5. Atlanta Falcons (8)
Matt Ryan doesn’t need Julio. Matt Ryan will toy with defenses without his top wideout. The beat down they just laid on the Rams forced Jeff Fisher to be fired only a week after he signed a contract extension. The Falcons can’t stop now though, as the Buccaneers are tied for the same record.
6. Oakland Raiders (3)
Not sure if it was the finger, not sure if it was the cold; perhaps it was just the Chiefs defense that had Derek Carr so far out of whack. That is now twice they have been stomped by the Chiefs. They will have to finish ahead of the Chiefs in the standings if they’d like to win the west.
7. New York Giants (10).
When people think of the Giants, they think of Odell Beckham, Eli, etc. However, it is the defense that has this team humming right now. The Giants have now swept the Cowboys. They are the most under-the-radar Super Bowl contender in the NFL.
8. Detroit Lions (9)
The Lions are going to win the NFC North—unless they don’t. With the way the Packers are playing, the recent hand injury to Stafford, and the Ziggy Ansah injury, this just screams an epic collapse. That would be the most Lions thing ever.