NFL Power Rankings 2016: AFC, NFC Records, Division Standings and Week 8 Outlook

It's been an unpredictable 2016-2017 season, to say the least. From the New England Patriots going 6-1 despite not having the services of Tom Brady for four games to last year's Super Bowl runners-up, the Carolina Panthers, starting out the season at 1-5, there is no telling what could happen as we enter some crucial divisional matchups this week.

But first, let's take a look at the power rankings heading into Week 8. While there will be many questioning how the Houston Texans, who own sole possession of first place in the AFC South, rank 28th in the power rankings, the answer is this simple: The Texans aren't a good football team and Brock Osweiler is not the answer to the franchise's prayers at the quarterback position. 

The truth hurts, but this is the reality we live in.

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

Notable Divisional Games

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys

The battle of rookie quarterbacks is finally upon us.

Dak Prescott vs. Carson Wentz will be the biggest storyline heading into this contest and will overshadow the fact that this game is a battle for first place in the NFC East.

Much has been said about Wentz's ability to stay patient in the pocket and dissect a defense, but he was exposed against the Minnesota Vikings defense in Week 7, even though the Eagles came away with the 21-10 victory.

While he's still showing great promise in Philadelphia, perhaps no other rookie is getting more praise than Prescott since he's settled in as the Cowboys' starter under center.

Joe Montana and Steve Young. Drew Bledsoe and Tom Brady. Tony Romo and Dak Prescott? The future is now for the Cowboys. Everyone seems to realize that except for the people involved—I'm looking at you, Jerry Jones.

Benching Prescott would be a huge mistake when Romo comes back. The rookie out of Mississippi State has been exceptional, and he deserves every opportunity to keep his job for the rest of the season. This game against the Eagles could very well be a toss-up, but cooler heads will prevail on Sunday. With a win, the Eagles will be tied for first place with the Cowboys in the NFC East, while a win for Dallas would give them a 6-1 record and a comfortable lead in the division. 

Arizona Cardinals vs. Carolina Panthers 

This was supposed to be the NFC Championship Game this season. The winner of this game should've been the favorites to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. But it's Week 8, and the Cardinals are clinging to a .500 record at 3-3-1 while the Panthers are trying to stop themselves from imploding at 1-5.

Arizona's abysmal performance this past Sunday night against the Seattle Seahawks was one of the worst games of football played in recent memory. And no, that is not an exaggeration.

A final score of 6-6? That's not what fans or players want to see. A tie was more of a win for Seattle and more of a loss for the Cardinals, who are still trying to find an identity on offense besides feeding David Johnson the ball every play. 

Speaking of finding an identity, what happened to the intimidating Panthers defense this season?

Call it a lack of focus, bad luck or any unfortunate circumstance, but the Panthers defense has been one of the league's worst units this season, which is shocking when you consider how dominant they were a year ago, ranking sixth in points allowed at 19.2. In six games this season, Carolina is allowing the fourth-most points to its opponents at 29.3, according to NFL.com. 

Should they have paid cornerback Josh Norman the money he warranted? Maybe. But there's no excuse for losing concentration.

The Panthers are in must-win mode for the final 10 games on their schedule, as they are three wins behind the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South. The Cardinals' tie last Sunday night did them no favors, and a win over Carolina would propel them into a two-horse race for the NFC West title along with the Seahawks.