NFL Top 5 — Midseason
The 2017 NFL season is just about halfway through. There have been a few significant injuries, which has certainly caused a ripple effect on the power rankings. The most obvious would have to be the possible season-ending injury to Packers star QB Aaron Rodgers. No disrespect to Brett Hundley but without Rodgers at the helm, the Packers are a mediocre team at best. Texans rookie sensation QB Deshaun Watson suffered a torn ACL in practice, which is another huge hit to the level of talent in the NFL. The Eagles lost their defensive QB Jordan Hicks to a torn Achilles. As if that wasn’t enough, they also lost LT Jason Peters for the year to an injury that will most likely end his career. The Cardinals were starting to hit their stride (to some extent) before QB Carson Palmer fractured his non-throwing arm, most likely sidelining him for the next 4–6 weeks. Enough of the injury talk though. As we approach the midseason mark, here is my NFL Top 5:
- New England Patriots 6–2 (Previous Ranking — Not Ranked)
Tom Brady sits atop the passing yards throne while the Patriots’ offense is 1st in the league in yards per game. Their running back committee has somewhat underachieved though, which explains why their rushing yards per game is in the middle of the pack. Brady and his fellow offensive mates deserve all the credit in the world for pulling the slack of the league’s DEAD-LAST ranked defense. As we all know, getting into shootouts each week isn’t a sustainable model in the NFL. Chances are the Pats defense will tighten up and help alleviate some of the burden from Brady’s shoulders.
2. Philadelphia Eagles 7–1 (Previous Ranking — Not Ranked)
As mentioned above, the Eagles have been decimated by injuries. Season-ending injuries to four major contributors — Jason Peters, Jordan Hicks, Darren Sproles and special teams ace Chris Maragos. The Eagles definitely have their work cut out for themselves, but so far, they have bounced back every single time. QB Carson Wentz is playing MVP-level football as he leads the NFL in touchdown passes (tied with Deshaun Watson). He also seems to dazzle and make some kind of amazing play each week this season. As incredible as Wentz has been, one can’t simply ignore the level to which their defense has been performing. Their defensive line has been stellar and Malcolm Jenkins has been the anchor of the defensive backfield. I remain cautiously optimistic of this team until they beat a proven opponent.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers 6–2 (Previous Ranking — #4)
Since getting embarrassed in Week 5 at home against the surging Jaguars, the Steelers have reeled off three straight impressive wins. Le’Veon Bell especially dominated against the Chiefs and Bengals with a combined 383 total yards! Antonio Brown also went off for a combined 220 yards and 2 touchdowns. It’s safe to say that the Steelers’ offense has shaken the early season cobwebs and are finally firing on all cylinders. Perhaps even more impressive is how well their defense is playing, which is currently 4th in the league in yards allowed per game and 2nd in points per game. These are the Steelers that most people expected to see during this NFL season.
4. Kansas City Chiefs 6–2 (Previous Ranking — #1)
After starting 5–0, the red-hot Chiefs suffered back to back losses to the Steelers and Raiders. It’s not like either of those losses were fluky; both of those teams are legitimate contenders. The Chiefs offense is still performing at an impressive level — 3rd in points per game and yards per game. Alex Smith is still on pace for a career year as he is 2nd in the league in passing yards while rookie RB sensation Kareem Hunt is still the league leader in rushing yards. The only thing holding them back is their defense, which has really struggled this season.
5. Seattle Seahawks 5–2 (Previous Ranking — Not Ranked)
How about that Seahawks-Texans game? WOW! QB Russell Wilson proved yet again how incredibly talented he is. Wilson is keeping the offense afloat as he leads the 3rd ranked passing attack while the running game continues to struggle (22nd in the league). Not used to seeing it (because it’s usually not necessary) but the Seahawks offense bailed out their defense in that shootout. The Seahawks are riding a nice little four game win streak and appear to be a real contender going forward.
On the Bubble — Los Angeles Rams (5–2), New Orleans Saints (5–2), Minnesota Vikings (6–2)
