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Editor’s note: Every week, Josh Kendall and Chad Graff rank and analyze all 32 teams from first to worst. Halloween is just around the corner, which means the NFL season is starting to get serious. With that in mind, we’re looking at something scary with each team. These could be scary for their opponents, scary for themselves or just scary for the rest of us — we’re looking at you, NFC South. 1. Indianapolis Colts (7-1) Last week: 2 Sunday: Beat Titans 38-14 Something scary: The run game The Colts’ EPA per rush (0.20) not only leads the NFL, but also is almost double that of the second-place Bills (0.12). So far, this is the best team rushing season since at least 1999, according to TruMedia. Jonathan Taylor added another 153 yards on Sunday. He already has 12 rushing touchdowns, putting him on pace for 26, which would be the most since LaDainian Tomlinson’s record of 28 in 2006. Up next: at Steelers, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET 2. Detroit Lions (5-2) Last week: 1 Sunday: Bye Something scary: Aidan Hutchinson The Lions’ fourth-year pass rusher leads the NFL in pressures (48) even after his bye week, according to TruMedia. He’s on pace for 116 pressures (which would be more than any player since at least the 1999 season) and 14.5 sacks in his first season back from a season-ending knee injury. Hutchinson already has three strip-sacks and four forced fumbles. Up next: vs. Vikings, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET 3. Philadelphia Eagles (6-2) Last week: 5 Sunday: Beat Giants 38-20 Something scary: A fully operational Death Star Saquon Barkley: 150 yards. Jalen Hurts: four passing touchdowns, no interceptions. DeVonta Smith: six catches for 84 yards. The problem for the rest of the league is that the Eagles can be a hot mess for a month and then immediately turn back into the team that dominated the Super Bowl a year ago. That, and the fact that referees refuse to officiate the Tush Push at all. Up next: Bye 4. Kansas City Chiefs (5-3) Last week: 4 Monday: Beat Commanders 28-7 Something scary: They’re baaaaack The NFL’s hardest team to kill has now won five of its last six games. Patrick Mahomes was solid, and Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice both had big nights in the passing game on Monday. Kansas City has scored at least 28 points in each of its last three games, and over that stretch, the Chiefs lead the NFL in margin of victory at plus-65. Up next: at Bills, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET 5. Los Angeles Rams (5-2) Last week: 3 Sunday: Bye Something scary: Matthew Stafford’s witchcraft Remember when Stafford, 37, could barely walk in the preseason? Well, he leads the league with 17 touchdown passes, is second in passing yards per game (266.6) and has only two interceptions this season. “I think there’s this narrative that we were just faking it because he’s played so well,” Sean McVay said last week on “The Rich Eisen Show.” “He’s in total command. I’m going to cherish however long he plays.” Up next: vs. Saints, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET 6. Green Bay Packers (5-1-1) Last week: 7 Sunday: Beat Steelers 35-25 Something scary: A motivated Micah Parsons Since Week 4, when the Packers played Parsons’ old team, he is second in the league in sacks (five) and pressures (26), according to TruMedia. Oh, and Jordan Love completed 20 straight passes at one point Sunday and threw for 360 yards and three touchdowns. This is the Packers team that looked like a Super Bowl contender early in the season. Up next: vs. Panthers, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET 7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2) Last week: 6 Sunday: Beat Saints 23-3 Something scary: Baker Mayfield regression Everything is going great right now as the Bucs have a two-game lead in the NFC South despite a slew of offensive injuries. The looming issue is that Mayfield has had his two worst passer ratings of the season in the last two weeks. He only threw for 152 yards Sunday, and Tampa Bay only had 212 yards of offense. It was enough to beat the Saints, but the schedule gets tougher after the bye. Up next: Bye 8. Denver Broncos (6-2) Last week: 10 Sunday: Beat Cowboys 44-24 Something scary: The Broncos when they face the Cowboys Denver beat Dallas for the seventh straight time Sunday. The last Cowboys team to beat the Broncos was coached by Barry Switzer and got 114 rushing yards from Emmitt Smith. Bo Nix threw four touchdown passes and J.K. Dobbins rushed for 111 to keep the streak alive. Up next: at Texans, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET 9. New England Patriots (6-2) Last week: 11 Sunday: Beat Browns 32-13 Something scary: Another talented Patriots quarterback NFL fans who grew sick and tired of Tom Brady are going to hate Drake Maye. The Patriots’ second-year quarterback is second in the league in EPA per dropback (0.27) and tied for ?? in touchdown passes with 15. He also has 250 rushing yards, fourth among quarterbacks this season. The Patriots lead the AFC East and have the easiest remaining schedule in the league, according to Tankathon. Up next: vs. Falcons, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET 10. Buffalo Bills (5-2) Last week: 12 Sunday: Beat Panthers 40-9 Something scary: The wide receiver room It didn’t matter Sunday because James Cook ran for 216 yards and the Bills were playing the Panthers. But this team’s ceiling is going to be limited if it doesn’t get more from its wide receivers. Khalil Shakir had 88 yards Sunday to finally pass tight end Dalton Kincaid in receiving yards. Meanwhile, Josh Palmer missed the game due to ankle and knee injuries. Keon Coleman is 71st in the league with 267 receiving yards. Up next: vs. Chiefs, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET 11. Seattle Seahawks (5-2) Last week: 9 Sunday: Bye Something scary: The big plays The Seahawks are fourth in the league in explosive play percentage (13.3 percent), and most of that is coming from Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Seattle’s quarterback has 27 completions of 20 yards or more, which ranks fourth this season. He’s in the top 10 in both EPA per dropback (0.19) and passing yards per game (250.6). JSN has 50 receptions for 819 yards, which leads the NFL, and four touchdowns. Combine that with a top-10 defense, and the Seahawks are dangerous. Up next: at Commanders, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET 12. Los Angeles Chargers (5-3) Last week: 15 Thursday: Beat Vikings 37-10 Something scary: Keenan Allen’s Michael Myers impression This guy just won’t die/retire! In his 13th year in the NFL, Allen leads the Chargers in receiving (and is 17th in the league) with 479 yards and four touchdowns. Even Los Angeles, it seems, had given up on Allen, trading him to Chicago last year and only signing him this August after Mike Williams retired. Up next: at Titans, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET 13. San Francisco 49ers (5-3) Last week: 8 Sunday: Lost to Texans 26-15 Something scary: The injury report The offense is starting to get healthy, but the defensive injury list is ludicrous. Linebacker Dee Winters (knee) and edge Sam Okuayinonu (ankle) joined it on Sunday. Nick Bosa and Fred Warner are already out for the season, and Bryce Huff and Yetur Gross-Matos will miss multiple weeks. Houston took advantage to get healthy on offense to the tune of 475 yards. Kyle Shanahan should be the front-runner for Coach of the Year if this team makes the playoffs. Up next: at Giants, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET 14. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3) Last week: 13 Sunday: Lost to Packers 35-25 Something scary: The looming Ravens Pittsburgh’s three-game lead over Baltimore in the division shrank to two even though Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson missed his third straight game Sunday. The Steelers’ defense against tight ends isn’t great either. Tucker Kraft had 143 yards Sunday night, and the Steelers are 30th in defensive EPA when their opponents throw to the tight end. Up next: vs. Colts, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET 15. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-3) Last week: 16 Sunday: Bye Something scary: The drops Twenty-one! Jaguars wide receivers have dropped a league-high 21 passes this season. That’s tied for the second most through the first eight weeks since at least 1999, according to TruMedia. Trevor Lawrence (who is 28th in EPA per dropback and 33rd in completion percentage) hasn’t been good, but he’s not getting any help, either. Brian Thomas Jr. has six drops himself. Up next: at Raiders, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET 16. Chicago Bears (4-3) Last week: 14 Sunday: Lost to Ravens 30-16 Something scary: Caleb Williams’ accuracy After completing 25-of-38 passes Sunday for a 77.2 passer rating, Williams is 24th in the league in completion percentage (61.9 percent) and 33rd in off-target throw rate (16.6 percent), according to TruMedia. By comparison, Jared Goff completed 72.4 percent of his passes in Ben Johnson’s offense last year, and it’s fair to wonder if the system can work without more accuracy from the quarterback. Up next: at Bengals, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET 17. Houston Texans (3-4) Last week: 24 Sunday: Beat the 49ers 26-15 Something scary: The defense The Texans held Christian McCaffrey to 25 yards on eight carries Sunday, and they lead the league in scoring defense (14.7 ppg allowed), yards allowed per game (266.9) and defensive EPA (11.9 per 100 snaps), according to TruMedia. If C.J. Stroud can keep playing like he did against the 49ers (318 passing yards, two touchdowns), the Texans can get back into the playoff conversation. Up next: vs. Broncos, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET 18. Carolina Panthers (4-4) Last week: 17 Sunday: Lost to Bills 40-9 Something scary: The NFC South This is not all on the Panthers, but they are doing their share. The division’s bottom-three teams — Carolina, Atlanta and New Orleans — lost by a combined 76 points Sunday. All three teams are in the bottom 22 of the league in point differential. A good-but-not-great Tampa Bay team is the runaway favorite to win a fifth straight division title. Buccaneers GM Jason Licht was even taunting the Saints on social media after this game. Feels like a guy who’s confident in hanging another banner. Up next: at Packers, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET 19. Baltimore Ravens (2-5) Last week: 26 Sunday: Beat Bears 30-16 Something scary: Lamar Jackson’s return Jackson didn’t play Sunday after some — ahem — confusion around the injury report, and the Ravens still won while rolling up 355 yards of offense. Jackson should be back this week, and Baltimore has the fourth-easiest remaining schedule in the league. Yes, this team can win the AFC North. Up next: at Dolphins, Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET 20. Dallas Cowboys (3-4-1) Last week: 18 Sunday: Lost to Broncos 44-24 Something scary: Keeping the scorebook Pity the poor people who are keeping statistics at Cowboys games — because there are a bunch of them. Thanks to Dak Prescott, Dallas is scoring 30.75 points per game (second in the league), and thanks to a terrible defense, it is giving up 31.3 points per game (31st). Cowboys games have featured 496 points and 6,310 yards this season. Both of those numbers lead the league. Up next: vs. Cardinals, Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET 21. Minnesota Vikings (3-4) Last week: 20 Thursday: Lost to Chargers 37-10 Something scary: The quarterback situation Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones are a combined 12-3 right now with the Seahawks and Colts, respectively. Both were in Minnesota’s quarterback room last year but were let go to smooth the way for J.J. McCarthy, who had a rough first two games and hasn’t played since due to a high ankle sprain. He is expected to return this week after Carson Wentz had a 67.5 passer rating Thursday and was put on IR. Up next: at Lions, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET 22. Washington Commanders (3-5) Last week: 21 Monday: Lost to Chiefs 28-7 Something scary: Jayden Daniels’ health The Commanders aren’t giving up on the 2025 season, but on Monday, Adam Schefter floated on “The Pat McAfee Show” the possibility that their star second-year quarterback won’t play again next week due to injury. With this season heading in the wrong direction — Monday night was the team’s fourth loss in five games — Washington would be wise to be careful with Daniels’ hamstring. Up next: vs. Seahawks, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET 23. Cincinnati Bengals (3-5) Last week: 22 Sunday: Lost to Jets 39-38 Something scary: It’s still the defense Justin Fields and the previously winless Jets ran up 502 yards and erased a 14-point deficit in the final eight minutes Sunday. Cincinnati is last in the league in scoring defense (31.6 ppg), and the Bengals have now lost three games in the previous two seasons in which they scored exactly 38 points. Joe Burrow doesn’t need to rush his rehab. Up next: vs. Bears, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET 24. Atlanta Falcons (3-4) Last week: 19 Sunday: Lost to Dolphins 34-10 Something scary: The roller-coaster ride The Falcons have beaten the Vikings and Bills in prime-time games. They’ve also been beaten by a combined score of 64-10 by the Panthers (in their first win of the season) and Dolphins (in their second win of the season). With Kirk Cousins playing for the injured Michael Penix Jr. on Sunday, the Falcons gave up 17 points while running 18 offensive plays in the first half. Up next: at Patriots, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET 25. Arizona Cardinals (2-5) Last week: 25 Sunday: Bye Something scary: Kyler Murray’s future Murray’s cap number is north of $43 million for each of the next three seasons, and there has been very little difference between him and backup Jacoby Brissett this year. Brissett, who has started two games, actually has a better EPA per dropback than Murray (0.08 versus 0.06), and Murray is 38-48-1 since being selected first overall in 2019. Up next: at Cowboys, Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET 26. New York Giants (2-6) Last week: 23 Sunday: Lost to Eagles 38-20 Something scary: Brian Daboll’s record Since the start of the 2023 season, the Giants have won 11 games. Only the Titans have won fewer, and they’ve had three coaches in that time. Daboll has won 34.7 percent of his games since taking the job in 2022, and his win total has gone down every year. Things aren’t going to get much better now that Cam Skattebo is out with an ankle injury. Up next: vs. 49ers, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET 27. Cleveland Browns (2-6) Last week: 27 Sunday: Lost to Patriots 32-13 Something scary: Their quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel had 156 passing yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions on Sunday — and gave up a safety by getting called for intentional grounding in the end zone. He’s 34th this year in EPA per dropback (minus-0.21). Meanwhile, Shedeur Sanders was inactive, and Joe Flacco was throwing two touchdowns for the Bengals. Sincerely, what are the Browns doing? Up next: Bye 28. Las Vegas Raiders (2-5) Last week: 28 Sunday: Bye Something scary: The offensive collapse It may be unfair to call it a collapse because the offense never actually was good. It was just supposed to be something, and that something wasn’t really, really bad. The Raiders are scoring on just 28 percent of their drives, which ranks 31st in the league, and have 10 touchdowns, which ranks next to last. Geno Smith has 10 interceptions and only seven touchdowns, and the running game is the worst in the league as measured by EPA (minus-41.47). Brock Bowers missing three games hasn’t helped, either. Up next: vs. Jaguars, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET 29. Miami Dolphins (2-6) Last week: 31 Sunday: Beat Falcons 34-10 Something scary: Almost every news conference Atlanta owes everyone in the league an apology for letting Miami win on Sunday and depriving us all of another odd Dolphins news conference. It had become appointment viewing every time coach Mike McDaniel or quarterback Tua Tagovailoa stood at a lectern this year, but everyone was in a good mood after Tagovailoa had a season-high four touchdowns against the Falcons. Up next: vs. Ravens, Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET 30. New York Jets (1-7) Last week: 32 Sunday: Beat Bengals 39-38 Something scary: The owner’s bedside manner Woody Johnson managed to turn most of the world into fans of Justin Fields overnight by basically blaming all his organization’s faults on the quarterback. New York “is rock bottom because of this guy,” ESPN analyst Alex Smith said of Johnson in response. “Maybe the problem is you, Woody. Maybe we look in the mirror. This is cowardly.” Fields responded by leading the Jets to a 502-yard day on offense and a come-from-behind win. Up next: Bye 31. New Orleans Saints (1-7) Last week: 29 Sunday: Lost to Buccaneers 23-3 Something scary: The 2026 draft decision The Saints are going to be in a neck-and-neck race with the Titans and Jets for the No. 1 pick in next April’s draft. That would be a great time to get their quarterback of the future. Unless New Orleans thinks it has its quarterback of the future. Spencer Rattler wasn’t good Sunday, but who has looked good for New Orleans this year? The Saints replaced Rattler with Tyler Shough midgame, but Rattler hasn’t been terrible and might be OK next year with more help. It’s a tough decision. The Saints might have to wait a whole year before they have another shot at the top pick. Up next: at Rams, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET 32. Tennessee Titans (1-7) Last week: 30 Sunday: Lost to Colts 38-14 Something scary: Cam Ward’s development The 2025 No. 1 pick is 35th in the league in EPA per dropback (minus-0.21). Only Jake Browning is worse among qualifying quarterbacks, and the Bengals traded for Joe Flacco to keep from playing Browning. It’s unfair to blame Ward for the Titans’ struggles, but it’s getting so bad that it’s going to be hard to bounce back from this.
