NFL Power Rankings heading into the fourth quarter of the 2022 season

NFL Power Rankings: Legit tanking teams

NFL Week 13 - Green Bay Packers v Chicago Bears

#30. Chicago Bears (3-10)

I’m sure some oldschool fans from Chicago don’t love seeing their team lose these fairly tight games on a weekly basis. But if you’re looking at this objectively, this kind of perfect for where the Bears organization wants to be heading into the offseason.

General manager Ryan Poles made it very clear that he wanted a complete overhaul of the roster. He even took some cap hits for players that he actively removed off the roster, to just clear money and get some of the young guys playing time. We can look at some of the numbers here, averaging an NFL-high 5.4 yards per rush and being sixth in third-down percentage (45.1%) actually on offense.

What this comes down to is the growth we’ve seen from second-year quarterback Justin Fields. He has become one of the premier dual-threats in the NFL. That’s despite having surrounded him with very limited weaponry and an O-line that leaves things to be desired.

The defense has been significantly worse since Fields’ ascension, as they’re tied with the Vikings for the most net yards allowed per dropback (7.1). They have allowed opponents to convert an NFL-best 48.7% of third down attempts and can’t get to the quarterback, having an NFL-low 16 sacks on the season.

Moving on from stalwarts in that unit, however, has allowed them to get rookies like Jaquan Brisker, Kyler Gordon, Dominique Robinson and even UDFA Jack Sanborn. These look promising going forward.

#31. Los Angeles Rams (3-9)

NFL Week 13 - Seattle Seahawks v Los Angeles Rams

It seems very ironic to put the Rams here, since they won’t actually be able to make three of their top five draft picks in 2023. They used those to acquire veteran players as part of their all-in mindset. Ownership is probably okay with this, since they did end up reaching the ultimate goal of winning a championship. However, as we look ahead to the offseason, the future seems very uncertain right now.

Some of the roster-management decisions combined with a switch from their great injury luck last season, has put them in a weird place. I don’t even look at them as anything but another team logo, where they're just trying to get through the rest of the NFL season.

The offense has looked doomed from the start, in large part due to how inferior they’ve been on the offensive line. Only the Bucs have averaged fewer than their 3.7 yards per rush. After keeping Matthew Stafford clean for the most part last season, they’re now tied for the second-most sacks allowed. Altogether, that has contributed to being dead-last with just 4.7 yards per play.

On defense, you have to question the level of motivation for some of their star players, as they’ve certainly not played up to their usual standard. They’re bottom-three in pressure rate (16.2%) and tackles for loss (44) as a group. They’re 32nd in the HRF.com metric of average start of drive plus/minus, as opponents begin possessions 4.2 yards further ahead than them.

#32. Houston Texans (1-10-1)

NFL Week 12 - Houston Texans v Miami Dolphins

I didn’t really have another choice here for this final spot. Every other team in the NFL has at least three wins at this point and 28 of those have at least four. So there is some separation here and the Texans seem penciled in for the number one overall pick and a new coaching regime.

Other than rookie running back Dameon Pierce literally carrying the offense on his back – and even he has slowed down in tremendous fashion over the last month – there’s really nothing to get excited about on that side of the ball. They simply can’t sustain drives offensively, as only the Broncos score on a lower percentage of drives (28.5%) and they convert a league-worst 26.5% of third downs.

Meanwhile, Houston’s defense is allowing a whopping 169.1 yards on the ground on a weekly basis (13.8 more than the second-worst team in the NFL) and has only held opponents to less than 24 points in one of their seven games since the bye week.

Houston is middle of the pack in some of the situational defensive categories and some of their young guys have shown flashes when available. But what it really comes down to is the fact they’re 23rd or worse in yards per rush and pass on offensive and defense each. Bryce Young is on his way, but they’ll need somebody to oversee this massive overhaul over the next couple of years.

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