NFL Power Rankings Week 8: Cincinnati Bengals and Teams That Won't Climb Higher

While it's only Week 8, some teams have already reached their peak in the rankings. Whether it be due to a tough schedule, injuries or just a team outperforming its talent level, here three franchises that will start slipping down the power rankings soon. 

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers are well on their way to a playoff berth for the first time since 2002, largely due to a dominating defense and improvement from Alex Smith. San Francisco is only on this list because I don't think they are going to finish as the second-best team in football.

Frank Gore is averaging five yards per carry for the first time since 2006, which is a huge boost to the offense. Meanwhile, Navorro Bowman's improvement at linebacker has been impressive. However, they don't have enough offensive firepower to make a deep run in the playoffs.

Predicted final ranking: 8 

Kansas City Chiefs

It's been quite a turnaround in Kansas City.

After losing their first two games by a combined 79 points, the Chiefs have righted the ship with three straight wins. That includes last week, when they shut out the banged-up Raiders.

After such an up-and-down start, things will begin to level off in the coming weeks. With the Patriots, Steelers and Packers all on their second-half schedule, it's hard to imagine the Chiefs climbing any higher than No. 19.

Predicted final ranking: 24

Cincinnati Bengals

Kudos to the Bengals for a strong start, but it's been aided by a weak schedule. Things get tougher following the bye week, which means Cincinnati will start sliding back to the pack before long.

That said, the future is looking bright for the Bengals. They are a young team that is gaining valuable experience every week. What's more, thanks to the Carson Palmer trade, they have a bunch of draft picks to add more key pieces to the puzzle.

Predicted final ranking: 18

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