NFL Power Rankings

Last time I dropped the Seahawks in the Power Rankings after their bye week, trying to give credit to teams that actually played well in Week 8 — yeah, that backfired fast. They came out and absolutely destroyed the Commanders, reminding everyone why I had them near the top not too long ago. When Seattle’s locked in, they’re a serious problem. And the crazy part? Their best football might still be coming. Adding Rashid Shaheed gives them another weapon, and a bunch of their young guys on defense are stepping up big. Once they get a little healthier on that side, look out. The defense has barely been tested this season — outside that Week 5 loss to Tampa — and Sam Darnold looked sharp Sunday after some rough games earlier.

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Even with a facemask call taking away a touchdown, the Rams were straight-up rolling against the Saints — that’s three wins in a row now. Matthew Stafford was dealing, throwing four touchdowns and bumping his season total to a league-best 21 with only two picks. The only real issue? The kicking game. Joshua Karty missed both an extra point and a 39-yarder, and neither one even looked close. That could be a problem once they hit the tougher part of the schedule, especially with five more road games coming up. Still, when both sides of the ball are locked in like they were Sunday, a few missed kicks don’t matter much. They’ve only given up 20 points total in their last three games while putting up 86 themselves — that’s domination.

For the first chunk of the game in Pittsburgh, the Colts actually looked like the better squad — the defense was locking things down, and the offense had a couple solid drives going. Then everything flipped after Daniel Jones got strip-sacked. From there, it was downhill fast. Jones lost two fumbles that turned into 10 Steelers points, and his three picks basically handed them 14 more. That’s the whole story right there. What really stung was how badly Indy’s offensive line got pushed around. That group’s been the engine all year, but they got bullied by a Steelers defense that hasn’t looked good in weeks. On the bright side, adding Sauce Gardner could give their defense a serious boost. Trading two first-rounders for him says one thing loud and clear — the Colts are all-in on Jones, whether that ends up being smart or not.

Even though the Eagles were on their bye, they clearly weren’t just chilling — they went out and made some serious moves. They snagged Jaelan Phillips from Miami to boost the pass rush, and he’s already familiar with Vic Fangio’s system after playing under him last year, racking up 6.5 sacks in eight games before getting hurt. If he brings that kind of energy to Philly, that’s a huge win. They also went out and grabbed corners Michael Carter II and Jaire Alexander, clearly showing they’re all-in on another Super Bowl run. Whether they actually pull it off in a season this unpredictable is anyone’s guess, and the A.J. Brown drama still hangs in the air a bit, but coming out of the bye, the Eagles look more loaded and ready than ever.

The Bills find themselves in a precarious spot in the AFC East, sitting in second after dropping back-to-back games, and right now, they’re just not a disciplined squad. I went back and forth trying to figure out exactly where they belong in the rankings, torn between their potential and what the tape shows. Josh Allen had two late interceptions and struggled in Atlanta, while penalties keep piling up—eight more this game, pushing them to 30 over the last three weeks.

The defense looked gassed early and faded late, yet Buffalo still had a shot after that opening-drive touchdown in the third. A blocked field goal by Greg Rousseau, followed by consecutive three-and-outs, slammed the door shut. Against a team where James Cook averaged over five yards per carry, the Bills managed only 14 points and didn’t crack 300 yards of offense. Right now, the whole system feels off-kilter.

When the Lions hit 100 rushing yards, they’re unbeatable — 5-0. But when they don’t? 0-3. Teams have figured it out: shut down Detroit’s run game early, and the whole offense stalls out. That’s exactly what happened Sunday, made worse by a banged-up offensive line and missing Kerby Joseph on defense. They tightened up after the first quarter, holding Minnesota to just 13 points the rest of the way, but those early touchdowns dug a hole too deep to climb out of. Special teams didn’t help either — they gave up big returns and had a field goal blocked late. Just a rough home loss for a team that’s been sitting near the top all year.

Kansas City’s defense looked flat and a step behind in the 28-21 loss to Buffalo, getting pushed around up front and leaving guys wide open way too often. James Cook became the first running back in 35 games to crack 100 yards on them, and the Bills’ tight ends were eating all day. Patrick Mahomes had one of his roughest outings in a while — under 50% passing, three sacks, and a costly pick late. There were a few highlight moments, but the consistency just wasn’t there. Now they get the bye to regroup before a big divisional matchup with Denver, but that doesn’t make this loss hurt any less.

The Bucs hit their Week 9 bye with the defense balling out and the offense kind of sputtering compared to how it looked earlier in the season. Now they’ve got to prove the week off actually helped, because three of their next games are against playoff-caliber teams — and the Panthers are starting to creep up in the division race. The hope is that some rest brings back a healthier group of receivers and linemen, and that Bucky Irving returns to spark the run game. Tampa’s got plenty of talent to get rolling again if the offense wakes up and the defense keeps holding it down. There’s real championship potential here — it just feels like one wrong move could throw everything off. Still, there’s a lot to like going forward.

On the bright side, the Broncos shut down the Texans on third down — 3-for-17 — and didn’t give up a single touchdown, even without Pat Surtain II. But on the flip side, Bo Nix looked shaky until the fourth quarter, the special teams left points on the table, and a lot of that defensive success came against a backup QB. Honestly, Sunday summed up Denver’s whole season — big win, but plenty of question marks. The Broncos have been unreal in the fourth quarter this year, but the rest of the game? Not so much. They’re actually minus-1 in point differential through the first three quarters and a crazy plus-60 in the fourth. That’s clutch, but also kind of concerning — and it’s why it’s hard to fully buy in just yet.

The Packers came into Sunday taking great care of the ball — only three turnovers all season — but then gave it away twice, one costing points and the other turning straight into a Panthers touchdown. Add in a missed 43-yard field goal and a failed fourth-down try, and that’s how you go from a huge win in Pittsburgh to a brutal home loss against Carolina. Matt LaFleur’s call to go for it on fourth-and-8 from the 13 will be debated, but the real issue was the offense wasting opportunities all game long. Jordan Love keeps flashing potential but still makes those key mistakes that hold the whole team back. Losing tight end Tucker Kraft to a torn ACL just makes things worse. Green Bay’s Super Bowl hopes aren’t dead — but games like this make them feel a lot more like a dream than a plan.

Style points don’t matter when you’re on a six-game win streak — and the Patriots are riding that right now. That said, Sunday was rough in the second half; they almost gave up a two-touchdown lead. They’d been dominant late against Tennessee and Cleveland, outscoring them 37-6 combined in the second half, but Atlanta flipped the script and nearly pulled off the upset. The bigger takeaway? The Patriots are only as solid as Drake Maye allows. He got sacked six times, lost a crucial fumble, and threw a wild interception. Maye’s been great overall, but New England is letting him get hit way too much, and it almost cost them.

The 49ers’ defense has taken some serious hits this season, and losing first-round pick Mykel Williams to a torn ACL is just brutal on top of already being without Fred Warner and Nick Bosa. With Williams out, the defense has to figure out where the pressure’s coming from now. Against the Giants, they were solid enough, but it was really the offense and special teams that carried the team after falling behind early. Mac Jones started hot, hitting his first 14 passes, and the McCaffrey-Robinson duo kept things moving and on schedule. It was a solid bounce-back ahead of a massive showdown with the Rams, but the big question remains: can San Francisco’s defense stay strong enough to carry them through the rest of the season?

Who saw this defensive explosion coming? After getting embarrassed by the Bengals and Packers, the Steelers flipped the script against the Colts. They shut down Indy’s run game and messed up the timing on every pass. Five sacks, five turnovers on defense (plus one on special teams) made this easily their best performance of the season, shutting down an offense that had been averaging nearly 37 points over its last four games. Pittsburgh’s offense didn’t do much, but the defense more than made up for it. With Baltimore winning Thursday, the Steelers needed this one to keep their division lead from shrinking — and they delivered big time.

The Chargers barely escaped with a win, and now losing Joe Alt for the season has me seriously doubting how legit they are — even if they’re still in the playoff mix and undefeated in the AFC West. Maybe the Trevor Penning trade helps plug the hole, but this offense isn’t the same without Alt. Justin Herbert can’t keep taking six sacks in 40 dropbacks and expect to keep winning. He also threw an early pick-six, and the team gave up a punt-return touchdown, so mistakes were all over the place. They’ve got to clean that up before facing tougher teams like the Steelers and Jaguars, and the bye isn’t coming for a few weeks. Right now, this team feels like it’s constantly on the edge, and that makes me nervous about whether they can actually compete for real.

The Jags had to hit a record-breaking 68-yard field goal just to get on the board halfway through the game, needed another long kick near the end of regulation, and lucked out when the Raiders missed a two-point try in OT to survive in Vegas. Without Travis Hunter and Brenton Strange, the passing game was messy at times, including a rough end-zone pick from Trevor Lawrence. He still ran for two touchdowns, including the OT winner, and Travis Etienne was steady as always, especially late. But honestly, this wasn’t a performance that inspires confidence. The key was snapping a two-game losing streak, but the Jags still looked a little shaky coming out of their Week 8 bye.

Two wins in five days can completely change a team’s vibe — and their playoff hopes. Going from 1-5 to having Lamar Jackson throw four TDs in his return is wild, and suddenly Baltimore is a team you can’t just write off, maybe even eyeing a home playoff game. Week 14 against Pittsburgh is looming, so they can’t get too comfy, but the rest of the schedule sets up pretty well. Jackson coming back was huge, but the defense stepping up has been just as important. They’re still patching a few holes, but the Ravens are almost back to full speed.

How do you even grade a game where the Bears were brilliant in spots and terrible in others? A W’s a W, but the special teams were a disaster from the opening kickoff, and the defense let a two-touchdown lead slip away in the final minutes. On the bright side, the run game was insane without D’Andre Swift — rookie Kyle Monangai looked like a feature back, even against one of the league’s worst defenses. Ben Johnson was calling all the right plays, and Caleb Williams had the Bears in scoring position on 10 of 12 drives. That said, needing a miracle deep throw to Colston Loveland (plus a missed tackle) to actually win keeps this from being a full-on “great performance.”

Every loss makes the climb harder, and Sunday’s setback against the Broncos came with a sting — C.J. Stroud left with a concussion, and now his availability is the big question heading into two straight division matchups. Davis Mills came in ready to throw but struggled in the second half against a solid Denver defense. The Texans managed just 87 yards on 27 second-half plays, letting an eight-point lead slip away over the final 20 minutes. They controlled the clock and kept Denver mostly in check, but couldn’t get the stops that mattered late. Houston can still claw back to .500 with wins over the Jaguars and Titans, but whether Stroud can help is still up in the air.

The Panthers really deserve credit for rolling into Green Bay with a smart plan and actually pulling it off. This was a huge win for Dave Canales and the team, who are now on a bit of a hot streak — four wins in the last five games — pushing them above .500 for only the second time under his leadership. Bryce Young wasn’t flashy in his return, and that end-zone pick looked bad at the time, but he made enough key plays to keep the Panthers in control. With a defense that jumped on mistakes and Rico Dowdle grinding out the tough yards, Carolina had just enough to pull the upset and close the gap on first-place Tampa Bay, who had the week off. Keep this momentum going, and the Panthers could be serious NFC South contenders down the stretch.

J.J. McCarthy’s return was a rollercoaster — highs, lows, and everything in between — but he did just enough to get the W, making some clutch plays when it counted. He still needs to find consistency, but this is the kind of showing the Vikings were hoping for when they traded up for him in the 2024 draft. He only threw nine passes in the second half, three in the fourth, but Kevin O’Connell trusted him to hit Jalen Nailor for the game-winner. The Lions had shredded Brian Flores’ defense before, but on Sunday, that unit got after Jared Goff like never before. After the Chargers disaster, this was a stunning rebound, and just like that, Minnesota is back to .500.

The Falcons’ third straight loss stings because they actually outplayed the Patriots for most of the game, basically from the end of the first half on. Drake London was feasting on New England’s defense, and Atlanta had all the momentum. But a few costly offensive penalties and Michael Penix Jr.’s uneven return — flashes of big plays mixed with mistakes — kept them from taking over. The run game struggled again, looking clunky like it has the last few weeks. The defense played well, holding the Pats to just three points over the final 35 minutes, but Parker Romo’s late missed PAT crushed any chance of a comeback. Atlanta just couldn’t get over the hump and seize control.

Say goodbye to that five-game losing streak. Arizona’s defense, led by Josh Sweat, was a total beast. Sweat made multiple game-changing plays, Walter Nolen made a huge statement in his NFL debut, and Calais Campbell crushed Dallas late with a pair of sacks. The Cardinals held the Cowboys without an offensive touchdown for almost the entire game — the first 49 minutes — in a stadium where Dallas had scored 40+ in every game until Monday. The fourth-quarter jitters tried to creep in when the offense slowed down for Jacoby Brissett, but overall the offense looked sharp coming out of the bye. In Brissett’s three starts, the Cards have put up 27, 23, and 27 points; with Kyler Murray starting, they’ve averaged just 20.6. Not enough to spark a QB controversy, but still interesting. After so many close losses, this was a huge W — the bigger question now is, just how good is this Arizona team?

Dak Prescott and the offense couldn’t really get anything going against Arizona until late, and Javonte Williams’ fumble — one of five Dallas turnovers if you count the two failed fourth-down tries — basically buried them. Brian Schottenheimer went for it down 17 early in the fourth instead of kicking a field goal, and the stats were basically a coin flip, slightly favoring going for it. But Dallas never got close, and that’s three losses in four games now. Even a blocked-punt touchdown couldn’t jumpstart the team early. Another frustrating loss where the offense couldn’t cover up defensive holes, though the Quinnen Williams and Logan Wilson trades might help. Still, is it too late? The Cowboys might need to win six of their final eight just to have a shot at the playoffs.

I caught some heat on D.C. radio this summer when I said this roster still didn’t feel complete and that a fallback was possible — but I didn’t expect it to play out like this. Things weren’t perfect before, but the Bears loss really kicked off the downhill slide. Then Sunday night’s home blowout happened, and to make it worse, Jayden Daniels got hurt late — down 31 points with eight minutes left — right after coming back in. Washington’s defense got shredded early and only slightly improved later, and nothing on the team is really clicking. With injuries stacking up, this season just feels like it’s slipping away, painfully.

With a busted shoulder and just one practice last week, Joe Flacco put on a legendary effort, throwing for 470 yards and even chasing down a turnover to the end zone in the fourth quarter. He nearly pulled off a win over the Bears, but Cincinnati’s defense collapsed again late. The Bears weren’t exactly a defensive powerhouse either, and their special teams were a mess, yet even with Flacco putting up monster numbers, the Bengals still came up short. That’s how rough things are on that side of the ball. Two gut-wrenching losses drop them to 3-6 heading into the bye, and the only silver lining is their 2-0 record in the division. Maybe a Week 11 upset at Pittsburgh keeps them barely alive.

After scoring a TD on the opening drive, the Giants went cold — four straight punts and a missed field goal didn’t help. Jaxson Dart and the offense finally got some momentum in the second half, but they seemed slow to respond while down by double digits and never really had a shot at a comeback. The Giants’ run defense has been shaky over the past three games, and they’ve forced just one turnover in that stretch — all losses since the Week 6 win over the Eagles. Injuries have played a big role, and Dart can’t carry the team alone, but if key decision-makers want to stick around for 2026, the Giants have to make moves fast. Four tough games remain, three on the road, before the Week 14 bye.

Pete Carroll did the right thing going for two in overtime, even if the Raiders came up short. This season’s basically done, but at least they had a shot to steal one in front of fans who haven’t had much to cheer about. Brock Bowers almost carried the team on his back, catching 12 of 13 passes for 127 yards and three TDs, plus a fourth-quarter end-around into the red zone. His second TD gave Las Vegas the lead late in regulation, and his OT score could’ve been the winner. Not bad for a guy who just missed three games with a knee injury. Outside of that, though, there wasn’t much else to get excited about, even with the game staying within one score most of the way.

Well, at least Week 8 happened. Chris Grier, who’d been with the Dolphins for 25 years and GM since 2016, got shown the door on Friday after another brutal loss. Just another low point in a rough season, with the trade deadline looming fast. A bunch of big-name players have already been rumored to go — like Jaelan Phillips, who was traded on Monday. It’s tough to figure out where the franchise really stands with Mike McDaniel and Tua Tagovailoa. Honestly, the whole thing’s unraveling like yarn in the paws of a hyper kitten. It’s hard to see this team suddenly turning things around with two big games coming up, against the Bills in Miami and the Commanders in Madrid.

The Browns limped into the bye after a rough loss at New England, and now the QB questions are back. Dillon Gabriel has basically stalled, and Shedeur Sanders’ name is going to pop up a lot, even if neither seems like the long-term fix. Still, tossing Sanders in could make sense — a way to see what he’s got and maybe even put him on the trade radar this offseason. The defense has been mostly solid and could carry a few more wins, but the QB situation needs answers before Cleveland hits a key offseason with two first-round picks to shape the position’s future.

The Saints had a real shot to turn things around against the Rams, only down 20-10 at halftime. But a 10-minute TD drive by L.A. and a fumble at midfield basically ended the game — New Orleans’ fifth double-digit loss of the season. Tyler Shough flashed some talent in his first NFL start and led a solid drive before halftime, but he managed just nine completions through three quarters. The Rams controlled the clock, chewing up 77 plays for 30 first downs, and after looking decent on defense in Week 8, the Saints were just flat-out bad Sunday.

Back in Dan Campbell’s second season with the Lions, and with Aaron Glenn calling the defensive shots, Detroit started 1-6 before catching fire late and finishing 9-8. That kind of turnaround is exactly what Glenn will tell his Jets is possible — especially after a big Week 8 win and a nice breather from the bye. The catch? The Jets now have to do it without Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams, basically losing two top-five defenders and leaving a big talent gap behind them. Looking at the rest of the schedule, it’s tough to see too many more wins coming.

The Titans looked sharper overall against the Chargers than in most of their games this season, but the offense still struggled. A pick-six and a punt-return TD accounted for 14 of their 20 points, and early offensive penalties set them back. Cam Ward got sacked four times and completed just four of 11 first-half passes. Tennessee got some rhythm after halftime but was stopped on goal-to-go from the 1-yard line and never really threatened to take the win. Ward’s got talent, and the next coach will have an intriguing player to build around, but it’s clear he needs more support and a clearer offensive plan after a tough rookie season so far.