NFL Power Rankings: Week 8
Can anything be crazier and less predictable than this NFL season? I feel like I say that every year, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. But wow. Please show me the preseason prediction that nailed where we’d be at this point in the season.
Nothing changes at the top. It’s very clear that there’s a trio of teams in the Eagles, Bills and Chiefs that are so clearly head and shoulders above the rest of the league. In fact, I’d even say that the only thing threatening these teams place in the rankings is the mere fact that I’m so confident about this.
After that, there’s truly only a handful of teams that I would even classify as good. The Ravens certainly are a quality team, but have problems closing out teams. The Bengals are rolling a bit, and may have the highest ceiling of this group. The Vikings are here simply because of the lack of other quality teams. But there’s enough talent on this team to have upside. The Cowboys got outplayed by a significantly inferior team this week, but escaped with a W. At least they got that first week with Dak back out of the way. Their defense gives them upside, but their offense is lacking.
I keep doubting, and being wrong about, the Giants. They’re clearly a quality team, but I can’t help but think they’re a team playing at their peak right now and with nowhere to go but down. The 49ers were outclassed this week, but they’re one of the few teams in the NFC with the potential to compete with Philly. The Dolphins are a different team with Tua, but it was astonishing how quickly their offense was figured out Sunday Night. I wonder if that’ll provide a blueprint to other teams.
Now we get into the tier of teams that are merely relevant because the NFL says 14 teams make the playoffs. The Chargers continue to disappoint. I’m slowly getting off of the Justin Herbert bandwagon. What has he accomplished so far in his career to be mentioned in the same category as some of the elite QBs? Nothing. The Rams had a bye week to hopefully figure things out. They clearly have a super high ceiling, but they need to block, and I don’t know if they’ll be able to do that. The Jets continue to roll, but a couple injuries have capped their upside. Much like the other New Jersey team, I feel like they have nowhere to go but down. But kudos to them so far. The Seahawks continue to soar up these rankings. I don’t understand it, but they’re alone atop their division right now. That about sums up the 2022 NFL season to this point.
The Raiders have looked much improved over their last 3 games, and I still believe in them. But they’ve still only won 2 games. I don’t need to say much about the disastrous seasons that the Buccaneers and Packers are having. It’s sad (but not really). The Cardinals have a little added excitement with Deandre Hopkins back, but I have no confidence in them. And the Titans may win their division by default, but that doesn’t mean they’re any good.
Now we get to the meat of the NFL: the stink categories. The Saints stink. The Jaguars stink, but are at least exciting. I’m still not fully giving up on them yet by virtue of their division. The Steelers stink, but their coaching gives them hope. The Bears annihilated the Patriots, but both of these teams stink. Credit Chicago though for a stellar primetime performance. A few more of those and they may become relevant. The Browns stink after a decent start to their season. The only thing keeping their season semi-relevant is Deshaun Watson coming back in a month. The Falcons stink, but are somehow tied atop their division. That’s how bad the NFL has been.
The Lions have the most talent of all of these trash teams, but they’re 1–5 and currently possess the #1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. They haven’t scored a TD since October 2nd, but their defense has looked much improved, giving them (extremely little) hope. The Commanders impressed with Taylor Heinicke, who is such a fighter. But to think this team will do anything is foolish. They may get a win this week again though as they play the Colts, who have now benched Matt Ryan in favor of Sam Ehlinger. Yikes. The Broncos are a mess, but can keep games close with their defense. The Panthers can’t even tank right, having won the game immediately following trading away multiple pieces. This defense is legit though. But I can’t envision them winning many more games. And the Texans are back to comfortably sitting at the bottom spot. I don’t see them moving up much.
