32. Los Angeles Chargers (-1)
31. Indianapolis Colts (-5)
30. Miami Dolphins (+2)
29. New York Jets (-2)
28. Tennessee Titans (+2)
27. Philadelphia Eagles (-6)
26. Washington Commanders (+3)
25. Dallas Cowboys (-1)
24. Carolina Panthers (-9)
23. New Orleans Saints (-1)
22. Atlanta Falcons (+1)
21. Baltimore Ravens (-10)
20. Arizona Cardinals (+5)
19. Houston Texans (-1)
18. Las Vegas Raiders (+1)
17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+11)
16. Cleveland Browns (-3)
15. New York Giants (+5)
14. Los Angeles Rams (=)
13. Green Bay Packers (-4)
12. Cincinnati Bengals (=)
11. New England Patriots (-3)
Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2)
The Steelers have found their groove this NFL season: Strong defense, strong running game, an efficient Aaron Rodgers. That's the winning formula in Pittsburgh.
This winning formula has been paying off for several weeks now. The Steelers have been undefeated for four weeks. Most recently, there was a 16:10 victory in Paris against the New Orleans Saints, as well as a 27:6 win against the Cleveland Browns, securing the Steelers' first place in the fiercely contested AFC North.
Especially Jaylen Warren, who seems to have made the leap into the running back elite this season, was once again a true difference-maker. In fact, he already has 998 scrimmage yards this season. A good running game benefits every team, but especially those with an aging quarterback – and who knows, if the Steelers continue to perform this way, Aaron Rodgers’ last NFL season might even have a truly big happy ending.
Minnesota Vikings (6-1)
Until last Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings were the only remaining undefeated team in the NFL – that is no longer the case.
Against the Detroit Lions (15:19), they not only suffered their first loss of the season, but also had to endure a significant defeat against a direct rival in the battle for the top spot in the NFC North.
However, the loss in Detroit was not drastically different from their previous games this season: The Vikings' defense did its best, keeping the Lions well in check for a long time, but on the other hand, the Vikings' offense wasn't good enough to put enough points on the board.
At the start of the season, they pulled one narrow victory after another out of the hat – Minnesota's defense, as good as it is, is not all-powerful. It will need more support from the offense if they want to make it to the playoffs this year. Because in a strong division like the NFC North, that – despite a good start to the season – is far from guaranteed.
Moreover, the upcoming schedule is tough: The next opponents are Buffalo, Green Bay, and San Francisco.
Detroit Lions (5-2)
The Lions have entered the Top 10 of my Power Ranking for the first time this season. There were never big doubts about the quality of the Lions' offense, but there were about their defense – however, it seems to have stabilized recently.
In their last two games, the Lions allowed no more than 17 points. These were also two immensely important victories against direct division rivals: First, they defeated Green Bay – in a game that could easily have gone either way – with a score of 20:17. Last Sunday, a 19:15 victory against the Minnesota Vikings was added. And lo and behold, with two wins within the NFC North, the Lions suddenly find themselves in a very good position.
And even if the last two games weren't big point explosions, it's clear that if Detroit wants to go far this season, the offense needs to lead the way.
They have the necessary "weapons" for that: Jahmyr Gibbs already has over 1,050 yards this year, and Jared Goff, with his efficiency of 15 touchdowns and only one interception, is among the best quarterbacks this season so far. As long as they deliver, Detroit has a chance in every game.
Kansas City Chiefs (5-2)
The past two weeks haven't exactly gone as planned for the Kansas City Chiefs: A clear 3:20 loss against the Seattle Seahawks was followed on Sunday by a 24:28 defeat against the Denver Broncos. These were their first two losses of the current season – and suddenly leave the Chiefs pondering.
For example, what to do if the running game, centered around Kenneth Walker, suddenly stops working. Walker was undoubtedly the best player in the Chiefs' offense in the first weeks of the season, but he wasn't a big factor against either Seattle or Denver; although Mahomes and Co. were close to pulling off a victory in Denver, that doesn't change the fact that Kansas City's offense simply isn't the same without a functioning running game.
Furthermore, Kansas City missed a huge opportunity to distance themselves from the Broncos in the fight for the top spot in the AFC West. With two direct victories, they could have gained a tremendous advantage over Denver; instead, both are now moving in lockstep.
This coming Sunday offers the Chiefs a welcome opportunity to get back on track: Their opponents at home in Arrowhead are the New York Jets.
Seattle Seahawks (4-4)
Three losses in their last four games: The Seahawks are currently going through a truly difficult phase – nevertheless, by no means is everything bad happening in Seattle. After all, the last three defeats occurred against teams (San Francisco, Denver, Chicago) that are ranked above the Seahawks in the Power Ranking, and the one victory during this period was against Kansas City – no pushovers either.
Seattle still has a team that can compete with any team in this league. The main reason is, of course, the defense – perhaps the best in the NFL. They demonstrated that just two weeks ago when they held Kansas City to three points in a 20:3 victory. On Monday, while they allowed significantly more points in the 17:34 loss against Chicago, they also didn't receive much support from their own offense.
No question, Sam Darnold and Co. need to improve if the Seahawks want to reach a similar level as last season. The return of Zach Charbonnet should certainly help stabilize the offense's performance somewhat – but he also needs some time to get back to 100 percent.
Jacksonville Jaguars (5-2)
No other team has a more comfortable lead in their division at this early stage of the season than the Jacksonville Jaguars.
They themselves have a 5-2 record; the second-best team in the AFC South, the Houston Texans, only have a 2-5 record. The Indianapolis Colts have already given up on their season (which was further underscored by their clear 7:42 loss against the Jaguars last Sunday), and the Tennessee Titans are still in a learning phase.
So, the Jaguars probably don't have to worry about the playoffs this year….
Instead, their sights can certainly be set on higher goals, such as the No. 1 seed in the AFC – a weak division is, of course, a great help there. Looking at the rest of this season's schedule, the Jaguars only have three more opponents with a current winning record ahead of them: the New York Giants, Chicago Bears, and Pittsburgh Steelers.
That doesn't sound too difficult for the team that currently has the fifth-best scoring offense and the second-best scoring defense in the NFL…
Chicago Bears (6-2)
The Chicago Bears solidified their Super Bowl ambitions last week with the trade for star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. He was worth two first-round picks to them. And Simmons? He produced immediately. In his first game as a Bear, he delivered a sack, two tackles for loss, and several pressures on Monday against the Seattle Seahawks, constantly disrupting the opposing backfield. His debut could hardly have gone better.
The Seahawks were ultimately defeated 34:17. Sure, it was just one game, but Simmons truly seems to be elevating the Bears' defense to a new level. Until now, the offense has been the clear strength of the Bears – and still is: Scoring 34 points against the Seahawks – arguably the best defense in the NFL – is no small feat.
So, things are going well in Chicago. They have won three consecutive games since Caleb Williams' return, including a 30:24 victory against the New England Patriots the week before.
Among all the serious contenders from the NFC North, the Bears are probably the most serious.
Denver Broncos (6-2)
The Broncos extended their winning streak to four consecutive games last Sunday: A 30:16 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 7 was recently followed by an important 28:24 home win against the Kansas City Chiefs – which also unseated the Chiefs from the top of the AFC West.
It was a victory typical of the Broncos: Trailing for most of the game, before Bo Nix still managed to pull a comeback out of the hat in the fourth quarter. However, what was unusual was the abundance of big plays allowed by the usually strong Broncos' defense; but when it mattered most, they too were ready and prevented the loss with a goal-line stand.
Thus, Denver also managed to get revenge for their hefty 10:31 loss in Kansas City at the start of the season. What they've accomplished since then is impressive: They've managed to defeat several good opponents, including the Jaguars, Rams, Seahawks, and now the Chiefs.
The schedule that follows in the coming weeks is by no means as difficult. It's quite possible, then, that the Broncos will extend their winning streak.
San Francisco 49ers (6-1)
The 49ers have been dethroned from the top. Of course, that would have already happened last week – if there had been a Power Ranking then. Since that wasn't the case, it's happening this week.
For those who can't quite recall what happened about a week and a half ago, here's a quick refresher: In Week 7, the Niners suffered their first loss of the season against the Atlanta Falcons (20:29). With four turnovers, the Niners made life difficult for themselves in that game. Injuries also played a role: Mike Evans had to sit out, Christian McCaffrey wasn't at 100 percent - and without their best players, every NFL team struggles…
Good for San Francisco that they had a bye week last week to give some players a breather – the bye week probably couldn't have come at a better time. Moreover, the next good news seems to be just around the corner: it's quite possible that Nick Bosa could make his comeback in the upcoming game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Buffalo Bills (6-1)
The Bills have played seven games this season, and with an average of 33.3 points per game, they boast the best offense in the NFL.
Josh Allen remains in great form; in fact, arguably the best quarterback in the NFL currently leads the league with nine rushing touchdowns. James Cook is Top 5 in rushing yards, and with DJ Moore, they recently got back an element in the passing game that they sorely missed. In the 36:10 home win against the Baltimore Ravens, he returned with 86 yards and a touchdown.
It was a victory that was ultimately never truly threatened, also because Lamar Jackson got injured on his first snap of the game. Of course, the Ravens' game plan was thus thrown into disarray early on; nevertheless, from the Bills' perspective, it was a positive statement from the defense to dominate the opponent for an entire game for once.
With their record, the Bills are currently number one in the AFC, but this coming Monday, they will face a team with the same record: The Minnesota Vikings.
