NFL Power Rankings Week 8 – Lamar Jackson Looks in MVP Form

With a whopping six teams off and no international games, this past week of NFL action seemed a bit abbreviated. However, that doesn’t mean we had a shortage of storylines. We continued to see upsets, huge performances, injuries and, yes, Deshaun Watson seemingly quit on his team once again. Screw that guy, am I right? Anyways, let’s take a look at the impact on the Week 8 NFL Power Rankings.

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 8 NFL Power Rankings!

NFL Power Rankings For Week 8

1) Philadelphia Eagles (Last Week: 2)

In a tough matchup against the Miami Dolphins, the Philadelphia Eagles looked in control for the entire game. The defense was able to generate enough pressure to force mistakes from Miami’s offense. For Philly’s offense, the running game wasn’t great, but Jalen Hurts made the plays with his arm when it mattered most. They were able to win without their greatest strength being successful, which proves how great they are.

2) Kansas City Chiefs (3)

Taking on a divisional rival in the Los Angeles Chargers, the Kansas City Chiefs finally looked like the Kansas City Chiefs, which is enough to have them rising in the Week 8 NFL Power Rankings. Patrick Mahomes played his best game of the season, and the receivers are starting to do their part. On the other side, the defense’s ability this year is what sets them apart from past Chiefs teams, as we have said multiple times now.

3) San Francisco 49ers (1)

The San Francisco 49ers are banged up, but so are many of the other top teams in the NFL. It’s not an excuse for what we saw on Monday Night Football against a poor much less talented Minnesota Vikings team. It’s also a little alarming to see Brock Purdy respond so poorly to his first bit of adversity in the NFL. He has benefited from an extremely talented supporting cast, but when that cast takes a hit, it doesn’t appear Purdy can lift those around him like the good quarterbacks can. Once again, it feels like injuries will end up being the 49ers’ undoing later in the year.

4) Miami Dolphins (4)

The Miami Dolphins came up short against the Eagles on Sunday Night Football, but the game was closer than the 31-17 final score may indicate. The defense slowed the Philly running game, and the secondary was respectable despite missing key players. Offensively, the Dolphins didn’t run the ball as much as they should’ve, and the pass protection broke down on multiple occasions. This is still a very good football team, and they are staying put in the Week 8 NFL Power Rankings.

5) Jacksonville Jaguars (5)

In a game where many thought Trevor Lawrence would miss with a knee injury, he set a career-high in rushing yards. Go figure. It was a solid overall performance for Jacksonville, but there were a few boneheaded calls and decisions that were tough to ignore. It feels like these will be the Jaguars’ demise eventually, but for now, it’s clear they have the talent to compete with anyone.

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6) Baltimore Ravens (9)

The Baltimore Ravens finally put together a full game, and it proved just how dominating this team can be. The 38-6 win over the Detroit Lions was one of the more impressive performances of the season. And speaking of impressive performances, Lamar Jackson continues to play exceptionally well. While his four touchdowns this week captured the attention of many, he has been throwing the ball well all season long.

The Ravens have the talent to be Super Bowl contenders. If this team is starting to gel, then we need to start talking about them in this way.

7) Detroit Lions (6)

The Detroit Lions had finally legitimized themselves, but then the “same old Lions” showed up. Yes, Detroit has some injuries, but nothing went right for them in Sunday’s 38-6 loss to Baltimore. While they return home, we will see the Lions on Monday Night Football next week. Clearly, the defense needs to find ways to get off of the field to avoid falling further in the NFL Power Rankings.

8) Dallas Cowboys (8)

The Dallas Cowboys were off this week.

9) Buffalo Bills (7)

In one of the more predictable games of the weekend, Bill Belichick defeated the Buffalo Bills after getting an extension — silencing the calls for his head. In what seems like a trend, the Bills never had control in this game and came out of the gates sleepwalking. Josh Allen made some mistakes, and the Bills overall lost the turnover battle. Buffalo now risks falling to .500 in next week’s game against Tampa.

10) Seattle Seahawks (11)

With DK Metcalf out for the Seattle Seahawks, Geno Smith looked to a pair of talented rookies in Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Jake Bobo. The two performed well, and this was a much-needed experience for a talented receiving group that simply needed more opportunities. Now, this Seattle offense is looking much deeper, making them a solid team in the NFC, if the defense can string together more successful sequences.

11) Cleveland Browns (10)

12) Cincinnati Bengals (14)

13) Los Angeles Chargers (12)

14) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (13)

15) New York Jets (15)

16) Los Angeles Rams (16)

17) Atlanta Falcons (17)

18) New Orleans Saints (18)

19) Pittsburgh Steelers (19)

20) Houston Texans (22)

21) Minnesota Vikings (23)

22) Tennessee Titans (20)

23) Washington Commanders (21)

24) Indianapolis Colts (24)

25) Denver Broncos (26)

26) New England Patriots (27)

27) Green Bay Packers (25)

28) Chicago Bears (30)

29) New York Giants (29)

30) Las Vegas Raiders (28)

31) Arizona Cardinals (31)

32) Carolina Panthers (32)