We're bringing back the bit again on The Collections Blog for our NFL coverage. Last year, our quarter-pole check-in came in the form of a tier list, based on a team's record and how they should feel about it. This time around, we're going to switch it up a bit, and rank the teams based on the number of wins they have from 1-32. In this exercise, every team with 4 wins will be ranked about every team with 3 wins, and then those teams will be ranked in comparison to one another. The 3-win teams will stand above all the two-win teams, and so on. The hope is that by Week 8, we'll be able to check in on these rankings again, perhaps in a different format. Each NFL season takes on a life of its own, so it will be a fun exercise to see what different forms this list takes on throughout the season.
4-Win Teams
1. Philadelphia Eagles: It hasn't looked perfect on the field for last year's NFC Champions, but they continue to find ways to win, and it feels like we're getting more and more flashes of last year's greatness with each game.
2. San Francisco 49ers: There's certainly an argument to be made about San Fran having more of a case to be on the top of this list, but my respect for the Eagles is too high right now. A 49er win against Dallas next week would push them over the top of Philadelphia for sure. Christian McCaffrey for MVP?
3-Win Teams
3. Kansas City Chiefs: It took Travis Kelce not playing and Kadarius Toney handing the Detroit defense a pick-six in week 1 for the Lions to outscore the Chiefs in Week 1. The Chiefs' defense has looked much better than anticipated, and Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes have the rest of the regular season to build up their arsenal outside of Kelce before what's sure to be another deep playoff run.
4. Buffalo Bills: Perhaps one of the most impressive wins of the season so far was Buffalo's dismantling of Miami after the Dolphins' record-setting day. A Week 1 hiccup against the Jets was a shock to the Bills' system, and they've responded wonderfully in the 3 games since.
5. Miami Dolphins: I'm not worried about one loss on the road in what was an obvious letdown spot, after Miami became the first time in a half-century to put up 70 points. The offense is humming right now, and they won't have to play Buffalo every week. Tua's foot will remain firmly on the gas in this offense.
6. Dallas Cowboys: If the Cowboys lost to anyone besides Arizona in the first 4 weeks of the season, I'd probably have them just a bit higher on the list. But they did lose to the Cardinals, and that gave doubters of the Prescott-McCarthy era more than enough ammunition to shoot down early-season optimism. Still, Micah Parsons is building his DPOY campaign once again, and a win against San Francisco could go a long way for this entire team.
7. Detroit Lions: Here's a fun one to think about: when was the last time you can remember Detroit needing a big first down. and they didn't get it? I feel like it's been over a year at this point. The Lions are finding different ways to win, and Aidan Hutchinson is flashing that he can be one of the most unblockable defensive linemen in the league. It's a fun time to be a Lions fan. I can't believe I just typed that.
8. Baltimore Ravens: I may be a little low on a team that's already logged two division wins, but of all the teams in the league with 3 or more wins, Baltimore is one of two that hasn't scored over 100 points in their first four games (combined). It's a new offense that they're getting used to, and Baltimore is already dealing with more than an average amount of injuries, so they're already proving to be a resilient bunch.
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Perhaps the most unlikely name on the 3-win list, but Tampa Bay's got a lot of talent, and they've seemingly struck gold with offensive coordinator Dave Canales, who's got Baker Mayfield playing with that ol' Oklahoma swagger.
10. Seattle Seahawks: It's okay if you still had some doubts about Geno Smith's career year last season, but we've seen enough now: he's legit, and so is Seattle. Some home-run draft picks on the defensive end have made this team look better and better with each week.
2-Win Teams (There's a lot)
11. Jacksonville Jaguars: While a great deal of us probably thought the Jags would be 3-1 or better right now, we've learned that the Texans are not the pushover they've been in years past, so that loss doesn't look as bad now as it did initially. Still, what was supposed to be an ascendant offense hasn't had the consistency you'd hope for, but Jacksonville has plenty of consistency in their leadership to steady the ship for what looks to be a tightly-contested AFC South.
12. Tennessee Titans: Have we seen enough from Mike Vrabel to admit he's a Top-5 coach in the league? The Titans aren't the most talented roster in the league, and yet they've managed to topple the Chargers and Bengals. If you're not prepared for a fight, the Titans can still bulldoze you with Derrick Henry, so if Ryan Tannehill can get himself settled in, this team will once again be a threat in the AFC.
13. Cleveland Browns: Tough to fault them for a tough loss on a day where their "franchise" QB woke up on the wrong side of the bed and decided not to play (or whatever), but this ranking is far more about the Browns' defense, anyway. It can be argued that the loss of Nick Chubb will mean more towards the end of the season than right now, so I see Cleveland as one of the most volatile teams throughout this season.
14. Los Angeles Chargers: Chaos reigns. Justin Herbert might be the only reason Brandon Staley (and a lot of other people in this organization) still has a job. If the Chargers are able to pile up a bunch of wins by the end of this season, Turbo Herbo should be firmly in the MVP conversation. This team also appears primed to look vastly improved when Austin Ekeler returns after their early-season bye.
15. Washington Commanders: The Commanders seem to go as Sam Howell does, and since he's been very up-and-down in his first few starts in the NFL, the team has looked the same. It's been awesome to see Chase Young back on the field, and Brian Robinson continues to prove he's an upper-echelon NFL RB. I'm not seeing the Commanders as contenders, but they'll be a tough out all year.
16. New Orleans Saints: While the Saints being at 2-2 is a respectable result, they should be kicking themselves for not being able to close out the Packers, especially considering that they took a 17-point lead into the fourth quarter of that game. It appears Alvin Kamara will be heavily involved in the pass game, as his 13 catches in Week 4 would indicate, and once Derek Carr gets more comfortable in the offense, they have a shot to contend with Tampa Bay for the NFC South crown.
17. Green Bay Packers: The Packers have had to overcome a lot of injuries to their offense already this season, but that loss to Detroit is troubling to me. If they can get bullied like that against the contenders of the league, it won't matter how many strides Jordan Love makes throughout his first full season as the Packers' starter.
18. Houston Texans: The home-run pick that CJ Stroud has been so far is a highlight, but I also think a lot of this Texans turnaround has to do with Demeco Ryans being a really, really good coach. Plus, to see Stroud excelling after dealing with all the mudslinging that he faced due to an alleged poor performance on a pre-draft cognition test is a great reminder to all of us to keep your head down, keep your mouth shut, and get the work done.
19. Los Angeles Rams: The Rams have proven they're going to be in a lot of games, but I'm not sure if they've proven they can make the playoffs just yet. All eyes will be on Matthew Stafford's target distribution is going to look like when Cooper Kupp returns, after Stafford has crowned a new WR King in Puka Nacua.
20. Indianapolis Colts: Anthony Richardson looks like he might just be the most fun player in the NFL in a few years. However, he's going to need some time to learn his limitations in the league, as each time he drops back, the entire Colts fanbase holds its collective breath. He's been put in harm's way a lot in his 3 starts, which is why he already had to sit out a game due to concussion symptoms. Even still, he's must-see TV when he's out there, and that's made the Colts a fun team to follow so far this year.
21. Atlanta Falcons: Bijan Robinson has looked great. Desmond Ridder has not, and that's why we still can't tell if this is just a poorly-constructed offense, or if Ridder can't support production for Kyle Pitts and/or Drake London. We know this is going to be a run-first offense, but I'm not sure Atlanta has the defense to support that style of play right now.
22. Pittsburgh Steelers: To the dismay of Steeler Nation at large, Matt Canada is still the team's offensive coordinator as of the writing of this post. That looms large, as none of the promising young talent they've amassed on offense have proven out so far this season. Thankfully, their defense is still enough to keep them in games, and maybe even win a couple. If they weren't, this would look even uglier for Mike Tomlin.
1-Win Teams
23. Cincinnati Bengals: I don't care, I still believe in this team. But remember when they thought Joe Burrow had surpassed Mahomes? The next time anyone brings that up, let's remind them of the back-to-back seasons he's had where the Bengals' offense has looked completely out of its depths. It's not all on Burrow, as the loss of both the team's starting safeties has loomed large thus far. At some point, though, you'd have to think that the Bengals' playing with fire with these slow starts will burn them.
24. Minnesota Vikings: They got the win to get them off the mat, but no one's ready to take Minnesota's defense seriously yet. Alexander Mattison has also been improving in his replacement campaign after Dalvin Cook's departure, but the turnover bug is still running rampant through the Vikings' offense.
25. Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Gannon prefers to ride in a bus rather than a tank, and his team has responded. This team has only really gone belly-up against the 49ers, who tend to do that to anyone they play. The rest of their games have been hotly-contested, and Joshua Dobbs is making himself a lot of money, showing his bright future as a career QB 1a. I love the fight the Cardinals have shown so far.
26. New York Jets: Amidst all the hysteria surrounding those in attendance (including Kendall Roy himself, Jeremy Strong), there was something else present at MetLife for the first time this past Sunday night: hope that Zach Wilson can navigate this Jets offense without Aaron Rodgers. He looks good enough that he can beat teams that aren't as good as Kansas City, and the defense will be a huge help, as they're shown they're going to be a top-end unit in the league.
27. New England Patriots: Yes, the Patriots beat the Jets, but the rest of their games have been a bit of a sour note. Mac Jones is catching more heat than any QB in the league right now, and I'm not sure it's close anymore. The defense can't keep its best pieces on the field, and it's starting to look like the Patriots will be in the QB market this offseason.
28. Las Vegas Raiders: Maxx Crosby, Davante Adams, and Josh Jacobs have looked like their normal All-Pro selves, and that's about it for the Raiders in 2023. We're already at the part of the season where Jimmy G is missing games, and it appears Aidan O' Connell took inspiration from the Steelers' offense about how to not deliver on the preseason hype. If they didn't get to play the Broncos already, the Raiders would likely still be seeking out their first win.
29. New York Giants: The New York Giants were apparently the only team who gave Daniel Jones a first-round grade in the 2019 draft, and I'd venture to say that they were the only team in the league who were willing to pay him $40 million a year, too. The offense has been pathetic for 7 of the 8 halves the Giants have played in, and Jones simply isn't talented enough to make up for the loss of Saquon Barkley. It feels like this is going to get worse.
30. Denver Broncos: The "reap what you sow" crowd has been eating good watching Denver this year. After spending the entire offseason running his mouth about how different things were going to be for the Broncos, Sean Payton has navigated them to a worse record (1-3) they had under Nathaniel Hackett (2-2) after four games last season. The defense has allowed season-highs in points to nearly every opposing offense they've faced, and Russell Wilson's apparent offseason workout changes have brought more of the same results.
31. Chicago Bears: Okay, yes, the Bears are the worst team in the league, but when you think about the draft capital they have for the loaded 2023 class and then remind yourself that they're likely going to strip the entire operation down to the boards, you can talk yourself into hope once the ball drops to begin 2024. Just make sure you're not in front of a TV on Sunday afternoons until then.
32. Carolina Panthers: I can't decide what makes the Panthers feel worse: that they traded this year's first-round pick to acquire Bryce Young, only to end up looking far worse than they did last year, or the fact that the other two QBs who were drafted in the first round have looked a fair amount better than Young has. The "Island of Misfit Toys" approach to their offensive playmakers have made the Panthers look far too inept on offense, meaning their defense has been hung out to dry most of the season. This could be a full-blown disaster by the end of October.
As I'm sure you can tell, this is the one correct way to see the NFL landscape right now. I look forward to you telling me how right I am on X (Twitter). We'll see you in a few weeks to see how the dust has settled at the halfway point of the season. Until then, enjoy the football!
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