Analysis
10/26/21
9 min read
Domo's NFL Power Rankings: Bengals and Titans are Real Contenders
1) Bucs (6-1) Previous: 1
Last week: W38-3CHI
This week: at 4-2 Saints
Good news: Forty-four-year-old Tom Brady is on pace to throw a career-high 51 touchdown passes this season.
Bad news: Four of their next five games are on the road. Sorry, best I could come up with.
2) Cowboys (5-1) Previous: 2
Last week: Bye
This week: at 3-3 Vikings
Good news: QB Dak Prescott, who suffered a pre-bye week calf strain in the Cowboys overtime win over the Patriots, is expected to play Sunday against the Vikings.
Bad news: The defense has given up touchdowns on 10 of last 11 opponent red-zone visits.
3) Cardinals (7-0) Previous: 3
Last week: W31-5HOU
This week: v. 6-1 Packers (Thurs.)
Good news: In addition to owning one of the league’s most explosive offenses, the Cardinals also have the league’s best third-down defense (28.7%).
Bad news: Arizona's run defense is their Achilles heel. They were gashed for 329 yards at 6.0 yards per carry in their two closest games v. Vikings and 49ers. If you can run the ball and can keep the score close, you’ve got a chance.
4) Bills (4-2) Previous: 4
Last week: Bye
This week: at 1-6 Dolphins
Good news: Rested after a bye, the Bills’ next three games are against teams with a combined 3-16 record.
Bad news: Bills defense has just 6 sacks in their last 4 games.
5) Packers (6-1) Previous: 5
Last week: W24-10WAS
This week: at 7-0 Cardinals
Good news: Aaron Rodgers has thrown one interception in the last six games.
Bad news: Rodgers’ favorite weapon, Davante Adams, was placed on the COVID-19 list Monday and may not be available Thursday night.
6) Rams (6-1) Previous: 6
Last week: W28-19DET
This week: at 1-6 Texans
Good news: Matthew Stafford’s 19 TD passes are the most he’s ever thrown in the first seven games of a season.
Bad news: RB Darrell Henderson is averaging just 3.4 yards per carry in the last two games.
7) Bengals (5-2) Previous: 12
Last week: W41-17@BAL
This week: at 1-5 Jets
Good news: The Bengals are in first place in the AFC North, which they haven’t won since 2015.
Bad news: Aside from Joe Burrow’s eight interceptions, there really isn’t any.
8) Titans (5-2) Previous: 14
8 (14)
Titans 5-2
Last week: W27-3KC
This week: at 3-4 Colts
Good news: The most impressive thing about Derrick Henry isn’t that he’s leading the league in rushing. It’s that 662 of his league-leading 869 rushing yards have come after contact.
Bad news: Their Week 4 loss to the Jets stands out like a pimple on Jennifer Garner’s face.
9) Chargers (4-2) Previous: 9
Last week: Bye
This week: v. 3-4 Patriots
Good news: Justin Herbert has a 105.9 passer rating in the last four games.
Bad news: They gave up 187 rushing yards to the Ravens in a 34-6 loss before the bye.
10) Raiders (5-2) Previous: 11
Last week: W22-33PHI
This week: Bye
Good news: The Raiders are 2-0 since Rich Bisaccia took over for Jon Gruden.
Bad news: Las Vegas has been outscored 42-18 in the first quarter.
11) Ravens (5-2) Previous: 7
Last week: L17-41CIN
This week: Bye
Good news: Mark Andrews’ 516 receiving yards are the second most in the league by a tight end.
Bad news: Lamar Jackson ran the ball 12 times v. Bengals and took some hard shots. It was the fourth time in seven games that he’s carried the ball 12 times or more. He’s on pace for a career-high 184 rush attempts.
12) Browns (4-3) Previous: 11
Last week: W17-14DEN
This week: v. 3-3 Steelers
Good news: Missing RBs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, the Browns run game didn’t miss a beat against the Broncos as D’Ernest Johnson, who had just 39 previous carries in 2-plus NFL seasons, rushed for 146 yards and a TD on 22 carries.
Bad news: QB Baker Mayfield’s shoulder injury was more serious than the Browns initially thought. He’s out indefinitely.
13) Chiefs (3-4) Previous: 8
Last week: L3-27@TEN
This week: v. 2-5 Giants
Good news: The Chiefs held Derrick Henry to 86 rushing yards Sunday, which was his lowest total since Week 1.
Bad news: It didn’t matter.
14) Vikings (3-3) Previous: 15
Last week: Bye
This week: v. 5-1 Cowboys
Good news: WRs Justin Jefferson and Adam Theilen have a combined 78 receptions for 935 yards and 8 TDs.
Bad news: They’re well-rested after the bye, which is good. Because their next four opponents have a combined 20-6 record.
15) Patriots (3-4) Previous: 17
Last week: W54-13MIA
This week: at 4-2 Chargers
Good news: Rookie QB Mac Jones has a 105.8 passer rating in the last four games (73.2 completion percentage, 8.2 yards per attempt, seven TDs).
Bad news: The Patriots still haven’t beaten anybody good. Their three wins have been against the 1-5 Jets (twice) and the 1-6 Texans.
16) Colts (2-4) Previous: 22
Last week: W30-18@SF
This week: v. 5-2 Titans
Good news: Carson Wentz has thrown just one interception in 219 pass attempts. With the Eagles last year, he averaged one every 29.1 attempts.
Bad news: Derrick Henry’s up next for the second time in five weeks. He has averaged 135.7 rushing yards per game v. the Colts in the last four meetings.
17) Saints (4-2) Previous: 19
Last week: W13-10@SEA
This week: v. 6-1 Bucs
Good news: The Saints defense has given up just six touchdown passes.
Bad news: They haven’t faced a top-15 ranked QB since Aaron Rodgers in Week 1. And Tom Brady is waiting for them around the next turn.
18) 49ers (2-4) Previous: 13
Last week: L18-30IND
This week: at 3-4 Bears
Good news: Rookie RB Elijah Mitchell has two 100-yard rushing performances in his first four games.
Bad news: Kyle Shanahan’s offense has averaged just 18.8 points per game since putting up 41 against the Lions in Week 1.
19) Steelers (3-3) Previous: 20
Last week: Bye
This week: at 4-3 Browns
Good news: They’re catching the Browns without their starting QB (Baker Mayfield) and probably without their top two RBs (Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt).
Bad news: Mike Tomlin’s halftime talks have lost their effect. The Steelers have been outscored 41-16 in the third quarter.
20) Bears (3-4) Previous: 18
Last week: L3-38@TB
This week: v. 2-4 49ers
Good news: The Niners have almost as many offensive problems as the Bears.
Bad news: Their offense is a mess. They’re 30th in scoring and QB Justin Fields has thrown just two TD passes in 131 attempts.
21) Panthers (3-4) Previous: 16
Last week: L3-25@NYG
This week: at 3-3 Falcons
Good news: The Panthers hope to get RB Christian McCaffrey back for Week 9.
Bad news: That whole “Sam Darnold just needed a change of scenery’’ thinking? Yeah, no.
22) Falcons (3-3) Previous: 26
Last week: W30-28@MIA
This week: v. 3-4 Panthers
Good news: The Falcons have won three of their last four games.
Bad news: Those wins have been against the 2-5 Giants (by 3), the 1-5 Jets (by 7) and the 1-6 Dolphins (by 2).
23) Seahawks (2-5) Previous: 23
Last week: L10-13NO
This week: v. 2-5 Jaguars
Good news: Russell Wilson is expected to be back in two weeks.
Bad news: It’s probably going to be too late.
24) Broncos (3-4) Previous: 24
Last week: L14-17@CLE
Good news: WR Courtland Sutton, who missed most of last season with a knee injury, has 20 catches for 282 yards and 2 TDs in the last 3 games.
Bad news: Since getting off to a 3-0 start, the Broncos have lost four in a row and have averaged just 16 points in those four losses.
25) Giants (2-5) Previous: 27
Last week: W25-3CAR
This week: at 3-4 Chiefs
Good news: The Giants offense is getting healthy. WRs Sterling Shepard and Kenny Golladay could be back this week, and RB Saquon Barkley is expected to return next week against the Raiders.
Bad news: QB Daniel Jones has just five touchdown passes in 241 pass attempts.
26) Eagles (2-5) Previous: 21
Last week: L33-22@LVR
This week: at 0-7 Lions
Good news: The Eagles have outscored their opponents in the fourth quarter, 70-44.
Bad news: Opposing QBs have completed 80-plus percent of their passes in four of the Eagles’ last five games.
27) Washington (2-5) Previous: 25
Last week: L10-24@GB
This week: at 3-4 Broncos
Good news: After facing Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers the last two weeks, Teddy Bridgewater will seem like a Caribbean vacation by comparison.
Bad news: Washington’s offense has converted just two of nine red-zone opportunities into touchdowns in the last three games. They were 0-for-4 against the Packers.
28) Jaguars (1-5) Previous: 29
Last week: Bye
This week: at 2-5 Seahawks
Good news: The Jags won’t have to face Russell Wilson, who still is recovering from finger surgery.
Bad news: It might not matter who’s at QB if the pass rush doesn’t improve. Jacksonville has just eight sacks this season.
29) Dolphins (1-6) Previous: 30
Last week: L28-30ATL
This week: at 4-2 Bills
Good news: Their last two losses were by just two and three points.
Bad news: They were to the Falcons and Jaguars.
30) Jets (1-5) Previous: 28
Last week: L13-54@NE
This week: v. 5-2 Bengals
Good news: GM Joe Douglas wisely hasn’t traded away the team’s 2022 first-round pick.
Bad news: Rookie QB Zach Wilson injured his right knee and will be out two to four weeks.
31) Lions (0-7) Previous: 32
Last week: L19-28@Rams
This week: v. 2-5 Eagles
Good news: They led the Rams by 10 points midway through the second quarter Sunday.
Bad news: They had to play the last 38 minutes.
32) Texans (1-6) Previous: 31
Last week: L5-31@ARI
This week: v. 6-1 Rams
Good news: Their bye is just three weeks away.
Bad news: The offense has scored more than nine points in one of the last five games.
