NFL Power Rankings Week 8: Where Did ESPN Get It Wrong or Right?

ESPN released their Week 8 NFL Power Rankings on Tuesday, so let's dive into the list to see where the Worldwide Leader got it right and wrong. 

No. 1-10

1. Green Bay Packers (7-0)

2. New England Patriots (5-1)

3. New Orleans Saints (5-2)

4. San Francisco 49ers (5-1)

5. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2)

6. Baltimore Ravens (4-2)

7. Buffalo Bills (4-2)

8. Detroit Lions (5-2)

9. San Diego Chargers (4-2)

10. Chicago Bears (4-3)

Comments:

The top four all seem like logical choices, even with the 49ers sitting idle on the bye.

Some might have a problem with the Steelers jumping ahead of the Ravens, especially after Pittsburgh had their own difficulties with the Jaguars just a week before. Let's not forget what the Ravens did in Week 1. If we're going off the fact that the Steelers have one more win at this point, then why do the Bills slip ahead of the Lions?

The biggest fault I have with this week's rankings from ESPN is the inclusion of the Bears in the top 10. Wins over the 1-6 Vikings and a hobbled Buccaneers team is enough to jump into the top 10 over the Giants over Texans? Not sure I buy it.   

No. 11-20

11. New York Giants (4-2)

12. Houston Texans (4-3)

13. New York Jets (4-3)

14. Atlanta Falcons (4-3)

15. Oakland Raiders (4-3)

16. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2)

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-3)

18. Dallas Cowboys (3-3)

19. Tennessee Titans (3-3)

20. Washington Redskins (3-3)

Comments:

The middle third is a jumbled mess of four- and three-win teams that have mostly disappointed in 2011.

In reality, it'd be tough to separate the Texans, Jets, Falcons, Raiders, Buccaneers, Cowboys and Titans at this point. The Bengals have been a nice surprise and deserve to be in this group, but the Redskins look like they are in free fall. They could have easily dropped out of the top 20 after falling to the Panthers on Sunday.

No. 21-32

21. Kansas City Chiefs (3-3)

22. Philadelphia Eagles (2-4)

23. Carolina Panthers (2-5)

24. Cleveland Browns (3-3)

25. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5)

26. Seattle Seahawks (2-4)

27. Denver Broncos (2-4)

28. Minnesota Vikings (1-6)

29. Arizona Cardinals (1-5)

30. St. Louis Rams (0-6)

31. Miami Dolphins (0-6)

32. Indianapolis Colts (0-7)

Comments:

To understand just how poor the bottom of the NFL really is, take a look at the starting quarterbacks from the final seven teams last Sunday: Charlie Whitehurst, Tim Tebow, Christian Ponder, Kevin Kolb (bye), A.J. Feeley, Matt Moore and Curtis Painter. Only Ponder, Kolb and Tebow (maybe) are guys that could get their respective teams of the bottom 12 sometimes in the near future.

In terms of the rankings, I thought the Chiefs belonged in the top 20. No. 21 isn't a terrible spot, however, especially with the way they started the season.

Most seasons, the Rams and Dolphins would have strong cases for the cellar spot in the NFL. Not in 2011. That's firmly in the hands of the Colts, who lost by a college score in a nationally-televised game. Yikes.