14. Washington Commanders (8-5)
Losing three of four games heading into the bye week, the 8-5 Washington Commanders hope to rebound when they take the field again in Week 15 against the New Orleans Saints, who just lost QB Derek Carr to a broken non-throwing hand. The Commanders started out pretty hot, but have since cooled down over the last month, and this has been a pretty scary trend for Kliff Kingsbury, who, between coaching at the collegiate and pro levels, does have an issue of being able to finish strong.
His teams tend to collapse down the stretch, and with the Commanders having gone 1-3 over their last four games, you just hope that this isn’t another example of Kingsbury and his collapses with his teams and offenses. Even if it is, the Commanders have to love where they are for the long-term, as Jayden Daniels could turn into the best QB in the NFC East by the time the 2025 NFL Season rolls around, and they are still very much in a playoff spot in the NFC.
Life is good for the Washington Commanders despite their recent struggles.
13. Houston Texans (8-5)
On their bye in Week 14, the Houston Texans are the very overwhelming favorite to win the AFC South for the second year in a row. We know that the Jaguars and Titans are out of it, but I guess if something crazy happens, the Colts could win the division. Being that Houston swept Indy earlier this year, the Colts would have to finish with a better record.
Houston hasn’t been all that good this year despite their 8-5 record, which I guess kind of tells us that this team could be truly great once they figure out their offensive line woes. They’re still on the right track for the long-term, but they do not feel appreciably better than 2023 and could be in the middle of a sophomore slump type of season.
Nonetheless, Houston is very likely hosting a playoff game for the second year in a row, so let’s not overthink this.