49ers And Eagles Fall From Ranks Of Undefeated, So Who Is NFL's Best Team Now?
So who's the NFL's best team today? It's a question that no longer demands a quick answer because the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles were knocked from the ranks of the undefeated on Sunday and now there are none remaining.
Just as the NFL likes.
And the 1972 Dolphins love.
NFL Loves Traffic Jam Of Good Teams
So instead of a couple of undefeated elite teams, the NFL has a handful of one-loss teams that are pretty darn good.
The league now boasts five teams with a 5-1 record. And it's got a few two-loss teams. All still have designs on being Super Bowl relevant because they are definitely the class of the league through the first six weeks.
So who are those teams? We'll get to them in a sec.
First let's give the Panthers (0-5), Patriots (1-5), Cardinals (1-5), Bears (1-5), and Broncos (1-5) the rest they deserve. You guys take the rest of this column off because the remaining paragraphs are about being really good.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - OCTOBER 12: Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs carries the ball against the Denver Broncos during the second quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on October 12, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
Chiefs Win While Developing
The teams in the best-in-the-league conversation:
Chiefs (5-1): They don't have a dynamic offense because they are developing multiple young wide receivers who aren't always on point with routes or showing consistent hands. So the Chiefs have to matriculate the ball down the field, as legendary coach Hank Stram would say, on 10- or 12-play drives. The bomb has simply not been there for the Chiefs. But they can accept this because quarterback Patrick Mahomes is elite and tight end Travis Kelce has been dominant despite battling multiple ankle injuries. The defense, particularly the secondary, is outstanding.
49ers (5-1): They lost to the Browns on Sunday and there's usually no shame in that except Deshaun Watson didn't play. They lost to a team with P.J. Walker at quarterback. But it's not as terrible as it seems because San Francisco played much of the game without Pro Bowl running back Christian McCaffrey and Pro Bowl receiver Deebo Samuel. That doesn't change the fact other teams also have injuries and overcome them. But losing this one on a missed a 41-yard field goal at the end doesn't suggest a collapse.
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 15: Randall Cobb #18 of the New York Jets celebrates after scoring on a two point conversion during the second half against the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium on October 15, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey in NFL action. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)
Eagles Passing Game Melts Down
Eagles (5-1): They didn't just lose their first game, they performed atrociously in their passing game. Quarterback Jalen Hurts threw three interceptions and he did it against a Jets defense missing its two starting cornerbacks. That raises questions about Philadelphia. Can they play from behind? Can they keep up with high-scoring teams? We may find out Sunday night when they host the Dolphins.
Dolphins (5-1): Were it not for that loss at Buffalo, they would be the NFL's only unbeaten team. Of course, were it not for Midway, Guadalcanal and the Enola Gay, Japan would have had a great World War II. So stuff happens. The truth is, the Dolphins have perhaps the NFL's most explosive and balanced offense. But the defense is inconsistent, not always physical and still needing to mature within defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's system.
TAMPA, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 15: Amon-Ra St. Brown #14 of the Detroit Lions celebrates a touchdown during a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on October 15, 2023 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Lions Are Going To Be A Problem For Rest Of NFL
Lions (5-1): You have to have a great QB or great QB play to be the NFL's best team. Check.
Detroit quarterback Jared Goff passed for 353 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions for a 107.5 rating in the Lions' 20-6 win at Tampa Bay. Goff has 17 career games with at least 350 passing yards, tied with Andrew Luck for the fourth-most by a player in his first eight seasons. Lions coach Dan Campbell coaches with his hair on fire and that's how the young, talented and effective defense plays. They are going to be a problem for a lot of teams.
Honorable mentions:
Jaguars (4-2): They have won three consecutive games and have taken the lead of the AFC South after dispatching the Colts on Sunday. But there are issues because this game left the Jaguars with injury concerns for quarterback Trevor Lawrence (knee), guard Brandon Scherff (ankle) and cornerback Tyson Campbell (hamstring). A significant injury to any of these core players is problematic. Any sort of injury that takes Lawrence out of the lineup -- he was having an MRI Sunday evening -- is obviously season defining.
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 15: Lamar Jackson #8 of The Ravens is tackled during the NFL match between Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 15, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Ravens Start Fast But Sometimes Falter
Bills (4-2): They stomped the Dolphins a few weeks ago, so obviously they have a lot of talent and a high ceiling. But, nah man, too inconsistent. One week quarterback Josh Allen is a Player of the Week and the next week he is AWOL for an entire half of a game. The defense is also beat up in the kind of way that doesn't improve because cornerback Tre'Davious White is out for the season and linebacker Matt Milano is likely out for the season with a broken leg and knee injury.
Ravens (4-2): Baltimore has scored first in all six of games this season, which suggests they know how to prepare and get off the mark right away. Sunday was no different in a victory over Tennessee. The Ravens actually scored on seven so they're moving the ball. The problem is they didn't finish those drives, settling for field goals six times. The defense is improving but the offense, while potentially dynamic, is simply inconsistent.