NFL Power Rankings - Week of October 25, 2019
John Crowe GoLocal Sports Contributor
NFL Power Rankings - Week of October 25, 2019
Two undefeated teams left in the NFL that is as we hit the week 8 mark of the season.
To no one’s surprise, the Patriots are one of those teams, but the fact that the 49ers are the other is quite fascinating. Could we be headed to a Tom Brady vs. Jimmy Garoppolo Super Bowl matchup in Miami in February?
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe master vs. the understudy would certainly be delicious. Yet, there are many weeks to go before we get there and a whole slew of contenders to get through to boot.
Now, speaking of those contenders, in the AFC, you have the Patriots at the top followed by a cluster of teams that will now fight to be “that” team to knock them off. The Chiefs, with Patrick Mahomes out injured with a dislocated kneecap for the next three to six weeks, join the Bills, Colts, Texans, and Ravens in a group of five very good, but not sure who will pop teams.
Meanwhile, in the NFC, the 49ers may be the only undefeated team, yet may not be the best team in the conference.
The Saints, winners of five in a row without injured quarterback Drew Brees, and the Packers are playing at an equally high level. It sets up for a fascinating second half of the 2019 season.
So, with that, here’s your power rankings for week 8.
See the Slideshow Below
NFL Power Rankings - Week of October 25, 2019
Outside Looking In
On the outside: Panthers (4-2), Cowboys (4-3), Rams (4-3), Texans (4-3)
The Panthers are rolling with backup Ryan Allen, who has led them to four straight wins, but will they stick with him when Cam Newton is healthy? Or could a trade be in the works? The clock is ticking on that decision.
The Rams and Cowboys seemingly got right this week with victories over the Falcons and Eagles respectively.
Consistency will be key to both of their futures.
10.
10. Chiefs (5-2)
A win in Denver over the hapless Broncos is offset with the loss of quarterback Patrick Mahomes to a dislocated kneecap which will see him miss anywhere from three to six weeks, according to the NFL.com.
They drop not so much for the play this week but for the weeks ahead where they’ll face Green Bay, Minnesota at home and then off to the road for the Titans and Chargers.
9.
Colts (4-2)
Arguably, Indy could be even higher on this list as quarterback Jacoby Brissett continues to impress, throwing four touchdowns against the Texans to take control of the AFC South.
The Colts' strength is their offensive line which could pay even bigger dividends come playoff time.
8.
Seahawks (5-2)
A hiccup against the Ravens moves Seattle down a bit in this week’s rankings.
Seattle had no answer for quarterback Lamar Jackson and two defensive touchdowns by Baltimore proved to be the difference.
7.
Vikings (6-2)
Suddenly, Kirk Cousins is red hot! After an in-house spat with Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen, Cousins has thrown for eight touchdowns the past two weeks in victories over the Eagles and Lions.
6.
Bills (5-1)
Record-wise, Buffalo is the second-best team in the AFC at 5-1, having only lost to the Patriots 16-10.
Much like the Pats, the Bills are riding their defense to the hot start.
With a favorable schedule ahead against the Eagles, Redskins, Browns, Dolphins, and Broncos, they could be 10-1 before facing Dallas on Thanksgiving.
5.
Ravens (5-2)
Lamar Jackson is a pure magician.
Did you know that Jackson ranks sixth in rushing with 576 yards and three touchdowns to go with his 11 passing touchdowns?
Locked in a 13-13 game in Seattle, Jackson engineered two nearly ten-minute drives, including a fourth-down touchdown run, to put the Ravens on top for good in an upset over the Seahawks.
4.
Packers (6-1)
The scary thing is that Aaron Rodgers threw for five touchdowns and ran for another without his top weapon, Davonte Adams, who missed his third straight game with turf toe.
It’s a shame that Kansas City is without Patrick Mahomes for this Sunday night’s Packers vs. Chiefs game or that would have the makings of a real shootout.
Green Bay’s defense is for real.
3.
49ers (6-0)
Are these Niners for real? A 9-0 whitewash in the wind and the rain in Washington against the Redskins doesn’t inspire much, but a win is a win.
And count tight end George Kittle as one who enjoyed it quite a bit.
“Yeah, are you kidding me? I had a blast out there, you couldn't tell?" said Kittle after the game.
Up next, it’s the Panthers, Cardinals twice, Seahawks and Packers, so we’ll know in a month the answer to just how good the 49ers are.
2.
Saints (6-1)
So, no Drew Brees, no Alvin Kamara, and no Jared Cook? No problem for New Orleans as they march into Chicago against a Bears team coming off the bye and the Saints roll to a 36-25 victory that really wasn’t as close as the final score would indicate.
Now, New Orleans could get Brees back as early as this Sunday against the Cardinals, according to the New Orleans Advocate.
1.
Patriots (7-0)
What do you say about the defending Super Bowl Champions who are 7-0, #1 ranked in defense with an average of giving up 6.9 points a game and coming off a dominating 33-0 shutout of the Jets on Monday night?
A win that left Jets quarterback Sam Darnold “seeing ghosts,” according to the ESPN broadcast. Well, they just got even better!
As GoLocalProv reported, the Pats traded for wide receiver Mohamed Sanu from the Falcons Tuesday for a second-round pick.
Sanu, who is under contract through the 2020 season, will add depth to a pass-catching crew that’s seen injuries to both Josh Gordon (knee/ankle) and Phillip Dorsett (hamstring), although Dorsett returned Monday night to catch a touchdown pass from Tom Brady.
The trade for Sanu came one day before the Patriots placed Gordon on injured reserve, as GoLocalProv reported.
Count head coach Bill Belichick as one who’s not crowning this defense as the best in league history just yet though as he said after Monday night’s win:
“Well, look, we have a lot of good players and they played well tonight (Monday). So, give the players credit for their effort and their playmaking. We’ll see what happens next week. We’ve got a big challenge ahead of us with the Browns, so we’ll see what happens. Each week is a challenge in this league. You’re only as good as your last game, so we’ll have to see what we can do next week," said Belichick.
