Each week, we look through the Sunday NFL results to find one team that’s rising, one team that’s sinking, and one team that stays at the same level. You’ll see these changes reflected in our weekly Football Relativity comparison of all 32 teams. This week, we present an all-NFC version.
Lions WR Calvin Johnson celebrates after another TD, via guardian.co.uk
Rise – Detroit Lions – The Lions continue to make it hard on themselves, but for the second consecutive week they overcame a huge deficit on the road and rallied for the win. Sunday, it took two interceptions returned for touchdowns, and then two Calvin Johnson touchdown catches, but Detroit overcame the Cowboys 34-30. Detroit isn’t a perfect team – the secondary showed again this week that it can be vulnerable – but the high-caliber offense and hyper-competitiveness make the Lions a tough out. Their 4-0 record is legit.
Sink – Philadelphia Eagles – The Eagles fell to 1-3 with a home loss to San Francisco that featured a blown lead, missed field goals, and more mistakes. Philly is talented, but the Eagles’ offensive line has become a major problem, and the defense has yet to hit its stride. We won’t give up on the Eagles yet, but at this point we’ll move them down the comparison until the results match the roster.
Float – Washington Redskins – The Redskins moved to 3-1 with a 17-10 road win in St. Louis. The Rams are moribund, but the Redskins deserve credit for another strong defensive performance. Rex Grossman is still a major question mark, but the Redskins have a solid running game to go with their defense, and that’s a recipe to a solid run at the playoffs.
