NFL Rankings: Week 9
By Ben Almquist
Well, we finally saw one of the unbeatens fall. Unfortunately for Chiefs fans, it wasn’t the one we wanted. Some readers questioned my having the Broncos ranked #3 last week. Well, you were right…clearly they should have been ranked higher. The Broncos not only beat the Packers, they made a statement. At least there was finally a shake up at the top of the rankings from previous weeks.
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The biggest risers this week are the New Orleans Saints with a climb of seven spots. Not only did they beat a good team, they did it in true Saints fashion. The Saints started out slow but are now on a winning streak, so we’ll see how this plays out. But have to give respect where it is due. The title of “biggest loser” is shared by the Cowboys, Dolphins, and Chargers. Oddly enough, all three of those teams started the season with playoff expectations and all three are now in the bottom half of the rankings.
The Chiefs put together an impressive victory this week, and that keeps them in the playoff picture. Go ahead and circle those games against the Raiders, because they now have major playoff implications. With a timely BYE week before heading to Denver, the Chiefs are in a strong position to take advantage of a lackluster remaining schedule. The AFC only has five teams with winning records at the moment, so Kansas City is nowhere near being eliminated yet.
| Team | Status | Lst Wk | Lst Result | Streak | W-L | ||
| 1. | Patriots | — | 1 | W 31-7 vs MIA | W7 | So the Pats are really, really, good. | 7-0 |
| 2. | Broncos | +1 | 3 | W 29-10 vs GB | W7 | That defense is legit. | 7-0 |
| 3. | Bengals | +1 | 4 | W 16-10 vs PIT | W7 | That’s a big win that might just put the Bengals over the top in the AFC North. | 7-0 |
| 4. | Panthers | +1 | 5 | W 29-26 vs IND | W7 | As the last undefeated team in the NFC, the Panthers control their destiny. | 7-0 |
| 5. | Packers | -3 | 2 | L 10-29 vs DEN | L1 | No real harm for the Packers, but the offense hasn’t looked crisp recently. | 6-1 |
| 6. | Cardinals | +1 | 7 | W 34-20 vs CLE | W2 | The Browns are almost always a great team to get back on track against. | 6-2 |
| 7. | Vikings | +1 | 8 | W 23-20 vs CHI | W3 | A division win that keeps the Vikes in the playoff hunt. | 5-2 |
| 8. | Falcons | -2 | 6 | L 20-23 vs TB | L1 | What happened to that high-powered offense? | 6-2 |
| 9. | Raiders | +3 | 12 | W 34-20 vs NYJ | W2 | A big time win puts the Raiders squarely in the playoff picture. | 4-3 |
| 10. | Giants | -1 | 9 | L 52-49 vs NO | L1 | The Giants just lost a lot of momentum. | 4-4 |
| 11. | Rams | +3 | 14 | W 27-6 vs SF | W2 | Who would’ve thought the Rams would be the second best team in the NFC West? | 4-3 |
| 12. | Steelers | -2 | 10 | L 10-16 vs CIN | L2 | Losing Bell might be worse than losing the game. | 4-4 |
| 13. | Bills | — | 13 | BYE | L2 | The Bills needed this break to try and turn things around. | 3-4 |
| 14. | Jets | -3 | 11 | L 20-34 vs OAK | L2 | That’s a tough loss for the Jets. | 4-3 |
| 15. | Seahawks | — | 15 | W 13-12 vs DAL | W2 | A low-scoring game is exactly what the Seahawks want every week. | 4-4 |
| 16. | Eagles | — | 16 | BYE | L1 | With the Cowboys and Giants faltering, the Eagles need to take advantage. | 3-4 |
| 17. | Saints | +7 | 24 | W 52-49 vs NYG | W3 | Don’t look now, but the Saints may have re-discovered their offense. | 4-4 |
| 18. | Chiefs | +3 | 21 | W 45-10 vs DET | W2 | KC treated DET like an FCS opponent. | 3-5 |
| 19. | Buccanneers | +3 | 22 | W 23-20 vs ATL | W1 | That’s a pretty big win for a team that was almost out of it. | 3-4 |
| 20. | Colts | -2 | 18 | L 26-29 vs CAR | L3 | There is a real chance the Colts go to the playoffs at 6-10. | 3-5 |
| 21. | Cowboys | -4 | 17 | L 12-13 vs SEA | L5 | The Cowboys need Romo back desperately. | 2-5 |
| 22. | Texans | +1 | 23 | W 20-6 vs TEN | W1 | It was just the Titans, but very surprised how much the Texans had in their tank this week. | 3-5 |
| 23. | Dolphins | -4 | 19 | L 7-31 vs NE | L1 | Well then, guess they’re still the Dolphins. | 3-4 |
| 24. | Chargers | -4 | 20 | L 26-29 vs BAL | L4 | Some had the Chargers pegged as potential AFC West champs before the season. | 2-6 |
| 25. | Redskins | — | 25 | BYE | W1 | The Skins have a shot at making a move in the NFC East. | 3-4 |
| 26. | Ravens | +1 | 27 | W 29-26 vs SD | W1 | The Ravens only technically stay alive. | 2-6 |
| 27. | Bears | -1 | 26 | L 20-23 vs MIN | L2 | The Bears are headed back down to the cellar. | 2-5 |
| 28. | Jaguars | — | 28 | BYE | W1 | The Jags aren’t out of their division race. Use this break wisely. | 2-5 |
| 29. | 49ers | — | 29 | L 6-27 vs STL | L2 | Nothing good going on in San Fran right now. | 2-6 |
| 30. | Browns | — | 30 | L 20-34 vs ARI | L3 | It’s looking a lot like another offseason of big changes in Cleveland. | 2-6 |
| 31. | Lions | — | 31 | L 10-45 vs KC | L2 | Nothing like getting embarrassed on an international stage. | 1-7 |
| 32. | Titans | — | 32 | L 6-20 vs HOU | L6 | So Wisenhunt is pretty much fired at this point, right? | 1-6 |
Well that’s it for this week’s NFL rankings, Addicts! We’re seeing the 2015 season really start to take shape. And as we head to the tail half of the season, the playoff picture is definitely an interesting one.