Mike Florio ,
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1. Rams (last week No. 1; 8-2): Round one of the two-part Seahawks showdown went to the home team. Barely.
2. Colts (No. 2; 8-2): A major test looms with a visit to the increasingly desperate Chiefs.
3. Broncos (No. 3; 9-2): There’s a new sheriff in town.
4. Eagles (No. 5; 8-2): That defense is becoming elite.
5. Patriots (No. 7; 9-2): They should be 11-2 at the bye.
6. Seahawks (No. 6; 7-3): Even with an off day from Sam Darnold, they still had a chance.
7. Bears (No. 10; 7-3): They’re this year’s unofficial find-a-way franchise. And they might stumblebum into a division title.
8. Bills (No. 12; 7-3): Can they move the ball and score points against Houston’s defense?
9. Lions (No. 4; 6-4): The consequences of Ben Johnson’s departure are starting to surface.
10. Packers (No. 11; 6-3-1): They should consider a Malik Willis package.
11. Jaguars (No. 17; 6-4): Will their latest signature win have staying power?
12. Steelers (No. 15; 6-4): Can they string a pair of solid games together?
13. Buccaneers (No. 9; 6-4): A fifth straight NFC South crown is no longer a gimme.
14. 49ers (No. 18; 7-4): They’d love nothing more than to have another shot at the Rams in the playoffs.
15. Ravens (No. 14; 5-5): They’re winning, even when they should lose.
16. Chargers (No. 8; 7-4): It’s not going to be easy to come back from Sunday’s Duval demolition.
17. Texans (No. 16; 5-5): Do they belong? Beat the Bills, and the answer is yes.
18. Chiefs (No. 13; 5-5): Forget about the AFC West. That Week 6 Monday night loss to the Jaguars could be the thing that keeps them out of the playoffs entirely.
19. Panthers (No. 19; 6-5): Are they ready for prime time? Ready or not, we’ll see them there next Monday night.
20. Cowboys (No. 23; 4-5-1): The next three games — Eagles, Chiefs, at Lions — will show us everything we need to know about this team.
21. Vikings (No. 20; 4-6): “Nine” needs to show up sooner than after nine minutes have elapsed in the fourth quarter.
22. Dolphins (No. 25; 4-7): Where was this version of the team before the G.M. was fired?
23. Falcons (No. 21; 3-7): Arthur Blank’s finger may be inching toward the red button.
24. Cardinals (No. 22; 3-7): Will Jonathan Gannon make it to Week 18?
25. Bengals (No. 24; 3-7): Joe Burrow probably should wait until next year.
26. Jets (No. 26; 2-8): They should find a way to use both Tyrod Taylor and Justin Fields at the same time.
27. Giants (No. 27; 2-9): Sunday was a microcosm of the full Jameis Winston experience.
28. Browns (No. 28; 2-8): If they’d kept Joe Flacco as the backup, they would have beaten the Ravens.
29. Commanders (No. 29; 3-8): Could Dan Quinn be coaching his way onto the hot seat?
30. Saints (No. 30; 2-8): They can deliver a death blow to their hated rivals from Atlanta.
31. Raiders (No. 31; 2-8): Based on his playcalling, maybe Chip Kelly is trying to get fired.
32. Titans (No. 32; 1-9): It’s safe to say Mike McCoy won’t be sticking around beyond the balance of the season.
Big Shield combines gambling, pro football, and the mob into a cautionary tale regarding inside information, and the dangers that come from selling it.
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