1. Los Angeles Rams– They became the first team this season to clinch their division. We did see this happening from the beginning of the year, so this shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Aqib Talib returning to the field is a huge boost and it comes at the right time as the stretch run is here. Last week’s win in Detroit gave them more confidence in my opinion. It was also one of the more complete wins of the year. Tonight, they face the Chicago Bears in a battle of first-place teams in the NFC.
2. Kansas City Chiefs– Heading into their game against Oakland, I had a feeling the Raiders would play them tough as they always do in California and they did just that. The Chiefs proved to be too much and became the first team in the AFC to reach ten wins. They are closing in on their third straight division title and a bye in the playoffs. Today, we get a sneak peak of the future. The Chiefs will face the Ravens at home and it will mark the first ever matchup between Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes.
3. New England Patriots– They are closing in on their tenth division title. That’s an incredible accomplishment, but they always have their eyes set on bigger titles. Each month, their team gets stronger. The October Patriots are better than the September Patriots, November’s Patriots are better than the October Patriots and December is when they put it altogether. That’s just how they work. Today, they travel to Florida and face a team that always seems to give them a hard time each time they travel to play them, the Miami Dolphins.
4. Houston Texans– Nine wins in a row for them. Right now, this is the third best team in the AFC behind the Chiefs and Patriots. What isn’t to like about them? They play balanced offense; the defense plays dominating football and they’re well-coached. This is their best start since 2012 when they went 11-1 through their first 12 games. They are closing in on a division title for the first time since 2016. After all the winning, it’s almost hard to believe they started 0-3.
5. Los Angeles Chargers– What a big win that was last Sunday night in Pittsburgh. To travel across the country and steal a game in a hostile environment says everything. At the beginning of the game, I questioned were they ready to play on the big stage because there have been times when they haven’t shown up. For the first half, they struggled. In the second half, they looked like a much different team and I wonder what coach said to them in the locker room. They’re 9-3 and next week, they have a huge game against the Chiefs.
