NFL Week 9 Power Rankings

1. Kansas City Chiefs 7-1 — 

Patrick Mahomes made this one look too easy throwing for 416 yards on five touchdowns. He hit ten different receivers in the process as this one was never close. You have to like the Chiefs chances to go 8-1 going into their bye week as they’ll take on a young and struggling Carolina squad this upcoming week.

Next: vs. CAR

2. Pittsburgh Steelers 7-0 —  

You just knew this game was coming down to the last possession. Despite being outgained 457 to 221 and giving up 265 of those yards on the ground, the Steelers came out on top 28-24. Their defense showed once again why they are so elite forcing four turnovers including two fumbles within the redzone and a pick-six on the third play of the game:

Robert Spillane picks off Lamar Jackson and takes it back the other way for a #Steelers TD. This defense is sooo good.pic.twitter.com/GzHce2S1Sy

— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) November 1, 2020

Big Ben continues to look underwhelming in his once promising deep-passing prowess; he didn’t complete one pass for over 15 air yards. But it didn’t matter – Pittsburgh retained the 1-seed in the AFC and has Dallas up next.

Next: @ DAL

3. Seattle Seahawks 6-1 +3 

Seems like Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf just take turns each week on who will terrorize opposing defenses. It was Metcalf who looked spectacular against this replenished 49ers secondary with 162 yards and 2 TDs. This defense looked like a Pete Carroll defense, stifling the 49ers run game and frustrating Jimmy G in the first three quarters. Look for this defense to continue to trend up with Jamal Adams and Shaquill Griffin slated to come back soon, as well as Carlos Dunlap to be added to the mix.

Next: @ BUF

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6-2 — 

This game looked eerily similar to the Bears loss for the first 2.5 quarters. The Giants were executing nicely on both sides of the football and the Bucs left a lot on the table offensively. However, the Bucs pulled through and found a way to win. It wasn’t pretty but the best teams find ways to win. They’ll look redeem themselves from their week 1 defeat to New Orleans on Sunday night with Antonio Brown making his debut.

Next: vs. NO

5. Baltimore Ravens 5-2 -2 

The one is an absolute killer for Baltimore. Not only did they outgain Pittsburgh by more than double their yards, but their ground attack looked like every bit of the 2019 Ravens we’ve been looking for. It was once again the passing attack that hindered this offense in a big way. Lamar Jackson completed less than half of his passes and turned the ball over four times. They looked like the more dominant team but shot themselves in the foot continuously with self-inflicted wounds. Now, they are two games back of the AFC North and lost franchise OT Ronnie Stanley for the year with a compound fracture in his ankle.

Next: @ IND

6. Green Bay Packers 5-2 -1 

Yes, the windy conditions absolutely affected their offense. But the same issues we had with Green Bay in 2019 are reappearing right before us. Minnesota, 1-5 going into this contest, is much better than their record indicated, especially with Dalvin Cook back in the lineup. He ran all over this GB team with four total touchdowns and over 200 total yards. When the games get tight and competitive, Green Bay’s defense cannot stop the run and Rodgers’ passing attack no longer looks elite. The Packers need for a second option opposite Davante Adams is very palpable – Malik Taylor had the second most yards among GB WRs yesterday with 1 catch for 26 yards.

Next: @ SF

7. Buffalo Bills 6-2 +1  

It took until game 8, but we saw Buffalo’s run game finally come alive. Singletary and Moss each had 14 carries for over 80 yards, while Moss carried in two scores. The Bills took advantage of New England’s weak interior and led for most of this game. The offensive fireworks that we saw from the first month of the season have seemingly disappeared at the moment, but a win over New England is nothing to scoff over. It is their first win over New England since 2017.

Next: vs. SEA

8. Tennessee Titans 5-2 -1 

After starting 5-0, they have now lost two straight and have hit a wall offensively. Derrick Henry continues to dominate the ground game but Ryan Tannehill struggled against a relatively weak Cincinnati secondary. AJ Brown only saw one target in the first half. Things don’t get easier for this offense who take on Chicago next week.

Next: vs. CHI

9. Indianapolis Colts 5-2 +1 

This ground game left a lot to be desired but Philip Rivers has sneakily strung together a few solid games to help the Colts to a 5-2 start which tied for tops in the AFC south. Darius Leonard elevated this defense back to elite status with a crucial strip sack in third quarter that put this game out of reach. It wasn’t Jonathan Taylor but backups Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins combined for three scores as the Colts will take on a struggling Lamar Jackson in week 9.

Next: vs. BAL

10. New Orleans Saints 5-2 +1 

Alvin Kamara was the most dynamic guy on the field once again with 67 yards on the ground and another 96 through the air on 9 catches. The Saints showed a lot of grit and toughness after giving up a 10-point lead in the 4th quarter to come back and win in OT, but if this team wants to be a serious threat in the AFC, they need Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders back. This offense is too one-dimensional without them as Kamara accounted for 163 of the Saints 394 total yards.

Next: @ TB

11. Los Angeles Rams 5-3 -2 

Brian Flores seemed to confuse and disrupt the Rams’ steady offense all day long with disguised fronts and consistent pressure that forced four turnovers in favor of Miami. The Rams are now 1.5 games back of Seattle for first place going into their bye and are holding on to the 7 seed. The Rams need to make the appropriate adjustments now because of the bye, they’ll take on Seattle followed by Tampa Bay.

Next: BYE

12. Arizona Cardinals 5-2 — 

The Cards go into the bye after handing Seattle their first loss on Sunday night football. Kyler is on pace to be the first QB in NFL history to throw for over 4,000 yards and run for over 1,000. He has been one of the more exciting players to watch in the NFL this year; this defense looks much better with Budda Baker and Isaiah Simmons finally got involved last week. Next up: Tua time. 

Next: vs. MIA

13. Las Vegas Raiders 4-3 —     

The Raiders have been one of the more explosive aerial attacks in the NFL but they went back to their roots with Josh Jacobs leading the way this past Sunday. Each passing attack struggled due to the inclement weather in this rock fight and it was the domed Vegas team that got a much-needed gritty, defensive-laden victory that had huge wildcard implications.

Next: @ LAC

14. Miami Dolphins 4-3 +3

It was an underwhelming debut for Tua Tagovailoa who didn’t even reach 100 yards through the air. The Dolphins shortened this game up for Tua as best as they could and they did a great job executing it. They had a fumble-6 that went for 78 yards and an 88-yard punt return touchdown to aid Tua. Their defense was dominant in this performance forcing four turnovers and frustrating Jared Goff all day long. This team is right on the outskirts of a playoff berth at the near midway point.

Next: @ ARI

15. Chicago Bears 5-3 — 

Foles almost did it again – down by 10 in the fourth quarter, he scratched and clawed his way back to force OT. It wasn’t enough as this offense just has spurts of incompetence from Foles and their OL at crucial points. Like we’ve said all season, this defense continuously keeps this team in the ballgame, but the offense leaves a lot to be desired. The Bears now have Tennessee slated next.

Next: @ TENN

16. San Francisco 49ers 4-4 -2  

Jimmy Garoppolo and George Kittle each left the games at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Kittle will miss the rest of the regular season while Jimmy G will be out for at least the next six weeks. Nick Mullens made things interesting with three scores in the fourth but the 49ers were overwhelmed by Russell Wilson and this Seattle defense for most of this contest. The 49ers looked promising with two convincing wins over the Rams and Patriots the past two weeks but now could be back to under .500 very quickly. They take on Green Bay this upcoming Thursday.

Next: vs. GB

17. Cleveland Browns 5-3 -1

Even though the Browns are at 5-3, they cannot be feeling great going into the bye. The AFC North is known for their unpleasant weather games come the second half of the year. We got a sneak preview as soon as the calendar turned November in Cleveland; there was freezing rain and gusts of wind that topped over 40 mph. This game has to be a game that Cleveland wins with their run game but more inefficiency topped with drops in the passing game led to this defeat. Baker will be criticized by box score watchers but their receivers did not help the cause.

Next: BYE

18. New England Patriots 2-5 — 

New England looked much better than a week ago – as they were in perfect position to tie up the game with an easy chip shot inside the redzone. That was until Cam Newton fumbled away the game with under 40 seconds remaining. New England was efficient on the ground game; starter Damien Harris ran for 102 yards and a score and the Patriots passing attack was improved but it is still a sore sight for eyes. Newton threw for under 200 yards once again and lack any real explosion or big-play threat.

Next: @ NYJ

19. Los Angeles Chargers 2-5 — 

The Chargers now have 5 losses by a grand total of 19 points combined. This loss is their third defeat when they’ve held a lead of 17+:

Teams When Leading by 17+ This Season (Entering SNF):

Chargers: 0-3 (.000)

All Others: 52-4 (.929) pic.twitter.com/EcsCUF5jRe

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 2, 2020

Herbert had his first career multi-turnover game with two interceptions but still tallied up 30+ in another defeat for LA.

Next: vs. LV

20. Denver Broncos 3-4 +5

A tale of two halves for Denver’s offense who looked down and out in the first half. They had just two first downs and 62 total yards. Nevertheless, Drew Lock led the way with four second-half touchdowns and a 81-yard game-winning drive that ended in a touchdown as time expired to rookie KJ Hamler:

BRONCOS GAME WINNER

DREW LOCK TO KJ HAMLER!

pic.twitter.com/Fc2rInULb3

— PFF (@PFF) November 2, 2020

The Broncos have a chance to get to .500 next week at Atlanta. 

Next: @ ATL

21. Minnesota Vikings 2-5 +5

The impact Dalvin Cook has on this offense and team cannot be understated. In his first game back, he ran for 163 yards and three touchdowns and added in a ridiculous 50-yard screen to the house. If it weren’t for some tough late-game losses, the Vikings could easily be a 3 or 4 win team right in the thick of a playoff race. They’ll look to generate their first winning streak of the year versus Detroit next week.

Next: vs. DET

22. Philadelphia Eagles 3-4-1 -2 

The NFL had the audacity to wrap up a great day of football with this NFC east atrocity. The Eagles escaped Philly with a 23-9 win over Dallas but it couldn’t have been less convincing. Wentz had four turnovers and looked absolutely lost. The Eagles stand atop the NFC east standings going into the bye but have a lot to figure out at the quarterback position before their second tilt against the Giants.

Next: BYE

23. Atlanta Falcons 2-6 +1

Interim coach is one Todd Gurley touchdown away from a 3-0 start. After DJ Moore converted a 3rd and 17, it looked like the same old Falcons who would choke the game away at the very end. But they buckled down and contained this electric Carolina offense all night. They were constantly getting in the backfield all night, and despite all their injuries in the back end, they sealed the game with a nice INT from Blidi Wreh-Wilson.

Next: vs. DEN

24. Washington Football Team 2-5 -1 

It’s November and remarkably, the Football Team is still in contention standing in second place in the NFC east. Riverboat Ron will look to carry the momentum from week 7 into week 9 against divisional foe, New York.

Next: vs. NYG

25. Carolina Panthers 3-5 -3 

This has been a year of streaks for Carolina. They started out 0-2 and many suspected this would be a long year. Then they go out and win three straight, looking the part as a potential surprise wildcard in the NFC. Now, they’ve lost three straight and have to go to Arrowhead to take on the defending champs.

Next: @ KC

26. Detroit Lions 3-4 -5 

The Lions, similar to the Green Bay and New Orleans games, came out the gates hot. They ran out to a 7-0 lead followed by a blocked punt. But Matt Patricia’s bunch slowly fell apart and WR Kenny Golladay exited the game with a hip injury. Since Golladay’s return in week 3, the Lions were 3-1 with him and looked like they may creep into the playoff hunt. The Lions go into Minnesota next week in a near must-win for their playoff hopes to stay alive.

Next: @ MINN

27. Cincinnati Bengals 2-5-1 +2 

The Bengals have certainly looked much more competitive ever since taking their beatdown to Baltimore a few weeks ago. But they’ve lost two heartbreakers to Indy and Cleveland. Well, they were in complete control throughout this game. Without three starters on their offensive line, they had by far their best game giving up 0 sacks and paving the way for Gio Bernard on the ground to a nice upset over Tennessee.

Next: BYE

28. Houston Texans 1-6 -1

The Texans will have a chance to pick up their second win over Jacksonville in a little under a month. They have looked much better under interim Romeo Crennel but still are just 1-6. They were obvious candidates to sell in this year’s trade deadline.

Next: @ JAX

29. New York Giants 1-7 -1

It seems a little harsh to move the Giants down the power rankings after their valiant effort versus Tampa on Monday night, but they are 1-7. Furthermore, Daniel Jones continues to gift defenses with more turnovers each and every start. Jones’ two interceptions led to 14 points for Tampa Bay and helped engineer their comeback. This team is making incremental progress each week with very solid team defense and better execution on offense. But they need better QB play.

Next: @ WASH

30. Dallas Cowboys 2-6 —  

Dallas’ defense has been historically bad. They only had three takeaways in their first seven games but had matched their season total in the first half. They went into halftime with a 9-7 lead but were grasping onto this tentative lead with rookie 7th rounder Ben DiNucci at the helm. Amari Cooper didn’t see a catch until the fourth quarter and Ezekiel Elliott still hasn’t reached 100 yards in 2020 (19/63/0 vs. Philadelphia). Without Dak, a resurgence from Zeke looks more and more improbable by the week.

Next: vs. PITT

31. Jacksonville Jaguars 1-6 — 

The Jaguars go into the bye with six straight losses. They’ve been relatively competitive with such a young and flawed roster, but it looks like they’ll be without QB Gardner Minshew for aweek 9 and maybe further. This very well could further reinforce their insistence to tank with backup rookie Jake Luton under center for a few weeks.

Next: vs. HOU

32. New York Jets 0-8 —

Three field goals and another one blocked is not an ideal formula to try to take down the Chiefs. This game was competitive for about a quarter and a half, but the inevitable blowout came true. This is the second week in a row the Jets looked somewhat promising on offense in the first half, and looked completely lost in the second half. Against Kansas City, the Jets had two first downs and 63 total yards in the entire second half. Another head scratcher is Adam Gase’s limiting role for promising rookie running back La’Mical Perine who had the same amount of touches as 37 year-old Frank Gore.

Next: vs. NE