At this point last season, the NFL boasted no undefeated teams. This season, there are six – so, why does it feel like there are only three “elite” teams in the league? This mess will undoubtedly sort itself out. For now, let’s hit the top 10:
10. New York Jets – Todd Bowles’ New York Jets have been a successful throwback to the days of dominant defense and effective rushing. They aren’t scoring a lot of points, but they’re shutting down opposing offenses and controlling the clock. We’ll see what happens when more potent offenses than Cleveland and Miami line up opposite the Jets. For now, they’re looking pretty good.
9. Pittsburgh Steelers – Pittsburgh could have been among the league’s elite, but the loss of Ben Roethlisberger looked like an insurmountable obstacle. Thankfully, Le’Veon Bell is back and showing why he could become a serious contender for MVP. Mike Vick is playing well in Roethlisberger’s absence, and
8. New York Giants – Tom Coughlin is one of the most underrated coaches in the NFL. He doesn’t have the horses to be keeping up with Dallas and Philadelphia in the NFC East, yet he has his team sitting atop the division. When Victor Cruz returns, Big Blue’s offense will have an added dimension in the slot that is currently missing. The defense is playing well, and Odell Beckham Jr. is providing exciting offense. With games against the Eagles and Cowboys coming up in the next two weeks, the G-Men can put a stranglehold on the divisional race.
7. Carolina Panthers – Carolina will face its’ biggest test of the young season this Sunday when they travel to Seattle. Still, it’s business as usual for this Panthers defense. Offensively, there’s not a lot of spark, but just enough to win. Josh Norman is playing out of his mind, leading the NFL with four interceptions.
6. Atlanta Falcons – The Falcons showed some gumption against a tough Washington team, proving they are mentally tough enough to withstand such “trap” games. Dan Quinn has this defense playing well, and the emergence of Devonta Freeman has added a dimension to the Falcons offense that makes it much more lethal than before. Julio Jones and Matt Ryan are playing at a high level, making this Atlanta team a real dark horse in the NFC race.
5. Arizona Cardinals – The Cardinals met a tough St. Louis defense and lost over a week ago. They are dominating inferior opponents, but let’s see how they stack up in December. A healthy Carson Palmer gives this team a chance to catch Green Bay, but at the moment, they’re still a solid measure behind the Packers. A trip to Seattle, and a home date against Cincinnati to kick off November should give us a better idea of where this team truly is.
4. Denver Broncos – This year’s Broncos defense could end up in the all-time historical ranks of the NFL. Aqib Talib is one of, if not, the best corners in the game, and DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller are raging bulls of the pass rush. That being said, Peyton Manning has yet to wake up the Broncos offense, and until they can match points with the Patriots, Bengals, Packers, and Cardinals, they won’t be considered a serious Super Bowl contender.
3. Cincinnati Bengals – Right now, the Bengals look like the only team in the AFC that can take down the behemoth that is New England. Andy Dalton has the offense firing on all cylinders, with Tyler Eifert emerging as a legitimate weapon next to AJ Green. For the rest of the regular season, the biggest question mark for Cincinnati is going to be whether or not this unit can translate this success into the postseason.
2. Green Bay Packers – Based solely on the eye test, Green Bay is closing the gap on New England, but I’m not ready to put them at #1 just yet. Aaron Rodgers is leading an offensive juggernaut. Still, I want to see how this defense performs against an elite offense, which doesn’t appear on the schedule until a late-season showdown at Arizona, before I bestow the crown.
1. New England Patriots – The Patriots are making this whole NFL thing look easy, averaging 37.2 points per game. While they surely haven’t been honestly tested yet, teams can only play the schedule laid out for them. Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski appear poised for career years, which is pretty astounding when you stop and think about the careers they’ve had to this point. Dion Lewis has been a gem signing, and the defense is doing its’ job. This is still far and away the best, most complete team in the NFL, and until they play games against the Jets and Broncos defenses, won’t have any credible threats to that crown.
Stoney Keeley is the editor of the SoBros Network, Tennessee Titans Featured Analyst for Pro Football Spot, and covers the WWE for WrestlingNews.co. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley,@PFSpot, @WrestlingNewsCo
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