This time of year, we usually have a bit more clarity regarding Super Bowl heavyweights and consistently good teams. In a season like this, where the previously undefeated Eagles get jobbed by the referees (while also showing some concerning flaws) — it’s starting to feel like we’ll never get a complete read on the NFL’s elite.
Week 10 of the 2022 NFL season saw the favored Bills and Josh Allen choke away a late lead to the Vikings in a bonkers instant classic. It had the Eagles, of course, self-combusting on national television against a divisional rival. It also (probably unsurprisingly, if we’re being honest) laid out the carpet for another potential Mike McCarthy masterclass in wasting a promising season in Dallas.
Whatever happens down the stretch of this wild year, it’s clear that this roller coaster of a pro football campaign still has a few unpredictable dips, twists, and turns.
Let’s dive into all the madness — including profiling those same, totally legit Vikings — in the Week 11 edition of For The Win’s power rankings for the 2022 NFL season.
32
Las Vegas Raiders
Last week’s rank: 29
If you lose to Jeff Saturday, you get the last-place spot in these rankings. That’s the rule from here on out.
31
Houston Texans
Last week’s rank: 31
Houston isn’t a good football team, and there aren’t many promising bright spots outside of the tackle-breaking machine known as Dameon Pierce. But the Texans play hard every week and are usually a tough out. That’s all you can ask for from a talent-bereft roster.
30
Cleveland Browns
Last week’s rank: 24
This defense is a problem. Even with a handful of young stars, it’s still liable to be gashed by the AFC’s top offenses — like in Week 10, where the Miami Dolphins hung 491 total yards on them. Deshaun Watson, two more games from returning from suspension following more than 20 accusations of sexual misconduct and what the NFL described as “predatory behavior,” can’t fix that.
29
Denver Broncos
Last week’s rank: 22
The Broncos gave Russell Wilson a quarter-billion dollars. A quarter … billion. With a b.
If the Broncos had scored exactly 18 points in regulation of every game, they would be 8-1.
18 points.
— RK (@RyanKoenigsberg) November 14, 2022
28
Indianapolis Colts
Last week’s rank: 30
Jeff Saturday got a win in his coaching debut despite Matt Ryan’s downfield limitations, which deserves praise. Now he’s gotta do it against someone better than a Raiders team that’s been consumed by its head coach’s search for rock bottom. Next on the schedule are the Philadelphia Eagles, which, oh no.
27
Carolina Panthers
Last week’s rank: 32
PJ Walker is injured and will be replaced by a headbutting Baker Mayfield, who will be backed up by Sam Darnold. That is both a cursed sentence and an accurate reflection on the current state of the 2022 Carolina Panthers.
26
Chicago Bears
Last week’s rank: 25
It’s hard to see in live action, but if you squint really hard, you can see the red cape Justin Fields has attached to his back every time he breaks free into the open field. For now, Fields’ heroics aren’t enough to lift an otherwise awful Bears team that’s scored over 120 points in the last month but still lost three straight games. However, the second-year QB continues to show the future might be incandescent in Chicago. Oh, and that Bears’ 2023 first-round pick continues to rise up in value with every defeat. A win-win all around.
25
Los Angeles Rams
Last week’s rank: 17
Los Angeles is broken and likely unfixable if Cooper Kupp is out for an extended stretch. Every Rams loss is straight profit for the Lions, who own their 2023 first-round pick. GM Les Snead is also projected to have an estimated -$5 million in effective cap space next spring, so adding veteran help in the offseason may be a tall task for a team that prefers big-name additions.
24
Atlanta Falcons
Last week’s rank: 18
Marcus Mariota is out here trying to throw passes while literally tumbling to the ground from his back, and we can finally see why Arthur Smith never lets him throw the ball. If it isn’t Desmond Ridder Time in Atlanta now, it might never be.
23
New Orleans Saints
Last week’s rank: 20
*Looks at Saints struggling to move the ball past the 50-yard line every week*
*Looks at Saints’ first-round pick in 2023, which belongs to the NFC heavyweight Eagles*
Oh. Oh, no.
22
Detroit Lions
Last week’s rank: 26
The Lions’ defense remains a wreck, and each win pushes them further away from the franchise quarterback they desperately need. Still, this is a fun offense to watch, which is more than you could say about this team in the past few years.
21
Pittsburgh Steelers
Last week’s rank: 28
A sea of pigeons couldn’t stop Kenny Pickett and Najee Harris from bowling over the Saints. We’ll still have to see more from Pickett to affirm that the Steelers won’t be drafting another QB in April, but it was a nice win for a young player seeking any sort of positivity at the moment.
20
Arizona Cardinals
Last week’s rank: 23
The drama between Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins aside, the Cardinals got a much-needed cruiser of a victory over the Rams. It probably won’t mean much to salvage their season — considering L.A. might be even more hapless — but you’ll be surprised at how a division win can stabilize a team, if only temporarily.
19
Jacksonville Jaguars
Last week’s rank: 21
The Jaguars are a competent team that finds ways to lose. On Sunday, they were the first team in 2022 to have a turnover margin of +3 or better and still suffer defeat (those teams were 22-0 before Week 10). There are still a lot of growing pains that need to be ironed out, but Jacksonville’s young contributors are growing into the kind of unit that can contend … just not in 2022.
18
Green Bay Packers
Last week’s rank: 27
Aaron Rodgers is still capable of reaching his MVP heights, even if that hasn’t been sustainable. In Week 10, he relied heavily on rookie Christian Watson to carry his passing game in spurts, lifting a run-first offense to 30-plus points for the first time in 2022 (with an assist from overtime and Mike McCarthy’s coaching on the opposite sideline). Injuries have piled up, and Green Bay remains fatally flawed, but Rodgers remains good enough to ruin someone else’s Sunday.
17
Washington Commanders
Last week’s rank: 19
Taylor Heinicke is 3-1 as a starter. Carson Wentz is 2-4. One of those guys was signed as a free agent in late 2020 while he was getting an online graduate degree. The other cost Dan Snyder a pair of Day 2 picks to acquire. Even when things go right for the Commanders you’re never far from a reminder of how this franchise screws things up.
16
New York Jets
Last week’s rank: 13
Amazingly, Jets-Patriots in Week 11 will be a game with significant playoff implications as the AFC East emerges as the division we all thought the West might have been this fall. New England handled Zach Wilson in the teams’ first go-round in New Jersey. Now each side has had the chance to think about the rematch over their Week 10 bye. The pressure’s on Robert Saleh to out-maneuver Bill Belichick and keep his division title hopes alive.
15
New England Patriots
Last week’s rank: 15
After humiliating the Colts, the Patriots spent their bye recalibrating for a gauntlet of a second half. In addition to another go-around with every (good!) AFC East team, the Bengals and Vikings also await. If Bill Belichick can get the limited Patriots to the playoffs after this tough remaining slate, we’ll petition Canton to get him his gold hoodie measured immediately.
14
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Last week’s rank: 16
Don’t look now, but after two straight nail-biter wins, Tom Brady’s Buccaneers are in a clear pole position to win the NFC South. As the age-old adage goes: Don’t count out Touchdown Tom. Even at age 45. Just, you know, have him throw the ball instead of making him the pass target. Byron Leftwich can never let that play see the light of day again.
13
Cincinnati Bengals
Last week’s rank: 12
Cincinnati has the personnel to run with anyone in the league and the coaching to fall apart at a moment’s notice. The next three weeks will test the Bengals’ resolve; on the road against a Steeler defense that just held the Saints to 186 total yards, at Tennessee, and then back home in Ohio for a marquee showdown with the Chiefs. Zac Taylor will have to up his game against a challenging schedule to turn Cincy’s 2021 playoff appearance into a streak.
12
Los Angeles Chargers
Last week’s rank: 14
The Chargers haven’t had a full docket of healthy WRs for basically the entire season, and they still can’t block anyone. Their offense is impossibly conservative, limiting the talents and output of one of the sport’s best passers in Justin Herbert. And Brandon Staley, a year after being anointed as the Next Big Thing, looks like an overmatched sideline dud just waiting to be fired at the end of the year. At this rate, Staley probably should get the axe for his culpability in this football crime wasting so much talent.
11
San Francisco 49ers
Last week’s rank: 7
Jimmy Garoppolo has a 10-2 record as a starter when he doesn’t throw a touchdown pass. We here at For The Win don’t endorse #QBWinz, so we know what this stat actually means — the 49ers have an incredible roster. It’s on Jimmy G. not to blow it and to, you know, maybe throw a touchdown pass in a meaningful moment from time to time.
10
Tennessee Titans
Last week’s rank: 11
Ryan Tannehill returned to the lineup and struggled to elevate the Titans’ passing game, but it didn’t matter because he was up against the picked-over carrion of the Broncos’ offense. The Tennessee defense continues to thrive under Mike Vrabel, which will be enough for another AFC South title. After that? Well, that’s gonna depend on Tannehill and some of his unproven targets stepping up.
9
Seattle Seahawks
Last week’s rank: 6
Geno Smith’s redemption might be the most heartening story of the entire season. Everyone on that Seattle squad is picking their play up to lift the veteran QB in his second act, and frankly, it’s remarkable to watch. Even after a tough loss in Munich, it’s obvious this Seahawks squad — that clearly plays for each other — isn’t going anywhere. This is what football should be all about.
8
New York Giants
Last week’s rank: 9
It wasn’t pretty — Giants wins typically aren’t — but New York matched its preseason win total by surviving the Houston Texans and improving to 7-2. Daniel Jones continues his rebirth as an efficient passer — 13-of-17, 197 yards, and two touchdowns — and Saquon Barkley is in a place where he’s comfortable toting the ball 35 times (!) in 60 minutes. Brian Daboll has turned a shaky roster into a playoff squad and deserves immense Coach of the Year consideration.
7
Dallas Cowboys
Last week’s rank: 4
Mike McCarthy made Mike McCarthy decisions, and Aaron Rodgers did what Aaron Rodgers does against the Cowboys, and now Dallas sits in third place in the NFC East. The Cowboys’ defense proved vulnerable to big plays, which casts doubt over their playoff hopes in a conference filled with home run hitters like AJ Brown, Justin Jefferson, DK Metcalf, and Deebo Samuel — to say nothing about the stars in the AFC. Still, the NFC is a mess, and the Cowboys have plenty of runway to make in-season fixes.
6
Baltimore Ravens
Last week’s rank: 8
We smiled upon the new-look Ravens after a chaotic week of favorites falling just short, elevating them to the top six. Which, hey, who knows? After the newly-minted Roquan Smith and Co. proved they could win with defense, this mix might be enough to elevate Baltimore to get Lamar Jackson’s first playoff win (and more).
5
Buffalo Bills
Last week’s rank: 3
Josh Allen played hurt Sunday, but it’s fair to ask whether mid-season slumps are a trend in western New York. Buffalo went 2-4 between Weeks 9 and 14 in 2021, with Allen dropping off his early MVP-adjacent pace. With the Dolphins surging and the rest of the AFC East all sitting over .500, it’s worth keeping an eye on the preseason Super Bowl favorites.
4
Miami Dolphins
Last week’s rank: 10
Trade deadline acquisition Jeff Wilson has almost 200 yards from scrimmage and two scores in just two games as the Dolphins’ platoon back. His addition to a Miami offense with an embarrassment of riches sure makes the Fins look quite formidable as the weather turns frigid across the country.
3
Minnesota Vikings
Last week’s rank: 5
Look, there are still reasons to fade the Vikings. They still needed three Josh Allen end zone turnovers — two in theirs, one in his own — to escape Orchard Park with a win. But when it came down to brass tacks, Kirk Cousins protected the ball and trusted his playmakers — who are some of the best in the NFL. Meanwhile, a beleaguered defense stood up. Minnesota can be a real playoff problem or can fold in upon itself like a collapsing bridge. In Week 10, they looked like the former.
2
Philadelphia Eagles
Last week’s rank: 1
Philadelphia was done in by sloppy play and some questionable — and in one case egregious — calls. That still doesn’t excuse losing to the Commanders as an 11-point favorite at home. The Eagles couldn’t drop their passing attack into gear Monday night and were ground down by Washington’s run-heavy approach, possessing the ball for fewer than 20 minutes in a 32-21 defeat.
1
Kansas City Chiefs
Last week’s rank: 2
Another week, another cool four-touchdown performance from Patrick Mahomes. Don’t look now, but after the Bills’ recent foibles, the AFC — with new Chiefs toy Kadarius Toney starting to shine — runs through top-seed Kansas City again. Knowing that we might also soon be talking about two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes.
