Dom's NFL Power Rankings

This is what I'll do when I'm bored. Let's start off with something simple: power rankings.

Power rankings (NFL Week 8)

1. New England Patriots - I hate to admit it, but Tom Brady is back. They didn't do so well last week, almost letting Pittsburgh slip one by. Though, it was obvious they underestimated the Steelers with Landry Jones starting at QB, but Belichick won't take that. The only player who came to play in the 1st half was Tom Brady. Belichick won't let that happen again. With them facing off against the Bills for a second time - they will lit up Rex Ryan after his weekly trash talking.

2. Minnesota Vikings - The Vikings were caught on a bad week, ironically, after a bye. Nothing went right. Bradford looked like old Bradford. The game was very ugly, and special teams and defense had to chip in for Philadelphia to get the win. Their defense is the best in the league. Zimmer was embarrassed, and I won't want to be the Chicago Bears next week.

3. Denver Broncos - Brock Osweiler did not have any room to do anything last night. The only question mark that surrounds this team is the offense. What will happen when Siemian has to pass down the field? What will happen if the run game goes nowhere? There's no worrying about that for now, but that's going to be a key down the line. For now, the defense is carrying the team, just like last year. Siemian is just fine as a checkdown master right now.

4. Seattle Seahawks - Defense wins championships, and that's what Pete Carroll has brought to Seattle during his tenure. Defense. Defense. Defense. However, the offense hasn't been so pretty during the season, particularly in the Sunday night game against Arizona. Two defenses were beating each other down, but Seattle has to get the offense going against a top tier defense, or they won't go far in the playoffs. No offensive line around Wilson is doing them no favors. At all.

5. Dallas Cowboys - There's no denying it, the Cowboys look unstoppable right now, and may have been undefeated if Terrance Williams had awareness to get out of bounds. Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott lead the rookie charge behind the best offensive line in football, and Dez Bryant returns. However, the defensive side isn't looking so good. They're in dire need of a pass rush, and the secondary is just average. Facing a top tier defense will be hard to overcome.

6. Arizona Cardinals - Whoa, whoa, whoa, Dom. Why are they SO high? Why is Arizona SO high? They look as a minor form of Panthers syndrome this season! I'll tell you why: Bruce Arians isn't stupid. They're going to make a run, whether or not Palmer is good at QB. Heck, they could make the playoffs if they decide to start Drew Stanton at QB. David Johnson is just superhuman. The defense is slowly coming back to their old ways. Weapons on both sides of the ball, the talent is just overflowing. They'll figure out how to use it right again.

7. Kansas City Chiefs - All right. I have never liked Kansas City. I think they're too conservative, especially with how Jamaal Charles and Jeremy Maclin is being used right now. Don't get me wrong, Spencer Ware is playing his heart out right now, but let's at least get us some reps for Charles! Easing him back into action is just not right. Plus, where has Jeremy Maclin been? Why is he not the weapon the Chiefs had last season? They have so much to use, and are not living up to it. Hence, why they have the seventh spot.

8. Pittsburgh Steelers - Yes, they can still win games with Landry Jones at QB. Anything is possible with the firepower offense the Steelers have. They just need to get it figured out on the defensive side, a huge problem for them the past couple years. They're a top 5 team with a healthy Roethlisberger.

9. Green Bay Packers - What is wrong with Aaron Rodgers? He looked impressive against Chicago - but it's Chicago. Not to mention the top two running backs on their depth chart are injured, and most of their secondary. The injury bug has hit them again, just this time not on the offensive line as much. Ty Montgomery looks like he can fuel the offense, but Aaron Rodgers, you have Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb. Why are you not prospering?!?!?!!?

10. Philadelphia Eagles - I do not like this team. I'm going to get it out of the way just like that. They have no way to protect Wentz. Lane Johnson's suspension really hurt them. Ertz has been non-existent since week 1. Jordan Matthews is being overrated Jordan Matthews for another year. Wide receivers can't get any separation for Wentz. Mathews has fumbling problems. But I like this team's defense. They're extremely underrated and lifted them to a win over Minnesota. I just don't see this team's offense doing well with how they looked in an ugly win against Minnesota. Their defense is great, but not great enough to carry the team.

11. Oakland Raiders - They have had a soft schedule. They have the WORST defense in the NFL, worst in passing defense and close to worst in rush defense. How did they let this happen? All of the offseason signings the past two defenses should have fixed this. Is it the curse of Jack Del Rio? Where has Khalil Mack been? What the heck is happening with their running game, why is Latavius Murray not getting the bulk of the carries? Many question marks surround this team, but they have found ways to win, especially on the road (an undefeated 4-0 on the road). They're going to be left out come the end of the season, though, because that Kansas City loss and two meetings later this season against Denver won't help.

12. Buffalo Bills - What is up with this team? They're great one week, terrible the next. It's like they're bipolar. LeSean McCoy's injury probably was the difference last week, but they have no wide receivers! Tyrod Taylor has nobody to pass to! Sammy Watkins' foot hurt them. Dearly. Their defense is above average, but didn't look like that last week. Just like the Raiders, I see them being left out come playoff time.

13. New York Giants - Ah. Your defense saved your butts in London, and it helped Case Keenum is absolute trash. The same story with this team, every year. No running game, and a below average offensive line. Eli Manning and Odell Beckham can't do everything in the world. Sterling Shepard has to get more involved, just like the earlier weeks of the season. Victor Cruz is being passed to, but barely getting any yards. Their defense is okay, but to compete with Dallas and Philadelphia, this team has to find a spark. Something to snap them out of the past couple years. Because it's looking like it'll end the same way.

14. San Diego Chargers - This is a very underrated team. I don't know how they do it. Without Mike McCoy, his pointless agenda and horrendous time management skills, this team would be undefeated. They have to find a way to finish games, and the past two weeks, they've done that recently. Jason Verrett's season ending injury doesn't spell well for their already bad secondary, though. Philip Rivers carries this team, and Melvin Gordon has done a great job with what he can do with their terrible offensive line out of the backfield.

15. Cincinnati Bengals - They haven't been as good this season. Why? Dalton hasn't been bad. They've had a tough schedule to start the season, sure. The big problem they have is their underwhelming running game. Up until the Cleveland game last week, Hill and Bernard struggled with gaining yardage on the ground. Here's to hoping they can turn it around and get another first round exit in the playoffs.

16. Atlanta Falcons - Whoa, whoa, whoa. WHY IS ATLANTA SO LOW? This is why: they're not good. Dan Quinn always finds a way to mess up the second half of the season. Their defense is just flat out bad. Sure, they have Vic Beasley Jr, Deion Jones, Desmond Trufant, and Kean'u Neal. However, that seems to not be enough. Though Dan Quinn has been brought in to build a pass rush, he still hasn't gotten one. It hasn't helped with the emergence of Tevin Coleman's injury, either. Their offensive line is good: but their defense needs to play way better.

17. Houston Texans - Brock Osweiler needs to be replaced. He just is not the QB for this team. I can already tell. The sad part about this team is that they're pretty much a lock for the dreadful AFC South. Granted, their defense is above average. Granted, Lamar Miller and Alfred Blue carry a solid running game. They're just not going to go anywhere in the playoffs, though.

18. Baltimore Ravens - I honestly do not know what is wrong with this team. They've just collapsed. They had a lucky win over the Browns (they should thank the refs for the unsportsmanlike penalty on Terrelle Pryor), they just lost to the JETS using emergency QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. Jimmy Smith and Ladarius Webb are the only above average players in their secondary. Mike Wallace's usage has gone down more and more. Dennis Pitta is not gaining yardage on passes from Flacco. This team needs to turn it around in the competitive AFC North.

19. Los Angeles Rams - No matter what, Jeff Fisher can guarantee you a 7-9, 8-8, or 9-7 record. By the way, start Jared Goff. Case Keenum is just looking dreadful out there. Running Todd Gurley all game isn't going to work. At least, just try Goff out. Or if you don't want to, Mannion is an option. Just move on from Keenum, he isn't going to get you anywhere. The defense is solid: but get a QB, please.

20. Detroit Lions - Matthew Stafford is just pulling miracles. Eric Ebron was supposed to help him. Where has HE been? Plus, the pass defense is just atrocious. Stafford always has to keep the game in a shootout. Ameer Abdullah's injury hampered them. Golden Tate finally seems to have an emerging role, but they're going to need to do better than that.

21. Washington Redskins - I agree, this is a low spot for them. I just don't understand how they win games. No running game, defensive line is bad, Josh Norman is now injured, and their secondary wasn't great before anyway. Kirk Cousins seems to have taken a step back from the second half of last season, partly because my theory is the terrible defenses he played late last season. To tell the truth, I see them claiming the last spot in the rejuvenated NFC East.

22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - They should be better than this spot. They're just not getting it done. Jacquizz Rodgers has looked spectacular in Doug Martin's absence. But what they need to improve on is the defensive side. Giving up 37 points to the Rams? Having a -33 point differential with a young offense as good as there's? That's a no-no. That needs to be fixed.

23. New Orleans Saints - Please. For the sake of your team, for the sake of Drew Brees' career, get a defense. Delvin Breaux's injury was detrimental. Just find a way on the defensive side to hold the lead Brees and the high-powered offense gets. For the sake of Sean Payton's job, pretty please with sugar on top.

24. Indianapolis Colts - Andrew Luck, and nothing around him. Now that's a winner. Frank Gore has been stellar, but their receivers and defense excluding T.Y. Hilton....not so much. It's going to improve them with Moncrief coming back soon, but not to the extent to compete with the Texans in the AFC South. Luck needs help. Badly.

25. Tennessee Titans - Marcus Mariota has blossomed, granted, in front of below average defenses in his sophomore season. However, the offense has been centered around the running game. DeMarco Murray has been great for them. The defense, unexpectedly, has turned the tables to be at least now below average rather than terrible. However, just one tiny thing that doesn't work in their favor: they're the Titans.

26. Miami Dolphins - Adam Gase has really turned things around this season in his first year. Jay Ajayi looks to be a great running back for the future. But Ryan Tannehill has to prove his worth. And that defense needs to be worked on, especially the defensive backs. They're a sneaky team - I actually like them this season, but I just hate the fact that I can't rely on Tannehill week in and week out. Is it the offensive line? I'm not too sure.

27. Carolina Panthers - They can't seem to do anything right. Their defense needs to turn it around, like now. Cam Newton's not going to have help anymore. He's going to have the carry this team with his back. No fun and games this year, Cam. You're going to have to be a workhorse, or this team will see a top 5 draft pick.

28. Jacksonville Jaguars - I have officially lost faith in this team. No if's, no but's. How can they let Malik Jackson and Jalen Ramsey, with both of their contracts adding up to $113 million, be ejected in crucial moments of the game that could have kept alive their season? That's a huge coaching no-no. What the heck is up with Bortles? Why the hell are his mechanics looking the exact same as his rookie year? What's up with the terrible playcalling by Greg Olson? Where is the running game? Why is Allen Robinson all of a sudden dropping passes? For the first time ever of this franchise, the defense is now the backbone of the team, all of a sudden keeping them in games.

29. New York Jets - Ryan Fitzpatrick is worse than Blake Bortles, lol. They need to use Matt Forte correctly, like in that performance against Baltimore, one of the best running defenses in the league until that game. The defense needs to improve. Maybe tank for a good draft pick? The season's long gone now. Just prepare for the next season, and maybe try out Bryce Petty to see if anything good comes with him.

30. San Francisco 49ers - Colin Kaepernick didn't do this team any favors. Chip Kelly has a lot to fix coaching wise. One huge problem with this team. Why are they not using Torrey Smith, and why has his name come up in trades? The guy is deadly in the vertical game! Why is his deep threat not opening up shorter passes? Carlos Hyde can't carry the team forever, and the defense is an all-around mess.

31. Chicago Bears - They would've been higher if Brian Hoyer stayed at QB. The only thing I like about them right now is Jordan Howard. Jay Cutler just needs to retire. He's done. He has no motivation whatsoever, and hasn't had it with this team for years. Just rebuild this team, and when his horrible contract is up, cut Cutler.

32. Cleveland Browns - Kevin Hogan provided a spark, and Cody Kessler hasn't been bad. Their offense isn't terrible. But, they're the Browns. And their defense is an absolute wreck without Joe Haden. Just run it with Isaiah Crowell and do checkdowns to Duke Johnson Jr. Another high draft pick is in their future, along with another terrible draft choice or draft decision.