NFL Week 8 Power Rankings

Another week down in the 2021 NFL season and now we head into the mid-point of the season. At this point, it is clear which teams are real contenders and which are not, but once again, this week proved just how unpredictable the NFL is.

The end of Week 8 also saw the passing of the NFL’s trade deadline. Unlike previous years or other sports, the trade deadline failed to produce much big drama with few moves to report. So, then, all that is left is to look at the week that was and look ahead to the week that will be.

Continue reading to see my NFL Power Rankings heading into Week 9.

1.       Los Angeles Rams (7-1) +1

The rich continue to get richer: Von Miller is an LA Ram. If the early signs this season weren’t promising enough, the Rams just executed an incredibly aggressive trade to give their defense historic levels of star power. How do you scheme against a front seven which includes Aaron Donald, Von Miller, and Leonard Floyd? Especially with Jalen Ramsey waiting in the secondary. Oh, and Cooper Kupp is proving to be the most inevitable and unstoppable receiver in the NFL. This team was already rolling, and now they’re poised to do even more damage.

2.       Arizona Cardinals (7-1) -1

For the first time this season the Cardinals lost a game. It came after a week in which they found out J.J. Watt would miss the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury. All in all, it’s been a pretty miserable week for the Cardinals. However, while they did lose, it was a matter of just a few plays and had A.J. Green turned around, the Cardinals would likely be 8-0 with another marquee win.

3.       Green Bay Packers (7-1) +1

What a win for the Packers. Despite their 6-1 record entering Week 8, they hadn’t produced a totally convincing performance to signal their greatness. Well, now they have a huge win to go a long way to proving how dangerous they really are. The only reason they don’t move up more is due to the teams above them, but the gap is incredibly marginal. The Packers are comfortably in the group of the NFL’s best teams.

4.       Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2) -2

It would appear Tom Brady and the Buccaneers just cannot play the New Orleans Saints in the regular season. Brady has turned the ball over eight times in three regular season games after adding three this weekend. Surprisingly, the defense couldn’t get off the field against Trevor Siemian, but ultimately it was Brady’s mistakes which cost Tampa this game. Nevertheless, the Bucs will be getting significantly healthier in the coming weeks. They’re still very much one of the top dogs.

5.       Dallas Cowboys (6-1) +1

In a testament to the strength of the roster, the Cowboys overcame the Minnesota Vikings with Cooper Rush leading the way. In relief of Dak Prescott, Rush led the Cowboys on a game-winning drive, passing for the winning touchdown with just 51-seconds left. The defense played, and is playing, very well. The Cowboys really are a legit contender, and Prescott will now take the field seemingly with a clean bill of health.

6.       Buffalo Bills (5-2) -1

Back from their bye week, the Bills outlasted and dismantled the Miami Dolphins. The first half was a mess, offensively at least, but Buffalo closed with four straight scoring drives while the defense continued to stifle Miami. It wasn’t the prettiest, but it was important Buffalo got back in the win column. They did.

7.       Baltimore Ravens (5-2) +2

The Ravens managed to rise two spots having not played a game – you can thank the New York Jets. While their Week 7 loss was awful, the Bengals performance this week only confirmed the Ravens just had a really bad day at the office. They’re clearly still one of the teams to beat in the AFC.

8.       Las Vegas Raiders (5-2) +3

Like the Ravens, the Raiders enjoyed a bye week. Rich Bisaccia now must keep this team’s form going having won his two games in charge. The AFC West is theirs for the taking, now they have to do it.

9.       Cincinnati Bengals (5-3) -3

What a difference one week makes. In truth, the Bengals were unfortunate not to have one last shot to win the game after a horrible unnecessary roughness call gave New York a first down late in the game. Nevertheless, the Bengals should never have been in a position to lose this game, and the manner in which they did highlighted some of the talent deficiencies this team has.

10.   New Orleans Saints (5-2) +5

What a win for New Orleans, but it came at a cost. Jameis Winston left the game early in the second quarter and will now miss the season with a torn ACL and MCL damage. Siemian took over and ran the offense well in relief, leading five scoring drives in their final seven possessions. This roster showed how talented it is, now it is time for a QB to step up and not get in the way.

11.   Tennessee Titans (6-2) -3

So much of the Titans’ offense is predicated on Derrick Henry. They cannot replicate him, nor his production, and while Ryan Tannehill has proved he is a very good QB, I don’t think the passing game will pick up enough of the slack. The Titans have effectively wrapped up the division, they’ll make the playoffs, but they aren’t quite a formidable opponent anymore. 

12.   Los Angeles Chargers (4-3) -2

There are causes for concern in Los Angeles. The Chargers have now lost two games in a row in which the offense struggled. While the go-ahead pick-six Justin Herbert threw wasn’t his fault, it seems the Chargers are leaving too much for Herbert to do himself. They have a talented roster, they need to scheme more success and leave less for Herbert to throw them out of trouble.

13.   Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3) +3

No matter how last season’s Wild Card game in Pittsburgh unfolded, the Steelers still own the Cleveland Browns. Pittsburgh’s defense completely handled the Browns and stood tough at the end to seal the game. The offense is showing improvement and effectiveness every week, now. The Steelers are finding their groove and are closing the gap atop the AFC.

14.   Kansas City Chiefs (4-4)

The most important thing for the Chiefs was to get back to .500. They did that. However, the performance did very little to signal this isn’t a seriously struggling team – if anything, the performance only emphasized some of the issues they’re dealing with. As stated, though, the win is what is ultimately what counts, and the Chiefs keep themselves right in the thick of the playoff race heading into November.

15.   Cleveland Browns (4-4) -3

What is going on in Cleveland? At least offensively. The Browns have one of the best offensive lines in football, and one of the most talented pools of skill position players in the NFL, yet they’re severely struggling offensively. Odell Beckham is invisible in this offense, that just shouldn’t happen. Sloppy play undermined the Browns in this game, and they’re slipping behind in the ultra-competitive AFC North, with no signs of improving. At least they soon get back Kareem Hunt.

16.   New England Patriots (4-4) +3

Bill Belichick has heard everyone’s dismantling of his legacy following Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay success and now he is responding. The Patriots are showing how well coached they are and this Sunday was a continuation of that. The Patriots contained Herbert and the Chargers’ receivers, and Mac Jones is showing growth every week. The Patriots are a very real contender to make the playoffs.

17.   Indianapolis Colts (3-5) -4

What a bad loss for Indy. The Colts had won their previous two games and were surging towards the playoff pack, this loss goes a long way to making that a lot harder. Carson Wentz ended the game horribly. He may have led the game-tying drive to make overtime happen, but his pick-six was truly terrible and his pick in overtime was poor. His best tool is an underthrown deep ball to draw defensive pass interference, which won’t be sustainable.

18.   San Francisco 49ers (3-4) -1

Importantly, the 49ers got back to winning ways to keep their distance from the playoff push to a minimum. Deebo Samuel is on pace to rival Jerry Rice for one of the greatest receiving seasons in franchise history. Jimmy Garoppolo is lucky to have him, and Trey Lance will be when he takes over the starting job full-time.

19.   Minnesota Vikings (3-4) -1

The Vikings absolutely should not have lost if they are serious about challenging for the playoffs. Luckily for them, the drop off from the sixth team in the NFC to the rest is massive, and they’re near the top of a pretty sorry looking pile. The Vikings may well sneak into the playoffs, and they’re talented enough to upset someone, but they need to play themselves into first.

20.   Carolina Panthers (4-4)

The Panthers ended their four-game skid in a scrappy 19-10 win over their division rival Atlanta Falcons. Sam Darnold didn’t have the costly mistakes of week’s past, but the offense as a whole is still making too many simple mistakes – like drops and fumbles. The defense is nasty though, and Stephon Gilmore is going to be a huge addition to this secondary. The seventh spot in the NFC is in their hands.

21.   Seattle Seahawks (3-5) +2

After the disappointment of Monday night’s loss to the Saints, the Seahawks rebounded with a very comfortable win over the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars. Geno Smith played well, making several very nice throws, DK Metcalf is a monster, and Tyler Lockett had a big game after a quiet spell. Thanks again to the drop off in the NFC, the Seahawks still have a chance, and Russell Wilson is on the brink of a return.

22.   Denver Broncos (4-4) -1

The Broncos’ and Panthers’ seasons must be tied together, as both started 3-0, lost four straight, then got back to winning this week. For the Broncos, though, it feels a little different and their trade of Von Miller goes some way to confirm that. This doesn’t feel like a team who’ll compete as the season progresses, and a win over Washington doesn’t do anything to change that.

23.   Chicago Bears (3-5)

The Bears lost to at home to the 49ers, slipping behind the Vikings to third in the NFC North and a game behind the final playoff spot. More positively, though, Justin Fields looked more comfortable and made the play of his career so far on his touchdown run. If he gets more comfortable and can find more of his talent, the Bears could still make a late push.

24.   Philadelphia Eagles (3-5) +1

Have the Eagles found their recipe to success? Potentially. It may have been against the Detroit Lions, but the Eagles finally committed to running the ball and they were massively rewarded. Philly have to stick with it and take pressure off Jalen Hurts, and in doing so they may start stacking some wins – they are just one game out of a playoff spot.

25.   Atlanta Falcons (3-5) -1

After a couple of weeks of showing improvement and growth, the Falcons fell back to the ground. On the back of news of Calvin Ridley stepping away from football to focus on his mental health – I hope more athletes feel empowered to do the same – the Falcons’ offense came out stumbling. Matt Ryan was poor and showed how reliant he is on everything else being right at this point in his career.

26.   New York Giants (2-6)

The Giants absolutely could have won on Monday night in Kansas City. In the end they did too much to themselves. A few penalties seriously hurt their chances in what was only a three-point game. We know the Giants aren’t in a good position, but this loss only added insult to injury.

27.   Washington Football Team (2-6)

This season has already been disappointing for Washington and Sunday just added another chapter. If Washington were to turn their season around and get anything from it, and matchup with a Broncos side who’d lost four straight was a good place to start. Tyler Heinicke is capable of moments of magic and has a knack of finding an extra gear in crunch time, but he and this team just aren’t talented enough, nor playing well enough.

28.   Miami Dolphins (1-7)

The Dolphins were actually in a position to fight for a result as late as the third quarter, but the gap in class between Miami and Buffalo quickly revealed itself, and did so emphatically. This is a lost season – maybe the Dolphins should spend less time figuring out how to trade for a player with 20+ civil cases and 10 criminal cases of sexual misconduct, and more time on what is going on between the lines.

29.   New York Jets (2-5) +2

The Jets have beaten two division leaders, and no one else. In his first career start, Mike White played very well. He threw for 405 yards, three touchdowns, and caught a two-point conversion to cap the first comeback win of 10+ points with fewer than five minutes remaining in the NFL this season. Ultimately, this win may just mean the Jets pick between number four and seven overall instead of one and three.

30.   Houston Texans (1-7) -1

The Texans never stood a chance against the Rams. The final scoreline paints a much pretty picture of the game than the reality as LA just strolled through Houston and seriously showed how much ground the Texans have to make up with the rest of the NFL.

31.   Jacksonville Jaguars (1-6) -1

Hopes were high heading into the season in Jacksonville. There was a new face of the franchise in first overall pick Trevor Lawrence and an exciting head coach hire in Urban Meyer. Now, just eight weeks in, Trevor Lawrence is struggling, the team is very poor, and Urban Meyer does not seem long for the NFL.

32.   Detroit Lions (0-8)

Despite their record, the Lions have made a lot of teams work very hard to beat them. That wasn’t the case this Sunday as the Eagles ran them down to an 0-8 record. Dan Campbell has further assured there won’t be a change at QB, regardless, the Lions just have to find a way to win just one game. Now they have a bye week to do that. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

XFL player draft: Wide receivers

Image
The XFL has announced its player pool ahead of its inaugural season starting in February. The XFL player draft will start on Tuesday October 15 and wrap up the following day. So who are these players? You can find them all listed by position here on Cabache’s Corner. QB  |  RB  |  TE  |  OL  |  DE  |  DT  |  LB  |  CB  |  SAF  |  ST As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, the offense in the XFL is going to have to be the draw for a fanbase, at least initially. With QBs and RBs already covered, next up is the WRs who’ll be vying for targets once the action gets started. The players are listed in alphabetical order, on order of the days they were announced – Day one players come first, then day two players are listed alphabetically and so on. Floyd Allen, Ole Miss Anthony Amos, Middle Tennessee State Dontez Byrd, Tennessee Tech Jordan Gandy, Murray State Antoine Grif...
Read more

NFL Week 14 Power Rankings

Image
If nothing else, Week 14 can be remembered for giving us the game of the season. Monday Night Football was an all-time great between the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens, and was hopefully a precursor for the final months of the NFL season. It truly felt like a playoff game, and in the final three weeks of the season we have many playoff-like matchups to look forward to. While we have a fairly clear picture of the teams who are legitimately in contention, there are many questions to be answered ahead of the playoffs, and I can’t wait to find the answers. So, heading into the final three weeks of the season, here are my Week 14 Power Rankings. 1.        Kansas City Chiefs (12-1) Even on a day Patrick Mahomes throws three interceptions, the Chiefs still put up 30+ points and win a game. Kansas City were genuinely tested by the Dolphins throughout the game, but their quality ultimately won out. With teams around them faltering, the route to the Su...
Read more

Post 10 - The second wave of free agency is upon us. Who should we keep an eye on?

Image
Hello! And welcome to my corner. Most of the big names are off the market, the huge contracts have been signed and lots of teams are now focusing on the draft. However, there are a lot of guys still on the market, with plenty to give for any team who comes calling. The Ravens still have many needs, here are the guys I think are at least worth a look. At this point, following the resigning of Justin Forsett and loss of Torrey Smith, receiver is our biggest need. Most of the big name receivers are gone, the only receivers raked in Around the NFL's Top 101 Free Agents list are Michael Crabtree, Dwayne Bowe, Greg Jennings, Hackeem Nicks and Denarius Moore. Of course, there are more than 5 receivers, but I only see a few that are worth a look. That said, I think any of these players would only be a filler for a year or two whilst younger guys develop.   Hackeem Nicks  Down the stretch last year, Nicks showed glimpses of his old self. I think that he could function as ...
Read more