Post Week 8 NFL Power Rankings

New England Patriots

The Patriots defense smothered the Browns in the first quarter, forcing them to turn the ball over on three consecutive offensive snaps, including stripping the ball away from running back Nick Chubb on his first two carries of the contest. The Patriots are certainly looking forward to the return of left tackle Isaiah Wynn to give the offensive line the boost it needs. With cold weather on the horizon, New England will look to keep the ball on the ground to alleviate pressure on quarterback Tom Brady and the passing attack. Sunday’s matchup against Baltimore will be the biggest test the 8-0 Patriots have had this season.

New Orleans Saints

Quarterback Drew Brees returned to action and did not skip a beat, throwing for 373 yards, three touchdowns and one interception with a 79.1% completion percentage. Brees will have a smooth road to ease his way back into the picture as the Saints go on their bye week before their games against the struggling Falcons and Buccaneers. What once looked like it could be a lost season following Brees’ injury has now been completely dismissed, and the Saints look as strong as ever heading into the middle of the season.

San Francisco 49ers

Going into the game against San Francisco, Panthers’ quarterback Kyle Allen had a chance to break the record of consecutive completions before an interception by a rookie quarterback, but the 49ers’ stingy defense gave Allen fits all day, resulting in three interceptions. This includes a pick returned for six by rookie defensive end Nick Bosa who also racked up three sacks. Bosa looks like he’s competing for defensive player of the year, not defensive rookie of the year.

Green Bay Packers

The Packers picked up a big prime time win on the road over Kansas City. Even without former league MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Arrowhead Stadium is always a difficult place to steal a win from, but Green Bay delivered. Running back Aaron Jones had another monster night, totaling 200 yards from scrimmage with two receiving touchdowns. After another big game for quarterback Aaron Rodgers, it is fair to say he’s in the MVP conversation.

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens rested up on their bye week and had extra time to prepare for the 8-0 Patriots who are coming to town looking to shut down Lamar Jackson. It will be interesting to see how the Ravens prepare to take on New England’s defense who will surely look to take away either Jackson’s running or passing game. A win over New England could shake up the playoff picture down the line.

Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks shook off their loss against Baltimore, and turned in a solid victory in Atlanta, despite allowing backup quarterback Matt Schaub to look like a superstar against their defense, as he threw for 460 yards. The Seahawks got off to a big 24-0 lead in the first half and simply coasted off of that for the rest of the game. If this team looks to be playing in January, that secondary needs to put in some work.

Minnesota Vikings

It was not exactly the most dominating revenge game for quarterback Kirk Cousins, who took on his former team, the Washington Redskins, for the first time since they let him walk in free agency. Cousins threw for 285 yards, connecting with wide receiver Stefon Diggs for seven completions and 143 yards as his hot streak continued. The Vikings have now won four straight games and remain in the hunt for the NFC North, trailing one behind Green Bay. The Vikings will travel to Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday to play the Chiefs. It is unclear whether or not Mahomes will play.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs were not able to pick up the home win while playing without Mahomes, but they can hang their hats on fighting to the end against Rodgers and the Packers. Sunday’s results against the Vikings could depend entirely on whether or not Mahomes plays. Even with the loss to Green Bay, Kansas City still has a strong grip on the lead for the AFC West and will likely still be in front by the time Mahomes returns to action.

Indianapolis Colts

Seasoned veteran kicker Adam Vinatieri showed the league he’s still the best, nailing a 51-yard kick at the end of the fourth quarter to give the Colts a 15-13 lead against Denver with only seconds remaining. That lead would hold up after Denver’s lackadaisical attempt to put together a game-winning drive as the Colts improve to 5-2 and stay in the lead for the AFC South, leading the Texans by half a game.

Houston Texans

Despite entering the fourth quarter trailing 21-13, the Texans were able to come back and win the game thanks to two masterful touchdown drives from quarterback Deshaun Watson. The Texans defense took a massive blow in this game as they have learned that defensive end J.J. Watt has a torn pectoral and will miss the remainder of the season. The future Hall of Famer now has his season ended abruptly for the third time in four years. Linebacker Whitney Mercilus will have to answer the call and step up to be the anchor of the defense.