The more things change, the more they stay the same. Well, at least if the teams are the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.
Through seven weeks, the Chiefs and Eagles share the best record in the NFL at 6-1. They are the two teams that played in Super Bowl LVII -- and appear to be on a collision course for Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.
Kansas City and Philadelphia are very good. So which teams are going to crash their party?
The league remains as unpredictable as ever when it comes to which teams are actual Super Bowl contenders. The Buffalo Bills hit a bump in the road over the last few weeks and the Cincinnati Bengals are off to another slow start. They should be in the mix at the end of the year. The San Francisco 49ers have lost two straight and the Detroit Lions just were blown out by the Baltimore Ravens (yet lead the NFC North with a 5-2 record).
The Dallas Cowboys, well, they still can't beat elite teams.
Through the first seven weeks of the season, let's take a look at teams that have an opportunity to win Super Bowl LVIII based on their play thus far. Remember it's only late October, so this list is subject to change.
1. Kansas City Chiefs (6-1)
The defending Super Bowl champs are tied for the best record in the NFL and have the league's longest winning streak at six games. They're rolling through the AFC West (again) has they have six wins and the rest of the division has seven -- combined. They're 4-0 in October and hitting that November and December peak (an Andy Reid staple) earlier than usual.
Patrick Mahomes is looking like an MVP again and Travis Kelce has been excellent in games Taylor Swift attends. The defense is second in the league in points allowed and a top-10 unit overall. There are still questions at wide receiver, but this group is as good as it gets in the NFL.
Kansas City, again, is the team to beat in the AFC.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (6-1)
The Eagles don't look as dominant as they were last season, but they have shared or had the best record in the league since Week 1 of the 2022 season regardless. Jalen Hurts is turning the ball over a lot, but still showing he's one of the best quarterbacks in football, despite working with a new offensive coordinator. A.J. Brown has been playing at an insane level (five straight 125-plus-yard games) as the offense is a top-five unit in spite of its red zone woes.
Sean Desai's defense has been getting better every week in spite of all the injuries and now the Eagles have Kevin Byard added to a pass defense that has allowed 183 pass yards per game over the last three weeks. The pass rush is one of the best in the NFL and the Eagles have arguably the best offensive line-defensive line combination in the league. The Eagles also have the No. 1 run defense to boot.
Philadelphia shut down the high-flying Miami Dolphins offense. That victory secured the Eagles are the team to beat in the NFC.
3. Baltimore Ravens (5-2)
While it took seven weeks for the Ravens offense to have that breakout game, Lamar Jackson and the offense exploded with 38 points and 503 total yards in a blowout victory over the Detroit Lions (who were 5-1 heading into the game). Jackson looks primed for his second MVP award as he has arguably his best cast of pass catchers since he came to Baltimore. The Ravens are still a top rushing offense, ranking third in the league in yards per game and rushing touchdowns.
Baltimore's defense can stake the claim as the best in the NFL, ranking first in points per game allowed and second in yards per game allowed. The Ravens have allowed just 10.5 points per game and 256.3 yards per game over the last four games, playing at an elite level.
If Jackson can stay healthy, the Ravens are the biggest threat to the Chiefs in the AFC. They've limped to the finish line over the last two seasons, but this team appears to be too talented for that to happen again. Again, this all comes down to Jackson staying on the field.
4. San Francisco 49ers (5-2)
The 49ers should be better at this point through the season, especially after their dismantling of the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5. Since that blowout victory, the 49ers haven't won a game as Brock Purdy has struggled -- completing just 57.9% of his passes with two touchdowns and three interceptions over that span (69.1 rating).
While Purdy hasn't played at the level of his first 10 starts, the 49ers still have one of the best rosters in the NFL. They still have playmakers across the board, ranking second in points per game and seventh in yards per game. The 49ers may be overusing Christian McCaffrey, yet he leads the league in rushing and is tied for the league lead in scrimmage touchdowns.
The defense is third in the NFL in points allowed, not allowing over 23 points in any game this season (15.8 over the last five games). The unit will be tested with the Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles in four of its next five games.
The 49ers are the Eagles' biggest challenger in the NFC, with an opportunity to get back on track with the schedule coming up.
The Dolphins are still one of the top teams in the NFL, regardless of how their offense looked against the Eagles and Buffalo Bills -- the two teams with winning records they faced (and lost to). Miami still is first in the league in points per game, yards per game, passing yards per game, rushing yards per game, passing touchdowns and rushing touchdowns.
This is still a great offense, even if it averaged just 18.5 points and 318.5 yards per game when facing the Eagles and Bills. The Dolphins' five wins are against teams that are a combined 8-25. Their two losses are against two teams that are a combined 10-4.
The 27th-ranked defense in points allowed per game and 21st in points allowed per game is also a concern, but the Dolphins are still Super Bowl contenders because of their offense. They also only face one team currently with a winning record (Chiefs) over their next seven games -- and that's in Germany.
The goal for the Jaguars in 2023 was to prove they belonged with the AFC contenders. That test has been passed thus far with a win over the Bills in London and a close loss to the Chiefs in Jacksonville. After a 1-2 start, Jacksonville has won four in a row to take control of the AFC South -- averaging 29 points per game in the stretch.
The offense is still finding its footing (18th in points per possession), but the Jaguars have an opportunistic defense that leads the league with 16 takeaways (eighth in points allowed per possession). Jacksonville isn't a complete team yet, but Doug Pederson teams usually finish strong -- making Jacksonville a team to watch in November and December.
Jacksonville will get to see how good it is against San Francisco, Cincinnati and Baltimore over its next seven games. Having a 5-2 record after consecutive games in London and a Thursday night game already on the schedule is pretty impressive.
7. Seattle Seahawks (4-2)
The final Super Bowl contender was tough, but the Seahawks earn the title based on how they have played over the last three games. Seattle's defense has been playing at an elite level in that stretch, allowing just 10 points, 237 yards, and 4.1 yards per attempt -- while having 18 sacks. The pass defense has allowed only 142 yards per game, and that was with Joe Burrow facing them.
The offense has been balanced (11th in points per game and 15th in yards per game), having only six turnovers on the year. The defense is 12th in points and yards allowed per game. They have offensive and defensive playmakers across the board and have withstood a banged-up offensive line in the early part of the year.
Seattle has a big win in Detroit and will be tested in the second half. The Seahawks play the Ravens, 49ers, Cowboys, 49ers and Eagles in an eight-game stretch coming up. Surviving that stretch makes the Seahawks a true NFC contender, but the Seahawks are on the brink of entering that realm already.
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October 28, 2023 at 02:10AM
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Ranking the seven teams with legitimate shot at Super Bowl title as Chiefs, Eagles lead pack - CBS Sports
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