NFL Power Rankings Week 8: Titans, Chiefs Challenge Steelers For No. 1
NFL Week 8 Power Rankings are upon us, and it's time to look at where each team stacks up as we go through the winners and losers for the week.
There are a lot of upsets to contend with, plus good performances from bad teams even in a loss affect how each team sits.
There probably are a few surprises on this list, but sometimes there's a hard truth in there.
The top teams should come as no surprise, but there's been a lot of movement as this week showed a lot of teams have problems they may not be able to overcome by year's end.
The Bottom Two
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32. Buffalo Bills: This team played the Ravens great, but the fact is they're 0-6. They are the only winless team left in the NFL.
31. San Francisco 49ers: The Niners have got issues on top of issues inside of issues. There's no consistency from week to week, and the only thing keeping this team from the bottom is the fact they at least have one win.
One Step Up From The Bottom
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30. Carolina Panthers: The Panthers finally won a game, but it was against the 49ers. The Panthers have rotated quarterbacks in and out, and have had difficulty in every aspect of the game.
29. Detroit Lions: They had the week off, but they still only have one win. Matthew Stafford may return next week, and the Lions look like they may be ready to turn a corner . . . but not in time for this ranking.
Fading Fast
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28. Dallas Cowboys: This ranking is partially based on my prediction the Giants will win tonight. Whatever happens, the Cowboys have a lot of issues, especially on the coaching staff, and this season is rapidly slipping away.
27. Denver Broncos: The Broncos just got DESTROYED by the Raiders, and you have to wonder if the one-dimensional offense the Broncos have been forced to run due to injuries has finally caught up to them.
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Teams That Should Be Better
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26. Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings are 2-4 and now have serious issues at quarterback with Brett Favre faltering and no real evidence the team can climb out of the hole they've dug for themselves.
25. San Diego Chargers: The Chargers are 2-5 and statistically have one of the better teams in the league. But again, they're 2-5. Norv Turner has a lot of work to do to figure out why an offense that scores points and stops teams from getting a lot of yards still has lost five games this year.
Missing Pieces
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24. Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jaguars looked like they were a team ready to turn a corner, especially with David Garrard maturing and Maurice Jones-Drew exploding all over the field. But now Todd Bouman is the starting quarterback and the Jags have more questions than answers.
23. St. Louis Rams: The Rams lost a close game this week and it revealed this team, while light years ahead of last year's squad, still have a lot of work to do.
Spoilers
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22. Cleveland Browns: The Browns only have two wins, but one has come against the defending Super Bowl Champions. The Browns have been in every game this year, and Colt McCoy is giving them their most promising quarterback prospect in a long time.
21. Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals are a team that can come out and beat you with a high-powered passing attack, or on the legs of Cedric Benson. They came up short again yesterday, but the Bengals won't stay on the losing end of close games.
20. Chicago Bears
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Last Week: 16
The Chicago Bears may be 4-3 and leading the NFC North, but two of their victories were absolute gifts and Jay Cutler has been sacked 846 times already this season, not to mention the 49.687 interceptions he threw to DeAngelo Hall on Sunday.
The Bears are a team that probably was going to finish around .500 this season, and that's exactly where they are headed right now.
19. Arizona Cardinals
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Last Week: 15
The Cardinals were leading the NFC West, whatever that's worth this year, until losing to the Seahawks yesterday.
The Cardinals went from having a Hall of Fame quarterback at the helm to trying to decide if an undrafted rookie or a wildly inaccurate former Pro Bowler should get the start.
Ken Whisenhunt has his work cut out for him this year.
18. Oakland Raiders
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Last Week: 23
When you put 59 points on the board, that gives you a little push up the ratings.
The Raiders are not an elite team in the NFL this year, but give credit where credit is due, you don't put 59 points up on the board by accident. Darren McFadden had a great day and Tom Cable and his defensive unit completely neutralized Kyle Orton.
17. Seattle Seahawks
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Last Week: 17
Once again, the Seattle Seahawks lead the NFC West, and if that ends up meaning anything by playoff time, other than a chance to get ejected from the postseason party early, please let me know.
Sarcasm aside, the Seahawks beat a team using an undrafted rookie as a starter who then was replaced by Derek Anderson.
The Seahawks did this though five field goals. They should be ranked lower, but somehow this team is 4-2.
16. New Orleans Saints
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Last Week: 10
When you look down the Saints roster, and you look at their schedule, this is a team that should only have one loss at most right now, but they've lost three games, two of them to below-.500 teams.
The Browns had what may qualify as the upset of the year yesterday, and Drew Brees might have just thrown another interception.
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Last Week: 17
The Buccaneers found a way to win and Josh Freeman rallied the team late in the fourth quarter. The Buccaneers are a team on the rise, and it's wins like the one versus the Rams on Sunday that this team can build on.
14. Washington Redskins
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Last Week: 14
The Redskins got a three-point victory over the Bears yesterday, but only could manage 17 points despite benefitting from four interceptions.
The Redskins are scrapping out wins, but they've looked far from impressive in many games this year.
13. Miami Dolphins
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Last Week: 11
The Miami Dolphins are 3-3, but they had a tough loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers that came off of a controversial call. They also had a loss to the New England Patriots after their special teams unit completely imploded and now that unit has a new coach.
The Dolphins are a much better team than their current record, and this ranking reflects that.
12. Green Bay Packers
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Last Week: 18
The Green Bay Packers are getting their groove back, and proved it by holding off Brett Favre and the Vikings on Sunday Night Football.
Aaron Rodgers is throwing good games, making only a few mistakes while the defense has been giving the offense a chance to win games.
The penalties are way down, and it looks like Head Coach Mike McCarthy is getting this team headed in the right direction.
11. Philadelphia Eagles
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Last Week: 6
The Eagles lost a tough game to the Tennessee Titans, who are turning into a league powerhouse after floundering last year.
But the Eagles are getting Michael Vick back, and this team will stay in the playoff hunt going forward.
10. Indianapolis Colts
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Last Week: 10
The Colts got the week off, much needed since they're so banged up. Both of the Colts losses this year were within the division, so they're further behind than they should be.
Still, the week off should be good for Joseph Addai, and Peyton Manning still is healthy, so the Colts still present a significant threat to the AFC South.
9. Houston Texans
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Last Week: 9
The Texans also benefitted from a week off, but quarterback Matt Schaub has been on fire this season, and running back Arian Foster has been one of the biggest breakout players of 2010.
The Texans look to be for real this year, and it's going to be a slugfest in the AFC South to see who comes out on top.
8. Atlanta Falcons
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Last Week: 13
The Falcons are winning games they're supposed to win, but they did lose to Philadelphia a few weeks ago.
Matt Ryan and Roddy White lit the field up on Sunday, and the Falcons are making the Philadelphia loss look like an "Any Given Sunday" scenario.
7. Baltimore Ravens
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Last Week: 7
The Ravens gave up 505 total yards against the Buffalo Bills yesterday, which keeps them out of the Top 5, but they still got the win, and Ray Lewis was instrumental in that win.
While the Ravens have shown issues on defense this year, Joe Flacco has been steadily improving, throwing for 250 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday.
The Ravens and the Steelers will be fighting it out for the AFC North crown.
6. New York Giants
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Last Week: 6
This ranking is partially based on my prediction the Giants will win the Monday Night Football game, and the fact the Giants have won three games in a row coming into tonight.
Tom Coughlin took the bad play coming out of the gates this season and turned the team around fairly quickly. The real test comes against a desperate Dallas team tonight.
5. Kansas City Chiefs
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Last Week: 12
The Chiefs are proving you can turn things around in one year as the Chiefs went out and routed the Jacksonville Jaguars 42-20.
The Chiefs started the season 3-0, stumbled to 3-2, but now are back on the winning track. With Matt Cassel steady behind center and a great running game to fall back on, the Chiefs are proving you don't need a five-year plan to become a winning team.
4. New England Patriots
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Last Week: 4
The Patriots pulled a victory out of the jaws of defeat in San Diego, overcoming an anemic day on offense and capitalizing on every mistake the Chargers made. Yesterday's victory wasn't pretty, but not every win is going to be by 20 points.
3. New York Jets
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Last Week: 3
The Jets are idle this week and their ranking remains unchanged. The Jets have an offense that gels more and more each week and a defense that features Revis Island, who is effective even with a bum hamstring.
2. Tennessee Titans
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Last Week: 5
The Titans keep finding new ways to win with new weapons you never saw coming. If Vince Young is injured, there's Kerry Collins.
Focusing in on Chris Johnson, they'll throw it to Kenny Britt.
While the defense gives up a lot of yards, they don't give up a lot of points, ranking third overall in the league in points scored.
1. Pittsburgh Steelers
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Last Week: 1
Until proven otherwise, the Steelers are the best team in the NFL. They find ways to win games even if they don't score a lot of points, and when they roll the dice, they always roll a seven.
The Steelers have a defense that everyone in the league fears and a quarterback who always finds a way to make something out of nothing.
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