Behind Chiefs and Bills, Ravens have work to do
Each week of the NFL season, The Baltimore Sun will rank all 32 NFL teams. The rankings will take into account not just weekly performance, injuries and roster depth, but how well each team measures up as Super Bowl contenders.
Here are the rankings heading into Week 12:
Super Bowl favorites 1. Kansas City Chiefs (8-2, No. 1 last week) 2. Philadelphia Eagles (9-1, No. 2)
The Most Valuable Player race might already be decided, and it’s not even Thanksgiving. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes put together another incredible performance Sunday night, throwing for 329 yards and three touchdowns in the Chiefs’ 30-27 comeback win over the Chargers. After Los Angeles took the lead with 1:46 to go, Mahomes needed just six plays to cover 75 yards by himself, hitting tight end Travis Kelce for the go-ahead touchdown with 31 seconds left. With JuJu Smith-Schuster sidelined by a concussion and Kadarius Toney exiting with a hamstring injury, Mahomes’ top pass-catchers behind Kelce were tight end Justin Watson and rookie wide receiver Skyy Moore. It didn’t matter. Kelce deserves just as much credit, catching six passes for 115 yards and three touchdowns to break the NFL record for the most 100-yard receiving games by a tight end in NFL history (33). With that connection thriving, the Chiefs are the clear team to beat.
The flawed contenders
3. Buffalo Bills (7-3, No. 3)
4. Dallas Cowboys (7-3, No. 8)
5. Miami Dolphins (7-3, No. 6)
6. Baltimore Ravens (7-3, No. 5)
After letting a late lead slip away in a loss to the Vikings and having their home game moved to Detroit because of a snowstorm in Buffalo, the Bills could have had a major letdown this week. Instead, they limited one of the league’s best rushing teams to 3.1 yards per carry in a 31-23 win over the Browns. The biggest concern is the offense, as quarterback Josh Allen looked out of sync again as he battles through a right elbow injury. He started 4-for-10 for 27 yards but ended the first half with a 5-yard touchdown pass
need to make sure he’s in football shape.”
Despite playing in just five games, Williams is tied with cornerback Marlon Humphrey for the team lead in interceptions (three). Safety Geno Stone has filled in capably for Williams next to defensive leader and fellow starting safety Chuck Clark, playing every defensive snap over the past four weeks.
Williams, who signed a five-year, $70 million contract in March, has 33 tackles (one for loss), five passes defended and one fumble recovery this season.
“He’s an All-Pro-type guy, so anytime you can have a guy like that, it just makes it that much more dynamic,” Andrews said. “I don’t really know what’s going on with that whole [safety] situation, but if he’s getting back, I’m excited about that.”
Left tackle Ronnie Stanley (ankle) and rookie safety Kyle Hamilton (knee) missed practice after leaving Sunday’s win, but Harbaugh said further testing confirmed that both avoided significant injuries. Both are considered “day-to-day,” according to Harbaugh.
Guard Kevin Zeitler missed practice Wednesday with an illness, while rookie cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis remains sidelined by a hip injury. Defensive lineman Calais Campbell, outside linebacker Justin Houston and cornerback Marcus Peters were out with rest days. Running back Gus Edwards (hamstring/knee) remains limited.
“As the course of the season goes, we’re getting more guys back from injuries,” said Clark, who indicated that he was fine despite an apparent rib injury Sunday. Clark said the defense could be “fully loaded heading into the playoffs if we stay on the path that we’re on.”
Practice squad wide receiver DeSean Jackson (hamstring) returned to practice after missing all of last week. The Jaguars (3-7), who are coming off a bye week, reported no injuries Wednesday.
Note: Andrews on Sunday became the third Raven in franchise history to reach 4,000 receiving yards, joining tight end Todd Heap and wide receiver Derrick Mason. Andrews, who has 4,017 yards in his career, is the fifth tight end since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to post 4,000 receiving yards and 30 touchdown receptions within the first five years of a career. “It’s cool recognition,” he said Wednesday. “I’m just worried about winning. This team, it’s a long road ahead, so I’m excited about the future.”