Another captivating week of the 2022 NFL regular season is in the books, which means it’s time for Colin Cowherd to drop his “Herd Hierarchy” following Week 14.
Many of the teams remained the same at the top, while there’s some movement in the back half of the top 10. Here is the “Herd Hierarchy” following Week 14, with insights from FOX Bet.
Herd Hierarchy: Patriots crawl into top 10
Colin Cowherd shares his top 10 squads heading into Week 15.
10. New England Patriots (Last week: Unranked)
Overall record: 7-6 | Last week: Patriots won 27-13 vs. Arizona Cardinals
Colin’s thoughts: “Best coach in the NFL. They’ve scored 92 points off turnovers, which leads the NFL. They’re all banged [up], so that’s not their best. That’s why they threw so much behind the line of scrimmage. And here’s my thing: They’re still very good situationally. I’ll say it again: I was impressed with Mac Jones [on Monday] night. He’s got nothing to work with. We can sit and bang on him, but I watched him [Monday] night and I said, ‘He’s got a defensive coordinator calling plays. He’s barking. He’s showing leadership.'”
Championship odds: +9000
Up next: Patriots @ Raiders (4:05 p.m. ET Sunday, FOX)
9. Minnesota Vikings (Last week: 8)
Overall record: 10-3 | Last week: Vikings lost 34-23 vs. Detroit Lions
Colin’s thoughts: “I like the Vikings, but there’s limitations. They’re the first team in league history to win 10 of its first 13 games and have a negative point differential. They’ve got a very low ceiling, but they’re very capable. They’re 9-0 in one-possession games — credit to Kirk Cousins and the coach. Justin Jefferson is a game-changer.”
Championship odds: +1800
Up next: Vikings vs. Colts (1 p.m. ET Saturday, NFL Network)
8. Miami Dolphins (Last week: 5)
Overall record: 8-5 | Last week: Dolphins lost 23-17 vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Colin’s thoughts: “They’re going through a bad stretch. They’re struggling in protection. There’s a ton of injuries with this team. I did not bail on the 49ers earlier this season when they had seven starters out. I will not bail on the Dolphins. They’ll score. They’ll make the playoffs. They’ll sneak in. I still have so much respect for their receiving core, their left tackle, and their head coach.”
Championship odds: +2000
Up next: Dolphins @ Bills (8:15 p.m. ET Saturday, NFL Network)
7. Baltimore Ravens (Last week: Unranked)
Overall record: 9-4 | Last week: Ravens won 16-14 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Colin’s thoughts: “Say what you will about the Ravens, and they drive me nuts, but have you looked at their defense since Week 9? It’s like No. 1, 2 or 3 in everything. Yes, they’re struggling offensively. But since Roquan Smith got there, 23 takeaways this year. Only the Eagles have more. They’re going to be in every single football game. They’re just going to be in every game. To me, you’re a top-six or -seven team if you’re in every game. Lamar Jackson will eventually get healthy, so they’ll be more dynamic offensively.”
Championship odds: +1800
Up next: Ravens @ Browns (4:30 p.m. ET Saturday, NFL Network)
6. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 5)
Overall record: 10-3 | Last week: Cowboys won 27-23 vs. Houston Texans
Colin’s thoughts: “They tend to be great when they’re playing downhill. The less they rely on Dak Prescott, the better. Back-to-back years with 10-plus wins. Mike McCarthy might not be Andy Reid, but he’s clearly capable — 400-plus yards in five of their last six games. Tony Pollard has emerged as a home run hitter. The key with Dallas is very simple: You’ve got to ask Dak to throw fewer than 35 times.”
Championship odds: +900
Up next: Cowboys @ Jaguars (1 p.m. ET Sunday, FOX)
Are Dak Prescott’s struggles a concern?
Colin Cowherd ponders if Dak Prescott was the reason why the Cowboys nearly got upset by the Texans.
5. Buffalo Bills (Last week: 4)
Overall record: 10-3 | Last week: Bills won 20-12 vs. New York Jets
Colin’s thoughts: “Josh Allen didn’t play particularly well and the Bill still won. Now, part of that is the Jets’ defense, but Von Miller‘s injury takes them out of the top three. … They’ve held opponents to one touchdown in back-to-back weeks. But I do think Von Miller was brought in for a reason and now he’s gone. They also tend to bail on the running game quicker than I’d like. Right now, they’ve got a knockout punch. But to be a heavyweight champ, you’ve got to have a jab.”
Championship odds: +350
Up next: Bills vs. Dolphins (8:15 p.m. ET Saturday, NFL Network)
4. San Francisco 49ers (Last week: 6)
Overall record: 9-4 | Last week: 49ers won 35-7 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Colin’s thoughts: “I’d probably have them a spot higher, but Brock Purdy, I don’t know in the postseason. They’ve outscored their opponents 65-10 since Purdy took over. They’ve outgained their opponent in 12 of their 13 games. I believe this is the best roster in football. Even their offensive players are physical. They have a lower ceiling at quarterback, but they’re the only team in the NFL to have more interceptions (14) than touchdowns allowed (11). They are a handful defensively.”
Championship odds: +900
Up next: 49ers @ Seahawks (8:15 p.m. ET Thursday, Amazon Prime)
How far can rookie Brock Purdy carry the 49ers?
Colin Cowherd discusses with FOX NFL analyst Howie Long what the 49ers’ ceiling is with rookie QB Brock Purdy.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (Last week: 3)
Overall record: 10-3 | Last week: Chiefs won 34-28 vs. Denver Broncos
Colin’s thoughts: “Kansas City worked [the 49ers] in the second half in the Bay Area. I don’t take much from the Denver game. They led 27-0. What are you going to do, are you going to go into the locker room and tell the team, ‘Hey, this game’s in doubt’? I don’t care much about that. They’ve got the No. 1 total offense in the league. Patrick Mahomes leads the league in passing yards. I think they sometimes miss the explosiveness and the urgency that Tyreek Hill could get you. But this is still the most lethal offense, the most clever offense, the most coachable star quarterback in the league.”
Championship odds: +400
Up next: Chiefs @ Texans (1 p.m. ET Sunday, CBS)
2. Cincinnati Bengals (Last week: 2)
Overall record: 9-4 | Last week: Bengals won 23-10 vs. Cleveland Browns
Colin’s thoughts: “I think situationally, Cincinnati’s a little better [than Kansas City]. The Bengals have won seven of their last eight and nine of 11. Here’s the key to this team though: this offensive line. They went and bought it. They bought some players and were really rough in the first few weeks. Joe Burrow is sitting in the pocket with time to throw. And they’re running the football, so this is the kind of team that can keep the ball away from Mahomes. That’s why Buffalo doesn’t scare Kansas City, because they bail on their run game. This team’s got two running backs. This team’s got an offensive line that will eat the clock and has a star quarterback.”
Championship odds: +1000
Up next: Bengals @ Buccaneers (4:25 p.m. ET Sunday, CBS)
1. Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: 1)
Overall record: 12-1 | Last week: Eagles won 48-22 vs. New York Giants
Colin’s thoughts: “There’s a number here that’s pretty amazing: They lead the NFL with 110 big plays. That’s 11 more than No. 2. They’ve got three players on this team with 10-plus scrimmage touchdowns. I heard somebody else say this: Any time a team can beat you in three or four ways, they feel like a Super Bowl team. They can beat you with their defense. They can beat you with a rush. They can beat you on the ground. They can beat you through the air. They can beat you with the quarterback moving. They’re just doing a lot of things right.”
Championship odds: +400
Up next: Eagles @ Bears (1 p.m. ET Sunday, FOX)
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