Best NFL teams week 8

Week 8 Top 10 NFL Teams

It would seem that we have learned a little bit more about the NFL and the teams that are trying to get to the post season, but one thing that keeps all our guesses in check is the fact that the NFL is not always about the BEST team, rather the HEALTHIEST. And a lot of people may argue that, but you need not look any further than some of the best teams and the key players that are out either this week, the next two weeks, the next month or gone for the season due to injuries.

But regardless, you still have to play with the players on your roster, so we must still try to identify the best 10 teams in the NFL. Let’s get to it. This week is harder because there are 17 teams that have a winning record, and one team even at .500. There was a lot of shifting last weekend so we really aren’t much closer to knowing the best than the beginning of the year.

#10 Philadelphia Eagles (4-3)

This was pretty hard because there are a bunch of 4-3 teams out there. I counted 8 teams with this record and one with 4-4 (Saints). But after you get past all the other looking records, I HAD to pick one of these teams. I will not argue with anyone who debates this pick but I put the Eagles here because they are in perhaps the best division in the NFL. This is not a division where one team is perfect and everybody else is below .500, or where the best team is 4-3 and the others are right behind them. This is a very competitive division. The Eagles have lost to three teams currently over .500 and may well see post season action. But injuries have many worried how far this team can go, and at least 6 of their upcoming games are going to be true battles. We know only 3 teams at best from the NFC East are going to the post season, and right now this team is the odd man out.

#9 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-3)

I had this team in the top 5 last week, and thought they could beat the Cowboys, but as they say, that’s why they play the game. They took a quick fall but this does not mean they should be forgotten. The Buccs have lost 3 games, but each on an average of just over a field goal. Losing to the Saints by 4 at the beginning of the year in New Orleans is nothing to be ashamed of. Losing to Denver at Mile High Stadium by 3 points is not bad either, if you have to take a loss. Even losing to Dallas AT Dallas by 4 points isn’t the end of the world, although most would say that Tampa should have taken that. These are close losses that can be fixed. Nobody has blown them out the water, which shows this is a team that can stay in the game. Keep your eyes on this team, I smell post season for them.

#8 Dallas Cowboys (5-3)

The difference between this team and the Buccaneers is the simple fact that Dallas beat the Buccs last weekend, so that makes them better. Say what you want about those three losses, but at the time they lost, we thought these teams were pretty bad. When Dallas lost to the Redskins, people didn’t know how good the Redskins were. When they lost to Arizona, we didn’t know this could very well be a team we will see in post season. When they lost to the Rams, who knew they could have turned this team around. Now this does not completely defend those losses, but the more important issue is the injuries on the team. As I said at the top, sometimes the best teams are the healthiest, so one has to wonder about the Cowboys. 6 of their last 8 games are against teams that can get in the playoffs, and their very next game is against the Giants. A rough road to travel when you are not healthy.

#7 Buffalo Bills (5-2)

I’ll be honest, I am still not fully convinced of this team, but we cannot ignore the record. I understand that they cannot change the schedule, but this does not mean they get an automatic bye in the post season. And consider that to this point, they have only played one divisional game…and lost. Now they face the Patriots twice and the hungry Jets twice, as well as facing Miami again…I fear for the Bills, and not just because it’s near Halloween. They have a stretch where they play the Browns, Chiefs and 49ers, this could be a good point to fine-tune the team in the midst of a tough storm. People forget that the AFC East is pretty good, with the Pats, Jets and Miami. The Bills are going to have to step it up because it looks like the better teams are BETTER than the Bills.

#6 New England Patriots (5-2)

You can’t count out this team yet, there seems to still be some hope in them, and why not? Nobody has really locked down the AFC, and with so many teams within 2 or 3 games apart, there is hope for anybody. The Patriots come off a tough win against the Rams. If the NFC is indeed tougher this year, then the Patriots have been spared because they only play 4 NFC teams, one being the 49ers they recently defeated, as well as the turnaround Rams. With Seattle and Arizona, the latter at home, the Patriots won’t have to fear the NFC until the Superbowl…if they get there. But they will have their hands full playing teams like the Steelers, Bills, Dolphins and even a desperate Colts team. We’ll see how this turns out.

#5 Washington Redskins (6-2)

Eyebrows were raised when the Redskins lost to the Rams, but they have been forgiven since that same team beat the Cowboys. But two wins in the last 2 weeks does not really solidify them as the elite…I mean, they did beat the Browns only by 3, and the Lions only by 8. An elite team has to dominate the lesser foes, and they don’t come any lesser than those two teams this year. So there is question that maybe the league has figured the Redskins out. With a game vs. an injured Steelers team, we may still not know the true answer. But with upcoming games against the Giants, Cowboys, Eagles and Ravens, we will see all we need to see. We shall know if this is a playoff bound Redskins team, or a pretender. There is still many more games left to play.

#4 Carolina Panthers (6-2)

It’s odd that I have this team above the Buccaneers, since in head-to-head the Panthers lost to the Buccs. But this is a very good team when all cylinders are clicking. Many wondered if this was a team that played great one weekend, then forgot how to play the next weekend. The real question is that right now, the Buccaneers are the only real quality team the Panthers have played…and lost. Wins against the overachieving Cardinals, the struggling Saints, the hapless Chiefs, the upstart Falcons and others still has me wondering if this team is for real. But with only 2 losses, we cannot debate that. And with games vs. the Lions and Raiders, we won’t really learn that much more about them. But the last 6 games will really show the NFL what these Panthers are really about. We will see what we shall see very soon on this Carolina Panthers team.

#3 Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2)

This team should be lower but you wonder if this team is still getting better or are they wore down with injuries. But how can you lower a team that lost only to the Giants and the Eagles? This is still a good team, and in the AFC, these guys have just as good a chance as anybody else to make the playoffs. And let’s not forget, this team has injury problems as well. With a very mixed schedule of decent teams and bad teams, we are going to see if Pittsburgh can be consistent in winning. One of the knocks on this team is the strength of schedule hasn’t really tested this team. The Texas, Browns and Bengals aren’t really great tests for a great team, but then again, we aren’t saying this team is great. With the Redskins, Cowboys, Patriots and Titans on the schedule, this will be a hard path to the post season for the Steelers…made even harder with injuries.

#2 New York Giants (6-1)

It appears the Superbowl Champs are still in the mix big time, and nobody else save one can challenge them on the winning record. The Giants are the only team with one loss, and last week defeated my #2 team in the Steelers. So they MUST be one of the best, right? Up until last weekend, I questioned the strength of the Giant’s foes, but after beating the Steelers I still want to see more. Consider this, 8 of the last 9 games that the Giants must play are against teams with a winning record. Up until last weekend, 1 of the 6 previous games was against a team currently with a winning record. It’s time we see what the Champs are all about. The NFC East is tough enough to get through, but add on the Ravens, Cardinals and Panthers and wow, this could get interesting.

#1 Tennessee Titans (7-0)

Is everybody on the bandwagon yet? This is the only undefeated team in the NFL at 7-0, and the reason the 1972 Dolphins have not sipped of the undefeated champagne. But again, I put this team here only by default, and that is not to insult the Titans. We have not really seen this team tested because only 1 team out of their 7 has a winning record, and their division is made up of teams all under .500. Yes they are a very good team, but I am not putting them in the Superbowl, I can’t even guarantee them that they will win the first game in the playoffs. They just have not played a tough enough schedule to say that now. And further, 4 of their last NINE games are against teams currently over .500. The schedule just isn’t showing that this is the best team in the NFL, but because they are undefeated, I must give them that respect. I also have to do so because it’s not the Titan’s fault that the Bengals, Texans, Colts and Chiefs are so bad this year. They play who is on the schedule, and they win. And because they are perfect so far, this makes them number 1.

So, that’s our look at the best NFL teams this week. I mentioned that there were 18 teams that were .500 or better, but if you add in teams that are just one game under .500, that adds on 6 more teams. This means you still have 24 teams in the mix… anything can happen…