
GRIDIRON POWER RANKINGS: WEEK 8
Welcome to Gridiron’s first in-season power ranking. We know, it’s been a long time coming, but there’s never a bad time to jump onboard. Is there?
Heading into Week 8 (where has the time gone?), only the Kansas City Chiefs remain unbowed. Not unbloodied, but unbowed as their 6-0 record keeps them a nose ahead of several five-win teams. In the NFL standings that is. To misquote the Rifleman’s Creed: ‘These are our power rankings. There are many like them, but this one is ours’. So will the Chiefs be number one here?
GRIDIRON POWER RANKINGS: WEEK 8
1 Baltimore Ravens (5-2) +2
Baltimore’s win over Tampa Bay on Monday Night Football not only added a valuable notch in the win column, but showed that the Ravens are not entirely dependent on their running game, with QB Lamar Jackson throwing for five touchdowns en route to a 41-31 victory. Their receivers may not be widely heralded, but now need to be watched as much as Jackson and Derrick Henry.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (6-0) =
Yes, they’re unbeaten, but are the Chiefs currently a match for Baltimore? Patrick Mahomes has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns through six games and, prior to the trade for Nuke Hopkins, appeared very depleted on offense. The defense, however, remains enough of a powerhouse to keep KC on top in games. Winning ugly has worked for other dynastic franchises in the past, so why not here?
3. Detroit Lions (5-1) +1
Winning a barnburner in Minnesota not only elevates Detroit above last weekend’s hosts, but also makes them the NFC leader in these rankings. Without influential edge Aidan Hutchinson, the Lions found enough from their top-ranked offense to overcome any defensive frailty, with rookie Jake Bates nailing a clutch 44-yard field goal.
4. Minnesota Vikings (5-1) -3
The Vikings slip behind the NFC North rivals both here and in the official standings after Sunday’s 31-29 heartbreaker, but still has enough of an arsenal on offense — with Aaron Jones and Jordan Addison complementing the ubiquitous Justin Jefferson — to complement it’s third-ranked scoring D. Would Matt Stafford really make that much of a difference under center?
5. Green Bay Packers (5-2) =
Another NFC North team, and another to win in the dying seconds last weekend. The Packers make it three in three for possibly the NFL’s strongest (and most surprising?) division, but still had to overcome their own errors before Brandon McManus, the latest feature on the team’s kicker carousel, could launch himself into the Lambeau crowd.
6. Houston Texans (5-2) =
The team to fall to Green Bay at the last also sits behind them in this ranking, as C.J. Stroud came out second best in the battle of Gridiron cover stars against Jordan Love. It was another single-score difference for the Texans, and another strong showing from RB Joe Mixon and the defense, but Houston simply didn’t do enough with the three turnovers they forced.
7. Buffalo Bills (5-2) =
Amari Cooper made a scoring debut for his new team following last week’s trade from Cleveland, but Buffalo had to overcome an early 10-point deficit before hammering the Titans with 34 of their own. The Bills sit comfortably atop a ho-hum AFC East, with their two defeats coming against Baltimore and Houston. Will Cooper’s arrival be the catalyst for a deep playoff run?
8. Washington Commanders (5-2) +1
The Commies climb one place in this week’s standings after an easy afternoon at home to the hapless Carolina Panthers. Whether they sustain the upward trajectory could hang on the severity of the rib injury that took rookie QB Jayden Daniels out of the action in the first quarter. Marcus Mariota looked good in the backup role, but remember it was Carolina across the line of scrimmage.
9. San Francisco 49ers (3-4) -1
Without key weapons on offense — and losing more during the course of the game — the Niners slipped back below .500 with defeat to Kansas City on Thursday Night Football, but cling on to a place in this top ten because of their lingering potential. Ricky Pearsall’s return may not make up for the losses at WR, but the team, and defense in particular, should be strong enough to survive.
10. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) +1
New face under center? No problem for the Steelers. Yes, Russell Wilson started slowly but lived up to his promise that he would improve, throwing a couple of TDs on his belated Pittsburgh debut to see off the New York Jets and keep the team top of the AFC North. Wilson appeared to revive WR George Pickens as a threat amid another strong all-round performance from the black-and-gold.