 Square Up Sports NFL Power Rankings (11/13/18) Time for NFL teams to circle the wagons...or in the case of the Jets and Raiders, circle the drain... 1) New Orleans Saints (8-1)
Last Week Ranking: 1 Last Game: beat Cincinnati 51-14 Next Game: vs. Philadelphia The Saints scored on their first nine possessions and didn’t allow the Bengals to convert a third down all game. 2) Los Angeles Rams (9-1) Last Week Ranking: 3 Last Game: beat Seattle 36-31 Next Game: vs. Kansas City (MNF) Los Angeles held a moment of silence for the shooting victims in Thousand Oaks and the victims of the fires up in the Malibu and Sacramento areas. It’s been a tough time in the Golden State. 3) Kansas City Chiefs (9-1) Last Week Ranking: 4 Last Game: beat Arizona 26-14 Next Game: at L.A. Rams (MNF) As a photography enthusiast, I have to say that Tyreek Hill needs to work on his framing. 4) New England Patriots (7-3) Last Week Ranking: 2 Last Game: lost to Tennessee 34-10 Next Game: Bye Week The Patriots suffer their worst defeat since 2014 and were dominated from the opening kickoff. Tom Brady was benched midway through the fourth quarter. Is this finally the end? Nah. 5) Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2-1) Last Week Ranking: 7 Last Game: beat Carolina 52-21 Next Game: at Jacksonville The sleeping Steelers have awakened from their slumber. 6) Los Angeles Chargers (7-2) Last Week Ranking: 6 Last Game: beat Oakland 20-6 Next Game: vs. Denver Melvin Gordon is the best back in the NFL that nobody knows about. 7) Minnesota Vikings (5-3-1) Last Week Ranking: 5 Last Game: Bye Week Next Game: at Chicago Since the Vikings were on a bye, I’ll offer this: What Jimmy Butler did to worm his way out of the Timberwolves was underhanded and selfish. 8) Chicago Bears (6-3) Last Week Ranking: 10 Last Game: beat Detroit 34-22 Next Game: vs. Minnesota Cody Parkey couldn’t have done that four times if he tried... 9) Houston Texans (6-3) Last Week Ranking: 11 Last Game: Bye Week Next Game: at Washington Bye Week tidbit: The Astros tried to trade for Bryce Harper for the playoff stretch. 10) Washington Redskins (6-3) Last Week Ranking: 12 Last Game: beat Tampa Bay 16-3 Next Game: vs. Houston “Right now, we’re winning ugly,” Coach Jay Gruden told the Washington Post. “But I don’t know if there’s such a thing as winning ugly.” Oh there’s a way, coach. And the Redskins have done it. 11) Carolina Panthers (6-3) Last Week Ranking: 8 Last Game: lost to Pittsburgh 52-21 Next Game: at Detroit I love the way Ron Rivera handled the team after a beat down. It’s the only way to handle it. Acknowledge it, learn from it, and move forward. 12) Philadelphia Eagles (4-5) Last Week Ranking: 9 Last Game: lost to Dallas 27-20 Next Game: at New Orleans The season is far from over, but Philadelphia’s inconsistency on both sides of the ball is making a repeat trip to the playoffs unlikely. 13) Tennessee Titans (5-4) Last Week Ranking: 17 Last Game: beat New England 34-10 Next Game: at Indianapolis Tennessee pound New England with a series of blitzes up the middle leading to two sacks of Tom Brady. 14) Green Bay Packers (4-4-1) Last Week Ranking: 15 Last Game: beat Miami 31-12 Next Game: at Seattle (TNF) It looks like Aaron Rodgers has another Aaron (Jones) to lean on offense. Jones had 15 carries for 145 yards. 15) Seattle Seahawks (4-5) Last Week Ranking: 13 Last Game: L.A. Rams Next Game: vs. Green Bay (TNF) Seattle entered Sunday ranked 30th in rushing defense. They’ve allowed 160 and 150 rushing yards in consecutive weeks. 16) Dallas Cowboys (4-5) Last Week Ranking: 21 Last Game: beat Philadelphia 27-20 Next Game: at Atlanta Ezekiel Elliott breaks out with 151 rushing yards and two scores and keeps the Cowboys (slim) playoff hopes alive. 17) Cincinnati Bengals (5-4) Last Week Ranking: 14 Last Game: Lost to New Orleans 51-14 Next Game: at Baltimore The Bengals fired DC Teryl Austin and Marvin Lewis will take over the defense, but it doesn’t matter. They are paper tigers. Period. 18) Atlanta Falcons (4-5) Last Week Ranking: 16 Last Game: lost to Cleveland 28-16 Next Game: vs. Dallas Atlanta loses an important game against a team starting a rookie quarterback and running back with an interim head coach. A bad loss all around. 19) Baltimore Ravens (4-5) Last Week Ranking: 19 Last Game: Bye Week Next Game: vs. Cincinnati With Joe Flacco’s hip and performance in question, Lamar Jackson could be the starter for the remainder of the season. 20) Indianapolis Colts (4-5) Last Week Ranking: 20 Last Game: beat Jacksonville 29-26 Next Game: vs. Tennessee When did Eric Ebron become the Colts’ biggest weapon? He leads the Colts with nine TD receptions and that number leads all tight ends. 21) Miami Dolphins (5-5) Last Week Ranking: 18 Last Game: lost to Green Bay 31-12 Next Game: Bye Week The Dolphins haven’t scored an offensive touchdown in nine quarters. 22) Cleveland Browns (3-6-1) Last Week Ranking: 27 Last Game: beat Atlanta 28-16 Next Game: Bye Week With Baker Mayfield and Nick Chubb, it appears the Browns have two key components of their offense set...maybe... 23) Denver Broncos (3-6) Last Week Ranking: 23 Last Game: Bye Week Next Game: at L.A. Chargers Denver’s current 1-6 stretch is among their worst in thirty years. 1-9 in 1990, 2-8 in 2009, 1-9 in 2010, and 0-8 last year. 24) Detroit Lions (3-6) Last Week Ranking: 22 Last Game: lost to Chicago 34-22 Next Game: vs. Carolina Detroit has allowed 16 sacks in two games. 25) Buffalo Bills (3-7) Last Week Ranking: 30 Last Game: beat N.Y. Jets 41-10 Next Game: Bye Week Bills settle on their quarterbacks. Josh Allen will start, the backups are Matt Barkley and Derek Anderson, and the much maligned Nate Peterman is released. Peterman had 12 interceptions in 130 regular-season attempts in just eight games. 26) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-6) Last Week Ranking: 24 Last Game: lost to Washington 16-3 Next Game: at N.Y. Giants The Bucs amassed 501 yards in total offense against Washington but only scored three points. How does that happen? 27) Jacksonville Jaguars (3-6) Last Week Ranking: 25 Last Game: lost to Indianapolis 29-26 Next Game: vs. Pittsburgh Only four teams have made the postseason with a 3-6 record: the 1994 New England Patriots, the 1995 Detroit Lions, the 2012 Washington Redskins, and the 1996 Jaguars. But at this rate, I can’t see history repeating for Jacksonville this season. 28) New York Giants (2-7) Last Week Ranking: 31 Last Game: beat San Francisco 27-23 Next Game: vs. Tampa Bay Eli Manning lead the Giants to a win on his 41st-career game-winning drive, for now, giving the New York media a stay of execution. 29) Arizona Cardinals (2-7) Last Week Ranking: 28 Last Game: lost to Kansas City 26-14 Next Game: vs. Oakland Withouts guards Mike Lupati and Justin Pugh, the Cardinals allowed five sacks and 13 hits to Josh Rosen. 30) San Francisco 49ers (2-8) Last Week Ranking: 29 Last Game: lost to N.Y. Giants 27-23 Next Game: Bye Week With the California wildfires raging 200 miles north, the air quality index rose to 160 in the second half of the Giants/49ers game. Had it reached 200, the NFL may have postponed the game. 31) New York Jets (3-7) Last Week Ranking: 26 Last Game: lost to Buffalo 41-10 Next Game: Bye Week Todd Bowles could not get the Jets ready against a reeling Bills team starting a quarterback they signed 14 days ago. 32) Oakland Raiders (1-8) Last Week Ranking: 32 Last Game: lost to L.A. Chargers Next Game: at Arizona Derek Carr must’ve forgotten it was fourth down. Maybe Jon Gruden did know something about this roster after all...
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