What-If Wednesday, Part 6: The Final Five

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With the NFL season about halfway over with, now is the perfect time to analyze the best teams in the league. The two best in the league don’t need anything to make them contenders, so I am not going to give them anything. As of the Week 9 games, I think that the Chiefs and the Patriots remain the best teams in the league. The five teams that remain are the Bills, Packers, Ravens, 49ers, and the Saints.

 

Buffalo Bills (6-2)

As a card-carrying member of the Josh Allen fan club, his long accuracy as a passer has worried me this year. Regardless, the offensive line looks great, which is why Frank Gore has reached the fourth most rushing yards in NFL history this year. Devin Singletary, the Bills rookie RB has looked great when he has been healthy. Buffalo’s defensive has looked shotty and full of holes. With a young offensive core, why not choose a young defensive player to grow with him. With the 26th pick in the What-if Wednesday draft, the Bills select Nick Bosa. The young DE has been unbelievable for the undefeated 49ers this year.

Sean McDermott has been a great culture changer for the BillsMafia that was so used to being bad. With a good offense, a revamped defense, and a fan base that still breaks through tables, this Buffalo team can easily become a dangerous contender. With Bosa, I don’t think that they can dethrone the Belichick Patriots right away. But, maybe a few years down the road, this Bills core can run AFC East.

 

Green Bay Packers (7-2)

After a rough week in LA, Aaron Rogers and crew continue the fight back in Green Bay against the Panthers in Week 10. Aaron Rogers had proved himself over and over again that he is one of the best QB’s in the league. Maybe he can be a jerk to his teammates, but that’s besides the point. Even though Davante Adams is a usable WR, what if Aaron Rogers had an All-Pro target to throw to?

Mike Evans has been putting in the work, even with Jameis Winston, an all time trick-or-treat QB, throwing to him. Hopefully, Evans doesn’t mind the cold because in this fantasy world, he is getting sent to Wisconsin to join the Cheeseheads. Evans has 7,000 yards in his short five and a half year career and with Aaron Rodgers throwing it up to him, those stats will keep going up. Evans makes an already great Green Bay offense the team to beat in the NFC.

 

Baltimore Ravens (6-2)

After the Ravens throttled the Patriots on Sunday night, my heart is telling me to believe that the Ravens are the best team in the NFL and they beat Tom Brady and the Patriots Sith Lord rule of two is over. But, my mind tells me different. Don’t get me wrong Ravens fans, they’re still good. Just not as good as the Kraft, Belichick, Brady Holy Trinity. This offense is already fun, but if it ran the ball even more, it could be scary.

As soon as Saquon Barkely stepped on the turf in his first NFL game, everyone knew he was different. The same can be said for Lamar Jackson’s second season; he’s the real deal. Lamar Jackson’s option offense has worked great for them so far and old Mark Ingram has been an absolute beast for them through eight games. So, why not put one of the best running backs in the NFL on an already potent rushing offense? With Barkely, this team is even better and dominantes their division on the way to the AFC Championship.

 

San Francisco 49ers (8-0)

The last perfect team in the NFL is not the best in the league. This team looks great on paper and Jimmy G’s contract is paying off. The reason they’re not my number one team is how they play against the bad ones. Although the team doesn’t need a lot, who better to add than another offensive lineman to protect that bag of money they call a quarterback.

Something that has been important to Dallas the last few years is their offensive line, so why not take one from them? Tyron Smith would be a great veteran addition to this line to make the offense more fluid. Not only that, he would be a great captain for the offense as they grow as a team. With the former USC standout, this 49ers team keeps dominating its way through the NFC all the way up to the championship game.

 

New Orleans Saints (7-1)

This offense has been great; whether it’s Drew Brees or Teddy Bridgewater at the helm, they still dominate. Not only do they have a dangerous offense, their defense can also control the game thanks to cornerback Marshon Lattimore. Of course, this team is already stacked, so why not make it better? Michael Thomas is one of the best receivers in the league--the same can be said for Alvin Kamara and Drew Brees, each at their own positions. What if we gave the Saints another offensive weapon, something like a running buddy for Michael Thomas?

Julian Edelman is a great player on the Patriots because he has a great play caller, a great QB, and a great winning environment. Nothing will change when Edelman suits up in the black and gold. With two of the top ten receivers in the league, the Saints are the closest thing to a lock Super Bowl winner the league has ever seen.

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