NFL power rankings: Broncos, Steelers climb after big wins; Vikings, Cowboys and Eagles drop for Week 9 image
The time between the end of Week 8 and the start of Week 9 marks the new midseason point of the NFL schedule. Although some of the league's better playoff powers are pulling away near the top, there are still a lot of "tightly contested races", apt for mid-term election time, too.
Don't forget that last week was Halloween, setting up some wild results over the weekend. Some teams have clear identities, while some teams are struggling with injuries, inconsistency and inefficiency.
Here's the latest look at how all 32 teams stack up against each other, with no more undefeated teams and still the one winless team:
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NFL Power Rankings
1. Buffalo Bills 6-1 (previous ranking: 1)
Josh Allen, for the 54th time in his nine-year career, delivered both a passing and rushing TD in the same game in beating the Ravens. He also has a total of 259 passing TDs combined in the regular season and playoffs, breaking Jim Kelly's long-time franchise record. The only thing missing from Allen's resume is the Super Bowl. He is on his way to his second MVP to lock up his Hall of Fame spot.
2. San Francisco 49ers 6-1 (4)
The 49ers are coming off a bye to recover from their only loss of the season and Brock Purdy's worst game of the season against the Falcons. Purdy has also been sacked seven times in the past three games after taking none in the first four. He has a pair of get-well games coming up, however, against the Raiders' and Cowboys' defenses.
3. Denver Broncos 6-2 (6)
Bo Nix can keep laughing at critics after recording his fourth fourth-quarter comeback and fifth game-winning drive of the season against the Chiefs. He led the league with seven game-winning drives last season. Nix's numbers still aren't pretty, but he has a knack for clutch plays that get the job done.
4. Minnesota Vikings 5-1 (2)
Go figure: Kyler Murray threw more than one TD pass in a game for the first time this season in Detroit but that added up to the first loss of the season. He's still not pushing the ball downfield well enough for Kevin O'Connell. Minnesota can no longer get away with an anemic offense and keep putting undue pressure on the stellar defense.
5. Kansas City Chiefs 5-2 (3)
Patrick Mahomes got back on track with his passing in Denver, timed with the return of Rashee Rice as his top wide receiver. Andy Reid can point to one big reason why the Chiefs lost to the Broncos. They had a season-high 11 penalties go against them, after having only 41 in the previous six games, the second-lowest total in the NFL.
MORE:Andy Reid disagrees with game-changing offsides call
6. Chicago Bears 5-2 (5)
Caleb Williams vs. the Seahawks' defense will be a fun battle to watch on Monday night. Will his improv neutralize the pass rush and wear down the coverage? Or will Williams revert to some old turnover woes? Should Williams pass the test in hostile Seattle, there might emerge a new team to beat in the NFC.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars 5-2 (8)
The Jaguars improved to 11-4 in the regular season when Trevor Lawrence has three or more passing TDs in routing the Colts on Sunday. What Bhayshul Tuten is doing as a second-year feature back has been huge for Liam Coen's offense.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers 6-2 (9)
Mike Tomlin would be proud of this Steelers' edition. They ran for 200 yards against the Browns on only 33 attempts. They are averaging 4.9 yards per carry this season, up to No. 3 in the NFL behind only the Chiefs and Buccaneers. They are also No. 3 in run defense, allowing an average of 83.9 yards per game.
MORE:Why Steelers are positioned to run away in AFC North race
9. Seattle Seahawks 4-3 (7)
The Seahawks prepared well for facing Williams, flustering Mahomes into a career-low game in prime time in Week 7. Seattle's pass defense is nasty this season, allowing an average of 144.4 yards per game and only eight touchdowns in seven games.
10. New England Patriots 5-3 (10)
The Patriots had neither A.J. Brown nor TreVeyon Henderson to raise the big-play quotient in the offense, but Drake Maye still passed for 8.7 yards per attempt, and the team still rushed for 131 yards to beat the Dolphins. They won't give the Bills much breathing room in the AFC East.
11. Detroit Lions 5-2 (12)
The Lions have come through with huge back-to-back home division wins against the Packers and Vikings. The big surprise is the improved defense. After allowing an average of almost 30 points in the first five games, the Lions have given up only 32 total the past two weeks. They should keep up that play with the Dolphins in Miami next.
12. Cincinnati Bengals 5-2 (11)
Joe Burrow is on pace for 49 TD passes and 5,136 yards and raised his league-best completion percentage to 73.0. It's a roller-coaster ride with his turnovers at times but as long as he's healthy, the Bengals are a real threat to win Super Bowl 60.
MORE: How Burrow passing his way into NFL MVP consideration
Joe Burrow
Joe Burrow
13. Los Angeles Rams 4-4 (13)
The Rams have become a more effective, more committed running team with new downfield passing constraints for Matthew Stafford and the offense minus Davante Adams. Sean McVay's heavy reliance on Kyren Williams and Blake Corum for chunk rushing has delivered out of necessity.
14. Green Bay Packers 5-3 (14)
The Packers faced the atrocious Panthers' run defense in Week 8, but they still are last in the NFL in rushing offense, averaging a microscopic 60 yards per game. Matt LaFleur is smart to keep running to provide balance even with limited results, because it still supports the league's No. 2 passing offense.
15. New York Giants 4-2-1 (17)
The Giants come out of the bye with the No. 15 rushing offense in the NFL. They will hope to keep that number climbing with Cam Skattebo and Devin Singletary with Tyrone Tracy Jr. (hamstring) on injured reserve. That's been key to unlocking J.J. McCarthy, who averaged 10.1 yards per pass attempt in his Week 7 start at Houston.
16. Cleveland Browns 5-3 (15)
The Browns are starting to spring more leaks in their run defense, but the bigger problem up front is their offensive line, which gave up eight sacks on Deshaun Watson and helped to produce only 34 rushing yards in Pittsburgh. Watson is on pace to be sacked an NFL-high 70 times, which would challenge the record set by fellow former Texan David Carr.
17. Baltimore Ravens 4-4 (16)
The Ravens' passing game went kaput against the Bills' bad pass defense after both Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley went down with injuries. At the same time, the Ravens' defense gave up 417 total yards and was on the field for more than 37 minutes. Even more worrisome is the fact Derrick Henry has been contained to only 156 combined rushing yards in the past three games.
MORE: Ravens' 6 best QB trade options to replace Jackson, Huntley
18. Las Vegas Raiders 4-4 (19)
Klint Kubiak staying with Kirk Cousins proved to be the right decision, at least for the Jets' game, as he has now thrown three TD passes in each of their four wins. The real fun, however, is the rushing pivot to feature rookie fourth-rounder Mike Washington Jr. instead of 2025 first-rounder Ashton Jeanty. That will be a key Raiders storyline to watch in the second half.
Bucky Irving
Bucky Irving
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3-5 (24)
Bucky Irving is the Bucs' aptly named team MVP and the biggest reason they are back in the NFC South race. Irving, in rushing for 170 of the team's 324 rushing yards, is averaging almost five yards per carry and is on pace for 1,547 yards.
MORE:Irving among eight running backs who stole the show in Week 8
20. Atlanta Falcons 3-5 (18)
The Falcons are a mystery wrapped up in an enigma. After quarterback Michael Penix Jr. won Offensive Player of the Week at home by taking down the 49ers, the Falcons got shut out with Penix going 8 for 24 with a career-high four interceptions in soggy Tampa. Atlanta was 0-for-12 on third down. The Falcons needed that division game badly ahead of facing the Bengals, Chiefs, Vikings and Lions in the next four games.
21. Arizona Cardinals 3-5 (26)
The Cardinals can unleash a fun offense when everything is on for Mike LaFleur. They put up 425 yards on Dallas and deserved to win in overtime. They can't turn to Jacoby Brissett anymore with Minshew magic/mania/mayhem in full swing and Carson Beck waiting in the wings.
22. Carolina Panthers 3-5 (20)
Defensive injuries have decimated the Panthers. Despite some early flashes, the recent major struggles in losses made now-former coordinator Ejiro Evero the fall guy. With the offense cooling off fast with Bryce Young at the same time, there is increasing heat on coach Dave Canales.
23. Dallas Cowboys 3-5 (21)
The Cowboys are trying to make it work with Christian Parker leading their defense but after a brief bright spot beating the Eagles, the team melted down vs. the Cardinals late at home. It's still more of a personnel issue that Dallas has taken over as the league's worst run defense, allowing on average 152.8 yards per game.
MORE: Breaking down the Cowboys' defensive disaster
24. Washington Commanders 2-4-1 (29)
The Commanders are going through a cruel twist with Jayden Daniels healthy but key pieces such as Terry McLaurin, Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Laremy Tunsil all on the shelf. The good news is Dan Quinn's defense is playing well to give him a short reprieve.
MORE:Jayden Daniels snaps unreal drought vs. Eagles
25. Philadelphia Eagles 2-6 (22)
The Eagles are trying to have Saquon Barkley carry the offense and that's asking too much. Tanner McKee is capping what they can do. Without a healthy DeVonta Smith as his No. 1 wide receiver, he has no shot. Philadelphia has nothing to lose by starting either Joe Milton III or rookie Cole Payton soon.
26. Houston Texans 2-5 (23)
C.J. Stroud is playing his best football since his rookie season, well-timed to try to earn a second contract despite the team struggling. He's not to blame as his efficiency (100.7) is just a shade off his 2023 season (100.8), on pace for 27 TDs to only 2 interceptions.
27. New Orleans Saints 2-5 (25)
The Saints saw the Falcons and Panthers lose during their bye, which still puts the NFC South well within striking distance. Coach Kellen Moore needs more out of the downfield passing game from high-volume Tyler Shough to feel more comfortable about keeping his job.
28. New York Jets 2-6 (27)
The Jets rushed for 166 yards and still lost the game to the Raiders. Braelon Allen rushing for 147 yards on 21 carries means that Breece Hall ideally would be traded before the deadline just as he's getting back to health.
MORE: Ranking Jets' best coaching candidates to replace Aaron Glenn
29. Indianapolis Colts 2-6 (28)
The Colts are not doing anything well after their 42-7 loss in Jacksonville. The veteran effort has disappeared with the busy pre-deadline trading. They have tumbled to No. 20 in total offense and No. 21 in total defense. Indianapolis is forcing Carlie Irsay-Gordon's hand for wholesale changes.
MORE:Ranking Colts' best coaching candidates to replace Shane Steichen
30. Miami Dolphins 1-6 (30)
The Dolphins have put Malik Willis in a tough situation without having De'Von Achane in the backfield. The offensive line broke down, contributing to five sacks of Willis at home against the Patriots. He's keeping the team as competitive as possible given the youth at the offensive skill positions.
Cam Ward
Cam Ward
31. Tennessee Titans 1-7 (31)
The Titans are getting a little more juice from Cam Ward to become more dangerous offensively from week to week. Tony Pollard going nuts on the ground for two straight weeks for the tune of 46 carries for 246 yards and five TDs helps any QB.
32. Los Angeles Chargers 0-7 (32)
The Chargers didn't really see much change from Justin Herbert after the bye, after he threw two more interceptions to seal the fate against the Rams. He keeps delivering the least bang for the buck among all NFL players.
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