This week’s NFL power rankings have been compiled, with many teams playing in sloppy, turnover-filled games on Sunday. One team made it out of the winless column.
1. Kansas City Chiefs (9-0) – The Chiefs had a bye but will clash with the Broncos next week for AFC supremacy.
2. Denver Broncos (9-1) – The Broncos survived a late push from the Chargers but Peyton Manning’s ankle has to be a concern for Denver fans.
3. New Orleans Saints (7-2) – The Saints crushed Dallas, showcasing that New Orleans has the most potent offensive attack in the NFC. Mark Ingram and Pierre Thomas, and the rest of the team gained 242 total rushing yards.
4. Seattle Seahawks (9-1) – Marshawn Lynch had a brilliant day, while the Seahawks played well in all facets of the game to crush the Falcons. Sunday’s win shows that Seattle offense has likely turned the corner after a few poor performances over the past several games.
5. New England Patriots (7-2) – The Patriots have a tough test in the surging Panthers next week.
6. Carolina Panthers (6-3) – Getting a win in San Francisco is no small feat. The Panthers’ defense is the real-deal.
7. Detroit Lions (6-3) – Reggie Bush, who had more than 100 rushing yards, made two critical first down runs toward the end of regulation to sustain a Lions drive and keep the clock ticking to edge out the Bears.
8. San Francisco 49ers (6-3) Colin Kaepernick’s sub-100 yard passing performance left much to be desired in a 10-9 loss to the Panthers.
9. Cincinnati Bengals (6-4) – The Bengals came back from a 17-0 deficit to get to overtime, despite Andy Dalton playing one of the worst games of his career with three interceptions. The Bengals need to correct some of the offense’s miscues.
10. Indianapolis Colts (6-3) – The Colts lost badly at home against the lower-ranked Rams, but the real question is how Indianapolis will react to Sunday’s loss before playing the Titans on Thursday.
11. Arizona Cardinals (5-4) – Sunday’s win shows the Cardinals are still a defensive powerhouse, namely when linebacker John Abraham forced a fumble and Matt Shaughnessy returned it for a touchdown on the first play of the game. If the offense can mitigate its turnovers (2 fumbles), a playoff spot is likely for the Cardinals.
12. Chicago Bears (5-4) – The Bears secondary did an above-average job of corralling the Matthew Stafford-Calvin Johnson passing attack, limiting Megatron to less than 100 yards receiving. Their offense in the second half was out-of-sorts and coudln’t capitalize when the opportunity came up.
13. New York Jets (5-4) – The Jets have a bye this week; they’ll play the Bills next Sunday.
14. Philadelphia Eagles (5-5) Nick Foles has thrown 10 touchdown passes in his past two games. The Eagles have turned in better defensive performances, too, over the past two games.
15. Green Bay Packers (5-4) – Next to Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers might be the single-most useful player for any team in the NFL. His absence has been crippling for the already-injured Packers.
16. Cleveland Browns (4-5) – The Browns may have found something in backup Jason Cambpell. Cleveland had a bye this week; they’ll play the Bengals next Sunday.
17. Dallas Cowboys (5-5) – The Cowboys continue to show their inconsistency, but Sunday night’s loss was something much worse. The Dallas defense, which has been reeling from injuries, allowed a near-record 625 yards and 49 points.
18. Miami Dolphins (4-4) The Richie Incognito-Jonathan Martin scandal appears to be taking its toll.
19. St. Louis Rams (4-6) – The Rams weren’t supposed to win this game in Indianapolis, but smashing the battle-tested Colts 38-8 has to be a major confidence booster.
19. San Diego Chargers (4-5) Following their loss against the Broncos, Chargers have a relatively tough schedule ahead, playing Kansas City twice, Denver again, the Bengals, and the surging Giants.
20. Baltimore Ravens (4-5) – Ray Rice and Joe Flacco both turned in among the worst performances of their careers. But the Ravens defense showed up and sacked Andy Dalton five times and picked him off three times.
21. New York Giants (3-6) – After three wins in a row, the Giants are in position to potentially take the NFC East.
22. Tennessee Titans (4-5) – Losing to the Jaguars won’t help this team’s power rankings. But Ryan Fitzpatrick played noticeably better than Jake Locker, who went out in the first half with injury.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-6) – The steelers put on a vintage defensive performance was on display in Pittsburgh on Sunday.
25. Buffalo Bills (3-7) – E.J. Manuel’s much-anticipated return was lukewarm but the Bills’ rushing defense was a major let-down, allowing the Steelers to churn up yardage and eat up the time of possession.
26. Houston Texans (2-7)
27. Washington Redskins (3-6)
28. Oakland Raiders (3-6)
29. Atlanta Falcons (2-7)
30. Minnesota Vikings (2-7)
31. Tampa Bay (1-8)
32. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-8)
