NFL Week 8 Power Rankings

Kyle Terada - USA TODAY Sports

Every week that passes in the NFL season, we find out more about every team in the league. With every win, as well as every loss, comes a revelation. Power rankings are more difficult to do than they seem. Some teams have injuries, others may have just played a bad game. Nonetheless, here are my power rankings after week 8 of the NFL season, Monday night’s game pending.

1. New England Patriots (8-0)

(W) 27-14 vs Cleveland

The Patriots are pretty good. The defending champs have not lost a game since week 15 of last year. They have maybe the best defense ever, especially considering the era of offensive football we are currently in. New England has not conceded more than 14 points all season and their defense has scored more touchdowns than it has allowed. Oh, and they also have Tom Brady.

2. San Francisco 49ers (7-0)

(W) 51-13 vs Carolina

The only other undefeated team in the league is San Francisco and boy do they look special. Despite average play from Jimmy Garoppolo, they have mostly destroyed their opponents. The 49ers are riding their run game and defense to victories. In the four games after their bye, they have allowed a combined 20 points. Beware of the ‘9ers.

3. New Orleans Saints (7-1)

(W) 31-9 vs Arizona

The previous five games saw Teddy Bridgewater start under center for New Orleans. The Saints went 5-0 in that span, beating some very formidable opponents. No longer must Bridgewater steer the ship, as Drew Brees returned this Sunday versus the Arizona Cardinals and look nearly flawless. New Orleans is a complete football team with no weakness and a first-ballot hall of fame quarterback.

4. Green Bay Packers (7-1)

(W) 31-24 vs Kansas City

Aaron Rodgers FINALLY has a complete football team surrounding him. Gone are the days of the Packers relying on Rodgers’ heroics every game just to scrape .500. New head coach Matt Lafleur can consistently call on his run game and defense to win games. Yet, Green Bay still has one of the greatest talents at the position we have ever seen. The league better be on notice.

5. Baltimore Ravens (5-2)

Bye Week

Baltimore lives and dies by the play of quarterback Lamar Jackson. He is one of the most dynamic athletes in the entire NFL, regardless of position. But the Ravens D has not matched LJ’s production. The Ravens are notoriously associated with having a great defense, but not this year. Week 7 versus Seattle was the only game all season they even played decently. If the defense can continue to improve and Lamar can keep performing at his current level, the sky is the limit for this team.

6. Seattle Seahawks (6-2)

(W) 27-20 vs Atlanta

Seattle has arguably the leading candidate for MVP right now in Russell Wilson. Combine that with a respectable defense and one of the best rushing attacks in the league, and you have a top tier team in the Seahawks. The win versus Atlanta was not spectacular, but it was a win.

7. Minnesota Vikings (6-2)

(W) 19-9 vs Washington

The Minnesota Vikings were always supposed to play at this level, what held them back was Kirk Cousins’ horrific play early in the year. Cousins’ has since turned it around and the Vikings have taken off, winning four in a row. They will go as Cousins goes.

8. Kansas City Chiefs (5-3)

(L) 24-31 vs Green Bay

Last week versus Denver; the Chiefs transcendent star, Patrick Mahomes, dislocated his knee. Fortunately; he will be back soon, but Kansas City could have used him Sunday night. Though the Chiefs still played well considering all the players they had inactive. Once Mahomes gets back, this team will catapult back to the top of the league.

9. Los Angeles Rams (5-3)

(W) 24-10 vs Bengals

Who knows what to make of the Rams, one week they look like the defending NFC champions, the next they look like a bubble playoff team. The only thing that is for sure is that the Rams better hope they have finally figured it out. If not, they will quickly fall out of playoff contention in the incredibly tough NFC West.

10. Dallas Cowboys (4-3)

Bye Week

‘America’s team’ has looked like two polar opposite versions of themselves in their last two outings. They got trounced in the first three quarters in week 6 against the bottom-feeder Jets, but then absolutely put it on their division rival, Philadelphia, last week before their bye. Consistency is the Cowboys’ only problem.

11. Indianapolis Colts (5-2)

(W) 15-13 vs Denver

The Colts have a really good team top to bottom, arguably the deepest team in the league. They are just missing a top-shelf QB to put them over the hump. Maybe Jacoby Brissett can improve his play in the second half of the season, maybe not. If he does, this team will be a tough out in the post-season.

12. Houston Texans (5-3)

(W) 27-24 vs Oakland

This Sunday the Texans lost their heart and soul JJ Watt to a torn pectoral muscle. It is a big hit to Houston’s defense, as well as their locker room; but this team will only go as far as Deshaun Watson can take them. As long as Watson is healthy the Texans will always have a chance.

13. Philadelphia Eagles (4-4)

(W) 31-13 vs Buffalo

The Eagles have been decimated by injuries to their already weak secondary. It also has not helped that their offense has yet to play to their full ability. The offensive line is not as good as advertised and their receivers might as well catch passes with their feet. Philadelphia better pick it up soon before Dallas runs away with the division.

14. Buffalo Bills (5-2)

(L) 13-31 vs Philadelphia

Buffalo got smacked around by a middling Eagles team, but that does not take away what they have done this season. Before last week their defense was playing as well as any unit outside of New England. The Bills can only go where their defense takes them as long as Josh Allen continues to struggle.

15. Detroit Lions (3-3-1)

(W) 31-26 vs New York Giants

The Lions are a bad football team, simple as that. The only thing keeping them from the bottom of the league is the play of Matthew Stafford. They have decent offensive skill positions, but their secondary, despite having one of the game’s best corners, is atrocious. The Lions will finish yet another season right around the .500 mark.

16. Carolina Panthers (4-3)

(L) 13-51 vs San Francisco

After winning four in a row with Kyle Allen taking over for an injured Cam Newton, Carolina got obliterated by the 49ers. This only confirms what everyone already knew; even with Christian McCaffrey balling out of control, the Panthers are going nowhere unless Cam can return and look like his former MVP self.

17. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-4)

(W) vs 29-15 New York Jets

For whatever reason, the Jaguars cannot seem to be anything better than average. They have an uber-talented defense, even with the loss of Jalen Ramsey. They have a monster at running back and a shiny-new weapon out wide in D.J Chark, not to mention Minshew Mania. This team can be scary if they put it together.

18. Oakland Raiders (3-4)

(L) 27-24 vs Houston

Thus far the Raiders have outperformed expectations in what is their last season in Oakland. Unfortunately for them, they have faced one of the toughest schedules in the entire league. It gets easier from this point forward, so maybe they can make a run at a wild card spot.

19. Tennessee Titans (4-4)

(W) 27-23 vs Tampa Bay

Who would have ever guessed that Ryan Tannehill might potentially save the Titans’ season? Even with two starts and two wins; Tannehill has not been great, he has barely even been good, but he is not throwing away games like Mariota. That has given Tennessee hope in the competitive AFC South.

20. Los Angeles Chargers (3-5)

(W) 17-16 vs Chicago

The worst of LA’s two football teams have had a very disappointing year so far. The Chargers came into the year as possible Super Bowl contenders and are now in very real danger of missing the playoffs. The good news is that the season is not over and there is still time to turn it around, Sunday’s game was a good start.

21. Chicago Bears (3-4)

(L) 16-17 vs Los Angeles Chargers

The Bears found yet another way to lose this weekend. Well, more like rediscovered a way to lose as Eddy Pineiro missed a game-winning 41-yard field goal. Mitchell Trubisky finally did something, getting the Bears into position to win the game and they lose off a missed kick. Chicago will likely find itself missing the playoffs and having to answer to a fanbase hungry for success.

22. Arizona Cardinals (3-4-1)

(L) 9-31 vs New Orleans

Arizona has played unexpectedly well for a team predicted to be one of the worst in the league. Kyler Murray has been great for a rookie. If the organization can fix the O-line and add some defensive pieces, the Cardinals can be a force in the very near future. Until then, Arizona is still a below-average team.

23. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-4)

Monday Night vs Miami

As it stands right now, Pittsburgh is 2-4; but they are ranked assuming they beat the Dolphins Monday night. The Steelers season was over the second Ben Roethlisberger was ruled out the remainder of the season. They are not making the playoffs but are playing admirably in the midst of their quarterback’s absence.

24. New York Giants (2-6)

(L) 26-31 vs Detroit

After calling on Daniel Jones to take over for Eli Manning, the Giants won two games in a row. Since then, they have lost four straight; with number five likely on the way next week in Dallas. Jones has looked the part though and the Giants should be happy with his play, but as of now it has not been enough; keeping New York towards the bottom of the league.

25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-5)

(L) 23-27 vs Tennessee

After a surprisingly encouraging start to the season for Jameis Winston and the Bucs, it’s right back to the basement for Tampa Bay and the former number one overall pick. The Buccaneers have lost three consecutive contests and the end does not seem to be in sight.

26. Cleveland Browns (2-5)

(L) 13-27 vs Cleveland

I wish I could say I feel bad for Cleveland, but I would be lying. They talked themselves up as if they were Super Bowl champions and now the sky is falling. They just lost (obviously) to the Patriots and have dropped three straight. By no means are they finished, but they will have a tough path to the playoffs; even with an easy schedule the rest of the way.

27. Denver Broncos (2-6)

(L) 13-15 vs Indianapolis

Other than a blowout loss to Kansas City in week 7, all of Denver’s losses have been relatively close. They are coming off of a loss where Adam Vinatieri nailed a 55-yard game-winning field goal. If they had an above-average signal-caller, they could be 6-2. Unfortunately, that is not the reality of the situation.

28. New York Jets (1-6)

(L) 15-29 vs Jacksonville

If it were not for Sam Darnold missing three weeks, New York would be even lower on this list. The fact of the matter is the Jets suck with or without Darnold, but they should not be judged too harshly when Luke Faulk started three out of their seven games. Even with their starting quarterback returning the Jets have dropped their last two by a combined 47 points.

29. Atlanta Falcons (1-7)

(L) 20-27 vs Seattle

It was not that long ago that Atlanta was representing the NFC in the Super Bowl. Now they are the biggest disappointment of the 2019 NFL season. They cannot be faulted for losing this week versus Seattle with Matt Ryan out with an injury. What they can be criticized for is their abysmal defensive play all season long. Can the football gods please get Julio out of Atlanta?

30. Washington (1-7)

(L) 9-19 vs Minnesota

Keenum, Haskins, Keenum, McCoy, Keenum, Haskins. That right there just about sums up Washington’s dumpster fire of a season. It was no surprise they lost this week.

31. Cincinnati Bengals (0-8)

(L) 10-24 vs Los Angeles Rams

With a loss on Sunday, the Bengals have kept themselves in the race for the worst record in the NFL. Somehow this team might be worse than the Miami Dolphins. They have not experienced the blowouts that Miami has so, for now, they are just the second-worst team in the league.

32. Miami Dolphins (0-6)

Monday Night vs Pittsburgh

Miami is going to lose Monday night, probably by a lot. With Josh Rosen manning the quarterback position this might be the worst team ever. When Ryan Fitzpatrick is playing the part, they are just the worst team in the league this season. Who put these guys on primetime?

- Paul Hessing