Determining who are the best feeling fanbases in the NFL every week, is determined on a few things. How well they are set up for a playoff run, how well the team has been playing lately, and if they had an especially fun game like a blowout win or a comeback win. A surprising win can make a worse team feel better than the good team sneaking by an easy opponent.
Honorable Mentions
Lions: 40-14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Who are you and what have you done with the Lions? Is what everyone is asking Lions head coach Dan Campbell. Everyone’s favorite team to make fun of is suddenly not losing. The Lions have won four out of their past five games and are looking like a serious playoff threat, including absolutely smacking around the Jaguars. There have been a lot of surprises this year including the Jets, Giants, and Seahawks being good and the Rams, Broncos, and Packers being bad but the constant was the Lions still suck. Not any more! Lions fans have to be elated by how the team is playing, and even if they fall short of the playoffs, their future is looking so much better than it was five weeks ago. Plus, now they can enjoy being on the good side of a blowout, when is the last time a Lions’ fan could say that?
Cowboys: 54-19 win over the Indianapolis Colts. The Cowboys have more than enough reasons to be on this list, just the 50 burger they dropped on the Colts, you could argue warrants the inclusion by itself. They have now won four out of five games and are averaging an astronomical 39.8 points per game, over those games. On the season they are the third highest scoring offense and the third best scoring defense. The Cowboys also own the third best record in the NFC. The bad is the Colts did stick around a long time, it was 19-21 entering the fourth, and the Cowboys currently have the 5th seed and are two games behind the Eagles for the division lead. Neither are very bad things, most teams would love those to be their biggest issues. The Cowboys are one of the most complete teams in the NFL and could be as high up as number one on this list, but someone has to just miss the list, this week it is the Dallas Cowboys.
#3 Buccaneers
17-16 win over the New Orleans Saints. The Buccaneers pulled off an absolute miraculous comeback. It was the second time in Tom Brady’s career that he had been down by over eight in the fourth quarter and came back to win, the other being his 28-3 comeback win in the Super Bowl against the Falcons. This time the Buccaneers were down 16-3 and had been dominated for most of the previous 55 minutes of the game. But when you’re playing against Tom Brady, the last five minutes can be just as important as the first 55. Sure enough he led two back to back touchdown drives, scoring with three seconds left to win the game. Usually a 6-6 team wouldn’t make this list, but this is unique circumstances. Firstly, they snatched a victory that was so tight in the jaws of defeat you have to question whether Tom Brady put the game in an infinite time loop until he won. Second, not only are they not desperately trying to make the playoffs like most teams with a 6-6 record but actually have a cushy two game lead in their division, thanks to being in the worst division in the NFL. Third, they still have one of the most talented rosters in the NFL and if they can get healthy, they can match up with anyone. Lastly, they still have Tom Brady which means they have a chance to win it all. Bucs fans are living the good life right now, with not much to worry about until the playoffs, hell the Buccaneers could lose their last five games and still have an outside chance of making the playoffs.
#2 Bengals
27-24 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bengals have now won their last four games in a row and are looking more dangerous than at any other point this season. Over the last four games, the offense is averaging 31.5 points per game and that is with one of their most explosive weapons, Ja’marr Chase, missing three of those games with injury. But the main reason why this team is the number two team on the best feeling fan bases is who they beat, specifically, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Leading up to the week, the Chiefs were the number one seed in the AFC, had the MVP favorite, and were considered hands down the best team in the AFC. Now, after the Bengals beat them, while they still could end up as the one seed, and obviously still have Mahomes, Andy Reid, and the rest of their team, they have lost a lot of their aura of invincibility. On the other side, the Bengals now have it. They have now beaten the Chiefs for the 3rd time this calendar year and during this four game run they have also beat, a very good Titans team. The win also moves the Bengals to tied for the third best record in the AFC, only one game behind the Bills and Chiefs (who they would hold the tiebreaker over), the race for the number one seed just got a whole lot closer. With the Bengals now having Ja’Marr Chase back, their offense looks like one of the most dangerous in the league and with an above average defense (13th in points per game), this team is in the very exclusive conversation for best team in football.
#1 Eagles
35-10 win over the Tennessee Titans. The Eagles showed again why, at least until proven otherwise, they are the best team in the NFL. Last Sunday they faced off against a very good Titans team who was 7-2 in their last nine games with only close losses to the Chiefs and Bengals keeping them from being 9-0. You wouldn’t have known that considering how badly the Eagles beat them, while the team’s run offense couldn’t get much going, they didn’t need it. The Eagles shredded the Titans through the air, throwing for 386 yards in the game, and in the first half alone, Jalen Hurts had 268 yards passing with 2 passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown. The Eagles’ go to playmaker in this game was star receiver AJ Brown, who they acquired from the Titans this last offseason, as he completed his own personal revenge game with 8 catches for 119 yards and 2 touchdowns. Virtually everything was going to plan, even their run defense, which had been a point of concern occasionally throughout the year, showed up and showed out. Limiting super star running back Derrick Henry to just 30 yards on 11 carries with his longest run of the day being 6 yards. In maybe their most complete game of the year, the Eagles showed the rest of the NFL just how dangerous they can be when they get everything going. Eagles fans are loving life right now, as they improved to 11-1, the best record in the NFL.