Current power rankings
1st tier
Chiefs, Rams,
2nd tier
Lions, Eagles, Buccaneers, Colts, Broncos, Packers, Bills, Commanders, Seahawks
3rd tier
49ers, Chargers
The Chiefs and Rams are basically slightly ahead of those other teams, but right now I like them as the two teams going to the Super Bowl. The Chiefs have Mahomes, Andy Reid, and a good defense. They’re battle tested and battle-hardened to, which I think gives them advantage. The Rams seem like a contender that is good in almost every phase, but not necessarily great in one. I think McVay is great, too,
The Lions and Eagles could be in the 1st tier–their rosters are strong (although players have left and they have injuries). I do think both QBs depend a lot on their supporting cast. Buccaneers remind of Detroit in that they have an all-around good roster, but maybe not quite as good. But if Mayfield can continue to play at the level he has been, I’d give him the edge over Goff and Hurts. I like the Colts, especially their OL, run game, and Warren. I’m not sure if their defense is good enough, and in all these ways they remind me a little of the Lions. The Broncos have a defense that can make them competitive against any team, I think, although I was expecting them to be a little more dominant. Sean Payton gives them an advantage against most coaches. The Packers seem like they have a strong, all-around roster. I have doubts about Love, though, so maybe they’re too high. For the Bills, I just want to say that I’m feeling it’s time to move on from Sean McDermott. I think they need better coaching. I’m not sure what to make of the Commanders, so I’m leaving in there. The Hawks secondary is banged up, but when those players return, they could be one of the best defenses. Kubiak and Darnold are doing well, but that OL scares me, especially against really good defenses.
I’ll keep my first tier the same with the Lions, Rams, and Bills. If the Lions needs Goff to make plays to win (ie: They are behind two scores.), they won’t win. The Rams have the best balance in terms of offense and defense especially both lines, but their secondary cannot be trusted. The Bills seem to have these lags every year where they lose to teams they shouldn’t lose to, but they end up being a contender anyways. The way Atlanta was able to run the outside zone should be concerning for Buffalo, however.
Your list seems to be more about who can win the Super Bowl. Mine is more about who I think is playing the best right now. If it’s who can win it all, I would still keep my three teams, but I will have to add the Bucs who seem to have just about every skilled player hurt. Their defense might be sketchy though.
I feel like that’s a big deficiency. It’s not unlikely that they’ll be in that situation at least one time in the playoffs. I also don’t completely trust Goff’s ball security, especially if he gets smacked around a bit.
Yeah, then they just don’t play well, or they don’t play better than a team like the Chiefs. I expect to win a lot of games, but I’m losing faith in their ability to win the post-season. I wouldn’t be surprised if a team like the Broncos or Colts beat them. (One thing is that they seem schizophrenic when it comes to their offense. They seem like they want to build around the run game at times, but then at other times they want to build it around Allen. The OC and HC are not finding the right balance in my view.)
I would be concerned about their run defense in general, but to be fair, the Falcons may be the best outside zone running offenses.
Yes, I’m thinking more about who can win the Super Bowl. Why don’t you have the Eagles or Packers? I could be overrating the Packers, but they just seem to have a really good all-around roster. I don’t feel good about Love avoiding some miscue or turnover, but they look good on both sides of the ball. (Maybe their OL is not as good this year?)
I would include the 49ers if they weren’t decimated by injuries. Without Bosa and Warner, I think their chances drop, but if Purdy, Kittle and the WRs get healthy, they could make some noise.