Colin Cowherd Ranks the 10 Best NFL Teams After Week 7 – October 22nd (Full Video at Bottom of Page)
10. Baltimore Ravens (5-2): "Ravens are fascinating. Does everybody realize they held Russell Wilson to a 48% completion percentage? That doesn't happen; this includes a 65 passer rating. (Russell Wilson doesn't give you many of those) They're also the second-highest scoring team in the league. Everybody calls them out for limitations and yes, they're not a great vertical team however, they still are the second-HIGHEST scoring team in the league. I really liked what I saw from their defense in the second half as they were able to shut down the Seahawks completely. That tells me they're well-coached. Maybe their ceiling is higher than I give them credit for but boy did I like what I saw in the 2nd half. Now they have Marcus Peters who solves their only dilemma which is, they're not very good at corner."
9. Indianapolis Colts (4-2): "I think the second smartest team in the league is Indianapolis. They don't get penalized, they don't give up any sacks, and they can control the ball. They don't have great running backs but Jacoby Brissett doesn't make dumb throws and this is a well-coached team. You may ask why do I have them this low and I'd ask you not to overreact to their win over Houston. It was an easy pick, they were off a bye and they were much healthier than Houston. Well coached teams off a bye do very well. Of the last 16 games, they've won 13 of 16. This is a team with a brilliant GM, a great scouting department, a grown-up at quarterback, and the best young offensive line in football, and I would argue that Darius Leonard may be the best young defensive player in the league not on the 49ers. "
8. Houston Texans (4-2): "While they were defeated by the Colts, I think Houston is the better team. They have a higher ceiling. The Texans have forced a turnover in 20 straight games. That's the longest active streak in the NFL. They're also 4th in total offense and 4th on 3rd down offense which is a HUGE stat for me. They have an offensive line that is young and getting better by the week. I think Houston is still going to win that division.
7. Carolina Panthers (4-2): "Let's pay attention to Ron Rivera. Who has the most sacks in the NFL? Not the Bears...It's Carolina. Who has the second-most takeaways in the NFL? Not the Bears, not the Patriots...It's Carolina. This is one of the best-coached teams in the NFL that consistently has a top 8 defense. Stop talking about Cam. This team has been winning with the running game, coaching, and defense for years.
6. Buffalo Bills (5-1): "I've been bragging about the Buffalo Bills' coaching for a while now. They are now 3-0 off a bye with Sean McDermott. Very Belichickian, very Sean Payton, and very Andy Reid. Byes matter more to well-coached teams. They have an 18-game streak of not allowing 400 yards and Tom Brady looked absolutely awful against them. There are some limitations offensively but when they get into the red zone, they give you 7s not 3s."
5. Minnesota Vikings (5-2): "The reality of Minnesota is if they play a great defense, Kirk Cousins struggles. If they play an average defense, Kirk Cousins is Peyton Manning. Their overall roster is loaded. Receivers are grade A, tight end is grade A, running back Dalvin Cook leads the NFL in scrimmage yards and rushing yards. They get sacks, and they get after you. Their offensive line is okay but it's not a liability. Be careful though. They have been 5-2 in four of the last five years. They tend to start real hot so let's give them about three to four more weeks... But in terms of total roster, their front office has built a little bit of a juggernaut."
4. Green Bay Packers (6-1): "You finally gave Aaron something to work with. Preston Smith and Za'darius Smith are the only duo in the league ranking top 10 in sacks. Two great free agent linebackers that you didn’t have to pay a fortune for. They went and got a safety from the Bears and drafted one too. It’s made Rodgers a more comfortable and more happy quarterback . There one of three teams in the league with a top 10 red zone offense and top 10 red zone defense."
3. San Francisco 49ers (6-0): "The 49ers defensive front is frightening; there are first rounders everywhere. They lead the NFC in time of possession. What does that mean? You can’t sustain drives against the 49ers defense. The Niners have sacked opposing quarterbacks on 11% of their dropbacks. That doesn’t even make sense and sounds like a college stat. It’s the best defensive front in the NFL and the average age of the defense is 25. They're gonna be salty for years."
2. New Orleans Saints (6-1): “There isn’t much drop off from Drew Brees and Teddy Bridgewater. They don’t turn the ball overl they only have 5 giveaways all season. They have a lot of smart players, a great mix of young players and older ones, and a great coach. How many teams can go with their backup and be this good? Will the Bears be in play for Bridgewater next year?”
1. New England Patriots (7-0): “They’re putting up numbers now that are cartoonish. Despite their so-called offensive struggles, they lead the NFL in points per game and just added Mohamed Sanu. They have four games this year with at least four takeaways on defense. Quarterbacks have a passer rating of just 35.6 again them this year, which doesn’t make any sense. They don’t have a singular elite pass rusher but provide on a weekly basis a very good pass rush, just ask Sam Darnold.