Are the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles on a path to a repeat? Can the New England Patriots continue their magical season on Wild Card weekend? Will the Los Angeles Rams avenge their loss to the Carolina Panthers?
Those are the questions Colin Cowherd has answers to in the most recent edition of the “Herd Hierarchy.” Remember, Cowherd isn’t ranking teams based on what they’ve done lately or their record. Rather, it’s an encapsulation of where each team in the NFL stands, holistically, taking into consideration which opponents each team has beaten, how healthy they are and their ceiling for the rest of the year.
So, let’s take a look at Cowherd’s most recent top 10 heading into Week 18 of the NFL season.
“When they win the turnover battle, they win. But, they’re very reliant on it. They’re 10-1 when they win the turnover battle. So, if you play clean, you can beat ‘em.
“Most offensive touchdowns [in a regular season] in Bears franchise history with Caleb [Williams], led the NFL with 11 touchdown passes [of] 20-plus yards down the field. But, they disappear offensively for entire first halves. This Packers’ game is a rough one, it’s going to be windy which plays into the run game of Chicago. Great year for the Bears.”
“Brock Purdy in the last month, 107 passer rating. They’re not as good as Seattle, don’t punish ‘em too much for losing to Seattle. They didn’t have Trent Williams and Ricky Pearsall. If they have them back, they’re live underdogs against Philadelphia. They have lost nine of their last 10 games when trailing at halftime. Some of that is on Kyle Shanahan, who, to me, has always been very tired to his script. He’s not be a great second-half or come-from-behind coach, but if Pearsall, Trent and Kittle are available, that game with Philadelphia gets interesting.
Bills make 7th straight playoff appearance, Is it Super Bowl or Bust for Buffalo? | The Herd
“The Bills are good, I don’t think they’re Super Bowl good. They are 12-0 when scoring 21-plus points. There’s a way they win. … That defense [is] 28th against the run, they’ve lost eight straight road playoff games. How do you win on the road against Jacksonville? Shut ‘em down and take the crowd out. I also worry about this team because they’re slow starting. When you go on the road and face a high-powered offense like Jacksonville, you do not want to play from behind. And the Bills make a habit of playing from behind.”
“Best defense, probably easily. Give credit to Nick Caserio, he’s drafted the hell out of this defense these last three years. But, in the red zone, they’re not good, and I think that will be their undoing. … There is so much I like about ‘em, I’ve always been a huge C.J. Stroud fan. That offense, they’ll settle for 3s, not 7s, and that’ll cost ’em.”
“Since Week 10, they have a bottom-six offense. They’re 10-0 when Jalen Hurts is held under 200 yards passing, they’re the opposite of what wins in the NFL. Their roster is so complete, their defense is so good. … I don’t know what to make of Philadelphia.”
The Eagles are 10-0 when Jalen Hurts is held under 200 yards passing, but a matchup with the 49ers may require a bigger performance from the offense. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
“Denver’s a great home team, so, at least, I know what they are. … They’re 13-1 since Week 4. Do they have a ceiling with Bo Nix? Maybe. … They’re 4-2 against playoff teams, so they’ve beaten good teams.”
“The Rams aren’t playing great right now. 3-3 over the last six weeks … I love the fact they’re playing a Carolina team they lost to as a favorite. Davante Adams comes back. … You can beat [the defense] downfield.”
“We got to pay attention to Jacksonville. They’re 8-0 since Week 11, beating teams by 19 a game, like they’re a dominant college team.”
“I love [Mike] Vrabel. They’ve won 13 of 14 games, and they are a great road team, that matters. … I don’t love their O-line, their run game is inconsistent.”
“Seattle wasted offensive opportunities and totally shut down Christian McCaffrey. That’s like shutting down Barry Sanders or Walter Payton. How do you do that? I like everything … They have a rare combination of a quarterback who’s highly productive on a team-friendly deal, and they don’t miss on draft picks. Translation, stacked roster. It’s better than Philadelphia’s. They’re O-line, like New England, is OK.”
Herd Hierarchy for the Wild Card: 49ers fall, Jaguars rise: Who is the best playoff team? | The Herd
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