Top 10 NFL teams before Thanksgiving

Top 10 NFL teams BEFORE Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving tomorrow, I had to make a quick list of the top 10 teams in the NFL. And with some upsets happening, there clearly has been a change in the top ten… although personally I would have made such a change last week, if you read my last top 10 NFL teams. Nevertheless, let me share my top 10 NFL teams BEFORE the Thanksgiving games, which include three games.

The magic line this week is 7-4, and I have to trim the teams there. There are currently 6 teams with a record BETTER than 7-4, and 7 teams with said record. That means I have to cut 3 teams out. Those teams include, in no order, Colts, Ravens, Patriots, Cardinals, Falcons, Cowboys and Redskins.

In looking at those teams, one of the first teams I had to drop was the Ravens. They are a good team, but of the teams that are 7-4, this team had the weakest impression. I also had to drop the Redskins because they have been slipping lately, and I had to drop the Cardinals because even though they have a great record, they come out of the uber-soft division. I had to select 10 teams, not 14.

So, let’s start the countdown:

#10 Atlanta Falcons (7-4)

Even though they are in third place in their own division, it is a pretty competitive division. It will be hard for them to make the Wild Card, but there still is a chance. But I put them here because of their recent win over the Panthers, and they pretty much own the NFC North, beating both Green Bay, Chicago and Detroit. But their remaining games are not that competitive, but not totally winnable either. Games AT the Chargers and at New Orleans will quickly decide if they are going post season or not. And finishing the season against the Buccaneers, Vikings and Rams will mix in a few wins…and losses.

#9 New England Patriots (7-4)

We are not sure if that big win over Miami was a redeeming win for the AFC Champs of last year. A loss to the Jets clearly makes them touchable, as if we didn’t already know that with a star player out. But the Patriots have three quality games left, the next against Pittsburgh, then a west coast trip to play Seattle and Oakland, before dragging the Cardinals back across the country to play before ending it with Buffalo. Dare we say they can win 3 straight before the final game against the Bills? We know they are not the team of last year, but they are clearly in position to get in the Wild Card, if not even take back the AFC East position.

#8 Dallas Cowboys (7-4)

I know they play Seattle tomorrow, and few expect them to lose, but I have them here because they narrowly edge out Washington. The win over the 49ers was not impressive, that is NOT a good team anyway. But a win over the Redskins the week before may have saved the season for them. If healthy, this can be a great team, and maybe back to where we thought they should be…contending for the Superbowl. The Cowboys’ last four games will be brutal, so they better savor Thanksgiving and the Seahawks, because games vs. the Steelers, Giants, Ravens and Eagles will not be fun.

#7 Indianapolis Colts (7-4)

For me to put the Colts here means that I think they are the best 7-4 team in the NFL. After a rough start, they have won 4 games in a row, including wins over the Patriots and the Steelers. This was one of the favorites to win the AFC this year anyway, and it looks like they got some of that swagger back. And with four games against losing teams, they can be 11-4 before they meet the Titans at the end of the year. I think the Colts can beat the Browns, Bengals, Lions and Jaguars, and if so, might make for a pretty interesting game vs. the Titans at the end of the year. This folks, could be a HUGE game, one that just might have some heavy implications in the AFC race.

#6 Carolina Panthers (8-3)

I should put this team lower, because the signs seemed to be there of how maybe this was NOT the team we thought it was. You simply cannot struggle against poor teams like the Raiders and the Lions before some weakness is shown. This seemed the case when they played the Falcons. Granted they beat the Falcons earlier, but with playoff spots on the line, you can’t be playing around. The Panthers’ final five include going to a desperate Green Bay team, at home vs. the Buccs and the Broncos, and going on the road to play the Giants and the Saints. None of these games are easy, and several of these teams are in great need of making a final push. If Carolina is not careful, they can find themselves on the outside looking in, in short order.

#5 Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3)

There are four teams in the NFL with an 8-3 record at this moment, and the Steelers are one of them. If you named the top 3 AFC teams in pre season, one might say the Patriots, Colts and Steelers, but you can argue for the Chargers as well. But the Steelers have not looked like the best team, just a good one. The problem here is that Pittsburgh does not have a lot of quality wins, and with the Ravens hot on their trail, they cannot afford too many slipups. A secondary problem is their schedule: Patriots, Cowboys, Ravens, Titans. This is not a favorable schedule for the Steelers, and oh by the way, three of those games are away. Hard times come for the Steel City.

#4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-3)

This is odd, because in retrospect I could have moved the Bucs down a spot, maybe two. I mean, sure they beat Carolina, Atlanta, Green Bay and Chicago, but they also had a pretty soft schedule too, and lost to Denver, New Orleans and Dallas. What makes them so good at #4? I put them here because you Tampa Bay does not play easy. In their three losses, none were more than 4 points. They have lost 3 games by a total of 11 points. This means the Bucs are ALWAYS in the game. Their next 3 games will be a true test and they need to distance themselves in the division. They play the Saints, Falcons and Panthers before ending the season with the Chargers and Raiders. We will see if this team can finish off the NFC South and get to the playoffs.

#3 New York Jets (8-3)

Beating the formerly undefeated Titans was a statement for this team, one the management of Green Bay is personally fearful of. We see that an old quarterback still has it, and has brought the Jets to new heights not seen in years. Yes that loss vs. the Raiders was bad, but how did they recover? A win over the Chiefs seemed a scare, but then a crushing blow to the Bills, then Rams before outstanding wins over the Patriots and Titans, back to back. This is a credible team. And yet, the schedule gets a lot softer, which could be a problem. The Jets had problems against lowly Oakland and Kansas City, how will they fare against the 49ers, Seahawks and Dolphins. Mix in a rematch against the Bills and a game vs. the Broncos, and you still have to be careful. Nothing is guaranteed for the Jets, but they do look pretty good.

#2 Tennessee Titans (10-1)

Ok, we can now say what I have been believing for weeks, this was not the best team in the NFL. A very good team, yes but best, no. And yet, we saw it coming weeks ago. Yes they had a soft schedule but the overtime win over the Colts should have been a sign. Close wins at Chicago and at Jacksonville should have been other signs that this team was good, but maybe not so great. The Jets proved that this team was not perfect and beat them in their own home…bad. With games vs. the losing Lions, the bad Browns and terrible Texans, they can get back on schedule, unless these teams have figured the Titans out. If not, then it is likely the Steelers and Colts will by the end of the year. We shall see.

#1 New York Giants (10-1)

Well well, looks like the state of New York could have a personal Superbowl. This is a very good team, and has had several hard games, and as the defending Superbowl Champs, it seems fitting to have them here. Unstoppable, I am not buying into that yet. That Arizona game showed some interesting things about the Giants, and with upcoming games against divisional foes, they will be hard pressed to beat the Redskins, Eagles AND Cowboys back to back to back. Then after that, they get Carolina (if they show up) before ending the season with Minnesota, a team that would like to get into the playoffs. None of these teams are easy, but a true champion can get through it. Who better?

Well, that takes care of my list, wishing you guys the best Thanksgiving, and here’s hoping your teams win.