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1. Kansas City Chiefs (8-0)
Previous rank: 1
Chiefs fans held their breath when Mahomes appeared to injure his ankle in Monday night’s win. Then Mahomes led two straight touchdown drives to move the franchise to 8-0. No matter what happens, a Chiefs victory seems inevitable.
2. Detroit Lions (7-1)
Previous rank: 2
The Lions rank first in points scored, fifth in points allowed, and continue to surge ahead in the NFC North. The scoreline of their 24-14 victory against the Packers, their sixth win in a row, doesn’t reflect just how convincing they were throughout the game.
3. Baltimore Ravens (6-3)
Previous rank: 3
Baltimore blew the doors off the Broncos, as Lamar Jackson maintained his status of front-runner in the MVP conversation. He boasts 20 passing touchdowns to two interceptions with five rushing scores, and his 120.7 passer rating leads the league.
4. Buffalo Bills (7-2)
Previous rank: 4
The Bills needed a late field goal to hold off the Dolphins, but they’re leading a weak AFC East in which no other team currently has more than three wins.
5. Minnesota Vikings (6-2)
Previous rank: 6
The Vikings got back in the win column by smothering Joe Flacco and the Colts in prime time, ending a two-game skid.
6. Philadelphia Eagles (6-2)
Previous rank: 8
Winning is sweet, but nothing is better than handing a heartbreaking loss to your former coach like the Eagles did to Doug Pederson and the Jaguars. After a rocky start, Philadelphia has four straight wins.
7. Green Bay Packers (6-3)
Previous rank: 5
Green Bay dropped a key divisional game to the Lions, but the play of Jordan Love may be more concerning. Love has thrown at least one interception in each game he’s started this season.
8. Washington Commanders (7-2)
Previous rank: 9
If you combine superb quarterback play, a solid rushing attack, a respectable defense, and a bit of heroics, you get the NFC East-leading Commanders. Jayden Daniels has been excellent as a dual-threat passer and, more impressively, hasn’t been picked off since Week 5.
9. Atlanta Falcons (6-3)
Previous rank: 11
The Falcons are quietly on a roll after winning five of their last six games. Kirk Cousins looks to be getting into top form with seven touchdowns and zero interceptions over the last two weeks.
10. Houston Texans (6-3)
Previous rank: 7
The Texans came out flat in a Thursday night defeat to the Jets, scoring only 13 points. C.J. Stroud has thrown only one touchdown over his last three starts, two of which were losses.
11. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2)
Previous rank: 10
Mike Tomlin and the Steelers exit their bye week in first place of the AFC North. But next up is a tough test against the 7-2 Commanders and rookie sensation Daniels.
12. Arizona Cardinals (5-4)
Previous rank: 15
Winners of three in a row, the Cardinals kept their spot as leaders of the NFC West after holding the Bears to only nine points.
13. San Francisco 49ers (4-4)
Previous rank: 12
In a season wrecked by injuries, the 49ers got great news Monday, as reigning Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey returned to the practice field.
14. Los Angeles Rams (4-4)
Previous rank: 16
The Rams are gaining momentum at the right time. Sunday’s overtime win was their third in a row, and with no team holding a significant lead in the NFC West, L.A. is still very much in the hunt for a playoff spot.
15. Los Angeles Chargers (5-3)
Previous rank: 18
Jim Harbaugh’s first year back in the NFL is going great. The Chargers are 5-3 and own the stingiest defense in the league. They haven’t allowed a single opponent to score over 20 points this season.
16. Denver Broncos (5-4)
Previous rank: 14
The Broncos allowed 41 points to the Ravens, which raises questions about the legitimacy of their 5-4 record. None of the teams Denver defeated this season are above .500 (Buccaneers, Jets, Raiders, Saints, and Panthers).
17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5)
Previous rank: 17
Despite missing multiple wide receivers, Baker Mayfield is attempting to carry the Buccaneers to success. He fell just short against the reigning Super Bowl champions, but the Bucs are going to keep fighting as long as he’s under center.
18. Seattle Seahawks (4-5)
Previous rank: 13
Remember when the Seahawks were 3-0? That feels like ages ago after they suffered their fifth loss in six games with an overtime defeat to the Rams.
19. New York Jets (3-6)
Previous rank: 24
Just when the Jets appeared left for dead, they showed life by beating the Texans. Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams, and Co. still have a huge mountain to climb, but perhaps it’s too early to count them out.
20. Cincinnati Bengals (4-5)
Previous rank: 21
The Bengals have lacked week-to-week consistency, but they exploded for a season-high 41 points against the Raiders. Their next two games against the Ravens and Chargers will likely decide the trajectory of their season.
21. Chicago Bears (4-4)
Previous rank: 19
The Bears have not looked the same since their bye week. Matt Eberflus’ squad is 0-2 since then with a combined 24 points scored, and Caleb Williams looks out of rhythm.
22. Indianapolis Colts (4-5)
Previous rank: 22
Joe Flacco and the Colts struggled when they came across a good defense in the Vikings. The quarterback completed only 59.3% of his passes for under 200 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception.
23. Miami Dolphins (2-6)
Previous rank: 25
The Dolphins have lost both games since the return of Tua Tagovailoa. Those losses came by a combined four points, and the offense is essentially back to its baseline, but Miami’s season might already be beyond recovery.
24. Dallas Cowboys (3-5)
Previous rank: 20
A multi-week hamstring injury to Dak Prescott may be the nail in the coffin for the Cowboys. But they struggled to win with him out there, so maybe there won’t be much difference.
25. New York Giants (2-7)
Previous rank: 23
Daniel Jones had arguably his cleanest game of the year with a season-high 119.7 passer rating, three total touchdowns, no interceptions, and only six incompletions. But it still wasn’t enough to spare the Giants from their fourth consecutive loss.
26. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-7)
Previous rank: 26
After falling behind 22-0, the Jaguars battled back against the Eagles before Trevor Lawrence was intercepted in the end zone late in the game. The team is now 2-7, and it’s tough to see Doug Pederson and Co. having much more time before serious changes are made.
27. New England Patriots (2-7)
Previous rank: 27
Drake Maye made a miraculous touchdown pass to send the Patriots to overtime against the Titans. It didn’t result in a win, but Maye’s clutch play was a promising sign for the future.
28. Cleveland Browns (2-7)
Previous rank: 28
The honeymoon from Cleveland’s surprise victory over the Ravens in Week 8 ended as Jameis Winston threw three interceptions in a 17-point loss to the Chargers.
29. Tennessee Titans (2-6)
Previous rank: 31
For the first time this season, the Titans have back-to-back 400-plus-yard games on offense. Tennessee’s season is essentially a wash, but an overtime victory against the Patriots was needed to improve team morale.
30. Carolina Panthers (2-7)
Previous rank: 32
It wasn’t pretty, but Bryce Young got his first win of the season in a tight win against the Saints. Maybe Young can build on that with a matchup against the Giants looming.
31. Las Vegas Raiders (2-7)
Previous rank: 30
The Raiders used their third quarterback of the season as Desmond Ridder relieved Gardner Minshew in a blowout loss. After five losses in a row, it’s no surprise Antonio Pierce cleaned house with his offensive staff, firing coordinator Luke Getsy, among others.
32. New Orleans Saints (2-7)
Previous rank: 29
The Saints earned their rock-bottom placement after falling to the Panthers, their seventh loss in a row. That result came with real-world consequences, too, as Dennis Allen was fired the next day.
