
16. Las Vegas Raiders, 3-3 (12)
They lost pretty badly to Tampa Bay, and it was one of those snowball games where things just seemed to get out of the Raiders’ control quickly. This is an uneven team, with a very even record, which lands them at 16 out of 32 teams.
15. Indianapolis Colts, 4-2 (15)
The bye week keeps them in this position, and hopefully, they got some things straight after some weird outings heading into their off week. They have talent on both sides of the ball but need consistent play from Philip Rivers and a return to health by some of their players.
14. San Francisco 49ers, 4-3 (16)
In a league filled with up-and-down teams, the 49ers might just be the most up-and-downish of all. They smacked the Patriots 33-6 this week, following a good win against the Rams, so they might be starting to get things rolling again.
13. Chicago Bears, 5-2 (7)
They are far ahead of where many of us (well, me, but I’m hoping for company here) expected them to be at this point, but Monday night’s loss to the Rams exposed some of their significant offensive limitations. Their defense will keep them in the running for a wild card spot.