Which NFL teams are actually contenders - and which are pretenders? On this episode of 4th & Football, Kyle Crabbs and Garret Greenlee break down the teams sitting around the middle of the NFL standings after five weeks and determine which teams they actually believe can make a playoff run. The guys begin with the teams at the top of the standings, including the Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers. The Giants are one of the most interesting teams in the discussion. Despite being a one-loss team, the guys aren't convinced they're a legitimate Super Bowl contender, but they do believe New York could actually win the NFC East because of how open the division has become. The conversation then moves to the NFC North, where the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears are all sitting at 3-2. Green Bay gets a strong endorsement as a contender, especially with Michael Parsons potentially returning and Jordan Love playing at a high level. Chicago also receives the benefit of the doubt after losing with its second- and third-string quarterbacks. Detroit is where the guys disagree. The Lions' offense can beat anybody, but their defense is giving up nearly 30 points per game. Kyle is particularly concerned about Detroit having to play outdoors late in the season and potentially on the road in the playoffs. The Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks also enter the contender discussion, with the Rams' biggest concern being their disastrous special teams play despite producing more than 415 yards of offense in each game since returning from Australia. Second Down turns to the AFC. The New England Patriots receive a strong contender label after beating Buffalo and then exploding offensively against Las Vegas. Drake Maye has dramatically improved after a rough opening stretch, and the Patriots are getting healthier. The AFC North produces more disagreement. The Steelers and Browns are labeled pretenders, while Cincinnati is considered a team capable of making the playoffs but potentially lacking the balance necessary to make a deep postseason run. The guys also debate the Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders. Denver's 3-2 record is impressive, but the offense remains inconsistent and the team has relied heavily on fourth-quarter comebacks. The Raiders are also viewed as pretenders despite their strong start. Finally, the guys call their shots on teams they did not discuss earlier. Garret picks the Atlanta Falcons as his dark-horse playoff team, while Kyle selects the Houston Texans. They finish by predicting the Cowboys-Packers matchup and Monday Night Football between Washington and San Francisco - including a bold prediction that Dan Quinn could be fired during Washington's bye week. Who is the biggest contender you believe in? Who is the biggest pretender? And which team outside this discussion has the best chance to make the playoffs? Let us know in the comments. This is 4th & Football with Kyle Crabbs and Garret Greenlee.
