8. Green Bay Packers
What we all just witnessed on Sunday Night Football between the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys had a lot more to do with the play of Dak Prescott than it did the Green Bay Packers having real concerns defensively. At least, everyone in Green Bay is hoping that’s the case, right? Through the first three weeks of the season, there were absolutely none of those, and then you’ve got George Pickens beating you every possible way.
The Packers are simply one of the best teams in the NFL this year, and they’ve got flaws just like everyone else. After pounding both the Lions and Commanders to start the year, it looked like they might steamroll to the top of the NFC North, but there were some unexpected speed bumps in September.
The Packers have to get the taste of these last two games out of their mouths quickly, especially defensively with what we saw against the Cowboys. And at the risk of losing teeth from a knee-jerk reaction, how serious is that cornerback need in Green Bay now?
7. Kansas City Chiefs
Just when we were all ready to write the Chiefs’ eulogy, they come out and play their best game of the year against arguably their most formidable opponent so far. Okay, we can’t really say that, because the Chiefs have faced a bit of a gauntlet thus far (aside from the Giants last week). But beating the Ravens, even though the Ravens are a shocking 1-3, is a huge deal for the Chiefs.
And it’s not just the fact that the Chiefs beat the Ravens, but they dominated the Ravens in front of a Kansas City crowd that’s likely been wondering whether or not the dynasty days were a thing of the past. This was a clear reminder that the Chiefs are still for real. Patrick Mahomes had four touchdown passes to four different receivers, and the Chiefs are right back in the mix in the AFC West after the Los Angeles Chargers got beat.