I’m probably guilty of overlooking the best teams in the NFL for this weekly “Winners and Losers” column because it’s not a surprise when they win.
We expect the Chiefs and Eagles to play deep into January. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they meet in February again for a Super Bowl rematch.
So why not let other teams get the spotlight when it comes to the winners’ category? The Patriots and Bears will be highlighted this week for their surprising wins against the Bills and Raiders, respectively.
But I couldn’t ignore what the Chiefs and Eagles did this week. Philadelphia made a statement with its win against the Dolphins, and Kansas City is well on its way to an eighth consecutive AFC West title after beating the Chargers.
Here are our winners and losers from this past week.
Winners
Ravens
The Ravens (5–2) delivered a complete performance during their dominant 38–6 win vs. the Lions to silence the criticism they have received in the past few months.
I say months because there were doubts about the Ravens’ defense before the season started. Many questioned whether they had enough talent up front to create pressure against the slew of star quarterbacks in the AFC.
They might not have a Pro Bowl-caliber defensive lineman, but they have linebacker Roquan Smith, cornerback Marlon Humphrey and a very good defensive coordinator in Mike Macdonald. After the Ravens contained the Lions’ star-studded offense, they now rank near the top of most major defensive categories, including first in sacks (29) and points allowed per game (13.9).
Mitch Stringer/USA TODAY Sports
As for the Ravens’ offense, many had high expectations for new offensive coordinator Todd Monken because he hinted throughout the offseason that Lamar Jackson would take more downfield shots. In the first six games, Jackson completed passes at a high rate, but the offense was far from explosive. It finally came together in the blowout victory against Detroit, with Jackson throwing for season highs in yards (357), yards per attempt (13.2) and touchdowns (3). Oh, and Jackson has completed 71% of his passes this season.
Chiefs
The Chiefs (6–1) do plenty of winning every season, but I’ll highlight them this week because they essentially wrapped up another AFC West title and we’re still a week away from Halloween.
The Chargers were probably the one team in the division that could push the Chiefs. Obviously, that wasn’t the case. The Chargers dropped to 2–4 after losing to the Chiefs last week at Arrowhead Stadium.
With the Raiders (3–4) and Broncos (2–5) also struggling this season, the league should just hand the Chiefs their eighth consecutive AFC West title. Let that sink in. That’s an impressive feat, and it’s even more impressive that Kansas City has a four-game lead in the division and hasn’t played well offensively for most of the season.
But Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce did put on a show vs. the Chargers, showing why they could be the first team to repeat as Super Bowl champions since the Patriots two decades ago.
Eagles
The Eagles (6–1) quickly brushed off their first loss of the season by recording an impressive win against the Dolphins.
Philadelphia’s defense contained Miami’s speedy playmakers. The unit also got better by acquiring Pro Bowl safety Kevin Byard in a trade with the Titans on Monday.
The Eagles’ performance vs. the Dolphins was a reminder of how they’re built to win in the postseason. Both the 49ers and Eagles can light up the scoreboard. But can the 49ers hang with the Eagles when the game slows down and the physicality level increases? We’ll find out Dec. 3 when San Francisco plays in Philadelphia—and perhaps again in the NFC championship game.
Patriots
Speaking of reminders, Patriots quarterback Mac Jones showed why he was a first-round pick in 2021.
Jones had his best performance of the season in the upset win vs. the Bills, completing 25-of-30 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns. Jones’s game-winning drive even got a few smiles from coach Bill Belichick on the sideline.
The Patriots (2–5) really needed that win after a disastrous start to the season. Who knows whether New England will stick with Jones as its quarterback next season, but Jones can help his case by playing the way he did vs. the Bills for the rest of the season.
Bears
The Bears haven’t gotten much right this season, but they were right about Tyson Bagent, at least when it comes to him being a reliable backup quarterback.
It was a bold move by the organization to make Bagent, an undrafted rookie, the backup to Justin Fields after he beat veteran PJ Walker for the job in training camp (Walker has done well as the backup for the Browns). Bagent reassured the Bears they made the right decision after he defeated the Raiders in his starting debut last week.
Bagent was sensational vs. the Raiders, going 21-of-29 for 162 yards, one touchdown and no turnovers. Bagent will likely get an opportunity to prove his performance was no fluke because coach Matt Eberflus called Fields (thumb) doubtful for Sunday’s prime-time game against the Chargers.
Chicago hurt its chances of landing USC quarterback Caleb Williams in next year’s draft by beating the Raiders, but the organization also has the winless Panthers’ first-round pick. Bears fans should enjoy the victory.
Losers
Bills
Some weren’t happy with me calling the Bills pretenders after their loss to the Patriots.
I understand there are many games left in the regular season, and it wouldn’t surprise me if Buffalo wins the AFC East. But the Bills have been out of sync offensively for more than a year now, including the past three games.
Occasionally, they play well as an offense, but that’s usually when Stefon Diggs plays well. The Bills need more from Gabe Davis, James Cook and Dalton Kincaid for this team to finally get over the hump in the postseason. They will be without tight end Dawson Knox, who’s scheduled for wrist surgery. I haven’t even mentioned the lengthy list of injuries on the defensive side.
As of now, the Chiefs, Ravens, Jaguars and Bengals appear to be the true contenders in the AFC because they’re either playing well currently and/or have advanced to a Super Bowl in recent years.
Dolphins
Miami might also be a pretender after losing to the Eagles. They’re now 0–2 against winning teams, including the Week 4 loss to the Bills.
But here’s why I won’t call the Dolphins pretenders. They’ve been more consistent offensively than the Bills, and they still have the best offense in the league. Also, the defense is showing signs of improvements under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, especially up front with Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips—both created pressure against Jalen Hurts Sunday night.
They could also soon get back cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who would add an element of toughness to this team. Perhaps the outcome in Philadelphia would have been different if they had Ramsey and Xavien Howard, who was ruled out with a knee injury.
But it’s concerning that the Dolphins’ offense needs the game script to go their way to put up touchdowns. We’ll see in the coming weeks whether Mike McDaniel’s team can change that narrative.
Lions
The Lions were pummeled by the Ravens on both sides of the football.
They were also exposed in the secondary, displaying that they might need to make a notable trade before the Oct. 31 deadline if they want to hang with the 49ers and Eagles in the NFC.
But the Lions will likely bounce back quickly because they know how to control the trenches on offense and defense. I won’t overreact to the Lions being blown out in Baltimore because they’ve shown they can win in hostile road environments (look no further than their Week 1 win in Kansas City).
Also, the Lions will be fine because they have a favorable schedule for the next month. But it’s never that easy, and we’ll probably find out sooner rather than later how the Lions respond to adversity the next time they get punched by an opponent.
Packers
The Packers have many issues with Jordan Love.
I never expected it to get this bad this soon, especially after how well Love played in the first month of the season. They weren’t winning every game, but at least Love was keeping them in games, despite the many injuries.
Now, the Packers are losing games because of Love, who has thrown seven interceptions in the past four games. Love’s awful interception ended the Packers’ late rally in Denver, and the same occurred in Las Vegas.
Love’s poor performances fall on coach Matt LaFleur, who has plenty to prove in his first season without Aaron Rodgers as his quarterback.
Jay Biggerstaff/USA TODAY Sports
Chargers
There’s a case to be made that the Chargers are the biggest disappointment in the NFL.
At 2–4, they’re on the verge of missing the playoffs again with a roster filled with former Pro Bowlers and All-Pros. Offensively, Los Angeles hasn’t been the same without center Corey Linsley and wide receiver Mike Williams.
Defensively, it’s been the same issues since coach Brandon Staley arrived in Los Angeles in 2021. The Chargers allowed Mahomes to surpass 300 passing yards in the first half last week.
Maybe the Chargers can get by Bagent and the Bears Sunday night. But they still have to play the Lions, Jets, Ravens, Bills and Chiefs this season.
