NFL WEEK 8 POWER RANKINGS
1. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 6-1
With Tom Brady back and Gronk healthy the Pats look to stay atop the Power rankings weekly now with no teams remaining unbeaten. They travel to Buffalo this week and after Jay Ajayi had a career week against the Bills look for Bill Belichick to to unleash his ground game followed by play action.
2. DALLAS COWBOYS 5-1
This is the Cowboys team from two seasons ago when they were a heavy run team and passed effectively when necessary. The defense is solid and Dak should remain the starter until he proves he is no longer worthy as the starter. A confident Eagles team comes to Big D with first place in the division on the line.
3. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 4-1-1
If the otherwise reliant Steve Hauschka makes his field goal in OT they could be 2 or even 1 but a tie hurts and helps. Russell Wilson and the offense has been hit or miss but that will get fixed and Seattle will continue to be in the mix for a Super Bowl run. A tough road test in New Orleans awaits them.
4. GREEN BAY PACKERS 4-2
Maybe Aaron Rodgers and the offense found it's mojo against the Bears. For their sake they better have because lackluster performances with a bend but don't break defense leads to disappointing results. The offense will have to score points this week in Atlanta against the Falcons.
5. MINNESOTA VIKINGS 5-1
Did the injuries finally catch up on the Viks? Did the real Sam Bradford stand up? This is the team most expected to see when Bridgewater and Peterson went down. A defense that was solid but an offense that struggled. Well that is who they've been but the turnovers were the difference. Luckily for them they play the Bears and Jay Cutler will probably be back.
6. DENVER BRONCOS 5-2
Trevor Seimian has to continue to show he can throw the football down field to allow the running game to be effective. He has plenty of weapons around him and a great defense which may get back Demarcus Ware sooner than later. Thomas and Sanders need to continue to rack up yards after catch to help out their quarterback. They host the red hot Chagers this week.
7. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS 4-2
After a blowout loss to Pittsburgh the Chiefs have won two in a row and are playing good all around football. Spencer Ware continues to dazzle and the defense looks like it's found it's swag. They need to get Travis Kelce more involved in the passing game and Andy Reid continues to show how great of a coach he is. They travel to Indy to play the Colts this week.
8. OAKLAND RAIDERS 5-2
The Raiders look like they are a legit playoff team but their defense has to get better. The close games are giving them confidence and as the weather changes and it gets colder the contenders separate themselves from the pretenders. So we will find out more about this team in the coming weeks. They travel to Tampa this week.
9. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES 4-2
Everyone is wondering when or if Carson Wentz will hit his rookie wall. It doesn't appear that he will at this rate and the defense has been the true star of the show playing much better than expected and a huge test comes this week in Dallas. Which Eagles team shows up? The team that won 4 games or the team that loss two?
10. ATLANTA FALCONS 4-3
They have become the new greatest show on turf. They are fun to watch but if you're and Falcons fan it's a roller coaster you could pass on. They have been one of the best stories in football because of the huge wins they have and then they make you scratch your head with the losses. It doesn't get easier as they host Green Bay this week.
11. PITTSBURGH STEELERS 4-3
It's easy to say that injuries and suspensions have caused the Steelers to be 4-3 but DeAngleo Williams played well during LeVeon Bell's absence and with or without Big Ben the Steelers should beat the Dolphins. The good thing is they are still in first place in the division for now. They have a bye week to regroup.
12. NEW YORK GIANTS 4-3
It looked like the Giants were in a good place to win the division after Romo's injury but they sputtered out of the gate and now are trying to play catch up. Eli and the passing game are looking better but nowhere near what was expected coming into 2016. Hopefully a bye week will help them fix some of their problems.
13. ARIZONA CARDINALS 3-3-1
After reaching the NFC Championship game the Cards had high expectations but a slow start and Carson Palmer going down has derailed them but they have seemed to get back on track. They had won two in a row before a tie against Seattle and travel to Carolina this week.
14. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS 3-4
They are playing some very good football and it's because of 2nd year back Melvin Gordon. Maybe the injury to Danny Woodhead gave him the confidence he needed. Either way he and Philip Rivers have the Chargers in the hunt for a playoff spot. They travel to Mile High this week.
15. DETROIT LIONS 4-3
After a 1-3 start the Lions have won 3 in a row. All at home but all against quality opponents. Their defense has played great in the wins and Matt Stafford has cut down on his turnovers. They play on the road this week against the Texans to try and move to .500 on the road.
16. WASHINGTON DC 4-3
DC has been up and down and at times can't get out of their own way. With four straight wins entering last week including wins against the Giants and Eagles, they lose a game late to the Lions. They will try and right the ship in Cincinnati this week.
17. HOUSTON TEXANS 4-3
They have to win games on the road if they want to make the playoffs. They are undefeated at home and winless on the road. Osweiler has no chemistry still with his receivers and the defense can't stop the run. Good thing Detroit comes to town this week.
18. BUFFALO BILLS 4-3
Rex Ryan's seat has cooled off after a slow start and even the firing of his Offensive Coordinator doesn't look as bad as it did. But losses like Sunday is just a reminder of what Rex's tenure in Buffalo has been, disappointing. Don't look now but New England is coming to town.
19. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 3-4
Andrew Luck's health was supposed to be the difference this season but the defense can't stop anybody and they still can't run the football. Both things aren't easily fixed and with Kansas City coming to town it won't get easier.
20. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 2-4
They still have more problems than solutions and when the offense knows they have to score at least 28 points to win it adds pressure to them and sometimes causes mistakes. They have been competitive which is a plus but host a stingy Seattle defense this week.
21. TENNESSEE TITANS 3-4
They are a tough team to watch because you can seem to figure out what exactly they are missing. Mariota seems to be getting better, and the backfield is fine. The receivers could be upgraded but they aren't the worse but somehow they can't win consistently. They host Jacksonville this week.
22. CINCINNATI BENGALS 3-4
They had turned the corner of being a bad regular season team but they have regressed so far this season. AJ Green is a beast but even with two quality backs they struggle running the football effectively. They host Washington DC this week.
23. LOS ANGLES RAMS 3-4
As horrible as the Rams have been its hard to believe they are 3-4. This was a team that was supposed to finish with a winning record and if Jeff Fisher wants to keep his job they better. Hopefully after the bye Jared Goff is the starter to help give this offense a spark.
24. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS 3-3
Jameis Winston is really good but he trusts his gifts too much as times which leads to interceptions. Mike Evans is a beast and they play very well together but that's where the buck stops (no pun intended). Doug Martin getting hurt was expected but the defense still being near the bottom wasn't. They host Oakland this week.
25. MIAMI DOLPHINS 3-4
Ryan Tannehill finally has some help or the coaching staff finally decided to run the football. If they gave Lamar Miller a heavy workload he could have been effective like Jay Ajayi. Maybe this formula will work and moving forward they will continue to pickup wins. They have a bye this week.
26. NEW YORK JETS 2-5
Its a tough week to be a Jet. They got a win but lost their starting quarterback for the season only to back the quarterback who was benched and then he says he was upset because the organization from top to bottom lost faith in him. All should be well this week when they travel to Cleveland.
27. BALTIMORE RAVENS 3-4
They were 3-0 and looked like they should have been 0-3 and now they have lost 4 in a row. Every game has been close with two minutes left with the Ravens not being able to pull out the victory. Flacco has no weapons to throw to and the running game is inconsistent at best. They have the bye week to try and right the ship.
28. CAROLINA PANTHERS 1-5
Someone please explain how the defending NFC Champs lead by the defending league MVP is off to a 1-5 start and ranked here only because they had a bye. Their defense is horrible and Cam Newton is the blame for all that is wrong in Carolina. They come off the bye and host the Cardinals.
29. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 2-4
They were my sleeper pick to win the AFC South. They are still in the hunt to win the division but they are in need of lots of help both on offensive and defensive. Blake Bortles took a small step back but a lack of a running game will do that. The travel to Tennessee this week.
30. CHICAGO BEARS 1-6
Jay Cutler is coming back which should be a good thing, right? He tends to turn the ball over and the Vikings like to force turnovers, should be a long week.
31. SAN FRANCISCO 1-6
If Chip Kelly is trying to get fired he is doing and excellent job. Not that he had a lot to work with from the beginning but his inability to see his own faults and admit that time of possesion in the NFL is important will be his downfall. I expect him to be the head coach at USC next fall. The Niners have a bye this week.
32. CLEVELAND BROWNS 0-7
As the only winless team in the NFL and looking like they could go 0-16 Hugh Jackson is in a horrible situation. Just take the best avaliable quarterback with the first pick. They host the Jets this week.
