NFL Power Rankings - Week 8

Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys throws in the fourth quarter during a game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium on October 30, 2016 in Arlington, Texas. (Oct. 30, 2016 - Source: Tom Pennington/Getty Images North America)

1. (1.) New England Patriots (7-1)

The 41-25 win at Buffalo was a record setting performance. QB Tom Brady matched an NFL record by beating a team 26 times. He is 26-3 against the Bills. TE Rob Gronkowski set a franchise record by catching his 68th touchdown for the Patriots.

2. (2.) Seattle Seahawks (4-2-1)

Seattle’s defense looked well prepared for New Orleans’ passing offense but they seemed surprised that the Saints called 35 running plays. It doesn’t happen often that an opponent runs for 100+ yards against the Seahawks, let alone 123.

3. (6.) Dallas Cowboys (6-1)

The bye week didn’t have a negative impact on Dallas’ momentum, as they extended their winning streak to six games after beating the Eagles 29-23 in overtime. With a road game coming up at Cleveland, the Cowboys could be firmly in the driver’s seat for the division title.

4. (4.) Minnesota Vikings (5-2)

That’s two consecutive road losses now and the Vikings have scored just ten points on both occasions. QB Sam Bradford got sacked five times at Chicago. Minnesota’s below-average offensive line may become a problem for the Vikings down the road.

5. (5.) Denver Broncos (6-2)

When I was watching the game against San Diego I thought this pass rush does not leave you any time at all to throw the ball. The pressure is permanent and they always get close to the passer. It comes as no surprise that the Broncos sacked QB Philip Rivers four times and allowed a completion percentage of just 42.6%. Impressive.

6. (3.) Green Bay Packers (4-3)

The Packers have difficulties beating teams with a winning record (the Giants were 2-2 when they met). If you look at the schedule an 8-8 finish becomes a possibility.

7. (7.) Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3)

QB Ben Roethlisberger returned to practice on Monday and is likely to start at Baltimore on Sunday. A bye week can sometimes come at the right time.

8. (10.) Kansas City Chiefs (5-2)

The Chiefs are on a three-game winning streak after QB Nick Foles replaced a concussed QB Alex Smith to lead the team past the Colts 30-14. Alex Smith is expected to start against Jacksonville in week 9.

9. (9.) Atlanta Falcons (5-3)

The Packers shut down WR Julio Jones, so the Falcons went to WR Mohamed Sanu and he delivered. Sanu caught the game-winning touchdown to rally the Falcons past the Packers 33-32.

10. (11.) Oakland Raiders (6-2)

QB David Carr set a franchise record with 513 passing yards and the Raiders an NFL record with 23 penalties for 200 yards, as Oakland wins at Tampa Bay 30-24 in overtime to remain unbeaten on the road.

11. (8.) Arizona Cardinals (3-4-1)

The Cardinals hadn’t allowed a touchdown in their previous two games but gave up three against the Panthers within the first 19 minutes of the game. QB Carson Palmer was sacked 8 times, making him the third most sacked quarterback in the league behind Andrew Luck and Andy Dalton.

12. (12.) New York Giants (4-3)

The Cowboys took a two-game lead over the Giants during their bye week. New York has three home games coming up against Philadelphia, Cincinnati and Chicago to put the pressure back on Dallas.

13. (13.) Philadelphia Eagles (4-3)

The Eagles need to overcome their away-game woes if they want to stay in the division race. They have lost three consecutive games at Detroit, Washington and Dallas with a trip to the New York Giants next on the schedule.

14. (19.) Carolina Panthers (2-5)

The Panthers looked like the team we’ve known last season in the 30-20 win against Arizona. The defense took down Carson Palmer eight times, with DT Star Lotulelei recording 3.0 sacks.

15. (14.) Houston Texans (5-3)

Even without DE J.J. Watt, Houston has the second best passing defense in the league, allowing 190.5 yards per game.

16. (20.) Cincinnati Bengals (3-4-1)

It was the first time since 1997 that there were two ties in an NFL season. It so happens that they occurred in back-to-back weeks as well. It was Cincinnati’s third tie since joining the NFL in 1970 and the first since 2014 when the game against the Panthers finished 37-37.

17. (15.) San Diego Chargers (3-5)

Denver’s pass rush harassed Philip Rivers all day long but the Chargers managed to move the ball on the ground. RB Melvin Gordon had 23 attempts for 111 yards.

18. (18.) Indianapolis Colts (3-5)

Can you guess which team has the worst pass protection in the league? QB Andrew Luck, who went down six times against Kansas City, has already been sacked 31 times this season.

19. (17.) Washington Redskins (4-3-1)

K Dustin Hopkins should have won the game for the Redskins but he missed a 34-yarder with 2:13 minutes left in overtime. Hopkins also missed another field goal attempt from 55 yards in regulation. It was Washington’s first tie since 1997.

20. (16.) Buffalo Bills (4-4)

The Bills learnt that the Patriots are a much harder nut to crack with Tom Brady. Statistically, the game was rather even but Buffalo never really stood a chance.

21. (23.) Baltimore Ravens (3-4)

The Ravens had a bye week after four consecutive losses; an opportunity to assess the situation and to prepare for a Steelers team with Ben Roethlisberger behind center.

22. (26.) New Orleans Saints (3-4)

QB Drew Brees extended his NFL record with a touchdown pass in 58 consecutive home games as the Saints pull off a 25-20 win against the Seahawks. RB Tim Hightower managed 102 yards on 26 carries.

23. (28.) Tennessee Titans (4-4)

The Titans scored 24 points in the second quarter en route to a 36-22 win over the Jaguars. RB DeMarco Murray rushed for 123 yards and 1 touchdown, ranking him 2nd in the league with 756 yards on the season.

24. (25.) Los Angeles Rams (3-4)

The bye week came at the right time after three consecutive losses but they have to face the potentially resurging Panthers next.

25. (21.) Detroit Lions (4-4)

QB Matt Stafford played like a Hall of Famer during Detroit’s three-game winning streak but Houston’s defense brought him back to reality. He didn’t have a bad game, completing 65.9% of his passes for 240 yards and 1 touchdown, but was unable to rally the Lions past the Texans.

26. (22.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4)

The Buccaneers surrendered a whopping 626 total yards against the Raiders and remain winless at home.

27. (24.) Miami Dolphins (3-4)

The Dolphins, coming off a bye week, host the Jets on Sunday, with both teams trying to keep the momentum going and extend their two-game winning streak.

28. (27.) New York Jets (3-5)

The Jets scored 24 unanswered points to turn a 13-point halftime deficit into a 31-28 win at Cleveland. After holding Baltimore to 6 yards on the ground last week, the Jets allowed 68 yards, ranking them first in the NFL with 74 yards per game.

29. (29.) Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5)

The Jaguars called 54 passing plays and 11 rushing plays in the 36-22 loss at Tennessee. Ironically, QB Blake Bortles was the team’s leading rusher with 4 carries for 22 yards.

30. (30.) Chicago Bears (2-6)

QB Jay Cutler’s miraculous return from injury could not have been better. He completed 20-of-31 passes for 252 yards and 1 touchdown as the Bears defeat division leaders Minnesota for their second win of the season. There’s plenty of time to celebrate since the Bears have a bye next week.

31. (31.) San Francisco 49ers (1-6)

The good thing about San Francisco’s bye week: No opponent could rush for over 100 yards against them.

32. (32.) Cleveland Browns (0-8)

Including last season, the Browns have now lost 11 games in a row. Next loss, I mean game, is at home against the Dallas Cowboys.