Tag: Standings

Saints climb a little higher in updated NFL power rankings

The New Orleans Saints continued to rise in the updated NFL power rankings from Touchdown Wire, fueled by Taysom Hill’s first start and win.

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A victory for Taysom Hill in his first start with the New Orleans Saints helped to build their case as a superpower in the NFC, though some lackluster games from around the conference did make the Saints shine a little brighter.

New Orleans is a team on the rise, peaking at the right time and with more room to grow (superstar wide receiver Michael Thomas is finally healthy, and posted his first 100-yards receiving line of the year). It’s all the more impressive considering Drew Brees isn’t in at quarterback.

The latest NFL power rankings comes from Mark Schofield over at Touchdown Wire, who bumped the Saints up from the No. 4 spot to No. 3 — the best in the NFC, trailing two AFC favorites (the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers) for the top spot. Here’s some of what he had to say about Hill’s performance, giving the backup a hat-tip for some nice throws down the stretch while acknowledging Hill’s athleticism is what sets him apart:

“But it was really his ability as a ball-carrier that helped the Saints offense on Sunday. Hill carried the ball ten times for 51 yards and a pair of touchdowns. This run midway through the third quarter extended the New Orleans lead and showcased what Hill offers as a runner in short yardage and red zone situations:

With the win, the Saints manage to stay atop the NFC South for another week. With games coming up against Denver, Atlanta and Philadelphia the next three weeks, the Saints should be sitting pretty when they face the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 15… regardless of who is taking the snaps.”

Other NFC teams inside the top-10 include the Green Bay Packers (reeling from an overtime loss at No. 5), the surging Los Angeles Rams (at No. 6), the rapidly declining Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 8), and the inconsistent Seattle Seahawks (No. 9). Every one of those teams will figure into the eventual NFC playoff picture, but for now, the Saints are looking down on them with a favorable stretch of matchups ahead.

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News: Cowboys staff enters bubble, Colombo fired in NY, Emmitt’s salute to service

Also, the Cowboys get two off the Reserve/COVID list, and DeMarcus Lawrence promises a better showing than the team gave a month ago.

COVID-19 dominates the Cowboys’ headlines just days before their Week 11 trip to Minnesota. Just as two players come off the virus watch list, the Dallas coaching staff takes up residence in the posh hotel next to the team’s headquarters. This comes as the league announces that all teams will operate under stricter protocols for the rest of 2020. But those measures only help player and coach safety; now eight fans who have tested positive report that they had recently been in attendance at AT&T Stadium for Cowboys home games. Uncertain times indeed as the league heads into the home stretch of this surreal season.

On the field, DeMarcus Lawrence is promising better things than the team showed even last month. The Cowboys’ injury report shows only two players not participating in the Wednesday session, and Chidobe Awuzie is set to finally make his anticipated return to action. A former Cowboy gets his pink slip from Big Blue, a team icon reaches out to salute a retired serviceman, and there’s still a decent chance that the 2-7 Cowboys could be leading the NFC East in less than two weeks’ time. Here’s the News and Notes.

Packers sit atop NFC following Week 10 results

The Packers, at 7-2 and with a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Saints, sit in the top spot in the NFC after 10 weeks.

The Green Bay Packers will hold the No. 1 seed in the NFC entering Week 11.

Thanks to a narrow win over the Jacksonville Jaguars and a Seattle Seahawks loss to the Los Angeles Rams, the Packers and New Orleans Saints now hold the best records in the NFC at 7-2 – and Matt LaFleur’s team holds a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Saints via a Week 3 win in New Orleans.

The Packers have more division losses and conference losses than the Saints after 10 weeks, but if the two teams remain tied without a third team entering the tiebreaker scenario, Green Bay will have the head-to-head advantage over New Orleans.

The Saints have won six straight games since losing to the Packers on Sept. 27.

The Seahawks’ loss in Los Angeles broke the three-way tie that existed entering Week 10. Seattle actually fell out of the lead in the NFC West and to the No. 7 slot in the conference overall.

Under the new playoff format in 2020, only the No. 1 seed in each conference receives a first-round bye. Seven teams from each conference make the playoffs.

NFC Standings

1. Green Bay Packers (7-2)
2. New Orleans Saints (7-2)
3. Arizona Cardinals (6-3)
4. Philadelphia Eagles (3-5-1)
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3)
6. Los Angeles Rams (6-3)
7. Seattle Seahawks (6-3)

Yet to play in Week 10: Chicago Bears (5-4), Minnesota Vikings (3-5)

In the hunt: Bears, Detroit Lions (4-5), San Francisco 49ers (4-6), Vikings

Packers remaining schedule

at Indianapolis Colts (6-3)
vs. Chicago Bears (5-4)
vs. Philadelphia Eagles (3-5-1)
at Detroit Lions (4-5)
vs. Carolina Panthers (3-7)
vs. Tennessee Titans (6-3)
at Chicago Bears (5-4)

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NFC South standings, Week 9: Saints seize the top spot

The New Orleans Saints are on top of the NFC South standings after Week 9, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hoping to hold onto second place.

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Here’s the big news from this week’s NFC South standings update: the New Orleans Saints shocked the football world by sweeping the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a big spot, putting them on top of the division — and, nearly, the entire conference. The Saints own a 6-2 record just like the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks, putting them in the early outlook for the No. 1 NFC playoff seed.

Your full NFC South standings, with division records in parentheses:

Which teams have the easiest, toughest remaining schedules in the NFL

Which teams have the easiest and the hardest remaining schedules in the NFL based on Tankathon’s rankings halfway through the season.

The NFL is approaching the halfway point in the season with the Week 9 matchups just days away.

There is a ton of football still to be played (and bye weeks to be had) so at the mid-way point of the year, it’s time to take a look at which teams have the easiest and hardest schedules left to play.

The Seahawks, with a win over the Bills in Buffalo, are hoping to get to a 7-1 start for the second time under coach Pete Carroll. According to the rankings from Tankathon, Seattle’s second half of the season is one of the easiest in the NFL. Atlanta has the most difficult slate of them all.

Below are Tankathon’s ratings from toughest to easiest.

1. Falcons (.644)
2. Jaguars (.615)
3. 49ers (.610)
4. Bills (.579)
5. Rams (.576)
6. Panthers (.569)
7. Broncos (.522)
8. Colts (.540)
9. Titans (.538)
10. Cardinals (.529)
11. Eagles (.525)
12. Jets (.517)
13. Giants (.517)
14. Texans (.508)
15. Packers (.507)
16. Bengals (.500)
17. Chiefs (.492)
18. Vikings (.485)
19. Chargers (.478)
20. Bucs (.475)
21. Dolphins (.470)
22. Lions (.470)
23. Saints (.464)
24. Football Team (.464)
25. Steelers (.456)
26. Ravens (.455)
27. Cowboys (.450)
28. Seahawks (.450)
29. Bears (.429)
30. Raiders (.424)
31. Patriots (.418)
32. Browns (.398)

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NFC West leads NFL with most wins of any division

The NFC West leads the National Football League with the most wins of any division at 19 through seven weeks of the regular season.

The NFC West is a power-house division once again. Through Week 7 of the regular season, the West leads the league with the most wins of any division at 19.

Here’s a look at the standings so far:

Seattle Seahawks 5-1

Arizona Cardinals 5-2

Los Angeles Rams 5-2

San Francisco 49ers 4-3

Things could shake up a bit after this week when Seattle and San Francisco square off at CenturyLink Field. Every divisional game counts and this one is monumental for the Seahawks.

As far as the rest of the division, the Cardinals will enjoy a bye this weekend and the Rams are set to face the Dolphins.

NFC West clubs have reached the Super Bowl five times since 2012 and it looks like for now, all four teams remain in the hunt this season.

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After Week 6, Seahawks are NFC’s only undefeated team

After the Packers lost to the Buccaneers in Week 6, the Seattle Seahawks are the NFC’s only remaining undefeated team.

The Seattle Seahawks did not play a snap of football over their Week-6 bye but still ended up coming out of the weekend winners none-the-less.

After the Packers’ 38-10 loss to the Buccaneers, the Seahawks remain the NFC’s only undefeated team at 5-0 on the year.

As far as the NFC West is concerned, the Seahawks are the clear division leaders for now. San Francisco (3-3) did Seattle a favor Sunday night, beating Los Angeles and handing the Rams (4-2) their this second loss this season.

Arizona (3-2) still has a game to play this week and has a chance to climb in the divisional standings after squaring off against the Cowboys for “Monday Night Football.” Win a win, the Cardinals could tie the Rams at 4-2.

The Seahawks have a bonus practice Monday afternoon but no participation reports are required to be released until after Wednesday’s session.

Coach Pete Carroll will address the media at 3:50 p.m. PT.

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Saints playoff chances remain strong, but projected win total dips after bye week

The New Orleans Saints playoff odds took a hit during Week 6 of the 2020 NFL season, with the Buccaneers and Falcons both winning handily.

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Week 6 of the NFL regular season was filled with fireworks. Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the fight out of Aaron Rodgers’ Green Bay Packers, while the Atlanta Falcons notched their first win of the season and the New Orleans Saints’ next two opponents — the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears — competed to see whose defense could create more turnovers. We recapped it all in greater detail in our NFC South standings update.

And it all came together with the Saints watching from home during their bye week. According to FiveThirtyEight, the 3-2 Saints still have a good shot at making the playoffs: down to just 68% after going into the bye at 72%. But strong performances from Tampa Bay and Atlanta have tampered New Orleans’ chance of a fourth consecutive NFC South division title, plummeting from 49% before the bye week down to 38%. An early November rematch with Brady’s Buccaneers looms large on the schedule.

Right now, FiveThirtyEight projects the Saints to finish the year with a 9-7 record. That’s good enough for a wild card spot, but not enough to win the division (Tampa Bay is just ahead at 10-6). It’s still too early to forecast anything serious, but here’s what the NFC playoff picture would look like based off these latest projections:

  • 1. 12-4 Seattle Seahawks (bye)
  • 7. 9-7 Los Angeles Rams at 2. 11-5 Chicago Bears
  • 6. 9-7 New Orleans Saints at 3. 10-6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • 5. 11-5 Green Bay Packers at 4. 6-9-1 Philadelphia Eagles

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Seahawks continue perfect start to season with Week-4 win in Miami

The Seattle Seahawks continue their perfect start to the 2020 season with their Week-4 win in Miami against the Dolphins to advance to 4-0.

With their win in Miami against the Dolphins, the Seattle Seahawks have advanced to 4-0 for just the second time in franchise history. The first such start occurred the season the Seahawks won the Super Bowl.

Coach Pete Carroll is well aware of what the victories mean but is the first to admit there is still room for improvement this year.

“Well, yeah, first off, to get off 4 and 0 it’s a great start for us and we’re thrilled about that; as good as we could have done, and we still have a lot of good football to get better at,” Carroll said after the game. “We all know that, and the players know that, and we’re still working on improving and getting our game cleaner.”

The Seahawks still have a lot of football to be played and ensuring the health of the squad will be key heading deeper into the season. Fortunately, Seattle suffered no new injuries in Miami.

“Really pleased to come this way and get a win, finish off the first quarter of the season as we have, so that’s a good accomplishment for us,” Carroll continued. “Really fired up about that. Probably most pleased after it’s all over everybody got out of there pretty fit and all that. We didn’t get anybody banged up today which is good and we get to move our way into the next game with everybody that was playing today. That’s a good thing.”

The Seahawks have a couple of rest days to recover before reporting back to practice Wednesday morning.

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NFC West roundup: How the division fared Week 3

The Seattle Seahawks moved into first place in the NFC West standings Week 3 – here’s a look at how the rest of the division fared.

Sunday was a very good day for the Seattle Seahawks. First and foremost, the most important thing was the fact they won. It may have been a rather wild and unusual victory, but at this point, the unusual is becoming routine for the Seahawks.

The second best reason is the fact quarterback Russell Wilson had a historic day by setting two records by becoming the first quarterback in league history to have at least four touchdown passes in the first three games, and by setting the record for the most touchdowns (14) through the first three games.

Third, the Seahawks moved into sole possession of first place in the NFC West. Let’s take a look to see how Seattle achieved their lofty position in the standings.

Los Angeles Rams: Lost @ Buffalo Bills – 35-32

The Los Angeles Rams almost had a historic day of their own, Sunday afternoon, as they very nearly had one of the greatest comebacks the NFL has ever seen.

The Rams fell behind the Buffalo Bills 28-3, but then managed to fight back in remarkable fashion to even take a 32-28 lead. However, the Bills avoided the same fate of the Falcons in Super Bowl LI and staved off bitter defeat by retaking the lead with only seconds left on the clock.

Los Angeles falls to 2-1, but they won’t be alone in this regard.

Arizona Cardinals: Lost vs Detroit Lions – 26-23

The trendy pick this offseason by just about everyone to compete for a playoff spot was the Arizona Cardinals. With the addition of star receiver DeAndre Hopkins added to the mix, Arizona looked ready to take the next step with second-year coach and quarterback, Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray.

After a 2-0 start, the Cards seemed like the real deal, but on Sunday they got a wake-up call. The pitiful Lions, who were in the midst of an 11-game losing streak, and a four-game losing streak where they had blown double-digit leads, snapped both with perhaps the biggest upset of the weekend.

Kyler Murray threw three picks to a Lions defense which hadn’t created a single turnover all year, showing the young star and his team still have a little bit of a ways to go.

San Francisco 49ers: Won @ New York Giants – 36-9

The only other team to claim victory from the division was the injury-depleted San Francisco 49ers. The Niners made yet another visit to MetLife Stadium in back-to-back weeks, where they faced the equally hapless New York Giants.

Playing essentially the JV team, San Francisco didn’t need the likes of Jimmy Garoppolo, George Kittle and Nick Bosa to take one of the worst teams in the league to task.

The Niners injury woes at MetLife continued, as tight end Jordan Reed and safety Jaquiski Tartt both left banged up.

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