Week 8 Power Rankings
Week seven featured some of the biggest games of the season. Chiefs vs 49ers, Lions vs Vikings, Packers vs Texans, and Ravens vs Bucs were all highly anticipated matchups and some featured fantastic finishes. More importantly, the results of these games shook up the top of the power rankings in a major way—some teams were bounced from the top-15, others moved into the top-5, and one is on the verge of taking over the number one spot.
There was plenty of movement from 1 to 32 in this week eight edition of the power rankings and you won’t want to miss out.
For this week’s subsection, I highlighted every team’s biggest ‘What If?’ moment—a play or a transaction that fans will be thinking about all season and wonder, “What if it went differently?”
Here are the rankings.
32. Carolina Panthers (down 1)
Record: 1-6
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: What if the Panthers never started Andy Dalton? They’d most definitely be 0-7 because Bryce Young hasn’t once come close to the game that Dalton had against the Raiders in week three. The Panthers’ one win has distracted everyone from the fact that this might be one of the worst teams of all time. They are on pace for the worst DVOA of the century.
31. New England Patriots (up 1)
Record: 1-6
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: Similarly to the Panthers, what if the Patriots didn’t capitalize on redzone turnovers against the Bengals? They’d probably be 0-7, shoe in for a top-two pick, and been thought of to as on of the worst teams of the decade. Would we be hailing Bill Belichick for getting four wins out of this team?
30. New Orleans Saints (down 5)
Record: 2-5
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: What if the Saints didn’t allow Saquon Barkley’s go-ahead 67-yard touchdown in week three? The Saints might have been 3-0 and might care about winning football games instead of 2-1 with the season headed downhill and the team motivated to get Dennis Allen fired.
29. Cleveland Browns (up 1)
Record: 1-6
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: What if Deshaun Watson didn’t tear his achilles? Would the Cleveland fans rise up and revolt in week 17 after a full season of awful quarterback play and an organization that refused to revoke him as the starter for their personal pride? Or would the return of Nick Chubb somehow turn Watson’s season around?
28. Tennessee Titans (down 1)
Record: 1-5
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: What if Will Levis didn’t heave the ball into the hands of Jaylon Johnson in week one? The Titans probably would be 1-0 and might have established themselves as a gritty, defensive team. Will Levis might have had a little bit more leash as the starter. Instead, they were stuck playing catch-up with immediate heat all over their young quarterback.
27. Las Vegas Raiders (up 1)
Record: 2-5
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: What if the Raiders hadn’t instrumented their shocking fourth-quarter comeback against the Ravens in week two? They would be 1-6 and likely would have dealt Maxx Crosby by now. With the win, they convinced themselves that they could be a scrappy playoff team and now have work to do if they want to tank for a quarterback.
26. New York Giants (down 4)
Record: 2-5
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: What if the Giants converted on fourth down against the Bengals? They were down three in field goal range, so the least they could’ve done would have been to tie the game with little time remaining. If New York scored a touchdown on that drive, they would have been 3-3 in all likelihood with an outside chance of reaching the playoffs.
25. Miami Dolphins (up 1)
Record: 2-4
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: What if Tua Tagovailoa didn’t lay his head into Damar Hamlin? He wouldn’t be concussed (yet) and the Dolphins would be contending for the lead in the AFC East right now. Though Tagovailoa is eyeing a return this week, the nail might already be in the coffin for a Dolphins team that is struggling on both sides of the ball.
24. Jacksonville Jaguars (up 5)
Record: 2-5
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: What if the Jaguars didn’t spark a comeback in London against the Patriots? I’m fairly certain Doug Pederson wouldn’t have coached another game in Jacksonville and the Jags season would have most certainly been cooked. Now, they’re 2-5 with a sliver of hope and Pederson will be at the helm for the short foreseeable future.
23. New York Jets (down 5)
Record: 2-5
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: What if Aaron Rodgers hadn’t thrown a game-losing pick against the Vikings in London? The Jets might have been 3-2 and more importantly, they wouldn’t have fired Robert Saleh. This team wouldn’t be the car crash that it is and would be nestled in the middle of the Wild Card race. Now, they’re in scramble mode at 2-5.
22. Los Angeles Rams (up 2)
Record: 2-4
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: What if the Rams won the coin toss in overtime against the Lions in week one? They lost, of course, and David Montgomery ran down their throats all the way until he reached the endzone to send the Rams to 0-1. That set the tone for the Rams’ season which has been riddled my injuries and so far, at 2-4, they have not recovered from a brutal week one loss.
21. Arizona Cardinals (up 2)
Record: 3-4
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: What if the 49ers hadn’t fallen apart against the Cards in week five? Arizona would have been sent to 1-4 and inevitably 1-5 after their 34-13 beating from Green Bay. Though there might not have been roster changes, that’s a heck of a hole to be in for a team that had some expectations for this season. Instead, they’re 3-4 in the thick of the NFC West race.
20. Indianapolis Colts (up 1)
Record: 4-3
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: What if Anthony Richardson never got hurt against the Steelers? With AR-15 at the controls, the Colts have not been able to generate any offense. Indy was 2-1 in games that Flacco played and he gave them 34 points in their only loss. Without the ageless wonder, the Colts would not be 4-3 but because of him, they are currently the 7th seed in the AFC.
19. Dallas Cowboys (no change)
Record: 3-3
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: What if Dak Prescott didn’t convert on fourth down to beat the Steelers? The Cowboys would be 2-4 on a two-game slide with their only wins against the Browns and Giants. I’m not sure what roster changes would have been made, but the heat surrounding Jerry Jones, Mike McCarthy, and Prescott would be high enough to cook Zeke Elliott some Popeyes.
18. Los Angeles Chargers (down 4)
Record: 3-3
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: What if the Chargers stopped the Cardinals game-winning field goal drive on Monday? They’d be 4-2 with sole possession of the sixth seed in the AFC. It would have felt established that their running attack, stingy defense, and hard-nosed coaching would be enough to win ten games and make the playoffs, but instead, there are major questions about Justin Herbert and LA’s offense.
17. Denver Broncos (up 3)
Record: 4-3
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: What if Greg Zuerlein hit the game-winning field goal in week four for the Jets? The Broncos don’t have many obvious ‘what if'?’ moments because most of their games haven’t been close, but this one was. A good kick could have sent them to 1-3 with no clear signs that Bo Nix was a bonafide starter.
16. San Francisco 49ers (down 6)
Record: 3-4
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: What if the injuries didn’t plague them? This isn’t technically a moment but it’s the difference between being the Super Bowl runner-up and a 3-4 team that is the 11th seed in the NFC. With Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga, and Jake Moody all out with injuries right now, the Niners stand no chance of contending.
15. Atlanta Falcons (down 3)
Record: 4-3
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: What if Saquon Barkley caught the ball on third down to seal the game against Atlanta in week two? Instead of Kirk Cousins driving the ball down the field to earn Atlanta a surprise victory, they would have started their season 0-3. Every Atlanta win except one has been improbable this season and they could legitimately be 1-6.
14. Cincinnati Bengals (up 3)
Record: 3-4
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: What if Cincinnati’s holder didn’t fumble the ball on Evan McPherson’s game-winning field goal attempt against Baltimore? The Bengals would be 4-3 with a signature win over one of the NFL’s best teams. They would be second in the NFC North and only a game out of first place, but now have lots of work to do to earn a ticket to the playoffs.
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (down 6)
Record: 4-3
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: What if Mike Evans and Chris Godwin didn’t leave Monday night with injuries? Sure, the Bucs would still be 4-3, but they looked like a solid NFC contender with one of the best offenses in the league. With the injuries to their two star receivers, Tampa has a whole lot of unknowns on offense and a defense that has allowed 34.7 PPG in their last three games.
12. Seattle Seahawks (up 4)
Record: 4-3
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: What if Abraham Lucas and George Fant weren’t injured at right tackle? The Seahawks now have backup left tackle, Stone Forsythe, playing right tackle which has been the main contributor to the constant pressure that Geno Smith is facing. By the eye test, Seattle has one of the worst offensive lines in the league and it’s a big reason as to why they went on a three-game skid from weeks 4-6.
11. Philadelphia Eagles (up 4)
Record: 4-2
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: It’s the same as the Falcons’ ‘What if?’ moment—What if Saquon Barkley caught the ball on third down to seal the game against Atlanta in week two? The Eagles would be 5-1 and tied for the one seed in the NFC with Detroit. It should have been a simple victory against Atlanta but losing now puts a monkey on their back and is the difference between being first and second in the NFC East.
10. Chicago Bears (up 1)
Record: 4-2
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: It’s the same as the Titans’ ‘What if?’ moment—What if Will Levis didn’t heave the ball into the hands of Jaylon Johnson in week one? The Bears would have started the season 0-3 with the media breathing down the back of Caleb Williams. Without a win, who knows if the Bears would have had what it took to earn a tough victory against the Rams in week four and start a win streak.
9. Pittsburgh Steelers (up 4)
Record: 5-2
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: It’s the same as the Cowboys’ ‘What if?’ moment—What if Dak Prescott didn’t convert on fourth down to beat the Steelers? Pittsburgh needs every win they can get with the second-most difficult remaining schedule and their loss to Dallas on Prescott’s game-winning toss to Jalen Tolbert is a crucial one. They could be 6-1 as the sole possessor of first place in the AFC North and the second seed in the conference.
8. Buffalo Bills (up 1)
Record: 5-2
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: What if Sean McDermott called three run plays on the Bills’ final drive against the Texans? The game would have been sent to overtime and Buffalo could have been 6-1—2nd place in the AFC with a huge tiebreaker over Houston. The Bills are now the 4th seed thanks to the loss and are now 0-2 against AFC contenders.
7. Washington Commanders (up 1)
Record: 5-2
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: What if the Giants kicker never got injured in week two? New York had two failed fourth-down conversions that would have been short field goal attempts if they had a kicker. Washington only won by three. Odds are, they would have been 0-2 at the time and 4-3 now. That’s the difference between being the 2nd seed as they are now and being out of the playoff picture.
6. Houston Texans (down 1)
Record: 5-2
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: What if the Texans converted one more first down at the end of their battle with Green Bay? They already had four on the possession and just needed one more to run the clock down to kick a game-winning field goal if time expired. Instead, they gave the ball back to Jordan Love who drove the Packers down the field for a game-winning field goal of their own, sending Houston to 5-2.
5. Green Bay Packers (up 1)
Record: 5-2
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: What if the Packers converted their onside kick and completed the comeback against Minnesota in week four? The landscapes of the division and the conference would be entirely different. Green Bay would be first place in both with a 6-1 record and an undefeated record in the division. Instead, they find themselves third in the division and sixth in the conference.
4. Minnesota Vikings (down 1)
Record: 5-1
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: What if Jake Bates missed the Lions’ game-winning field goal? The Vikings would have been 6-0—one of two undefeated teams in the league and would have wins against Houston, San Francisco, Green Bay, and Detroit. A win might have finally erased the Sam Darnold doubt but now, those concerns have a chance to creep back in if the Vikings keep losing.
3. Detroit Lions (up 1)
Record: 5-1
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: What if Detroit scored once in their final three drives against Tampa Bay? Down four, a touchdown or two field goals would have done it for the Lions, who got inside the Bucs’ 30-yard line on each of their final three drives. However, Jared Goff threw a pick on the first, and they turned over on downs on the next two, handing them their only loss of the year. If Detroit scored just once, they’d be undefeated and the probable Super Bowl favorite.
2. Baltimore Ravens (no change)
Record: 5-2
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: What if Isaiah Likely’s toe wasn’t on the line against the Chiefs? Baltimore would have gone for two and if they scored, they’d have the same record as the Chiefs with the head-to-head tiebreaker over them and the 1st seed in the AFC in their own hands. Now, they’re two games back of the Chiefs with the head-to-head against them making it difficult to envision a path to their second straight 1st seed.
1. Kansas City Chiefs (no change)
Record: 6-0
Every Team’s Biggest 'What If?' Moment: What if Rashee Rice didn’t get hurt? Rice is likely out for the season which is a big blow to a Kansas City team that has struggled to pass the ball this year. With Rice, KC was one of the most complete teams in recent memory, but his absence has revealed a De’Andre Hopkins-sized hole in their offense.
ROLL TIDE BABY!!!