giants, I think the defense as no depth and the offense is not explosive enough to keep winning. However, Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs continue to bowl over people, and the Giants continue to win. 

Last Week- Not Ranked

9. Houston Texans (3-1)- The Texans seem to like to jump in and out of the top 10. The defense played extremely well against Pittsburgh, pressuring Big Ben and taking him out at the knees, the only way to tackle a 6 foot 5 inch quarterback. The team will be hurt by not having Andre Johnson (hamstring) for the next game or so, but it seems as if Arian Foster is fully healed (30 carries for 150 yards and a touchdown). 

Last Week- Not Ranked

10. New York Jets (2-2)- I’m not ready to give up on the Jets just yet. The offensive line was absolutely terrible in Baltimore Sunday night. I’m not giving Mark Sanchez a free pass for the loss (the Jets lost by 17, while Sanchez was responsible for giving up 21 points), but it must be pretty hard to make plays when the offensive line gives you 2 seconds of free time in the pocket before it collapses on you. The Jets will look to get All-Pro center Nick Mangold back for this weeks game against New England, but a loss to the Patriots will knock the Jets out of the top 10, and maybe even the divisional race. 

Last Week- #5

Honorable Mentions- Buffalo Bills (3-1, lost to the Bengals 23-20); Washington Redskins (3-1, beat the Rams 17-10); Tennessee Titans (3-1, beat the Browns 31-13); Philadelphia Eagles (2-2, lost to the 49ers 24-23)

NFL: Week Four Storylines

5.) Buffalo Bills v Cincinnati Bengals- The Buffalo Bills are in sole possession of first place in the AFC East. Don’t believe it? Yeah, me neither. The Bills are 3-0, and Ryan Fitzpatrick is making himself look like the best quarterback to come through Buffalo since Jim Kelly (Sorry, Doug Flutie). If the Bills play as well in this week as they have all season, it will be a blowout. However, the Bengals defense is no pushover, and Andy Dalton is starting to look like a solid NFL quarterback. If the Bills win in Cincy, they will go 4-0 for the first time since 2008. 

4.) Pittsburgh Steelers v Houston Texans- At the start of the season, many people were predicting that this be the year that the Houston Texans make the leap from good team to playoff team. So far the Texans are 2-1 after losing a shootout to the New Orleans Saints last Sunday. This week, the Texans face another test in the Steelers. It is said if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best, and last year the Steelers were the best in the AFC. If the Texans can knock a potential playoff team down a peg and beat Pittsburgh, it will send a message throughout the league that this year is the year for the Texans. 

3.) New England Patriots v Oakland Raiders- Last week gave us a four interception performance from Tom Brady and a 200+ rushing day for Darren McFadden. This week, the Patriots look to bounce back from a devastating loss to the Bills as the Raiders are riding high after beating the New York Jets and their “unstoppable” defense. Its never a good sign when a team flies across the country after a bad loss, so the Raiders are in prime position to capitalize and send a statement throughout the league that the silver and black is back. 

2.) Detroit Lions v Dallas Cowboys- The Lions are 3-0 for the first time in my lifetime. The Cowboys are coming off a tight win against Washington on Monday Night Football. Detroit has been the comeback kids of this young season, but their wins have come against Minnesota, Tampa Bay, and Kansas City. The Cowboys represent the best team that Detroit has seen in the first four weeks, and a win in Dallas would be huge for the young Detroit team. 

1.) New York Jets v Baltimore Ravens- Rex Ryan makes his triumphant return to Baltimore, the place he was passed over for head coach three years ago. The Ravens went with John Harbaugh, and since then they’ve been in the playoffs every year. This season the Ravens and Jets have both had games where they look like Super Bowl contenders, and also games where they look like they won’t even sniff the playoffs. The Ravens demolished the Steelers in week one, only to lose a game to the below-average Tennessee Titans in week two. The Jets started off 2-0 before being run into the ground by the Raiders last week. Forecasts for Sunday night show 40 degrees and rain, and you know what that means; alot of defense, and alot of running the ball. Winner of this game will take a huge step forward towards the playoffs, while the loser will be left at .500 entering week five.