1.San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers defense has been the driving force of an undefeated start to the season, but on Thursday night, Garoppolo and the San Francisco offense showed they have the goods to take this team to the Super Bowl.
2.New Orleans Saints: With an extra week to get Drew Brees and Alvin Kamara healthy thanks to their bye, look for the Saints to take off in the second half of the season. They’ve arguably been the most well-rounded team in the league so far.
3.New England Patriots: The Patriots were undefeated but untested heading into their game against the Ravens on Sunday. Baltimore frustrated the Pats, putting up 37 points on what had been to that point a historically great Patriots defense. With games against the Eagles, Cowboys, Texans, and Chiefs coming after the bye, New England might be tested a few more times soon.
4.Baltimore Ravens: Lamar Jackson’s MVP case received a boost with the Ravens’ big win over the Patriots. Though Jackson’s game is still developing, he’s taken big strides as a passer, and his ability to run the ball has made him perhaps the hardest player to plan for in the NFL.
5.Seattle Seahawks: Russell Wilson and the Seahawks have been cruising this season, with their only two losses coming against the Saints and Ravens. After adding Josh Gordon to play alongside D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, Seattle now has one of the strongest receiving corps in the league.
6.Kansas City Chiefs: Head coach Andy Reid has done an amazing job keeping the Chiefs offense humming in the absence of quarterback Patrick Mahomes, scheming a game plan that has made Matt Moore look like a certifiable NFL starter. Mahomes should be back soon.
7.Houston Texans: According to Deshaun Watson, the key to recovery in the NFL: the Popeye’s chicken sandwich. Whatever Watson is doing, it’s working — over the last five games, Watson is first in completion percentage, first in passing yards, and third in touchdowns.
8. Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings suffered a big loss on Sunday when wide receiver Adam Thielen went down with an injury that could keep him out for some time. Expect tight end Kyle Rudolph to get a bit more action in his absence.
9.Green Bay Packers: After the Packers’ offense stalled out in Week nine , Aaron Rodgers sent a cryptic message about his teammates’ habits, saying not everybody took care of themselves during the week. “We’ve got to be honest with our routine and the decisions we made in the last 48 hours,” Rodgers said.
10. Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys took the stray black cat that ran on the MetLife field on Monday as a sign the Giants were going down. Said defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence: “First thing to cross my mind, no joke, was like, ‘F—, they got bad luck now. It just turned on them.’ If a damn black cat runs on a football field on Monday Night Football, you might as well call it quits.”
