NFL Power Rankings Week 8: Giants Climbing, Cowboys Falling Fast

NFL Power Rankings Week 8:

Week 7 of NFL football brought us incredible upsets and ridiculous blowouts, and now it's time to power-rank all of the teams in the league as we move towards Week 8.

Teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots have continued their dominance throughout the season, and preseason favorites like the Minnesota Vikings and the Dallas Cowboys continue to struggle.

The San Francisco 49ers couldn't get it together after a Week 6 win over the Oakland Raiders, and the New York Giants have left yet another team banged-up.

So who is the best team in the NFL?

Read on to find out.

32-21: The Bottom Of The League

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ARLINGTON, TX - OCTOBER 25: Quarterback Tony Romo #9 of the Dallas Cowboys drops back to pass before a hit by Michael Boley #59 of the New York Giants in the second quarter at Cowboys Stadium on October 25, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. Romo did not return

32 (32). Buffalo Bills: The Bills came close to beating the dominant Baltimore Ravens, but "close" doesn't get you the W.

31 (27). San Francisco 49ers: I have no idea what's going on in San Fran, but I don't like it.

30 (31). Carolina Panthers: The Panthers finally won a game! Too bad it was over the 49ers.

29 (26). Dallas Cowboys: The 'Boys have only one win this season, and after last night's game, you can just about stick a fork in them.

28 (25). Jacksonville Jaguars: I felt a little sorry for the Jags when they got crushed by the Chiefs.

27 (29). Detroit Lions: The Lions are the best one-win team in the NFL.

26 (24). San Diego Chargers: The Chargers are known for starting the season pretty slow, but this is getting ridiculous.

25 (22). Denver Broncos: It's perfectly respectable to lose to the New York Jets, but getting blown out by the Oakland Raiders is just embarrassing.

24 (28). Oakland Raiders: The Raiders are starting to look like the tough football team they were in the past.

23 (20). Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals went from the top of the AFC North last season to the bottom of the division this season.

22 (30). Cleveland Browns: How about that Colt McCoy kid? The Browns could see themselves break the top 20 very soon.

21 (18). Arizona Cardinals: Considering everything the Cardinals have working against them, they are playing surprisingly well this season.

20. St. Louis Rams

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TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 24: Quarterback Sam Bradford #8 of the St. Louis Rams hands the ball off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the game at Raymond James Stadium on October 24, 2010 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)

Last Week's Ranking: 21

Why They Climb: The Rams were the worst team in the NFL last season, but the addition of Sam Bradford at quarterback has revived the franchise.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 17: Quarterback Josh Freeman #5 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throws a pass against the New Orleans Saints during the game at Raymond James Stadium on October 17, 2010 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)

Last Week's Ranking: 19

Why They Stay the Same: The Bucs played a close game with the St. Louis Rams on Sunday, and they find themselves standing higher than the New Orleans Saints in the NFC South.

18. Minnesota Vikings

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GREEN BAY, WI - OCTOBER 24: Brett Favre #4 of the Minnesota Vikings scrambles away from Frank Zombo #58 of the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on October 24, 2010 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers defeated the Vikings 28-24. (Photo by Jim Prischin

Last Week's Ranking: 17

Why They Fall: Brett Favre looked all kinds of awful against the Packers on Sunday night, and the Vikings need to think of something fast. They seem to have all the right pieces, but they can't get the W.

17. Seattle Seahawks

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SEATTLE - OCTOBER 24: Running back Marshawn Lynch #24 of the Seattle Seahawks rushes against the Arizona Cardinals at Qwest Field on October 24, 2010 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

Last Week's Ranking: 23

Why They Climb: I have been riding the Seahawks bandwagon ever since they beat up on the Niners in Week 1, and they haven't disappointed me.

16. Miami Dolphins

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MIAMI - OCTOBER 24: Receiver Brandon Marshall #19 is brought down by the Pittsburgh Steelers at Sun Life Stadium on October 24, 2010 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)

Last Week's Ranking: 16

Why They Stay the Same: The Dolphins kept it close against the dominant Pittsburgh Steelers, and they are excellent on the road. I'm putting Miami on my "watch list" this season because they are right on the cusp of becoming a very exciting football team.

15. Chicago Bears

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CHICAGO - OCTOBER 24: Jay Cutler #6 of the Chicago Bears runs against the Washington Redskins at Soldier Field on October 24, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Redskins defeated the Bears 17-14. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Last Week's Ranking: 12

Why They Fall: I don't want to blame all of the Bears' woes on Jay Cutler, but four picks against the Washington Redskins' banged-up defense? Come on!

14. Green Bay Packers

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GREEN BAY, WI - OCTOBER 24: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers congratulates Greg Jennings #85 after Jennings' touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field on October 24, 2010 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Jim Prisching/Getty Im

Last Week's Ranking: 15

Why They Climb: Despite injuries, the Packers were able to defeat Brett Favre and company on Sunday night, and they have turned into the team to beat in the NFC North.

13. Philadelphia Eagles

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PHILADELPHIA - OCTOBER 17: Kevin Kolb #4 of the Philadelphia Eagles passes against the Atlanta Falcons during their game at Lincoln Financial Field on October 17, 2010 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Last Week's Ranking: 10

Why They Fall: The Eagles had been looking pretty good all season...and then they played the Titans. Kevin Kolb's pair of interceptions didn't help matters, but I expect the Eagles to move back up in the coming weeks.

12. Houston Texans

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HOUSTON - OCTOBER 17: Running back Thomas Jones #30 of the Kansas City Chiefs is tackled by Adewale Ogunleye #99 of the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium on October 17, 2010 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

Last Week's Ranking: 9

Why They Fall: The Texans had a bye in Week 7, but other teams in the league had such terrific performances that we have to push Houston down to make room at the top of the list.

11. Washington Redskins

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CHICAGO - OCTOBER 24: Chris Cooley #47 of the Washington Redskins runs pursued by Julius Peppers #90 of the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on October 24, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Redskins defeated the Bears 17-14. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Ima

Last Week's Ranking: 14

Why They Climb: The Redskins are currently No. 2 in their division, and they are in the top five teams in the NFC. It seems like Donovan McNabb is thriving in his new home.

10. New Orleans Saints

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NEW ORLEANS - OCTOBER 24: Drew Brees #9 hands off the ball to Chris Ivory #29 of the New Orleans Saints during the game against the Cleveland Browns at the Louisiana Superdome on October 24, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Browns defeated the Saints

Last Week's Ranking: 6

Why They Fall: The Saints lost to the Cleveland Browns...and the Arizona Cardinals. Is this the "Madden Curse" rearing its ugly head?

Or are the Saints just not that good? They will host the Pittsburgh Steelers next week...

We'll see how that works out for them.

9. Indianapolis Colts

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LANDOVER, MD - OCTOBER 17: Quarterback Peyton Manning #18 of the Indianapolis Colts throws a pass against the Washington Redskins at FedExField on October 17, 2010 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Last Week's Ranking: 5

Why They Fall: Maybe the Colts will get the win over Houston in Week 8, but as for right now, there are plenty of teams better than Indy.

8. Kansas City Chiefs

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KANSAS CITY, MO - OCTOBER 24: Quarterback Matt Cassel #7 of the Kansas City Chiefs passes during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on October 24, 2010 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Last Week's Ranking: 13

Why They Rise: The Chiefs are just good. Period.

I doubted them in the beginning of the season, but now I have to give them some credit. The Chiefs have the best rushing offense in the NFL, and they will make it to the playoffs.

7. Tennessee Titans

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NASHVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 24: Kenny Britt #18 of the Tennessee Titans catches a pass while defended by Nate Allen #29 of the Philadelphia Eagles during the NFL game at LP Field on October 24, 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans won 37-19. (Photo by A

Last Week's Ranking: 8

Why They Climb: I was very impressed with the Titans' ability to come off a short week and then stomp the Philadelphia Eagles. We all knew that Chis Johnson would be awesome this season, but Kenny Britt is phenomenal. Seriously, 225 yards against the Eagles? This kid is the real deal.

6. Atlanta Falcons

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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 24: Roddy White #84 of the Atlanta Falcons scores a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals at Georgia Dome on October 24, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Last Week's Ranking: 7

Why They Climb: The Falcons are at the top of a pretty strong division, and they are definite contenders for the NFC.

5. New York Giants

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ARLINGTON, TX - OCTOBER 25: Quarterback Eli Manning #10 of the New York Giants looks to pass against the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium on October 25, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Last Week's Ranking: 11

Why They Climb: The Giants have been rolling through their competition and leaving a trail of carnage in their wake. Even with Eli Manning throwing three interceptions against the Dallas Cowboys, the Giants were still able to crush them. This is the best team in the NFC. Period.

4. Baltimore Ravens

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BALTIMORE, MD - OCTOBER 24: Todd Heap #86 of the Baltimore Ravens scores a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills at M&T Bank Stadium on October 24, 2010 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens defeated the Bills 37-34. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)

Last Week's Ranking: 4

Why They Stay the Same: The AFC North is the strongest division in the NFL, and the Ravens are hanging in there with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

3. New York Jets

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DENVER - OCTOBER 17: Quarterback Mark Sanchez #6 the New York Jets makes a pass as linebacker Mario Haggan #57 of the Denver Broncos gives chase at INVESCO Field at Mile High on October 17, 2010 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images

Last Week's Ranking: 2

Why They Fall: No offense to the the Jets here, but after some other teams' performances this week, I have to drop them a spot. Don't kill me, Jets fans. I'm sure they'll move back up in Week 8.

2. New England Patriots

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SAN DIEGO - OCTOBER 24: Quarterback Tom Brady #12 of the New England scrambles with the ball against pressure from the pass rush of Antwan Barnes #98 of the San Diego Chargers during their NFL game on October 24, 2010 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, Ca

Last Week's Ranking: 3

Why They Climb: The Pats went on the road to play a desperate San Diego team, and they pulled off the win. Did anyone notice that their Week 7 and Week 6 scores are identical?

1. Pittsburgh Steelers

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MIAMI - OCTOBER 24: Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger #7 celebrates a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium on October 24, 2010 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)

Last Week's Ranking: 1

Why They Stay the Same: The Steelers added yet another win to their record with a close win over a very strong Miami Dolphins squad, and now that they have Ben Roethlisberger back at the helm of their offense, they will finish this season with very few losses and definitely make a playoff appearance.