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