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NFL power rankings Week 9: NFC East places Commanders and Eagles in top 10, but how high?
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- NFL power rankings Week 9: NFC East places Commanders and Eagles in top 10, but how high?
NFL power rankings entering Week 9 of the 2024 season ( previous rank in parentheses ):
1. Kansas City Chiefs (1):Guess who now owns the most receptions (945) among active players. Travis Kelce after his breakout 10-catch performance in Sunday's win at Las Vegas . And also DeAndre Hopkins after his two-grab K.C. debut in Sunday's win at Las Vegas. Not only that, the Chiefs also just acquired LB Josh Uche , who averages roughly six sacks and 17 pressures per 17 games, to a top-five defense that continues to anchor the champs. Kansas City still hasn't truly put together a dominant performance, yet there still hasn't been a losing one, either.
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2. Detroit Lions (3):Their 172 points over the past four games are a franchise record, the most by any team over a four-game stretch in five years, and put them on pace to become just the 30th team in league annals to score at least 500 points.
3. Baltimore Ravens (2):Speaking of elite attacks, they're only the fourth team to surpass 20 points and 375 yards in each of their first eight games – joining the 2000 Rams , 2007 Patriots and 2013 Broncos, all purveyors of legendary offense … though none of those teams won the Super Bowl. Like Detroit, Baltimore is also tracking toward 500 points – which is important given the Ravens might cede 450 – though maybe the acquisition of WR Diontae Johnson gets them past 525.
4. Buffalo Bills (7):Pretty much feels like you could already give them the "x" for clinching the AFC East (for what would be the fifth straight season). Buffalo is the only team in the league up four in the win column over the rest of its division and next hosts its closer pursuer, the Dolphins, whom the Bills have beaten in 12 of their last 13 visits to Western New York.
5. Minnesota Vikings (4): Flexed into their third exclusive broadcast window in the past four games , the listing Vikes must again prove they're ready for prime time without injured Christian Darrisaw , one of the league's best left tackles. Importing Cam Robinson should help.
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6. Green Bay Packers (5):For decades, the Lions couldn't beat them at Lambeau Field. Now the Pack are poised to lose their third straight at home to conference-leading Detroit, particularly given the appeal of resting QB Jordan Love and his injured groin with the bye coming in Week 10.
7. Washington Commanders (10):Amazingly, a team led by a rookie quarterback ( Jayden Daniels ) is also on pace for 500 points – though Sunday was the first time it was held to fewer than 20 this season . Crucial stretch upcoming for the NFC East leaders, who will see all three of their divisional foes over the next four weeks.
8. Atlanta Falcons (8):They're 4-0 in a division QB Kirk Cousins loves to face. His 281.6 passing yards per game vs. NFC South competition during his career is Cousins' highest against any division in the league, and his 104.1 passer rating ain't too shabby, either.
9. Houston Texans (6):A club that's averaged 166 net passing yards over the past three weeks heads into Thursday night without injured WRs Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs, the latter now out for the season with a torn ACL … but maybe that's not that big a deal – for one night anyway – against the smoldering Jets .
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10. Philadelphia Eagles (11):Maybe The City of Brotherly Love should start showing a little more to HC Nick Sirianni and Co. A coach once vilified, among other things, for refusing to run the ball oversees a team with the most rushes per game (34.3) in the league. Philly didn't lose or turn the ball over once in October.
11. Chicago Bears (12):You probably think they lost Sunday's game due to Daniels' already epic Hail Mary . Sure. But the Bears really lost when they opted to hand off to OL Doug Kramer at the 1-yard line with little more than six minutes to go, the gimmicky play producing a killer fumble instead of a crucial touchdown. This team is really good … but needs to get out of its own way at times.
12. Pittsburgh Steelers (14):The quarterback was sacked four times Monday, turned the ball over and only led one touchdown drive against a poor team. Tell us again, Coach T, why the switch to Russell Wilson makes so much sense (aside from the fact that Justin Fields was injured)?
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9):QB Baker Mayfield leads the league with 21 TD passes. QB Baker Mayfield is tied for the league lead with nine INTs. Valiant effort Sunday given all the Bucs' injuries, but this team probably can't afford the turnovers – nine during its current 1-3 skid – if it hopes to make a fifth straight playoff appearance, especially after getting swept by Atlanta … and with dates against last season's Super Bowl teams next on the docket.
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14. Arizona Cardinals (15):They've won three of four, are undefeated in NFC West play, don't go back on the road until Nov. 24 and – if the season ended today – would be the conference's No. 4 playoff seed. Now just imagine if a team that hasn't surrendered fewer than 370 yards since Week 2 played a little defense.
15. Los Angeles Rams (23):WRs Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp are back with more reinforcements, particularly on the offensive line, on the way. A team that had been rumored to be in the trade market might still be – but perhaps as a buyer instead of a seller after an impressive win over Minnesota.
16. San Francisco 49ers (17):If Christian McCaffrey and his Achilles issues are indeed on the other side of this week's bye, you wonder if the Niners should maybe deploy him more heavily in the slot to bolster a weakened receiver corps and let RBs Jordan Mason and Isaac Guerendo continue doing their spectacular work out of the backfield.
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17. Dallas Cowboys (13):WR CeeDee Lamb owns 28% of their offensive production. Still can't figure why RB Rico Dowdle , who was out sick Sunday night, and TE Jake Ferguson aren't more heavily featured in an offense begging for diversification.
18. Los Angeles Chargers (19):They're getting nice returns from their rookie class. Per Next Gen Stats, RT Joe Alt didn't concede one pressure on 38 pass-blocking plays Sunday, tied for the best showing by a rook in the past three seasons. Meanwhile WR Ladd McConkey 's six-catch, 111-yard, two-TD game might have cemented him as QB Justin Herbert 's primary target for years to come. McConkey's 100-yard day was the first by a Bolts rookie in 11 years.
19. Denver Broncos (20):Encouraging as their 5-3 start has been, trips to Baltimore and Kansas City the next two weeks will shed more truthful light on this squad.
20. Indianapolis Colts (21):Meet the first team in league history to have each of its first eight games decided by six points or fewer. Indy can be exhausting to watch … just don't tap out for a play, which Joe Flacco won't while doubtless re-elevating this offense .
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21. Cincinnati Bengals (16):They converted 77% of their third downs Sunday – best in the NFL this season – and lost by 20. Been that kind of year for Cincy, which is just about equally inept while attempting to defend on third down.
22. Seattle Seahawks (18):So much for that supposed home-field advantage at Lumen Field , where the Seahawks have lost three in a row and put up bigger fights on their own sideline than between the lines.
23. Cleveland Browns (32):Since the infamous 2022 acquisition of Deshaun Watson , two-time Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski is 9-10 with the quarterback in the starting lineup and 11-12 without him. Essentially a wash, but QB Jameis Winston 's performance Sunday was also a reminder that this was a playoff outfit last season – mostly thanks to the leadership of another veteran passer, Flacco coincidentally.
24. Miami Dolphins (24):The league's lowest-scoring offense naturally operates at a much higher level with QB Tua Tagovailoa on the field . Yet, oddly, the defense allows more than five points fewer per game when Tagovailoa doesn't play.
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25. Jacksonville Jaguars (25):This Sunday's game at Philadelphia will be the Jags' fifth away from Jacksonville in the past seven weeks … though their first without former LT Cam Robinson, who was shipped to Minnesota .
26. New England Patriots (27):Rookie QB Drake Maye notched his first NFL win while in concussion protocol. So if this team is "soft" …
27. New York Jets (22):… what does that make this team ?
28. New York Giants (30):Next time you need a stone cold lock, remember that QB Daniel Jones is 0-8 on "Monday Night Football."
29. New Orleans Saints (26):Currently owners of a league-worst six-game losing streak, it's actually their longest since … their vagabond post-Katrina 2005 campaign.
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30. Carolina Panthers (28):They don't leave Charlotte again until Dec. 8, which would be nice … if they hadn't dropped nine of their past 11 games at home.
31. Las Vegas Raiders (29): Brock Bowers continues to cement himself as their best offensive player, joining Hall of Famer Mike Ditka (1961) and Kyle Pitts (2021) as the only rookie tight ends with at least 500 receiving yards through their first eight games.
32. Tennessee Titans (31):They played like a team that had just traded its best receiver and linebacker. Not that offloading DeAndre Hopkins and Ernest Jones was unwise in the aftermath of what felt like a misguided offseason spending spree.
(This story has been updated to include new information.)
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Follow USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis .
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL power rankings Week 9: Stefon Diggs injury hurts Texans
