Neil Reynolds' Week 9 Power Rankings
The Steelers remain the NFL’s lone undefeated team and they could be 10-0 by the time they meet Baltimore. With playmakers on both sides of the ball, Pittsburgh have that Super Bowl look about them.
The Chiefs flexed their offensive muscle against the Jets last weekend and they reminded me that this AFC playoff race is going to be absolutely loaded this January. KC are not going to slide too far down this list.
The Seahawks have endured a number of roller coaster games this season but not against San Francisco last weekend. They were dominant and D.K. Metcalf announced his status as an elite NFL receiver.
The Bucs survived a scare against the Giants on Monday night but my big takeaway was that Tom Brady and crew somehow got the job done and his connections with Mike Evans and Gronk continue to grow.
The Ravens round out a top five that didn’t see a single team change position from the previous week. I’m not hammering Baltimore too much but they need Lamar to win one of these big games soon.
The Bills enjoyed a statement win over the New England Patriots on Sunday – in terms of it being a win against a team that has owned them for many years. But this Josh Allen-led offense needs to wake up.
The Packers have slipped a couple of times in recent weeks and the most worrying thing about the losses to Tampa Bay and Minnesota is the fact that their soft defensive underbelly was laid bare once again.
The Saints are down to the bare bones at receiver and keep on winning. I don’t think it looks pretty with Drew Brees at quarterback at the moment, but it’s about hanging in there until this team gets healthy.
It was all going so well for the Titans but now they have lost two in a row. I’ll forgive them for a narrow loss to the Steelers, but top table teams – which the Titans want to be - beat the likes of Cincinnati.
The Cardinals are going to ride the Kyler Murray train for the rest of what they hope will be a playoff run. That has worked pretty well so far – Arizona lead the NFL with more than 419 offensive yards per game.
The Colts are no nonsense and tough on the defensive side of the ball and Philip Rivers is warming up at quarterback. Nyhiem Hines is a wonderful, low-risk weapon out of the backfield for any greybeard passer.
Much of the talk around Miami in recent weeks has focused on the quarterback position given the transition from Fitz to Tua. But what is driving this team right now is a defense on absolute top form.
It’s hard to put the Rams ahead of the Dolphins given how they were handled by Brian Flores’ men last Sunday. I’m still not convinced about Jared Goff at quarterback, but this remains a playoff team.
The Raiders don’t always excite us, but they find ways to win and remain competitive. Jon Gruden’s men have won three of their four road games this season and they are shaping up as a playoff contender.
The Browns are up one week and down the next. Their quarterback, Baker Mayfield, is up one week and down the next and that would be my biggest worry in Cleveland. Shouldn’t he be more consistent by now?
Was Week 8 the straw that finally breaks the camel’s back? Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, tight end George Kittle and running back Tevin Coleman limped out of last week’s loss to Seattle. The injuries never seem to stop.
I cannot see the Bears ever getting out of this NFL middle-of-the-pack area until they fix their quarterback position and their offensive scheme. Neither is a quick fix so I think Chicago are going to cool off now.
It feels like the Chargers should be dropped in much harsher fashion after blowing another lead and losing another close game last week. But I cannot overlook the outstanding potential of rookie Justin Herbert.
The Panthers have cooled off a little bit but they remain one of the more pleasant surprises of 2020. Teddy Bridgewater has been decent enough and the defense – which is young – has played pretty well.
Carson Wentz has admitted he is not playing well and that is true, of course. But he is not alone on offense and there are mitigating circumstances given the large number of injuries this team has undergone.
Joe Burrow plays with the swagger of a 10-year veteran with a couple of Super Bowls already under his belt. The Bengals need that kind of leadership and Burrow can drag this franchise towards better times.
The Patriots are playing with a bare cupboard from a talent point of view. Cam Newton is not going to be the long-term answer. Is he a bridge or a progress-stopper with Jarrett Stidham waiting in the wings?
The Vikings have not been able to find any form of consistency in 2020 and Kirk Cousins has blown hot and cold at quarterback. One true constant is running back Dalvin Cook and he has to be the main man.
Washington are coming off their bye week so there is not much to discuss here. Ron Rivera’s men are playing tough on defense and whoever plays QB should feed receiver Terry McLaurin as often as possible.
Just when I was beginning to wonder if there might be something to these Lions, they go and lay an egg at home with a 20-point loss to Indianapolis. The Lions will have moments, but nothing more than that.
It was a big comeback win for Drew Lock and the Broncos last week and the Chargers victory showed there is a lot of exciting, young talent in Colorado. This year may be lost but 2021 and beyond could be brighter.
Let’s talk a positive in a miserable season for the Falcons. Matt Ryan leads the NFL with 2,462 passing yards this year and is on pace for his tenth 4,000-yard passing campaign in a row. That’s great consistency.
The 1-6 Texans have some winnable games coming up in the second half of this season but all it’s going to do is move them up these rankings. They are not about to become a playoff team.
Are the Cowboys about to start their fourth quarterback of this season in Cooper Rush or Garrett Gilbert? That would sum up what has been a miserable year that doesn’t threaten to get much better soon.
Daniel Jones still makes untimely mistakes that must make head coach Joe Judge want to scream in frustration but at least these Giants play tough and close games. That’s something in a poor campaign.
The Jags are in trouble and are turning to rookie sixth-round quarterback Jake Luton in relief of the injured Gardner Minshew. Will he provide a spark or is he merely another bridge towards Trevor Lawrence or AN Other?
The Jets were hammered last week in Kansas City and they are halfway towards an 0-16 campaign. I cannot see where the first win is going to come from and this could be a winless team by season’s end.