2022 NFL Power Rankings: Week 13

 ()=previous ranking

1.(1) Kansas City Chiefs (9-2) Week 13 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals 

2.(2) Philadelphia Eagles (10-1) Week 13 opponent: Tennessee Titans 

3.(3) Dallas Cowboys (8-3) Week 13 opponent: Indianapolis Colts

4.(4) Buffalo Bills (8-3) Week 13 opponent: New England Patriots 

5.(5) Minnesota Vikings (9-2) Week 13 opponent: New York Jets 

6.(8) Miami Dolphins (8-3) Week 13 opponent: San Francisco 49ers

7.(9) San Francisco 49ers (7-4) Week 13 opponent: Miami Dolphins

8.(11) Cincinnati Bengals (7-4) Week 13 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs 

9.(7) Baltimore Ravens (7-4) Week 13 opponent: Denver Broncos

10.(6) New York Giants (7-4) Week 13 opponent: Washington Commanders

11.(10) Tennessee Titans (7-4) Week 13 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

12.(13) New York Jets (7-4) Week 13 opponent: Minnesota Vikings 

13.(12) Seattle Seahawks (6-5) Week 13 opponent: Los Angeles Rams 

14.(16) Washington Commanders (7-5) Week 13 opponent: New York Giants 

15.(17) Los Angeles Chargers (6-5) Week 13 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders 

16.(14) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-6) Week 13 opponent: New Orleans Saints

17.(15) New England Patriots (6-5) Week 13 opponent: Buffalo Bills 

18.(18) Atlanta Falcons (5-7) Week 13 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

19.(19) Detroit Lions (4-7) Week 13 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars 

20.(24) Cleveland Browns (4-7) Week 13 opponent: Houston Texans

21.(26) Jacksonville Jaguars (4-7) Week 13 opponent: Detroit Lions

22.(21) Green Bay Packers (4-8) Week 13 opponent: Chicago Bears

23.(28) Las Vegas Raiders (4-7) Week 13 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers

24.(27) Pittsburgh Steelers (4-7) Week 13 opponent: Atlanta Falcons

25.(20) Indianapolis Colts (4-7-1) Week 13 opponent: Dallas Cowboys 

26.(22) Arizona Cardinals (4-8) Week 13 opponent: Bye 

27.(23) New Orleans Saints (4-8) Week 13 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

28.(31) Carolina Panthers (4-8) Week 13 opponent: Bye 

29.(25) Los Angeles Rams (3-8) Week 13 opponent: Seattle Seahawks 

30.(29) Denver Broncos (3-8) Week 13 opponent: Baltimore Ravens 

31.(30) Chicago Bears (3-8) Week 13 opponent: Green Bay Packers 

32.(32) Houston Texans (1-9-1) Week 13 opponent: Cleveland Browns 

Week 12 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2022 Edition

Quarterback

MVP: Jalen Hurts (Eagles) 

While the Eagles defense, DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown had their share of missteps in a surprisingly competitive game against the struggling Packers, Hurts was pretty damn great throughout. The 3rd year QB ran a season-high 17 times for 157 YDS and threw for 153 YDS and a couple of scores in the shootout win that took the Eagles to 10-1 on the year. Hurts should be viewed as a top 3-5 QB1 option for the Eagles Week 13 matchup against the Titans and their shaky pass defense. 

Honorable Mentions: Josh Allen (Bills), Justin Herbert (Chargers), Kyler Murray (Cardinals)

LVP: Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins)

Tua was pretty good (22/36, 299 YDS, 0 turnovers) on Sunday against the Texans and their surprisingly strong pass defense, but since he only got held to 1 TD, he still found himself near the bottom of the fantasy QB hierarchy. A brutal Week 13 tilt with the 49ers stout defense means it's unlikely he'll live up to his usual QB1 status once again.

Dishonorable Mentions: Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Joe Burrow (Bengals), Tom Brady (Buccaneers)

Running Back

MVP: Josh Jacobs (Raiders)

No performance dictated more fantasy outcomes this week than the Madden-esque show Jacobs put on against the Seahawks on Sunday afternoon. For 4 quarters and overtime, the Raiders offense leaned heavily on Jacobs to make plays and he rewarded their faith in him by gaining a ridiculous 303 scrimmage YDS (229 rushing, 74 receiving) and scoring 2 TD's including the 86-YD game-winning rush in OT on 39 touches (33 carries, 6 receptions). According to reports from NFL Network this morning, Jacobs' calf injury that first surfaced ahead of the game last week is going to hold him out of practice for at least the majority of this week, but he intends to play on Sunday against the Chargers. His fantasy owners will be spending all week holding their breath until the status of 2022's most surprising RB1 is clarified.

Honorable Mentions: Miles Sanders (Eagles), Nick Chubb (Browns), James Conner (Browns)

LVP: Alvin Kamara (Saints)

The 49ers elite defense completely stifled Kamara-holding the Saints back to just 50 YDS on 13 touches and forcing him to lose 2 fumbles in a 13-0 loss. Kamara will be a middling RB2 play for the Saints big MNF showdown with the rival Buccaneers.  

Dishonorable Mentions: Dameon Pierce (Texans), Christian McCaffery (49ers), Tony Pollard (Cowboys)

Wide Receiver 

MVP: Justin Jefferson (Vikings)

Well, Jefferson sure did bounce back rather quickly from his disappointing Week 11 outing against the Cowboys. No amount of tight coverage or physical play from the Patriots pretty tough secondary could stop Jefferson from making plays as his 9 REC/139 YDS/TD line was the biggest reasons the Vikings pulled out the win in this Thanksgiving night battle. A very tough Jets secondary led by DROY frontrunner Sauce Gardner and underrated star D.J. Reed is the next challenge that Jefferson will try to conquer. 

Honorable Mentions: Garrett Wilson (Jets), Amon-Ra St. Brown (Lions), Chris Godwin (Buccaneers)

LVP: Curtis Samuel (Commanders)

Samuel's time as a trusted WR sleeper in 2022 may be coming to a close after he wasn't targeted once in the passing game, ceded 30%+ of his snaps to Dyami Brown and only got 4 carries for 13 YDS in the Commanders Week 12 victory over the Falcons. Have him ride the bench for this week's contest with the Giants to see if his usage/productivity improves before deciding whether or not he belongs on your roster for the final stretch of the season.

Dishonorable Mentions: Mike Evans (Buccaneers), Allen Lazard (Packers), JuJu Smith-Schuster (Chiefs)

Tight End

MVP: Dalton Schultz (Cowboys)

Dak Prescott's return to the lineup continues to be great news for Schultz owners. The Cowboys tight end popped in the redzone for a 2nd straight week and spruced up his pretty pedestrian 4 REC/31 YD day with a couple of TD catches in a win over the Giants. Fire up Schultz with confidence for this week's game with the Colts and hope that he can get some more YDS productivity to go with those scores.  

Honorable Mentions: Travis Kelce (Chiefs), T.J. Hockenson (Vikings), David Njoku (Browns)

LVP: Dawson Knox (Bills)

Knox's run of pretty solid games came to a close on Thanksgiving against the Lions as he was held to just 2 catches for 17 YDS in a game where Josh Allen struggled pretty consistently and almost exclusively connected with Stefon Diggs on the big passes he did make in the 4th quarter to seal the win for the Bills. Given the Patriots well-documented struggles with tight ends of late, Knox could be in a nice bounceback spot on Thursday night. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Cole Kmet (Bears), George Kittle (49ers), Pat Friermuth (Steelers)

Defense/Special Teams:

MVP: Dolphins 

Big tip of the cap to the D/ST streamers out there who rolled with the Dolphins this week. This typically quiet group annihilated the Kyle Allen-led Texans, registering 5 sacks, 2 INT and a fumble recovery that got returned for a TD in an easy 30-15 victory. Even with San Francisco's wonky offensive execution, trotting out the Dolphins for a 2nd straight week doesn't feel like a winning strategy.

Honorable Mentions: 49ers, Chiefs, Bills

LVP: Broncos

Playing with the worst offense in the league might be beginning to take a toll on the Broncos 3rd ranked scoring defense. They surrendered a higher than average 23 points to the Sam Darnold-led Panthers while being held without a sack and securing just 1 takeaway (a fumble recovery). A divisional tilt with a Chargers offense that has shown some signs of life over the past weeks will be an interesting litmus test for where this group is now.

Dishonorable Mentions: Patriots, Colts, Cowboys 

Quick Movie Reviews: The Menu, Bones and All, The Inspection, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

The Menu: It was only a matter of time before the world of upscale restaurants got the "eat the rich" satire treatment and while its targets are mostly very easy and obvious, The Menu is able to hit them pretty consistently. Ralph Fiennes is a fucking hoot as an esteemed chef who runs a prestigious restaurant named Hawthorne-which resides on a private island where the chef and employees live and work together-in which the guests pay $1,250 per person to eat a multi-course meal that is tied together by an overarching theme that slowly reveals itself as the night progresses. On this night, the guests are in for a particularly special treat as the chef prepares his most ambitious meal to date that features all sorts of surprises for his guests... if they can survive the night. 

When The Menu is at its best, it's one of the funniest movies of the year. There are some dark comedy bits (particularly in the final third of the movie) that had me doubled over with laughter and the interactions between Fiennes' chef and the protagonist Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy-giving yet another great performance) have a playful combativeness to them that makes them an electric pairing. It's not quite as effective when it attempts to comment on how chefs sell their souls and turn into egomaniacal, power-hungry monsters in order to serve people who are too self-absorbed to appreciate all of the sacrifices that are being made by the people making/serving them their food and that leads to some lulls in the laugh department in the middle of the film. That being said, none of its satirical missteps are strong enough to overtake all of the bullseyes it hits or prevent it from being consistently entertaining, so The Menu is still very much worth a watch for anybody who likes dark comedies or is interested in seeing foodie culture receive the loud, proud double freedom rockets it deserves.

Grade: B

Bones and All: Bones and All is the shockingly symbiotic genre hybrid that Luca Guadagnino was put on this Earth to make. Meeting at the intersection of Guadagnino's two great cinematic loves (romance and horror), Bones and All is an achingly romantic film that just happens to be about young cannibal drifters that exist on the pitch-black margins of a cold, dark world. Taylor Russell and Timothee Chalamet are both exceptional as the flesh-eating lovers who find comfort in finally finding someone who accepts them for who they are after being ostracized by everybody else that loves them due to their proclivity and the passion, empathy and caring that drives their relationship makes it the rare on-screen romance that is not only believable every step out of the way, but is filled with the kind of real, undeniable love that is at the heart of every great relationship. 

On the more macabre side of its delicate genre dance, Bones and All finds its groove by relying heavily on ominous atmospherics-that especially take shape in the forms of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' desolate, acoustic guitar-driven score and a deeply unsettling performance from Mark Rylance as a fellow cannibal that becomes fixated with Russell's character after their paths cross in a pivotal early scene-to sell the fear of being on the open road without any resources or outside people to protect you from potential harm. Using this kind of feeling-based approach to horror is far more effective for a movie like this that is more invested in human connection than the visceral shocks of gruesome violence (there are some gory moments here and there, but it's not nearly as gruesome as a movie about cannibals could've been) and this largely understated style is precisely why the ending is so haunting. This is easily my favorite film that Guadagnino has made, and I hope he'll make more uniquely ambitious project like it in the future.    

Grade: B+

The Inspection: Sometimes finding a sense of belonging can happen in the most unlikely place and that's the idea that The Inspection is built around. Inspired by the real world experiences of writer/director Elegance Bratton, The Inspection tells the story of a 25-year-old gay man (Jeremy Pope-who gives a gut-wrenching, powerfully understated performance that deserves to be in the Best Actor conversation) who has been homeless since age 16 after he was kicked out by his homophobic mother (Gabrielle Union-in a completely different type of role for her that demonstrates how badly the industry has failed to use her acting ability in the past) who decides that the only way to get out of the rut of poverty and isolation he's been stuck for the previous 9 years is to join the Marine Corps. The narrative of being an openly gay man joining the Marine Corps during the era of Don't Ask, Don't Tell (the film takes place sometime in the mid-2000's) serves as a very potent metaphor for the strength and perseverance it requires to survive in a place where you are hated and bullied for simply being yourself and its fragmented snapshot-style narrative effectively boils down the experience to the most painful moments of discrimination/humiliation, surprising moments of compassion and human connection and the ultimate satisfaction of overcoming adversity to achieve what you set out to do. The Inspection is a movie with a big heart, raw sense of honesty and unique perspective that will hopefully make people develop a greater empathy for people like Bratton that had to go to great, unconventional lengths to find the purpose they had always been looking for.     

Grade: B+ 

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery: Turns out Knives Out was just a warmup for Rian Johnson in the whodunit genre. Glass Onion is the work of somebody who is not only in complete command of their craft but is having the most fun they've ever had on the job. The dense collection of misdirection-driven twists and reveals are delivered with an infectious glee and seem to be designed to only become more rewarding upon repeat viewings once the viewer knows how all the puzzle pieces fit together, which is really just the ultimate sign of Johnson's dedication to concocting mysteries that have plenty of layers yet also contain answers that are hiding in plain sight if you know where to look. 

I'm going to avoid detailing the plot to protect spoilers since this is a movie that really rewards those who go in as blind as possible, but I will say that I believe Janelle Monae, Kate Hudson and Edward Norton are the standouts among the new cast members, Daniel Craig is even better as Benoit Blanc this time around and by coming out at this moment in time, the film gained an unexpected extra dose of social relevance that makes Johnson look clairvoyant. If the Knives Out franchise remains this fun, energetic and clever, they should make at least 5 more of them and hopefully Netflix will give those future installments the more expansive theatrical release they deserve since these movies are such an incredible watch with a crowd and the pop that the final third of Glass Onion got in a theater just can't be replicated at home.  

Grade: A

2022 NFL Power Rankings: Week 12

 ()=previous ranking

1.(1) Kansas City Chiefs (8-2) Week 12 opponent: Los Angeles Rams 

2.(2) Philadelphia Eagles (9-1) Week 12 opponent: Green Bay Packers

3.(7) Dallas Cowboys (7-3) Week 12 opponent: New York Giants 

4.(4) Buffalo Bills (7-3) Week 12 opponent: Detroit Lions 

5.(3) Minnesota Vikings (8-2) Week 12 opponent: New England Patriots 

6.(5) New York Giants (7-3) Week 12 opponent: Dallas Cowboys 

7.(7) Baltimore Ravens (7-3) Week 12 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars 

8.(8) Miami Dolphins (7-3) Week 12 opponent: Houston Texans 

9.(10) San Francisco 49ers (6-4) Week 12 opponent: New Orleans Saints 

10.(11) Tennessee Titans (7-3) Week 12 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals 

11.(13) Cincinnati Bengals (6-4) Week 12 opponent: Tennessee Titans 

12.(12) Seattle Seahawks (6-4) Week 12 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders 

13.(9) New York Jets (6-4) Week 12 opponent: Chicago Bears

14.(14) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-5) Week 12 opponent: Cleveland Browns

15.(15) New England Patriots (6-4) Week 12 opponent: Minnesota Vikings 

16.(17) Washington Commanders (6-5) Week 12 opponent: Atlanta Falcons

17.(16) Los Angeles Chargers (5-5) Week 12 opponent: Arizona Cardinals 

18.(20) Atlanta Falcons (5-6) Week 12 opponent: Washington Commanders 

19.(25) Detroit Lions (4-6) Week 12 opponent: Buffalo Bills 

20.(21) Indianapolis Colts (4-6-1) Week 12 opponent: Pitttsburgh Steelers

21.(19) Green Bay Packers (4-7) Week 12 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

22.(18) Arizona Cardinals (4-7) Week 12 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers

23.(30) New Orleans Saints (4-7) Week 12 opponent: San Francisco 49ers

24.(24) Cleveland Browns (3-8) Week 12 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

25.(22) Los Angeles Rams (3-7) Week 12 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs

26.(26) Jacksonville Jaguars (3-7) Week 12 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

27.(27) Pittsburgh Steelers (3-7) Week 12 opponent: Indianapolis Colts

28.(31) Las Vegas Raiders (3-7) Week 12 opponent: Seattle Seahawks 

29.(25) Denver Broncos (3-7) Week 12 opponent: Carolina Panthers

30.(28) Chicago Bears (3-7) Week 12 opponent: New York Jets 

31.(29) Carolina Panthers (3-7) Week 12 opponent: Denver Broncos

32.(32) Houston Texans (1-8-1) Week 12 opponent: Miami Dolphins 

Week 11 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2022 Edition

Quarterback:

MVP: Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs) 

Mahomes vs. the Chargers in primetime is about as surefire of a recipe for success as you'll find in the NFL. In this latest dismantling of the Bolts (on their home turf no less!!!), he threw for 329 YDS and 3 TD's while rushing for an additional 23 YDS. Mahomes and the Chiefs have a date with the reeling Rams in Week 12.

Honorable Mentions: Joe Burrow (Bengals), Daniel Jones (Giants), Jalen Hurts (Eagles)

LVP: Josh Allen (Bills) 

After the second half implosion heard around the world last week, it might be a good thing that Allen had a very quiet game this week. Tyler Bass and the running game did most of the heavy lifting against the Browns as Allen produced a very un-Allen like statline (197 YDS/1 TD/7 Rushing YDS/0 turnovers) in a winning effort. Things should get back to normal for the star quarterback when he takes on the Lions improving, but still very beatable defense on Thanksgiving. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Kirk Cousins (Vikings), Lamar Jackson (Ravens), Russell Wilson (Broncos)

Running Back

MVP: Tony Pollard (Cowboys) 

Any potential concern about Ezkiel Elliott's return cutting into Pollard's workload died pretty quickly on Sunday. The Cowboys offense pretty much ran through the explosive 4th year back as he managed 80 YDS on 15 carries and 109 YDS and a pair of TD's on 6 catches in a stunning 40-3 beatdown of the previously 8-1 Vikings. As long as Pollard remains healthy down the stretch, he'll be a must-start player. 

Honorable Mentions: Najee Harris (Steelers), Jammal Williams (Lions), Derrick Henry (Titans)

LVP: Dameon Pierce (Texans)

The Commanders stout front 7 knew that the Texans offense is driven by Pierce and successfully made him a non-factor- holding him to just 17 total YDS on 12 touches in what had to be the Texans worst wire-to-wire performance of the season. While Pierce is a lock to clear 17 YDS, the explosive Dolphins offense could make this a lopsided game early and relegate the productive rookie to the RB2 ranks.

Dishonorable Mentions: Saquon Barkley (Giants), Miles Sanders (Eagles), Michael Carter (Jets)

Wide Receiver

MVP: Davante Adams (Raiders)

Patrick Surtain II's All-Pro aspirations hit a bit of a snag on Sunday. Adams routinely embarrassed the ascending star corner as he secured 7 catches for 141 YDS and 2 TD's-including the game-winner in overtime-in what proved to be a much-needed victory for the Raiders over their brothers-in-struggle in Denver. Given Adams' trick or treat 2022 campaign, he'll likely be nowhere near the top of the leaderboards in Week 12 when the Raiders take on the Seahawks.

Honorable Mentions: Amari Cooper (Browns), Tee Higgins (Bengals), Christian Watson (Packers)

LVP: Justin Jefferson (Vikings)

Considering the absurd game Jefferson had against the Bills the prior week that delivered a whole of lot wins for his fantasy managers, he earned the right to put up a dud. With that being said, it's still kind of shocking to see him do next-to-nothing (3 REC/33 YDS) against a just alright Cowboys secondary, but that's more of an indictment on the horrendous play of Kirk Cousins than him. Jefferson could very well disappoint again in Week 12 when he has to deal with the not-so-ideal combo of primetime Cousins and a Patriots team that has one of the better secondaries in the league so far this year.

Dishonorable Mentions: Diontae Johnson (Steelers), Garrett Wilson (Jets), DJ Moore (Panthers) 

Tight End

MVP: Travis Kelce (Chiefs)

With top 2 wideouts JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman out of the lineup, the brunt of the passing game responsibilities versus the Chargers were going to fall on Kelce. Unsurprisingly, he delivered in a major way-putting up 115 YDS and 3 TD's on only 6 catches. Kelce's brilliance in both real life and fantasy has never been more apparent than it has been in 2022 and anybody who drafted or traded for him this year should feel incredibly lucky to have him on their team. 

Honorable Mentions: George Kittle (49ers), Pat Friermuth (Steelers), Dawson Knox (Bills)

LVP: David Njoku (Browns) 

On a day where the Browns were forced to air it out a ton after going down big against the Bills in the 2nd quarter, Njoku didn't really got involved in the party-managing just 2 catches for 17 YDS on the afternoon. Njoku will be a boom-or-bust option for the Browns Week 12 contest with the Buccaneers.

Dishonorable Mentions: Dalton Schultz (Cowboys), Cole Kmet (Bears), Greg Dulcich (Broncos)

Defense/Special Teams

MVP: Patriots

Bill Belichick's hatred of the Jets fueled another dynamite performance against his former employer. His defense had Zach Wilson completely flustered all day long-picking up 4 sacks and holding the offense to just 3 points and his beloved special teams unit won the game on a punt return TD from Marcus Jones in the final seconds of the 4th quarter. A matchup against a Vikings offense that'll be without starting left tackle Christian Darrisaw and is led by a quarterback that is historically bad in primetime should prove to be another gem from this underrated defense.  

Honorable Mentions: Commanders, Ravens, Cowboys

LVP: Bengals

People need to stop trusting the Bengals defense in fantasy. They've yet to prove they can stop anybody this season and allowing 30 points to an awful Steelers offense without picking up any meaningful supporting stats (they got 0 takeaways and 2 sacks) to atone for all of the scores they surrendered is just a perfect example of their ineffectiveness. No matter how inviting it seems to play them in Week 13 against a blah Titans offense, do whatever it takes to not give into the temptation and find another streaming option on the wire.

Dishonorable Mentions: Broncos, Rams, Titans

Kathryn Hahn Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Kathryn Hahn-whose latest project "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery" begins a limited theatrical run on Wednesday.

Kathryn Hahn's Filmography Ranked:

24.Tomorrowland (D-)

23.Captain Fantastic (D-)

22.This is Where I Leave You (D)

21.How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (C)

20.She's Funny That Way (C)

19.Wake Up, Ron Burgundy (C+)

18.The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard (C+)

17.Flower (C+)

16.Afternoon Delight (B-)

15.A Bad Moms Christmas (B)

14.Private Life (B)

13.Our Idiot Brother (B)

12.Bad Moms (B)

11.Wanderlust (B)

10.Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (B)

9.Bad Words (B)

8.A Lot Like Love (B)

7.The Visit (B)

6.The Dictator (B+)

5.Revolutionary Road (B+)

4.The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (B+)

3.We're the Millers (A-)

2.Step Brothers (A)

1.Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (A+)

Top Dog: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

Sometime in 2003, some unproven actors with little-to-no-feature credits on their resume (Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Steve Carrell, Hahn) teamed up with some established comedy veterans (Christina Applegate, Fred Willard, Vince Vaughn, Chris Parnell) on the directorial debut from ex-Saturday Night Live writer Adam McKay. This movie ended up being Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy: a note-perfect goof on 70's cable news stations that is every bit as hilarious, silly and quotable now as it was 18 years ago. As much exemplary work as McKay and this cast have gone onto to do, Anchorman remains a career high mark for all involved and that distinction doesn't feel like it's going to be challenged anytime soon. 

Bottom Feeder: Tomorrowland (2016)

Tomorrowland seems to have killed the live action directorial career of key Pixar architect Brad Bird and while that's not exactly a fair fate, the film is a truly impressive pile of shit that deserves to be viewed as a permanent stain on his otherwise pretty consistently impressive resume. Not even the abundant charisma of George Clooney in a co-leading role can provide any sort of spark to a movie that aspires to be a wonderous sci-fi adventure, but instead ended up being among the dullest, most stunningly incoherent misfires Hollywood produced during the 2010's.

Most Underrated: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

In the directorial filmography of Ben Stiller, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is very much an outlier. Unlike his other efforts-which all live in the worlds of absurdist or dark comedy, Stiller's 5th film is an adventure dramedy about a Life magazine employee (Stiller) who has to track down the location of a reclusive photojournalist (Sean Penn) after the negatives he sent for the magazine's final cover get misplaced. It turns out that Stiller is actually quite adept at directing movies that are outside of his wheelhouse. While Walter Mitty is a thoroughly sentimental affair, the warmth and wonder behind its central message of "go out and live your life to the fullest" is so abundant that it makes the movie a deeply moving delight.

Most Overrated: Captain Fantastic (2016)

I hated Viggo Mortensen's hippie anarchist protagonist so much that I couldn't focus on anything else that Captain Fantastic was attempting. This guy is such a condescending jackass that it was impossible to feel empathy for his plight or side with him on the parenting disputes he has with his sister (Hahn) and father (Frank Langella)-which subsequently made the film's attempts at being heartwarming or poignant impossible for me to swallow and led to me despising every moment of this film. 

The Only M. Night Shyamalan Movie That Has Worked from Start to Finish in the Past 20 Years: The Visit (2015)

There's a reason that M. Night Shyamalan made a Hollywood comeback after the back-to-back colossal failures of The Last Airbender and After Earth: He re-discovered his creative spark (and produced a sleeper box office hit for Universal) with The Visit. This found footage horror flick is a creepy, surprisingly funny thrill ride that cleverly and thrillingly executes its simple premise (teenage siblings get far more than they bargain for when they visit their long-estranged grandparents for the 1st time) by slowly raising the level of unease the kids (Olivia DeJonge, Ed Oxenbould) are experiencing until a great twist causes it to explode in its deeply rewarding final act.

Patricia Clarkson Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Patricia Clarkson-whose latest project "She Said" is now playing in theaters.

Patricia Clarkson's Filmography Ranked:

20.The East (D)

19.One Day (D)

18.Miracle (C-)

17.Good Night, and Good Luck (C)

16.Maze Runner: The Death Cure (C+)

15.Jumanji (C+)

14.Welcome to Collinwood (B-)

13.Friends with Benefits (B-)

12.She Said (B-)

11.Far from Heaven (B-)

10.Maze Runner: Scorch Trials (B)

9.Whatever Works (B)

8.Vicky Christina Barcelona (B)

7.The Maze Runner (B)

6.Lars and the Real Girl (B+)

5.Easy A (B+)

4.The Station Agent (B+)

3.Shutter Island (A-)

2.The Untouchables (A-)

1.The Green Mile (A)

Top Dog: The Green Mile (1999)

The Green Mile serves as sort of a playbook on how to do melodrama correctly.  While many of the film's plot beats are drenched in over-the-top sentimentality, the performances (namely from Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan and David Morse) and earnest writing/direction from Frank Darabont have enough sincerity behind them to make this a beautiful, bittersweet story about the power of human connection and how it's capable of breaking down barriers between people that believe they have nothing in common.

Bottom Feeder: The East (2013)

Meeting at the lovely intersection of obnoxious, boring and condescending, The East is a really atrocious political thriller that is never as smart or interesting as it thinks it is.  

Most Underrated: Lars and the Real Girl (2008)

This delightful little gem from the early portion of Craig Gillespie's (I, Tonya, Cruella) filmography is an absurdly strong early showcase of Ryan Gosling's acting gifts. He takes a character in Lars that could've easily just been a lonely, socially awkward weirdo stereotype and turns him into this honest man with a huge heart that has just been misunderstood for his whole life, which gives the movie the soul it needed to pull off its sweet delivery of a nutty premise (Lars overcomes his social anxiety issues by purchasing a sex doll online and treats it like a real life human woman that he's in a relationship with) that had massive potential to be very juvenile. 

Most Overrated: Miracle (2004)

I don't know if this was just my suburban public school district, but Miracle couldn't be avoided when I was in middle school. On the last day of school before a week-long vacation in both 7th and 8th grade, the teachers decided to treat us students to a showing of Miracle. Full disclosure: I didn't like the movie when my parents took me to see it in theaters the year before it became a staple on the TV cart circuit and these subsequent showings only further solidified my negative feelings towards Miracle. Outside of a hilariously over-the-top performance from Kurt Russell as head coach Herb Brooks, Miracle is a really innocuous, bland dramatization of the 1980 United States Men's Hockey Team unlikely run to Olympic Gold that is well below the quality of Disney's other inspirational sports drams from this era (Glory Road, Invincible, The Rookie).

2022 NFL Power Rankings: Week 11

 ()=previous ranking

1.(2) Kansas City Chiefs (7-2) Week 11 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers

2.(1) Philadelphia Eagles (8-1) Week 11 opponent: Indianapolis Colts 

3.(4) Minnesota Vikings (8-1) Week 11 opponent: Dallas Cowboys 

4.(3) Buffalo Bills (6-3) Week 11 opponent: Cleveland Browns 

5.(6) New York Giants (7-2) Week 11 opponent: Detroit Lions 

6.(5) Dallas Cowboys (6-3) Week 11 opponent: Minnesota Vikings 

7.(7) Baltimore Ravens (6-3) Week 11 opponent: Carolina Panthers

8.(12) Miami Dolphins (7-3) Week 11 opponent: Bye 

9.(9) New York Jets (6-3) Week 11 opponent: New England Patriots 

10.(10) San Francisco 49ers (5-4) Week 11 opponent: Arizona Cardinals 

11.(11) Tennessee Titans (6-3) Week 11 opponent: Green Bay Packers

12.(8) Seattle Seahawks (6-4) Week 11 opponent: Bye 

13.(13) Cincinnati Bengals (5-4) Week 11 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers 

14.(16) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-5) Week 11 opponent: Bye 

15.(15) New England Patriots (5-4) Week 11 opponent: New York Jets 

16.(14) Los Angeles Chargers (5-4) Week 11 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs 

17.(18) Washington Commanders (5-5) Week 11 opponent: Houston Texans

18.(20) Arizona Cardinals (4-6) Week 11 opponent: San Francisco 49ers 

19.(23) Green Bay Packers (4-6) Week 11 opponent: Tennessee Titans 

20.(17) Atlanta Falcons (4-6) Week 11 opponent: Chicago Bears  

21.(27) Indianapolis Colts (4-5-1) Week 11 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles 

22.(19) Los Angeles Rams (3-6) Week 11 opponent: New Orleans Saints

23.(28) Detroit Lions (3-6) Week 11 opponent: New York Giants 

24.(21) Cleveland Browns (3-7) Week 11 opponent: Buffalo Bills 

25.(24) Denver Broncos (3-6) Week 11 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders

26.(25) Jacksonville Jaguars (3-6) Week 11 opponent: Bye 

27.(30) Pittsburgh Steelers (3-6) Week 11 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals 

28.(26) Chicago Bears (3-7) Week 11 opponent: Atlanta Falcons 

29.(31) Carolina Panthers (3-7) Week 11 opponent: Baltimore Ravens 

30.(22) New Orleans Saints (3-7) Week 11 opponent: Los Angeles Rams 

31.(29) Las Vegas Raiders (2-7) Week 11 opponent: Denver Broncos 

32.(32) Houston Texans (1-7-1) Week 11 opponent: Washington Commanders 

Week 10 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2022 Edition

Quarterback

MVP: Justin Fields (Bears)

Screw real life wins, Fields is in the middle of an all-time absurd fantasy heater right now. His latest preposterous statline (167 YDS/2 TD/1 INT, 147 Rushing YDS/2 TD) almost completely glosses over the fact that he threw a disgusting pick 6, blew a 14-point 3 quarter lead and couldn't move the ball on either of their potential game-winning drives against a Lions team that hadn't won a road game since 2020 prior to this. The Falcons paltry defense will get the next crack at trying to slow down 2022's fantasy football overnight sensation. 

Honorable Mentions: Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs), Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins), Jalen Hurts (Eagles)

LVP: Justin Herbert (Chargers)

Herbert might break down crying in the huddle if Mike Williams and Keenan Allen don't come back soon. The Chargers' signalcaller 2nd healthy game since early September was another ugly dud (196 YDS/1 TD/1 INT, 22 rushing YDS) as his receivers and offensive line got manhandled by the 49ers relentless defense-especially when they put the clamps on and shut them out in the 2nd half. If Williams and/or Allen returns, Herbert could finally have his long-awaited bounceback against a very beatable Chiefs defense that he torched before he cracked his rib late in the 4th quarter back in their Week 2 meeting.

Dishonorable Mentions: Kirk Cousins (Vikings), Tom Brady (Buccaneers), Russell Wilson (Broncos)

Running Back

MVP: Jonathan Taylor (Colts)

A lot of things went right for Jeff Saturday in his NFL coaching debut. Aside from Jim Irsay allowing his much-maligned interim coach hire to start the old but still semi-functional Matt Ryan over the helpless youngster Sam Ehlinger at QB, he benefitted from getting a rare gem out of Taylor-who had been having a dishearteningly uneventful 2022 campaign prior to this explosion. The 2021 fantasy MVP ran all over the Raiders cupcake defense, turning 22 carries into 147 YDS and a TD while also catching 2 passes for 16 YDS in what might be the funniest win an NFL team has logged so far this season. Taylor will look to parlay this strong showing into an epic stretch run that justifies his status as the consensus #1 pick in 2022 fantasy drafts starting this week against the Eagles-whose biggest weakness just happens to be their run defense.

Honorable Mentions: Aaron Jones (Packers), Dalvin Cook (Vikings), Saquon Barkley (Giants)

LVP: Cordarrelle Patterson (Falcons)

Arthur Smith wasn't interested in giving Patterson a heavy workload on a short week right after he played in his 1st game back from injury and that decision was enough to tank the fantasy value of reliable Swiss Army Knife of the Falcons offense for Week 10. Patterson saw only 6 touches (5 carries, 1 reception) and gained just 20 total YDS in a lopsided TNF loss to a Panthers team that was hungry to avenge their controversial loss 2 weeks ago. Patterson should return to his usual role at the top of the Falcons constantly busy RB committee when the Bears and their garbage defense come to Atlanta on Sunday.  

Dishonorable Mentions: David Montgomery (Bears), Miles Sanders (Eagles), Alvin Kamara (Saints)

Wide Receiver 

MVP: CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys)

While Lamb hasn't been a total bust in 2022, his output hasn't been good enough to justify his low-end WR1 position in the middle of the 2nd round. That finally changed this week as the Cowboys top target sliced through the Packers secondary for 150 YDS and 2 TD's on 11 receptions in what proved to be a shocking OT loss that spoiled Mike McCarthy's return to Green Bay. Lamb will be on the WR1/WR2 borderline for the 'Boys Week 11 showdown with the scorching hot Vikings. 

Honorable Mentions: Justin Jefferson (Vikings), Christian Kirk (Jaguars), Davante Adams (Raiders)

LVP: A.J. Brown (Eagles)

If you only needed a few points to secure a win last night, Brown really let you down. The Eagles top WR was inexplicably quiet against the Commanders low-end secondary, finishing the night with just 1 catch for a measly 7 years as the Birds dropped their 1st game of 2022. With Dallas Goedert out indefinitely after suffering a shoulder injury, Brown's target share will only get higher in the interim, so it's a pretty safe bet that this will represent his rock bottom for the rest of the year.

Dishonorable Mentions: DJ Moore (Panthers), Amari Cooper (Browns), Chris Olave (Saints)

Tight End

MVP: Cole Kmet (Bears) 

Justin Fields isn't the only Bear having a shocking mid-season emergence. The 3rd year tight end that didn't score a single TD in 2021 now has 5 in the last 3 games after his 4 REC/74 YD/2 TD performance against the Lions on Sunday. Fire up Kmet as a TE1 and just ride the wave until it inevitably crashes sometime in the next 1-3 weeks. 

Honorable Mentions: Travis Kelce (Chiefs), Dalton Schultz (Cowboys), Tyler Higbee (Rams)

LVP: George Kittle (49ers)

Blocking specialist Kittle unfortunately seems to be back on duty in San Francisco. The star tight end caught 1-of-2 targets for 21 YDS as the 49ers offense heavily leaned on Christian McCaffery, Brandon Aiyuk and Elijah Mitchell-who just got activated off IR prior to the game-to move the ball in their comeback win over the Chargers. Kittle will be a boom-or-bust play for the 49ers Week 11 matchup with the Cardinals in Mexico City.  

Dishonorable Mentions: Kyle Pitts (Falcons), Evan Engram (Jaguars), Robert Tonyan (Packers)

Defense/Special Teams

MVP: Titans

Good news gang: the Broncos disastrous offense didn't get fixed during their bye week. Even without MVP Jeffery Simmons in the lineup, the Titans defense teed off on Nathaniel Hackett, Russell Wilson and the rest of this helpless group-picking up 6 sacks and an INT in a 17-10 victory. This up-and-down Titans group should be a decent option for their Thursday night matchup against the Packers.

Honorable Mentions: Giants, Bills, Eagles

LVP: Rams

In the Cardinals vs. Rams battle of the backup quarterbacks, the Rams got absolutely obliterated. Colt McCoy, DeAndre Hopkins, Rondale Moore and James Conner all managed to get the best of Raheem Morris' typically pretty formidable group as the Rams managed just 2 sacks and 0 takeaways in an ugly 27-17 loss to their NFC West rivals. Given their pretty difficult schedule (Chiefs, Seahawks, Packers) on the horizon, fantasy players might want to consider ditching the Rams D/ST after this week's game against the reeling Saints. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Cowboys, Broncos, Raiders

Movie Review: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

What writer/director Ryan Coogler was asked to do on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is unfathomable. He wasn't just writing the death about the death of a central character, he was memorializing a man, collaborator and friend that he didn't even know was battling cancer for the entire time he knew him until he passed away in August 2020. Aided by a returning primary group of actors (Letita Wright, Lupita Ny'ongo, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Martin Freeman) that were going through the same grieving process, Coogler was able to tell a story that uses his love for Chadwick Boseman and the pain he's still trying to process over his death as a guiding light to turn Wakanda Forever into a very sincere, thoughtful tribute to Boseman and the character that defined his acting career.

Wakanda Forever comes racing out of the gates with an intense, devastating opening scene that gives Wright her first of many moments to shine as Shuri-whose arc in this film has the most interesting conflicts and nuanced emotions put behind it. Having Wakanda Forever get off to such an urgent, hard-hitting start just further crystalizes what kind of movie Coogler was aiming to make: A somber, thoughtful memorial for a man whose death was completely unexpected and the different journey's each person can take while trying to process such a sudden, impactful loss that just happens to be delivered in a $250 million blockbuster package. 

There's a real raw sincerity to the emotions on display here that transcends the boundaries of Wakanda Forever's fictional narrative and conveys just how much Bosman's death affected his collaborators. The conversations about T'Challa and how Wakanda is going to move forward without him feel like the actor's way of attempting to process their feelings about Boseman's passing in real time and it's equally gut-wrenching and surprising to watch so many genuine feelings be expressed in a forum that doesn't exactly have a track record of showcasing these types of emotions. Coogler and these actors poured their whole hearts into paying tribute to Boseman and their efforts give Wakanda Forever the strongest emotional backbone that a Marvel film has ever had.            

When Wakanda Forever veers off into its usual superhero business, the returns aren't as rewarding. To be fair to Coogler, the main plot dealing with how Wakanda is viewed as a weakening world superpower in the wake of T'Challa's death and the additional turbulent shockwaves that the royal family feels when they discover there's another deeply powerful nation out there led by a mutant god named Namor (Tenoch Huerta-who gives the character a real sense of nobility underneath all of the rage and hate he harbors for the outside world) that's ready to wage war to protect their people is a logical, effective way to cross its genre boxes while honoring its broader themes. While these parts of the movie are certainly very entertaining and not without their own moments of brilliance (the sequence in Namor's underwater homeland of Talokan, the new Black Panther's trip to the Ancestral Plane), a handful of big battle scenes, arguments about Vibranium and introducing a new hero in Ironheart (Dominique Thorne) feel kind of weightless when the focal point of the story is dealing with the difficult aftermath of a real-life death. This isn't meant to be a takedown of Coogler as he navigated his dual obligations here about as gracefully as he possibly could, but that doesn't change the reality that nearly every moment in Wakanda Forever where mourning Boseman/T'Challa isn't the focal point of the scene is a moment where this movie isn't being its best self. 

Now, I fully understand that saying a superhero movie is doing itself a disservice by simply being a superhero movie is a ridiculous, if not completely disrespectful statement. However, Wakanda Forever's broader obligations to its genre is a detrimental shadow looming over the proceedings that it can never quite escape from. There's a full-blown masterpiece about grief, loss, love, family, legacy and the definition of heroism hiding in plain sight here, but its place in a broader franchise doesn't allow for these themes to receive the attention they needed to make a huge impact. As impressive as Wakanda Forever is as a tribute piece, this refusal to travel down a more pronounced emotional path makes it feel like somewhat of a missed opportunity other than a full-blown triumph and quite frankly, that's a shitty feeling to have about a movie that is driven by such a pure heart.      

Grade: B+

MCU Phase 4 Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best. To coincide with today's release of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever", I'm ranking the other Phase 4 MCU projects. 

MCU Phase 4 Movies Ranked: 

6.Black Widow (2021):

Scarlett Johansson and the character of Natasha Romanoff got done so dirty by Marvel. Not only does Black Widow's post-Captain America: Civil War setting make her long-delayed solo espionage movie feel completely dated in the current MCU timeline, but she's also frequently upstaged in what was supposed to be her swan song following her shocking death in Avengers: Endgame by Florence Pugh's Yelena and David Harbour's Red Guardian-who *surprise surprise* are set to be key figures in the next wave of Marvel projects. Also, the less said about Ray Stevenson's performance as the film's primary villain Dreykov and his attempt at a Russian accent, the better.

Grade: B-

5.Thor: Love and Thunder (2022):

Ironically enough, Taika Waititi's follow up to Ragnarok has joined the pair of Thor movies he didn't make in the realm of overhated superhero movies. While it is a huge step down in quality from the tremendous Ragnarok that would've benefited from having a tighter script, featuring some supporting characters (Tessa Thompson's Valkryie, Christian Bale's villainous Gorr the God Butcher) more prominently and having CGI that didn't look like it was done on the cheap back in 2004, Love and Thunder still does a good job of serving as a campy, funny and relentlessly frantic 80's-inspired journey of self-discovery for Thor that puts the character back on a heroic path after he lost his way following the destruction of Asgard at the end of Ragnarok.   

Grade: B

4.Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021):

The appeal of Spider-Man: No Way Home is easy to grasp. It essentially serves as a big celebration of all 3 generations of Spider-Man movies and watching the Spider-Men (Toby Maguire, Andrew Garfield, Tom Holland) interact and eventually team-up to fight the primary villains from the Maguire and Garfield movies (Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Sandman, Lizard, Electro) was a fun experience-especially in a packed theater where each character entrance was greeted with thunderous cheering from the crowd. However, No Way Home is also a world class example of what Martin Scorsese was talking about with his now infamous "superhero movies are like theme parks" quote. This movie is packed with such a high degree of carefully curated fan service that's meant to get people clapping and making guttural noises of approval like they're fucking seals at an aquarium eagerly waiting for their fish carcass lunch to get tossed to them that it often feels more like a flashy roller coaster than an actual movie. It's great that people got excited about all of this Spider-Man porn and I'd be lying if I said a fair amount of it didn't resonate with me, but there's something really hollow and soul-crushing about a movie that's more interested on preying on people's nostalgic love for a beloved character than telling an actual story and that creative philosophy put a limit on how much I liked No Way Home.      

Grade: B

3.Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022):

After Scott Derrickson got axed from Multiverse of Madness over creative differences, I was convinced that Kevin Feige was going to treat this like Ant-Man and remove whatever weirdness the original director had planned and make something extremely safe. Instead, Feige hired Sam Rami as a replacement and let the man behind the Evil Dead franchise and Drag Me to Hell run as wild as he possibly could given how vital this franchise is to Disney's bottom line. Using the limitless possibilities of the Multiverse as a way to bring legitimate horror undertones into this typically lighthearted, family-friendly universe and portray beloved MCU characters in unexpected ways (EX: Having the Illuminati be smug, self-righteous pricks that laugh off the dire warning Doctor Strange brings to them), Rami creates this campy, playful descent into (relative) chaos that pushes the limits of the PG-13 ratings with its bursts of violence/creepy imagery and presents MCU vets Bendict Cumberbatch and Elizbeth Olsen with the chance to take their characters in an array of radically different directions-which provided these immensely gifted actors the opportunity to show off their ranges without ever forgetting that they're in a purposefully silly superhero movie.

Grade: B+

2.Eternals (2021):

As much as the title characters would've benefitted from being introduced via a Disney+ show that gave their dense lore the time it needed to be fully fleshed out, the ambition, scope and humanism that Chloe Zhao provides Eternals with a unique feeling that is unlike anything Marvel has ever produced. Its emphasis on the complex relationship dynamics among the Eternals as the film depicts how spending centuries on Earth has impacted each member of the team in profoundly different ways that eventually drives them apart provides these characters with an emotional intelligence that makes all of their arcs really fascinating to follow, the high stakes that causes the Eternals to reunite give this film an epic, almost apocalyptic atmosphere and Zhao's insistence that the movie was shot on location with natural light as much as possible gives it a striking look that reenforces why Hollywood shouldn't be as beholden to soundstages with green/blue screen backdrops as they are right now.  

Grade: B+

1.Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021):

While Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings may lack the sweeping scope of Eternals or the eerie weirdness of Multiverse of Madness, it makes up for its less unique DNA by lacking many of the rough edges that prevented those films from hitting that next level of greatness. Indie drama director Destin Daniel Cretton (Short Term 12, Just Mercy) nailed his promotion to the big blockbuster stage by successfully spicing up a straightforward superhero origin story with the electric fight scenes, badass supernatural lore and graceful romantic beauty of a Hong Kong martial arts flick, unearthing a relatively unknown actor in the deeply charismatic Simu Liu to play Shang-Chi and providing the MCU with one of its most memorable villains to date in The Mandarin-who is brought to life with equal menace and empathy by Tony Leung.    

Grade: A- 

2022 NFL Power Rankings: Week 10

 ()=previous ranking 

1.(1) Philadelphia Eagles (8-0) Week 10 opponent: Washington Commanders 

2.(3) Kansas City Chiefs (6-2) Week 10 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars 

3.(2) Buffalo Bills (6-2) Week 10 opponent: Minnesota Vikings 

4.(4) Minnesota Vikings (7-1) Week 10 opponent: Buffalo Bills 

5.(5) Dallas Cowboys (6-2) Week 10 opponent: Green Bay Packers 

6.(6) New York Giants (6-2) Week 10 opponent: Houston Texans 

7.(7) Baltimore Ravens (6-3) Week 10 opponent: Bye 

8.(8) Seattle Seahawks (6-3) Week 10 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

9.(11) New York Jets (6-3) Week 10 opponent: Bye 

10.(10) San Francisco 49ers (4-4) Week 10 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers 

11.(9) Tennessee Titans (5-3) Week 10 opponent: Denver Broncos 

12.(12) Miami Dolphins (6-3) Week 10 opponent: Cleveland Browns 

13.(13) Cincinnati Bengals (5-4) Week 10 opponent: Bye 

14.(14) Los Angeles Chargers (5-3) Week 10 opponent: San Francisco 49ers 

15.(15) New England Patriots (5-4) Week 10 opponent: Bye 

16.(19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5) Week 10 opponent: Seattle Seahawks 

17.(16) Atlanta Falcons (4-5) Week 10 opponent: Carolina Panthers 

18.(17) Washington Commanders (4-5) Week 10 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles 

19.(18) Los Angeles Rams (3-5) Week 10 opponent: Arizona Cardinals 

20.(22) Arizona Cardinals (3-6) Week 10 opponent: Los Angeles Rams 

21.(24) Cleveland Browns (3-5) Week 10 opponent: Miami Dolphins 

22.(21) New Orleans Saints (3-6) Week 10 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers 

23.(20) Green Bay Packers (3-6) Week 10 opponent: Dallas Cowboys 

24.(25) Denver Broncos (3-5) Week 10 opponent: Tennessee Titans 

25.(27) Jacksonville Jaguars (3-6) Week 10 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs

26.(26) Chicago Bears (3-6) Week 10 opponent: Detroit Lions 

27.(23) Indianapolis Colts (3-5-1) Week 10 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders 

28.(31) Detroit Lions (2-6) Week 10 opponent: Chicago Bears

29.(28) Las Vegas Raiders (2-6) Week 10 opponent: Indianapolis Colts 

30.(30) Pittsburgh Steelers (2-6) Week 10 opponent: New Orleans Saints 

31.(29) Carolina Panthers (2-7) Week 10 opponent: Atlanta Falcons 

32.(32) Houston Texans (1-6-1) Week 10 opponent: New York Giants 

Week 9 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2022 Edition

Quarterback

MVP: Justin Fields (Bears)

Over the past few weeks something remarkable has happened: Bears OC Luke Getsy has started calling designed runs for Fields. Turns out that allowing a 6'3, 227 lb QB that can run 40 YDS in 4.46 seconds to use his rare athletic gifts can indeed yield positive results for an NFL offense! The effectiveness of this strategy was on full display on Sunday as Fields managed to set a new single game rushing record for a QB by hanging a preposterous 178 YDS (and a TD) on the Dolphins. He further sweetened the pot by throwing for 123 YDS and 3 TD's in what ended up being a narrow loss for a Bears team that is still young and lacking talent, but suddenly very compelling to watch. Fields looks like he's starting to figure out how to use his dual threat skill set in the NFL and if he keeps this up, he'll be an every week QB1 the rest of the way. If for whatever reason he's still on your waiver wire and you don't have Mahomes, Hurts, Burrow, Jackson or Allen at QB, make a claim for Fields right away. 

Honorable Mentions: Josh Allen (Bills), Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs), Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins)

LVP: Justin Herbert (Chargers)

The good news is that Herbert is looking the healthiest he's looked in 2 months coming off the bye. The bad news is that his injury-depleted receiving corps (Josh Palmer and Gerald Everett are the only guys out there right now that played even semi-regular snaps at WR or TE in Week 1 when this group was fully loaded) had a hard time consistently getting open against the Falcons awful secondary, which led to him posting a very pedestrian 245 YDS/1 TD/1 INT line on the afternoon. With Keenan Allen and Mike Williams likely to sit once again, starting Herbert in Week 10 against a talented albeit banged-up 49ers secondary feels like a shaky bet that shouldn't be taken.  

Dishonorable Mentions: Matthew Stafford (Rams), Aaron Rodgers (Packers), Tom Brady (Buccanners)

Running Back

MVP: Joe Mixon (Bengals)

Watching the scoring updates from Bengals/Panthers frequently pop up on the CBS ticker during the Patriots/Colts game was the only enjoyable part of that unwatchable slog. Mixon atoned for a season's worth of middling play with one of the most comical displays of athletic dominance you'll ever see in real life or fantasy football by crushing the will of an unsuspecting Panthers defense that has been generally alright this year with a 211 scrimmage YD (153 rushing, 58 receiving)/5 TD performance. Now, Mixon gets a week to reflect on this career day and hopefully use it as motivation to finish the year strong. 

Honorable Mentions: Kenneth Walker III (Seahawks), Travis Etienne (Jaguars), Derrick Henry (Titans)

LVP: D'onta Foreman (Panthers)

If it wasn't clear from the ode to Joe Mixon above, the Panthers weren't exactly in a position to commit to the running game for very long on Sunday after they ceded 35 points before halftime-which subsequently tanked Foreman's fantasy prospects for the week. The Panthers current RB committee leader only managed a whopping 21 YDS on 9 touches (7 carries, 2 receptions) as his team put together quite possibly the single worst game that any team has played in 2022 thus far. Forman should go back to a being a fine RB2/FLEX play on Thursday night when he squares off against a Falcons defense that he ran for 118 YDS and 3 TD's against 9 days ago.  

Dishonorable Mentions: Clyde Edwards-Helaire (Chiefs), D'Andre Swift (Lions), David Montgomery (Bears)

Wide Receiver 

MVP: Davante Adams (Raiders)

Adams celebrated being free from the "bad flu" that severely limited him in the prior game with the kind of vintage performance that the Raiders expected to see more of when he came to Vegas. The Jaguars secondary had no answer for Adams (in the 1st half at least) as he caught 10 passes for 146 YDS and 2 scores in what proved to be yet another rollercoaster of a game for the 2022 Raiders that saw them got outscored 27-3 after they took a 17-0 lead 5 minutes into the 2nd quarter. Trick or treat Adams will square off against the unhinged circus otherwise known as the Colts on Sunday.

Honorable Mentions: Tyreek Hill (Dolphins), Justin Jefferson (Vikings), Cooper Kupp (Rams)

LVP: DJ Moore (Panthers)

Well, that was a short-lived WR1/2 resurrection for Moore. The Panthers star wideout was limited to 2 garbage time catches for 24 YDS as his good buddy P.J. Walker got benched at halftime for his arch nemesis Baker Mayfield-who keyed in on 2nd year guys Terrace Marshall Jr. and Tommy Tremble during the 2nd half of their lopsided loss to the Bengals. Steve Wilks did confirm yesterday that Walker will return to the starting job for Thursday's game against the Falcons, so fantasy owners can fire up Moore and hope for another tremendous showing against that putrid secondary.

Dishonorable Mentions: Michael Pittman Jr. (Colts), Gabe Davis (Bills), DeVonta Smith (Eagles)

Tight End

MVP: Dallas Goedert (Eagles)

A strong Texans corner group lining up against their receivers made Goedert the focal point of the Eagles passing attack last Thursday night and the star tight end delivered in a big way-securing 8 catches for 100 YDS and a TD in a not quite as easy as expected win for the Birds. Goedert will be an elite TE1 play for the Eagles Week 10 contest with the Commanders-who have really struggled to slow down the pass all year long.

Honorable Mentions: Zach Ertz (Cardinals), Travis Kelce (Chiefs), T.J. Hockenson (Vikings)

LVP: Evan Engram (Jaguars)

Engram wasn't really a part of the gameplan as the Jags leaned on Travis Etienne and Christian Kirk to dig them out of an early 17-point hole against the Raiders. He received 2 looks from Trevor Lawrence the whole game and only caught one of them for a measly 8 yards. The predictably unpredictable tight end should be a boom-or-bust play for a Week 10 contest with the Chiefs that has the potential to get real ugly real fast. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Kyle Pitts (Falcons), Dawson Knox (Bills), Tyler Higbee (Rams)

Defense/Special Teams

MVP: Patriots 

The ease in which the Patriots non-offensive units manhandled the Colts this week can't be properly quantified by the written word. The Colts offensive line/kick team blocking was non-existent, and the visibly overwhelmed Sam Ehlinger rarely had the chance to work through his progressions, let alone make a throw or an improvised run-which led to the Patriots defense/special teams putting together a stat line (9 sacks-which is a new single game franchise record, blocked punt, pick 6, 3 points allowed) that shouldn't be possible in a real NFL game. While nothing will match the euphoria of this particular showing, they should be able to have another productive day against the below average Jets offense when they return from their bye in Week 11.

Honorable Mentions: Ravens, Dolphins, Buccaneers 

LVP: Packers

While they didn't have nearly as bad of a day as Aaron Rodgers had, the Packers defense did also fail to take advantage of the golden opportunity to play the helpless Lions. Outside of an early interception of Jared Goff, the Packers defense was very quiet (0 sacks or additional takeaways) in a 15-9 loss to a Detroit team that hadn't won since Week 2 that further illustrated just how stunningly bleak things are right now for this longtime NFL powerhouse. They shouldn't even be considered as a starting option in Week 10 against a Cowboys offense that had their best showing of the year before their Week 9 bye. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Chiefs, Rams, Bills 

2022 NFL Mid-Season Awards+Updated Playoff and Super Bowl Predictions

Top Player: Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)

Losing Tyreek Hill hasn't slowed down Mahomes in the slightest. In fact, he's arguably playing his best football since his MVP campaign back in 2018 and could be adding another one to his trophy case if he keeps playing at this level. Mahomes has scored multiple TD's in all but 1 game so far, used Hill's departure as a reason to spread the ball around more-which has led to him posting a career-best 66.2 CMP% and overcome some injury woes and poor play from his defense that have caused them to have regularly play from behind to lead the Chiefs to a 6-2 start-which is tied with Buffalo for the best record in the AFC.   

Honorable Mentions: Josh Allen (Bills), Jalen Hurts (Eagles), Tyreek Hill (Dolphins)

Top Offensive Player: Tyreek Hill (Dolphins)

Hill has worked exceptionally hard since he got to Miami to prove that Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes weren't the driving forces behind his success in Kansas City by upping his dynamism to the point where he can be relied onto to embarrass defenses on any route at any level of the field. The results of Hill's go-to, Swiss Army Knife status on the Dolphins offense? A league-leading 1,104 YDS and 76 receptions, which unsurprisingly has put him on pace to become the league's 1st ever 2,000 YD receiver. Making this 9-game eruption even crazier is that he's done it while playing with 3 different QB's (Tua Tagovailoa, Teddy Bridgewater, 2022 7th round pick Skylar Thompson) and having to make some crazy adjustments to make catches that he didn't have to do nearly as much when he had a big-armed, accurate QB in Mahomes throwing to him. Hill's efforts to make NFL history down the stretch will be a fun thing to watch, but regardless of what ends up happening during his final 8 regular season games, his career resume has already received a tremendous boost.

Honorable Mentions: Travis Kelce (Chiefs), Nick Chubb (Browns), Cooper Kupp (Rams)

Top Defensive Player: Micah Parsons (Cowboys)

Watching Parsons continue to wreck opposing offenses while playing hurt over the past month may be the strongest piece of evidence to date that he's the next generational defensive player. He's been limited to 30 or so snaps per game since sustaining a groin injury in the early stages of a Week 5 game versus the Rams and yet his productivity hasn't slowed in the slightest-as he's registered 4 sacks, 5 QB hits, 4 TFL's, 2 forced fumbles and a fumble recovery that was returned for a TD since suffering the injury during that 4-game span. Now that he's had some time to heal during the Cowboys bye this past week, Parsons could be in line for an even better 2nd half of the season-which is absurd to say about a guy that's currently ranked 4th in the league in sacks, tied for 6th in TFL's and tied for 8th in QB hits.  

Honorable Mentions: Myles Garrett (Browns), Chris Jones (Chiefs), Quinnen Williams (Jets)

Top Offensive Rookie: Chris Olave (Saints)

Given how Kenneth Walker III has played since replacing the injured Rashaad Penny as the Seahawks starting running back during their Week 5 game versus the Saints, he feels like he's on track to ultimately win OROY as long as he stays healthy. But since Walker III didn't do much at the start of the year, Olave gets the nod at the halfway point. The Ohio State product has gracefully transitioned to the pros-hauling in 37 receptions for 547 YDS and 2 TD's in 7 games (he'll play his 8th game tonight against the Ravens) all while having to play with 2 different QB's (Andy Dalton, Jameis Winston) and deal with the added pressure of suddenly being thrust into #1 receiver role after vets Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry both went down with injuries early in the year.  

Honorable Mentions: Kenneth Walker III (Seahawks), Dameon Pierce (Texans), Breece Hall (Jets)

Top Defensive Rookie: Sauce Gardner (Jets)

There were 5-10 corners in the 2022 NFL Draft class that were billed as potential lockdown corners. The only one that's actually flashed that potential in the league so far is Gardner. Teams have held Gardner's feet to the fire early by targeting him 46 times through 9 games (tied for 14th most in the league) and he's been undaunted by the challenge-allowing only 20 catches while breaking up 13 passes and hauling in a pair of INT's. Getting that level of play from a rookie corner is practically unheard of and it speaks volumes of the confidence, fluidity and discipline that Gardner already plays with.

Honorable Mentions: Tariq Woolen (Seahawks), Jaquan Brisker (Bears), Jack Jones (Patriots) 

Top Comeback Player: Geno Smith (Seahawks)

We all owe Geno Smith an apology. Nobody outside of the Seahawks organization or the Smith family viewed Geno as anything more than the failed former Jets starting quarterback turned average career backup that Pete Carroll had put in charge of leading the Seahawks tanking efforts so they could land Russell Wilson's real replacement in the 2023 draft. What we've gone onto to learn is that turns out that Smith himself is Wilson's worthy successor. Smith has shown tremendous poise, accuracy and intelligence under center while having great success (2,199 YDS/ 15 TD's/4 INT/73.1 CMP%/107.2 QBR/196 Rushing YDS/1 TD) running the same offense that Wilson couldn't get off the ground last year as he's led the Seahawks to a division-leading 6-3 start. Smith's start to the 2022 season is the kind of the improbable underdog story that makes sports great, and I'll be rooting hard for him to keep rolling for the rest of the year.

Honorable Mentions: Saquon Barkley (Giants), Travis Etienne (Jaguars), Christian McCaffery (Panthers/49ers)  

Top Coach: Brian Daboll (Giants)

What Daboll has done with the Giants in his 1st year on the job is nothing short of astonishing. Their roster was believed to be among the weakest in the league coming into the season and that's largely proved to be the case as they've struggled to get even consistently above average play from players not named Saquon Barkley, Andrew Thomas, Dexter Lawrence, Leonard Williams or Adoree' Jackson. Instead, this team has won games by hanging around, playing hard and taking advantage of their opponents' mistakes and that's a complete testament to Daboll. He's gotten a level of buy-in from this group in a blatant rebuilding year that his predecessors Pat Shurmur and Joe Judge never earned during their respective 2-year tenures as Giants HC. Their ugly blowout road loss to the Seahawks ahead of their Week 9 bye indicates that their days of overachieving could be numbered and even if the losses start to accumulate, ownership should take this against all odds 6-2 start as a sign that they made a great hire and give Daboll the talent he needs to really start cooking as a head coach this offseason. 

Honorable Mentions: Nick Siranni (Eagles), Robert Saleh (Jets), Pete Carroll (Seahawks) 

All-Pro Teams

Quarterback

1st team: Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)

2nd team: Josh Allen (Bills)

Running Back

1st team: Nick Chubb (Browns), Josh Jacobs (Raiders) 

2nd team: Derrick Henry (Titans), Saquon Barkley (Giants) 

Wide Receiver

1st team: Tyreek Hill (Dolphins), Cooper Kupp (Rams)

2nd team: Stefon Diggs (Bills), Jaylen Waddle (Dolphins) 

Tight End 

1st team: Travis Kelce (Chiefs)

2nd team: Mark Andrews (Ravens)

Tackle

1st team: Andrew Thomas (Giants), Tristan Wirfs (Buccaneers)  

2nd team: Laremy Tunsil (Texans), Ryan Ramcyzk (Saints)

Guard:

1st team: Joel Bitonio (Browns), Chris Lindstrom (Falcons) 

2nd team: Joe Thuney (Chiefs), Kevin Zeitler (Ravens) 

Center

1st team: Creed Humphrey (Chiefs) 

2nd team: Connor Willams (Dolphins)

Defensive End:

1st team: Myles Garrett (Browns), Maxx Crosby (Raiders)

2nd team: Nick Bosa (49ers), Trey Hendrickson (Bengals)

Defensive Tackle

1st team: Chris Jones (Chiefs), Quinnen Williams (Jets)

2nd team: Jeffrey Simmons (Titans), Aaron Donald (Rams)   

Outside Linebacker

1st team: Micah Parsons (Cowboys), Matthew Judon (Patriots)

2nd team: Za'darius Smith (Vikings), Von Miller (Bills) 

Inside Linebacker

1st team: DeMario Davis (Saints), Bobby Wagner (Rams)

2nd team: Matt Milano (Bills), T.J. Edwards (Eagles)

Cornerback

1st team: Darius Slay (Eagles), Patrick Surtain II (Broncos)

2nd team: Jalen Ramsey (Rams), Jamel Dean (Buccaneers) 

Safety

1st team: Minkah Fitzpatrick (Steelers), Talanoa Hufanga (49ers) 

2nd team: Derwin James (Chargers), Eddie Jackson (Bears)

Kicker

1st team: Jason Myers (Seahawks) 

2nd team: Nick Folk (Patriots) 

Punter

1st team: Tommy Townsend (Chiefs)

2nd team: Ryan Stonehouse (Titans)

Updated Playoff/Super Bowl Predictions:

AFC:

1.Chiefs

2.Bills 

3.Ravens 

4.Titans 

5.Dolphins

6.Jets 

7.Bengals

Wild Card:

Bills over Bengals 

Ravens over Jets  

Dolphins over Titans 

Divisional Round:

Chiefs over Dolphins

Bills over Ravens 

Conference Championship:

Chiefs over Bills 

NFC:

1.Eagles 

2.Vikings

3.49ers

4.Buccaneers

5.Cowboys 

6.Seahawks 

7.Giants 

Wild Card:

Vikings over Giants 

49ers over Seahawks 

Cowboys over Buccaneers 

Divisional Round:

Eagles over Cowboys 

49ers over Vikings 

Conference Championship:

Eagles over 49ers 

Super Bowl:

Chiefs over Eagles   

Jennifer Lawrence Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked": a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Jennifer Lawrence-whose latest project "Causeway" is in select theaters now and premieres on Apple TV+ tomorrow. 

Jennifer Lawrence's Filmography Ranked:

18.Like Crazy (F)

17.Passengers (C)

16.The Beaver (C)

15.mother! (C)

14.The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (B)

13.The Hunger Games (B)

12.The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 1 (B)

11.Dark Phoenix (B+)

10.Joy (B+)

9.X-Men: Apocalypse (B+)

8.Winter's Bone (B+)

7.Don't Look Up (B+)

6.Red Sparrow (B+)

5.X-Men: First Class (A-)

4.The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (A)

3.X-Men: Days of Future Past (A)

2.American Hustle (A)

1.Silver Linings Playbook (A)

Top Dog: Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Realizing that the 10-year anniversary of the release of Silver Linings Playbook is imminent is crazy. It feels like it wasn't all that long ago that I sat down in a theater and was treated to a film that expertly blended warmth with serious drama, affirmed Bradley Cooper and Lawrence as special acting talents that will be stars until the day they die and confirmed that Chris Tucker wasn't being kept in a cryogenic chamber that he could only leave when they were making or promoting a new Rush Hour movie. While I'm not completely confident Silver Linings Playbook will hold up well, I'll never forget how delightful of a watch it was when it was first released. 

Bottom Feeder: Like Crazy (2011)

Some really gifted actors (Felicity Jones, Anton Yelchin, Lawrence) get dragged down by the uniquely grating vision of Drake Doremus-who combines indie naval gazing with full-on soap opera melodrama to make an impressive mashup of suck that bores and nauseates with equal precision.

Most Underrated: Red Sparrow (2018)

No amount of shaky Russian accents could ruin this unique, uncompromisingly bleak take on the spy genre. Red Sparrow is a character-driven film that explores how the defining principles of espionage (constantly lying, the constant threat of inflicting or being on the receiving end violence, having zero allegiances to anyone outside of yourself) leads to the people involved living lives driven by fear, brutality and isolation-often in the name of a government that doesn't care whether they live or die. Bonus points go to Lawrence for delivering a great performance as a smart, resilient former ballerina who is recruited by her own uncle to be a "Sparrow"-which are a group of Russian spies that specialize in using seduction to obtain information and/or murder their targets-that is easily the most unsung of her career thus far.       

Most Overrated: Passengers (2016)

It needs to be mentioned that Passengers earned overrated status on account of its positive audience reception, not its critical reviews-which were predominantly average. Passengers remains one of the more puzzling misfires of the past 10-15 years and even Lawrence herself recently admitted in an interview with the New York Times that she regrets taking the role. A pair of charismatic stars (Lawrence, Chris Pratt) that couldn't have possibly had more buzz surrounding them at this point in time teaming up with Morten Tyldum for his follow-up to the terrific The Imitation Game should've been an easy bullseye hit, but somehow the result ended up being an innocuous sci-fi romance that harmlessly chugs along for 2 hours without providing any sincere entertainment value or unintentional comedy that it could've made it a cult classic.

2022 NFL Power Rankings: Week 9

 ()=previous ranking 

1.(1) Philadelphia Eagles (7-0) Week 9 opponent: Houston Texans 

2.(2) Buffalo Bills (6-1) Week 9 opponent: New York Jets 

3.(3) Kansas City Chiefs (6-1) Week 9 opponent: Tennessee Titans 

4.(4) Minnesota Vikings (6-1) Week 9 opponent: Washington Commanders 

5.(6) Dallas Cowboys (6-2) Week 9 opponent: Bye 

6.(5) New York Giants (6-2) Week 9 opponent: Bye 

7.(9) Baltimore Ravens (5-3) Week 9 opponent: New Orleans Saints 

8.(12) Seattle Seahawks (5-3) Week 9 opponent: Arizona Cardinals 

9.(10) Tennessee Titans (5-2) Week 9 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs 

10.(11) San Francisco 49ers (4-4) Week 9 opponent: Bye  

11.(7) New York Jets (5-3) Week 9 opponent: Buffalo Bills  

12.(13) Miami Dolphins (5-3) Week 9 opponent: Chicago Bears 

13.(8) Cincinnati Bengals (4-4) Week 9 opponent: Carolina Panthers 

14.(15) Los Angeles Chargers (4-3) Week 9 opponent: Atlanta Falcons 

15.(16) New England Patriots (4-4) Week 9 opponent: Indianapolis Colts 

16.(21) Atlanta Falcons (4-4) Week 9 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers 

17.(22) Washington Commanders (4-4) Week 9 opponent: Minnesota Vikings

18.(14) Los Angeles Rams (3-4) Week 9 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

19.(17) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5) Week 9 opponent: Los Angeles Rams 

20.(18) Green Bay Packers (3-5) Week 9 opponent: Detroit Lions 

21.(26) New Orleans Saints (3-5) Week 9 opponent: Baltimore Ravens 

22.(20) Arizona Cardinals (3-5) Week 9 opponent: Seattle Seahawks

23.(19) Indianapolis Colts (3-4-1) Week 9 opponent: New England Patriots 

24.(27) Cleveland Browns (3-5) Week 9 opponent: Bye 

25.(28) Denver Broncos (3-5) Week 9 opponent: Bye 

26.(25) Chicago Bears (3-5) Week 9 opponent: Miami Dolphins 

27.(23) Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6) Week 9 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders 

28.(24) Las Vegas Raiders (2-5) Week 9 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars 

29.(31) Carolina Panthers (2-6) Week 9 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals 

30.(29) Pittsburgh Steelers (2-6) Week 9 opponent: Bye 

31.(30) Detroit Lions (1-6) Week 9 opponent: Green Bay Packers 

32.(32) Houston Texans (1-5-1) Week 9 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles 

Week 8 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2022 Edition

Quarterback

MVP: Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins)

Facing off against the Lions horrendous defense is really the ultimate get right situation for any QB and Tagovailoa took full advantage of this golden opportunity by shredding them for 382 YDS and 3 TD's in a big comeback win for the Dolphins. He should do a bit less through the air and a bit more with his legs in a decent Week 9 matchup with the Bears.  

Honorable Mentions: Jalen Hurts (Eagles), Kyler Murray (Cardinals), Dak Prescott (Cowboys)

LVP: Derek Carr (Raiders)

The annual "Stream Derek Carr for a star quarterback that's on bye" game has once again gone spectacularly wrong. Carr looked like he spent Saturday night on Bourbon Street as he struggled to pick up 1st downs, let alone score points against a banged-up Saints defense that isn't even all that great when healthy and ended up with his one of the saddest lines (101 YDS/0 TD/1 INT) a full-time starting QB has posted in 2022 so far. Carr should go back to riding the bench for the Raiders Week 9 contest with the Jaguars. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Joe Burrow (Bengals), Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars), Russell Wilson (Broncos)

Running Back

MVP: Alvin Kamara (Saints)

This is the game Kamara's fantasy owners have been waiting all year for. The Saints dual-threat back turned 27 touches (18 carries, 9 receptions) into 158 scrimmage YDS and 3 TD's versus the Raiders weak defense in what ended up being a shocking blowout win for New Orleans. Kamara will be a top-tier RB1 play when the Saints take on the Ravens next Monday.

Honorable Mentions: Christian McCaffery (49ers), Derrick Henry (Titans), Tony Pollard (Cowboys)

LVP: Brian Robinson Jr. (Commanders)

Just when it looked like Robinson Jr. had ceased controlled of the Commanders backfield, he puts up a dud in a plus matchup (8 CAR, 20 YDS) versus the Colts that allows Antonio Gibson to keep hanging around. Robinson Jr. will be a shaky FLEX play for the Commanders Week 9 date with a Vikings defense that has quietly been tough against the run this year.

Dishonorable Mentions: Josh Jacobs (Raiders), Jonathan Taylor (Colts), Darrell Henderson Jr. (Rams)

Wide Receiver

MVP: A.J. Brown (Eagles)

It's performances like this that reenforce why the Eagles went out and traded for Brown. The star wideout straight-up abused the Steelers secondary, picking up 156 YDS and 3 TD's on only 6 catches in an easy win for the Birds. Brown has a deceptively difficult matchup with the Texans on Thursday night, so don't be shocked if he puts up middling or poor numbers. 

Honorable Mentions: Jaylen Waddle (Dolphins), DeAndre Hopkins (Cardinals), DJ Moore (Panthers)

LVP: Davante Adams (Raiders)

A "bad flu" kept Adams out of practice for most of last week and he made fantasy players vomit on Sunday afternoon with his nauseating 1 REC/3 YDS, 1 CAR/-1 YD performance against the Saints. Putrid offensive line play and the reliable up-and-downs from Derek Carr have done a lot of damage to his previous track record of impeccable consistency and barring some kind of miracle breakthrough in the 2nd half, this appears like it's just the way things are going to be with Raiders-era Adams. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Courtland Sutton (Broncos), Gabe Davis (Bills), DeVonta Smith (Eagles)

Tight End

MVP: Kyle Pitts (Falcons)

No folks, your eyes are not deceiving you. Pitts got involved in the passing game this week and reminded Arthur Smith why the team drafted him 4th overall in 2021 with a terrific 5 REC/80 YDS/1 TD showing against a respectable Panthers secondary. While nobody is going to bank on Pitts keeping this up moving forward, it was just nice to see a guy who appeared primed to have a breakout season this year flash his potential after not getting many opportunities to do so in recent weeks.

Honorable Mentions: George Kittle (49ers), Zach Ertz (Cardinals), Mike Gesicki (Dolphins)

LVP: Tyler Higbee (Rams)

Now is the time to start being concerned about Higbee's usage in the Rams offense. While his quiet Week 8 performance (2 REC/15 YDS) can be somewhat attributed to facing off against a stingy 49ers defense, Higbee has fallen behind Allen Robinson on Matthew Stafford's non-Copper Kupp target hierarchy over the past 2 weeks and will conceivably lose some targets to Van Jefferson-who appeared in his 1st game of 2022 on Sunday-once he shakes the rust off. Higbee will be a dicey, but necessary TE1 play in Sunday's meeting of the top NFC disappointments in Tampa. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Hayden Hurst (Bengals), Hunter Henry (Patriots), Robert Tonyan (Packers)

Defense/Special Teams

MVP: Eagles

Kenny Pickett and the Steelers offensive line got flat out destroyed in the Battle of Pennsylvania. Outside of surrendering a TD on their 1st drive of the game, the Eagles defense suffocated the Steelers young gun offense-registering 6 sacks, an INT and a fumble recovery in a commanding 35-13 victory. The Eagles have another incredible matchup against a similarly dismal Texans offense on Thursday night.   

Honorable Mentions: Cowboys, Patriots, Titans 

LVP: Rams

If a Kyle Shanahan-coached team played the Rams 17 times per season, their defense would be in the bottom 5 of the league. Outside of sacking Jimmy Garoppolo 3 times, Raheem Morris' group got crushed as they surrendered 31 points to the Deebo Samuel-less 49ers offense. They should be back on the good side of the fantasy radar when they face off against the Bucs struggling offense on Sunday. 

Dishonorable Mentions: 49ers, Dolphins, Bills