NFL Power Rankings: Week 9
16 – Chicago Bears (4-3)
LW – Lost to Commanders 15-18
QB Caleb Williams had a shaky start to the season but has shown steady improvement each week. The Bear’s wouldn’t have even had a chance in this game if it wasn’t for him. In all honesty, it should’ve been a win for the Bears had it not been for a random DB taunting the fans mid Hail Mary.
15 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4)
LW – Lost to the Falcons 26-31
QB Baker Mayfield is very very good but its hard to win when your top 2 WRs are out. Even so, TE Cade Otton and RB Bucky Irving stepped up big time to help give the Bucs a chance.
14 – Los Angeles Chargers (4-3)
LW – Win against Saints 26-8
The Chargers are a weird team to me. Looking at their roster, I’m surprised they have a winning record but here we are. In a Jim Harbaugh led offense, QB Justin Herbert has the occasional big game even with no true WR1. RB JK Dobbins has been on an absolute tear since coming to LA but lets not give them their flowers yet. They’ve only beat opponents who have a combined 10-22 record.
13 – Denver Broncos (5-3)
LW – Win against Panthers 28-14
Speaking of one of those teams that the Chargers beat, the Broncos are one of them. The Broncos are buoyed by their defense and are one of the best defensive units in the league. They have allowed the 4th least amount of points scored against them and are second in the league in sacks (30). On offensive, they’re bleh outside of RB Javonte Williams slowly regaining his pre-injury form.
12 – Atlanta Falcons (5-3)
LW – Win against Buccaneers 31-26
QB Kirk Cousins has saved this team from years of offensive ineptitude. This season he has had the 3rd most passing yards and the 4th most touchdown passes. Safe to say he’s feeling more comfortable with his Achilles. The Falcons are a solid team but having a negative +/- is a tad concerning.
11 – San Francisco 49ers (4-4)
LW – Win against Cowboys 30-24
I like football again. If you listen to the podcast, you’ll know what I’m talking about. QB Brock Purdy is HIM and I don’t care what anyone else says (the numbers back me up). The guy produces with or without stars surrounding him. BIG PLUS – RB CMC should be back after this week’s BYE.
10 – Philadelphia Eagles (5-2)
LW – Win over Bengals 37-17
After a slowish start to the year, it seems like the Eagles have finally found their identity and that’s to run it down your throat with RB Saquon until the defense adjusts and leaves matchup problems for WR AJ Brown and WR DeVonta Smith to exploit.
9 – Houston Texans (6-2)
LW – Win over the Colts 23-20
The news of WR Stefon Diggs suffering an ACL tear and being out for the season was a dagger to the Texan’s already diminished WR corps. QB CJ Stroud was already having difficulty slinging the ball around and now it will be even harder with his collection of average WRs.
8 – Green Bay Packers (6-2)
LW – Win over Jaguars 30-27
QB Jordan Love avoided significant damage to his groin on Sunday. At first, it didn’t look good but news comes out that it is only a strain and he can possibly play this week. HUGE news for the Packers. The WRs continue to be great while RB Josh Jacobs averages over 100 all-purpose yards per game.
7 – Minnesota Vikings (5-2)
LW – Loss to the Rams 20-30
QB Sam Darnold proves that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure as he shines week in and week out. I mean it does help when you have the best WR in the league in WR Justin Jefferson but Darnold is balling out. The missed facemask call in the endzone really messed with the Vikings momentum and changed the game. If it wasn’t for that, the Vikings could be higher in my rankings.
6 – Baltimore Ravens (5-3)
LW – Loss to Browns 24-29
Even with the loss to the Browns, this team still feels like a powerhouse and the addition of WR Diontae Johnson signals that the Ravens are looking to go for it all this year. The Raven’s didn’t play bad against the Browns by any means. That Jameis magic just took off and won it for the Browns. QB Lamar Jackson looks much improved passing the ball and TE Mark Andrews has been featured in the offense the last couple of weeks.
5 – Washington Commanders (6-2)
LW – Win against Bears 18-15
I have really gained a ton of respect for rookie QB Jayden Daniels. Not only has he been electric on the field but his tenacity and ability to play through pain is next level. Throwing for 326 yards while having a rib injury is stuff that Disney movies are made of. He has shown confidence in all of his pass catchers and TE Zach Ertz has been on fire (check out my Waiver Wire picks on episode 223).
4 – Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2)
LW – Win against Giants 26-28
This Steelers team struggled on offense when QB Justin Fields was the starting QB but it’s a completely different story with QB Russell Wilson under center. Turns out, letting Russ cook is a good thing. He has really opened up the run game too as RB Najee Harris has had over 100 years rushing over the last 2 games. As always, the offense is supported by a killer defense that ranks 2nd overall in points allowed.
3 – Buffalo Bills (6-2)
LW – Win over Seahawks 31-10
Raise your hand if you were worried about QB Josh Allen’s lack of pass catchers before the season started. *Me raises my hand* Turns out a lot of us were wrong. Allen can make magic happen and the addition of WR Amari Cooper has really opened things up for WR Keon Coleman and WR Khalil Shakir.
2 – Detroit Lions (6-1)
LW – Win over the Titans 52-14
The Lions are really fun to watch right now. They can win in SO many different ways. Last week, QB Jared Goff and the offense did virtually nothing while special teams and the defense did all the work. When the offense is on, they score with random LTs or DTs. They are having so much fun on the football field and its bringing joy to so many people.
1 – Kansas City Chiefs (7-0)
LW – Win over the Raiders 27-20
It’s easy to win every game when the refs are on your side. Can you tell that I’m still salty about it? But in all seriousness, the Chiefs are a well built team that has overcome a lot of adversity to still very successful. RB Kareem Hunt has stepped up. WR Xavier Worthy has stepped up. TE Travis Kelce has started to do Travis Kelce things again while the defense is top 5 in yards allowed per game. This is going to be a hard team to beat.