NFL Power Rankings: Week 8 Standings and Review After Sunday's Games

The NFL has long prided itself on the competitive balance around the league. The salary cap keeps an even playing field and allows teams to rebuild relatively quickly. 

But has the NFL's parity gone too far?

Sorting out the power rankings seems more difficult than ever, with few teams clearly establishing themselves at either the top or bottom. After sorting out the elite and the basement dwellers, we're left with about 20 teams that all deserve to be ranked smack in the middle. 

It wasn't easy finalizing this list, but here's a look at the latest power rankings heading into Monday night, followed by a closer look at a few of the confusing teams:

Rank	Team	W-L
1	New England Patriots	6-1
2	Dallas Cowboys	5-1
3	Minnesota Vikings	5-1
4	Denver Broncos	4-2
5	Kansas City Chiefs	4-2
6	Seattle Seahawks	4-1-1
7	Green Bay Packers	4-2
8	Atlanta Falcons	4-3
9	Oakland Raiders	5-2
10	Arizona Cardinals	3-3-1
11	Philadelphia Eagles	4-2
12	Pittsburgh Steelers	4-3
13	Cincinnati Bengals	3-4
14	Houston Texans	4-2
15	Buffalo Bills	4-3
16	Detroit Lions	4-3
17	Washington Redskins	4-3
18	New York Giants	4-3
19	San Diego Chargers	3-4
20	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	3-3
21	Los Angeles Rams	3-4
22	New York Jets	2-5
23	Miami Dolphins	3-4
24	Carolina Panthers	1-5
25	Indianapolis Colts	3-4
26	Tennessee Titans	3-4
27	Baltimore Ravens	3-4
28	New Orleans Saints	2-4
29	Jacksonville Jaguars	2-4
30	Chicago Bears	1-6
31	San Francisco 49ers	1-6
32	Cleveland Browns	0-7

3. Minnesota Vikings

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The Minnesota Vikings defense was as dominant as ever on Sunday, holding the Philadelphia Eagles offense to just 239 yards of total offense. But Sam Bradford and the Vikings offense didn't hold up their end of the bargain. Or more accurately, the offensive line didn't hold up. 

Entering Week 7, the Vikings had allowed just eight sacks all season, but the Eagles got to Bradford six times on Sunday.

Fortunately for Minnesota, it has some time to sort out the issues. The Vikings have two winnable games up next—at the Chicago Bears and at home versus the Detroit Lions—to get back on the winning track. 

If the Vikings can prove Sunday was just a blip on an otherwise impressive resume, they should remain among the handful of serious Super Bowl contenders. 

8. Atlanta Falcons

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In Week 6, the Atlanta Falcons nearly knocked off the Seahawks in Seattle, and even in defeat, they appeared to make a statement that they were a force to be reckoned with in the NFC. But on Sunday, they followed up that performance by blowing a 17-point lead at home to the lowly San Diego Chargers. 

It's difficult to make sense of the NFL when teams such as the Falcons can't defend their home turf against the likes of the Chargers. 

So is Atlanta a legitimate contender or did it just happen to get hot early in the season and raise our expectations?

The primary concern is the defense—exactly what head coach Dan Quinn was brought in to fix. 

Including Sunday's loss to San Diego, the Falcons have allowed over 400 yards of offense three times this season. 

The offense, led by quarterback Matt Ryan, has been able to overcome the defensive issues a few times, but he can't be expected to light up the scoreboard every week. If Atlanta can't figure out how to keep opponents out of the end zone, the team's slide could continue. 

16. Detroit Lions

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What are we supposed to make of the Detroit Lions?

Sure, they've won three straight games, against the Washington Redskins, Los Angeles Rams and Eagles. But they're also just a few games removed from a bad loss against the Bears in which Matthew Stafford was outplayed by journeyman Brian Hoyer. 

The Lions are 4-3 against one of the easiest schedules in the league to date. Their only matchup with a viable contender was a road loss to the Green Bay Packers. 

Despite the unconvincing results, however, Stafford's solid performance of late can't be ignored. During Detroit's three-game win streak, he's thrown eight touchdowns against zero interceptions. 

Stafford has been through many ups and downs throughout his career, so it's tough to buy in just yet. But if this hot streak is legitimate progress under the guidance of offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, then the Lions could be a team to take seriously in the second half of the season.