NFL Power Rankings: Week 8 2025-2026

When the season began, the participants of last year’s Super Bowl were No. 1 and 2. The Eagles were no.1 and the Chiefs were right behind them at no.2. For the better part of a month, I said that to be the man, you had to beat the man…and nobody was beating the Eagles. Since then, the Eagles have lost twice, and every team that has taken over the top spot has ended up losing. The Lions held it and lost, and so did the Buccaneers. This week, the Colts have the honor…let’s see how long they can stay there. Here is this week’s list:

The Elite: 1-8:

Indianapolis Colts: The Colts are the last remaining team with only one loss. Technically, the Packers have only one loss, but they also have a tie. The Colts are clearly the cream of the league at the moment. Detroit Lions: The Lions knocked off last week’s top team, defeating the Buccaneers. It was a predictable win for the Lions, coming off their loss to the Chiefs. San Francisco 49ers: The legend of Mac Jones continues to grow. Jones was who Kyle Shanahan wanted when the team took Trey Lance. They ended up trading Lance away to clear the path for Brock Purdy. They’ve now paid him all the money. It will be interesting to see if history repeats itself with them moving on from Purdy, ending up with Jones after all.  Los Angeles Rams: The Rams are one of three teams in the NFC West with a 5-2 record. They are the second on this list, and one of three in the top 10, along with the Niners and Seahawks. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs were in a really tough spot this week, going to Detroit to play the Lions. They are still in first place, but all of a sudden, only by one game, with the Panthers sitting at 4-3. Denver Broncos: The Broncos somehow found victory from the jaws of defeat…scoring an unfathomable 33 points in the fourth quarter against the Giants. And because of it, they find themselves alone atop the AFC West. Philadelphia Eagles: After back-to-back losses, the Eagles righted the ship with a dominant offensive performance by Jalen Hurts. They are now 5-2 and comfortably in first place in the NFC East. I’m still a bit concerned about Saquon Barkley, but as long as he’s in good form by the playoffs, they will be fine. Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs are now 4-3 and definitely on the upswing. They have Rashee Rice back, and the offense is clicking again.

The Good: 9-13:

Seattle Seahawks: With their Monday victory at home against the Texans, the Seahawks are 5-2 and back in the top 10. The NFC West is going to be a barn burner the entire year. Green Bay Packers: A 27-23 win against the Cardinals was probably too close for comfort, but a win is a win. The Pack’s 4-1-1 record is good enough for first place in the NFC North, as well as the No. 1 seed in the NFC if the playoffs began today. Los Angeles Chargers: The Chargers are now 4-3, and have given up more pts than they’ve scored. They’ve lost their grip on a piece of first place, and are now tied with the suddenly resurgent Chiefs. New England Patriots: The Pats are now in first place in the AFC East, in earnest. They are on a four-game heater, although for the most part, they’ve only beaten the Sisters of the Poor. They won three consecutive road games and have another subpar team this week, as they play the Browns at home. Buffalo Bills: The Bills are inexplicably looking up at the Patriots for first place in the AFC East. They are coming off a bye and have a suddenly tough matchup, heading to Carolina to play the Panthers.

The Middle Tier: 14-23

Chicago Bears: The Bears find themselves just outside the playoffs as of today. But they are playing well, and in one of the more difficult divisions in the league. Every team is sitting at .500 or higher. Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers lost a tough game against the Bengals this week. A win would have put the division essentially out of reach. But the loss has dropped them to 4-2. The win moved Cincy to 3-4, only a game and a half out of first place. Jacksonville Jaguars: Same old Jaguars…same old Trevor Lawrence. They’ve now lost two in a row and are sitting at 4-3. And they’ve given up more points than they’ve scored. Due to tiebreakers, if the season were to end today, they would be in, with the No. 7 seed. Carolina Panthers: Expectations are a funny thing. The Jaguars are 4-3 with two straight losses, and it feels like a sinking ship. The Panthers are 4-3 and feel like they are on the ascent, having won three in a row. Dallas Cowboys: It’s not gaudy, but the Cowboys are .500, sitting at 3-3-1. They are currently outside of the playoffs if the season ended today, but not only do I believe they will make the playoffs, I think they have a fantastic shot at representing the NFC in the Super Bowl. Behind Dak Prescott, Cee Dee Lamb, and new additions, Javonte Williams, and George Pickens, the Boys have the top offense in the NFC.

Washington Commanders: Two of my favorite young QBs are Jayden Daniels and CJ Stroud, and each is underperforming at the moment. The Commanders are now 3-4 and in third place in the NFC East. Stroud suffered a hamstring injury this Sunday against the Cowboys, but HC Dan Quinn said he won’t miss extensive time. Minnesota Vikings: It remains to be seen if the JJ McCarthy experiment will work…but one thing is clear: the Carson Wentz experiment isn’t going well. Houston Texans: The Texans are now 2-4 and woefully out of the playoff race. Their offense is anemic. It wasn’t that long ago they had the best WR room in the league, with the triple threat of Nico Collins, Tank Dell, and Stefon Diggs. It’s so bad this year that their defense forced four turnovers against the Seahawks, but lost going away. Atlanta Falcons: Although the Falcons beat the Bills a couple of weeks ago and have one of the most dynamic players in the game, with RB Bijan Robinson, this team is an enigma. They did have a tough game against the 49ers, coming off their emotional win against the Bills…but they didn’t even show up, losing 20-10. Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals saved their season with their stunning victory against the Steelers. Trading for Joe Flacco was an inspired move. They now find themselves 3-4 and within striking distance of the Steelers. By the end of the year, I believe they will be the team atop the AFC North.

Running Out Of Time: 24-26

Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens are at a crossroads. They are 1-6 and in desperate need of a victory to save their season. They have an interesting matchup this week against the Chicago Bears in Baltimore. Lamar Jackson is still not practicing with the team…and without him, the season is basically over. Las Vegas Raiders: In seven games, the Raiders have only scored 103 points. Geno Smith has been a bust so far, although he’s been missing All-World TE Brock Bowers for the better part of last month. Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals haven’t won with Jacoby Brissett at the helm, but they’ve played two close games, losing by four pts each week. The offense definitely seems improved, scoring 27 and 23 pts.

The Season Is Over: 27-32

Cleveland Browns: The Browns defense was more than enough to manhandle the Dolphins on Sunday. It will be interesting to see if they can follow that up as they head to the resurgent Patriots. New York Giants: How could the Giants have lost their game against the Broncos on Sunday? It is almost impossible to give up 33 points in a quarter, but the Giants found a way. Tennessee Titans: At 1-6, the Titans are still in the race for the No. 1 pick in the draft. New Orleans Saints: At 1-6, the Saints are still in the race for the No. 1 pick in the draft. Miami Dolphins: After an absolute thrashing by the Browns, it’s hard to believe that Mike McDaniel still has a job. New York Jets: The Jets are now 0-7, and Justin Fields was benched on Sunday, with no good alternatives. 0-17 is on the table.    

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