Best and worst teams in the NFC through October
As the NFL enters Week 7, teams are starting to settle in. There have been rivalry games, competitions overseas, and shocking upsets, and no one remains undefeated with the San Francisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles losing last week. Who is at the top of the conference? What are the concerns of those at the bottom? Who are the silent but deadly dark horses?
There are many teams dominating the National Football Conference. With a 20-6 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Detroit Lions are 5-1 for the first time since 2011. Jared Goff has had no trouble finding wide receivers Amon Ra St. Brown and Josh Reynolds, or rookie tight end, Sam LaPorta. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery are crushing the running game with a combined 564 yards and six touchdowns. The Lions also have one of the best defenses in the division, if not the entire NFL. They have recorded 15 sacks, six interceptions, and five forced fumbles. Since the 37-31 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2, Detroit has won their last 4 games by double digits. If the Lions can keep everyone healthy and keep playing at this high level, then we could see them clinch their first playoff win since 1992 and maybe even an NFC Championship appearance.
Do not count out the Eagles just yet: despite losing 20-14 to the New York Jets in Week 6, they are still one of strongest teams in the conference. They have averaged 25 points per game behind the leadership of Jalen Hurts, who has become one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Not only can Hurts get it done in the air, but he can execute on the ground as well. He’s thrown seven touchdowns and rushed for five himself this season. Star running back Deandre Swift has had 86 carries for 452 yards and has punched it into the endzone twice. A.J. Brown, one of the best receivers in the game, has had 42 receptions for 672 yards and 2 scores.
But injuries have plagued Philly since the beginning of the season and it’s finally caught up to them. Key players such as defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, cornerback Bradley Roby, safety Reed Blankenship, and cornerback Eli Ricks all left the game or were sidelined with injuries Philadelphia’s real problem is not being able to score from 20 yards out.. In their last game against the Los Angeles Rams, they converted on only two of six red zone appearances. And although they were two of three this week, what did it cost them? Hurts had three interceptions, including a fatal fourth-quarter one that set up a Breece Hall touchdown to help the Jets prevail over the Eagles. They have all the weapons, like Brown, Davonta Smith (a third-year receiver from Alabama), and tight end Dallas Goedert. They just cannot seem to get them the ball. Once they find a way to get it to these players, they will be as good as they were last year.
Looking ahead, Philly has one of the hardest remaining schedules. They take on the Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and San Francisco 49ers before facing the Cowboys again. If they cannot get some of their defensive personnel back, find good substitutes, and fix their red zone game, it is going to be a long season for the Eagles.
One of the biggest disappointments this season has been the New York Giants. They showed so much potential last season under first-year head coach Brian Daboll. After some big off-season moves, including trading for former Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller and extending quarterback Daniel Jones, the stage was set for a comeback season. But, the Giants have fallen short of expectations with a 1-5 record. Since Week 1, they have had trouble putting points on the board. New York has only scored five touchdowns this entire season. In their loss against the Bills, they had to settle for three field goals.
Losing running back Saquan Barkley in Week 2 against the Cardinals proved to be a huge loss for the Giants. Their biggest problem, though, is the offensive line. Jones has already been sacked 28 times, and in his first game with the Giants this year, backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor was sacked four times. How can they create offense and gain momentum when the quarterback barely has time to get the ball out? Barkley’s return from injury will certainly help the Giants offensively. Daboll and his team of coaches need to think about how they can improve this offensive line because this is not the first season it has been a problem. Until they determine a long-term fix, the Giants are going to have a tough time finding success.
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AFC’s Best and Worst through October
Let’s look at the top of the AFC and break down why those teams are good. What do those at the bottom of the conference need to do to find success? Who is starting off slow but has the chance to be a top team? Which group has the Boston Red Sox outscored in October since their season ended on the 1st (sorry New England Patriots fans)?
If you are having a conversation about the American Football Conference contenders, one of the first teams that comes to mind is the Kansas City Chiefs. The duo of quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce led the Chiefs to a 5-1 record, a position they are familiar with.
But how about the Miami Dolphins? A team that started 0-7 just four years ago has now started their season 5-1 and has their sights set on their first playoff win since 2000. Coach Mike McDaniels and the Dolphins wasted no time making a name for themselves with their 50-point victory over the Denver Broncos in Week 3. Miami has dominated both the run and the passing game. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has thrown for 1,876 yards, 14 touchdowns, and five interceptions. Meanwhile, Raheem Mostert and De’von Achane have combined for 889 yards and have punched it into the end zones 14 times. The Dolphins have an absolute monster in Tyreek Hill, who is the second-best receiver in the league, and has had 43 receptions for 813 yards and six scores. Their only concern is their defense.
Miami cannot seem to figure out how to slow down high-power offense. Luckily, their offense keeps bailing them out. They gave up 34 points against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1 and were not able to withstand the Buffalo Bills attack in their only loss thus far.. The Miami Dolphins have some tough games coming up where their defense will be crucial. They play the Philadelphia Eagles next week before playing the Chiefs and the Dallas Cowboys. How they play in these games will determine if they are a Super Bowl-caliber team or not.
Despite losing games to the New York Jets and the Jacksonville Jaguars, and narrowly escaping the Giants, the Buffalo Bills can still easily make a deep playoff run. Josh Allen is doing it all. He can throw – he has 1,576 passing yards for 13 touchdowns and six interceptions – and he can run too, as he’s proven by rushing for three scores himself. Allen has a very capable team around him as well. Running backs James Cook and Latavius Murray rushed for 457 yards and converted three times in the red zone. Wide receiver duo Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis have been doing what they do best: scoring. Diggs has five touchdowns on the season while Davis has four. Buffalo’s defense is also one of the best in the league. They have had 24 sacks, eight interceptions, and eight force fumbles. Although they have started off slow, looking at the rest of their schedule will show that the Bills have a great chance of making it far this postseason.
The New England Patriots are one of the worst teams in the conference, if not the league. They have lost their last three games by a total of 73 points, including being shutout against the New Orleans Saints in Week 5. Quarterback Mac Jones has struggled greatly, throwing for only 1,208 yards and five touchdowns, but racking up seven interceptions. The Patriots were hoping for a bright spot in running back Ezekiel Elliot, who has the second most career rushing yards by an active player but has only one punch-in this season. These first few games have raised interesting questions for the New England Patriots organization. What does Bill Belichick’s future with the team look like? Is Jones a franchise quarterback? The Patriots will need to answer these questions if they want any chance of being successful in the future.
Watch the Dolphins, Bills, Patriots, and the rest of the AFC teams compete in some of the most exciting matchups of the season. The Cincinnati Bengals take on the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 17, the New York Jets versus the Dolphins in Weeks 12 & 15, the Chiefs and Dolphins in Germany, and so many more! Catch all of the games on FOX, CBS, NBC, and ESPN as well as Amazon Prime and Peacock.