NFL Week 9 Power Rankings
By Tim Dillon
Oct 27, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals inside linebacker Karlos Dansby (56) gestures to the crowd during the second half against the Atlanta Falcons at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Here are my NFL Power Rankings going into week 9:
1. Kansas City Chiefs (8-0) – It’s time to acknowledge the Chiefs as the best team in the league after remaining undefeated halfway through the season. Jamaal Charles is second in the league in rushing yards, behind only LeSean McCoy. Previous Rank: 2
2. Denver Broncos (7-1) – After a tough start to the game in which mistakes were rampant, Peyton went off and led the Broncos to score 31 points in the fourth quarter to beat the Redskins. Peyton threw 3 interceptions in this game, his first 3-pick game since week 2 last season in his first loss as a Bronco at the hands of the Atlanta Falcons. Previous Rank: 1
3. New Orleans Saints (6-1) – The Saints defense, previously the worst in the league, has held 6 of its 7 opponents to under 2o points. Drew Brees is dominant as always and tossed 5 TDs this weekend against the Bills. Previous Rank: 3
4. Cincinnati Bengals (6-2) – The Bengals were faced with a Jets team flying high after defeating the hated rival Patriots last week, but they grounded Gang Green quickly in an absolute rout. With 4 of Andy Dalton’s 5 TDs going to Marvin Jones, this offense has more balance and doesn’t rely completely on AJ Green anymore. Previous Rank: 6
5. Seattle Seahawks (7-1) – They beat the Rams, but they got manhandled during the game. The offensive line gave up 7 sacks and the Rams were able to earn 200 rushing yards against one of the league’s best defenses. They were only 2-11 on third down and if the Rams had actually called a run play at the final goal-line stand, they may have lost this game. Previous Rank: 5
6. Indianapolis Colts (5-2) – It’s tough to knock the Colts down a bit in the rankings since they didn’t play this week, but it will be interesting to see how this team rebounds from the loss of Reggie Wayne for the season. Darrius Heyward-Bey needs to step up and start being more than just a fast set of legs. Previous Rank: 4
7. San Francisco 49ers (6-2) – The ‘Niners destroyed the Jaguars in London as everyone expected they would. Kaepernick was a stud, going 10/16 in the air for 164 and a TD while rushing for another 54 yards and 2 TDs. Previous Rank: 8
8. New England Patriots (6-2) – New England won but they suffered another killer loss after Sebastian Vollmer, arguably their best offensive lineman, broke his leg. They gained a little separation in the AFC East but the offense has to become more balanced if they want to continue winning. Josh McDaniels needs to utilize Stevan Ridley way more than he has at this point. Previous Rank: 7
9. Green Bay Packers (5-2) – The Vikings put up a fight but were no match for Rodgers and the Pack. He was an astounding 24/29 for 285 and 2 TDs. The Packers actually have a running game now with Eddie Lacy, so when the injured receivers return this offense will be deadly. Previous Rank: 9
10. Detroit Lions (5-3) – Matt Stafford tossed for 488 yards, the second highest of his career, 329 of them to Megatron. The Lions had a -4 turnover differential, but it didn’t matter with Stafford and Megatron coming in the clutch. Their Thanksgiving game against the Packers should be incredible. Previous Rank: 12
11. Dallas Cowboys (4-4) – An alarming trend for the Cowboys is that 3 out of 4 of their losses have been by three points or less. All of these losses came to potential playoff teams and their only victories have come against their incredibly weak divisional opponents and St. Louis. They are a good team but they need to show more than they have. Previous Rank: 10
12. Chicago Bears (4-3) – After their bye week it will be interesting to see how the Bears perform without Jay Cutler. Josh McCown will have enormous pressure on him this Monday night when the Bears take on the division rival Packers in Lambeau. Previous Rank: 11
13. San Diego Chargers (4-3) – Coming of the bye week the Chargers travel to Washington to take on the ‘Skins who just suffered a disappointing loss to the Broncos. They should expect to see RGIII determined to bounce back, and the 26th ranked pass defense better be ready. Previous Rank: 13
14. Carolina Panthers (4-3) – Cam has been an absolute monster recently and it shows as the Panthers have won four of their last five games. The defense has been getting the job done as well, as they rank 2nd in opposing rushing yards and 10th in passing yards. Previous Rank: 18
15. Baltimore Ravens (3-4) – They’ve been on a serious backslide and have the opportunity to right the ship Sunday against the division rival Browns. The game is in Cleveland, however, and the Browns will be determined to upset the Super Bowl champs and claim 2nd place in the AFC North. It’s amazing that with Ray Rice the Ravens rank 27th in rushing yards. Previous Rank: 15
16. Arizona Cardinals (4-4) – Amid the Larry Fitzgerald trade rumors the Cardinals have quietly gone back to .500 and could make a playoff push. They are in a tough division and conference, but if they can continue winning and gain momentum it could go a long way. Previous Rank: 25
17. New York Jets (4-3) – Just when you think Geno Smith and the Jets have some momentum to build off of, they get smacked by the Bengals in Cincy. Two pick-6’s for Smith landed him a QBR of 4.1. His Total QBR for the season is 32.3 which has him ranked #32 out of 37 quarterbacks in the league. Previous Rank: 14
18. Tennessee Titans (3-4) – The Titans have a chance to return to .500 this Sunday against the St. Louis Rams. Hopefully Locker has fully recovered during the bye week and can return to his pre-injury form. Previous Rank: 17
19. Miami Dolphins (3-4) – Sunday’s loss to the Patriots should sting badly as it not only marks their fourth straight loss, but they entered halftime with a 17-3 lead. The offense stalled in the second half and the defense was suddenly unable to contain Brady and company. Protecting Ryan Tannehill better should be their number one priority, he’s been sacked a league leading 32 times. Previous Rank: 16
20. Oakland Raiders (3-4) – Terrell Pryor’s QBR of 96.2 was the second highest by a Raider’s quarterback since 2006. The #1 highest? JaMarcus Russell had a 98.5 in 2008. It’s amazing what he brings to this offense along with a healthy DMF. Previous Rank: 28
21. Washington Redskins (2-5) – After starting the game so well, the Redskins defense was no match for a determined and angry Peyton Manning. RGIII was very inaccurate going 15/30 against a struggling Broncos defense. He will need to be better if the ‘Skins want to salvage their season. Previous Rank: 20
22. Cleveland Browns (3-5) – Jason Campbell is a much better quarterback than Brandon Weeden and should be able to help the Browns win games. Playing the Chiefs for his first game wasn’t ideal, but it was a close game. He has a chance to make a statement next weekend against the Super Bowl champs when they come to Cleveland. Previous Rank: 22
23. Buffalo Bills (3-5) – Thad Lewis shows flashes of solid play but then commits fatal errors, like turning over the ball three times against the Saints. The Bills defense just wasn’t good enough to contain Drew Brees, though. They have another tough game next week against the undefeated Chiefs. Previous Rank: 19
24. St. Louis Rams (3-5) – The divisional loss to the Seahawks was tough, especially since they beat up their opponent in the process. Fans should be livid that on the goal-line stand in the last seconds of the game, the Rams chose to throw the ball with an empty backfield against arguably the ]league’s best secondary. Their 200 yard rushing performance was for nothing. Previous Rank: 23
25. Philadelphia Eagles (3-5) – They’ve lost 10 straight games at home and haven’t looked good doing so. This offense was stagnant even with Vick playing. Previous Rank: 21
26. New York Giants (2-6) – The Giants won their second straight game but their offense was unable to muster anything but field goals against a weak Eagles defense. This is not a positive sign moving forward for the G-men, but amazingly they are not out of the NFC East race yet since the Cowboys are only 4-4. Previous Rank: 29
27. Houston Texans (2-5) – The era of Case Keenum has begun in Houston and he’ll be thrown directly into the fire when the Texans take on the division leading Colts in prime-time this Sunday night. Arian Foster is only 7th in the league in rushing yards, something no one expected from him this season. Previous Rank: 27
28. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-5) – So much for the Steelers using momentum to turn their season around. They were only able to rush for 35 yards against the Raiders and Big Ben was sacked 5 times. It doesn’t get any easier for the Steelers this week when they travel to New England. Previous Rank: 26
29. Atlanta Falcons (2-5) – Who would have predicted the team that nearly won the NFC Championship game last year would be sitting at 2-5 and likely out of a playoff spot already? They could only muster 27 rushing yards and Matt Ryan had to throw 61 times against the Cardinals, completing a little over half of them and getting picked off 4 times, his second most ever in one game. His most was 5, which also came against the Cardinals last season. Previous Rank: 24
30. Minnesota Vikings (1-6) – Peterson has 13 or fewer rushes in three straight games, which is tied for the longest streak in his career. With a Jared Allen trade a strong possibility, could they also consider shopping AP? The fans would riot, but they could garner a hefty deal that would help them rebuild in the long-run. Ray Lewis hinted at this idea during last week’s rout by the Giants on Monday night. Previous Rank: 29
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-7) – Fire Schiano and this team may have a chance. Right now they’re a joke. Previous Rank: 31
32. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-7) – Hopefully the London crowd enjoyed seeing the Jaguars since they may be NFL’s first established team in London. Previous Rank: 32