NFL Power Rankings: Week 9 Expert Consensus from Around the Web

NFL power rankings are extremely fluid—they can change drastically from week to week—and after a couple of inscrutable performances in Week 8, the league's hierarchy shifted immensely once again.

Not every analyst comprises his or her own NFL pecking order with the same criteria. Some are based more on potential and some on the current on-field product. That's why it's important to locate power rankings from multiple respected sources.

Luckily, these particular power rankings are preceded by a few expert opinions to give a better overall consensus of where each team stands heading into Week 9.

Rank	Matt Miller, Bleacher Report	Frank Schwab, Yahoo Sports	USA Today
1	Broncos	Broncos	Broncos
2	Patriots	Cardinals	Cardinals
3	Cardinals	Patriots	Patriots
4	Cowboys	Eagles	Eagles
5	Lions	Cowboys	Cowboys
6	Eagles	Colts	Colts
7	Packers	Packers	Ravens
8	Colts	Chargers	49ers
9	Bengals	Seahawks	Seahawks
10	Ravens	Lions	Lions
11	Chargers	Bengals	Packers
12	Chiefs	Ravens	Chargers
13	Seahawks	Chiefs	Bengals
14	49ers	49ers	Steelers
15	Steelers	Bills	Chiefs
16	Bills	Dolphins	Bills
17	Saints	Browns	Dolphins
18	Dolphins	Steelers	Saints
19	Giants	Panthers	Texans
20	Browns	Saints	Panthers
21	Texans	Texans	Browns
22	Panthers	Bears	Bears
23	Bears	Giants	Giants
24	Falcons	Redskins	Redskins
25	Redskins	Rams	Rams
26	Rams	Vikings	Vikings
27	Vikings	Falcons	Falcons
28	Raiders	Titans	Titans
29	Jets	Jets	Jets
30	Jaguars	Jaguars	Buccaneers
31	Titans	Buccaneers	Jaguars
32	Buccaneers	Raiders	Raiders

Matt Miller's power rankings can be viewed at BleacherReport.com.

Frank Schwab's power rankings can be viewed at Yahoo.com.

USA Today power rankings can be viewed at USAToday.com. 

32. Oakland Raiders

Jason Miller/Getty Images

The Raiders are the last remaining winless team in the NFL this season. It's not that they have a lack of talent but more so that this is a very young team. With a couple years of experience, the Raiders have a shot at becoming a solid football team.

31. New York Jets

The Jets don't have a quarterback on their roster capable of winning football games. Neither Geno Smith nor Michael Vick is the answer in New York, and the sooner Rex Ryan and Co. figure that out, the better. Here's the Smith stat of the week, via ESPN Stats & Info:

It's time for a change.

30. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars are in a very similar situation to that of the Raiders. This team does have a good amount of talent, but it won't turn into wins until the likes of Blake Bortles, Allen Robinson and other promising young players get some more experience under their belts.

29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay has some great weapons on the offensive side of the ball but needs a competent quarterback at the helm and a capable running back. This team has loads of talent on the defensive side of the ball, but it can't seem to put it all together.

28. St. Louis Rams

The injury bug hit the Rams hard in Week 8, as the Rams lost both Jake Long and Brian Quick for the season, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. Quarterback Austin Davis has exceeded expectations this year, but things will only get tougher from here.

27. Tennessee Titans

Wade Payne/Associated Press

The debut of rookie signal-caller Zach Mettenberger didn't result in a win, but it wasn't a disaster. He showed solid chemistry with his receivers and made good decisions for the most part. This team is young and explosive but needs to get better on defense.

26. Atlanta Falcons

For the second consecutive season, the Falcons have been decimated along the offensive line. No matter how good quarterback Matt Ryan and wide receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White are, the team will continue to struggle on offense without sufficient protection.

25. Washington Redskins

Colt McCoy dazzled on Monday night against the Dallas Cowboys. His performance was impressive, but it would be foolish to expect that kind of showing on a consistent basis right now. NFL Philosophy tweeted a similar statement:

The jury is still out here, and we'll reconvene after a larger sample size.

24. Minnesota Vikings

Teddy Bridgewater is progressing nicely, and the Vikings' young offense has come alive. If defensive guru Mike Zimmer can keep working his magic on that side of the ball, this team has the ability to compete within the next couple of seasons.

23. Chicago Bears

The Bears are falling apart on offense. There's so much talent on that side of the ball, but they can't put it all together. ESPN's Stephen A. Smith didn't hold back his feelings regarding this team:

Perhaps it's time to take a lesson from Dallas. Matt Forte has been the most consistent option, and maybe it's time to increase his workload and take some pressure off Jay Cutler.

22. New York Giants

Which version of Eli Manning will we get in Week 9? This team hasn't been consistent this season, but a Week 8 bye came at a great time to help right the ship in New York. The emergence of Odell Beckham Jr. will be highly important over the second half of the season with Victor Cruz out for the year.

21. Carolina Panthers

Mike McCarn/Associated Press

Carolina's defense looked far better on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. It only allowed two field goals until a late touchdown drive earned Seattle the victory. Unfortunately, the Panthers offense is off-kilter right now. This team needs Cam Newton to step up quickly.

20. Houston Texans

J.J. Watt and the Texans front seven have the ability to take over football games, and Arian Foster is having quite a resurgent season. Still, Houston needs better play at the quarterback position if it is to contend for a playoff spot.

19. New Orleans Saints

The Saints offense looked back in form Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. Drew Brees was dynamic as ever, and solid performances from Brandin Cooks and Mark Ingram created a balanced attack. If this team can put up that kind of showing on the road, it will quickly climb these standings.

18. Cleveland Browns

Cleveland's offense has struggled of late. The team isn't running the ball very well, and Brian Hoyer looks like more of a game manager than anything. That must change quickly considering the Browns defense hasn't been able to keep many points off the board this year.

17. Seattle Seahawks

Seattle's defense looked great against Carolina, allowing just six points to the Panthers. However, the problem remains on offense for this team. The running game isn't being utilized enough, which is leading to a less efficient passing game. According to quarterback Russell Wilson, this is still a championship team, via the Seahawks' Twitter account:

There's plenty of work left to do before Seattle re-enters that discussion.

16. Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins have a solid all-around team. They don't exactly have flashy playmakers like some other squads, but Ryan Tannehill is moving the offense nicely and the defense has been playing very well of late, especially against the pass.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers

Don Wright/Associated Press

Pittsburgh's offense blew up on Sunday, putting up 51 points against the Indianapolis Colts. That was a great showing, but the Steelers need to show plenty more before they can move further up this list. After all, that performance was on the heels of a huge loss to the Browns just two weeks prior.

14. Buffalo Bills

Buffalo's defense is fantastic right now, and Kyle Orton is good enough to get the job done from the quarterback position. The big concern for this team is at running back. Without Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller, options are limited, and that's not good as the cold weather approaches.

13. San Diego Chargers

The Chargers offense can light up the scoreboard at will. Philip Rivers has been fantastic under Mike McCoy, and Antonio Gates has found new life. The team's defense has struggled over the past several weeks, and that must be fixed before climbing back into the top 10.

12. Green Bay Packers

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Green Bay's defense was absolutely lit up by the Saints, giving up 51 points on Sunday night. The Packers really need to get stronger in the trenches, as New Orleans won the battle at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Aaron Rodgers' stellar play keeps this team afloat in these rankings for now.

11. Kansas City Chiefs

This is a very well-rounded Chiefs team. Alex Smith is one of the league's most efficient quarterbacks, and Jamaal Charles is one of the NFL's most dangerous ball-carriers. Smith injured his throwing shoulder Sunday, but according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, he'll be good to go for Week 9:

Factor in a defense that's only giving up 18.3 points per game, and you get a playoff contender.

10. San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco's defense has been up and down so far this season, but it's also been without several key players. Once this unit is back to full strength, it should help control field position and take a lot of pressure off the offense. Hopefully, that will result in running the ball more often.

9. Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens are a tough team to predict this season. While the team's defense has been consistently good, quarterback Joe Flacco has produced some mixed results. Two interceptions against the Bengals on Sunday allowed Cincinnati to sweep the season series.

8. Cincinnati Bengals

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Cincinnati is once again in control of a highly competitive AFC North. The team's defense played far better on Sunday, and Andy Dalton looks worthy of every penny of his new contract. When A.J. Green is back in action, this team will only become more dangerous.

7. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles' loss to the Cardinals proved two things about this team. The secondary must get better quickly, and the offense is relying far too heavily on the pass. Nick Foles threw two more interceptions against Arizona. Being asked to throw the ball 62 times may have factored into that. This team is highly talented; it just needs more balance.

6. Indianapolis Colts

The Colts defense didn't show up at all against Pittsburgh after mopping the floor with Cincinnati one week prior. Andrew Luck is a prolific quarterback, and this team doesn't struggle to get points on the board. The defensive side of the ball needs to find more consistency.

5. Dallas Cowboys

Dallas suffered a tough loss to Washington Monday night. Still, DeMarco Murray is an absolute beast, and Tony Romo was efficient as ever. The quarterback suffered a back contusion and left the game briefly as a result. Luckily, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport tweeted some good news:

Still, that should be monitored closely considering he had surgery in that area over the offseason.

4. Detroit Lions

The Lions are a very good defensive football team. After giving up 21 early points to the Falcons on Sunday, the unit clamped down hard. While the offense has been average lately, that will change in a big way once Calvin Johnson and Reggie Bush return from injury.

3. New England Patriots

New England absolutely demolished Chicago in Week 8, as Tom Brady threw for five touchdown passes en route to a 51-point performance—this offense is rolling along nicely right now. The team's pass defense has also been spectacular, and the addition of Darrelle Revis has already paid off in a big way.

2. Arizona Cardinals

Aside from a bit of a weakness in the secondary, the Cardinals are strong across the board. Carson Palmer has been on fire since his return from injury, and he is surrounded by a bevy of playmakers. The team's defense has the ability to make opposing offenses one-dimensional due to its prowess against the run.

1. Denver Broncos

Joe Mahoney/Associated Press

The Broncos are the most complete team in football right now. Peyton Manning continues to break records, Demaryius Thomas is as uncoverable as ever, and the addition of Emmanuel Sanders has been solid gold. This tweet from the team's official Twitter account sums it up:

Boasting the league's best run defense doesn't hurt matters, either. At this pace, we could see a return trip to the Super Bowl for this franchise.