NFL Power Rankings: Week 8 Edition

Week 7 of the 2020 NFL season is in the book and now it’s time for everyone’s favorite meaningful exercise: NFL Power Rankings! Let’s take a look at how all 32 teams stack up. Don’t forget to hear me talking about the league’s landscape on my national podcast: The ODDcast!

BLG’S NFL WEEK 8 POWER RANKINGS

1 - Pittsburgh Steelers (Last Week: 3) - Here’s to the NFL’s only remaining undefeated team. They almost ended up in overtime after blowing a big lead but beating Tennessee never should’ve been easy. Pittsburgh’s defense is very good and the offense has no shortage of weapons to work with. They can further cement their top status by beating Baltimore.

2 - Kansas City Chiefs (LW: 2) - Toyed with moving the Chiefs back to No. 1 but ultimately kept them here. Pretty impressive how KC went 0/8 on third down and 3/6 in the red zone and still won by 27 points. Three combined defensive/special teams touchdowns helps with that.

3 - Seattle Seahawks (LW: 1) - Russell Wilson turned in by far his worst game of the season and the Seahawks still only lost by three in overtime. It’s a shame Russ can’t get help from his defense but this team will ultimately be fine because he’s going to race back just like DK Metcalf did to catch Budda Baker. Had to work that play into this entry somehow. Nailed it on the first try, unlike Zane Gonzalez.

4 - Tennessee Titans (LW: 5) - The Titans move up a spot despite their loss because they were a missed 45-yard field goal attempt from taking Pittsburgh to overtime. No one should be using this loss to suggest the Titans are fraudulent. They’re still very much a tough team.

5 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (LW: 8) - The Bucs are hitting their stride. Tampa Bay probably deserves to be higher here; they’re No. 1 in DVOA and point differential. Tom Brady hasn’t thrown a pick since Week 4. The defense is good. I

6 - Green Bay Packers (LW: 6) - Aaron Rodgers followed up his worst game of the year by throwing four touchdowns and zero interceptions. He ranks first in QBR and second in passer rating.

7 - Baltimore Ravens (LW: 4) - The Ravens drop three spots while on the bye. Feels harsh but that’s how they were impacted by the flow around them. Besides, they don’t fully pass the eye test this year and I think they’re going to lose to Pittsburgh.

8 - New Orleans Saints (LW: 7) - The Saints only have the 13th best point differential despite winning three in a row. They’re still good but they’re not elite. Will be interesting to see how they fare in the Bucs rematch in a couple weeks. Could be looking at a wild card spot instead of winning the NFC South.

9 - Los Angeles Rams (LW: 9) - The decision to move on from Wade Phillips seemed curious but Brandon Staley is looking like a good defensive coordinator hire for LA. The Rams are tied with Pittsburgh for allowing the third fewest yards per play. Of course, it helps that they’ve played the entire NFC East. Still, the Rams look like a good team.

10 - Arizona Cardinals (LW: 13) - Don’t look now but the Cards have won three in a row. They took down the previous No. 1 team in these ranking with a come from behind effort on Sunday Night Football. Nice to see Kyler Murray look better as a passer after struggling in that regard. The Cards are going to be a feisty wild card team … assuming they don’t find a way to win the NFC West outright.

11 - Buffalo Bills (LW: 10) - Dropped a spot despite winning because they didn’t manage to score a touchdown against the worst team in the NFL. Josh Allen continues to be cold after his red hot start. (Side note: There should be a term for when a team wins a game by only kicking field goals. Any suggestions?)

12 - Cleveland Browns (LW: 14) - Rough start for Baker Mayfield, who threw an interception on his first pass attempt. But he rebounded in a major way despite losing Odell Beckham Jr. The Browns are closer to their first playoff berth since 2002.

13 - San Francisco 49ers (LW: 19) - Weird sequence of events. The 49ers lose to Philly and then get blown out by Miami only to bounce back with two quality victories. Jimmy Garoppolo isn’t exactly silencing his doubters but Kyle Shanahan has the run game working to help him out.

14 - Las Vegas Raiders (LW: 11) - Strange team to figure out. They manage to beat KC only to get blown out by the Bucs. The defense is kind of a problem considering they’re allowing the second most points per game.

15 - Indianapolis Colts (LW: 15) - The Colts return from their bye to face Detroit. Need to win to keep pace for the AFC South lead.

16 - Miami Dolphins (LW: 16) - It’s Tua time in Miami. We’ll get to see Tua Tagovailoa make his first NFL start at home against LAR. Won’t be an easy task for him. Feels like this an inflection point where the Dolphins either take off with a new, higher ceiling or get saddled by rookie struggles.

17 - Chicago Bears (LW: 12) - No one really believed Da Bears were as good as their record indicated. They only justified the non-believers with a pitiful offensive performance on Monday night. This is the problem with Nick Foles. We all know he can get hot, sure, but he’s also bound to be really cold. Foles has the fifth worst QBR in the NFL.

18 - Carolina Panthers (LW: 18) - Matt Rhule has this team fighting hard. Already feels like a successful first year in that he’s laying the foundation for Carolina to build upon. There’s an opportunity for the Panthers to get back to .500 as they face Atlanta on Thursday Night Football. Not out of the hunt for a wild card spot.

19 - Los Angeles Chargers (LW: 20) - Justin Herbert finally has his first NFL career win under his belt. It’s hard to not be pretty impressed by the rookie quarterback. The Bolts’ future is bright.

20 - Detroit Lions (LW: 21) - Matthew Stafford was the real Matty Ice on the field in Atlanta by leading the Lions on a clutch game-winning drive. Going to need to do more than beat Jacksonville and Atlanta to convince people they’re a playoff contender and there are still doubts about Matt Patricia. But they’re hanging around.

21 - Philadelphia Eagles (LW: 22) - Carson Wentz was far from perfect on Thursday night but he ultimately came up big when it mattered most, helping the Eagles overcome an 11-point deficit late in the fourth quarter to win. Wentz’s presence gives Philly the best chance of winning the worst division in the NFL.

22 - New England Patriots (LW: 17) - The Pats are 2-4 after losing three straight. Sunday’s defeat was the worst home loss of the Bill Belichick era. Cam Newton is struggling. New England’s defense is tied for allowing the fifth most yards per play. You really hate to see it.

23 - Cincinnati Bengals (LW: 28) - Five spot increase following a loss?! Yep. The Bengals haven’t been able to seal the deal but they’ve been in position to win the past two weeks. Joe Burrow has Cincy feeling hopeful about the future.

24 - Minnesota Vikings (LW: 27) - The Vikings return from their bye to take on Green Bay. Could be looking at dropping to 1-6.

25 - Houston Texans (LW: 23) - The Texans’ sole win came over the Jags. Houston’s defense has allowed the fourth most points in the league.

26 - Denver Broncos (LW: 24) - Drew Lock has thrown just one touchdown to four interceptions this season. He has a 63.3 passer rating. Maybe wasn’t the best idea for the Broncos to put all their eggs in his basket this year. Denver needs an answer at quarterback.

27 - Washington Football Team (LW: 31) - Washington’s defense might be more legitimate than you realize. They rank seventh in DVOA and they’re allowing the fifth fewest yards per play and the 12th fewest points per game. They can beat some bad teams by playing quality defense, running the ball efficiently, and having Kyle Allen merely be competent.

28 - Atlanta Falcons (LW: 26) - They’re the biggest chokers of all time. What else is there to say?

29 - Dallas Cowboys (LW: 25) - Worst defense in the NFL. An offense that’s managed just 19 points on 24 drives since Dak Prescott got hurt. Down to rookie seventh-round pick Ben DiNucci at quarterback. Awful coaching that’s being anonymously criticized from within. Players lacking effort. Yup, the Cowboys are a bonafide dumpster fire. Such a shame.

30 - Jacksonville Jaguars (LW: 29) - Make that six straight losses for the Jags. Fire the head coach and general manager after the season and get a new quarterback high in the 2021 NFL Draft. Jacksonville is currently projected to have five picks in the top 67.

31 - New York Giants (LW: 30) - The Giants could’ve actually been first in the NFC East had they held on to their lead in Philly. Alas, they did not, and now they’re staring 1-7 in the face with a game agains the Bucs on Monday Night Football up next. The Giants need a new quarterback to replace perpetual turnover machine Daniel Jones.

32 - New York Jets (LW: 32) - Well, they held a lead over Buffalo for over half the game. So, at least they were competitive? Not that it really matters. All about getting the No. 1 pick at this point.