Ranking the seven teams with legitimate shot at Super Bowl title as Chiefs, Eagles lead pack

The extra issues trade, the extra they keep the identical. Well, at least if the teams are the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.

Through seven weeks, the Chiefs and Eagles proportion the perfect file in the NFL at 6-1. They are the two teams that performed in Super Bowl LVII — and seem to be on a collision path for Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. 

Kansas City and Philadelphia are superb. So which teams are going to crash their birthday celebration? 

The league stays as unpredictable as ever in terms of which teams are exact Super Bowl contenders. The Buffalo Bills hit a bump in the highway over the previous couple of weeks and the Cincinnati Bengals are off to any other gradual get started. They must be in the combine at the finish of the yr. The San Francisco 49ers have misplaced two instantly and the Detroit Lions simply have been blown out via the Baltimore Ravens (but lead the NFC North with a 5-2 file). 

The Dallas Cowboys, neatly, they nonetheless cannot beat elite teams. 

Through the first seven weeks of the season, let’s have a look at teams that experience a chance to win Super Bowl LVIII in response to their play up to now. Remember it is only past due October, so this record is topic to switch. 

1. Kansas City Chiefs (6-1)

The protecting Super Bowl champs are tied for the perfect file in the NFL and feature the league’s longest successful streak at six video games. They’re rolling thru the AFC West (once more) has they have got six wins and the remainder of the department has seven — mixed. They’re 4-0 in October and hitting that November and December top (an Andy Reid staple) previous than same old. 

Patrick Mahomes is having a look like an MVP once more and Travis Kelce has been superb in video games Taylor Swift attends. The protection is 2nd in the league in issues allowed and a top-10 unit general. There are nonetheless questions at broad receiver, however this crew is as just right as it will get in the NFL.

Kansas City, once more, is the staff to overcome in the AFC. 

2. Philadelphia Eagles (6-1)

The Eagles do not glance as dominant as they have been ultimate season, however they have got shared or had the perfect file in the league since Week 1 of the 2022 season regardless. Jalen Hurts is popping the ball over so much, however nonetheless appearing he is certainly one of the perfect quarterbacks in soccer, regardless of operating with a brand new offensive coordinator. A.J. Brown has been enjoying at an insane stage (5 instantly 125-plus-yard video games) as the offense is a top-five unit regardless of its crimson zone woes. 

Sean Desai’s protection has been getting higher each and every week regardless of all the accidents and now the Eagles have Kevin Byard added to a move protection that has allowed 183 move yards in step with recreation over the ultimate 3 weeks. The move rush is certainly one of the perfect in the NFL and the Eagles have arguably the perfect offensive line-defensive line aggregate in the league. The Eagles even have the No. 1 run protection in addition. 

Philadelphia close down the high-flying Miami Dolphins offense. That victory secured the Eagles are the staff to overcome in the NFC. 

3. Baltimore Ravens (5-2)

While it took seven weeks for the Ravens offense to have that breakout recreation, Lamar Jackson and the offense exploded with 38 issues and 503 general yards in a blowout victory over the Detroit Lions (who have been 5-1 heading into the recreation). Jackson seems primed for his 2nd MVP award as he has arguably his perfect forged of move catchers since he got here to Baltimore. The Ravens are nonetheless a height dashing offense, score 3rd in the league in yards in step with recreation and dashing touchdowns. 

Baltimore’s protection can stake the declare as the perfect in the NFL, score first in issues in step with recreation allowed and 2nd in yards in step with recreation allowed. The Ravens have allowed simply 10.5 issues in step with recreation and 256.3 yards in step with recreation over the ultimate 4 video games, enjoying at an elite stage. 

If Jackson can keep wholesome, the Ravens are the largest risk to the Chiefs in the AFC. They’ve limped to the end line over the ultimate two seasons, however this staff seems to be too proficient for that to occur once more. Again, this all comes all the way down to Jackson staying on the box. 

4. San Francisco 49ers (5-2)

The 49ers must be higher at this level thru the season, particularly after their dismantling of the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5. Since that blowout victory, the 49ers have not received a recreation as Brock Purdy has struggled — finishing simply 57.9% of his passes with two touchdowns and 3 interceptions over that span (69.1 ranking). 

While Purdy hasn’t performed at the stage of his first 10 begins, the 49ers nonetheless have certainly one of the perfect rosters in the NFL. They nonetheless have playmakers throughout the board, score 2nd in issues in step with recreation and 7th in yards in step with recreation. The 49ers is also overusing Christian McCaffrey, but he leads the league in dashing and is tied for the league lead in scrimmage touchdowns. 

The protection is 3rd in the NFL in issues allowed, now not permitting over 23 issues in any recreation this season (15.8 over the ultimate 5 video games). The unit shall be examined with the Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles in 4 of its subsequent 5 video games. 

The 49ers are the Eagles’ largest challenger in the NFC, with a chance to get again heading in the right direction with the agenda bobbing up. 

The Dolphins are nonetheless certainly one of the height teams in the NFL, without reference to how their offense appeared in opposition to the Eagles and Buffalo Bills — the two teams with successful data they confronted (and misplaced to). Miami nonetheless is first in the league in issues in step with recreation, yards in step with recreation, passing yards in step with recreation, dashing yards in step with recreation, passing touchdowns and dashing touchdowns. 

This continues to be a really perfect offense, even supposing it averaged simply 18.5 issues and 318.5 yards in step with recreation when dealing with the Eagles and Bills. The Dolphins’ 5 wins are in opposition to teams which are a mixed 8-25. Their two losses are in opposition to two teams which are a mixed 10-4. 

The Twenty seventh-ranked protection in issues allowed in step with recreation and twenty first in issues allowed in step with recreation may be a priority, however the Dolphins are nonetheless Super Bowl contenders on account of their offense. They additionally most effective face one staff recently with a successful file (Chiefs) over their subsequent seven video games — and that’s the reason in Germany. 

The objective for the Jaguars in 2023 was once to end up they belonged with the AFC contenders. That take a look at has been handed up to now with a win over the Bills in London and an in depth loss to the Chiefs in Jacksonville. After a 1-2 get started, Jacksonville has received 4 in a row to take keep an eye on of the AFC South — averaging 29 issues in step with recreation in the stretch. 

The offense continues to be discovering its footing (18th in issues in step with ownership), however the Jaguars have an opportunistic protection that leads the league with 16 takeaways (8th in issues allowed in step with ownership). Jacksonville is not a whole staff but, however Doug Pederson teams typically end sturdy — making Jacksonville a staff to look at in November and December. 

Jacksonville gets to look how just right it’s in opposition to San Francisco, Cincinnati and Baltimore over its subsequent seven video games. Having a 5-2 file after consecutive video games in London and a Thursday evening recreation already on the agenda is lovely spectacular. 

7. Seattle Seahawks (4-2)

The ultimate Super Bowl contender was once tricky, however the Seahawks earn the title in response to how they have got performed over the ultimate 3 video games. Seattle’s protection has been enjoying at an elite stage in that reach, permitting simply 10 issues, 237 yards, and four.1 yards in step with try — whilst having 18 sacks. The move protection has allowed most effective 142 yards in step with recreation, and that was once with Joe Burrow dealing with them.

The offense has been balanced (eleventh in issues in step with recreation and fifteenth in yards in step with recreation), having most effective six turnovers on the yr. The protection is twelfth in issues and yards allowed in step with recreation. They have offensive and defensive playmakers throughout the board and feature withstood a banged-up offensive line in the early a part of the yr. 

Seattle has a large win in Detroit and shall be examined in the 2nd part. The Seahawks play the Ravens, 49ers, Cowboys, 49ers and Eagles in an eight-game stretch bobbing up. Surviving that reach makes the Seahawks a real NFC contender, however the Seahawks are on the verge of collapse of getting into that realm already.