NFL Power Rankings Week 8: Predicting Final Records for All 32 Teams

The Green Bay Packers remain at the head of the class after seven weeks of NFL play. They look like a team that is ready to make a run at 16-0.

The Saints, Falcons and Texans are among the teams with the biggest moves up this week.

The Titans, Redskins and Raiders are a few teams that tumbled down the rankings after bad losses on Sunday.

Click through for this week's power rankings and a prediction of each team's final record.

1. Green Bay Packers

The Packers got off to a slow start on Sunday, but then they turned it on and scored 20 points in the third quarter. 

There is no doubt that the Packers are the best team in football right now.

They will face a tough test after the bye when they head to San Diego and play the Chargers, but they should come out on top.

Final record: 14-2

2. New England Patriots

The Patriots head into a tough game next week against the Steelers. They will be well rested coming off their Week 7 bye.

The Patriots appear on course to meet the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl this season.

Final record: 13-3

3. New Orleans Saints

We did not really learn much about the Saints in their big win Sunday night because the Colts are so bad.

They still need some work on defense to win games against high-powered offenses, but Brees will keep them competitive against anyone.

Final record: 11-5

4. San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers are primed for a playoff push coming off their bye week.

They have two winnable games in the next two weeks before a tough stretch that includes games against the Giants and Ravens.

They also look like the only team in the NFC West that will finish with more than five wins.

Final record: 11-5

5. New York Giants

The Giants get the Dolphins coming out of their bye. That is basically like having back-to-back bye weeks.

They are going to need that rest because their next five games are tough. That stretch includes at New England, at San Francisco, home against the Eagles, at New Orleans and home against the Packers. 

We will know a lot more about this team after that stretch.

Final record: 10-6

6. Baltimore Ravens

What a brutal football game the Ravens just made us witness.

They are better than they showed in Jacksonville, but they do have some serious questions on offense. Ray Rice is really good, but Joe Flacco struggles if teams can stop Rice.

Their defense and running game can win a lot of games but will not be enough against the elite teams of the AFC.

Final record: 12-4

7. Buffalo Bills

The question for the Bills is if their offense can keep up the pace. 

They will need the offense to stay on fire to make up for their multiple shortcomings on defense. They are a team on the rise but in the end probably do not have enough to make the playoffs.

Final record: 9-7

8. San Diego Chargers

The Chargers are not that good, but they play in a weak division that they should win.

Their biggest problem right now is the play of Philip Rivers. He just does not look like the quarterback he was last year.

Final record: 10-6

9. Pittsburgh Steelers

Three weeks ago the Steelers were left for dead.

Three weeks and three wins later, people are singing a different tune.

They get a real test this week when the Patriots come to town. Their last three games have been against teams that are not very good.

If they can beat the Patriots, they will shoot up these rankings.

Final record: 10-6

10. Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons got a big road win over the Lions on Sunday. That should give them some momentum heading into their bye week.

They have a pretty soft schedule after the bye with only one tough game in November.

Final record: 10-6

11. Detroit Lions

The Lions have entered their first tough stretch of 2011 with back-to-back losses.

They still need some work on their run defense if they are going to be among the league's elite teams. Michael Turner ran for 122 yards against them on Sunday.

The schedule gets a little bit softer before their Thanksgiving matchup with the Packers.

Final record: 11-5

12. Houston Texans

The Texans looked like a really good team on Sunday. It is too early to tell if that was because they were good or the Titans were bad.

One thing for sure is that Arian Foster finally looked healthy. He went over 100 yards rushing and 100 receiving in Tennessee. He is the type of player that can really take over a game.

Final record: 9-7

13. Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals are the 4-2 team that no one is talking about.

They will have a chance to catch the attention of the nation with their four games remaining against the Ravens and Steelers. They probably are not ready to knock those teams off yet, but there is no doubt they have taken huge strides forward.

Final record: 9-7

14. New York Jets

Welcome back, Plaxico Burress. He finally gave the Jets what they signed him for: a threat in the red zone.

The Jets held the Chargers under 100 yards rushing on Sunday. That was a major concern for them heading into that game.

They still have an uphill battle in one of the toughest divisions in the league, but they looked like a contender against San Diego.

Final record: 9-7

15. Chicago Bears

Maybe Mike Martz is learning that his offense is a lot better with the ball in Matt Forte's hands.

Forte had 25 carries for 145 yards and a touchdown in the Bears win over the Buccaneers. Martz would be smart to keep handing him the ball in their first two games after the bye because the Eagles and Lions both struggle against the run.

Final record: 9-7

16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

One week Josh Freeman looks like he has turned the corner. The next he is throwing four interceptions against the Bears in London.

The Buccaneers are down to their third running back. The only way they are going to be able to compete in the NFC South is if Freeman returns to his 2010 form.

Final record: 8-8

17. Dallas Cowboys

Hello, DeMarco Murray.

Murray rushed for a cool 253 yards on Sunday. Now it was against a Rams defense that is terrible, but he might just be the back the Cowboys needed to balance the offense.

The problem with their offense has been that it was one-dimensional. If Murray can change that, the Cowboys are going to be a tough team to beat.

Final record: 10-6

18. Philadephia Eagles

Can the Eagles make a run to salvage their season? 

Their biggest issue has been their run defense. They will need to address that in order to be relevant down the stretch, but they are not a team you want to face.

Final record: 8-8

19. Tennessee Titans

The Titans had a chance to establish themselves as a contender for the AFC South crown at home against the Texans on Sunday. They were terrible.

If they had not taken care of the Ravens in Week 2, no one would have even been talking about the Titans. It appears that game was a fluke more and more with each passing week.

The real question with this team is what happened to Chris Johnson?

Final record: 8-8

20. Kansas City Chiefs

Last week I picked the Chiefs to beat the Raiders, and everyone said I was crazy. Well, the Chiefs beat the Raiders. They look like they are getting back to the 2010 form that got them in the playoffs.

They are still without Jamaal Charles, but the running-back-by-committee thing has worked out very well for them.

Kansas City has a big matchup this week against the Chargers. A win in that one would give it a share of the AFC West lead.

Final record: 8-8

21. Oakland Raiders

The big news of last week was the trade that sent Carson Palmer to Oakland. He did not have enough time in the offense last week to start but was put in after Kyle Boller threw three interceptions.

Palmer went on to throw three interceptions of his own, raising even more questions about the draft picks Oakland gave up to get him.

The biggest concern for the Raiders is the health of Darren McFadden. If he is going to miss an extended period of time, they are in big trouble.

Final record: 7-9

22. Carolina Panthers

Cam Newton just continues to impress. He had a good game this week against a tough Washington defense.

The Panthers have a chance to get on a little bit of a roll with a game against the Vikings this week. After that game they have the bye, and then the Titans come to Carolina. They could very easily be 4-5 before a Week 11 trip to Detroit.

Final record: 6-10

23. Cleveland Browns

The Browns won the most boring game of the season Sunday 6-3 over the Seahawks.

They were once again without Peyton Hillis, who cannot seem to get his hamstring healthy this season.

Cleveland has some good players, but it still has a long way to go before it is a contender.

Final record: 6-10

24. Washington Redskins

John Beck played pretty well in his first start of the season, but he is not a quality NFL starter.

If the Redskins are going to win games, it is going to be on the strength of their defense and rushing attack.

Their rushing attack took a blow with the ACL injury to Tim Hightower, but they still have two quality backs in Ryan Torain and Roy Helu.

Final record: 6-10

25. Denver Broncos

Tim Tebow worked the magic in his first start of the season. He led his team to two scores in the final three minutes of the game to come back from 15 points down.

Of course, the Broncos were only able to manage 18 points against a Miami defense that is terrible.

Tebow is an upgrade from Kyle Orton, but the Broncos are still not a good team.

Final record: 4-12

26. Minnesota Vikings

Once again the Vikings kept a game close in the first half but were blown away in the second.

They will be able to stay in a lot of games with Adrian Peterson in the backfield, but they do not have the other weapons around him to win games against good teams.

Final record: 3-13

27. Jacksonville Jaguars

The win against the Ravens on Monday Night Football is just what a young quarterback like Blaine Gabbert needs to gain confidence.

Jacksonville will surprise a couple of teams down the stretch, but it still lacks the No. 1 wide receiver it needs to be competitive week in and week out.

Final record: 4-12

28. Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks are bad.  

The more you look at them, the more unbelievable it is that they beat the Giants in New York a couple of weeks ago.

They did play against the Browns without Tarvaris Jackson and Marshawn Lynch. Those guys make them a better team, but not by a whole lot.

Final record: 3-13

29. Arizona Cardinals

Is the NFC West the worst division in the history of the NFL? The Cardinals, Seahawks and Rams are all at the bottom of the NFL.

The Cardinals better hope that Beanie Wells is able to come back from a bruised knee in time to face the Rams in two weeks. That is one of a very few games they have a chance to win.

Final record: 3-13

30. St. Louis Rams

This team has no chance to win any games as long as Sam Bradford is out.

They actually have some weapons when Bradford returns with the addition of Brandon Lloyd last week, but their defense is so bad, especially against the run, that it is going to be tough for them to win many games.

Final record: 3-13

31. Miami Dolphins

Tony Sparano is hanging on by a thread in Miami. There is no way he makes it through the season.

The game the Dolphins just let slip away on Sunday was probably their best chance to get a win this season. It is tough to go 0-16, but this looks like a team that just might do it.

Final record: 1-15

32. Indianapolis Colts

The Colts are probably better than the Dolphins, but they have to be in the 32nd spot this week after the way they got blasted by the Saints.

The Colts still have four games with the Titans and Jaguars, so they might be able to find a couple of wins, but that is going to be all.

It is a scary thought to to think about them having the first pick in the draft with the option of taking Andrew Luck to sit behind Peyton Manning for a couple of years.

Final record: 1-15