NFL Power Rankings: Games That Will Most Affect the League's Balance of Power

It may only be Week 9 of the NFL season, but with each passing week, the magnitude of certain games gets greater and greater.

Now that we essentially know which teams are for real and which aren't, it is much easier to pick out marquee games that should have a huge effect moving forward.

Several Week 9 games are likely to greatly affect the playoff picture down the line.

Here are three such games that may very well determine playoff positioning and the overall balance of power in the NFL.

New York Jets vs. Buffalo Bills

Prior to the season, most probably would have figured that the New York Jets would have been battling for the AFC East lead with the New England Patriots, while the Buffalo Bills were bringing up the rear.

The complete opposite has been true thus far, however, as the 5-2 Bills have been one of the biggest feel-good stories in the league, while the 4-3 Jets have been plagued by inconsistency.

Sunday marks a golden opportunity for the Bills to dispatch what figures to be one of their biggest rivals in capturing a playoff spot or even a division crown. The Bills have been perfect at home and are actually slightly favored over New York.

Whichever team wins this game will have tons of momentum moving forward and may be a favorite to make the postseason.

New York Giants vs. New England Patriots

It isn't often that inter-conference matchups have a huge impact in the regular season, but when the 5-2 New England Patriots host the 5-2 New York Giants on Sunday, there will be plenty on the line for both teams.

The Pats are coming off a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and will want to re-establish their dominance, while the Giants may not be receiving the respect they deserve at this point.

The Patriots are fairly heavy favorites as many expect them to bounce back, but the Giants have waves of pass-rushers and figure to give quarterback Tom Brady a workout, just as they did in New York's Super Bowl victory over New England a few seasons ago.

If the Patriots win then they will maintain their spot as an AFC elite, but if the Giants win, then they may start to be viewed as a serious threat.

Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Just as it has been the case over much of the past decade, the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers are once again in a dog fight over the AFC North.

The Steelers currently hold a half-game advantage, but the Ravens hold a victory over Pittsburgh as they dismantled the Steelers 35-7 in the season's opening week.

The Steelers have played significantly better since then, however, as they defeated New England last week. The Ravens have scuffled a bit of late as it took a last-second field goal to beat the Arizona Cardinals last week, and they were upset by the Jacksonville Jaguars the week before.

Should Pittsburgh win, it will extend its lead in the division, but a Ravens' victory would give them a crucial tiebreaker over the Steelers.

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