NFL Power Rankings: Assessing Each Team's Stock Heading into Week 9

The NFL season is past the halfway point for most teams, and the true identities of each team are no longer a secret. At this point, what you see is what you get.

And, if you look closely, what you'll see are a ton of mediocre football teams. After the top 10 in the power rankings, the teams begin to bunch themselves up with near .500 records. The dominance of the top teams and the futility of the lesser teams have created a tight competition for some of the final playoff positions.

There were a few shakeups in the rankings after an exciting Week 8. A few teams rose up drastically in the ranks, while others slipped to season lows.

Week 9 will surely bring similar results.

1. Kansas City Chiefs (8-0)

The Kansas City Chiefs are the NFL's lone unbeaten team, even if they haven't been the most dominant. Their offense, led by Alex Smith, has done just enough to get by—and that's all that matters.

Their defense is arguably the most dominant unit in the league, and head coach Andy Reid is as close to a lock for Coach of the Year as there can be.

2. Indianapolis Colts (5-2)

Another surprising squad this year, the Indianapolis Colts have recorded wins against the Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers—three teams within the top six in the NFL.

If that doesn't scream "Super Bowl contender," then I don't know what does.

3. Denver Broncos (7-1)

Peyton Manning and Co. fought hard after a rough first half against the Washington Redskins in Week 8, eventually coming out on top in the second half. The offense hasn't looked as explosive or consistent in recent weeks, so their bye in Week 9 is coming at a perfect time.

4. New Orleans Saints (6-1)

The lone loss for the New Orleans Saints came at the hands of Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, but even that loss shouldn't worry fans at this point. New Orleans has a relatively easy schedule the rest of the way. Games against the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks are the only true tests remaining.

Jimmy Graham's injury is a cause for concern, but his two-touchdown performance in Week 8 should help to ease those worries.

5. Seattle Seahawks (7-1)

The Seattle Seahawks rank just within the top five this week. Even though they defeated the St. Louis Rams on Monday Night Football in Week 8, it was too ugly of a win for them to stay as high as they've been.

If not for a fantastic goal-line stand to end the game, the Seahawks would be 6-2 and ranked even lower than No. 5.

Teams that run the ball well can beat the Seahawks, and it will be interesting to see how opposing offensive coordinators call plays against them moving forward after watching the combination of Zac Stacy and Daryl Richardson run all over them in Week 8.

The depletion of their receiving corps is also a cause for concern. Wide receiver Sidney Rice is now out for the year after tearing his ACL, according to John Breech of CBSSports.com. In addition, while Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reports that Percy Harvin is "on track" for Week 9, he still isn't a lock to play.

6. San Francisco 49ers (6-2)

Colin Kaepernick is back to his old habits, and the San Francisco 49ers' run game appears to be unstoppable. With Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter and Kaepernick pounding the ball on the ground, the passing game opens up when opposing defenses stuff the box with run-stoppers.

They lead the NFL with 153.0 yards per game on the ground, and that formula will lead to much success this season.

7. Cincinnati Bengals (6-2)

The Cincinnati Bengals destroyed the New York Jets in Week 8.

Andy Dalton is having a career year with 16 touchdowns and 2,249 yards through eight games, and second-year wide receiver Marvin Jones already has seven touchdowns.

The Bengals are quietly one of the NFL's best teams.

8. New England Patriots (6-2)

Despite an exceptionally poor season from Tom Brady (55.7 completion percentage and nine touchdowns through eight games), the Patriots are still sitting pretty atop the AFC East with a two-game lead.

The uncertainty surrounding the receiving corps is an issue, and that's definitely a big reason why Brady has struggled. New England shouldn't sleep on its Week 9 matchup, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

9. Green Bay Packers (5-2)

Aaron Rodgers has also been forced to deal with uncertainty in his receivers. Jermichael Finley and James Jones have missed time recently, and Jordy Nelson has been forced to step up in a big way.

Eddie Lacy has emerged as a viable NFL running back, though, which has helped to balance out the offense.

10. Detroit Lions (5-3)

The Detroit Lions were the winners of the most exciting game in Week 8, as Matthew Stafford's fake-spike rushing touchdown sealed the comeback win over the Dallas Cowboys.

For those of you who don't know, Calvin Johnson is also superhuman. He exploded for 329 receiving yards on Sunday. Needless to say, he's the key weapon for Detroit moving forward. This team is dangerous and playing with confidence.

11. San Diego Chargers (4-3)

Philip Rivers is shockingly the most efficient passer in the NFL this season. He owns a completion percentage of 73.9, and his accuracy has been a huge reason why the San Diego Chargers are one game above .500.

The two-headed monster of Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead in the backfield has also added another dimension to the offense. San Diego shouldn't be slept on in the season's second half.

12. Carolina Panthers (4-3)

Don't look now, but Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers are on a four-game winning streak. He has 15 total touchdowns (12 passing and three rushing), 1,552 yards and a career-high 64.9 completion percentage.

As Newton goes, the Panthers go. He's playing exceptionally well right now, and that's good news for Carolina.

13. Dallas Cowboys (4-4)

The Dallas Cowboys suffered a heart-breaker in Week 8. They fell in the final seconds to the Lions, and the loss has the potential to haunt Dallas in the second half of the season.

With the NFC East shaping up to be competitive due to a lot of mediocrity, every loss has the potential to impact the outcome of the race.

14. Chicago Bears (4-3)

Josh McCown has led the Chicago Bears offense in Jay Cutler's stead, but Cutler is aiming for an early return from injury, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com.

If he returns early, the Bears will be in much better shape. The Lions and Packers are ahead of Chicago in the competitive NFC North, so having McCown under center isn't the best recipe to make moves in the division.

Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall have had strong seasons up to this point, but all of that success came with Cutler at the helm. McCown lacks the chemistry that Cutler has with the team's top two receivers, and that will be detrimental to the team's success.

15. Baltimore Ravens (3-4)

Losing in back-to-back weeks to the Packers and Steelers isn't a good thing for the defending Super Bowl champs, but losing to the Cleveland Browns for the second time this season in Week 9 would make everything even worse.

It's not time for Baltimore to go into emergency mode just yet, but it's definitely time to start preparing for the worst. Joe Flacco and Ray Rice need to step up as team leaders and right the ship.

16. Arizona Cardinals (4-4)

The Arizona Cardinals have wins against the Lions and Atlanta Falcons, and their defeat of Atlanta in Week 8 could be the win that gets this team going. The defense ranks 15th in the NFL and is carrying the team at this point in the season.

Larry Fitzgerald may be out of town after the season, but for now, he'll be looking to hook up with Carson Palmer for a few more touchdowns.

17. New York Jets (4-4)

The New York Jets had a lot to be happy about through seven games, but their Week 8 demolition at the hands of the Bengals is enough to set them back.

Rookie Geno Smith threw two interceptions and only totaled 159 yards through the air. He'll need to handle the football better in future weeks.

The Jets are still just two games behind the Patriots, though, so a few strong weeks in a row could put them back into the playoff picture.

18. Tennessee Titans (3-4)

Jake Locker is back under center, but that didn't help the Tennessee Titans snap their three-game losing streak in Week 8. Chris Johnson has just 366 rushing yards in seven games, and his 3.2 yards per carry is a reason why the offense has struggled. They need him to pick up the production.

19. Cleveland Browns (3-5)

Jason Campbell was the first quarterback this season to throw two touchdowns against the Chiefs defense in Week 8, and he led the Cleveland Browns offense better than Brandon Weeden had in previous weeks.

Cleveland won't go anywhere without a consistent running game. Willis McGahee and Chris Ogbonnaya have been the primary ball-carriers, and neither one has set himself apart from the other. The Browns have won three games despite that lack of consistency, though.

The Browns can make a statement by defeating the Ravens for the second time this season in Week 9, but both teams are riding cold streaks. It'll be interesting to see which slumping team comes out on top.

20. Miami Dolphins (3-4)

After a 3-0 start, the Miami Dolphins are moving backward. Ryan Tannehill has no touchdowns and five interceptions in the last four games. There's no way the Dolphins can win games without him protecting the football.

Mike Wallace and Brian Hartline had three strong weeks to start the season, but now they're suffering from "struggling quarterback syndrome." If Tannehill can turn it around on Thursday night against the Bengals (which is unlikely), then the Dolphins will still have hope of competing in the AFC East.

21. Buffalo Bills (3-5)

At 3-5, the Buffalo Bills face the Chiefs in Week 9. That's not an ideal situation for a team that just suffered a big loss to the Saints.

Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com reports that quarterback E.J. Manuel is close to practicing, which is a great sign for the team. Thad Lewis has performed pretty well, but Manuel is the better option for the rest of the season.

22. Oakland Raiders (3-4)

Terrelle Pryor has been the lone bright spot for the Oakland Raiders this season. He broke the NFL record for longest rushing touchdown by a quarterback in Week 8, and that touchdown was pivotal in Oakland fending off the comeback of the Steelers.

The Raiders will face Nick Foles and the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 9, and there's a great chance Oakland will be 4-4 at the season's halfway point.

23. Atlanta Falcons (2-5)

The Atlanta Falcons are arguably the biggest disappointment of the NFL season. Injuries haven't been kind to the team, but Matt Ryan needs to play above his current level.

He hasn't been bad, but a top-level quarterback should take advantage of defenses no matter which players are at his disposal.

24. Washington Redskins (2-5)

The Washington Redskins played great in the first half against the Broncos, but everything went downhill fast in the second half. Peyton Manning took over, and turnovers by Robert Griffin III led the Redskins to their fifth loss of the season.

Griffin has regressed from his rookie season, and Washington won't make a run at the division crown without him at his best.

25. St. Louis Rams (3-5)

Surprisingly, Kellen Clemens and the St. Louis Rams were able to hang with the Seahawks on Monday Night Football. They came within one play of an upset victory, but Seattle's 4th-and-goal stand in the waning seconds spelled the end for the Rams.

St. Louis is in trouble without Sam Bradford. Clemens isn't a great option at quarterback, but the team doesn't seem to have anybody else. Tim Tebow now has another suitor.

26. Philadelphia Eagles (3-5)

Without Michael Vick, the Eagles stand no chance at winning the NFC East. Foles and Matt Barkley are a league below him, and head coach Chip Kelly will be hard pressed to get equal production from them.

Philly's offense has struggled under Kelly, and it may be time to transition to a more traditional attack. That won't happen under Kelly, unfortunately, and that's why I believe the Eagles are finished.

27. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-5)

The Steelers lost a tough one to the Raiders in Week 8, but the previous two weeks saw them defeat the Jets and Ravens, respectively. Pittsburgh is far from done in terms of the playoffs, but it'll need to fight during every game to pick up wins.

The team is 2-0 when Ben Roethlisberger doesn't throw an interception, so the correlation between the two is obvious. "Big Ben" needs to take care of the football and move his team down the field efficiently.  

28. New York Giants (2-6)

With two straight wins, the New York Giants enter their bye in Week 9 with new playoff hopes. They are just two games back in the division, and it doesn't appear as if there is a favorite for the top spot at this point in time.

Running the ball still remains an issue, but the defense has stepped it up the past two weeks. Take that with a grain of salt, of course, because those great efforts came against the Minnesota Vikings (led by Josh Freeman) and the Eagles (led by Barkley).

Regardless, the Giants are in much better shape now than they were two weeks ago.

29. Houston Texans (2-5)

Matt Schaub is out, and Case Keenum is in for the Houston Texans. If that's not an indication of how their season is going, then I don't know what is.

Houston has lost five straight and runs into the red-hot Indianapolis Colts in Week 9. Unfortunately, the Texans won't right the ship against Indy.

After several seasons of success, Houston might be back to re-entering a rebuilding phase. Upper management probably isn't prepared to embrace it, but it's clear that Schaub is not the answer for this team.

30. Minnesota Vikings (1-6)

When the Minnesota Vikings decide who they want calling the shots, they'll have an identity. Josh Freeman, Christian Ponder and Matt Cassell have all seen time under center, and it surprises me that Joe Webb hasn't gotten snaps yet.

A playoff team last year, the Vikings have almost no hope of making it back to the playoffs this season.

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-7)

Mike Glennon is going through the typical rookie growing pains, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going nowhere fast as a result. It's hard to say that they're just as bad as the Jacksonville Jaguars, but hey, there's still time for them to compete for the bottom spot in the rankings.

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-8)

Chad Henne will remain the team's starter, according to Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com, so that at least gives the Jaguars the best chance to succeed. Cecil Shorts and Justin Blackmon have been good, but the running game is horrible, and the defense is just as bad.

They'll be competing for the first pick in the draft with Tampa Bay.