After seven weeks of the NFL season we find ourselves looking like we ended last season. The top two teams in the NFL right now are the two teams who played in the last Super Bowl, Kansas City and Philadelphia. Those same two teams are coming off of their most impressive performances of the season. We also saw one AFC officially enter as a top five team, while an NFC favorite is starting to slide after a second straight week. Oh and of course, a Kirk Cousins primetime performance you weren’t expecting.
Mahomes Officially Enters Early Season MVP Conversation
We all knew he would do this sooner than later. Patrick Mahomes hadn’t played poorly this season, but he didn’t have the unbelievably offensive output we have been familiar with seeing from him. That delay ended on Sunday when Mahomes led the Chiefs to a 31-17 win over AFC West rival, the Los Angeles Chargers.
Mahomes cooked the Chargers defense for 424 passing yards and four touchdowns with just one interception, connecting with Travis Kelce for 12 catches and 179 of those yards. Kelce was one of four different receivers to haul in a Mahomes’ touchdown pass. It was the first time the Chiefs offense performed with the same explosiveness that we have recently seen from the Miami Dolphins. Chargers coach Brandon Staley’s defense could do nothing to stop the Chiefs.
As we’ve seen in prior weeks, this Kansas City team is getting more support from the defense than in past years. The defensive unit held Justin Herbert to 259 yards and only one touchdown, while picking him off twice and sacking him five different times. They also held versatile running back Austin Ekeler to just 45 rushing yards.
Kansas City now finds themselves with a commanding three game lead in the AFC West, with all three other teams having losing records. As if we didn’t know already, there might not be a bigger division title lock than the Chiefs. With underwhelming performances in previous games and impressive performances by other teams around the NFL, this Chiefs win is an instant reminder of what this team can do when Mahomes is on his game. No single player in the NFL can perform at his ceiling. With the Chiefs defense looking more reliable than ever, Kansas City will continue to be the favorite to win the AFC and return to the Super Bowl in February.
Philadelphia Turns Down the Power on Miami Offense
It seems Philadelphia received the same memo as Kansas City in week seven. A win is a win, but there’s a difference between just getting that win and having a good looking win. The Eagles 31-17 win against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday Night Football was a good looking win.
Philadelphia’s key to success against Miami was through its defense. Facing the high octane Dolphins, Philly held Mike McDaniel’s team to just 244 total yards and only gave up 10 actual points to the Miami offense. As seen in the past, the Eagles dominated the trenches and prevented any run game to build which forced Tua Tagovailoa to make throws down field. Even with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle (before he left with injury), Philadelphia limited the damage. The only real collapse came on a 27 yard touchdown pass to Hill before the end of the first half.
Offensively, Philadelphia wasn’t perfect but did pace the game beautifully by dominating the clock, having possession for over 13 minutes more than Miami. Jalen Hurts had a few throws he would probably like to have back, including a pick six in the third quarter, but he ended the game well with big third down “tush push” conversions and a beautiful deep ball to A.J. Brown that felt like the final gut punch to Miami’s hope of victory.
Considering the level of opponent and national stage, this was the best we’ve seen the Eagles this season. When Philadelphia is playing it’s best, it feels like they are just making their opponent bleed out slowly. They are so physical on the lines that every yard needs to earned. With their ability to be nearly unstoppable with the aforementioned “tush push” on third/fourth and shorts, the Eagles offense can play more conservatively to work their way down field. Philadelphia will need to continue to trend towards stronger and better play, but this was an impressive measuring stick.
Despite the loss, I don’t necessarily think any less of Miami. Philly is an incredibly difficult place to play, especially in primetime with their raucous crowd drinking all day. Even with the 14 point loss, this game was very competitive and didn’t feel like the Dolphins were outclassed. On a neutral field, I believe this is essentially a toss up game. As it stands right now, I think these are two of about five or six actual Super Bowl contenders. These two could definitely run into each other again on the biggest stage.
Ravens Feast Upon Lions
With a 5-1 record and NFC North division lead, the Detroit Lions had a lot of people talking after years of being an NFL cellar dweller. Many expected the Lions road game against the Baltimore Ravens to be a true measuring stick to where they are in the big picture of the NFL. A win for Detroit would have had football fans everywhere talking about the Lions being a real contender. Instead, football followers will leave Sunday’s game talking about how impressive the Ravens look after their 38-6 dominating win.
Baltimore’s offense was relentless in the game, posting over 500 yards and averaging a whopping 9.1 yards per play. Lamar Jackson was to thank for much of that success, throwing for 357 yards and three touchdowns. Jackson would also run for another 36 yards and a touchdown. Jackson’s clinic was reminiscent of his 2019 MVP campaign.
The Baltimore defense also wreaked havoc on Jared Goff and the Lions offense. Playing from behind the entire game, Goff threw 53 passes and didn’t find the end zone on single one of them. The Ravens also sacked Goff on five separate times. One game doesn’t change the fact that Detroit looks like one of the stronger NFC teams, but there is still another level they may need to reach to hang with the best of the best teams. The opening Kansas City win was impressive, but not necessarily one Detroit can hang their hat on for the entire season.
Baltimore has now won three of four games and stands on top of a division that doesn’t have a losing team. With a game on the road against the one win Arizona Cardinals next week, Baltimore will look to pad that lead. We’ve seen this upside before from Baltimore teams, but this one has had relatively good health thus far. Baltimore is an AFC team that deserves to be taken seriously.
Kirk “Primetime” Cousins Deals and Delivers Niners Another Loss
It might be time to put those “Kirk Cousins stinks in primetime” comments to rest. Cousins was filthy good on Monday Night Football as he led the Minnesota Vikings to a surprise 22-17 victory over San Francisco.
There’s no doubt that Cousins hasn’t been impressive in past primetime games, but it will be interesting if he will get equal credit with the great performance he put on against the Niners. Cousins connected on over 75% of his 45 passes, threw for 378 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception while also making some clutch third down throws. Both of Cousins’ touchdowns were caught by rookie Jordan Addison, including a 60 yard touchdown before the half that was arguably Cousins worst throw as an under thrown ball looked like it was intercepted by Charvarius Ward until Addison ripped it away and ran it into the end zone. Cousins had the benefit of being protected well all night, avoid being sacked even once. Keep in mind this was also without Justin Jefferson on the field. If not for the team’s losing record, Cousins would deserve to be in the MVP conversation.
San Francisco’s offense struggled for the second straight week. The difference was that the Vikings defense wasn’t perceived to be as strong as Cleveland’s defense. The 49ers were held to just 325 yards on the night, over 100 less than Minnesota. Brock Purdy played better than last week, but still threw two interceptions, including the game sealing one.
The 49ers appeared nearly unbeatable just two weeks ago, but have shown that there are some concerns when Purdy faces aggressive defenses. Of course, the Niners haven’t had Deebo Samuel at their exposed the past two games, but considering Samuel’s history, that should never be counted on. Barring more injuries or long term injuries to key players, it’s hard to not imagine this team figuring it out and being one of the NFC’s best teams come playoff time, but Purdy may need a confidence rejuvenation.
Minnesota now enters an interesting stretch of games where they will play five of six games against fellow losing teams. Few of those teams present some of the talent the Vikings have though, or a quarterback like Cousins. At 3-4, it may not be wrong to say this Niners win might have salvaged Minnesota’s season. There isn’t much room for error from here on out, but the Vikings still have plenty to play for.
Week Eight Game Watchability Rankings
Teams on Bye: None
16. Ravens vs Cardinals: It feels almost offensive putting Baltimore’s game as the lowest rated game of the week after that clinic they put on against Detroit. This is more a ranking of competitiveness than anything. The Ravens are fun to watch and appear to be legitimately good this season. Arizona plays hard, but that’s just the good sportsmanship way of saying this team is really bad. Baltimore will have plenty of great games ahead. This isn’t one of them.
15. Raiders vs Lions: Las Vegas will go from an embarrassing loss in Chicago to playing the top team in the NFC North. Detroit was served their own course of “humble pie” in Baltimore this weekend. The Lions have vastly improved, but they learned a hard lesson in trying to compete with the best teams in the NFL. Unfortunately for Josh McDaniels and the Raiders, I’d bet on Dan Campbell having his team prepared to rid their mouths of the awful taste of week seven.
14. Bears vs Chargers: Los Angeles is undoubtedly the more talented team in this matchup. They have the quarterback and a handful of players that even the best teams in the NFL would love to have. That being said, this is the Chargers and we all know that means that win or lose, this team will make any game interesting. I don’t care whether it’s Justin Fields or Tyson Bagent (who played quite well against Las Vegas). The Chargers should blow out the Bears, but they won’t.
13. Chiefs vs Broncos: The positive for Denver? They looked relatively competent in a home win against Green Bay and get another home game next week. The negative? That home game is against Kansas City who just had their strongest offensive performance on the season. Taylor Swift effect or not, the Chiefs have one loss and it took until week six for them to show some level of dominance. Good luck Denver.
12. Falcons vs Titans: Would you look at that, Atlanta is in sole possession of first place in the NFC South. It’s not always pretty, but the Falcons find themselves on top after defeating Tampa Bay on the road. They will face a Titans team who finds themselves in the unfamiliar position of last place in their own division. Despite the difference in division standings, it’s hard to see one of these teams much better than the other.
11. Saints vs Colts: This season has gone about the same for both Indianapolis and New Orleans. Changes at quarterback from last season, looking to get back in the playoff picture, having opportunities in many games, but ultimately letting a few games slip away and finding themselves below .500. This should be a competitive game, but considering how these teams have played, determining a winner is anyone’s guess.
10. Texans vs Panthers: I know Houston has impressed and there’s reason to believe they can compete in the AFC South, but we all know this is about C.J. Stroud vs Bryce Young. The top two picks in the 2023 NFL Draft will face each other for the first time in their careers. Stroud has been the more impressive quarterback, but has a younger and seemingly better crop of wide receivers. Carolina has struggled, remaining the lone winless team left in the NFL. For the Panthers and Young, Houston would be a sweet first victory.
9. Eagles vs Commanders: Much like Kansas City, Philadelphia’s season has provided wins but they haven’t looked that impressive. The Eagles win on Sunday Night Football against Miami was the most impressive of their season and resembled the team we saw in last year’s Super Bowl. Across the field will be NFC East rival Washington with head coach Ron Rivera’s coaching seat heating up. The Commanders season reached a low point in their most recent loss to the Giants. The Eagles defensive line is about to eat as the Washington offensive line as been abysmal protecting Sam Howell.
8. Jets vs Giants: Who would’ve guessed we would get this matchup with both New York teams coming off of wins? I put a bit more weight into the Jets win over Philadelphia than the Giants sneaking by Washington, but a win is a win. It’s not the greatest week of games if this one is in the upper half, but these are two very captivating teams who call The Big Apple home so that has to count for something.
7. Patriots vs Dolphins: Miami may not have gotten the outcome they wanted in Philadelphia, but this is still a Super Bowl contender and arguably the most exciting team in the NFL when everything is clicking. They also owe a thank you to New England for the Patriots beating Buffalo. Of course now New England will attempt to play spoiler for the second straight week. It hasn’t been a fun season for the Pats, but Mac Jones did have his best performance in the comeback win against the Bills. If Bill Belichick’s defense can hold on to the insane fast ride that is the Dolphins offense, this could be a good game.
6. Vikings vs Packers: It’s a new day and age in the NFC North with Minnesota and Green Bay not leading in contention for a division title. Yeah, the division may look like it belongs to Detroit, but these two teams still have plenty to play for. Green Bay is in the middle of a transition year after Aaron Rodgers and Minnesota just pulled off an impressive win against San Francisco with Kirk Cousins looking like an MVP candidate, but still wondering what comes at quarterback after this season.
5. Buccaneers vs Bills: Here we have two teams who have the talent to make the playoffs, but if they keep performing like they did in week seven, they may not clinch a berth. Tampa Bay had a good opportunity to take the division lead in the NFC South, but fell at home to Atlanta. More embarrassing, Buffalo failed to defeat a New England team that looked like it was heading to top five draft pick territory. These two teams CAN be good. This game CAN be good. It could also be more sloppy play from both teams like we saw this weekend.
4. Jaguars vs Steelers: As it stands right now, we know the Kansas City Chiefs will be a favorite to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. Jacksonville and Pittsburgh represent two on a short list of teams who also hope to be in that conversation. Both the Jags and Steelers have looked better from week to week. Who wins this game is anybody’s guess.
3. Cleveland vs Seattle: Two 4-2 teams that are trying to continue to keep pace with other winning teams in their divisions. Seattle has continued to build off last year’s surprise success. Cleveland is finding success for the first time in a long time and don’t have Deshaun Watson to thank for it. Watson has struggled during his time in Cleveland and was pulled from week six’s game against the Colts, even after doctors determined he was clear of a concussion.
2. Rams vs Cowboys: Los Angeles might be the best looking team in the NFL with a losing record. I’m not yet convinced this team can’t make the playoffs, but in the NFC West they need to start piecing games together rather quickly. Dallas comes off the bye after a win against the other L.A team, the Chargers. After the Cowboys were blown out by San Francisco, they have a lot left to prove before they convince anyone they are more than just a playoff team and an actual contender
1. Bengals vs 49ers: San Francisco may be coming off of two losses and will be looking to stop the bleeding before they fall farther behind Philadelphia in the NFC. Cincinnati has been better recently and will be coming off a bye which means Joe Burrow has another week of resting that calf that was bothering him in the early season. Before the season started this game looked like a potential Super Bowl matchup. That may or may not still be true, but it’s still the best matchup of week eight.
The Brewball NFL Power Rankings
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-1)
- Philadelphia Eagles (6-1)
- San Francisco 49ers (5-2)
- Miami Dolphins (5-2)
- Baltimore Ravens (5-2)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (5-2)
- Dallas Cowboys (4-2)
- Seattle Seahawks (4-2)
- Detroit Lions (5-2)
- Buffalo Bills (4-3)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2)
- Cleveland Browns (4-2)
- Los Angeles Rams (3-4)
- Cincinnati Bengals (3-3)
- Los Angeles Chargers (2-4)
- Minnesota Vikings (3-4)
- Atlanta Falcons (4-3)
- New Orleans Saints (3-4)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-3)
- New York Jets (3-3)
- Indianapolis Colts (3-4)
- Houston Texans (3-3)
- Las Vegas Raiders (3-4)
- Washington Commanders (3-4)
- New England Patriots (2-5)
- Tennessee Titans (2-4)
- Green Bay Packers (2-4)
- New York Giants (2-5)
- Denver Broncos (2-5)
- Chicago Bears (2-5)
- Arizona Cardinals (1-6)
- Carolina Panthers (0-6)