NFL Power Rankings Week 9: AFC, NFC Standings and Pre-MNF Predictions

The top quarter of the NFL is pulling away from the rest of the pack as the league finishes out the eighth week of the 2018 season.

Of course, that doesn't mean the eventual Super Bowl winner will emerge from this group, as nine-plus weeks of games must occur. However, we can get a sense of how things may play out down the stretch.

Here's a look at some Week 9 power rankings and the latest conference standings. Note that the teams in the latter grouping are organized in order of playoff ranking and not via winning percentage.

In other words, the 5-3 Houston Texans are ahead of the 5-2 Los Angeles Chargers right now because Houston is winning the AFC South (and gets an automatic top-four seed) while the Bolts are the first wild card since they are the team with the best record not currently leading a division.

Week 9 NFL Power Rankings 

1. Los Angeles Rams (8-0)

2. Kansas City Chiefs (7-1)

3. New Orleans Saints (6-1)

4. New England Patriots (5-2)

5. Los Angeles Chargers (5-2)

6. Washington Redskins (5-2)

7. Carolina Panthers (5-2)

8. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2-1)

9. Cincinnati Bengals (5-3)

10. Houston Texans (5-3)

11. Chicago Bears (4-3)

12. Seattle Seahawks (4-3)

13. Minnesota Vikings (4-3-1)

14. Green Bay Packers (3-3-1)

15. Baltimore Ravens (4-4)

16. Philadelphia Eagles (4-4)

17. Miami Dolphins (4-4)

18. Dallas Cowboys (3-4)

19. Atlanta Falcons (3-4)

20. Detroit Lions (3-4)

21. Tennessee Titans (3-4)

22. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-5)

23. New York Jets (3-5)

24. Indianapolis Colts (3-5)

25. Denver Broncos (3-5)

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5)

27. Cleveland Browns (2-5-1)

28. Buffalo Bills (2-5)

29. Arizona Cardinals (2-6)

30. Oakland Raiders (1-6)

31. New York Giants (1-7)

32. San Francisco 49ers (1-7)

The Indianapolis Colts are the most likely team to shoot into the top half of the power rankings (and maybe top third) by the end of the season. They have won two straight contests by a combined score of 89-33 and are just two games back of the Texans for the AFC South lead.

Meanwhile, the two other division teams (the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars) haven't won since September.

The Colts can jump them both by the end of Week 9, as they only have one game against a winning team remaining (the Texans on the road).

In the opposite direction, keep an eye out for the Cincinnati Bengals. While they did just pull out a 37-34 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they nearly blew an 18-point third-quarter lead at home to a team that is allowing the most points per game in the NFL. Cincinnati has also given up point totals of 28, 45 and 34 in its last three games.

The Bengals have a few games where they should be significant favorites (home vs. the Cleveland Browns and Oakland Raiders), but they also face the New Orleans Saints at home and the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers and Chargers on the road. Making the AFC playoffs will be tough unless the defense picks it up.

Week 9 AFC Standings

1. Kansas City Chiefs (7-1, AFC West leader)

2. New England Patriots (5-2, AFC East leader)

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2-1, AFC North leader)

4. Houston Texans (5-3, AFC South leader)

5. Los Angeles Chargers (5-2, AFC Wild Card)

6. Cincinnati Bengals (5-3, AFC Wild Card)

7. Baltimore Ravens (4-4)

8. Miami Dolphins (4-4)

9. Tennessee Titans (3-4)

10. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-5)

11. New York Jets (3-5)

12. Indianapolis Colts (3-5)

13. Denver Broncos (3-5)

14. Cleveland Browns (2-5-1)

15. Buffalo Bills (2-5)

16. Oakland Raiders (1-6)

The Kansas City Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes look like they are about to dominate the AFC for close to two decades, much like Tom Brady did with the New England Patriots and Peyton Manning did with the Colts and Denver Broncos.

Brady and the Pats may not be ready to relinquish the throne, however, and a look at the teams' upcoming schedules reveals that New England has an edge.

New England has one of the NFL's easier closing stretches with home games against the 2-5 Buffalo Bills and 3-5 New York Jets. The Pats will also play those two teams on the road in addition to a battle with the Miami Dolphins, who New England beat 38-7 earlier this year.

Overall, the Pats have just two games with winning teams on their remaining schedule (home vs. the Minnesota Vikings and at the Steelers). New England may be an underdog for the Steelers game but should be favored in every other contest.

The Chiefs should waltz to the playoffs thanks to their 7-1 start and a few easier matchups on their schedule (home-and-home with the Raiders, at the Browns, home against the Arizona Cardinals).

However, they also have a tough three-game stretch against playoff contenders (home vs. the Ravens and Chargers and at the Seattle Seahawks) and a neutral-site game in Mexico City with the undefeated Los Angeles Rams.

Kansas City doesn't have the tiebreaker with the Pats due to a 43-40 loss to them, so the Chiefs need to finish with a better record. The Chiefs also have to ward off the hot Chargers, who are just a game-and-a-half back (albeit without the tiebreaker right now due to a Week 1 loss).

Week 9 NFC Standings 

1. Los Angeles Rams (8-0, NFC West leader)

2. New Orleans Saints (6-1, NFC South leader)

3. Washington Redskins (5-2, NFC East leader)

4. Chicago Bears (4-3, NFC North leader)

5. Carolina Panthers (5-2, NFC Wild Card)

6. Seattle Seahawks (4-3, NFC Wild Card)

7. Minnesota Vikings (4-3-1)

8. Green Bay Packers (3-3-1)

9. Philadelphia Eagles (4-4)

10. Atlanta Falcons (3-4)

11. Dallas Cowboys (3-4)

12. Detroit Lions (3-4)

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5)

14. Arizona Cardinals (2-6)

15. San Francisco 49ers (1-7)

16. New York Giants (1-7)

Typing this is admittedly bizarre, but there is a path for the Washington Redskins to get the NFC's No. 1 seed.

Yes, the 'Skins are (a) two-and-a-half games back of the undefeated Rams and (b) losers of a 43-19 matchup to the second-place Saints. But the road to No. 1 is still plausible.

First, the Rams' next six weeks are brutal: at 6-1 New Orleans, home vs. the 4-3 Seahawks, neutral site vs. the 7-1 Chiefs, at the 3-4 Detroit Lions, at the 4-3 Chicago Bears and home vs. the 4-4 Philadelphia Eagles.

L.A. has a soft landing against the 2-6 Arizona Cardinals and 1-7 San Francisco 49ers, but a below .500 record in that six-game stretch is conceivable.

The Saints' schedule is a little easier, but they could slip to the wild card if the Carolina Panthers catch them. Carolina is just one game back of the Saints and still needs to face them twice. That would be beneficial for Washington, as the 'Skins beat the Panthers and hold their tiebreaker.

Third, Washington's schedule is the easiest of the four current NFC division leaders. The 'Skins only face one winning team (the 5-3 Texans) the rest of the way, and that one is at home.

Two matchups with the Eagles loom, as does a road trip to Dallas for Thanksgiving. However, Washington also faces the 1-7 New York Giants at home in addition to a quartet of three-win teams (the Atlanta Falcons, Buccaneers, Jaguars and Titans) that the team can take down.

Granted, a lot needs to happen for the 'Skins to pull this off, and the guess here is that the Saints eventually earn the No. 1 seed.

However, a top ranking for Washington is more realistic than a dream.