NFL Power Rankings Week 9: Which Fast-Rising Teams Are True Contenders?

Once you get past the Green Bay Packers at the top, the NFL power rankings have been a constant mess. We have seen a number of teams fall in and out of the Top 10 and it is getting harder to figure out who the best teams in the league really are. 

The good news is, eight weeks into the season, we are starting to get a little bit better idea of who is a contender and who is a pretender. The bad news is, with so many teams bunched so close together, one loss can alter our perception dramatically. 

As we head into Week 9, there are some teams that have begun to separate themselves from the rest of the pretenders. 

Here are three teams that have been moving up the power rankings in the last few weeks, who will continue their upward trend.

Buffalo Bills

All of the Bills' big games in the first half of the season have come at home. They have defeated Oakland, New England and Philadelphia in Buffalo, and now get to welcome their AFC East rival New York Jets into town.

The Jets have been so inconsistent this season that to expect anything good or positive from them would be a mistake.

Ryan Fitzpatrick and Fred Jackson have been one of the best quarterback-running back duos in the league, and they will have no problem picking apart Rex Ryan’s defense.

They have been a Top-10 team all season long, but a win will push them back into the cream of the crop for the first time since defeating the Patriots. 

Houston Texans

After their three-game losing streak created questions as to how mentally tough this team is, the Houston Texans responded by dominating the Tennessee Titans in Week 7. Gary Kubiak and company followed that up with a solid win against Jacksonville on Sunday.

They have Cleveland coming to town this weekend, and it will be their chance to push themselves back into the conversation as one of the best teams in the AFC.

The Texans have had no problems dispatching teams that they are clearly better than. The fact that they could be getting Andre Johnson back only makes them more attractive. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers have been a difficult team to figure out so far this season. However, even with all their deficiencies, they are still in the thick of the race in the NFC South.

When New Orleans comes to town on Sunday, the Bucs will have a chance to move into first place in the division with a win. They don’t always play pretty, mistake-free football, but more often than not they find a way to get the job done.

At some point, the Bucs are going to get hot and make a play for the division crown. What better time to make a statement than this week? 

Philadelphia Eagles

It has taken longer than expected, but the Eagles are finally playing like the team that we all thought they would be. 

Following their Sunday night destruction of the Dallas Cowboys, the Eagles find themselves just one game under .500 and two losses behind the New York Giants in the NFC East.

The turnaround started when Andy Reid incorporated more of LeSean McCoy and the running game into the Eagles offense. If that pattern continues, this team should be able to win the division handily.

They have another prime time game this week, with the Bears on Monday night, to prove that they are really the dominant force we all expected.

Week 9 NFL Power Rankings
1. Green Bay Packers (7-0)
2. San Francisco 49ers (6-1)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2)
4. Detroit Lions (6-2)
5. New York Giants (5-2)
6. Buffalo Bills (5-2)
7. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2)
8. Houston Texans (5-3)
9. New England Patriots (5-2)
10. New Orleans Saints (5-3)
11. Baltimore Ravens (5-2)
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-3)
13. Kansas City Chiefs (4-3)
14. Tennessee Titans (4-3)
15. New York Jets (4-3)
16. Philadelphia Eagles (3-4)
17. Chicago Bears (4-3)
18. San Diego Chargers (4-3)
19. Atlanta Falcons (4-3)
20. Oakland Raiders (4-3)
21. Dallas Cowboys (3-4)
22. Washington Redskins (3-4)
23. Cleveland Browns (3-4)
24. Minnesota Vikings (2-6)
25. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6)
26. Carolina Panthers (2-6)
27. Seattle Seahawks (2-5)
28. Denver Broncos (2-5)
29. St. Louis Rams (1-6)
30. Arizona Cardinals (1-6)
31. Miami Dolphins (0-7) 32. Indianapolis Colts (0-8)