NFL Power Rankings Week 8: Review and Reaction to 2016 League Standings
Now that the Denver Broncos and Houston Texans are finished with their Monday night battle—Denver won 27-9—it's time to officially mark the end of Week 7.
We saw some intriguing action in the past week, beginning with a bounce-back game for the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night. The Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings were both on the receiving ends of upset losses. The Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks played to a draw on Sunday night.
Those Broncos and Texans? Well, Denver got back to looking like a legitimate title contender, while Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler looked like an offseason mistake.
All of this, of course, has an effect on how we view the NFL landscape at large, and that's what we're going to examine here. We'll inspect the standings heading into Week 8, provide our power rankings and take a look at some of the biggest storylines coming out of Week 7.
NFL Standings
| New England Patriots | 6-1 | 1-1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 4-3 | 1-2 |
| Miami Dolphins | 3-4 | 1-1 |
| New York Jets | 2-5 | 1-0 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 4-3 | 1-0 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 3-4 | 1-0 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 3-4 | 1-1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 0-7 | 0-2 |
| Houston Texans | 4-3 | 2-0 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 3-4 | 1-2 |
| Tennessee Titans | 3-4 | 0-2 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 2-4 | 1-0 |
| Oakland Raiders | 5-2 | 1-1 |
| Denver Broncos | 5-2 | 0-1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 4-2 | 2-0 |
| San Diego Chargers | 3-4 | 1-2 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 5-1 | 1-1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 4-2 | 0-1 |
| Washington Redskins | 4-3 | 2-1 |
| New York Giants | 4-3 | 1-1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 5-1 | 1-0 |
| Green Bay Packers | 4-2 | 2-1 |
| Detroit Lions | 4-3 | 0-2 |
| Chicago Bears | 1-6 | 1-1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 4-3 | 2-1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3-3 | 2-0 |
| New Orleans Saints | 2-4 | 1-1 |
| Carolina Panthers | 1-5 | 0-3 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 4-1-1 | 1-1-1 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 3-3-1 | 1-1-1 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 3-4 | 2-1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 1-6 | 1-2 |
Power Rankings
| 1 | New England Patriots | 6-1 |
| 2 | Dallas Cowboys | 5-1 |
| 3 | Minnesota Vikings | 5-1 |
| 4 | Seattle Seahawks | 4-1-1 |
| 5 | Denver Broncos | 5-2 |
| 6 | Kansas City Chiefs | 4-2 |
| 7 | Green Bay Packers | 4-2 |
| 8 | Oakland Raiders | 5-2 |
| 9 | Philadelphia Eagles | 4-2 |
| 10 | Atlanta Falcons | 4-3 |
| 11 | Houston Texans | 4-3 |
| 12 | Arizona Cardinals | 3-3-1 |
| 13 | Buffalo Bills | 4-3 |
| 14 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 4-3 |
| 15 | New York Giants | 4-3 |
| 16 | Washington Redskins | 4-3 |
| 17 | Detroit Lions | 4-3 |
| 18 | Cincinnati Bengals | 3-4 |
| 19 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3-3 |
| 20 | Los Angeles Rams | 3-4 |
| 21 | San Diego Chargers | 3-4 |
| 22 | Miami Dolphins | 3-4 |
| 23 | Baltimore Ravens | 3-4 |
| 24 | Indianapolis Colts | 3-4 |
| 25 | Tennessee Titans | 3-4 |
| 26 | New Orleans Saints | 2-4 |
| 27 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 2-4 |
| 28 | Carolina Panthers | 1-5 |
| 29 | New York Jets | 2-5 |
| 30 | Chicago Bears | 1-6 |
| 31 | San Francisco 49ers | 1-6 |
| 32 | Cleveland Browns | 0-7 |
Notable Storylines
Offensive Lines a Problem for Top Teams
The previously undefeated Vikings lost on Sunday, while the Seahawks were forced to settle for a tie. In both cases, shaky offensive lines were partially to blame.
This brings up a fair question for teams like Minnesota and Seattle. As great as these teams seem to be, can they survive deep into the postseason with such a huge weakness? The reality is that it's hard to imagine either team being a true title contender without first addressing the line.
Pro Football Focus rates Seattle dead last in pass blocking. Minnesota is rated 31st in pass blocking, and the Broncos are 29th.
The good news for contending teams looking for line help is that there are a couple of premier options out there.
Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com reported that the Cleveland Browns are at least listening to offers for Pro Bowl tackle Joe Thomas, and the San Francisco 49ers are doing the same for Pro Bowl tackle Joe Staley.
Browns head coach Hue Jackson has shot down the idea of trading away his one proven commodity.
"Joe Thomas has a lot to do with what we're trying to accomplish here in the future," Jackson said, per NFL.com's Conor Orr. "So like you said, there's a lot of reports, and that's just what they are."
Still, there's a big difference between not actively looking to move a player and hearing out offers. If a contending team really wants to shore up its line, it can at least try targeting either Thomas or Staley—even if some coaches are confused by the idea, per Liz Mathews of 710 ESPN Seattle:
If these lines are not improved, they could develop into serious issues down the stretch.
Steelers Need Big Ben Back in a Hurry
The Pittsburgh Steelers weren't able to put up an adequate fight against the New England Patriots on Sunday, in large part because starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger remains sidelined with a torn meniscus.
The loss was the second in a row for Pittsburgh, and it dropped the team to 4-3. It also opened the door for the Cincinnati Bengals and the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North. The Bengals will have a chance to move to 4-4 this week, while the Steelers and Ravens sit idle on bye.
If the Steelers are forced to play without Roethlisberger for an extended period, there's a chance they put themselves in a sizable hole within their division. This is a team that has weapons, especially on offense, but those weapons operate much more efficiently with Big Ben under center.
The good news is that Roethlisberger may be back sooner than originally anticipated.
CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora reported that the Steelers believe Roethlisberger might only miss a couple of games, and he might even be able to return for the Week 9 matchup with Baltimore.
If the Steelers can get Roethlisberger back soon and return to winning games, the team will likely rise back toward the top of our power rankings. If the losing skid continues, however, expect the team to continue falling.
Brock Osweiler Is Not Looking Like the Answer in Houston
This past offseason, the Texans lured Osweiler away from Denver with a massive four-year, $72 million contract.
The 25-year-old quarterback returned to Denver on Monday and showed his old team that...well, maybe his new team overpaid.
Osweiler was mostly inefficient against Denver, as he has been much of the season. Sure, he is playing in a new environment and with a new system, but Osweiler simply hasn't looked like the franchise quarterback the Texans thought they were buying.
Through seven weeks, Osweiler has completed 58.2 percent of his passes. He has thrown for 1,533 yards with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions. He holds a passer rating of just 71.9, and he is rated dead last among 69 quarterbacks by Pro Football Focus for the season.
The Denver crowd booed Osweiler when he stepped onto the field. It wouldn't be a shock if he is booed by Houston fans the next time he steps into NRG Stadium. If Osweiler doesn't improve with a quickness, many will view him as an official offseason bust.
The problem for Houston is that the team guaranteed $37 million of Osweiler's contract. Cutting him isn't exactly the best option, and trading him with his current contract probably isn't a realistic possibility.
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