It's power rankings day here at Arrowhead Addict. Unfortunately, instead of getting to guess whether the Chiefs will take the top spot, you have to guess how far they have fallen. Luckily for the Chiefs, they are still tied at the top of the AFC. Who's in their league?
We discuss all 32 NFL teams and where they land on this week's edition of the NFL power rankings.
1. Philadelphia Eagles (7-1)
Last Week: 1 (-)
The Eagles continue to find ways to win tough games. Even though it is not ideal to find yourself in a dogfight with the Washington Commanders, finding a way to consistently win tight games will help them on a deep playoff run. The Eagles are perhaps not quite as talented as a year ago and it seems as though they are more beat up. They are, however, still the NFL's top team.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-2)
Last Week: 3 (+1)
Jacksonville has been a team that has been ascending for some time. With high production from their playmakers, they are able to take on opposing defenses in a multitude of different ways. For example, Christian Kirk can be the main target for one week. Then the next they could shift to making Evan Engram, Travis Etienne, or Calvin Ridley as the top guy. If Jacksonville finds its consistency on the defensive side of the ball, they could be one of the best teams in the NFL.
3. Dallas Cowboys (5-2)
Last Week: 4 (+1)
Dallas beat up the Rams this week, but I believe that probably says more about the Rams than the Cowboys. The Cowboys consistently beat up really bad football teams and lose in big games. The reason for this is somewhat unclear, but it has been the case this year. Dallas might be playing good football, but their best will have to be able to match with the Eagles and I just don't see that happening. They are high on this list, but I'm not sure for how long.
4. Miami Dolphins (6-2)
Last Week: 5 (+1)
Miami, similarly to Dallas, beats up bad football teams. New England is one of those bad football teams. They enter next week with a matchup across the pond with Kansas City, which should tell us a lot about each team. The Dolphins are an explosive team that can put up points in a hurry, but they have yet to have a win over one of the "top dogs." Man, I hope we can avoid seeing Stephen Ross doing that Waddle dance against the Chiefs this week.
5. Kansas City Chiefs (6-2)
Last week: 2 (-3)
It's a big-time yikes for the Chiefs. Sitting atop the AFC alone, they managed to come apart at the seams and crash land in Denver. After turning the ball over a whopping five times against the Broncos, it's time to wonder whether the offense is ever truly going to correct itself. Yes, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are tremendous players, but trotting out Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney onto the field as viable receivers on a weekly basis is becoming laughable. The sky is not falling, but the offensive production has been.
6. Baltimore Ravens (6-2)
Last Week: 6 (-)
The Ravens got a hard fought win over the Cardinals this week. In the battle of the birds, Gus Edwards found the end zone three times. It is beginning to look like the Ravens are going to be in the lead for the AFC North with some key matchups against the Bengals coming down the stretch. For now, they are one of the teams to beat in the AFC.
7. Seattle Seahawks (5-2)
Last Week: 8 (+1)
Geno Smith had a pretty bad game, tossing two picks in their matchup with the Browns. With that in mind, the Seahawks overcame the struggle and held on to win 24-20 over Cleveland. Seattle is resilient and has talent all over the field. They are built to be a team that delivers an upset special in the playoffs. I don't think that being the winner of the NFC West is too far out of the question.
8. Detroit Lions (5-2)
Last Week: 9 (+1)
The Lions were dominant in their Monday night showing against the Raiders. While beating the Raiders is nothing spectacular, the Lions are a team that is slowly creeping closer to the top five in the power rankings. I fully anticipate them being one of the NFC's top seeds in the playoffs.
9. Cincinnati Bengals (4-3)
Last week: 18 (+9)
The Bengals are beginning to thrust themselves back into the conversation in the AFC. They are warming up just in time to be a viable candidate. After beating the 49ers, the Bengals have effectively told the rest of the league that they are ready to be competitive again. Will they be able to build on that success? We will see soon.
10. San Francisco 49ers (5-3)
Last week: 7 (-3)
The 49ers went from looking like the NFL's best team to becoming the embodiment of Chris Rock shouting, "Stop the violence!" in The Longest Yard. Perhaps teams have figured out Brock Purdy, or maybe San Francisco desperately needs Deebo Samuel back. Whatever the case may be, they have dropped three straight and things are looking worse and worse for their Super Bowl dreams by the day.
11. Buffalo Bills (4-3)
Last Week: 11 (-)
Buffalo has been up and down and all around, but after just barely taking down the Bucs, I feel worse about the Bills' chances. Whether it be injury or a lack of production, the Bills are not the team that they were a season ago. I'm beginning to believe that the Super Bowl window has closed. Sorry, Bills Mafia.
12. Cleveland Browns (4-3)
Last Week: 10 (-2)
The Browns defense is good. Unfortunately, they have P.J. Walker quarterbacking while Deshaun Watson stands on the sidelines with a shoulder injury. The problem is, the offense isn't much better with Watson running the offense. The Browns are the kind of team that is doomed for mediocrity because of how much they spent on their quarterback that is not giving them the production that they had hoped for. While the defense will be good and they will win some games, they might have trouble in the long term.
13. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3)
Last Week: 12 (-1)
Pittsburgh, once again, continues to be a team that is all over the place. One week, they appear ready to take on the Goliaths of the NFL. The next they look like they don't even belong in the same stadium. That was the case this week with their matchup with the Jaguars. For anyone who watched the game, it never truly felt like the Steelers were in the game. Mike Tomlin will find a way to right the ship and inevitably have a winning record, but this is not their year. I can say that with tremendous confidence.
14. Houston Texans (3-4)
Last Week: 13 (-1)
Oof. Just when I was starting to feel good about what the Texans were cooking up, they fell flat on their faces against the winless Panthers. This is what a young and ascending team does, though. They win some big games and they lose some games that they have no business losing. Houston has talent and will be very good in a couple of years, but for now, they lose to teams like Carolina.
15. New York Jets (4-3)
Last Week: 23 (+8)
The Jets have fought and might be a tough out down the stretch. Even without Aaron Rodgers, they have some nice weapons on offense and they have a tremendous front seven on defense. The Jets are a team that we can say, "Yeah, they are probably done." The more they fight, the closer they keep their games, however, they have to be respected a little bit. If you overlook this team, they could easily beat you.
16. Atlanta Falcons (4-3)
Last Week: 15 (-1)
Desmond Ridder got benched at halftime in the Falcons' 28-23 loss against the Tennessee Titans. Then, Taylor Heinicke came in and went 12/21 for 175 yards and a touchdown. There might be a quarterback conversation happening in Atlanta. If they do make a switch, it will make the Falcons an intriguing team to watch down the stretch.
17. Tennessee Titans (3-4)
Last Week: 19 (+2)
Somehow, the Titans are a viable option for a Wild Card spot. The Colts seem to be falling off and the Texans just lost to the Carolina Panthers. Tennessee looked pretty good with Will Levis at the helm and if he is the guy going forward, perhaps a little bit of a rejuvenation is in store.
18. Los Angeles Chargers (3-4)
Last Week: 20 (+2)
The Chargers beat "da Bears" in primetime, but that really means very little. The Chargers are still poorly coached and consistently underperform. Somehow, they find themselves with the same number of wins as the Denver Broncos. There is really no shot of the Chargers sniffing the playoffs this season and it's time to part ways with the coach. You know that and I know that. The question is, when will Dean Spanos know it?
19. Indianapolis Colts (3-5)
Last Week: 14 (-5)
The Colts are having some trouble because of their loss of Anthony Richardson. Gardner Minshew is a premium backup, in my opinion, but playing for a team like the Colts, he is not going to be able to carry the weight required of him. Indianapolis looks like they are starting to falter which could be good for their long-term use of high draft picks but for now, they might be one of those teams just trying to keep it together.
20. New Orleans Saints (4-4)
Last Week: 24 (+4)
The Saints found a way to come out of their game against the Colts this week with a victory. The Saints are inconsistent and it is really hard for me to predict how they might finish the season. They seem to have some nice pieces on both sides of the ball but also don't look great in any phase of their game. It's just a challenge to see how the Saints will finish the season. They could be the winners of their division, or they could sink to the darkest depths of the bottom of the NFL. It's really anyone's guess.
21. Los Angeles Rams (3-5)
Last Week: 16 (-5)
The Rams looked as bad as ever this week as they got throttled by the Dallas Cowboys. As someone who was willing to jump on board the: "Wow! Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp!" Bandwagon, I am ashamed. This team is not ready. By year's end, they may not even have a winning record. They are now firmly back in the "I'll believe it when I see it" category, until further notice.
22. Minnesota Vikings (3-4)
Last Week: 21 (-1)
Man, the Vikings finally look like they may have seen the light and Kirk Cousins is lost to an Achilles injury for the year. What a bummer. Unfortunately, that is how the NFL operates. Some years you win all of your close games. Some years, you have disappointment after disappointment. Colt McCoy, anyone?
23. Washington Commanders (3-5)
Last Week: 22 (-1)
The Commanders do the same thing as the Steelers, but less effectively. They have ups and downs on a consistent basis, but unlike the Steelers, they seem to actively find ways to lose games. While it is understandable that they lose to the Eagles, they should win a couple of these games that they keep close, shouldn't they?
24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4)
Last Week: 17 (-7)
Tampa Bay almost pulled off an upset against the Bills on Thursday night but fell short. At this point, I view the Bucs closer to where I picked them to be at the beginning of the year: Near the bottom. Baker Mayfield is the bust that keeps on getting a new job and the rest of the roster is ancient or simply not very good. The Buccaneers should be attempting to gain as many draft picks as possible with an inevitable rebuild around the corner.
25. New England Patriots (2-6)
Last Week: 25 (-)
The Patriots looked disheveled and were never a part of the game against the Miami Dolphins. Honestly, you could have put together an all-star practice squad team and had the same amount of fight that we saw from New England. This team is devoid of talent. Simply put, I would rather have almost any roster in the NFL over the Patriots at this point in time. Rhamondre Stevenson and a couple of good defenders are not going to be able to win you many games.
26. Chicago Bears (2-5)
Last Week: 27 (+1)
The Bears looked better for all of two games. After a nice start for Tyler Bagent in the NFL, he showed why he was an undrafted free agent. The tools are there, but he is simply not good enough to play as a starter in the NFL. The Bears should be doing everything in their power to get the top two picks of the draft next year.
27. Denver Broncos (3-5)
Last Week: 29 (+2)
Here we are. The Broncos have managed to win two straight, this week over the Kansas City Chiefs. I'm not saying that we need to start buying up stock but the Broncos are playing their best football of the season. With that in mind, the Chiefs turned the ball over four times and still had a chance to come back in the game. Then, they committed a fifth turnover.
28. New York Giants (2-6)
Last Week: 26 (-2)
The Giants should begin a fire sale and try to get the first overall pick. After trading Leonard Williams, I suppose that is not off the table. However, they somehow managed to throw for negative yardage on Sunday. If you needed an indication that things were nearing rock bottom, that's the stat. Caleb Williams would be an upgrade, but in order to make him serviceable in the NFL, they will need to invest heavily in the offensive line. They are truly a dumpster fire.
29. Las Vegas Raiders (3-4)
Last Week: 28 (-1)
Here we are still waiting for Josh McDaniels to get canned. The players are publicly annoyed. The fans are annoyed. When are we going to end this era of miserable Raiders football to start the next one?
30. Green Bay Packers (2-5)
Last Week: 30 (-)
The Packers are really, really bad. Anyone that picked them to go to the Super Bowl should be hiding in shame. Jordan Love is not good and neither is anyone else. The Packers could be the NFL's worst team by the end of the year.
31. Arizona Cardinals (1-7)
Last Week: 31 (-)
The Cardinals are certainly not a good football team. They consistently keep games within reach which is reminiscent of when the Chiefs were coached by Herm Edwards circa 2007; There were only a few games that they were never really in. Which team would I prefer? The 2007 Chiefs or the Cardinals of today? Tough call. That should tell you everything you need to know about the Cardinals.
32. Carolina Panthers (1-6)
Last Week: 32 (-)
My brother, an avid Panthers fan texted me, "We won we won we won." What a sad existence that must be. To also know that they do not get their pick at the top of next year's draft must be truly miserable. A win is a win I suppose, but they still have to be at the bottom, right?