NFL Rankings Week 8: Washington Redskins and More Teams That Are Pretenders

As we near the halfway mark of the NFL season, some teams are beginning to separate from the pack. Others, regardless of their standing, remain on shaky ground and still need to declare themselves either as contenders or pretenders.

While some teams have already begun the process of faltering, it may be on the horizon for others. Here are three teams that will prove to be pretenders in Week 8.

Cincinnati Bengals

I don't want to discount the Bengals' 4-2 start too much, since it is certainly impressive what they have done despite being considered one of the NFL's worst teams entering the season. The Bengals have a contender-worthy defense, but I don't ultimately believe they are the total package.

Rookie quarterback Andy Dalton has done a nice job of limiting mistakes, but eventually, a starting quarterback has to take a game by the neck and win it for his team. I simply don't see Dalton as having the skill set to do that quite yet.

The Bengals also have a deceptively tough game this weekend at the Seattle Seahawks. Say what you will about the vanilla Seahawks, but they are a team that is willing to get dirty and win an ugly game. They are a very good home team as well, so I think the Seahawks will succeed in bringing the Bengals back down to Earth on Sunday.

San Diego Chargers

The San Diego Chargers have made a habit of playing below their capabilities, and it finally caught up with them last season as they missed the playoffs. That issue seemed to be rectified with a 4-1 start in 2011, but the Chargers are in a precarious spot after blowing a lead against the New York Jets last week.

San Diego will take on a team that was left for dead this Monday in the Kansas City Chiefs. The defending AFC West champions started 0-3, got blown out of the water twice and lost the likes of star safety Eric Berry and star running back Jamaal Charles for the remainder of the season.

The Chiefs have since evened their record at 3-3 and are just one game out in the division. The Chargers will be favored on the road, but many signs point to Kansas City having the advantage. The Chiefs secondary made life miserable for Oakland Raiders quarterbacks last week by picking off six passes, and with Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers scuffling, the Chiefs could surprise some people.

Washington Redskins

The Washington Redskins began the season with a 3-1 record and sat atop the NFC East. While their roster didn't look particularly impressive on paper, the 'Skins were succeeding with strong defensive play and an offense that held onto the ball without making many errors.

That unraveled two weeks ago against the Philadelphia Eagles, however, as quarterback Rex Grossman threw four interceptions. John Beck has since replaced him, and while he played admirably against the Carolina Panthers last week, the 'Skins dropped to 3-3.

Washington's offense has an easy matchup against the Buffalo Bills' defense in Week 8, but with running back Tim Hightower and wide receiver Santana Moss out, they may not be able to take advantage. The Bills will score points as they always do, so if Washington can't keep up, then it doesn't stand much of a chance on Sunday.

Mike Chiari's Week 8 NFL Power Rankings	Previous Week's Ranking
1. Green Bay Packers	1
2. New England Patriots	3
3. San Francisco 49ers	4
4. New Orleans Saints	7
5. Pittsburgh Steelers	8
6. Baltimore Ravens	2
7. Detroit Lions	5
8. San Diego Chargers	6
9. New York Giants	10
10. Atlanta Falcons	14
11. Houston Texans	13
12. Buffalo Bills	11
13. New York Jets	16
14. Cincinnati Bengals	15
15. Dallas Cowboys	18
16. Chicago Bears	21
17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers	9
18. Oakland Raiders	12
19. Tennessee Titans	17
20. Philadelphia Eagles	20
21. Cleveland Browns	23
22. Carolina Panthers	24
23. Washington Redskins	19
24. Jacksonville Jaguars	26
25. Kansas City Chiefs	25
26. Denver Broncos	27
27. Seattle Seahawks	22
28. Minnesota Vikings	30
29. Arizona Cardinals	28
30. Miami Dolphins	31
31. St. Louis Rams	32
32. Indianapolis Colts	29