Once upon a time, the New York Giants were the kings of the football world. Led by Eli Manning, a quarterback who bumbled around every regular season before occasionally turning the jets on in the playoffs, Big Blue captured two Super Bowl championships in five seasons (2007, 2011). New York and all of its fans sat on top of the world, sharing pro football’s luxurious crown.
Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
Over a decade later, in 2023, the Giants are just 2-8. They’ve won one game since the fall equinox and are more or less getting their clocks cleaned every week. This team is wholly uncompetitive and deserves respect from no one — even their loyal fans. The Giants have finally hit rock bottom and might end up being known as the worst squad in modern NFL history.
Here’s my pal Christian D’Andrea with more in a (depressing) column:
“The schedule over the back end of the schedule isn’t intimidating. Next week brings a game against a Washington Commanders team Tyrod Taylor beat 14-7 in Week 7. Half of New York’s six opponents after that have three wins or fewer after Week 10. The Giants may not only be competitive in these games, but could even win them.
Buuuuut, this is also a team that faced a then 3-5 Las Vegas Raiders team led by fourth-round rookie Aidan O’Connell and an interim head coach and lost 30-6. It managed negative-nine net passing yards in a Week 8 loss to the New York Jets. There are several bad teams in the Giants’ sights, and New York may be significantly worse than all of them.”
Woof. Brutal in every sense of the word.
What’s apparent to me is this is the Giants’ penance. For what, you might ask? For winning not one but two championships with a quarterback who had a career 84.1 passer rating and threw more than 240 interceptions in just 16 seasons. Congratulations to Giants fans. Though this misery might be short-lived depending on their draft fortunes, the Giants are finally paying the price for climbing the NFL’s summit with a signal-caller perhaps now more known for the Monday night sideshow with his more accomplished brother than anything he achieved on the field.
Elsewhere in For The Win‘s Week 11 NFL power rankings, we try to make sense of a gaggle of inconsistent contenders. Everyone seems fatally flawed, and nothing jives with conventional logic regarding championship “contenders.” What a time to be alive.
32
New York Giants
Last week’s rank: 30
Big Blue has won once since the latest turn of seasons. In the absence of Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor, the Giants have been outscored 79-23 in their last two games. With all due respect to Tommy DeVito, this awful team is hurtling toward the No. 1 overall pick like a rogue asteroid in a C-grade Hollywood movie. A much-needed quarterback reset has never felt more imminent. — Robert Zeglinski
31
Carolina Panthers
Last week’s rank: 32
Bryce Young was a frustrating bag of nothing on Thursday night and has been so in large stretches of his rookie campaign. He’s decidedly not C.J. Stroud, but he’s also had few chances to impress thanks to one of the league’s worst pass-blocking units and a star-less receiving corps. It’s too early to pass judgment on his career but … oof, there isn’t much to like about this offense. — Christian D’Andrea
30
Chicago Bears
Last week’s rank: 29
Good news first: the Bears are 3-3 in their last six games. (Takes a beat.) Anyway, the bad news: a defense littered with top draft picks and expensive linebackers remains one of the worst in the sport at defending the pass. No one remotely serious should be sweating out wins over the woeful Panthers right now. The worst news: Chicago could feasibly bring human doormat Matt Eberflus back for a third season because his Bears fight through adversity (whatever that means). If it were me, and I had two possible top-five picks in the upcoming draft, I’d kick the coaching vacuum of charisma who has the worst winning percentage in team history (by far) out the door. And without a second thought. But that’s just me. — RZ
29
New England Patriots
Last week’s rank: 27
The 2023 season has made it abundantly clear the Patriots’ quarterback of the future is not on the roster. The head coach may not be either, as Bill Belichick has lost complete control of an undisciplined team that’s been woefully unable to adjust to its circumstances. The good news is a high draft pick awaits. The bad news is this defense may be competent enough to keep it from being high enough to land a blue-chip quarterback. — CD
28
Los Angeles Rams
Last week’s rank: 26
The bruised and battered Rams are so desperate that they signed Carson freakin’ Wentz off the couch. Do I really need to type anything else? — RZ
27
Green Bay Packers
Last week’s rank: 25
Jordan Love finally connected on the kind of deep throw for which Packers fans had been waiting for half a season.
DEEP BALL TO @JaydenReed5!
TOUCHDOWN! 🙌#GBvsPIT | #GoPackGo
📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/A4OBQHhdXB
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) November 12, 2023
Of course, it ultimately didn’t matter. He threw two interceptions and the Packers lost to Kenny Pickett on the road, but still. Silver linings. — CD
26
Las Vegas Raiders
Last week’s rank: 28
It was uneven, frankly quite ugly actually, but the Raiders notched their second-straight win on Sunday night. Suddenly, at a respectable 5-5, an AFC playoff berth is entirely within reach. But Antonio Pierce will still have to guide his players through an intimidating stretch run that features dates with the Dolphins, Chiefs (twice), Vikings, Chargers, and hard-nosed Colts and Broncos to get there. Gulp. I’m sure Josh McDaniels is waiting with bated breath. — RZ
25
Indianapolis Colts
Last week’s rank: 23
The Colts are 5-5, coming into their bye. Early wins over the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens look better in retrospect than they did at the time. Still, beating the Panthers and Patriots while scoring two offensive touchdowns in the process isn’t enough to convince anyone you’re a contender. — CD
24
Arizona Cardinals
Last week’s rank: 31
Kyler Murray, you were missed. And dearly. In his first live game in 335 days, Murray was far from sensational. In the passing game particularly, it was evident that the former No. 1 overall pick had a lot of rust to shake off. But when Arizona needed Murray to put a red cape on, the dynamic dual-threat scrambled for an unreal 13 yards on a late third down to set up a game-winning field goal. Provided Murray continues improving incrementally, the Cardinals’ draft positioning will probably be ruined. If given the choice, I think they’d rather have Murray back in tip-top game shape in every instance. — RZ
23
Tennessee Titans
Last week’s rank: 22
There was a ticking clock waiting for a Will Levis letdown, and the Buccaneers’ pressure and ability to take DeAndre Hopkins out of the passing game ensured it happened in Week 10. Levis completed less than half his passes and was sacked or hit on nearly 40 percent of his dropbacks, suggesting a blitz-heavy future as he tries to prove himself as the Titans’ foundational QB. — CD
22
Atlanta Falcons
Last week’s rank: 19
Arthur Smith gave Bijan Robinson a solid 23 touches and … the Falcons still lost. In other words: the man is feeling the HEAT as a winnable NFC South spins down the drain amid a three-game losing streak. This is a good lesson that fantasy football managers sometimes know best. — RZ
21
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Last week’s rank: 21
Baker Mayfield keeps on grinding along and putting himself firmly in the Comeback Player of the Year running. Through 10 weeks he ranks ninth in the league with 0.150 expected points added (EPA) per play and is on pace for a tidy 4,000-yard, 27-touchdown season. Those are solid enough numbers. They’re especially mind-blowing after he spent the bulk of 2022 as the NFL’s worst starting quarterback — a massive accomplishment in a league that also featured Mac Jones and Zach Wilson. — CD
20
Washington Commanders
Last week’s rank: 20
Sam Howell (shh, very quietly) has thrown for at least 300 yards in three consecutive games (and eight touchdowns in that same span). His Commanders are just 1-2 because, hey, they’re the Commanders, but it’s starting to feel like Washington really does have someone to build around under center. Now, if only he could just stop taking so many dang sacks and develop anything resembling a hint of a pocket presence. That would be swell. — RZ
19
Denver Broncos
Last week’s rank: 24
Phewwwww. OK. Sure, the Bills did all they could to lose Monday night’s game. But the Broncos still had to take advantage of it, and Russell Wilson, for all of his second-half struggles, did lead a pair of fourth-quarter scoring drives to pull off a road upset. I’m still not sold on the Broncos, but they ensured the Bills and Raiders have the same exact record after 10 weeks and that’s pretty damn funny. — CD
18
New Orleans Saints
Last week’s rank: 14
New Orleans doesn’t have a single victory this season over a team with a winning record. The Saints beat the 5-5 Colts and then a smattering of teams in contention for top-five draft picks. The entire NFC South is a fraud base. — CD
17
New York Jets
Last week’s rank: 12
After inexplicably starting with three straight field goals against the Raiders, here’s how the Jets fared the rest of the night: punt, punt, punt, punt, three-and-out, three-and-out, three-and-out, field goal, interception, weak Hail Mary. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you The Zach Wilson Experience. Aaron Rodgers might have you believe otherwise, but this is New York’s grim reality until 2024 … at minimum. — RZ
16
Buffalo Bills
Last week’s rank: 11
Nope. Sorry. You can’t lose a game that stupidly — with turnovers, baffling defensive calls and PENALTIES, MY GOD THE PENALTIES — and still be taken seriously. Week 10’s result suggests the last three years were merely a ploy to breed hope in Bills fans just so it could be shattered anew. And, like so many glass bottles of cinnamon whiskey in a western New York parking lot, it was. — CD
15
Cleveland Browns
Last week’s rank: 16
Each week the defense does enough to put Deshaun Watson, author of replacement-level quarterbacking and formerly accused of more than 20 counts of sexual misconduct and what the league itself would later refer to as “predatory behavior,” in position to win. That should be enough for a playoff bid, even if there needs to be more from this passing game to make any waves beyond the Divisional Round. — CD
14
Pittsburgh Steelers
Last week’s rank: 17
Mike Tomlin is a coaching wizard. There’s no two ways about it. Pittsburgh was outgained in total yardage for the ninth straight game and somehow clung to a minuscule one-score lead for nearly 16 minutes of play to secure another win over the Packers. I’m still convinced this 6-3 team (!) isn’t “good” under the traditional parameters — Kenny Pickett has thrown precisely one touchdown in the last month — but the Steelers somehow continue stacking narrow victories. This rap sheet should be enough to earn a place in the AFC postseason. But to make legitimate noise there, someone’s gonna have to elevate a feeble, non-threatening offense. — RZ
13
Minnesota Vikings
Last week’s rank: 18
Let’s enjoy Josh Dobbs’ historic start for what it is — a brilliant, unexpected stretch from a player who’d put in the work before getting his opportunity. But Dobbs’ history suggests it won’t last, even with Justin Jefferson slated to return from injured reserve at some point. That’s fine! If he can merely be average and this defense can continue to discombobulate opponents, there’s a very real chance Minnesota overcomes a 1-3 start and Kirk Cousins’ torn Achilles en route to a playoff bid. — CD
12
Los Angeles Chargers
Last week’s rank: 13
Justin Herbert created four touchdowns and nearly 340 yards of offense by himself on Sunday. His offense, on the whole, had a 50 percent conversion rate on third down and didn’t miss a fourth-down attempt in three tries. Yet the Chargers lost to the Lions anyway because they didn’t have the ball last. I would blame Brandon Staley more — who shouldn’t be absolved for his atrocious defense — but this is just part of the Chargers’ curse. Even when they play well with a franchise quarterback, they still fall just short. A tale as old as time. — RZ
11
Jacksonville Jaguars
Last week’s rank: 10
It’s tough to imagine Week 10 going any worse than it did, but Jacksonville managed to squash all the momentum of a five-game win streak at home while SIMULTANEOUSLY botching its bye week preparations. Trevor Lawrence is officially in talk radio’s crosshairs, and it’s fair to criticize him. This offense is doing nothing to create big plays for him downfield, and the Jags are stuck driving their Lambo offense down pothole-ridden back streets instead of the open road. — CD
10
Houston Texans
Last week’s rank: 15
We are running out of apt adjectives to describe C.J. Stroud’s sheer brilliance. He’s stupendous. He’s astonishing. He’s remarkable. He’s a leader of men (I’m never sure what this actually means in a sport dominated by men, but it works here). He’s unflappable. He’s an unmitigated superstar. Any adjective you can think of probably fits. And at this point, the runaway favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year has been so good, he’s got the rebuilding Texans having legitimate thoughts about winning their first AFC South division since 2019. I’m still trying to process that fact with a rookie quarterback. — RZ
9
Seattle Seahawks
Last week’s rank: 9
Seattle did seemingly everything to throw away its win on Sunday. In every relevant metric, from first downs to total yards, the Seahawks were clearly better than the Commanders. But Washington just wouldn’t go away, forcing Geno Smith to play the hero in the final moments. He answered the bell, leading the 12th Man to its best nine-game start since the final days of Russell Wilson in 2020. Significant questions remain for this group — is the pass rush good enough? Is Smith too streaky? — but there’s no denying it belongs among the NFC’s elite. — RZ
8
Miami Dolphins
Last week’s rank: 8
The Dolphins beat bad and mediocre teams and lose to good ones. That’s a great way to make the postseason and nothing else. The bye week should have given Mike McDaniel some extra time to unleash some new wrinkles on a suddenly surging Raiders team. But even if Miami wins in a rout, it won’t prove anything more than we already know about this team. — CD
7
Cincinnati Bengals
Last week’s rank: 5
The Bengals shouldn’t be penalized too much for falling short to pro football’s biggest sensation in, I don’t know, three years? (Cough, cough, Joe Burrow). Sunday’s defeat to C.J. Stroud’s Texans likely plays out differently if Ja’Marr Chase is healthy, if Tee Higgins is available, and if a usually reliable Tyler Boyd makes a clutch game-winning catch in the end zone. Alas, the Bengals fell victim to Stroud. Big deal. They won’t be the last. — RZ
6
San Francisco 49ers
Last week’s rank: 6
Crisis averted? The 49ers addressed their secondary concerns by ensuring opposing quarterbacks can’t get to it because they’re too busy dealing with a pass rush that’s now even more dangerous with Chase Young in the mix. That doesn’t solve the issues with the right side of their offensive line or Brock Purdy’s recent regression to the mean, but it’s tough to be too annoyed with a 34-3 road win over a division-leading team. — CD
5
Dallas Cowboys
Last week’s rank: 7
Since getting pasted by the San Francisco 49ers in front of the entire country, the Cowboys are one last-gasp drive in Philadelphia away from a four-game winning streak. In that same time span, Dallas has outscored its opponents 135 to 82. Mike McCarthy’s boys are starting to get hot. Whether this crew holds it together in a second-half stretch that features five games against winning opponents might be a different story, though. — RZ
4
Detroit Lions
Last week’s rank: 4
Look, this team still has its flaws, but the Lions are fun as hell, and the occasional 60-minute brain fart aside, a very good team. They’re a perfect team to shut your brain off to and simply appreciate, whether that’s Ben Johnson’s absurd play-calling, Jared Goff’s revival, or a defense that plays like a herd of feral cats descending on an unsuspecting village of mice. — CD
3
Baltimore Ravens
Last week’s rank: 2
Over the last four decades, five NFL teams have spent roughly just 51 minutes trailing in the first 10 games of a season.
Least time spent trailing in the first 10 games of a season, last 40 years:
1984 Dolphins: 14:46 (started 10-0)
1998 Broncos: 27:07 (started 10-0)
2023 Ravens: 28:46 (7-3)
1990 Giants: 43:42 (started 10-0)
2007 Patriots: 51:03 (started 10-0)@NFLResearch— Dante Koplowitz-Fleming (@DanteKopFlem) November 13, 2023
The Ravens are the only non-undefeated team in that ledger, showing off what looks to be a signature poor fortune. The one solace John Harbaugh and crew can take after unfathomably blowing a win to the Browns? The other four teams all qualified for the Super Bowl. — RZ
2
Kansas City Chiefs
Last week’s rank: 3
Let’s see if the bye week found a way to create more cohesion among the team’s wideouts. The receiving corps continues to be a one-man show, and Travis Kelce can’t do this all on his own. — CD
1
Philadelphia Eagles
Last week’s rank: 1
A bye week gave us the reprieve of watching the Eagles torture their rabid fanbase for 40 minutes before coasting to a two-score victory. But we should really stop characterizing what Philly is doing as abnormal. It seems every major contender this year enjoys stepping on rakes and throwing away winnable games more than usual. That Philadelphia has managed to do the same and maintain the NFL’s finest record is commendable. And a week off might be just what the doctor ordered to play at a consistently higher level. — RZ
