NFL Power Rankings Week 8: Updated Standings, Predictions Before MNF

It was an ugly week of football, featuring turnovers, blowouts and struggling offenses. This week hasn't characterized the whole season, however, which has featured some classic back-and-forth games.

Notably, the competition seems to be fierce this year. Realistically, only four teams are out of the playoff picture after seven weeks, while no team can truly claim to be a cut above the rest.

Here's a look at some projected Week 8 power rankings following this week's edition of Monday Night Football. For the record, the pick here is that the Philadelphia Eagles will hold serve at home and defeat the Washington Redskins.

Projected Week 8 Power Rankings After Monday Night Football

1. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2)

2. Philadelphia Eagles (6-1)

3. Kansas City Chiefs (5-2)

4. Seattle Seahawks (4-2)

5. Los Angeles Rams (5-2)

6. Minnesota Vikings (5-2)

7. New England Patriots (5-2)

8. Buffalo Bills (4-2)

9. New Orleans Saints (4-2)

10. Carolina Panthers (4-3)

11. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-3)

12. Washington Redskins (3-3)

13. Atlanta Falcons (3-3)

14. Houston Texans (3-3)

15. Dallas Cowboys (3-3)

16. Miami Dolphins (4-2)

17. Tennessee Titans (4-3)

18. Green Bay Packers (4-3)

19. Los Angeles Chargers (3-4)

20. Oakland Raiders (3-4)

21. Cincinnati Bengals (2-4)

22. Denver Broncos (3-3)

23. Detroit Lions (3-3)

24. New York Jets (3-4)

25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-4)

26. Chicago Bears (3-4)

27. Baltimore Ravens (3-4)

28. Arizona Cardinals (3-4)

29. Indianapolis Colts (2-5)

30. New York Giants (1-6)

31. San Francisco 49ers (0-7)

32. Cleveland Browns (0-7)

The Top Super Bowl Contenders: No. 1-3

In all honesty, you can put the top three teams in any order. The Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, who lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who somehow lost by 21 points at home to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

All three of these teams seem to have the slightest of edges against the rest of the league thanks to some excellent strengths. Kansas City's offense is fast, creative and dynamic. Philadelphia looks like the most well-rounded team in football, one that will only get stronger with the return of cornerback Ronald Darby. And the Pittsburgh Steelers have two of the league's best players in running back Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown.

This is a week-to-week league, however, and the top of the power ranking structure can change quickly. For now, though, these three teams are on top.

The Top Playoff Contenders: No. 4-9

The Seattle Seahawks lead this group, but it's hard to consider them true Super Bowl contenders unless the offensive line does a better job opening lanes for the running backs and pass-blocking for quarterback Russell Wilson.

Elsewhere, the New Orleans Saints are scorching hot, winning their last four thanks in part to some strong running from Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara.

The Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings are surprises at 5-2, and it looks like their winning trends will continue. The Patriots do well every year, and the struggling pass defense showed signs of life in a big win over Atlanta on Sunday night. New England will have to fend off the 4-2 Buffalo Bills (and the 4-2 Miami Dolphins) for the AFC East crown, however.

Living on the Edge: No. 10-18

A host of teams within one game of the .500 mark reside in this section.

The course of the next few weeks will likely decide their fates. A few wins in a row will put them in a good spot heading into the stretch run. A string of losses will put their backs against the wall with only a handful of games remaining.

The big surprise here is the Miami Dolphins, which is 4-2 thus far even though they failed to score more than 20 points in their first five games. The defense is solid, however, led by defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

The Fins have two games each against the Patriots and Bills in the latter part of the year, and those matchups will go a long way toward determining the division winner.

On the Outside Looking In: No. 19-28

Thanks to injury, bad luck or playing below expectations, these teams are on the outside looking in to the playoff picture right now. However, their seasons are not over, unlike the teams in the bottom section.

The Los Angeles Chargers lead this pack, as they've won three straight games (two against AFC West rivals). All of the sudden, they now sit two games back of the first-place Kansas City Chiefs, although K.C. currently has a tiebreaker against L.A. thanks to an early-season win.

The Oakland Raiders could also be on the verge of something special after an emotional, hard-fought win over the Chiefs on Thursday Night Football.

The fact that they are 3-4 right now with the amount of talent they have on that team is mind-boggling. Look for them and the Bolts to give the Chiefs a run for their money.

Wait 'Til Next Year: No. 29-32

The Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns are playing out the string at this point.

With all due respect to Jacoby Brissett, who has done an admirable job filling in for starter Andrew Luck, the team won't go anywhere without its franchise quarterback.

The New York Giants' list of injuries is too long for them to overcome. The San Francisco 49ers had a brutal early-season schedule and still haven't won a game. The Cleveland Browns are 1-22 since the beginning of the 2016 season.

Ultimately, these four teams will probably be picking at the top of the 2018 NFL draft next spring.