Broncos in firm control, Chiefs & Dolphins rise, Seahawks, 49ers, Texans tumble in Week 8 Power Rankings

(0-6). Previous: 30th. Oakland Raiders. 32. team. 28. It’s official, the Raiders are the worst team in the league again. The Raiders failed to extract revenge on Carson Palmer, and now have to travel to play the Browns.

48. Fresh off of a bye week, and they host the Vikings. They have a chance to improve, but they’ve looked horrible on defense. They’re the worst team in the NFC South, but that’s not saying much these days.. (1-5). Previous: 31st. Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 31. team

30. team. 52. There’s a little life in the Jags right now, as they were able to surprise and beat off the heavily favored Browns. With the Dolphins coming to town, I don’t see it lasting.. (1-6). Previous: 32nd. Jacksonville Jaguars

29. team. 30. They had a glorious opportunity to upset the Patriots on Thursday Night Football, but fell short. I’m not sure the addition of Percy Harvin will save their season, but it’ll help as they head into the bye week.. (1-6). Previous: 29th. New York Jets

There’s nothing worse than losing on the game’s final play. The Vikings had everything going for them, too.. (2-5). Previous: 26th. Minnesota Vikings. 27. team. 60

(2-5). Previous: 24th. Atlanta Falcons. 26. team. 44. They can’t win on the road or at home, and now they’ll travel to London to play the Detroit Lions. It’s a sad site in the NFC South.

Tennessee Titans. 25. team. 35. They had the win, but turnovers and mental mistakes caused them to drop another game.. (2-5). Previous: 25th

15. If you want the textbook definition of ‘meltdown’, then see the Saints from last week. How do you surrender a 23-10 lead with four minutes left in the game? What a disappointing season.. (2-4). Previous: 22nd. New Orleans Saints. 24. team

(2-4). Previous: 27th. St. Louis Rams. 23. team. 51. Easily the most impressive victory of the week. Hats off to Jeff Fisher and his major set of brass. Those special teams plays though.

Houston Texans. 22. team. 10. Remember when this team was 3-1? Neither does anyone else.. (3-4). Previous: 14th

53. The Brownies looked more like the team we all knew about last season. It was a tough road loss, and Brian Hoyer looked horrid. Can they rebound at home this week against the visiting Raiders?. (3-3). Previous: 20th. Cleveland Browns. 21. team

team. 31. They gave Dallas all they had and then some, but fell short. They have the luxury of a bye week, and maybe they’ll get their rushing game back with Rashad Jennings returning.. (3-4). Previous: 18th. New York Giants. 20

If you wanted to feel encouraged, here’s your best team in the NFC South right now. They were thrashed by the Packers, and have a tough game on their hands hosting the struggling Seahawks.. (3-3-1). Previous: 17th. Carolina Panthers. 19. team. 87

(3-4). Previous: 15th. Chicago Bears. 18. team. 57. That was a rough game for any Bears fan, and now we have Brandon Marshall calling out Jay Cutler. It can get ugly quickly in the Windy City, and they now have to travel to play the Pats. Who would have thought that the Bears would be 0-3 at home this season?

(3-3). Previous: 23rd. Kansas City Chiefs. 17. team. 124. Impressive road victory over a heavily favored Chargers team. The Chiefs could make things interesting down the stretch, but will have to knock off the Rams first.

59. It’s one thing to win on the road, but how about beating the Bears at Soldier Field? It’s insane to think that we have such a close race in the AFC East right now.. (3-3). Previous: 21st. Miami Dolphins. 16. team

16. Major concerns with Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller injuries, but the Bills keep powering through. A huge divisional test is on their hands, and if they can power of the Jets, they’ll continue to make things interesting.. (4-3). Previous: 19th. Buffalo Bills. 15. team

(3-2-1). Previous: 13th. Cincinnati Bengals. 14. team. 56. Shutout. How much does this team need A.J. Green? Oh yeah, their defense is playing bad too.

Previous: 16th. Pittsburgh Steelers. 13. team. 55. What’s that saying? It’s not how you start, but how you finish? The Steelers did just that against the Texans last night. They will need to continue playing like that if they want to catch the Ravens.. (4-3)

San Francisco 49ers. 12. team. 42. Embarrassed on a national stage, as Peyton Manning picked apart that vaunted defense. The offense struggled heavily as well. The bye week came at a great time for this team.. (4-3). Previous: 6th

Previous: 7th. Seattle Seahawks. 11. team. 36. Surprise, surprise. The defending champs are struggling. People honestly thought they’d just come out and dominate again? See the track history. They desperately need to win against the Panthers.. (3-3)

team. 26. They manhandled the Falcons, and are starting to look better defensively. With a firm grip on the AFC North, they have to be cautious heading into Cincy this week.. (5-2). Previous: 12th. Baltimore Ravens. 10

(5-2). Previous: 11th. Indianapolis Colts. 9. team. 46. It’s crazy to think that this team started 0-2. Andrew Luck is getting things done, and then some. They will have their hands full against the Steelers, but should continue to roll.

It came down to the wire, but the Pats were able to knock off the rival Jets. Tom Brady and the Pats have some huge momentum right now, but should be cautious facing a Bears team that desperately needs a win.. (5-2). Previous: 10th. New England Patriots. 8. team. 47

(5-2). Previous: 3rd. San Diego Chargers. 7. team. 13. They let that game slip away from them, but continue to be a strong team. They’ll really be put to the test on Thursday Night Football, as they face the Broncos. Can Rivers steal a game?

Detroit Lions. 6. team. 50. Just when you thought the Lions were out of it, they storm back to stun the Saints. The defense kicked things into high gear at the right time, and win without Megatron. They should beat up on the Falcons.. (5-2). Previous: 9th

They rolled over the Panthers, and now travel to the Bayou to face a reeling Saints team. Could we see an upset? Or, will Aaron Rodgers make mincemeat out of the Saints?. (5-2). Previous: 8th. Green Bay Packers. 5. team. 49

32. Another win for the Cardinals, and they come home to have the high-powered Eagles offense come to town. I can’t wait to watch this matchup of the birds.. (5-1). Previous: 5th. Arizona Cardinals. 4. team

(5-1). Previous: 2nd. Philadelphia Eagles. 3. team. 54. Fresh off of a bye week to play the Cardinals at home. This will be the biggest test of the Eagles young season, and Dallas may take them out after this week.

team. 123. They’re playing great football right now. They should beat up on their rival Redskins on Monday Night Football. Just be wary of crowning this team before we get to the playoffs.. (6-1). Previous: 4th. Dallas Cowboys. 2

45. As if you didn’t think Peyton Manning would set the record in front of a nationally televised audience. The Broncos are easily the best team in the NFL right now, and what’s even scarier is their defense is catching fire.. (5-1). Previous: 1st. Denver Broncos. 1. team