Week 9 NFL Power Rankings (2020)

These rankings are getting harder and harder every week. The problem is that the NFL has a few really awful teams, two or three great teams, and then a bunch of mediocre teams that are incredibly difficult to figure out. Even at the top of the league, the supposed “good” teams have been struggling. The Packers fell to the Vikings, the Titans fell to the Bengals, and the Buccaneers barely escaped with a win over the Giants. It’s created a very entertaining season but also one that seems to lack reason at times. Let’s take look at where things stand heading into the second half of the season.

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32) New York Jets (Prev: 32)

The Jets actually kept it close for most of the first half in Kansas City, but they fell apart in the second half and dropped to 0-8 and 1-7 ATS. In the loss, the Jets managed just 221 yards of total offense. The secondary was scorched for 416 yards and five touchdowns. Next up, the Jets take on the struggling Patriots in Foxborough.

31) Jacksonville Jaguars (Prev: 31)

The Jaguars were off this week, and they will look to use their bye week to help end their six-game losing streak. They host the 1-6 Texans in Week 9.

30) Dallas Cowboys (Prev: 28)

The expectations for Ben DiNucci weren’t high, but wow, did he underachieve. The Cowboys are quickly falling out of the NFC East race, and if they don’t get a quarterback under center who can create offense, their season is over. The defense played well against the Eagles, turning them over four times and holding them to 222 yards. But it wasn’t enough to overcome the disastrous performance on the other side of the ball.

29) New York Giants (Prev: 30)

Daniel Jones hesitated on the two-point conversion attempt to tie the game, and because of it, the Giants now sit at 1-7 and last place in the NFC East. For the second week in a row, the Giants blew a double-digit lead, and while this is definitely discouraging, the Giants are actually playing really well over the last few weeks. The problem is they just keep finding a way to lose. The NFC East crown is still obtainable, but the path got a lot harder after their loss to the Bucs.

28) Washington Football Team (Prev: 26)

Washington was off this week and will take on the Giants in Week 9. A win there would mean a season split between the two teams and would keep Washington very much in the mix for the NFC East.

27) Houston Texans (Prev: 24)

The Texans were off this week and will look to get back in the win column against the 1-6 Jaguars in Week 9. A win won’t do much for their playoff prospects, but at least it would get them out of the cellar of the AFC South.

26) New England Patriots (Prev: 22)

The Patriots are just two losses away from posting their first single-digit win season since 2002. On Sunday, they played well enough to cover the spread against the Bills, but a Cam Newton fumble on the final drive of the game ended their hopes of inching closer to .500 on the season. They’re now 2-5, which puts them 3.5 games behind the Bills and two games behind the Dolphins. They will look to end their four-game losing streak this week against the 0-8 Jets.

25) Los Angeles Chargers (Prev: 21)

The Chargers led by 21 on Sunday, but fell apart in the second half and gave up a touchdown on the last play of the game to drop to 2-5 on the season. LA has been in a lot of games this year, leading in many by double-digits, but they keep finding ways to lose. Looking at the stats, the Chargers won every battle against the Broncos except for turnovers which they lost 2-1, and yet they still lost the game. Justin Herbert threw for 278 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions in the loss.

24) Minnesota Vikings (Prev: 29)

Needless to say, the Vikings are happy to have Dalvin Cook back. As six-point underdogs, Minnesota picked up their second win of the season over the Green Bay Packers. Dalvin Cook scored four touchdowns and racked up 226 all-purpose yards. Next week, the Vikings take on the Lions in what could easily be an elimination game for Minnesota despite it being early in the season.

23) Atlanta Falcons (Prev: 27)

The Falcons took care of the Panthers pretty easily on Thursday night to move to 2-6. The problem is that injuries continue to play a big part in Atlanta. In the victory, Todd Gurley was limited for most of the first half, while Calvin Ridley left the game early with a foot injury. Atlanta will take on the Broncos this week.

22) Cincinnati Bengals (Prev: 25)

There aren’t many who predicted the Bengals would knock off the Titans, but they did, and they led the entire second half by two or more possessions. Joe Burrow finished with 249 yards and two touchdowns, while Giovanni Bernard picked up the slack out of the backfield with Joe Mixon out. Bernard scored two touchdowns in the win.

21) Detroit Lions (Prev: 19)

The Lions were outscored by the Colts 21-7 in the fourth quarter as they dropped to 3-4 on the season. Detroit rushed for an abysmal 29 yards in the loss. Kenny Golladay left the game early with an injury and was unable to record a single catch. This will be worth keeping an eye on. Without him, the Lions struggled to start the season. With him, they were able to battle back to .500. If he’s unable to play moving forward, the future is grim for Detroit.

20) Denver Broncos (Prev: 23)

Drew Lock found KJ Hamler for a one-yard touchdown as time expired to move the Broncos to 3-4. On just six carries, Phillip Lindsay rushed for 83 yards and one touchdown. Lock finished the game with 248 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Next week, the Broncos will look to get back to .500 when they travel to Atlanta to take on the Falcons.

19) Carolina Panthers (Prev: 18)

The Panthers have now dropped back-to-back games, but they should get Christian McCaffrey back this weekend as they attempt to save their season. Against the Falcons, Teddy Bridgewater struggled, throwing for just 176 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He was sacked three times, but was under constant pressure throughout the game, as the offensive line struggled to stop Atlanta.

18) Philadelphia Eagles (Prev: 20)

It feels wrong to move the Eagles up after how they played against the Cowboys on Sunday night. Yet, with all the other losses from middling teams around the league, I was left with no other choice. The Eagles are now in first place in the NFC East despite managing just 222 yards against a Cowboys’ defense that has been historically bad this season. Carson Wentz turned the ball over four times in the win.

17) San Francisco 49ers (Prev: 16)

The 49ers lost to the Seahawks on Sunday, and they were once again bitten by the injury bug. It looks like George Kittle is going to miss about eight weeks with a broken bone in his foot, and Jimmy Garoppolo is likely to miss at least six weeks with a high ankle sprain. Prior to his injury, Garoppolo was wholly ineffective. Without two of their best offensive players, it’s hard to see how the 49ers are going to keep up in the stacked NFC West.

16) Cleveland Browns (Prev: 14)

The Browns have dropped two of their last three games and now sit at 5-3 and third in the AFC North. The bye week is coming at a good time for them, as they have not looked good in any of their last three games, including their 37-34 win over the Bengals. In their other two games, they were outscored 54-13. On Sunday, they gained just 223 yards of total offense.

15) Las Vegas Raiders (Prev: 17)

The Raiders picked up a much-needed win on Sunday, and will now hold the tiebreaker over the Browns if the two are tied for a Wild Card spot in the AFC. Josh Jacobs led the way with 31 carries for 128 yards, while Derek Carr threw for just 112 yards and one touchdown. Las Vegas’ next three games are against each team from the AFC West.

14) Miami Dolphins (Prev: 15)

Are the Dolphins for real? Tua Tagovailoa didn’t have the performance that many Dolphins’ fans wanted, but the end result was exactly what those in Miami desired. Heading into Week 9, the Dolphins are 4-3 and just won a game by double-digits in which they were outgained 471-145. In his first start, Tua threw for 93 yards and one touchdown.

13) Chicago Bears (Prev: 12)

The Bears jumped out to a 10-point lead, then gave up 20 straight, before mounting their own comeback to force overtime. They ultimately fell short, but even in losses, the Bears look like a team that is going to compete for a Wild Card spot and possibly the NFC North. The offense played decently against the Saints, but their defense continues to play hard and keep them in games. Solid defensive play is going to be what gets the Bears to the playoffs if they manage to do so.

12) Los Angeles Rams (Prev: 8)

The Rams had no business losing to the Dolphins on Sunday, and yet they did, and now their path in the NFC West has gotten a lot more difficult. The Rams outgained Miami 471-145 but turned the ball over four times, including a 78-yard scoop and score. The special teams also allowed an 88-yard punt return for a touchdown. LA had 31 first downs in the loss compared to just eight for the Dolphins.

11) Buffalo Bills (Prev: 13)

It wasn’t the prettiest victory, but the Bills held on to defeat the Patriots and now hold a 3.5-game lead over their division rivals. While many in Buffalo will be ecstatic to hear this, the Dolphins continue to be a pest and keep pace with the Bills. Buffalo has not played particularly well in recent weeks, a fact that continued to be true Sunday, but in arguably the second-worst division in football, getting wins is all that matters right now.

10) Indianapolis Colts (Prev: 11)

Philip Rivers, Jordan Wilkins, and Nyheim Hines led the way for the Colts as they knocked off the Lions 41-21 to move to 5-2 on the season. Indianapolis is now tied with the Titans for the lead in the AFC South and are coming off one of their best games of the season. They gave up just 29 yards rushing, didn’t turn the ball over, and dominated time of possession by a nearly 2:1 margin. Jonathan Taylor didn’t do much in the game, and it has been revealed he has a minor ankle injury. This will be worth monitoring, but Hines and Wilkins showed they can more than makeup for his absence.

9) Tennessee Titans (Prev: 5)

What is going on with the Tennessee Titans? They have now dropped back-to-back games after starting 5-0, and while no one will fault them for losing to the Steelers, getting blown out by the Bengals is inexcusable. The defense struggled to slow down Joe Burrow, and the offense fell behind too far to mount a comeback. With games against the Bears, Colts, and Ravens on the horizon, this was simply not a good game for the Titans to lose.

8) Green Bay Packers (Prev: 7)

With a chance to put the Vikings away for good, the Packers slipped up and dropped to 5-2 and still hold just a half-game lead on the Bears in the NFC North. Aaron Rodgers finished with 291 yards and three touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough to offset the explosive day Dalvin Cook had against the defense. The Packers have now lost two of their last three games and will travel to San Francisco next weekend to take on a desperate but injured 49ers team.

7) New Orleans Saints (Prev: 10)

Will Lutz made a 35-yard field goal to move the Saints to 5-2 on the season. Drew Brees passed Tom Brady for most passing touchdowns in league history during the game, and while Brady took the crown back on Monday night, the two will get a chance to battle it out next Monday in a game that will go a long way in deciding the NFC South. If the Saints win, they will have completed the season sweep and will be in the driver’s seat in the division.

6) Arizona Cardinals (Prev: 9)

The Cardinals were off this week but now sit alone in second place due to the Rams loss to the Dolphins. Arizona will take on that same Miami team this week as they look to keep pace with Seattle.

5) Baltimore Ravens (Prev: 3)

Lamar Jackson does not look like himself this season. Many predicted a sophomore slump for him last year, but instead, he went out and won the MVP. Now, with a world of expectations, he’s struggling to be as explosive as he was last season and is turning the ball over at an alarming rate. Baltimore’s defense played great for the most part against Pittsburgh, only allowing 221 yards, but short fields were the difference in this game.

4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Prev: 6)

The Bucs escaped New York with a 25-23 victory, and move up because teams ahead of them last week lost. While many will look at Monday’s result and be alarmed, it was the perfect set up for a trap game for Tampa as they have the Saints this weekend. They still managed to pull out the victory and are now 6-2 on the season. Tom Brady threw for 279 yards and two touchdowns in the victory.

3) Seattle Seahawks (Prev: 4)

Seattle followed up their loss to Arizona with a dominant performance against the 49ers. While they only won by 10, they led by 23 before the 49ers scored some garbage time points. Russell Wilson threw for 261 yards and four touchdowns and continues to make a claim for the league’s MVP trophy. After a quiet Week 7, DK Metcalf hauled in 12 catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns.

2) Kansas City Chiefs (Prev: 2)

Patrick Mahomes threw for 416 yards and five touchdowns, as the Chiefs did exactly what they were supposed to against the Jets on Sunday. Kansas City will now take on the Panthers as they look to advance to 8-1 before heading into their bye week. The Chiefs rushed for only 50 yards in the win.

1) Pittsburgh Steelers (Prev: 1)

The Steelers faced another test and took care of the Baltimore Ravens to move to 7-0 and take a two-game lead in the AFC North. The offense only managed 221 yards, but turned the Ravens over four times, including a Robert Spillane pick-six. With the Cowboys, Bengals, and Jaguars the next three games on their schedule, the Steelers look poised to start 10-0 and are clearly in the driver’s seat for the AFC’s one seed.

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