Not too long ago the Dolphins were the most dysfunctional team in the league. They had a terrible long term GM, the coach looked close to an end it all coke binge, and the QB was going out of his way to explain to the media that he’s not a qualified starter. In other words, the #1 pick was in their sights! Alas, two wins later the GM has been fired, the coach seems less tense, and the QB, while still unqualified, isn’t giving away games either. Let’s be clear, the Dolphins still aren’t good by any means, but as far as the Tank Rank is concerned, they’ve passed away. I had such hopes for them. Cue Boyz II Men…
Of course, with the Dolphins leaving our rank, someone has to fill their spot:
Dishonorable Mention: The Rams. Wait, the Rams?
With the Dolphins officially out of contention, the race for #7 is now down to the Cardinals, Bengals, Commanders, and the Rams. Sorry Falcons. Due to your mistaken belief that you were a contender during last year’s draft, you got excited and traded your 2026 first to the Rams. Much like the Eagles a few years ago, one of the best teams in the league had the foresight to trade with a bad organization to reap future reward. Despite being one of the probably 2 best teams in football, the Rams are poised to pick in the top 10 because the Falcons wanted James Pearce. I would say this is a devastating screw up for the Falcons, but they would have just screwed it up and over drafted someone anyway. We’ll see who of the 3 loss teams can possibly challenge for the top next week.
- Record: 3-7 (Falcons)
- Overview: In terms of strength of schedule, Atlanta is virtually tied with Washington and Cincinnati with the Cardinals a little bit away. The Falcons just had to turn to Kirk Cousins for the rest of the season though. While you might think that leads to competence, it also likely sucks the life out of the team. Right now, I am giving them the edge because while they have lost their QB for the season, the Commanders may get theirs back while the Bengals have Joe Burrow nearing his return. We will see if the Falcons are for real right away with a game against the Saints this week. If you want to be the worst, you have to lose to the worst.
- SOS: .511
- Key Games: Saints (11/23), Jets (11/30), Cardinals (12/21), and Saints (1/4)
#6 – New Orleans Saints (LW: #6)
- Record: 2-8
- Overview: The Raiders are probably a better team than the Saints, but the Saints schedule is littered with possible wins. That may help the ole SOS, but they have to play these games too. In a way, they control their own destiny, but the possibility of winning is too great. The first of two meetings against the Falcons is this week. The Saints need to take this one seriously and not get stuck with a win in a clear trap game.
- SOS: .494
- Key Games: Falcons (11/23), Dolphins (11/30), Jets (12/21), Titans (12/28), and Falcons (1/4)
#5 – Las Vegas Raiders (LW: #5)
- Record: 2-8
- Overview: What do we call getting creamed by Dallas at home on Monday? Taking care of business. Can they extend their 4 game losing streak to 5? Standing in their way is the juggernaut Cleveland Browns who will be starting Shedeur Sanders on the road this week. Yikes! No one said the road to the bottom would be easy. With a bloated SOS, the Raiders cannot afford to win this game. If they do pull it out, it will really shake up the rankings.
- SOS: .551
- Key Games: Browns (11/23) and Giants (12/28)
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Philly Front Office 