The NFL continues to be unpredictable, and it makes life difficult for me in fantasy and sometimes my weekly picks. But it doesn’t take away how much I enjoy the chaos and the unpredictable. We need more of that and then some. For those who are worried about their picks, don’t fret. November is the month where contenders and pretenders will finally show up. Don’t be surprised if the first playoff picture is full of insanity for both conferences. The bad NFC teams could be in contention while the good AFC teams will worry about getting at least the seventh spot.

NFC WEST

Seattle is in control of the NFC West, but the 49ers lurk as the only team at 3-0 in the NFC West. The Rams are struggling and need a solution across their offensive line. It’s possible that Arizona has seen better days despite DeAndre Hopkins’ return.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (5-3)

Pete Carroll and Seattle has proven a lot of people wrong about them rebuilding. Under Geno Smith’s command, the offense looks electric. Seattle’s defense also improved in the last three games and allowed on average 15 points per game. They have opportunities against two struggling teams (Arizona and Tampa Tom) before the bye. Then they host Vegas and travel to LA to play the Rams, which are winnable games.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (4-4)

Just like my last post with the 49ers after the Rams game, this post is also after the Rams game. They won an important game after having no business losing to Atlanta and getting steamrolled by the Chiefs the following week. The Christian McCaffrey trade could pay off in the long run as long as he’s healthy. The 49ers enter the bye and should have time to get everyone healthy. They will also benefit with six home games in their last nine weeks of the season. After their bye, they challenge another LA team in the Chargers before traveling to Mexico to face Arizona. They return home to host NOLA, and the Dolphins, their former Niner OC Mike McDaniels, and former Niner players from free agency and trades.

LOS ANGELES RAMS (3-4)

Los Angeles is in reverse in October. They scored on average 16 points during that month and are 0-4 when scoring less than 20 points. The offensive line struggles to protect Matt Stafford and something must be done. Things get complicated in November and December when they face the Bucs, Arizona, NOLA, Kansas City, and Seattle. The Rams also travel three times in the next five games.

ARIZONA CARDINALS (3-5)

Arizona might be seeing better days soon. They are 0-2 in their division and things do not look right for the team. Yes, DeAndre Hopkins returns, but it doesn’t cover up the issues. We may see just three NFC West teams that are legitimately better. Arizona has a shot this whole month to try and prove them wrong. They play all their NFC West opponents and the Chargers in November.

NFC EAST

The Eagles took a major step forward and hold the NFC in their palms. It was unsure if Dallas was good or if it was a fluke last season. Apparently, they improved and are looking like a strong team in the NFL. Can New York bounce back and continue their run after a loss last week? Washington could play themselves back in the mix since Taylor Heinicke took back his starting job.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (7-0)

The Eagles are humming as the only undefeated team in the NFL. They won an important game against the Cowboys to maintain the lead in the NFC East. The upcoming three look like cakewalk games if Houston doesn’t get tricky on defense, Washington doesn’t come up with crazy big plays from Heinicke, and the Colts’ defense doesn’t bog down Jalen Hurts and the offense. The next two will be challenging and put the Eagles’ undefeated season at risk: Green Bay (who did it before against Arizona last season) and Tennessee.

DALLAS COWBOYS (6-2)

Whether it’s Dak Prescott or Cooper “Kush” Rush, the team seems consistent. Putting a scare into Philly and walloping the Bears put the NFL on notice that Dallas is not playing around. After the bye, they travel to two NFC North (Green Bay and Minnesota). Then, they have a short week on Thanksgiving against the Giants before hosting the Colts. Be careful with Green Bay and Minnesota. They could disrupt their run.

NEW YORK GIANTS (6-2)

The Giants’ illustrious run ended against the Seahawks. Prior to that, they upset Green Bay and defeated the Ravens in back-to-back weeks. Daniel Jones, Saqoun Barkley, and Darius Slayton were in charge of an improved offense. The defense of New York deserves more credit for putting this team into game-winning situations during the season. After their bye, they play Houston and Detroit. They sound easy but New York shouldn’t sleep on them. Then they travel to Dallas and host Washington. Let’s see if the Giants can become contenders after Thanksgiving week.

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (4-4)

After what looked like a downward spiral for Washington, the fan-favorite Taylor Heinicke renews the fire and spirit into the team and organization, for now. Since taking over, Washington defeated Green Bay and Indianapolis. I’m assuming fans hope he’s the starter from here on out. Washington stays alive in their division and for at least a playoff opportunity in a scrambled NFC conference. Let’s see what they are capable of when they face Minnesota, Philadelphia, Houston, Atlanta, and New York. Their next three of five games are on the road.

NFC NORTH

The Vikings have command of the division with Green Bay scrambling for answers on offense, the Bears looking one-dimensional, and the Lions being…well the Lions. Unless Green Bay finds a solution to their offensive consistency, expect the Vikings to win the division and the Bears and Lions try to claw Green Bay down with them.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (6-1)

Minnesota continues rolling while treading lightly with all these close wins after losing to the Eagles. They also need to be wary of injuries lurking on their roster after Dalvin Tomlinson and Adam Thielen suffered it against Arizona. However, they could dominate the division now that they added TJ Hockensen from the Lions (same ol’ Lions). Their next five will present tougher challenges against the AFC and NFC East squads. They have back-to-back road trips against Washington and Buffalo. Then they host the next three against Dallas, New England, and the Jets.

GREEN BAY PACKERS (3-5)

The Packers lost to a better team on Sunday Night. The team is average and there’s no telling if they’ll ever be good this season. The offense might be making progress after Romeo Doubs had his moment and Samori Toure got his shot, but they must realize that Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon need plenty of touches. The defense has some issues, but they’re honestly not all bad. Green Bay faces the Lions, and their world could collapse if Green Bay somehow loses to them. Then they host Dallas and Tennessee before traveling to Philadelphia and Chicago.

CHICAGO BEARS (3-5)

Chicago may have spoiled Bill Belichick’s opportunity to pass George Halas for more wins than him (until that next week), but they will not go anywhere this season. However, they acquired Chase Claypool from Pittsburgh to be another weapon alongside Darnell Mooney and N’Keal Harry. Justin Fields may finally have some weapons to go to along with extending plays with his legs. They host Miami, Detroit, and Green Bay, while traveling to Atlanta and the Jets. Here’s a quick tidbit: The Bears are 3-0 when Justin Fields faces quarterbacks that were in the same draft class as him (Trey Lance, Davis Mills, and Mac Jones). He faces Zach Wilson in late November if both stay healthy.

DETROIT LIONS (1-6)

The Lions second win will be much harder to come by now. After trading away TJ Hockenson to their division opponent Vikings, this could affect their offense just a bit. They still have weapons across the board but where will their next win come from? We shall see as they host the questionable Packers, travel to Chicago and the Giants, before returning home to host the Josh Allens of Buffalo and Jacksonville back-to-back.

NFC SOUTH

Tom Brady’s Buccaneers have gone in the wrong direction with injuries and offensive inconsistencies. The Saints are looking for a return to challenge the division, but that remains to be seen. Carolina is 100% in rebuild mode, but the players getting their opportunity after Christian McCaffrey and Robbie Anderson were traded seem motivated to challenge the division no matter what. Atlanta sits atop of the division after winning four of their last six games.

ATLANTA FALCONS (4-4)

As I said numerous times, don’t underestimate the Falcons. They have two key wins (Seahawks and 49ers) that may play into their playoff situation while surviving the Panthers in overtime. Marcus Mariota commands the offense as long as he’s healthy. Their next five games look winnable (Chargers, at Panthers, Bears, at Washington, and Steelers before the bye) as long as they maintain their health and consistency.

TOM BRADY’S BUCCANEERS (3-5)

Ever since Tom Brady stopped breaking tablets, the Bucs are 1-5 in the last six games. There is adversity going from injuries to bad performances and off-the-field issues, but it’s still early in the season. Eventually, the injuries will subside and maybe Tom Brady will re-focus on football after the divorce is all said and over with. For right now, they must find answers because the road gets treacherous. They host the Rams before they head to Germany to face Seattle. After their bye, they travel to Cleveland and host the Saints.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (3-5)

NOLA had some iffy moments in their previous three games. Apparently, they are finding their way back with some players getting healthy. Alvin Kamara, Andy Dalton, and Taysom Hill command the offense, and them running the show healthy and consistently makes life easier for the defense. However, their next three of five games are on the road against Pittsburgh and back-to-back at San Francisco and Tampa Tom. They host Baltimore and the Rams, but one of them likely gives the Saints a run for their money.

CAROLINA PANTHERS (2-6)

We already know that Carolina is rebuilding but trading away Christian McCaffrey (49ers) and Robbie Anderson (Cardinals) and making Baker Mayfield the backup quarterback behind PJ Walker made it clear that they’re rebuilding. However, D’Onta Foreman, PJ Walker, and DJ Moore represent the rebuilding offense while the defense is a focal point to an extent. Expect a fight from them in November against Cincinnati, Atlanta, Baltimore, and Denver before their bye.

AFC WEST

Right now, the AFC West belongs to the Chiefs. No matter what, KC is playing for a Super Bowl. The Chargers are better than this, but injuries currently plague the team and Brandon Staley continues to make questionable callings in crucial moments. Throw out the stats and just coach, dude! The Broncos are cringy, untrustworthy, and hard to watch, but kudos for the win against Jacksonville despite not watching the game since it was on ESPN+. Ugh. The Raiders…are in the midst of a downfall in Josh McDaniels’ second stint as head coach.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (5-2)

Kansas City is looking like one of the best teams in the AFC and the NFL again. Pat Mahomes is finding targets in many ways and the offense is winning the line of scrimmage each time they take the field. They also outscored two NFC West teams (Arizona and San Fran) 88-44 and scored 44 points twice against them. They need to enjoy the bye while they can, because things get dicey in November before their rematch at Cincy on December 4th.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (4-3)

The Chargers are currently ebbing and flowing. Injuries are also a concern. Keenan Allen returns, but they lose both Joey Bosa (I.R. to groin injury) and J.C. Jackson (leg injury). They need to figure out their offensive consistency because Brandon Staley is plaguing their progress. Having one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and a talented offense but not capitalizing means there’s a problem with play-calling and execution. We have no idea where Los Angeles will be with four road games in the next five weeks, including the next four against the NFC and AFC West after they play Atlanta.

DENVER BRONCOS (3-5)

So, I’ve heard and have been told that Russell Wilson stretched during a long flight to London. It must’ve worked because they held off Jacksonville for the win to end their 4-game losing streak before the bye. Wilson will be stretching happily back home. Despite losing Bradley Chubb to Miami, this team still has a good defense. Unfortunately, I can’t trust the team as long as the offense is sus. They travel three times in four weeks against Tennessee, Carolina, and Baltimore, while hosting Las Vegas. Don’t be surprised if Carolina wins too. Games against Tennessee, Vegas, and Baltimore are a toss-up.

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (2-5)

Just like the Broncos, I can’t trust Las Vegas right now. A couple of Raider fans I know would agree that this team just can’t get it together. This was also their first double-digit loss of the season to the Saints. I can’t say this team is dead yet, but they’re heading that way if they can’t fix it. Could it be the coach? Quarterback? Offense? The play execution? They must figure this out. They face Jacksonville, Denver, and Seattle on the road while hosting the Colts and Chargers. All of those matchups are considered toss-ups.

AFC EAST

The Bills will eventually dominate the division and slowly but surely some of the injured players in the defensive backfield will return in time before the playoffs. The Jets run ended against the Patriots, who they haven’t beaten in about seven seasons. Miami won two straight after Tua’s return from a brutal injury. New England is hanging around and Mac Jones should hopefully be the legitimate starter for the rest of the season.

BUFFALO BILLS (6-1)

The Bills are showing some dominance in the NFL and look forward to the #1 seed in the future. They took care of Baltimore and Kansas City on the road while beating Green Bay on Sunday Night. Their run should continue through five more games as long as no one important gets hurt. They travel to the Jets, host back-to-back games against the Vikings and Browns, and travel to Detroit for Thanksgiving and over to New England the following week. One of those division rivalry games will for sure be trap games.

NEW YORK JETS (5-3)

The Jets’ 4-game winning streak ended against New England, but the receipts stand as should by Robert Salah. Look at their current record. Kudos! Now, do they have the mentality to bounce back and keep going? They approach November, and contenders and pretenders will usually show up during that month. They host Buffalo before the bye week. After the bye, they travel to New England for round two. They return home to play Chicago before traveling back-to-back against the Vikings and the Bills.

MIAMI DOLPHINS (5-3)

Miami seems set on keeping Tua as healthy as possible. Every week will be a concern until they know they’re in a good spot moving forward. Their last four wins were all one-score games, so be wary. They did acquire Bradley Chubb from Denver, so optimism is on their side for now and the future. Miami’s upcoming games look winnable, but again, the one-score results can either benefit or hurt. They face Chicago on the road before hosting Cleveland prior to the bye. They host Houston before Mike McDaniels and some former Niners (including newly acquired Jeff Wilson) return to San Francisco to face Kyle Shanahan and company.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (4-4)

The Patriots are hanging around, but there’s no telling who they will be in November. Their defense does their best to put the team in winnable situations. However, their next four games get tougher and that’ll be enough to see if New England will go anywhere. They host the Colts prior to their bye week. Then they host the Jets, travel to Minnesota, and return home to face the Bills.

AFC NORTH

It’s possible the AFC North favors the Ravens. Baltimore will eventually find their consistency and win out. Meanwhile, Cincinnati feels the pain over losing Ja’Marr Chase for 4 to 6 weeks. Can they adjust without him until December? Cleveland is holding on for dear life anyway possible until Deshaun Watson is available. As for Pittsburgh, they’re done for the season and plenty of Steelers fans feel that way too. But hey, just watch the game and see what must change.

BALTIMORE RAVENS (5-3)

Lamar Jackson and company broke the win-loss consistency and are on their first streak this season. Unfortunately, JK Dobbins is sidelined with an injury and Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman were hurt during the Bucs, but it shouldn’t be anything serious. The team should make a run for the division title, but their fourth quarter performances is still a problem. As of now, they’re outscored 35-83 in the fourth quarter through 8 games. Kudos for avoiding the Tom Brady comeback, but that must be cleaned up if they want to make a deep run. The good news is that they acquired Roquan Smith to help the defense close out games. Their next four puts them in winning position, but Balty’s 4th quarter performance will be monitored very closely.

CINCINNATI BENGALS (4-4)

It looked like Cincinnati was figuring things out while winning four games in the last five weeks. Unfortunately, their loss to the Browns puts them at 0-3 in the AFC North. I’m not kidding. They lost to Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Cleveland in the first half of their schedule. What’s worse is they’re without Ja’Marr Chase for a few weeks and maybe losing to the Browns proves they can’t get far without him. They host Carolina before their bye and travel to Pittsburgh and Tennessee before coming home to play the Chiefs in a rematch.

CLEVELAND BROWNS (3-5)

Cleveland ended their 4-game losing streak with an important win over the Bengals. The roster is holding up as best as they can and trying to improve their record before Deshaun Watson’s return. Give Jacoby Brissett credit for handling the situation and playing his best to keep the team on the playoff path. However, after their bye, they travel three times in the next four weeks. They head to Miami and Buffalo back-to-back before coming home to play Tom Brady’s Bucs, and then return on the road to face the Texans.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS (2-6)

Pittsburgh is a bad team that won’t see a playoff this season after years of appearance. It was expected with the offense going through so many changes in the past couple of seasons (including trading Chase Claypool to the Bears). The coaching staff needs some work or change to help Tomlin out for the future. Defense is feeling the pain of the situation, but all they can do is play as hard as possible. Pittsburgh goes on a bye knowing the reality of the whole thing. Once they return, they host New Orleans and Cincinnati and travel to Indianapolis and Atlanta.

AFC SOUTH

The AFC South could belong to Tennessee again. They’re running with five-straight and won’t stop anytime soon as long as the Derrick Henry Express is running. Indianapolis benched Matt Ryan for the remainder of the season (injured or not), so the team goes through Sam Ehlinger…for now. Jacksonville is heading for another bad season and there’s no telling if they’ll ever see the light of day until next season. The Texans are bad, but their competitiveness is respectable. I commend them for it.

TENNESSEE TITANS (5-2)

The Titans look like themselves again with a five-game winning streak. While it’s against par and subpar teams, they’re building momentum for stiffer competition. Malik Willis is in charge of the offense as long as Ryan Tannehill’s out with an injury. Whether or not he becomes the guy remains to be seen. Either way, they should be fine. They have difficult road games against Kansas City, Green Bay, and Philadelphia while hosting Denver and Cincinnati.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (3-4-1)

Whether or not Matt Ryan was hurt, Jim Irsay was fed up with his performance and wanted him benched for the rest of the season. So, Sam Ehlinger becomes the starter and wasn’t bad, but there’s still things we need to see from him. Either way, the offense runs through Jonathan Taylor and that shouldn’t change. The Colts have a lot of ground to make up if they want to challenge the Titans. They travel to New England, Las Vegas, and Dallas while hosting the state of Philadelphia back-to-back (Eagles and Steelers).

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (2-6)

The Jaguars are probably done this season after a 2-2 start. All of their losses were by eight points or less, and the young squad has yet to close out games properly. However, we’re seeing a surge in Travis Etienne, and he popped off against Denver after James Robinson was traded to the Jets. There will be a future for the Jaguars. That I know for sure. They play two AFC West teams (Raiders and at Chiefs) before the bye. Then, they host Baltimore and travel to Detroit.

HOUSTON TEXANS (1-5-1)

The Texans have running back Dameon Pierce to lean on as long as he’s healthy, but the team should be more patient with Davis Mills’ development. People don’t realize that the 2021 quarterback class included three from the first round that played basically one season prior to the NFL (Davis Mills, Trey Lance, and Mac Jones). Houston may not see a second win just yet, but it’ll eventually appear somewhere on their schedule. They face the Eagles, Commanders, and the Browns at home while traveling to the Giants and Dolphins.