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Week 8 of the NFL season is done and dusted, and after next week, we’ll officially be halfway done with the regular season. There have been major upsets, close finishes and straight-up blowouts, but as the dust settles on Week 8, I think we have a fairly good idea of where each team stacks up. Today, we’ll be power ranking all 32 NFL teams, and after a lot of movement last week, things didn’t shake up all that much this time around. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad 32. Tennessee Titans (1-7) Last Week’s Ranking: 31 ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Week 8 Result: 38-14 loss to Colts PFF Rankings: Offense 30th, Defense 24th Week 9 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm vs Chargers Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports Taking over the bottom spot in our power rankings is the Tennessee Titans, who feel to 1-7 after a 24-point loss to the Indianapolis Colts. The Titans just have no juice on either side of the ball, and it feels like they’re just playing for the No. 1 pick for the rest of the year. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad 31. Las Vegas Raiders (2-5) Last Week’s Ranking: 29 Week 8 Result: Bye PFF Rankings: Offense 26th, Defense 31st Week 9 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm vs Bengals The Las Vegas Raiders had a bye this week, but they fall two spots because of two teams behind them both earning big wins this weekend. There’s not much to say about the Raiders. They have a bad offense and a bad defense, and Pete Caroll might already be feeling some heat. 30. New Orleans Saints (1-7) Last Week’s Ranking: 28 Week 8 Result: 23-3 loss to Buccaneers PFF Rankings: Offense 29th, Defense 20th Week 9 Matchup: Sunday, 4:05 pm at Rams The New Orleans Saints were giving some good teams a tough time early in the year, but they’ve had back-to-back ugly losses and Spencer Rattler was benched in favor of Tyler Shough this week. We’ll see who they move forward with, but things are not looking good in New Orleans. 29. New York Jets (1-7) Last Week’s Ranking: 32 Week 8 Result: 39-38 win over Bengals PFF Rankings: Offense 24th, Defense T-17th Week 9 Matchup: Bye The New York Jets got their first win of the Aaron Glenn-era on Sunday, beating the Cincinnati Bengals in a shootout, 39-38. Justin Fields probably wasn’t even going to start, but Tyrod Taylor was ruled out with a knee injury, and Fields looked great. He might’ve just saved his job with his performance this week, but I can’t not mentioned Breece Hall, who had one of the best performances of the week. 28. Arizona Cardinals (2-5) Last Week’s Ranking: 27 Week 8 Result: Bye PFF Rankings: Offense 22nd, Defense 26th Week 9 Matchup: Monday, 8:15 pm at Cowboys The Arizona Cardinals had a bye this week, and the hope is that Kyler Murray can return for their game against the Dallas Cowboys next week. It should be a high scoring game considering Dallas’ defense came back down to Earth after a good game two weeks ago. We’ll see if they can pull off the upset in Murray’s return. 27. Cleveland Browns (2-6) Last Week’s Ranking: 26 Week 8 Result: 32-13 loss to Patriots PFF Rankings: Offense 32nd, Defense 1st Week 9 Matchup: Bye The Cleveland Browns were manhandled by the New England Patriots on Sunday. This game was never close, and even the Browns’ defense couldn’t stop Drake Maye and the Pats’ offense. They have a bye this week, and before you ask, Kevin Stefanski has already committed to starting Dillon Gabriel after their bye. 26. Miami Dolphins (2-6) Last Week’s Ranking: 30 Week 8 Result: 34-10 win over Falcons PFF Rankings: Offense 31st, Defense 29th Week 9 Matchup: Thursday, 8:15 pm vs Ravens The Miami Dolphins are a hard team to figure out. Just when you think they’re ready to lay down and die, they come out and get a win or play a tough team close. They absolutely destroyed the Atlanta Falcons, who have completely fallen off a cliff since their win over the Buffalo Bills. Miami has some life, but their defense is so bad that I don’t see them winning many more games. 25. New York Giants (2-6) Last Week’s Ranking: 24 Week 8 Result: 38-20 loss to Eagles PFF Rankings: Offense 28th, Defense T-17th Week 9 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm vs 49ers The New York Giants are one of the more entertaining 2-6 teams to watch that I can remember. Jaxson Dart is incredibly fun, and so was Cam Skattebo, but he suffered a gruesome ankle injury and is likely done for the year. Fun doesn’t always equal good, though. They’ll give some good teams a tough time, but wins will continue to be hard to come by. 24. Cincinnati Bengals (3-5) Last Week’s Ranking: 23 Week 8 Result: 39-38 loss to Jets PFF Rankings: Offense 23rd, Defense 30th Week 9 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm vs 49ers This was a bad loss for the Bengals. After a big win over the Pittsburgh Steelers two weeks ago, they come out and give up 39 to the Jets. That just can’t happen. Their offense is firing on all cylinders with Joe Flacco, but that defense is just horrible. 23. Washington Commanders (3-5) Last Week’s Ranking: 20 Week 8 Result: 28-7 loss to Chiefs PFF Rankings: Offense 16th, Defense 16th Week 9 Matchup: Sunday, 8:20 pm vs Seahawks The Washington Commanders held up a lot better than I thought on Monday night. Their defense in particular was pretty solid against one of the best offenses in the league (at least in the first half), but their offense without Jayden Daniels was tough to watch. Still, credit to them for making this a somewhat entertaining first half on Monday night. 22. Baltimore Ravens (2-5) Last Week’s Ranking: 25 Week 8 Result: 30-16 win over Bears PFF Rankings: Offense 19th, Defense 28th Week 9 Matchup: Thursday, 8:15 pm at Dolphins The Lamar Jackson-less Baltimore Ravens got a big win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Nobody expected that to happen when Jackson was ruled out, but their offense looked pretty good with Tyler Huntley running things. Their defense also played their best game of the year. Will they be contenders when Jackson returns (hopefully this week)? We’ll see. 21. Minnesota Vikings (3-4) Last Week’s Ranking: 21 Week 8 Result: 37-10 loss to Chargers PFF Rankings: Offense 27th, Defense 23rd Week 9 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm at Lions The Minnesota Vikings are one of the most boring teams to watch. Carson Wentz is not inspiring, and their defense, which has been so good under Brian Flores, just hasn’t shown up this year. A big loss in primetime to the Los Angeles Chargers should’ve hurt them more than it did, but I think they’re better than all the teams listed below them. 20. Carolina Panthers (4-4) Last Week’s Ranking: 19 Week 8 Result: 40-9 loss to Bills PFF Rankings: Offense 15th, Defense 14th Week 9 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm at Packers The Carolina Panthers got blown out by the Bills on Sunday. They were down Bryce Young, but I don’t think he would’ve made much of a difference. The Panthers were always worse than their 4-3 record, and this loss showed that. 19. Atlanta Falcons (3-4) Last Week’s Ranking: 18 Week 8 Result: 34-10 loss to Dolphins PFF Rankings: Offense 12th, Defense 20th Week 9 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm at Patriots The Falcons have a couple good wins this season, but it’s hard to ignore their recent struggles. I know Michael Penix didn’t play, but I don’t think their loss to the Dolphins would’ve gone much differently if he played. They’ve now been outscored 64-10 by the Panthers and Dolphins. Yikes. 18. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-3) Last Week’s Ranking: 17 Week 8 Result: Bye PFF Rankings: Offense 25th, Defense 12th Week 9 Matchup: Sunday, 4:05 pm at Raiders The Jacksonville Jaguars were on a two-game losing streak heading into their bye week, but will get a good chance to get back into the win column against the Raiders this week. Their offense needs to iron out some kinks if they want to make the playoffs. Trevor Lawrence needs to be more consistent, Brian Thomas Jr. needs to stop dropping so many passes and Travis Etienne needs to get things going on the ground again. 17. Dallas Cowboys (3-4-1) Last Week’s Ranking: 15 Week 8 Result: 44-24 loss to Broncos PFF Rankings: Offense 5th, Defense 32nd Week 9 Matchup: Monday, 8:15 pm vs Cardinals The Cowboys defense is horrible. It’s easily the worst in the league, and usually they’d be ranked way lower than 17, but that offense can keep them in pretty much every game. They’ll be competitive for the rest of the year, but their defense really needs to figure things out. 16. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3) Last Week’s Ranking: 14 Week 8 Result: 35-25 loss to Packers PFF Rankings: Offense 19th, Defense 13th Week 9 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm vs Colts In the first half, it looked like the Pittsburgh Steelers had this game in the bag, but they completely fumbled it in the second half. The Green Bay Packers scored 28 second-half points and they shut down pretty much everything Aaron Rodgers and Co. tried to do offensively. It was a very disappointing loss considering how they played in the first half. 15. Chicago Bears (4-3) Last Week’s Ranking: 13 Week 8 Result: 30-16 loss to Ravens PFF Rankings: Offense 12th, Defense 19th Week 9 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm at Bengals The Bears put themselves in a good spot to make the playoffs after an 0-2 start by winning four straight games, but they just lost to the Lamar Jackson-less Ravens. They only scored 16 against one of the worst defenses in the league despite having nearly 400 yards of offense. They couldn’t score touchdowns in the red zone, which ultimately cost them the game. Still, I think they have a chance to sneak into the playoffs, but they need to play much better than they did last week. 14. Houston Texans (3-4) Last Week’s Ranking: 22 Week 8 Result: 26-15 win over 49ers PFF Rankings: Offense 18th, Defense 5th Week 9 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm vs Broncos The Houston Texans got a statement win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Their defense played great yet again, and their offense really found a nice rhythm both through the air and on the ground. If they can keep playing like this, they’ll be a playoff team, but their offense needs to be more consistent than it has been in the past. 13. San Francisco 49ers (5-3) Last Week’s Ranking: 7 Week 8 Result: 26-15 win loss to Texans PFF Rankings: Offense 11th, Defense 26th Week 9 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm at Giants People are going to ask how I have the 49ers over the Texans after they just lost to Houston, and my answer is because I still believe they’re a better team. When they get a few of their key pieces back, which shouldn’t be too much longer, they’re going to be a very good team again. The Mac Jones magic has run out, but I still think they’re going to make the playoffs. 12. Los Angeles Chargers (5-3) Last Week’s Ranking: 16 Week 8 Result: 37-10 win over Vikings PFF Rankings: Offense 13th, Defense 9th Week 9 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm at Titans Despite all of their injuries, the Chargers are sitting at 5-3 and are coming off a massive win over the Vikings. They’re getting healthier by the week, and once Omarion Hampton is back, this offense is going to be even harder to stop than it already is. 11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2) Last Week’s Ranking: 6 Week 8 Result: 23-3 win over Saints PFF Rankings: Offense 21st, Defense 7th Week 9 Matchup: Bye The Tampa Bay Buccaneers shouldn’t drop five spots for winning, but after thinking about it, I over-ranked them last week, and with some teams right behind them earning big wins, they fall five spots to No. 11. I still think this is a good team, but they’ve been decimated by injuries and just don’t have the same juice they did early in the year. This bye week will be good for them, and I expect them to come back strong. 10. Buffalo Bills (5-2) Last Week’s Ranking: 8 Week 8 Result: 40-9 win over Panthers PFF Rankings: Offense 4th, Defense 28th Week 9 Matchup: Sunday, 4:25 pm vs Chiefs It’s hard to drop a team two spots for winning 40-9, but the Panthers were never as good as their record, and they had Andy Dalton under center. It was still an impressive win, but a couple teams that were behind them last week leapfrog them after some big wins. 9. New England Patriots (6-2) Last Week’s Ranking: 11 Week 8 Result: 32-13 win over Browns PFF Rankings: Offense 8th, Defense 12th Week 9 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm vs Falcons The Patriots just keep on climbing. I keep waiting for them to get a reality check, but they’ve avoided two straight trap games and are sitting at 6-2. This is a playoff team, and potentially even a contender to make the Super Bowl, though the AFC is very loaded. 8. Green Bay Packers (5-1-1) Last Week’s Ranking: 12 Week 8 Result: 35-25 win over Buccaneers PFF Rankings: Offense 9th, Defense 3rd Week 9 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm vs Panthers I’m still sticking to my guns and saying the Packers aren’t Super Bowl contenders, but my ranking for them was a bit harsh last week. Jordan Love and the Packers’ offense looked good on Sunday Night, and their defense made some plays. I think they could be as high as six, but this top 10 are all so close, and I think the teams right above them are just a little bit better. 7. Denver Broncos (6-2) Last Week’s Ranking: 9 Week 8 Result: 44-24 win over Cowboys PFF Rankings: Offense 15th, Defense 11th Week 9 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm at Texans The Denver Broncos are such an interesting team. Their offense has been wildly inconsistent, but they’ve come through when they needed them to, especially in recent weeks. They also have what I think is the best defense in football. Their pass rush is great, their linebackers are great and they have one of the best cornerbacks in the league. A lot to like about Denver, but there are still some minor concerns over the consistency of their offense. 6. Philadelphia Eagles (6-2) Last Week’s Ranking: 10 Week 8 Result: 38-20 win over Giants PFF Rankings: Offense 7th, Defense 7th Week 9 Matchup: Bye The Philadelphia Eagles are finally starting to look like themselves again. Saquon Barkley had a big game, Jalen Hurts looked good again and their defense played pretty well against a solid Giants offense. I still want to see them do it one or two more times before I pout them in the top five, but for now, six feels like a good spot. 5. Los Angeles Rams (6-2) Last Week’s Ranking: 5 Week 8 Result: Bye PFF Rankings: Offense 1st, Defense 4th Week 9 Matchup: Sunday, 4:05 pm vs Saints The Los Angeles Rams had a bye after their trip to London. I kept trying to find a way to put this team higher, because I think they have a real shot at winning the NFC, but the top four are so close, and I just couldn’t find another team to put them over. I love Matthew Stafford and I love their pass rush. If you have a good QB and can get after the other team’s quarterback, you’re going to win a lot of games. 4. Seattle Seahawks (6-2) Last Week’s Ranking: 4 Week 8 Result: Bye PFF Rankings: Offense T-2nd, Defense 6th Week 9 Matchup: Sunday, 8:20 pm vs Commanders I’ve been a big advocate for the Seattle Seahawks all year long, and after their bye, they stay at No. 4. I love what they’re doing offensively, and if they can get a consistent ground game going, they’re going to be very hard to stop. Defensively, Mike Macdonald has done an incredible job. They’re flying around and are one of the best units in the league. I know I have them higher than most, but I just think they’re a great team. 3. Detroit Lions (5-2) Last Week’s Ranking: 2 Week 8 Result: Bye PFF Rankings: Offense 5th, Defense 2nd Week 9 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm vs Vikings The Detroit Lions also had a bye this week, but fall one spot due to the Chiefs’ win over the Commanders. The Lions have one of the best offenses and defenses in football, but the Chiefs have proven they can hang with, and beat, the Lions. Still would love to see that game played on a neutral field, though. 2. Kansas City Chiefs (5-3) Last Week’s Ranking: 3 Week 8 Result: 28-7 win over Commanders PFF Rankings: Offense 10th, Defense 10th Week 9 Matchup: Sunday, 4:25 pm at Bills The Kansas City Chiefs handled business on Monday night, knocking off the Commanders fairly easily. They’re playing like one of the best teams in the league right now, and I don’t see their run stopping anytime soon. If they played like this throughout the whole year, they could be No. 1, but the top spot belongs to the team who has been the most consistently dominant, and that is the… 1. Indianapolis Colts (7-1) Last Week’s Ranking: 1 Week 8 Result: 38-14 win over Titans PFF Rankings: Offense T-2nd, Defense T-17th Week 9 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm at Steelers
