NFL Power Rankings Week 8 Vikings hit top five Bears tumble

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NFL Power Rankings, Week 8: Vikings hit top five; Bears tumble Published: Oct 22, 2019 at 03:48 AM Around The NFL Podcast Co-Host I've received plenty of "feedback" on Twitter ( ) that the -- on the basis of their incredibly soft schedule -- do not deserve to be No. 1 on the Power Rankings, a spot they've held . To which I say, yes, has included some of the worst teams in football. But if you really want to see the Belichicks drop in this exercise, someone is going to have to take them out. So far, the NFL is 0-for-7. The Pats stay where they are. Let's get to the rankings. The previous rankings referenced in the lineup below are from the Rank 1 2019 7-0 Previous rank: * Same old story. Thehave feasted on thefor years, andwas no different. ESPN mics caughtquarterbackadmitting he wasin the pocket. We could have gue sed that without the wire -- Darnold threw four interceptions and lost a fumble in a game as one-sided as we'll see all year.and theoffense set the tone on the game's first po se sion: a 16-play, 78-yard touchdown drive that sucked the energy out of MetLife Stadium. While Darnold was under constant a sault, Brady had all day in the pocket and was rarely hara sed by a weakpa s rush. One more note on that dominant Pats defense: New England has 18 interceptions, the second-highest total through seven games for a team. Bill Belichick is running out a historically great secondary. Rank 2 1 2019 6-1 Previous rank: * Sean Payton is chasing only one trophy this season, and it will be the one handed out in Miami on the first Sunday in February. But he's already got the NFL Coach of the Year award in the bag for what he's done with the 6-1. New Orleans has been withoutfor most of the season, and on Sunday, superstar running backsat with ankle and knee ailments. Didn't matter inat Soldier Field. At some point, attrition is supposed to take its toll, but somehow, thekeep getting stronger. It's a testament to Payton's ability as both a coach and team-builder. And things are only getting better: Brees (out since Week 2 with a thumb injury)and could even be back in action on SundayThis is yourfavorite in the NFC. Rank 3 1 2019 6-0 Previous rank: * It will be one of the most indelible images of thisseason:, clinchingfor thewith a sack, then kicking off a celebration withThe fast and looseare 6-0 for the first time since 1990 and have now held opponents scorele s over their last 18 po se sions. The driving rain and wind gusts made this an impo sible setup forand the Niners offense to make a significant impact, so the defense handled most of the busine s. The biggest play on Sunday was made by linebacker, who ended Washington's last real scoring threat by.was the hero on offense, kicking three short field goals to account for all the scoring. This was a game where no style points were nece sary. Rank 4 2019 6-1 Previous rank: * In a lot of ways, it wasat Lambeau Field -- the type of dayfans will look back wistfully upon when this is all over., under a cloudle s blue sky, playing quarterback at the height of his powers. His final stats tell the story of position mastery: 25 of 31, 429 yards, five touchdowns, zero interceptions ... and a rushing score, for good measure. It was the most flawle s game we've seen from a quarterback all season, and there's something satisfying as a football fan that it came from Rodgers, who struggled enough in the past two seasonsif Peak Rodgers was a thing of the past. His play this season has debunked that theory, and as we sawafter the game, the whole team is flush with confidence knowing No. 12 is out front. Rank 5 3 2019 5-2 Previous rank: * TheRevitalization Project rages on. The quarterback -- identified as The Problem in Minnesota three weeks ago -- has played as well as any pa ser in the league during the' three-game winning streak, continuing within Detroit. Cousins absolutely shredded thein play-action, continuing a trend that began (perhaps not coincidentally) at the start of this surge. Over the past three weeks, Cousins has a 157.2 rating on play-action, completing 32 of 42 pa ses for 592 yards and seven touchdowns without an interception, according to Pro Football Focus. Throw in another huge day from running back(25 carries, 142 rushing yards, two rushing TDs), and we're beginning to see the full potential of thisoffense. It's an attack with a ceiling as high as that of any team in the NFC. Rank 6 1 2019 5-2 Previous rank: * How strange was it to be watching agame at CenturyLink Field in whichwasn't the most exciting quarterback on the field? Such is the power of, the youngstar who inserted himself into the MVP discu sion that Wilson has headlined followingPlaying adefense that has struggled mightily for much of the season, Wilson completed le s than half of his pa s attempts (20 of 41) and threw his first interception of the season,. Wilson has been a rock of elite consistency all season for the, finishing Seattle's first six games with pa ser ratings of 134.4, 131.0, 102.6, 114.3, 151.8 and 117.6. On Sunday against the? 65.2. It was an off day for Wilson, which usually means an off day for the team he leads. Rank 7 4 2019 4-3 Previous rank: * Now that's more Blank Jersey like it. Thecame out angry and sharp against the, jumping on their NFC East rivals early and coasting to aat Jerrah World. The victory was effective on three levels: 1) It snapped Dallas' three-game losing streak; 2) it moved theback into sole po se sion of first place; and 3) it sent theinto a minor panic and potential existential crisis. This was the' most lopsided win over Philadelphia since a 34-0 shutout on Nov. 2, 1998. This is all excellent news for head coach Jason Garrett, who was at the center of a particularly heated week of national discu sion about his worth and job security. NBC's Cris Collinsworth put it well as Garrett jogged to midfield to meet Doug Pederson for the customary postgame handshake: "The pre sure relief valve has been hit." Rank 8 1 2019 5-2 Previous rank: * Deep exhale,fans. We're told *that would have ended his (and the') season. Mahomes mi sing time isn't great news, obviously, but considering how grim things appeared as the MVPat Mile High last Thursday, this feels like a ble sing. As forcredit thefor keeping it together in the midst of all that uncertainty. And let's give some love to the beleaguered defense, which held Denver to 205 yards and piled up eight sacks of thestatue theuse as their starting quarterback. Spinning forward in aworld, Kansas City has home games *followed by road games *before a Week 12 bye. Thearen't constructed to thrive without their star QB the way thehave, but they'll have to find a way to survive. Rank 9 3 2019 4-3 Previous rank: * Consistency continues to elude the.that cost them first place in the AFC South. With the defense struggling to stop(who threw a career-high four touchdown pa ses) and the running game unable to get it going,was again asked to don the Superman cape. Watson is one of the few players in football qualified to accommodate such an ask, but he wasn't as sharp as he needed to be against the. Watson threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter, includingon a slightly high throw to, who bobbled the ball into the hands of linebackerto seal the lo s. Theare probably a better team than the, but when they turn the ball over in crucial situations and play without discipline (10 penalties for the second straight week), they can look pedestrian. And now they're looking up in their division. Rank 10 7 2019 5-2 Previous rank: * It's time to come up with a proper nickname for, who is doing things on a football field that no one else can -- and it's happening on a weekly basis. Lamargic? The LaMarvelous One? Let's workshop it.Jackson took a snap on fourth-and-2 from the Seattle 8-yard line, danced to his right, then shot through an opening like an evolutionary Michael Vick for. Moments earlier,coach John Harbaugh called his field-goal unit back to the sideline and opened the door for his very special young quarterback to do something very special. "Do you want to go for that?""Hell yeah, coach, let's go for it!" Jackson quickly replied. "Let's go." Jackson has transformed into a star in his second pro season, and theare one of the most dangerous teams in the AFC because of it. Rank 11 1 2019 5-1 Previous rank: * Thehave worked hard this season to convince the outside world they are legit contenders in the AFC. That could have all been undone in 3.5 hours, had Buffalo not snapped out of iton Sunday at New Era Field. Miami was set up with first-and-goal at the Buffalo 2-yard line with the chance to extend its lead to 12 in the third quarter. A disaster scenario was unfolding ... and then the light flipped on for Sean McDermott's defense.tackledbefore he could hand the ball off for a lo s of 10, then.followed the turnover with a 98-yard touchdown drive to put the home team ahead for good. Theremain a difficult team to gauge, butshould allow them to stack up some more wins and put themselves in excellent position for the playoffs. Rank 12 2 2019 4-2 Previous rank: * In a huge showdown against a division rival,played perhaps the best game of his career while showing the rest of the league that theare more than a running team. Bri sett threw for 326 yards and four touchdowns without an interception, outduelinginover the. The win moves the 4-2into sole po se sion of first place in the AFC South as we near the season's midpoint -- pretty much a best-case scenario for an organization that was rocked by the retirement of Andrew Luck on the eve of Week 1. Bri sett wasn't the onlyplayer who brought his A-game on Sunday.scored a touchdown and set a career high with 106 yards receiving,had, andpunctuated his return from a three-game absence with. Theare good. Rank 13 1 2019 4-2 Previous rank: * The 2019feature two major storylines: 1) Their resurgence following an 0-2 start behind MVP favorite, and 2)'s continued absence as he recovers from a lingering foot injury. It is on team bra s and coach Ron Rivera to figure out how much 1) has to do with 2). And you get the feeling, based on what's coming out of Charlotte, that the *to change the current formula that includes undefeated quarterback. Newton is making progre s, but Rivera has stre sed Carolina won't rush him back into the starting lineup and risk another setback. The big question: Are thebeing rightly cautious about their former MVP ... or are they using the injury as a convenient reason to keep Allen behind center? Stay tuned. Rank 14 2 2019 4-3 Previous rank: * Theneeded that. Playing ateam that looks like it's ready to call it a season before Halloween, Los Angeles won the battle on both sides of the ball inTrade acquisitionmade a succe sful debut as the new centerpiece of Wade Phillips' secondary, with the cornerback shadowingfor much of the afternoon and keeping the all-world wideout in check. *with a sack and forced fumble, whilehad his best game of the year, tallying three sacks and a forced fumble. Ryan was sacked five times overall as theheld the' offense (which has been solid this season) to just 224 total yards. The three-game losing streak is history; now is the time for Sean McVay's team to get back on track. Up next: Rank 15 6 2019 3-3 Previous rank: * started with, and that was just the beginning of the misfortune for the.and the Chicago offenseby the home crowd midway through the second quarter, and the-- playing withoutor-- built an insurmountable three-score lead before the fourth quarter began. How bad were theprior to some garbage-time production? Thepicked up four first downs on their final touchdown drive late in the third quarter -- as many first downs as theoffense had gained in the entire game to that point. Chicago's offense has no downfield element to it, and even worse, Trubisky is clearly pre sing as the pre sure mounts on his shoulders. He's taken a big step back in his third season ... how long can Matt Nagy stand by the former No. 2 overall pick? Rank 16 1 2019 3-4 Previous rank: * Foot, meet mouth. Coach Doug Pedersonthat hiswould beat thein Week 7. "We're gonna win that football game, and when we do, we're in first place in the NFC East." Pederson surely wishes he had that moment back after hispulled a total no-show at Jerrah World, inthat was every bit as non-competitive as the final score indicated. Theare 3-4 and looking like one of the NFL's biggest disappointments as we near the season's midpoint. No one played well on Sunday night:was inaccurate, his skill players were sloppy with the ball, the defense was totally overwhelmed (again) andcouldn't be bothered. If this isn't rock bottom for the, we have a Halloween horror story unfolding in Philadelphia. Rank 17 4 2019 2-3-1 Previous rank: * We've reached the stage where it's not good enough to merely hang with quality opponents. As Herm Edwards once taught us, "You play to win the game," and thehaven't done that this month. The biggest culprit is a sieve-like defense that has allowed 450 yards in each of their last three lo ses. Their run defense has been suspect all year (Detroit has allowed at least 100 yards on the ground in six straight games), and now the entire unit is beginning to melt. This was not supposed to happen under Matt Patricia, who won a title running Bill Babe Ruth Jersey Belichick's defense in New England. It wasn't all bad *threw four touchdown pa ses, all four of them going to. The craziest stat of Week 7? That wasn't even Jones' first four-TD game; he did it with thein 2013. Rank 18 2019 3-3 Previous rank: * tells the story of a blowout, but it wasn't nearly that grim for the. This wasn't a lo s to hang on a gro s talent disparity, poor coaching or a quarterback who couldn't make plays. Instead, the failure goes back to an inability to execute in the most important area of the field. On three different occasions, Oakland marched deep into Green Bay territory, only to be turned away without points.lost a fumble and po se sion on,was turned away at the goal line twice on third, and Carr, though the game was close to decided by that point. Whileand thecashed in on every opportunity, thestumbled. It was a frustrating lo s, but not one that should leave fans of the Silver & Black without hope. Rank 19 2019 2-4 Previous rank: * The' pulse grew stronger after an impre siveover the, but the victory came at a big cost. Defensive endexited the game with a torn pectoral muscle, an injury thatand will require surgery. Tuitt was tied for second on the team in sacks with 3.5 and was a major headache for the opposition on a weekly basis. It's been one of those years for the, who lostto a season-ending elbow injury in Week 2. The team's depth is being tested on both sides of the ball, but the silver lining for this star-cro sed squad is an AFC North division that remains up for grabs. Thehave been hot and cold, thehave been one of the NFL's biggest busts and theare the dregs of the NFL. Could 9-7 win the division? Could Pittsburgh get there? Rank 20 1 2019 3-4 Previous rank: * Turns out thedon't needto deliver a dominant defensive effort. Jacksonville created four turnovers against the, including threeinterceptions over the course of five pa s attempts en route toin Cincinnati. No team forced more turnovers than the Jags during their run to the AFC Championship Game in the 2017 season, but takeaways have become a scarcity in the seasons since. When linebackerintercepted Dalton and short-circuited a potential game-tyingtouchdown drive in the fourth quarter, it marked just the fourth turnover that Jacksonville had forced all season. The defense turned it up after that, and that will have to continue if the Jags hope to stay in the AFC playoff race. Rank 21 1 2019 2-5 Previous rank: * It can't happen. It. Just. Can't. Happen. The to find a way to execute in the final minute and win that game in Nashville.will be put at the feet of, who had another poor game and, but disaster in goal-to-go situations has become a theme for thethat's reaching historic proportions. This,tells the story: Thehave turned the ball over five times in goal-to-go situations this season, which ties them for the most goal-to-go turnovers by a team in the past 15 seasons. It's WEEK 7, people! This feels like a territory of failure and frustration that is unique to this organization. Hopefully this lo s, in conference, against a fellow playoff hopeful, doesn't come back to haunt the. Just don't be surprised when it does. Rank 22 2 2019 2-5 Previous rank: * Sometimes, a prime-time showcase is the worst thing for a team. All the' shortcomings were laid bareon a game that had FOX analyst Troy Aikman declaring late in the contest that Denver has "about as bad an offense as I've seen." Yikes.has clearly reached the Respected Veteran Backup stage of his career, but Vic Fangio has no choice but to keep him on the field, with no other feasible option behind the 34-year-old. Flacco was sacked eight times,and generally displayed the ball security and spatial awarene s you'd expect from a QB 15 years his junior. Flacco was done no favors by a turnstile offensive line in need of a major overhaul. With the trade deadline looming, thecould look like a very different team in the near future. Rank 23 2019 2-4 Previous rank: * The biggest news story out of the' bye week was the. That bizarre incident was a fitting encapsulation of the*' 2019 season to date -- a team that came into Week 1 with serious swagger is currently on its butt after getting popped in the jaw. Luckily, Cleveland does not have any superpower to contend with in the AFC North and can still get off the mat ... it just has to happen quickly. They'll geton Sunday beforeconsiderably. The pre sure will be onto turn his season around. The second-year pa ser must find a way to make better decisions and bring consistency to the offense. Theknow they need to fix their offensive line in the offseason -- it's on the former No. 1 overall pick to make do with what they've got now. Rank 24 2019 3-4 Previous rank: * Sometimes, the Football Gods smile down upon you.thelooked finished, until thefound a way toin the final seconds. Tenne see must take that good fortune and build upon it. At 3-4, it's still been a very disappointing season in Nashville, but the AFC South and AFC wild-card picture both remain wide open. Thecan find a way back to January football, andgave fans reason to hope against the Bolts. Tannehill sparked the offense, showing more decisivene s and accuracy than the benched. The formerfirst-round pick completed 23 of his 29 pa s attempts for 312 yards and two touchdowns, providing the kind of quarterback production that has been foreign to Tenne see during Mariota's run. Tannehill brought rhythm to the' offense -- let's see if he can keep it. Rank 25 2 2019 3-3-1 Previous rank: * Have a day,. The backup running back played his college ball at Fordham University in The Bronx.he went from small school to big star of the' 27-21 win over theat MetLife Stadium. Edmonds,set career highs in carries (27), rushing yards (126) and touchdowns (three) on a day when theneeded someone to step up alongside. Edmonds was the star on offense; on defense, there were stars everywhere. Arizona sacked rookie quarterbackeight times, withaccounting for half that total.also contributed, finishing with a sack and a forced fumble in his first game back from suspension. Thehave won three straight against opponents with a combined three wins on the season. Things tighten up considerably in the next two weeks, *looming. Rank 26 2019 2-5 Previous rank: * Theand their rookie quarterback are going in the wrong direction.was sacked eight times, threw an ugly interception and lost two fumbles into theat the Meadowlands. Big Blue suddenly feels a long way off from the positive vibes that emanated from the franchise following back-to-back wins over the Bucs andin Jones' first two starts. Jones' inability to play clean football has been one of the factors behind New York's three-game losing streak, but growing pains were always going to be part of the gig oncewas sent to the bench. Speaking of Manning,coach Pat Shurmur shot down any speculation that the two-timeMVP could return to action in place of the struggling Jones, which is obviously the right decision. This is a developmental year for the. It would make no sense to sit the developing quarterback. Rank 27 1 2019 1-6 Previous rank: * The losing streak has extended to five, and theseem to be getting worse by the week. On Sunday, the-- riding their own losing streak -- waltzed into Mercedes-Benz Stadium and bullied thefor four quarters of*for throwing a punch at,was held in check byandexitedAt 1-6, it's beginning to feel like a formality that Dan Quinn will be let go, either during the season or immediately after it ends. None of this was expected in Atlanta, where thesaw themselves as playoff contenders in the NFC. Big change is coming for the organization, that is certain. In fact,for a second-round pick on Tuesday. The next nine games will feel like an audition for the majority of the roster ... and perhaps the front office, as well. Rank 28 1 2019 2-4 Previous rank: * This Bucs season seems to be heading into an extended period of football purgatory. Week 6'sfelt like the po sible end of for, who turned the ball over six times in an important division game. Winston is starting to look le s and le s like Tampa Bay's future, but there remains a majority of the season to go. Bruce Ariansthat Winston has a "habit of trying to be Superman," a trait that should have been worked out of his game years ago. Winston will be behind center when the Bucs return to action Sundaybut it's fair to wonder how much rope the former No. 1 overall pick has at this point. If Winston continues to struggle with ball protection and consistency, you can imagine Arians will want his own guy to stand with in Year 2. Rank 29 4 2019 1-5 Previous rank: * Thewereby the-- where have we heard that before? The story of this shutout lo s was second-year quarterback, who suffered through the worst game of his life. Jim Rice Jersey The five-turnover meltdown came just days after Darnold was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his excellent performance in. Darnold, wired for sound (anothergaffe), muttered to himself in the second quarter that he wasin the pocket, a sound bite that became another punchline at the team's expense on social media. Darnold played terribly, but he -- and the two other quarterbacks who have started games for thethis season -- continue to be undermined by an offensive line that is both talent deficient and seemingly unprepared each time out. Thehave been exposed on a near-weekly basis -- a terrible look for Adam Gase and his entire staff. Rank 30 2019 0-7 Previous rank: * needs a fresh start. For years, Dalton was a steady option at quarterback, a man who straddled the line between true franchise pa ser and hold-the-fort journeyman. But as the' talent level has di sipated around him, Dalton has crumbled. Sunday was a low point: Dalton threw three interceptions into the, with all three picks coming over a span of five pa ses in the fourth quarter. Theactually entered the final quarter with a one-point lead, but Dalton's struggles in and around the red zone (an ongoing theme this season) crushed any chance of securing victory No. 1 for Zac Taylor. Given the right surroundings, you could see Dalton (still just 31 years old) having productive seasons in the NFL. But he is no longer the answer in Cincinnati, where he was drafted in the second round in 2011, and where a complete rebuild is nece sary. It is time for an amicable divorce. Rank 31 2019 1-6 Previous rank: * Thegoton Sunday, but they didn't look totally hopele s. Four times, Washington worked its way intoterritory, but once there, the team had no earthly idea how to turn those opportunities into points. Not helping matters were some truly dreadful weather conditions in the D.C. area that reduced FedExField's turf to a slippery mud pit. After the game, interim coach Bill Callahan saidin quarterbackand that the veteran quarterback will continue to start despite Washington's 1-6 record. None of this feels like a good sign for first-round pick, who is getting the storage-in-mothballs treatment in an era when that simply doesn't happen anymore. Haskins struggled in limited playing time last month -- is it po sible theare already having drafter's remorse? Rank 32 2019 0-6 Previous rank: * Theare going to win a game eventually. Brian Flores' team has gotten incrementally better as the season has progre sed, and Miami was just a couple of plays away from a shocking road winon Sunday. The turning point in Buffalo waswith five minutes to play in the third quarter. It's the type of throw that has burned Fitzpatrick too often in his career -- staring down a receiver, then trying to force the ball into a window that exceeds the capacity of his limited right arm. Still, there's no debate that theare a more capable team with Fitzmagic behind center.to keep thealive in the fourth quarter was all guts and guile -- it's why his teammates love him wherever he goes. The Fish have graduated to being competitive. (https://play.google.com/music/m/Iexqrnb45uhlzamb sxeqz6nbka?t=Around NFL&utm co&utm content=Mar2515&utm_campaign=PartBadge&pcampaignid=MKT-Other-global-all-co-prtnr-mu-PartBadge-Mar2515-1) This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be mi sing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an i sue.
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