NFL Power Rankings: Top division races to watch
Chris Simms and Tank Williams rank the top battles for division crowns over the final three weeks of the NFL regular season.
Video Transcript
[MUSIC PLAYING]
TANK WILLIAMS: All right, Chris, we have some intriguing divisional races coming down to end of the season. I think it may be some of the best that we've seen in a few years in the NFL. So I want to pick your brain to see if you're in line with me to determine which one is gonna get the fans, you know, crazy the most going down the stretch. So--
CHRIS SIMMS: Don't come with the NFC East. I'm just telling you that. I don't want to hear about that crap, OK?
TANK WILLIAMS: Hey, I'm telling you--
CHRIS SIMMS: I hope you come up with something better than that. I don't want to hear about it.
TANK WILLIAMS: Hey, they're in there. They're in there.
[LAUGHTER]
All right, at number three, I have the AFC East. Because I've been giving the Cowboys and the NFC East hell all year for beating up on bums and not beating up anybody that has a winning record. But the Patriots are kind of in that boat too. And now that Buffalo played the Ravens tough last week, I feel like that division is up for grabs. And if the Patriots slip up a little bit, we may be seeing a changing of the guard in the AFC East.
At number two, I have the NFC Least, and you know I was gonna bring that garbage in here. Because usually when you go into the playoff race, teams start rounding out into shape and playing better down the stretch. These teams are doing the exact opposite.
CHRIS SIMMS: I can't believe you put this one on your list, honestly, because it's just a doo-doo division right now.
TANK WILLIAMS: But that's the thing. People like seeing dumpster fires.
CHRIS SIMMS: I guess so. You're right. It's the age of the internet. We love dumpster fires. I get it.
You're right. I can't get behind it. Dallas, especially, I'm just looking at it going, man, how can you have a top three offense in football, a top 10 defense, right, and here you are at 6 and 7?
TANK WILLIAMS: You know how?
CHRIS SIMMS: Are you kidding me?
TANK WILLIAMS: Because you didn't play anybody at the beginning of the season, and people pumped you up because you were beating the Dolphins and Washington and all those guys.
CHRIS SIMMS: Yeah. No, I think there is something to that. I would say the other thing is I don't even want to-- I like the Eagles. I respect them I don't even want to watch them in the playoffs.
TANK WILLIAMS: No.
CHRIS SIMMS: Are you kidding me?
TANK WILLIAMS: Now the best division that I'm looking forward to down the stretch is the NFC West. I thought the Rams were down for the count, like tapped out, and then these cats came out swinging against Seattle last week. And so now, man, I don't know who to pick out of that division.
The Niners went into the Superdome, and you win a shootout against Drew Brees down on Bourbon Street? Like, dog, that's hard to believe. And then the Seahawks seemed like they were the best team in the league a couple of weeks ago, and now they got thumped by the Rams.
So, I mean, I think that division is wide open. The Rams are a legit contender. If they don't somehow sneak back into the division race-- it's probably unlikely-- you don't want to see them in the wildcard. That's for sure.
CHRIS SIMMS: No, you're right. They're talented. I mean, we know they got superstars on defense. They got superstars on offense. Other than that Ravens game, even their losses, they're not bad losses.
They hang in there. They're physical. There's a lot to respect about the Rams. I mean, they're one of those teams right now, just because of the NFC East taking the spot and all that, they could end up 11 and 5, 10 and 6, not even make the playoffs, which is crazy.
TANK WILLIAMS: Right.
CHRIS SIMMS: But I'm with you. That would be my number one too. Now like I said, I'm giving you the Dikembe Mutombo no, no, no about the NFC East. I don't like it. I don't like it. Not in this house.
If I had to supplant one there for that, I would go with the NFC North. The Packers and the Vikings, they're gonna have a big showdown. I don't think the Packers are in the class of the Saints, the 49ers, or the Seahawks.
TANK WILLIAMS: Agreed.
CHRIS SIMMS: But you get them a first round bye and a home playoff game, and it's 10 degrees in a January divisional game and they can somehow win that, and then they just got to go on the road to win one game? That just increases their chances so much to get to a Super Bowl. That is one I'm really intrigued by.
And of course they're gonna face off against the Minnesota Vikings here in a few weeks, too, and that's gonna figure out a lot of things. Because I think the Vikings, they're dangerous. They can run the ball. They play defense.
Kirk Cousins is hot. And Adam Thielen is not even playing right now. So I look at them to go-- they could be a spoiler once the playoffs come around.
TANK WILLIAMS: Agreed And if I had to switch out the garbage NFC Least for one team or division I feel that's playing good ball right now, how about the AFC South? The Tennessee Titans--
CHRIS SIMMS: Yeah.
TANK WILLIAMS: --and the Houston Texans have to play twice in the next three games to finish the season, and that's gonna determine who's gonna be going out into the division lead and the playoffs. And so also people don't understand how much these teams hate each other. If you're on social media like I am-- you remember Andre Johnson and Cortland Finnegan and that brawl that they had. These two teams--
CHRIS SIMMS: I was there.
TANK WILLIAMS: --are gonna be-- right. These teams are gonna be swinging knuckles. Any team that comes out the AFC South, they're gonna be dangerous once the playoffs roll around.
CHRIS SIMMS: Definitely. Because the AFC right now, the way it looks, the Ravens are king. And then who else is second best? And I don't know who that is right now. I'm certainly not willing to say the Patriots.
The Titans are hot. Tannehill is hot. You talked about Derrick Henry. And the Texans are all over the place. I mean, they can beat a great team, and then they get blown out by the Ravens. And then they beat the Patriots, and then they get blown out by the Denver Broncos.
TANK WILLIAMS: Right.
CHRIS SIMMS: Mind blow emoji. I don't even know what the hell is going on down there.
TANK WILLIAMS: I mean, so that tells us one thing, that we just need to get all these good teams in the playoffs and then just get rid of the NFC Least.
CHRIS SIMMS: Yes.
