NFL Power Rankings: Breaking Down All 32 Teams After Sunday Night Football

There were some absolutely wild games on Sunday, and with Week 8 starting to wrap up we can go ahead and take a look at the most updated NFL power rankings.

The Detroit Lions won in an absolute thriller, the Cincinnati Bengals demolished the New York Jets, and the Jacksonville Jaguars are still really bad.  There were upsets, blowouts and just about everything you can think of in Week 8, but we're still not done, as the St. Louis Rams and Seattle Seahawks will take each other on during Monday Night Football.

But before that game is played, let's take a look at the most recent power rankings with a breakdown of all 32 teams.

32. Jacksonville Jaguars

I was stuck between two different teams for the bottom spot in this week's rankings, but the 42-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers reminded me that the Jaguars are still the worst team in football.

The Jaguars aren't just bad; they're awful.  They've scored 20 or more points in just one game, and they're well on their way to the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft.

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

While the Jaguars are bad, at least they were expecting it.  Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are simply spiraling out of control.

The switch to Mike Glennon hasn't helped this team win games, but it certainly doesn't help when the coaches force the rookie quarterback to throw at least 40 times in every single game.

Greg Schiano is officially on the hot seat, and the Bucs are in contention for the label of worst team in the NFL.

30. Minnesota Vikings

The final score was 44-31 with the Green Bay Packers beating the Minnesota Vikings, but don't let the score fool you.  The Vikings got crushed in this one.

The defense for Minnesota is one of the worst in the league, and the Vikings couldn't really stop anything this week.  It doesn't seem to matter who is playing quarterback because the rest of this team is failing to win games.

Maybe Josh Freeman will be able to turn it around when he comes back, but I really don't think it will do much good.  The quarterback position isn't the only problem on this team, and the Vikings are going to need to focus on rebuilding after this year.

29. Houston Texans

Even though the Houston Texans had a bye week, they still dropped in the latest rankings as a couple of teams behind them came out with solid wins.

Matt Schaub is likely going to be done as the starting quarterback after this season, and now the Texans have a ton of questions to answer.  J.J. Watt will keep leading a solid defense, but they're in a bad position after losing Brian Cushing to a torn ACL.

There's a ton of talent on this team, but without a consistent starting quarterback, this team will continue to fall apart.

28. Pittsburgh Steelers

Just when it looked like the Pittsburgh Steelers were going to turn it around in 2013, they allowed Terrelle Pryor to run for a 93-yard touchdown and lost to the Oakland Raiders.

Age seems to be catching up with this team, especially on defense.  Troy Polamalu isn't playing like he used to, and neither is the rest of the team.

Ben Roethlisberger keeps trying to carry the team to victory, but he just can't do it anymore with how many holes there are now on this team.

27. Cleveland Browns

The Kansas City Chiefs have to lose at some point, but they were able to pull out a close 23-17 win this week over the Cleveland Browns.

Jason Campbell actually played quite well after taking the starting job.  He threw for 293 yards and two touchdowns without an interception.  The offense put up 340 total yards and turned the ball over just once, but it wasn't enough as the Chiefs just played a better overall game.

The Browns should get some credit in this tough loss, but they're still not there yet.  They're going to have some work to do this offseason if they want to start winning more games.

26. New York Giants

Congratulations, New York Giants fans. Your team has won two straight games, and it is now just two games back in the NFC East.

The entire division is a trainwreck right now, and the Giants are at the bottom of it.  The good news for them is that their defense is beginning to turn it around, allowing just 14 total points in the past two games.

There's still a lot of work to be done, but at least the Giants are starting to win some games.

25. Oakland Raiders

Like we said before, the Raiders were able to pull out a big win.  Pryor didn't have the best game through the air, but his legs were enough to give the Raiders their third win of the year.

Darren McFadden finally looked healthy coming out of the bye week.  He ran for 73 yards and two touchdowns in the win, showing that all he needed was some rest in order to be the explosive player everyone knows he can be.

There's still not a ton of talent on this team, but they're finding ways to win some games.

24. Philadelphia Eagles

It hasn't been pretty for the Philadelphia Eagles these last few weeks, but it's also not fair to be this hard on a team that's been playing with its No. 3 quarterback.

Matt Barkley has not had a good start to his NFL career.  According to the NFL on ESPN Twitter account, his first four career drives ended in turnovers.

It's not going to be a fun season in Philadelphia, yet I'm not planning on dropping the Eagles near the bottom until they get a chance to play a couple more games with Michael Vick or Nick Foles.

23. Washington Redskins

Say what you want about the Washington Redskins, but they came to play in the first half against the Denver Broncos.

The Redskins did lose 45-21, but they were able to go up 21-7 in the third quarter after DeAngelo Hall returned an interception for a touchdown.  Hall had another interception later in the game, taking a ball away from Demaryius Thomas.

Defensively, this team still needs to find ways to stop giving up so many points.  This is the second straight game where it has given up at least 40 points, so something needs to change if the team at least wants to give its offense a shot at winning.

22. Buffalo Bills

Another loss moves the Buffalo Bills to 3-5, but at least they've had some respectable wins this season.

As of right now, the Bills are just trying to get through the season.  E.J. Manuel has been absent for the last few games, and it's not going to be a lot of fun until he gets back.

The good news for the Bills is that some great young players are starting to emerge, including Kiko Alonso and Robert Woods.  This team is slowly rebuilding, and it is a couple of years away from being a playoff-caliber team in the AFC.

21. Tennessee Titans

After starting the season going 3-1, the Tennessee Titans lost three straight entering their bye week.

Jake Locker is finally back, and he's been playing great this season.  He's completed over 60 percent of his passes for 1,047 yards, eight touchdowns and just one interception, showing the Titans that he very well may be the franchise quarterback they've been hoping for.

Back-to-back games against the St. Louis Rams and Jaguars will give the Titans a chance to win some more games, but Locker is going to have to keep playing at a high level in order to make his team a potential threat in the AFC.

20. Atlanta Falcons

All of the talk about the Atlanta Falcons being a possible Super Bowl team has quickly faded away thanks to a 2-5 start.

The Falcons lost another one this week against the Arizona Cardinals.  Matt Ryan, who had been so solid this season, threw for 301 yards and a touchdown along with four interceptions, killing the offense's momentum throughout the game.

Without Roddy White and Julio Jones, the Falcons are struggling.  They already have a suspect defense, meaning that without offensive weapons this team isn't going to win a ton of games in 2013.

19. St. Louis Rams

I don't expect the Rams to win on Monday, but that doesn't change the fact that they're at least having an average season.

That's likely going to change quickly, especially since Sam Bradford is going to miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL.  Kellen Clemens is going to have to step up, and there are few people who actually think he can do that.

18. Arizona Cardinals

The NFC West isn't a fun division to play in right now, and the Cardinals should start getting a little bit more respect.

When the Cardinals aren't playing in their division, they're 4-1, with the one loss coming to the New Orleans Saints.  They head into their bye week with a big win over the Falcons, and their defense is showing that it can force a lot of turnovers.

17. San Diego Chargers

The San Diego Chargers went into their bye week with two straight wins, and the closer I look, the more I see a team with some real potential.  

Right now, the Chargers are just 4-3, but they've lost those three games by just a combined 16 points.  Meanwhile, Philip Rivers is having one terrific season, throwing for over 2,100 yards and 15 touchdowns while completing 73.9 percent of his passes.

The defense is still really suspect, but Rivers is keeping San Diego in games with his arm.

16. New York Jets

The most maddeningly inconsistent team in the NFL, the Jets have failed to win or lose two consecutive games.  After winning in overtime against the New England Patriots, the Jets turned around and got blown out 49-9 against the Bengals.

The entire team's success seems to depend on Geno Smith, and he didn't show up this week.  He threw for 159 yards and two interceptions, with both of them being returned for touchdowns.

Turnovers will haunt this team all season, but we've seen flashes of greatness from them.  We will just have to wait and see if this team can prove whether or not it's the real deal.

15. Baltimore Ravens

Yet another team on bye week, the Baltimore Ravens went into theirs with two straight losses.  

Despite having Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce in the backfield, the Ravens are averaging just 74 rushing yards per game and only 2.8 yards per carry.

Without a consistent running game, Joe Flacco isn't making the plays the Ravens hoped he would.  The defense is starting to shape nicely, but the offense is just too dysfunctional right now for this team to be really successful.

14. Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins have lost some really tough games over the past few weeks, but this one against the New England Patriots might have been the toughest.

After going up 17-3 at halftime, the Dolphins were unable to hold onto the lead, with the Patriots scoring 24 unanswered points.  Ryan Tannehill had some rough interceptions, and those killed their chances in this one.

With four straight losses, maybe this team isn't as good as we once thought, but I'm letting this most recent loss slide after how hard I saw them play.

13. Carolina Panthers

When the Carolina Panthers win, they win big.

In their last three games, all of which have been wins, the Panthers have outscored their opponents 96-38.  Cam Newton has shown off his explosiveness and is leading the offense to some big numbers.

The big story for Carolina right now is its defense, which is allowing just around 300 total yards of offense per game.  As long as the defense keeps playing like this and Newton keeps making plays, the Panthers could beat most of the teams in the NFL.

12. Dallas Cowboys

It was an unfortunate ending to the game, but the Dallas Cowboys played well up until the final minute against the Lions.

Tony Romo played a big game throwing for 206 yards and three touchdowns.  Dez Bryant stepped up as well with three receptions for 72 yards and two scores.

However, the defense can't keep giving up plays through the air, especially when it adds up to 480 passing yards.

11. Chicago Bears

Injuries to Jay Cutler and Lance Briggs are going to hurt this team, but at least they got an extra week to transition the backups into starting roles while other guys get healthy.

The Chicago Bears won't have any time to waste coming out of the bye, however, as they will be playing the Packers next week on Monday Night Football.  Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery have played great, but they're going to have to hope Josh McCown can get them the ball.

10. Detroit Lions

Apparently when Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson are on the same page, good things are bound to eventually happen.

Stafford threw for 488 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions along with a game-winning touchdown on a quarterback sneak, but the bigger story was Johnson.  He caught 14 passes for a score and 329 receiving yards, the second-most yards ever in a game.

This offense can do just about anything, and if the defense can improve even the slightest bit, the Lions could be a playoff team in the NFC.

9. New England Patriots

For as many ups and downs as the Patriots have had, they're still 6-2 to start the season.

With Rob Gronkowski and Danny Amendola back, this offense just got a lot more dangerous.  Kenbrell Thompkins and Aaron Dobson were able to get plenty of in-game experience while both of them were gone, and that's going to pay huge dividends down the road.

Don't expect a lot of pretty wins this season, but Tom Brady knows what he's doing, and the Patriots shouldn't have much of a problem winning the AFC East.

8. Green Bay Packers

Even without Randall Cobb, James Jones and Jermichael Finley, Aaron Rodgers can still carry the Packers.  

At 5-2, the Packers have won their last four games.  The offense has been great, with the big surprise being the running game.  The team ran for 182 yards and two touchdowns against the Vikings, with Eddie Lacy running for 94 yards and a score of his own.

The defense keeps stepping up with big plays, so expect the Packers to be as good as always this year.

7. Cincinnati Bengals

When you blow out a supposedly solid opponent, you know you're doing something right.

Andy Dalton continues to improve each and every week.  In this game, he threw for a career-high five touchdowns along with 325 yards and an interception.  

At this rate, he'll be in the talk for a Pro Bowl spot at the end of the year.

The defense is still strong, and the offense keeps getting better, so be ready for this team to be a real threat in the playoffs.

6. San Francisco 49ers

A win over the lowly Jaguars isn't going to turn a lot of heads, but winning five straight games should.

The San Francisco 49ers had a tough two-game stretch, but they've shown that they can overcome adversity.  Colin Kaepernick hasn't been great, but he's leading the team to some big wins, and they've scored at least 30 points in every single win.

The defense is improving as well, and once they can get a wide receiver or two back on offense, they're going to be the Super Bowl contender we talked about to start the season.

5. Seattle Seahawks

With just one loss heading into Monday Night Football, the Seattle Seahawks are one of the most complete teams in the NFL.

The Seahawks have an incredible defense and a strong offense, but we've yet to see a truly dominating win since their 45-17 win over the Jaguars.  They may have a chance to do that against the Rams this week, but we will have to wait and see.

4. New Orleans Saints

With Drew Brees as their quarterback, the Saints are always in a position to win games.  

We saw that once again this week.  Brees threw for 332 yards and five touchdowns in the 35-17 win, giving him over 2,200 yards and 19 touchdowns through seven games.

With Rob Ryan doing a fantastic job coaching the defense and Sean Payton back on the sideline, this seems like a completely different team than the one that went 7-9 last season.

3. Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts have beaten all of the top-tier teams that they've had to play this year, giving them a 5-2 record and the No. 3 spot on this week's power rankings.

Looking at the rest of their schedule, the Colts have a great chance to finish the season with 11 or 12 wins.  Andrew Luck is playing with some real confidence, and the defense is making plays when it matters most.

They don't always put up the flashiest numbers, but this season's Colts are more focused on winning a Super Bowl than breaking records.

2. Denver Broncos

Peyton Manning still looks good after a big come-from-behind win.  He did throw three interceptions this week, but he also had 354 yards and four touchdowns.

At this rate, the older Manning is on pace for over 5,800 yards, 58 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions.  Putting him on the same team as Wes Welker, Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas just doesn't seem fair, as he's well on his way to yet another MVP award.

As sloppy as this win was, the defense did look a lot better.  It forced five turnovers in the game and allowed just 154 passing yards after allowing an average of well over 300 yards per game through the air entering Sunday.

With Von Miller back, this is one of the best teams in the NFL, but they're not on top of this week's power rankings because of their division rival.

1. Kansas City Chiefs

From worst to first, the Chiefs have officially done a complete 180 and are now the best team in all of football.

Halfway through the season, the Chiefs have allowed just 98 points, the second fewest in the NFL behind the Panthers.  No team has scored more than 17 points against them, and that alone could make the Chiefs the best NFL team.

However, their offense is playing great as well.  Alex Smith has thrown just four interceptions this season, and they have the highest turnover differential at plus-12.

Andy Reid is having a terrific first season as head coach, and now it's time for everyone to sit back and see how long this team can stay undefeated.