While the entire NFL was in action this past week, there were several teams that were sleepwalking. More than any other year, we are witnessing some terrible football. There are very few teams who are actually good, as shown in our NFL Power Rankings below, and they will look to gain an edge by making moves before Tuesday’s NFL Trade Deadline.
The 32 teams below are ranked both on where they stand and where they are projected to go. This means that the injuries of today do play a major factor. The NFL is a short season and every loss matters.
With that being said, let’s jump into the Week 9 NFL Power Rankings!
NFL Power Rankings For Week 9
1) Philadelphia Eagles (Last Week: 1)
It wasn’t pretty, but the Philadelphia Eagles got the win over the Washington Commanders to keep hold of the top spot in the Week 9 NFL Power Rankings. Jalen Hurts is playing through a couple of injuries, but he was terrific throwing the ball in this one. Of course, it was made easier due to his great receivers.
Defensively is where Philadelphia struggled. They couldn’t get enough pressure on Sam Howell, allowing him to pass all over them. They will need to dial up the pass rush next week against the Dallas Cowboys.
2) Kansas City Chiefs (2)
The Kansas City Chiefs never really showed up for their game against the Denver Broncos. The day started with reports of Patrick Mahomes being sick. He turned the ball over three times, while the team lost two more fumbles as well. It’s tough to win when you turn the ball over four more times than your opponent. Defensively, they played much better than the 24 points allowed showed. Obviously, it’s tough to defend short fields time and time again. Given the play from other top teams, the Chiefs are staying put in the NFL Power Rankings, as this feels more like an anomaly than anything else.
3) San Francisco 49ers (3)
I said in this NFL Power Rankings I was excited to eventually see how Brock Purdy bounces back from a loss. Another point discussed was how this San Francisco 49ers team doesn’t seem built to play from behind. Both points were very relevant this past week in the 49ers’ loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. While there is no need to write San Francisco off, they better hope this losing isn’t contagious.
Also, it’s very clear injuries to the team’s few key players can quickly take them down. Their bye week has come at a great time.
4) Miami Dolphins (4)
The Miami Dolphins started another game slow. But, yet again, they overcame the slow start to win by two scores. They will be unable to sleepwalk in the first quarters in a couple of months. If they do, that will be their demise. Luckily, given their speed, there may not be a better team at scoring points in a hurry. The defense should start to pull their weight soon as well with their secondary getting healthier.
5) Baltimore Ravens (6)
Things were never truly clicking for the Baltimore Ravens against the Arizona Cardinals, but they did enough to win by seven. When there is a team that can match the physicality of Baltimore, they tend to struggle a bit. Luckily for them, there aren’t many of these teams in the AFC.
Stats don’t paint the full picture about how well Lamar Jackson threw the ball in this game either. He continues to be great from throwing in the pocket this season, though I hope he becomes a bit more aggressive and makes available plays later in the year, as that’s what can set him apart from the pack.
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6) Jacksonville Jaguars (5)
While it doesn’t take many points to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ offense looked solid overall against a tough opponent. It still looks like the offensive line could be the weak point for the Jags when it matters in a couple of months, but their surplus of weapons can help Trevor Lawrence get the ball out quickly. Defensively, Jacksonville has held opponents to 20 or fewer points in four of their past five games. This will be a huge trend for them to continue since they should be able to put up over 20 against anyone.
7) Detroit Lions (7)
The Detroit Lions dominated the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football. The score looked a bit closer due to turnovers, but Detroit dominated every phase of the game. Offensively, Jahmyr Gibbs had a coming-out party despite the offensive line injuries. Defensively, they couldn’t have been more dominating. Don’t look now, but the Lions are making a case to be considered one of the best teams in the NFC.
8) Dallas Cowboys (8)
Coming off of their bye week, the Dallas Cowboys kicked the Rams’ ass. A 33-point first half was as dominating of a performance as we saw this week. While they still need to run the ball a bit better, they made it a point to get CeeDee Lamb the ball more, and Dak Prescott looked sharp. Despite the injuries, Dallas still has the talent to compete with anyone. However, in the big moments, will the offense get the job done?
9) Buffalo Bills (9)
The Buffalo Bills were a faster head-turn away from losing on Thursday Night Football against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. We’ve said from the beginning that Buffalo wasn’t a Super Bowl contender. However, they are starting to look like a team that isn’t a contender to win its own division. Josh Allen seems to be regressing mentally, and the team gets in its own way too often. However, based on raw talent alone, they should be in every game going forward.
10) Seattle Seahawks (10)
The Seattle Seahawks were close to losing their top-10 spot in the NFL Power Rankings, but they edged out the Cleveland Browns thanks to a late-game touchdown from rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Geno Smith is playing a bit less magical than last season, and the Seattle defense is average at best. However, this offense has more playmakers than some want to give them credit for. If things start to click in Seattle, watch out for this Seahawk team as the year rolls along.
11) Cincinnati Bengals (12)
12) Cleveland Browns (11)
13) Los Angeles Chargers (13)
14) New York Jets (15)
15) New Orleans Saints (18)
16) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (14)
17) Los Angeles Rams (16)
18) Atlanta Falcons (17)
19) Pittsburgh Steelers (19)
20) Houston Texans (20)
21) Minnesota Vikings (21)
22) Tennessee Titans (22)
23) Denver Broncos (25)
24) Washington Commanders (23)
25) Indianapolis Colts (24)
26) New England Patriots (26)
27) Green Bay Packers (27)
28) Chicago Bears (28)
29) New York Giants (29)
30) Arizona Cardinals (31)
31) Carolina Panthers (32)
32) Las Vegas Raiders (30)
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