NFL Power Rankings - Week 9
Latavius Murray #28 of the Oakland Raiders dives into the end zone to score a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on November 6, 2016 in Oakland, California.
(Nov. 6, 2016 - Source: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images North America)
1. (1.) New England Patriots (7-1)
The Patriots remain the top dog in the league during their bye week as they prepare for their Sunday Night matchup against the Seahawks.
2. (3.) Dallas Cowboys (7-1)
The Cowboys have now won seven straight games after winning at the Browns 35-10 on Sunday. QB Dak Prescott broke two franchise rookie records with total touchdowns and completions, previously held by Troy Aikman. TE Jason Witten, who had 134 receiving yards, made his 155th consecutive start, breaking another franchise record.
3. (2.) Seattle Seahawks (5-2-1)
The Seahwaks managed just 33 rushing yards and 19 first downs but beat the Bills thanks to two touchdowns by TE Jimmy Graham. Other teams may try to exploit Seattle’s reliance on the passing game.
4. (9.) Atlanta Falcons (6-3)
QB Matt Ryan led the Falcons past the Buccaneers as he throws for 344 yards and 4 touchdowns in the 43-28 win, making him a strong candidate for MVP. WR Julio Jones hauled in 9 passes for 111 yards and 1 touchdown and is 30 yards short of his third consecutive and fourth career 1000+ receiving yards season.
5. (10.) Oakland Raiders (7-2)
The Raiders showed how important it is to win the battle in the trenches. They rushed for 218 yards, with RB Latavius Murray accounting for 114 of them and 3 touchdowns, and held the Broncos to 33 yards on the ground.
6. (8.) Kansas City Chiefs (6-2)
It wasn’t Kansas City’s best game of the season but they held off the Jaguars 19-14. The Chiefs managed only 10 first downs and surrendered 205 rushing yards. Highlight of the game: TE Travis Kelce’s ejection for throwing a towel at the official after being flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. And some people say the NFL is not entertaining anymore.
7. (7.) Pittsburgh Steelers (4-4)
The Steelers lost three games in a row and a home game against the in-form Cowboys is next on the schedule.
8. (6.) Green Bay Packers (4-4)
An 18-point deficit with 9:35 minutes left to play was too much to overcome as the Packers drop their second straight game and find themselves behind the Vikings and Lions in the NFC North.
9. (5.) Denver Broncos (6-3)
The Broncos may have the best passing defense in the league but the rushing defense is one of the worst, ranking 29th with 128.6 yards per game. They surrendered 218 yards as they lose at Oakland 30-20.
10. (4.) Minnesota Vikings (5-3)
The Vikings now are 5-3 after a 5-0 start. Interim OC Pat Shurmur couldn’t make the worst offense in the league look any better. Minnesota averages 298.8 yards per game, 226.1 yards through the air and 72.6 yards on the ground.
11. (11.) Arizona Cardinals (3-4-1)
The Cardinals host the 49ers after their bye week to bring their record up to .500. A tough second half of the season is ahead of Arizona.
12. (12.) New York Giants (5-3)
The Giants won the battle for second place in the NFC East against the Eagles 28-23. They led the entire game but still managed to run for only 54 yards. With the worst rushing offense the Giants have to work hard for their wins.
13. (14.) Carolina Panthers (3-5)
It wasn’t easy, it wasn’t pretty but the Panthers get their third win against an NFC West opponent as they beat the Los Angeles Rams 13-10 for their second straight win. Carolina is still last in their division but they are building a momentum necessary for a stretch of tough games against Kansas City, New Orleans and at Oakland and Seattle.
14. (18.) Indianapolis Colts (4-5)
Yes, I think the 31-26 win at Green Bay is a confidence boost as the Colts head into their bye. The offensive line protected QB Andrew Luck well, enabling him to build a 31-13 lead in the fourth quarter.
15. (17.) San Diego Chargers (4-5)
RB Melvin Gordon ran for a career-high 196 yards on 32 carries and scored a touchdown as the Chargers defeat the Titans 43-35. San Diego is scoring 29.8 points per game this season, ranking them 3rd in the NFL.
16. (15.) Houston Texans (5-3)
Trips to Jacksonville and Oakland await the Texans after their bye week. Let’s not forget that Houston has yet to win on the road this season.
17. (25.) Detroit Lions (5-4)
Each of Detroit’s win came on a fourth-quarter comeback. That’s clutch and speaks for QB Matt Stafford & Co. WR Golden Tate’s game-winning touchdown and dangerous end zone somersault were highlights worth watching.
18. (16.) Cincinnati Bengals (3-4-1)
The Bengals were on a bye week after their game in London. Baltimore’s win against Pittsburgh leaves the AFC North race wide open and the Bengals with a chance to repeat as division champions.
19. (21.) Baltimore Ravens (4-4)
The Ravens ended their four-game skid with a 21-14 win over their bitter rivals Pittsburgh. Ironically, former Steelers WR Mike Wallace put the Ravens on track with a 95-yard touchdown. WR Chris Moore returned a blocked punt for a touchdown and now scored in two consecutive games on special teams.
20. (13.) Philadelphia Eagles (4-4)
The Eagles have now lost four of their last five games. With Atlanta at home and a trip to Seattle next their playoff hopes could be fading soon.
21. (22.) New Orleans Saints (4-4)
What a way to respond to the benching last week against Seattle. RB Mark Ingram amassed 158 yards on the ground and scored 2 touchdowns at the 49ers.
22. (19.) Washington Redskins (4-3-1)
After their bye, the Redskins have home games against the slumping Vikings and Packers who are a combined 1-5 over their past three games.
23. (20.) Buffalo Bills (4-5)
The officials certainly weren’t on Buffalo’s side as they missed several calls that should have gone Buffalo’s way. WR Robert Woods caught a career high 10 passes for 162 yards, as he relishes in the larger role he has to take on due to WR Sammy Watkins’ foot injury.
24. (27.) Miami Dolphins (4-4)
Three consecutive wins put the Dolphins into the wild card picture. RB Jay Ajayi didn’t have a third straight 200+ rushing yards game but still managed to run for 111 yards against the best run defense coming into this game.
25. (23.) Tennessee Titans (4-5)
As talented as QB Marcus Mariota is, he is not only turnover-prone but they are costly. In the 43-35 loss at San Diego he lost a fumble which led to a touchdown and threw a pick-six.
26. (24.) Los Angeles Rams (3-5)
The Rams have now lost four consecutive games as they fall to the Carolina Panthers 13-10. The fans were displeased with the offense and made it clear they want QB Jared Goff as the starter. QB Case Keenum has thrown 8 interceptions in his last four games.
27. (26.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5)
The Buccaneers just cannot win at home can they? Maybe a visit from the Bears next Sunday can change this. QB Jameis Winston is expected to play. RB Jacquizz Rodgers will likely miss another game with a foot injury, giving RB Peyton Barber another opportunity to start.
28. (28.) New York Jets (3-6)
The Jets really hurt themselves by committing four personal fouls in the first half. Two interceptions from QB Ryan Fitzpatrick didn’t make matters any easier either.
29. (30.) Chicago Bears (2-6)
After their bye, the Bears travel to Tampa Bay, who haven’t won a game at home this season.
30. (29.) Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6)
The Jaguars played a good game at Kansas City, totaling 449 yards on offense but four turnovers cost them a chance of causing an upset at Arrowhead Stadium.
31. (31.) San Francisco 49ers (1-7)
That’s seven straight losses now and seven straight games in which the 49ers allowed an opposing running back to rush for 100+ yards. QB Colin Kaepernick showed some promise, completing 61.5% of his passes for 398 yards and 2 touchdowns.
32. (32.) Cleveland Browns (0-9)
The winless Browns have allowed at least 25 points in each of their games this season. It is the first time this happened since the 1964 Broncos.
