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Undefeated Rams, Chiefs remain 1-2 in RJ’s NFL rankings

Updated October 9, 2018 - 2:13 pm

Review-Journal NFL reporter Gilbert Manzano’s weekly rankings, with last week’s ranking in parentheses.

1. Rams 5-0 (1). The Rams struggled in their first game outside of California this season, but escaped Seattle with a victory. A gutsy and successful fourth down call iced the game with less than two minutes left.

2. Chiefs 5-0 (2). In a strength versus strength matchup, the Chiefs’ explosive offense prevailed against the mighty Jaguars’ defense.

3. Saints 4-1 (4). There’s no stopping the Saints’ high-octane offense, and running back Mark Ingram returned Monday from a four-game suspension.

4. Patriots 3-2 (6). Tom Brady and Julian Edelman are still on the same page, and it’s business as usual for the New England dynasty. The Patriots host the Chiefs on “Sunday Night Football.”

5. Panthers 3-1 (5). Graham Gano’s 63-yard field goal in the final seconds beat the Giants on Sunday.

6. Bengals 4-1 (9). It’s time for Andy Dalton’s offense to get some love. The Bengals scored 24 consecutive points in the fourth quarter to erase a 17-3 deficit against the reeling Dolphins.

7. Jaguars 3-2 (3). Only Blake Bortles can turn a 400-yard passing performance into a negative. He threw four interceptions in the Jaguars’ loss to the Chiefs.

8. Bears 3-1 (12). The hot Bears’ defense travels to Miami after a bye week.

9. Vikings 2-2-1 (14). A desperate Vikings team returned to form in a road victory over the Eagles.

10. Eagles 2-3 (7). The defending champions continue to get off to slow starts offensively, and they just lost Jay Ajayi for the season with a torn ACL.

11. Chargers 3-2 (16). The Chargers are one game over .500, and star edge rusher Joey Bosa hasn’t played a game.

12. Packers 2-2-1 (8). Is coach Mike McCarthy finally on the hot seat?

13. Steelers 2-2-1 (15). Pittsburgh opened the October slate with a 41-point performance against the Falcons. The Steelers are back on track after a forgetful September.

14. Ravens 3-2 (11). Who are these Ravens? One week they’re dismantling the Steelers, the next they’re scoring nine points against the Browns.

15. Titans 3-2 (13). Should have known the Titans aren’t real contenders. Tennessee took four steps back in a loss to the Bills.

16. Dolphins 3-2 (10). Adam Gase’s trick plays aren’t leading to wins the past two weeks after a 3-0 start.

17. Browns 2-2-1 (23). Baker Mayfield continues to make the Browns look like geniuses for selecting him No. 1 overall.

18. Buccaneers 2-2 (19). With Jameis Winston as the starter, the Bucs return from a bye week to face the Falcons.

19. Texans 2-3 (24). DeAndre Hopkins refused to let the Texans lose to the Cowboys. Houston is back in the mix after two straight wins.

20. Cowboys 2-3 (20). Can the Cowboys and Dez Bryant stop talking about each other on social media? Just make up. It’s obvious they need each other.

21. Redskins 2-2 (21). That Alex Smith investment is looking bad after his poor performance against the Saints.

22. Seahawks 2-3 (22). Are the Seahawks ever going to give their first-round running back a shot to prove himself? Rashaad Penny has fallen to third string.

23. Jets 2-3 (28). Rookie Sam Darnold bounced back with three touchdown passes in a win over the Broncos.

24. Broncos 2-3 (17). If it wasn’t for garbage-time yardage, the Broncos’ offensive stats would have looked a lot uglier against the Jets.

25. Falcons 1-4 (18). It’s time to press the panic button for the Falcons. Playoffs might not be an option at this point.

26. Lions 2-3 (30). Detroit’s two wins have come against Brady and Aaron Rodgers.

27. Bills 2-3 (31). So the Buffalo Bills aren’t as bad as we thought.

28. Raiders 1-4 (25). The offense managed fewer than 300 yards against the Chargers, a week after racking up a season-high 565.

29. Colts 1-4 (26). Andrew Luck’s arm might fall off after 121 pass attempts in a five-day span.

30. Giants 1-4 (27). Odell Beckham got his wish of throwing the ball down the field, but it still resulted in a loss.

31. Cardinals 1-4 (32). Somehow, with a stone-aged offense, the Cardinals managed a win.

32. 49ers 1-4 (29). Giving the Cardinals their first victory makes the Niners the league’s worst team.

Contact Gilbert Manzano at gmanzano@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GManzano24 on Twitter.

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