The NFL standings are crowded, but it looks like we’re getting some clarity on the current top (and bottom) teams in the league for Week 8 power rankings.
1. Kansas City Chiefs (4-3) | Last week: 1
Considering the offense has looked as good as it has in years, the Chiefs might be as scary as ever with arguably a clear top-five offense and defense. Rashee Rice (two touchdowns in his 2025 debut) gives Patrick Mahomes an embarrassment of riches to calmly distribute the ball to.
2. Detroit Lions (5-2) | Last week: 3 (+1)
I was totally wrong about the Lions seemingly not being able to play their preferred style of defense in the Week 6 loss at Kansas City, as the Lions got back to playing their game in the convincing Monday night win over the Bucs despite the injuries—which defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard was not going to go away from again. It was cool to see star defensive tackle Alim McNeill make his season debut, and the Lions will take the bye to get healthier.
3. Indianapolis Colts (6-1) | Last week: 4 (+1)
If you weren’t sure about the Colts from early in the season, you should be totally on board now with the way Indy looked in dismantling the Chargers. I love the confidence from quarterback Daniel Jones while leading the only 6-1 team in the league.
"Sounds like y'all didn't know much." 😂😂
Daniel Jones to @EvanWashburn on what outsiders knew about the @Colts heading into the season pic.twitter.com/bxtaqdgh8b
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 19, 2025
4. Denver Broncos (5-2) | Last week: 5 (+1)
Bo Nix became the first player in history with two-plus passing touchdowns and two-plus rushing touchdowns while leading the Broncos to an epic 33 points in their insane comeback versus the Giants. He’s a star who I hope gets credit for his ability soon; the “low-ceiling” talk was nonsense, and nearly every other quarterback playing like that in crunch time (aside from maybe Daniel Jones, another guy the media is silent about compared to other quarterbacks performing) would get overwhelming praise. Nix has been lights out when his team is trailing big this year, and I’d like to see the Broncos get more aggressive earlier.
5. Philadelphia Eagles (5-2) | Last week: 6 (+1)
Jalen Hurts was dealing at Minnesota, connecting with A.J. Brown down the field for two touchdowns while hitting DeVonta Smith for a deep ball as a chunk of Smith’s career-high 183 receiving yards. Now, I want to see the defense in particular bring a lot more energy for a home rematch with the Giants. Getting Brandon Graham out of retirement should help there.
6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-2) | Last week: 2 (-4)
Baker Mayfield was getting a ton of MVP hype, but he clearly had an off night in the loss to the Lions—with the Tampa Bay defense making enough plays while the offense couldn’t take advantage of opportunities. Baker and the Bucs will look to bounce back at New Orleans, but unfortunately without team leader Mike Evans due to a broken collarbone that will keep him out for a while.
7. Green Bay Packers (4-1-1) | Last week: 7
It took three Micah Parsons sacks and the offense coming through late, but the Packers got a gritty road victory over the Cardinals to improve to 4-1-1—with a highly intriguing trip to Pittsburgh this Sunday night.
8. San Francisco 49ers (5-2) | Last week: 9 (+1)
All-Pro tight end George Kittle surprisingly didn’t have a catch in his return from a hamstring injury, but he was a boost in the run game and helped Christian McCaffrey (24 carries, 129 yards, two touchdowns) have his best rushing performance through seven weeks. Defensively, linebacker Tatum Bethune was excellent in his first game filling in for Fred Warner.
9. Los Angeles Rams (5-2) | Last week: 12 (+3)
Davante Adams caught three of Matthew Stafford’s international record five touchdown passes against the Jaguars, with the passing game not held down despite the rain and no Puka Nacua (ankle). Adams was clearly one of the best additions around the league of the offseason, and we’ll see if Nacua is back following the bye.
10. Buffalo Bills (4-2) | Last week: 10
Next week versus the Chiefs might tell more about where the Bills are at, but I’m still curious to see how they fare at Carolina off the bye after two straight losses—and Rico Dowdle will be a challenge with the way he’s running, so that’ll be a good test for a run defense hoping to have some things figured out in their return to action.
11. Seattle Seahawks (5-2) | Last week: 13 (+2)
The two losses for the Seahawks were tight games against fellow five-win teams in the 49ers and Buccaneers, but Sam Darnold and the defense have been locked in—and Jaxon Smith-Njigba continues to play like one of the best players in the NFL while by far leading in receiving yards (819) to this point.
12. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) | Last week: 8 (-4)
The Thursday night struggles under Mike Tomlin continued for whatever reason, as the strides made by a defense that was looking like a top unit was much less stout and also gave up a ton through the air in the loss at Cincy. The mini bye came at a good time with Aaron Rodgers undoubtedly fired up to face his former Packers team for the first (and likely only) time.
13. New England Patriots (5-2) | Last week: 16 (+3)
The rise in the power rankings continues for the Patriots after they took care of business as expected in Mike Vrabel’s matchup with his former team. New England will look to keep it going as a relatively light schedule continues; the Cleveland defense can be a challenge, but New England plays at home for an advantage.
14. Los Angeles Chargers (4-3) | Last week: 11 (-3)
No doubt, the Chargers defensive had major problems slowing down the Colts, which puts a ton of pressure on the offense. But Justin Herbert did not play well despite racking up 420 passing yards (three touchdowns with two interceptions), and things don’t get much easier with the chaos Brian Flores can bring with his defense.
15. Chicago Bears (4-2) | Last week: 18 (+3)
The Bears defeated the Saints for their fourth consecutive win, and it was great to see the rushing attack of D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai (with Roschon Johnson seeing some action, too) leading the way on offense with Caleb Williams not doing a ton through the air. The Chicago defense had three interceptions, including the fourth of the year by Kevin Byard III.
16. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-3) | Last week: 14 (-2)
I think the bye week comes at a good time for Jacksonville, as their hot start to the season seems to have evaporated. It’s almost like they’ve run out of energy as of late. When they return, I’d like to see running back Travis Etienne Jr. fed to hopefully take pressure off everyone else.
17. Carolina Panthers (4-3) | Last week: 21 (+4)
The Panthers have won three consecutive games and four of their past five contests, but Bryce Young is now dealing with a high-ankle sprain that’s likely to keep him out of this Sunday’s game against the Bills. Chuba Hubbard was back and started for Carolina, but I think Rico Dowdle should be the clear leader in the backfield—at least until he cools off—as he’s running so well.
18. Dallas Cowboys (3-3-1) | Last week: 22 (+4)
CeeDee Lamb (ankle) made an emphatic return to the lineup, with a 74-yard touchdown headlining a 44-22 win over the rival Commanders. The defense has shown some flashes of progress in recent games—with trade talk now emerging about the potential to add an impact defender. Right now, the offense certainly looks championship-caliber.
19. Atlanta Falcons (3-3) | Last week: 15 (-4)
Inconsistency and not finishing drives with touchdowns has plagued the Falcons so far, as their highs have been much better than a .500 club while their lows have looked pretty low. Week 8 against the Dolphins is an opportunity to make a statement. There are professionals on the other side, so maybe they show up and perform much better than expected—but I wouldn’t be shocked if Bijan Robinson sets the single-game rushing record given how Miami’s run defense has played.
20. Houston Texans (2-4) | Last week: 17 (-3)
I write often about how if an offensive line struggles, it’s difficult to win games. Will Anderson Jr. and the defense showed fight in the loss to Seattle, but the tough sledding of the offense for the most part this year makes it tough to win games.
21. Washington Commanders (3-4) | Last week: 19 (-2)
This just hasn’t felt like the Commanders’ season to this point, from injuries to Jayden Daniels’ play being somewhat hit-or-miss so far (with injuries likely playing a role). Now they go to Kansas City before facing the Seahawks and Lions, so they must flip the switch quick.
22. Minnesota Vikings (3-3) | Last week: 20 (-2)
The defense did a great job of containing Saquon Barkley on the ground, but they were torched by Jalen Hurts down the field—and Justin Herbert is another guy that’s going to push the ball deep. For Carson Wentz and the quarterback situation in Minnesota, a ton is riding on tomorrow night.
23. Baltimore Ravens (1-5) | Last week: 23
The expectation is that the Ravens are healthier coming off the bye, with at least All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring) back—but it was somewhat concerning to hear that Lamar Jackson wasn’t ready to be full go with his hamstring issue as the team returned on Monday. Regardless, riding Derrick Henry is a path to getting on track.
24. Cincinnati Bengals (3-4) | Last week: 25 (+1)
Joe Flacco played at a very high level in the upset win against the Steelers, with his experience shining to make the right decisions and precise throws with timing to a loaded supporting cast. The combination of Flacco’s experience paired with Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and company should not be slept on.
25. Arizona Cardinals (2-5) | Last week: 24 (-1)
The Cardinals have now lost five consecutive games, but for the second straight week I really like the toughness they’re showing to battle two of the top teams in the league in Indy and Green Bay. Arizona’s five losses are by a combined 13 points, which is crazy.
26. New York Giants (2-5) | Last week: 26
The Giants continue to surpass expectations, with Jaxson Dart—while some wild bounces helped at Denver—running around to do what it takes to find openings and move the ball. That said, there’s major frustration on the defensive side after giving up the 33 fourth-quarter points, and we’ll see how the entire team responds facing an Eagles team they just shockingly dominated two weeks ago.
27. Cleveland Browns (2-5) | Last week: 30 (+3)
While the previous week was stunning with the rate Cleveland threw the ball, they remedied that by feeding Quinshon Judkins against the Dolphins—and the star rookie came through with three touchdowns on the ground. The Jets are on deck, so the Browns might not be in a bad spot if they can upset the Pats.
28. New Orleans Saints (1-6) | Last week: 28
They still only lost by 12 at Chicago, but the turnovers were an indication that the Saints are not a team that’ll typically be good enough to overcome them and win games. Spencer Rattler did a nice job versus the Bucs in the season finale last January, so at least he knows a little bit of what to expect taking on Todd Bowles’ unit.
29. Las Vegas Raiders (2-5) | Last week: 27 (-2)
The Raiders have two wins, but the play of these bottom four teams really stand out as disappointing. The expectation was that this group would be a steady team that’ll challenge opponents and perhaps push for seven or eight wins, but things are just ugly so far on both sides of the ball.
30. Miami Dolphins (1-6) | Last week: 29 (-1)
Similarly, it’s difficult to imagine things being much worse for the Dolphins. Head coach Mike McDaniel almost seems flabbergasted at his team’s struggles, neither the offense nor defense is playing well. Star running back De’Von Achane is one of the lone bright spots.
31. Tennessee Titans (1-6) | Last week: 31
The Titans started well against the Patriots in the first game under interim head coach Mike McCoy, but the wheels sort of fell off including with the fumble by Cameron Ward that resulted in a touchdown for the New England defense. The Tennessee front office wants to see progress from Ward throughout the year.
32. New York Jets (0-7) | Last week: 32
He sounds like a good leader and teammate with plus physical tools, but I never understood the Jets targeting Justin Fields—supposedly as their Jared Goff like the Lions regime did in getting him as a franchise quarterback—this offseason. The passing game remained abysmal, and—though the issues in New York go deeper than quarterback—it sounds like a switch to veteran Tyrod Taylor is coming.