Anything can happen on NFL Sunday and Week 8 proved no different. The Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs survived scares against two of the worst NFL teams, while the Cleveland Browns pulled off a stunning win over the Baltimore Ravens. Needless to say, our NFL Week 9 power rankings got shaken up following Sunday’s action.
At the midpoint of the season, we have a good idea of who is good and who is planning for next season, but there is still a lot of time for teams to make a late push.
Week 9 Top 10
1. Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are the best NFL team right now. Things got a little interesting early in the game with the Titans making it a 14-14 tie, but that’s all she wrote for Tennessee. Detroit answered with 38 unanswered points, in a team effort that featured a punt return touchdown and 4 total takeaways. Just complete domination by Detroit and exactly the game they needed before facing the Packers. Jared Goff has completed 84.3% of his passes over the past five games, the highest completion rate over a five-game span in NFL history (min. 50 passes). Their 6-1 record is the best in the NFC, making them the current top seed in the NFC. Their strong start puts them in prime position for a potential first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
2. Kansas City Chiefs
It’s easy to see why many view the Kansas City Chiefs as the best team in the NFL, after all they’re undefeated. Winning is ultimately all that matters in the NFL, but Kansas City has also routinely escaped by the skin of its teeth against some bad teams. Injuries (Rashee Rice, Isiah Pacheco, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquise Brown and Jaylen Watson) are the biggest problem right now. As for Patrick Mahomes, we’re still waiting for him to play like an MVP quarterback. Patrick Mahomes became the fastest quarterback in NFL history to reach 30,000 yards, achieving this milestone in his 103rd game. Their 7-0 start puts them in prime position for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
3. Buffalo Bills
There was one box the Buffalo Bills needed to check before being catapulted up the NFL power rankings, beat a quality team. Mission accomplished. Josh Allen and Co. made it look easy on Sunday, decimating the Seahawks in Seattle. The Bills are in a strong position after 8 weeks with a 6-2 record that puts them four wins ahead of everyone else in the AFC East. Josh Allen is firmly in the MVP conversation, but the Bills still have areas to work on, particularly in defensive consistency and special teams play. While Amari Cooper had a quiet day, his presence opened things up for Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman. That’s one of the reasons why a No. 1 receiver is so important. The Bills are definitive Super Bowl contenders and the defense could get even better as it gets healthier.
4. Green Bay Packers
Malik Willis, the hero the Green Bay Packers didn’t know they would need this season but they are thankful to have. Acquired for a seventh-round pick before the regular season, Willis has now won three games for the Packers in the place of an injured Jordan Love. Now, it’s absolutely concerning to see the Packers’ defense take a step back and Love’s durability is going to be a lingering problem. With that said, it’s a four-game winning streak for Green Bay and they still look like one of the best NFL teams right now. Green Bay’s defense has been a key factor in their success, creating turnovers and making game-changing plays. They could be a formidable force in the second half of the season and potentially in the playoffs.
5. Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens now have a 5-3 record after suffering a loss to the Browns in Week 8, breaking their five-game winning streak and bringing them back to the pack in the competitive AFC North. The old Baltimore Ravens made an appearance on Sunday, the version of the team that makes a baffling number of drops and mental mistakes. Week 8 also served as a reminder that this Ravens offensive line isn’t nearly as strong in pass protection as some believe, but neither of these is the big problem. It turns out, that Baltimore losing all of its top defensive minds this season couldn’t be masked by this team’s storied history. We certainly still view Baltimore as one of the best NFL teams but the front office needs to address this secondary or pass rush at the NFL trade deadline.
6. Houston Texans
It wasn’t pretty for the Houston Texans on Sunday, but we also saw the Ravens lose to Cleveland and Green Bay narrowly escape with a win over the Jaguars. In short, the victory is all that matters. C.J. Stroud rebounded from a career-worst performance, but the glaring Achilles heel for this team right now is the offensive line. C.J. Stroud continues to impress at quarterback while the running game has also been potent behind Joe Mixon, who picked up his fourth 100-yard rushing performance in five starts. There is some concern about wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who injured his knee in Week 8. If the Texans draw a matchup against a team with a strong pass rush, Houston has a massive problem.
7. Philadelphia Eagles
Even if you don’t buy into head coach Nick Sirianni, the Philadelphia Eagles are still one of the most talented teams in the NFL. They are evolving their offensive strategy, setting a season-high in under-center snaps (21) against the Bengals, while leaning more on running back Saquon Barkley and an attacking run game. Philadelphia’s defense has allowed just two offensive touchdowns in the last three games. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith combined for 169 receiving yards and a touchdown, Saquon Barkley delivered 108 yards and Jalen Hurts delivered 4 total touchdowns. It’s also worth highlighting an Eagles defense that generated 2 takeaways and held Cincinnati to 10 points after the first quarter.
8. Washington Commanders
The Commanders are 6-2 following their exciting Hail Mary win, which puts them at the top of the NFC East and gives them their best start since 2008. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has been impressive, leading the NFC East in several key statistical categories including passing yards, yards per attempt, and passer rating. He is also the division’s leading rusher among quarterbacks. Jayden Daniels for MVP. Yes, plenty of good fortune on that hail mary led to the Washington Commanders victory. However, the Commanders drafted Daniels in large part because of his phenomenal deep ball and elite athleticism. Those two skills made the difference in that game-winning play. Lost in this win, the Commanders defense looked good. Both of those things together make this a dangerous football team moving forward.
9. Minnesota Vikings
Dropping the Minnesota Vikings this many spots in our NFL Week 9 power rankings is more about the Christian Darrisaw injury than the loss. Yes, it’s alarming to see how Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford have picked Brian Flores’ defense apart, but regression was coming because of that subpar secondary. The Vikings are 5-2 after a loss to the Rams. The offense struggled to maintain their earlier season momentum. The pass defense, in particular, needs improvement as they face stronger offenses in upcoming games. Losing Darrisaw, who is an All-Pro caliber left tackle, could make this a bottom-12 offensive line in pass protection. That’s dangerous territory given Sam Darnold’s issues with pressures and ‘ghosts’.
10. Pittsburgh Steelers
Mike Tomlin continues to look like a genius for making the switch from Justin Fields to Russell Wilson.While Pittsburgh left some points on the table Monday, Wilson moved the ball with ease against the Giants and connected on several long plays. The Steelers head into their bye week at 6-2and alone atop the AFC North standings. It also comes at a time of offensive cohesion, with Najee Harris ripping off multiple 100-yard games and Jaylen Warren proving to be an ideal complementary back. Plus, with George Pickens more involved, everyone is happy. That, all paired with a strong Steelers defense, makes Pittsburgh one of the 10 best NFL teams right now.
Others that can make a move:
Chicago Bears
San Francisco 49ers
Los Angeles Chargers
Atlanta Falcons