NFL Power Rankings: Reviewing Week 9 Standings After Sunday's Action

With the 2019 NFL season at its halfway point, we have a fairly accurate idea of where each team is. Early-season pretenders such as the Chicago Bears have fallen to the back of the pack, while teams like the San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings are legitimizing themselves.

The New England Patriots and the 49ers remain undefeated. Teams like the Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons? They're plain bad.

How does the league stack up heading into Week 9? Let's take a look.

Week 9 Power Rankings

1. New England Patriots

2. San Francisco 49ers

3. New Orleans Saints

4. Green Bay Packers

5. Baltimore Ravens

6. Minnesota Vikings

7. Kansas City Chiefs

8. Indianapolis Colts

9. Seattle Seahawks

10. Dallas Cowboys

11. Buffalo Bills

12. Los Angeles Rams

13. Houston Texans

14. Philadelphia Eagles

15. Carolina Panthers

16. Jacksonville Jaguars

17. Detroit Lions

18. Arizona Cardinals

19. Oakland Raiders

20. Los Angeles Chargers

21. Tennessee Titans

22. Chicago Bears

23. Cleveland Browns

24. Pittsburgh Steelers

25. Denver Broncos

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

27. New York Giants

28. New York Jets

29. Atlanta Falcons

30. Washington Redskins

31. Cincinnati Bengals

32. Miami Dolphins

6. Minnesota Vikings

Jim Mone/Associated Press

It wasn't a work of beauty, but the Minnesota Vikings got their fourth-consecutive win on Thursday night. The victory over the Washington Redskins capped a remarkable month for quarterback Kirk Cousins—which is a big reason why the Vikings are rising in the rankings.

After a shaky start to the season, Cousins is balling. He has now passed for 1,997 yards and 13 touchdowns with just three interceptions.

The 31-year-old still must prove he can continue playing at this high level. If he can, though, Minnesota is poised to be a Super Bowl contender. The Vikings have explosive offensive weapons like Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs. They also have a defense that has allowed just 16.5 points per game.

The biggest challenge for Minnesota right now is overcoming the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North. They hold both the division lead and a head-to-head victory over the Vikings.

8. Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts got to 5-2 on Sunday and in doing so, they solidified their position as a playoff contender. It required a last-minute field goal from Adam Vinatieri, but the 15-13 win over the Denver Broncos was Indianapolis' third straight.

The Colts are more than just a promising record, though. They have a defense that has allowed just 21.6 points per game, a powerful running game and a budding star in quarterback Jacoby Brissett.

The 26-year-old may not be making fans forget about Andrew Luck just yet, but he's playing the position efficiently and productively. Through seven games, he has passed for 1,590 yards and 14 touchdowns with just three interceptions.

While Brissett isn't going to sling the ball around like Luck often did, that's not what the Colts need him to do. Smart, efficient quarterback play is exactly what is required to complement Marlon Mack and the running game—which averages 128.4 yards per game.

The Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars aren't going away, but the Colts are in control of the NFC South right now.

22. Chicago Bears

Mark Black/Associated Press

The Bears have taken a tumble in the rankings since their 1-2 start, and not simply because of their record. The offense—which has averaged just 18.3 points per game—is one of the most frustratingly bad units in football.

Chicago brought in Matt Nagy as head coach because of his offensive background. However, he is one of the biggest problems with the Bears offense. Even he has admitted his play-calling has been poor.

"During a week of tough conversations, in-your-face assessment and soul-searching in Chicago, Nagy told players it was 'horse-[expletive]' that he only called seven run plays," NFL Media's Ian Rapoport wrote. "That can't happen, and it's going to change,"

Nagy did run the ball more against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, but his play-calling again appeared to cost Chicago. With nearly a minute remaining in the game, he stopped trying to gain yardage and settled for a 41-yard field-goal attempt that would have been a game-winner—had Eddy Pineiro not missed.

Compounding the issue of poor play-calling is the fact the Bears are getting bad play from quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and very little from a run game that has averaged just 83.1 yards per game.