NFL: Rams Rise & Saints Fall
The 11th full weekend of the 2017-18 NFL season is now a thing of the past, and that signals our weekly rankings of the 10 best teams in the league. The Philadelphia Eagles became the first team to reach the 10-win plateau, but the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers are just a game behind, each grabbing their ninth victory, as the two teams seem on a crash course until their Week 15 matchup in the City of Brotherly Love. The Minnesota Vikings also earned a hard-fought win on the road at division rival, the Detroit Lions. Now that we're past Thanksgiving Day, we're in the home stretch until the postseason. Lets do this.
1. Philadelphia Eagles (10-1, +0): The Eagles were involved in yet another route of an inferior opponent last weekend, as they defeated the lowly Chicago Bears, 31-3, and moved to a league-best 10-1 record. QB Carson Wentz threw for 227 yards, while TE Zach Ertz totaled 103 receiving yards. Philadelphia has been a top our rankings for nearly two months now, and with results like this, that won't change anytime soon. However, their schedule does see an uptick over the next couple of weeks, beginning this Sunday, as Philly travels to face the Seattle Seahawks, who are in the thick of the playoff race, on Sunday Night Football.
Team MVP: Carson Wentz (QB) - 2,657 Yards & 28 TDs.
2. New England Patriots (9-2, +0): The Patriots' defense is looking pretty good, and has for the last four games or so, which could be the difference between going to the AFC title game, and possibly winning a second straight Super Bowl. Last week, New England wasted no time with the Miami Dolphins as they jumped all over them from the start and failed to let up, resulting in a 35-17 blowout win. QB Tom Brady, like Wentz, threw for 227 yards, 83 of which were to WR Brandin Cooks, but RB Dion Lewis was the real story as he totaled 112 yards out of the backfield. The Pats will play the Buffalo Bills, who are second in the AFC East.
Team MVP: Tom Brady (QB) - 3,374 Yards & 26 TDs.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-2, +0): The Steelers played in one of the most exciting games of last weekend, on Sunday Night Football, as they were able to come away with a slight win, after QB Brett Hundley had one of the best games of his career for the sliding Green Bay Packers. The Steelers got away with a handful of mistakes, for a walk-off 31-28 winner, behind 169 receiving yards from WR Antonio Brown, who has been more than unbelievable over the last few weeks. RB Le'Veon Bell also added 95 yards on the ground. The Steelers will play on Monday Night Football this week, against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Team MVP: Le'Veon Bell (RB) - 981 Yards & 5 TDs.
4. Minnesota Vikings (9-2, +0): The Vikings were -3.5-point favorites heading into their Thanksgiving Day showdown with the Detroit Lions, who are chasing the Vikes in the NFC North. And yet it was Minnesota who came out with desperation and played incredibly well, sinking the Lions even further in the division. It seemed like the Vikings were the team that needed the win, and it ended in a 30-23 win. QB Case Keenum continued to look solid, tossing for 282 yards, and RB Latavius Murray grabbed 84 yards on the ground, including a four-yard touchdown. Minnesota faces a big test this week, though, with a road game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Team MVP: Case Keenum (QB) - 2,476 Yards & 14 TDs.
5. Los Angeles Rams (8-3, +2): The Rams grabbed one of the more impressive wins of the weekend, taking down the scorching hot New Orleans Saints. This game made a lot of people decide to believe in the Rams and what they could potentially do. Before that, it seemed like they failed to show up when a big game came (i.e. the Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings). The 26-20 win over the Saints at home could go along way to winning the division, and clinching a playoff berth for the first time in what seems like forever. The Rams could take another step closer to that with a road victory over the Arizona Cardinals this weekend.
Team MVP: Todd Gurley (RB) - 865 Yards & 8 TDs.
6. New Orleans Saints (8-3, -1): The Saints lost a game! That's the first time we can say that in over two months, after they won eight consecutive games, behind QB Drew Brees, and a resurgent rushing attack, led by veteran RB Mark Ingram. And even though New Orleans slipped up, 26-20, it doesn't matter that much in the grand scheme of things, but this weeks matchup is much more serious, because it's a division opponent coming to town. The Saints will play host to the Carolina Panthers, a fellow top-10 team, with the same exact record, and the potential to take the lead in the NFC South. This is a huge game for both teams.
Team MVP: Drew Brees (QB) - 3,029 Yards & 16 TDs.
7. Carolina Panthers (8-3, -1): The Panthers, speaking of them, are fresh off of another win, this time against the New York Jets, in a 35-27 win. RB Christian McCaffrey looked good in the victory, leading both teams in rushing yards, with 62 yards, but the Carolina defense may have something to worry about. QB Josh McCown shredded them to the tune of 307 passing yards, and if he can do that, then just imagine what Brees will be able to do. This coming week against the Saints isn't a must-win because the Panthers are still in line for a Wild Card berth even with a loss, but it could go a long way to winning the division.
Team MVP: Cam Newton (QB) - 2,400 Yards & 14 TDs.
8. Atlanta Falcons (7-4, +1): The Falcons are our third consecutive NFC South team in these rankings, which bodes well for their playoff chances, especially since at least one of the teams ahead of them is going to lose this weekend. And another one, the Vikings, could go down if Atlanta is able to get a victory this weekend. It's very possible that the Falcons could rise into the top five this weekend, if both games go their way. QB Matt Ryan threw for 317 yards last week against the Tampa Bay Bucs, but WR Julio Jones was the best player on the field, grabbing a remarkable 253 receiving yards. Atlanta faces Minnesota this Sunday afternoon.
Team MVP: Matt Ryan (QB) - 2,884 Yards & 16 TDs.
9. Seattle Seahawks (7-4, +1): The Seahawks got back on the winning track against the San Francisco 49ers last weekend, following a Monday Night Football loss against the Atlanta Falcons. It's not going to be easy for this team to get into the playoff since they're not leading their division, and they won't have the tiebreaker against the Falcons. QB Russell Wilson continued his great season, passing for 228 yards against the Niners in the 24-13 win that looks closer than it was. Again, it's not a must-win this week against the Philadelphia Eagles but a loss could be very costly when it comes to playoff positioning.
Team MVP: Russell Wilson (QB) - 3,029 Yards & 23 TDs.
10. Tennessee Titans (7-4, +2): The Titans are the only new team to our rankings, as they replace their division rival, the Jacksonville Jaguars after they slipped up against the Arizona Cardinals, and lost 27-24. Tennessee came away with a tight victory, 20-16, behind RB Derrick Henry running for 79 yards on the ground. The Titans will return home this weekend, hosting the Houston Texans, who are likely out of the playoff race altogether after QB Deshaun Watson's season-ending injury. Tennessee needs to win this game in order to continue their push for a playoff berth, and a misstep right here would put them behind the eight ball.
Team MVP: Marcus Mariota (QB) - 2,273 Yards & 9 TDs.
Player of the Week:
W1 - Kareem Hunt (Kansas City Chiefs) - 148 Yards, 1 TD, 42-27 win vs. Patriots.
W2 - Tom Brady (New England Patriots) - 447 Yards, 3 TDs, 36-20 win vs. Saints.
W3 - Jared Goff (Los Angeles Rams) - 292 Yards, 3 TDs, 41-39 win vs. 49ers.
W4 - Deshaun Watson (Houston Texans) - 283 Yards, 4 TDs, 57-14 win vs. Titans.
W5 - Carson Wentz (Philadelphia Eagles) - 304 Yards, 4 TDs, 34-7 win vs. Cardinals.
W6 - Deshaun Watson (Houston Texans) - 225 Yards, 3 TDs, 33-17 win vs. Browns.
W7 - Amari Cooper (Oakland Raiders) - 210 Yards, 2 TDs, 31-30 win vs. Chiefs.
W8 - Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks) - 451 Yards, 4 TDs, 41-38 win vs. Texans.
W9 - Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) - 361 Yards, 2 TDs, 30-17 win vs. Packers.
W10 - Cam Newton (Carolina Panthers) - 254 Yards, 4 TDs, 45-21 win vs. Dolphins.
W11 - Antonio Brown (Pittsburgh Steelers) - 144 Yards, 3 TDs, 40-17 win vs. Titans.
W12 - Julio Jones (Atlanta Falcons) - 253 Yards, 2 TDs, 34-20 win vs. Buccaneers.
Top Ranked Team:
Week 1: Dallas Cowboys.
Week 2: Kansas City Chiefs.
Week 3: Kansas City Chiefs.
Week 4: Kansas City Chiefs.
Week 5: Kansas City Chiefs.
Week 6: Kansas City Chiefs.
Week 7: Philadelphia Eagles.
Week 8: Philadelphia Eagles.
Week 9: Philadelphia Eagles.
Week 10: Philadelphia Eagles.
Week 12: Philadelphia Eagles.
Photo Credit: For the Win.
