Week 8 NFL Power Rankings: Bengals + Titans Soaring! Chiefs, Seahawks are Lost

 It's time to get into our week 8 edition of the NFL power rankings. There were a lot of good teams on bye this week but at the same time some big games were played with critical outcomes for the rest of the season. Who moves around after another week of NFL football?

1. Arizona Cardinals (7-0)
Previously #1

No surprise here. The Cardinals won again as they stay the only unbeaten in the NFL. It was ugly early on vs the Texans but then this team pulled away just like we all expected. The Cardinals look for real, but a Thursday night battle against Green Bay in just a few days will tell us so much about the Cardinals' postseason run aspirations.

2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-1)
Previously #4 +

A second-straight blowout victory for the Buccaneers. Tom Brady has just been on FIRE these past three weeks as he has 12 TD passes to just 1 INT. The Bucs are again, rolling, and look like they are ready to make another deep playoff run come the Winter. The story of this game was their defense, while it was against the lowly Bears, they looked much improved. No one wants to face this team right now, or really ever... 

3. Dallas Cowboys (5-1)
Previously #5 +

The Cowboys rise a few spots even though they didn't play this week. This is a testament to how good they have been playing. They got the week to heal up a little and will be back in action in week 8 against the Vikings in a pretty good match between two NFC playoff hopefuls.

4. Green Bay Packers (6-1)
Previously #6 +

After starting 0-1, the Packers have now won 6 straight and sit pretty at 6-1. The Packers have looked better and better by the week but this week's showing gave us an idea of how improved their defense really is. They shutdown Washington for the most part. This defense is a gritty group ready to make moving the ball a nightmare for an opposing offense. Like we said earlier, Thursday night's match against Arizona will be one of the most important and telling games of the season. If Green Bay can pull off the "upset", they will rise to the moon.

5. Los Angeles Rams (6-1)
Previously #2 -

Ugly game for the Rams. Against the winless Lions, they were trailing for a good amount of the game. They pulled it together in the end but it should have never been that close. I like the Rams a lot, and they have one of the best records in the sport, but something about them feels a little shaky. I haven't seen enough yet, but I'm not sure how much trust I have in this team against one of the major contenders in a playoff, winner take all game. 

6. Buffalo Bills (4-2)
Previously #7 +

Having the bye week this week for the Bills was nice. After a heartbreaking loss last Monday night to the Titans, this team should be well rested and ready to forget it. The Bills still are probably the best team in the AFC. They might have both the best offense and defense in the league. A week later, I still have no issue with them going for the win over the tie at the end of the Titan game.

7. Tennessee Titans (5-2)
Previously #9 +

The Titans just keep winning big games, and with that, they keep rising. After a shocking upset win over the Bills last week, they absolutely dominated the Chiefs this Sunday. Derrick Henry didn't even have one of his best performances on the season and they still won with ease. The real promising sign for this team is how well their defense has been playing of late. Many didn't see this team as a contender due to the weakness of their defense. Now it's looking like a strongpoint. Titans are legit Super Bowl contenders. 

8. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2)
Previously #10 +

The biggest win of the week easily came from the Bengals. In their biggest game in years, they showed up and showed out. They dominated the Ravens while playing on the road. The definition of a statement victory. These Bengals are so for real. I know we gush about Ja'Marr Chase a lot on this site, but he is already a superstar. He had a 200 yard receiving performance and now is second in the entire NFL in receiving yards (only behind the great Cooper Kupp). Joe Burrow is also elite. The Bengals are no longer just a "fun team to watch" but they are for real. Bengal fans, how does it feeling waking up the no. 1 seed in the AFC right now??

9. Baltimore Ravens (5-2)
Previously #4 -

What a tough way to lose such a big game for the Ravens. One of the hottest teams in football going in, you know they believed they would win with some ease. Not the case. The Ravens had been winning so many close games and games against great teams that you knew one of these wouldn't go their way. We just didn't expect it to be by such a large margin. The Ravens are still one of the best teams in the AFC and maybe are still the favorites in the AFC North, but this was a rough week for them, and we will need to see how they respond.

10. Los Angeles Chargers (4-2)
Previously #8 -

Just like for some of the other teams who were on bye ahead of the Chargers, it happened to come at a good time for them. The Chargers are on the heels of a bad loss to the Ravens before entering their bye week. Hopefully, they rested up and are ready to compete again in week 8. This is one of the best rosters in the league and I think they are the best team in the stacked AFC West. Just like the Ravens who lost bad this week, it will be key to see how they respond from their bad loss before the bye.

11. Las Vegas Raiders (5-2)
Previously #12 +

The Raiders move to 2-0 in their post-Jon Gruden era. I thought he was a good coach, but the results from the past two weeks may be proving otherwise. The Raiders are on a roll. With a new coaching staff at the helm, the team is playing with their best players playing to their strengths. They are allowing Derek Carr to cook and he is killing it. He turned in one of the best and most efficient performances of his career vs Philly on Sunday. The Raiders looked like contenders at the start of the season, looked terrible for a few weeks, and suddenly look like they could be major contenders once again. We are only 7 weeks in.

12. Cleveland Browns (4-3)
Previously #13 +

In the injury bowl of the season on Thursday night, the Browns emerged victorious. With over 5 starters out for the game, the Browns turned in a gritty performance in which they rode young RB D'Ernest Johnson for over 140 yards rushing and the win. What a story Johnson is. The Browns will probably get a bunch of their starters back for week 8 including Baker Mayfield. This team may be banged up, but at full health, we all know they are real contenders.

13. New Orleans Saints (4-2)
Previously #14 +

It wasn't pretty at all, but the Saints ground it out and got the win on MNF in Seattle. Alvin Kamara was incredible as usual but the defense was just amazing. While Geno Smith is horrible, the defense made life as hard as they could on him all night long. Demario Davis is so underrated, he was making plays on D the entire game. Aside from a bad 84-yard TD strike to DK Metcalf allowed in the early first quarter, the Saints were lockdown all night long. 

14. Minnesota Vikings (3-3)
Previously #16 +

Another team involved in the mass of bye weeks during week 7. The Vikings are coming off of that nice OT win vs the Panthers in which they showed they can continue to win in close fashion. The Vikings are sitting at .500 with a date against the white-hot Cowboys on tap for week 8. If they could win that, man would we have a lot of good things to say about this team.

15. Indianapolis Colts (3-4)
Previously #22 +

Statement victory from the Colts on SNF. Trailing for a bit of the game vs the Niners, Carson Wentz took matters into his own hands as he led the Colts to the win down the stretch. Wentz is looking like a new man as of late. These Colts are playing some really good football and are much better than their subpar record indicates. The Titans are playing well too, so the team still isn't super close to taking over the division, but with their recent play, they are entering the wildcard discussion.

16. Kansas City Chiefs (3-4)
Previously #11 -

It's officially nightmare time in Kansas City. The Chiefs just had arguably their worst loss in the Mahomes-era. The halftime score against the Titans was 27-0. We thought the reason this team was so bad was because of their 32nd ranked defense, but it has spread to the offense as well. Mahomes had multiple turnovers and no TDs himself, he even got briefly injured at the end of the game for a little insult-to-injury. The Chiefs are bad. At this point in time, they do not look like a playoff team. A stunning result so far from this season.

17. New England Patriots (3-4)
Previously #21 +

After a string of weeks of losing heartbreakers in which they probably should have won, the Patriots finally got a win. And they got all of it. In the biggest blowout so far of the season, the Patriots absolutely stuck it to the Jets. 54-13 was the final score. While it wasn't against a good opponent at all by any means, it was a great building block for this younger Patriots team. Mac Jones was poised as ever and carried by an elite defensive showing and an incredibly efficient day on the ground for Damien Harris, the Patriots were able to dominate. Glad to see them finally get one.

18. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-3)
Previously #15 -

Another team on bye. The Steelers are coming off of that great OT win vs Seattle in week 6 that will hopefully give them some momentum going forward. TJ Watt is heating up and may make another run at a DPOY. I don't know how to judge this team right now, so right around the middle of the pack following a bye week seems about right to me.

19. Atlanta Falcons (3-3)
Previously #25 +

Somehow, someway, the Falcons have found their way back to .500. Well, actually, they've done it by beating up on some of the few teams in the league worse than they are (Giants, Jets, Dolphins), but that's besides the point. They are finding ways to win while other teams aren't. I don't think this team eclipses 7 wins on the season, but their offense is looking really good right now. Matt Ryan is find his rhythm after a slow start to the year and rookie top 5 pick TE Kyle Pitts is becoming the absolute monster we all expected him to be. He had 100+ yards two weeks ago and then had over 160+ in this game. He is going to be a superstar in this league.

20. Seattle Seahawks (2-5)
Previously #17 -

I continue to feel for Seahawks fans. Life without Russell Wilson is as hard as expected. Geno Smith is awful. The team will probably only have to play one more game with him before Wilson can return but it might be all but over in terms of playoff hopes. The Seahawks defense has been turning it around these past few weeks, but the offense has gone archaic. We will need to see how they look when Wilson returns, but this is looking like a lost season for Seattle. A third straight heartbreaking loss for this team. (P.S. DK Metcalf is a star anyway).

21. San Fransisco 49ers (2-4)
Previously #18 -

Things keep getting worse for the Niners. The offense is not working like a usual Kyle Shannahan offense does, and the defense is playing some bad football. They blew a win vs the Colts at home on SNF and it is going to really sting for a few days. On top of all of this, there is now a brewing QB controversy as the clamoring for Trey Lance is going to get louder and louder by the week if the team keeps coming out and looking like this on offense. This is beginning to really look like a lost season for San Fran. 

22. Carolina Panthers (3-4)
Previously #19 -

The Panthers are now a joke. They are freefalling right now. After the impressive 3-0 start to the season, the Panthers have now lost 4-straight and there looks like no end in sight. They just got blown out by the New York Giants. Let that sink in. Prized new off-season addition QB Sam Darnold was benched in the loss. What is this team?

23. Denver Broncos (3-4)
Previously #23

The Panthers and Broncos appear to rise and fall together. The Broncos, too, have lost 4 straight after a 3-0 start. Thursday's game against the Browns was a major missed opportunity for Denver. The Browns were without many starters and the Broncos failed to capitalize. This is a lost season for the Broncos who will go into the off-season searching for a franchise QB once again. It might be time to clean house for Denver.

24. Philadelphia Eagles (2-5)
Previously #24

I've been a big fan of the Eagles all season so far, but they just can't figure out how to win. They have the talent to at least be in wildcard contention, but weird play calls and strange blown assignments result in them losing week after week. The future is bright for this team as they probably have their franchise QB and have two first rounders in the upcoming draft (both of which will probably be top 10), but for now, this team is bad, real bad.

25. New York Giants (2-5)
Previously #28 +

The Giants found a way to get their second win of the season so far, and it was a nice win. In a 20+ point victory, NY took down the reeling Panthers. The defense re-emerged as a unit that looked similar to the one that was pretty good down the stretch of last season. I still think this is one of the worst teams in the league, but Daniel Jones has been surprising me each week as he has looked decent. 

26. Washington Football Team (2-5)
Previously #26

I don't have much to say about this terrible team. They disappoint more and more by the week. Their defense is non-existent and Chase Young has absolutely disappeared. Even when Ryan Fitzpatrick returns, there isn't anything to be excited about with this football team.

27. Chicago Bears (3-4)
Previously #20 -

The Bears are another major dumpster fire. Somehow Matt Nagy has gotten COVID before he's been fired. Justin Fields was clearly rushed into action way to early as he has looked downright awful for these Bears. There isn't much to be excited about here. You have to think we are on the brink of a coaching and a QB change.

28. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5)
Previously #29 +

The Jags are probably still celebrating their 1st win of the season as they hit the bye week right after. This is still a young team which is nowhere close to contending, but we were all glad to see them win last week. Not much movement for them in this week's ranks.

29. Miami Dolphins (1-6)
Previously #30 +

While they are an awful 1-6, is something good about to happen with this club? Deshaun Watson really could be coming to town within the week. This is a lost season regardless, but at least they will have their QB of the future if they make the move. Tua Tagovailoa had potentially the best game of his NFL career this past week as he tossed 4 TD passes in the narrow loss to Atlanta. 

30. Houston Texans (1-6)
Previously #31 +

Hey, they kept it close early vs the Cardinals. That's about it. They were blown out and didn't score a TD. Tyrod Taylor is nearing his return as well.

31. New York Jets (1-6)
Previously #28 -

If you thought that things couldn't really get worse for the lowly Jets, they just did. Not only did they lose by more than anyone has all season this weekend to the Patriots, they lost rookie QB Zach Wilson to a knee injury that could see him out 2-4 weeks. The Jets are much further behind in the rebuilding process than we could have really expected and this is yet another setback. They are getting so desperate they just traded for Eagles backup Joe Flacco. Oh man. 

32. Detroit Lions (0-7)
Previously #32

The Lions are the worst team in the NFL record-wise but I firmly believe they might be better than a couple of these other teams near the bottom like the Jets. I just can't put them ahead because they happen to be the only team without a win. Many times this season have the Lions come close to beating a much much better team than they are only to blow it in the end. They were up by 10 points against the Rams this Sunday. It must hurt to be a Lions fan.