There have been plenty of powerhouse NFL teams taking surprising falls lately, and Week 8 was no different. With the Kansas City Chiefs falling to the Denver Broncos and the San Francisco 49ers looking dreadful in their loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, how different do our Week 9 NFL Power Rankings look?
Standout performances from rookie quarterback Will Levis and star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, as well as Gus Edwards and the duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, helped propel their respective teams to a win this week. On the flip side, Brock Purdy, Jordan Love, Matthew Stafford, and Patrick Mahomes all looked pretty bad, and played big-time parts in why their respective teams took home a loss in Week 8.
After Tuesday's trade deadline, there was a lot more movement than in most years. With Chase Young heading to San Francisco, Montez Sweat going to the Bears, Rasul Douglas going to Buffalo, and Joshua Dobbs heading to Minnesota, there were enough big names to make this year's deadline quite interesting.
Our Week 9 NFL Power Rankings saw quite the shake-up in our top 10 – where does your team fall?
Previous NFL Power Rankings: Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2| Week 1
1. Philadelphia Eagles (no change)
It’s just another week for the Philadelphia Eagles, as their Week 8 win over the Washington Commanders helped keep them in the top spot of our NFL Power Rankings. Even hampered by a bum left knee, Jalen Hurts was able to lead the Eagles to their seventh win of the season, making them the only team in the NFL to hit this mark through eight weeks.
A.J. Brown set an NFL record with his sixth-consecutive game in which he posted 125-plus receiving yards, and four different Eagles players (Brown x2, DeVonta Smith, Julio Jones, and D’Andre Swift) found the end zone in their comeback victory against Washington, as they proved that this team does have some moxy after all.
2. Miami Dolphins (no change)
It’s shocking to think that Tua Tagovailoa has never lost to the New England Patriots in his career, but Sunday’s divisional win pushed the southpaw to a 6-0 record against a team that he calls ‘one of the toughest opponents to beat.’
Both Hill and Waddle put up over 100 yards and a touchdown, and the Miami Dolphins defense held the Patriots offense to just 218 total yards in their latest victory.
3. Baltimore Ravens (+2)
Coming off their strong Week 7 upset of the Detroit Lions, the Baltimore Ravens had to fight to defeat the one-win Arizona Cardinals. Edwards was the MVP for Baltimore, as his three rushing touchdowns pushed the Ravens to their sixth win of the year, keeping them at the top of the AFC North and in the top three of these NFL Week 9 Power Rankings.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (+2)
Ever since their 1-2 start, the Jacksonville Jaguars have found the recipe for success, reeling off five consecutive wins. Sunday’s ten-point win over the Pittsburgh Steelers was led by a balanced offensive attack.
Trevor Lawrence threw for 292 yards, Travis Etienne racked up 27 touches, 140+ total yards, and a receiving TD, and Evan Engram hauled in all of his ten targets. Jacksonville has quickly reshaped its appearance and looks to be the AFC South favorite yet again. Plus, by adding Ezra Cleveland from the Vikings before the deadline, Etienne should have an even easier time running the ball after the upgrade at guard.
5. Detroit Lions (+2)
The first half certainly had its rough moments, but the Detroit Lions are now the second-best team in the NFC after their MNF win over the Raiders. With David Montgomery missing another game, rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs excelled, making his Week 7 breakout against the Ravens look small compared to his 152-yard rushing performance against Vegas in Week 8. Heading into their bye week, Detroit has a ton of momentum as they look ahead to the second half of the season.
6. Seattle Seahawks (+2)
While their awesome throwback jerseys were the talk of the town, the Seattle Seahawks needed a bit of luck to beat the Cleveland Browns on Sunday afternoon. A last-minute touchdown from rookie wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njiba gave Seattle their fifth win of the year, and more importantly, it pushed them into first place in the NFC West with the Niners losing to the Bengals.
7. San Francisco 49ers (-3)
The losing streak for the 49ers has hit three, and their Week 8 loss to the Bengals exposed their deficiencies even more as they stumble another spot in these NFL Week 9 Power Rankings.
Brock Purdy’s health has been a questionable topic since he was diagnosed with a concussion after their Week 7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, and even though he was cleared to play on Saturday, he just didn’t look like himself. There is also a chance that he suffered a second concussion after a hard hit late in the fourth quarter, so his injury status is worth watching once again.
The rich got richer at the trade deadline, as all it took for the Niners to upgrade their defense was a third-round pick. Addding Young gives the best defensive line in the NFL just another piece in their rotation, and with Young becoming the bookend opposite Nick Bosa, there will be plenty of sacks upcoming for this unit.
8. Kansas City Chiefs (-5)
If the snow storyline would have actually impacted the Chiefs-Broncos game on Sunday, then maybe it would have justified such a putrid performance from Kansas City. But since the weather had little to no impact on the final score, it seems as though the Chiefs just played down to an inferior opponent.
Reports of Patrick Mahomes needing IVs to fight through an illness likely factored into one of the worst performances of his career, but this team as a whole looked quite uninterested in beating the Broncos. That's why they slip so far in our Week 9 NFL Power Rankings.
9. Dallas Cowboys (no change)
It was a rout from the jump for the Dallas Cowboys, as their 33-point first half put the Los Angeles Rams out of the game early on. Dak Prescott looked like his vintage self as he threw for four touchdowns in this one, two of which went to CeeDee Lamb, who had a massive outing for Dallas (12 receptions, 158 yards, 2 TD).
While they are still looking up at the Eagles in the NFC East, there have been plenty of positive signs for Dallas over the past few weeks.
10. Buffalo Bills (no change)
The Buffalo Bills kicked off Week 8 with a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football, and Josh Allen and company put on an offensive clinic. Four different receivers hauled in at least five receptions, with Gabe Davis and Stefon Diggs both hauling in nine passes on 12 targets to lead the way.
At the NFL Trade Deadline, the Bills went out and added some talent to their defensive secondary, bringing in veteran conerback Rasul Douglas from the Packers. While it did cost them a third-round pick, the Bills will quickly realize how valuable Douglas is.
11. Cincinnati Bengals (+5)
Can we say the Bengals are actually back? It sure seems like they are.
In a game that saw Joe Burrow look very healthy and full of swagger, the Bengals brought it to the Niners early and often on their way to their fourth win of the year. Joe Mixon found the end zone in one of his best games of the year, and a strong defensive attack helped force the Niners into playing from behind for most of the game.
12. New York Jets (+2)
In the battle of the worst New York teams, it was the New York Jets that came out on top in a gross overtime slugfest. Featuring a matchup that saw way too many punts and more-than-questionable quarterback play from both sides, a field goal from Greg Zuerlein helped the Jets earn their fourth win of the year.
Supported by a 100-yard outing from Garrett Wilson and a 240-yard game from Zach Wilson, the Jets are doing their best to keep their head above water, both in their divisional standings and in our Week 9 NFL Power Rankings.
13. Cleveland Browns (no change)
It’s tough to pinpoint exactly where the Cleveland Browns came up short in their Week 8 loss to Seattle, as they led the way in time of possession and most key offensive categories. But after P.J. Walker threw a fourth-quarter interception that put Seattle in good field position, and after that, it wasn't totally surprising to see the Browns come up short in this one.
14. Pittsburgh Steelers (-2)
Losing Kenny Pickett to a first-half rib injury opened the door back up for Mitch Trubisky at quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the former Chicago Bears first round draft pick wasn’t able to lead the Steelers to a win over the Jaguars. Pittsburgh, who dropped their first game since being blown out by the Houston Texans back in Week 5, have their work cut out for them moving forward, especially with a Thursday Night Football matchup on deck against the Tennessee Titans.
15. Atlanta Falcons (-4)
It wasn't necessarily a benching, but it was telling that Desmond Ridder didn't see the field in the second half of this game, even after being cleared for a concussion after taking a big hit. In stepped Taylor Heinicke, who led this team to four scoring drives after being inserted in, but it wasn’t enough, as the Atlanta Falcons dropped a close game to the Titans.
Atlanta was fighting an uphill battle from the opening kickoff, as the Titans were decked out in their sharp Oilers throwback jerseys, but allowing four passing touchdowns from a rookie quarterback is always an easy way to lose a game.
16. New Orleans Saints (+3)
It was a much cleaner outing for Derek Carr and the New Orleans Saints in Week 8, and their 38-27 win over the Indianapolis Colts was an important one in the race for the NFC South division.
Carr (310 yards), Alvin Kamara (21 touches, 2 total TDs), Taysom Hill (9 carries, 63 yards, 2 rushing TDs), and Rashid Shaheed (3 receptions, 153 yards, 1 TD) led the way for the Saints, who now sit at an even 4-4 record through the first eight weeks of the season.
17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2)
A Thursday Night Football loss to the Bills started out Week 8 on a sour note for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and their loss happened largely due to the ineptitude of the offense – until late.
Baker Mayfield peppered Chris Godwin with plenty of targets and found him for a touchdown, but he only seemed to realize Mike Evans was also on the team in the fourth quarter, when he hauled in a touchdown of his own.
18. Minnesota Vikings (+2)
While the Minnesota Vikings did extend their winning streak to three games, they likely lost Kirk Cousins to a season-ending Achilles injury, a la Aaron Rodgers. With four wins in their last five games, Minnesota felt like they were beginning to hit their stride, so acquiring Dobbs to be their starting QB for the rest of the season was a no-brainer.
19. Tennessee Titans (+8)
Rookie Will Levis was on a mission to help Tennessee fans forget all about Ryan Tannehill, as he led the Titans to their largest point total since 2021 (28) in a win over the Falcons. Connecting with Hopkins for three scores, the second-round pick from Kentucky put on a show in his first career start, and he should continue to hold the starting job when Tannehill returns – if Tennessee is serious about making the playoffs, of course.
20. Los Angeles Chargers (+1)
It really was never up for debate which team was going to win the Sunday Night matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Chicago Bears, as the Chargers grabbed hold of the lead early and never looked back.
LA's defense harassed rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent into two interceptions, Justin Herbert threw for 298 yards and 3 TDs, and Austin Ekeler turned 22 touches into 123 yards (94 receiving) and a score.
21. Los Angeles Rams (-3)
Matthew Stafford, in a word, looked rough (before leaving with a thumb injury) in the Los Angeles Rams’ Week 8 drubbing at the hands of the Cowboys. With Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua only combining for seven receptions and 64 yards, the offense was putrid, and the defense pretty much let Dallas do whatever they wanted.
22. Houston Texans (-5)
In a matchup of the first three draft picks from the 2023 NFL Draft, it was the Houston Texans that finally allowed the Carolina Panthers to put their first tally in the win column. C.J. Stroud struggled and only threw for 140 yards, and Houston was unable to do much of anything on offense, showing that this upstart roster still has a lot of improvement left in them.
23. Washington Commanders (no change)
A double-digit lead for the Washington Commanders was not enough for them to earn their fourth win of the season, as a comeback effort from the Eagles sent the Commanders home disappointed.
A 52-passing attempt outing from Sam Howell saw him throw for 397 yards and 4 TDs, but they were outscored 28-14 in the second half, including 21 points in the decisive fourth quarter. A middling team if there ever was one, the Commanders likely will be stuck in a holding pattern in our NFL Power Rankings for most of the season.
Washington was the busiest team at this year's trade deadline, moving both Chase Young and Montez Sweat. By adding both a second and third-round picks for two players they were never going to re-sign, Washington did good to recoup value, as they look to head into another year of below-average play and potentially even a rebuild.
24. Denver Broncos (+4)
It was only a matter of time, apparently, until Russell Wilson and Sean Payton found their way for the Denver Broncos. Their upset win over the Chiefs was an impressive one, especially with how the defense held Mahomes and company without a touchdown. While Wilson's stat line wasn't super impressive (114 yards, 3 TDs), he did find Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, and Javonte Williams for passing touchdowns in the win.
25. Indianapolis Colts (no change)
The Indianapolis Colts are a curious case of a team mired that, while mired in mediocrity, still has enough firepower to make things interesting, which is exactly what happened in their Week 8 loss to the Saints.
While Gardner Minshew didn’t excite (213 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT), the offense as a whole looked fairly solid. Jonathan Taylor led the backfield in touches (but Zach Moss found the end zone), and Josh Downs led this team in receiving again, so there are some positive takeaways.
26. Las Vegas Raiders (no change)
The desire to move the Las Vegas Raiders further down our Power Rankings list is very strong, especially with how poor the offense looked. But with how the teams below them performed this week, they get to hold onto their current spot.
Jimmy Garoppolo looked awful, Davante Adams was visibly frustrated, and the offense as a whole was nowhere to be found all night. Save for a Josh Jacobs rushing TD and a Marcus Peters pick-six, this team mightily struggled to put up points in primetime.
27. New England Patriots (-3)
There seems to be a general feeling surrounding the New England Patriots and how their 2-6 record could be a bit generous when looking at the lack of talent on their roster.
While Mac Jones played alright (161 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT), the team ran for 77 yards total and actually turned the ball over less than Miami, but allowing 390 yards of offense and two 100-yard receivers is an easy way to lose yet another football game.
28. New York Giants (-6)
Ugly doesn’t do the New York Giants game against the Jets justice, but it was very clear the Giants did not deserve to win Sunday’s matchup. After a field goal on the final play of regulation from the Jets sent this game into overtime, they kicked another field goal in OT to win the game, sending the Giants to their sixth loss.
Tyrod Taylor was knocked out of the game with a rib injury, placing Tommy DeVito in the spotlight. This is a real stat – between Taylor and DeVito, the Giants had seven total passing yards, with eight of those from Taylor. Yikes.
29. Green Bay Packers (no change)
Dead in the water is a great phrase to describe the current state of the Green Bay Packers, who have now fallen to 2-5 this season after their loss to the Vikings. Their usual standing near the middle of our NFL Power Rankings looks to be a thing of the past, as their constant offensive struggles have no end in sight. Matt LaFleur does not look to be making things any easier for Jordan Love, and in turn, Love is showing struggles of a first-year starter who needs some guidance from the coaches around him – it's a pretty bad combination.
30. Chicago Bears (no change)
The Chicago Bears helped contribute to the scary theme of the weekend before Halloween, as they shared the prime-time screen with the Chargers on Sunday Night Football. Former Division II rookie Tyson Bagent made another start for the injured Justin Fields, and while he looked alright, costly turnovers and his inability to find D.J. Moore led to this team's downfall. It looks like a battle for the basement is brewing in the NFC North between the Packers and Bears, and they are neck-and-neck in our NFL Week 9 Power Rankings too.
The trade deadline saw the Bears be an active member, as they sent their 2024 second-round selection to Washington for Sweat. While a long-term contract has not been announced yet, the consensus expects Sweat to stay with the Bears on a big-money deal, otherwise this deal would have made zero sense for Chicago to make.
31. Carolina Panthers (+1)
We can thankfully say there will be no winless teams this season, as the Carolina Panthers did just enough to earn their first win of the year over the Texans. A last-second field goal from Eddy Pineiro pushed Carolina over the finish line at home, giving rookie Bryce Young his first career NFL win over another fellow rookie quarterback in Stroud.
32. Arizona Cardinals (-1)
In what could be Joshua Dobbs' final start for the Arizona Cardinals, he helped elevate rookie tight end Trey McBride into the limelight, finding him for ten receptions, 95 yards and a touchdown. A 17-point fourth quarter, which included a rare successful onside kick, was all for nothing for Arizona, who still only have one lone win on the 2023 season and find themselves as the lowest team in our Week 9 NFL Power Rankings.
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