No fancy intro today. If you’re in the United States, today is Election Day. Get out there and make your voices heard, if you haven’t already. I’m sure you’ve seen the NFL ads, and I’ll add my voice to the mix. Voting is a right treated like a privilege in too many other countries, so don’t miss the chance to make an impact as a citizen.
Here are this week’s power rankings:
1 — Kansas City Chiefs (8-0, —)
The Chiefs survive again, this time in overtime. Something still feels off, but 8-0 is 8-0.
2 — Detroit Lions (7-1, —)
The Lions went into Green Bay during a monsoon and left no doubt about who the better team was. This team is firing on all cylinders.
3 — Buffalo Bills (7-2, —)
Kicker Tyler Bass nailed a 61-yard game-winner, completing the season sweep over Miami. The Bills can clinch the division as soon as Thanksgiving weekend.
4 — Baltimore Ravens (6-3, up 1)
The Ravens shook off their loss to the Browns with a thorough beatdown of the Broncos. Lamar Jackson might be on the way to his third MVP.
5 — Green Bay Packers (6-3, down 1)
Jordan Love clearly isn’t healthy, and he got dinged up again in Week 9. He also needs to stop throwing the ball to the defense.
6 — Minnesota Vikings (6-2, —)
Neither team inspired much confidence, but the Vikings got it done at home against the Colts. Vikings DC Brian Flores’ defense bounced back in a major way.
7 — San Francisco 49ers (4-4, up 1)
San Francisco was on bye this week and travels to Tampa Bay in Week 10.
8 — Houston Texans (6-3, down 1)
The sloppy performances finally caught up with the Texans. Starting QB C.J. Stroud went 11-30 through the air and is clearly missing injured WR Nico Collins.
9 — Atlanta Falcons (6-3, —)
The Falcons are thankful WR Drake London avoided serious injury after leaving the contest with the Cowboys with a hip injury. They have a chance to cement a stranglehold on the division over the next few weeks.
10 — Washington Commanders (7-2, —)
The Giants made it interesting late, but the game was never in question. I’ve been so impressed with this Washington defense, a testament to HC Dan Quinn.
11 — Philadelphia Eagles (6-2, —)
They almost let the Jaguars come back, but the Eagles locked down in the end and got the home win. Clutch defensive plays late made the difference in this one.
12 — Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5, —)
It was a valiant effort, but Chiefs’ QB Patrick Mahomes is inevitable. If the Buccaneers get some key players back from injury, most notably WR Mike Evans, they can still get back on track.
13 — Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2, up 2)
The Steelers were on bye this week and travel to Washington in Week 10.
14 — Arizona Cardinals (5-4, up 4)
It’ll be interesting to see if they can keep this up down the stretch, but the Cardinals are proving they’re no fluke. They are in the thick of the NFC West race.
15 — Los Angeles Rams (4-4, up 4)
Despite WR Puka Nacua’s second-quarter ejection, the Rams got the overtime win in Seattle. Two straight wins and the NFC West is there for the taking.
16— Seattle Seahawks (4-5, down 3)
Seattle went from first to last in the NFC West in the span of two weeks. That’s how tight this division is. The Seahawks are now 1-5 in their last six, which is a worrying trend.
17 — Indianapolis Colts (4-5, down 3)
Benching QB Anthony Richardson for journeyman Joe Flacco had a predictable result. However, HC Shane Steichen insists they’re sticking with Flacco, as they believe Richardson will benefit from some time on the sideline.
18 — Cincinnati Bengals (4-5, down 2)
The defense is still a problem, but the Bengals’ offense got back on track at home against the Raiders. Getting WR Tee Higgins back from injury is important for this squad to reach their full potential.
19 — Los Angeles Chargers (5-3, up 1)
The Chargers may yet be a factor in the playoff race. Chargers QB Justin Herbert took a beating but came up big in a dominating win over Cleveland.
20 — Denver Broncos (5-4, up 1)
First-round QB Bo Nix has had a strong start to the season, but the Broncos are a year or two away from competing with the big dogs. That shouldn’t diminish what Nix is doing, though.
21 — Chicago Bears (4-4, down 4)
It seems Chicago’s strong start to the season was a result of their weak schedule. They were never really in the game with Arizona.
22 — New York Jets (3-6, up 3)
A much-needed Thursday night win over Houston gives this team hope. The next five games are all winnable, and going on a run would put the Jets right back in the wildcard hunt.
23 — Miami Dolphins (2-6, up 1)
The Dolphins hung tough with the Bills but couldn’t quite pull it out late. It’s the kind of game that might determine trade deadline plans, as a loss likely closes the door on playoff hopes.
24 — Dallas Cowboys (3-5, down 2)
The Cowboys lost the game and QB Dak Prescott to a hamstring injury. This feels like the beginning of the end of Dallas’ season.
25 — Jacksonville Jaguars (2-7, down 2)
The Jaguars are playing inspired football, but it’s not leading to wins. A roster reset seems inevitable at this point, and they’ve already started the trading with LT Cam Robinson shipped out last week.
26 — Cleveland Browns (2-7, —)
After a scintillating performance in an upset of the Ravens, the other side of the QB Jameis Winston experience was felt in Cleveland. Three interceptions doomed any chance the Browns had.
27 — Las Vegas Raiders (2-7, up 1)
It’ll be interesting to see if the Raiders make any moves at the deadline. The most notable player they’ve gotten calls about, ED Maxx Crosby, isn’t going anywhere.
28 — Tennessee Titans (2-6, down 1)
It took overtime, but the Titans got the home win over the Patriots. Young QB Will Levis still couldn’t go, so veteran QB Mason Rudolph got another start.
29 — New England Patriots (2-7, up 1)
It’s really fun to watch first-round QB Drake Maye play football. This was an ideal result for New England, getting a competitive game from the rookie quarterback, including a mesmerizing final drive, but still losing for draft purposes.
30 — New York Giants (2-7, up 1)
As seems to be the story this season, the Giants were able to keep it competitive but couldn’t manage to win. Fifth-round RB Tyrone Tracy and first-round WR Malik Nabers, plus WR Wan’Dale Robinson and fourth-round TE Theo Johnson provide a promising core of skill players for the future.
31 — Carolina Panthers (2-6, up 1)
He didn’t put up big numbers, but I thought this was QB Bryce Young’s best game in a Panthers uniform. He was calm and kept the offense on schedule, taking what was there, and didn’t throw the game away.
32 — New Orleans Saints (2-7, down 3)
The loss in Carolina cost HC Dennis Allen his job, as he became the second midseason firing in the NFL in 2024. It’s hard to see a quick path back to relevancy for the Saints, but it’ll start with getting the right coach in the building.
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