25. Houston Texans, 3-7 (27)
Deshaun Watson continues to show he is the one bright light for this franchise right now, as he led them to a won over the Patriots. The problem going forward is they have very little draft capital and haven’t exactly presented themselves as an ideal free-agent destination.
24. Philadelphia Eagles, 3-6-1 (22)
They’re just not very good, and you don’t overcome three turnovers when you aren’t very good. Carson Wentz has been a turnover machine this season, and along with a general lack of weapons, winning is hard for this team right now.
23. Los Angeles Chargers, 3-7 (26)
Beating the Jets isn’t a huge deal unless you were 2-7 and badly in need of a win for your coaching staff’s life. The Chargers are one of those teams who, despite their record, offer some optimism for the future if they can ever stay healthy.
22. Detroit Lions, 4-6 (19)
They got shut out by the Saints, which… well, getting shut out in today’s NFL is an absolute embarrassment. Their coach should not be able to sit down due to the rising temps of his seat, and Matt Stafford could probably be had this offseason.
21. Carolina Panthers, 4-7 (23)
And I present to you, the team that shut out the Detroit Lions this week, despite not having their starting quarterback and throwing a couple of should-have-changed-the-game picks. The Panthers are definitely a team with an optimistic future.
20. San Francisco 49ers, 4-6 (20)
They had a bye, which serves two purposes for this team — nobody got hurt, and hopefully, somebody got healthy. This season was basically lost due to injuries, and it will be interesting to see their quarterback situation in the future.
19. Minnesota Vikings, 4-6 (17)
I thought the Vikings would be better than this going into the season and was really expecting 10-plus wins for this team. But it’s becoming more clear every week that despite some impressive pieces, this team is just not going to click.
18. New England Patriots, 4-6 (16)
Just when you thought the Patriots were turning a corner, they run into a wall. They had no business losing to the Texans, but this is 2020, folks. teams are great one week… then losing to the Texans the next. Ho-hum season in New England.
17. Chicago Bears, 5-5 (18)
The Bears moved up a spot despite having their bye week, thanks to the teams above them losing. But here’s the really weird part: In a league based around the idea of the concept of equality, the Bears are the only 5-5 team. I also don’t think they are that good.
16. Denver Broncos, 4-6 (21)
This is a big jump, but in a sea of mediocrity, a good win over a good team like Miami gives you a little jump. The Broncos, stop me if you’ve heard this before, need a good quarterback to get in the “real” conversation of competitors.