NFL: Weekly Power Rankings
1. Los Angeles Rams (7-0, +0): The Rams seem to just keep getting it done, this time on the road against the San Francisco 49ers. QB Jared Goff continued to look like a top tier quarterback, throwing for 202 yards. He was aided by RB Malcolm Brown, who led the team in rushing yards for the first time this year with 65 yards. Even though RB Todd Gurley didn't rush for as many yards as usual, he totaled three more touchdowns. Los Angeles won the game, 39-10, and has nearly reached the midway point of the season still without a loss. The Rams will head back home after a road trip and will face the Green Bay Packers. Although the Packers haven't been as good as past years, QB Aaron Rodgers is also dangerous. DL Aaron Donald will key in on him.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (6-1, +0): The Chiefs were coming off of their first loss against the New England Patriots and for a second straight week, appeared on Sunday Night Football. This time, Kansas City got the best of their opponent. They absolutely dominated the Cincinnati Bengals, 45-10, on their home field. QB Patrick Mahomes still looks like the clear cut MVP, after throwing for 358 yards. He also added four touchdowns to boot. RB Kareem Hunt went for 86 yards. The defense did give up 117 yards to WR A.J. Green which would usually be concerning, but the Bengals failed to truly capitalize on their positive drives. The Chiefs are clearly improving on the defensive end, which is a good sign going forward. They host the Broncos this weekend.
3. New Orleans Saints (5-1, +0): The Saints have now won their fifth straight game, after escaping Baltimore with a one-point win over the Ravens. Baltimore scored a touchdown in the final minutes which brought them within one, before K Justin Tucker missed the first extra point of his career. Tucker is quite possible the best kicker in the entire league, but every misses at times, right? The Saints needed a bit of luck to win this one, but they're still clearly one of the top teams in the league. QB Drew Brees continues to climb the MVP leaderboard, and he got some help from RB Alvin Kamara who rushed for 64 yards. New Orleans will appear on Sunday Night Football with another game against a fellow top five opponent: Minnesota Vikings.
4. New England Patriots (5-2, +0): The Patriots notched their fourth consecutive victory, defeating the Chicago Bears, 38-31, after completely stifling QB Mitchell Trubisky in the first half. He couldn't get anything going against the Patriots' defense, which isn't something we've been able to say for the majority of the season. New England ended up giving up a lot of yards in the second half, which helped the Bears get back in the game, but they were in control throughout. The Pats seemed to have found their stride, and will continue to build on that. It's likely that they'll be able to do so as they head to play the Buffalo Bills next week on Monday Night Football. New England now leads the AFC East following the Miami Dolphins' recent loss.
5. Minnesota Vikings (4-2-1, +1): The Vikings have found their way back in the top five, replacing the Ravens after their aforementioned loss to the Saints. Minnesota leads the NFC North, which is one of the toughest divisions to figure out, but seems like the Vikings' division to lose at this point. QB Kirk Cousins is getting better and better each week, and keeps looking more comfortable in the system. He threw for 241 yards in the 37-17 win over the New York Jets. Cousins has really found a dynamic connection with WR Adam Thielen, who was responsible for 110 yards. Thielen has emerged as a great receiver, and is a nice compliment to RB Latavius Murray, who ran for 69 yards. Minnesota hosts the Saints with a chance to move up further.
MVP Rankings:
1. Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)
2. Drew Brees (Saints
3. Jared Goff (Rams)
4. Tom Brady (Patriots)
5. Kirk Cousins (Vikings)
Review: The leading candidate for the MVP has to be Patrick Mahomes at this point, as it has been for a little while now. He was electric once again, throwing for 358 yards on 71.8 percent, to go along with four scores. He did throw another pick, which is three in his last two outings, but there is way more good than bad when it comes to the sophomore signal caller. Drew Brees is just behind him, after he threw for two touchdowns on 73.3 percent against the Ravens. Jared Goff and Tom Brady are third and fourth, as they each surpassed 200+ yards and combined for five touchdowns and one pick. Kirk Cousins joins the cast after a 241-yard performance with two touchdowns on an efficient 62.5 percent passing.
Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated.
