NFL Power Rankings Week 8: Colts, Jets Earn Respect
By Dean Holden
SLR’s Week 8 NFL Power Rankings: 24-17
Oct 20, 2013; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Steve Johnson (13) catches a pass against Miami Dolphins safety Jimmy Wilson (27) in the second half at Sun Life Stadium. The Bills won 23-21. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports
24. Oakland Raiders (2-4) ▼1
There’s not much they can do in a bye week, but it’s never a good thing to see the rest of your division win when you’ve got the weekend off.
23. St. Louis Rams (3-4) ▼6
They imploded in a game they would have probably really liked to have. Now they’re back under .500, and have the Seahawks, Titans and Colts on the docket with Sam Bradford out for the season. That stretch should knock them out of any serious playoff considerations.
22. Arizona Cardinals (3-4) ▼2
The impact of Carson Palmer on this team has been hugely overblown, and it’s not really his fault. The offensive line is bad enough, but Bruce Arians’ apparent refusal to adjust protection schemes isn’t helping matters. They played relatively well against the superior Seahawks, but they never really looked to have any control. Kind of a metaphor for their season thus far.
21. Buffalo Bills (3-4) ▲5
Mario Williams is starting to earn that monster contract, and the Bills deserve a lot of credit for fighting out a win despite a horrendous quarterback situation. Williams isn’t leading the league in sacks, but he seems to come up with them when the Bills really need a stop. They’ve been really close in every game they’ve played, with five of their seven games decided by three or less (they’re 3-2 in those games).
20. Philadelphia Eagles (3-4) ▼1
The Revolutionary Chip Kelly Offense™ mustered three points against a middling Cowboys offense. Granted, they left it up to Nick Foles and Matt Barkley, but can we end the Chip Kelly love affair now, until his team actually does something?
19. Cleveland Browns (3-4) ▼1
Brandon Weeden is bringing the entire team down. The team has lost all four of the games he’s started, and in two weeks, the Browns have gone from tied for the division lead to trending to the bottom. This team has enough pieces, though. It’s scary to think how much better they could get with the draft picks they have stockpiled.
18. Miami Dolphins (3-3) ▼6
So much for challenging the division. They started the season with three strong wins, and now they’re on a equivalent losing streak just to even things out. And that was the performance they put up against Buffalo, featuring Thaddeus Lewis at quarterback, after a bye week. It might get worse before it gets better.
17. Baltimore Ravens (3-4) ▼4
This is “uh-oh” territory, right? They’re not even close to counted out of the playoffs, but the concerning thing is that they simply haven’t played well, even in their wins. They’ve lost to the Bills and now the Steelers, and haven’t beat a team with a winning record this season.