NFL Power Rankings, Week 9: Chargers, Texans and Ravens on the rise; Steelers, Falcons scuffling

It will be interesting to see how active, if at all, the Lions will be before the No. 4 trade deadline. They have a 5-2 mark with losses against two very good teams (Green Bay and Kansas City) and the fourth-best point differential in the league at +64. There are probably more needs on defense, but they've played more well than not on that side of the ball, and the reserve DBs stood quite tall in the Week 7 win over the Buccaneers, which makes GM Brad Holmes' approach to this next week so fascinating. Does he trust what's in house? Is there enough depth? The NFC North hasn't entirely boiled down to a two-horse race, but it's shaping up that way at the moment between Detroit and Green Bay. It won't be shocking to see the Lions try to make a move, but even without one, they're in very good shape heading into the back half of the season.

Sunday's divisional bout versus Tennessee was relatively competitive during the first half of play, but the Colts turned on their afterburners following the break and won their fifth game of the season by 14-plus points. Daniel Jones didn't look that great early, but he finished with 272 yards and three touchdowns on 21-of-29 passing, turning in his sixth turnover-free game in eight outings. That's how you know it's a gilded season. Jonathan Taylor once again was a monster with three scores, and he's now on pace for 26 TDs and 2,244 yards from scrimmage. The Colts' defense will be more challenged -- possibly in the next two games before the bye (at Pittsburgh, vs. Atlanta in Berlin) -- but by and large, that unit is getting the job done.

After a funky start, with two Patrick Mahomes interceptions (one off Travis Kelce's hands), the Chiefs began to flex on the Commanders. Mahomes hit three different players with TD passes on Kansas City's first three possessions of the second half, finally putting Washington away. Mahomes took a few hits, but he and the Chiefs' offense look to be in pretty great shape prior to this Sunday's huge showdown in Buffalo, assuming Isiah Pacheco's injury isn't too serious. You can almost throw out the befores and afters when the Bills and Chiefs meet, but for what it's worth, the Kansas City defense has hit a new tier since the Jaguars loss in Week 5, allowing 24 points total to the Lions, Raiders and Commanders. Washington moved the ball early, but K.C. got the key stops it needed.

This was Jordan Love's best game of the season, conveniently coming in his showdown with Aaron Rodgers. The Packers once again followed a familiar script of going cold for a stretch and needing to come back from a deficit, but Love was up to the challenge with a strong outing in Pittsburgh -- even when the run game had stalled out. He completed 20 straight passes in one stretch, humbling the Steelers with a series of lob shots downfield they couldn't defend. With an emerging star at tight end (Tucker Kraft) and a full complement of wide receivers, the Packers will be tougher to defend down the stretch. Green Bay's defense also took over late against Pittsburgh, with Micah Parsons once again owning the fourth quarter. The Packers arguably haven't put together a complete, four-quarter performance since the opener, but they have the firepower to put teams away late.

We finally saw 2024 shades of Saquon Barkley, as the reigning Offensive Player of the Year racked up 174 scrimmage yards with a touchdown on the ground and through the air in a blowout of the Giants. That said, Barkley left the game late with a groin injury and didn't return, so there's a little hesitation with the Eagles because of that. But that's now two straight games where they flexed their muscles and looked like heavyweight contenders again. If Barkley is sidelined, it's good to know that someone else can have success running in this offense. Tank Bigsby had one carry for Philadelphia entering Sunday but ran for 104 yards on just nine totes against New York. Considering all of that came in a game without A.J. Brown (hamstring), the Eagles should feel pretty good about where they're headed after this week's bye.

Don't sweat the short drop. With a swarming defense and an explosive offense, the Seahawks are one of the more well-rounded teams in football. And the defense has been without its two best DBs, CB Devon Witherspoon and S Julian Love, for the majority of games. Seattle coughed up the ball four times in the pre-bye win over Houston, which is exactly the kind of performance Klint Kubiak's attack must avoid going forward. The D should be able to take care of business more often than not, as long as the offense isn't donating possessions to opponents. Ball security becomes even more crucial with a remaining schedule that includes six road games against only four in Seattle. This is almost the exact spot Sam Darnold found himself in with the Vikings last season. Can Darnold and the 'Hawks have a better ending?

Los Angeles rolled into last week's bye at 5-2, with two straight comfy wins on the road despite Puka Nacua being injured in the first and sidelined for the second. When Nacua and Matthew Stafford are healthy, the Rams have a top-10 offense, even with a sluggish run game. They also have the horses on defense to be a tough out in the playoffs. The Rams were in line alongside several other teams -- including some they could eventually meet in the postseason -- to trade for a cornerback, but they landed Roger McCreary fairly cheaply from the Titans on Monday. The pieces are there for a run, but every game counts with only NFC opponents (and five divisional bouts) remaining on the schedule.

Baker Mayfield didn’t throw or run for a touchdown, yet Tampa Bay still won in a relative laugher. It might have been the worst offensive showing of the season for the shorthanded Bucs -- and Mayfield and Emeka Egbuka both looked less than fully healthy against the Saints -- but when you play that kind of defense, it doesn’t matter. Producing four takeaways (including an Anthony Nelson pick-six) and two fourth-down stops, the Bucs held the Saints out of the end zone and sent Spencer Rattler to the bench. The bye should help in the health department, and though three straight tough games await Tampa on the other side, this team has shown it can hang with virtually anyone at close to full strength. 

That was a great way to come out of the bye, with the Bills turning in their finest defensive performance this season. They were feckless in the Week 6 loss to the Falcons but in complete command at Carolina, sacking Andy Dalton seven times, forcing three turnovers and allowing just nine points. Buffalo only forced five TOs in the first six games, so taking it away three times at Carolina was a revelation. It was especially encouraging to see Mike Hoecht and Larry Ogunjobi come off suspension to make immediate impacts, though Ed Oliver’s brutal biceps injury is significant moving forward. Any extra possessions are dangerous for this Bills offense to receive, and two of them started in the red zone. Buffalo's offensive issues weren’t all suddenly fixed, but James Cook was so good that it didn’t matter.

Even if it came against Dallas' porous defense, that was exactly the kind of game Denver needed offensively. Bo Nix overcame his early pick to have a terrific day, and the run game really flourished. RJ Harvey hadn't gotten many touches lately, so it was a pleasant surprise to see the rookie log his first two NFL rushing touchdowns in a three-TD performance. The Broncos will encounter much tougher defenses before the Week 12 bye (this Sunday at Houston and Week 11 vs. Kansas City), but this 44-point outing bodes well for Sean Payton's attack. The news wasn't all good, with star CB Patrick Surtain II leaving with a left shoulder injury. Denver's defense did a number on the Cowboys most of the game, but Surtain missing significant time would be a problem.

The Patriots settled for three first-half field goals and only led 9-7 at halftime, but they dominated the Browns in the third quarter and won going away. This was actually a good test for Drake Maye, who was sacked six times by Cleveland and threw an interception that could have hurt. But he bounced back and delivered another strong performance in the win, once again burning an opponent with his mobility and attacking the second and third levels of the defense. The sacks are starting to add up for Maye, who now has taken 28 (second-most, behind only Cam Ward's 34), but the Patriots are rolling. While noting the caliber of opponent, New England's defense has shown notable improvement in the past three games.

The Chargers leapt back into the fray with a strong showing against the Vikings on Thursday, reminding everyone of what they're capable of doing offensively with close to a full crew. Justin Herbert got back on track with a cleaner game. Rookie TE Oronde Gadsden II's recent emergence as one of Herbert's favorite pass catchers adds a new dimension to the offense. But just as the Bolts have gotten Joe Alt and Trey Pipkins back on offense, plus Khalil Mack and Denzel Perryman on defense, they lost Derwin James, Tarheeb Still and Mekhi Becton to injuries. I still believe in this team to a degree, but health remains a bugaboo. 

Kyle Shanahan didn't mince words when he said the Texans "kicked our ass" on Sunday. That was especially true when it came to the 49ers' defensive front against a Texans offensive line that had hardly been dominant coming in. That San Francisco front was already without Nick Bosa, and it lost two other members to injury at Houston (Jordan Elliott and Sam Okuayinonu). The 49ers didn't do well up front on offense, either, as the Texans erased the Niners' run game early and put constant heat on Mac Jones. We're still in wait-and-see mode with Brock Purdy and his health, but the 49ers need to play better up front, no matter who's at QB. They're set to face three pretty good defensive lines in the next three games.

Chris Boswell nailed a 56-yard field goal to give the Steelers a 19-14 lead midway through the third quarter, and the Packers just boatraced them from that moment on. It felt like Green Bay hit a gear Pittsburgh couldn't match after what had been a back-and-forth game to that point. Just two weeks ago, the Steelers were in an enviable position: up 2.5 games in the division and seemingly peaking. All of a sudden, though, following two humbling losses, the picture has changed dramatically. Pittsburgh's defense had no answers for Green Bay's passing game, as a secondary that received major resources in the offseason was undressed again. Furthermore, someone please let me know when the Steelers' next easy game is. The schedule is a challenge, assuming the Ravens are back, and all three units need to improve in order for Pittsburgh to get into December in decent shape.

The season has shifted dramatically a few times, but the reality is that Jacksonville hit the Week 8 bye facing an identity crisis following two straight losses. The win over the Chiefs suddenly feels like it came half a season ago, and the Jaguars now must go on the road for four of their next five. This stretch could define the futures of Trevor Lawrence and Brian Thomas Jr. in Jacksonville. So far, they have not been a productive enough pair. The defense also has stopped turning the ball over, generating 13 takeaways in the first four games and only one in the three since. The Colts keep winning, and the Texans aren't yet going away, so we should learn a lot about the Jags over this next month. Are they built to last?

The Texans might have the best defense in football. They've allowed more than 20 points only once and have forced eight turnovers in their past three games, holding Christian McCaffrey in check Sunday and winning the battle at the line of scrimmage. Mac Jones was sacked twice and under fire much of the day, but there were even more plays for Houston to make up front. Sweetening the win over the Niners was the 26-point performance by the offense. Even with the INT right before halftime, C.J. Stroud was as sharp as he's been all season, and he can thank some unexpectedly great pass protection for that. The Texans will win 90 percent of the games in which they pass block and score like that. 

Progress is rarely linear, but the Bears' offense feels like it has taken steps backward over the past few games. Two encouraging drives against Baltimore ended in disappointing field goals, and then it got worse, as they scored only one TD in their lowest point total of the season. Caleb Williams had two critical grounding calls and threw a back-breaking pick with nine minutes left. The defense was working with a shorthanded secondary, but the pass rush was invisible most of the game, with Dominique Robinson and Shemar Turner both getting hurt. It's hard to get too upset, with this loss coming after four straight wins, but the Bears caught a huge break with Lamar Jackson inactive and couldn't take advantage.

The compromised Commanders battled early and had their chances against the Chiefs but couldn't stop the second-half avalanche defensively. Johnny Newton and Javon Kinlaw both left the game with injuries, too, but the offense appeared to take the biggest health hits. Washington was already without Jayden Daniels, and then the team lost Laremy Tunsil to a hamstring injury. Deebo Samuel and Terry McLaurin returned to action Monday, but while McLaurin made a pair of spectacular grabs, he only played a handful of snaps in the second half. Marcus Mariota did fairly well, with Samuel to blame for his interception, but the QB couldn't get much going after halftime. The Commanders have to hope Daniels can return for a big one against the Seahawks, as Washington's grip on this season is starting to slip.

Baltimore still has a long way to go, but Tyler Huntley has saved the season for now. The Lamar Jackson situation was confusing, but assuming he’s actually going to be healthy, he’ll return with some open road in front of him. Since 1990, 11 teams have made the playoffs after starting a season at 2-5, and the Ravens’ next five opponents are all currently below .500. Even with three straight on the road, it wouldn't shock anyone to see Baltimore at 5-5 by mid November. The Ravens' defense has also made some impressive strides in the past few games, and with the Steelers suddenly scuffling, the AFC North is far from settled.

Even taking into account the absences of Michael Penix Jr. and Drake London, the Falcons looked notably helpless trying to move the ball against the Dolphins. Kirk Cousins would surely love to be traded elsewhere as a possible starter, but he couldn't get anything going Sunday. The Falcons are now averaging 17.1 points per game, the fifth-worst mark in the league, and that didn't happen because of one poor offensive showing. Two weeks ago, it looked like the Falcons could be dangerous. Now they're below .500 and have to go on the road for six of the next eight games. Atlanta's defense also has taken it on the chin recently, allowing 315 total rushing yards over the past two games to two teams that had struggled to run the ball before facing the Falcons. Bad juju here right now.

After winning three straight, the Panthers lost by at least 16 points for the third time this season. With Bryce Young out, Andy Dalton and the Carolina offense struggled to stay on schedule all game. On three first-half possessions, the Panthers reached the Buffalo 30-yard line or better, but came away with only three total points. Between those difficulties and a Dalton pick that was run back to the Carolina 1-yard line, a close game became a Bills laugher. If the Panthers hope not to fall below .500 again, getting Young back in time for Sunday's game at Green Bay will go a long way.

The Cowboys came out trying to play man defense against the Broncos, and it resulted in an interception ... followed by four TDs in the next five possessions. They were down three important members of the secondary, rolled the dice and it bit them. That was tough, but seeing the offense fail to rise up to the challenge against Denver’s defense was disappointing -- and revealing. The Cowboys have lacked that same juice on the road that they’ve shown at home, and this was just as tough a game as the Week 3 loss to the Bears was. Dak Prescott probably had his worst outing of the season, not taking enough advantage of Patrick Surtain II missing the second half. Dallas could have won back-to-back games but left looking like a team that can’t count on its offense bailing out the defense on a weekly basis.

The good news is that J.J. McCarthy appears set to return in Week 9 against Detroit after missing five straight games. The bad news is that the pass protection remains a huge issue. Carson Wentz might not have played one of his best games, but he also didn't have many clean pockets from which to work and is now on injured reserve. That concern will fall on McCarthy, who took nine sacks in his first two games before being sidelined by a high ankle sprain. The defensive worries are also mounting, as Brian Flores' group has not performed anywhere near expectations, outside of one game against the Bengals. The Vikings have one of the tougher remaining schedules, and there's a lot to get fixed.

They’ll have had the bye week and an extra day to prepare for next Monday’s game at Dallas, which feels like a must-win. The Cardinals have dropped five straight by a total of 13 points, but that hasn’t made the losing any easier. That Cards fans now seem to be more behind Jacoby Brissett, who started the past two losses, over Kyler Murray, the presumptive starter once his foot injury is healed, is quite telling. It’s imperative for Murray to regain ownership of this offense and this team down the stretch, or he could enter the offseason with serious questions swirling over his future in Arizona. He’ll have to do it against arguably the NFL’s toughest remaining schedule, which includes six of 10 games on the road.

The Bengals had a chance to pull even at 4-4, but a shocking home defeat to the previously winless Jets -- despite having extra time to prepare, coming off Thursday Night Football in Week 7 -- dealt a hammer blow to their playoff hopes. Since 1990, teams that start 4-4 have made the postseason 31.9 percent of the time; that number drops to 10.4 percent for those that start with a 3-5 record. The Bengals are helped by their 2-0 mark in the AFC North, but the next six opponents are very much in the playoff mix. Joe Flacco and the run game did plenty to win; this loss fell on the heads of Cincinnati's defenders, who allowed the Jets to ring up 502 yards of offense with two starting receivers out and Justin Fields starting at QB after a week in which it felt like he could be benched.

Sunday’s victory in Atlanta was a shocking development, given how definitive it was -- in all phases -- almost right from the start. Mike McDaniel hinted at play-style changes after the blowout loss at Cleveland, and he delivered with a run-heavy masterpiece and stunningly good run defense against one of the best rushing attacks. It didn’t hurt that the Falcons were without their starting QB (Michael Penix Jr.) and top receiver (Drake London), but we’re not about to nitpick the Dolphins’ first road win in nearly 10 months. Outrushing the Falcons by nearly 100 yards wasn’t even in my realm of possibilities entering this game. So, what did it mean? McDaniel talk will cool ever so slightly for a week.

This was a tough blow for a Giants team that had generated a lot of excitement over the past month despite serious setbacks. First came the Malik Nabers injury, and then on Sunday, Cam Skattebo went down with a season-ending ankle dislocation. New York is not ideally built to play from behind, at least given where the run defense is right now. The offensive worries might be piling up with all the considerable injuries, but the G-Men suddenly can’t stop the run. The Eagles averaged 8.4 yards a clip Sunday, with Tank Bigsby even gaining a first down on a second-and-31 run when it was an 11-point game early in the fourth quarter. The Giants’ next five opponents before the bye are over .500, and a once-intriguing season might be slipping away.

Poor Myles Garrett. He had a career-high five sacks on Sunday, appearing unblockable most of the game, but what looked like a possible Cleveland upset at halftime became a blowout loss. A week after putting up 31 points on the Dolphins, the Browns were back in their typical neighborhood against the Patriots, scoring only 13. Right now, the win over Miami looks like the outlier; even in that triumph, they barely cracked 200 yards of offense, and on Sunday, they similarly struggled to move the ball against New England. After the loss, Kevin Stefanski said he planned to stick with Dillon Gabriel as the starting QB, but there will probably be more Shedeur Sanders chatter during the Week 9 bye ahead of a road meeting with the Jets. 

The Raiders have scored 26 points in their last 12 quarters and are coming off one of the worst offensive showings of the NFL season against the Chiefs prior to the bye. Pete Carroll looked completely spooked after that one, with his first season in Vegas currently going completely sideways. It’s clear that the Raiders haven’t been the same since Brock Bowers got hurt, although it’s fair to wonder how much longer Geno Smith will have as the starter. He was pulled late against the Chiefs for Kenny Pickett, who might get a longer look if Smith continues struggling. This trade deadline also could be an active one for the Raiders now that they’re pretty much out of contention. A lot of changes could be coming.

It wasn't shocking to see the Saints make a QB switch, even if Spencer Rattler wasn't truly struggling at the time he came out of Sunday's defeat. I mentioned the possibility last week because it just felt like they couldn't keep losing and not eventually find out whether Tyler Shough can play or not. Shough's results against the Bucs didn't reveal much. The rookie was slightly less efficient than Rattler, but it would surprise me if New Orleans didn't keep it going with Shough, despite the pair of tough road games coming up -- perhaps Shough will get the ball for the back half of the season. How he plays will have a significant impact on the Saints' QB draft plans, and they're currently set to get a very high pick.

EDITOR'S UPDATE: After publishing on Tuesday, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported that second-round pick Tyler Shough will make his first career start on Sunday against the Rams.

An awful week for the Jets began with owner Woody Johnson questioning Justin Fields' credentials, and it turned tragic with Sunday morning's announcement of team legend Nick Mangold's death. Against the Bengals, the Jets trailed by two TDs four times, including early in the fourth quarter, but they roared back for a dramatic and shocking first win of the season -- without Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson and others. Fields was the story, playing turnover-free ball and leading four scoring drives (one of which included a key two-point conversion) in the final 25 minutes. The run game also hummed, with Breece Hall rumbling for 133 yards and two scores and throwing the game-winning TD in what could end up being his final game as a Jet, with the Nov. 4 trade deadline coming after the team's Week 9 bye. The Jets certainly needed this one. Mangold grew up in Centerville, Ohio, about 45 minutes from Cincy and halfway up the road to Columbus, where he played college ball at OSU. It's hard not to think Mangold's spirit was there for Sunday's miracle. There was no way I was putting them 32nd this week.

The Titans had a chance to make it a one-score game against the Colts just before and after halftime, but they couldn’t do it either time, despite driving into Indianapolis territory in both possessions. The encouraging first-half showing eventually turned into a rout. Cam Ward made a few things happen in the first half, but he was picked and sacked three times after halftime. Mike McCoy punted on fourth-and-3 from the Indy 42 in a 10-point game, and Jonathan Taylor ripped off an 80-yard TD run on the next play as punishment for the decision. There’s no way the Titans should be leaning on their defense at this point. Just give Ward as many chances as he can have and let’s see how he solves problems. That’s the biggest development needed from this lost season.