2019 NFL power rankings, Week 9: Eagles rebound, Panthers humbled

There was a major statement made by a team that resides in the Bay Area. So what impact did the 49ers’ big win have on the latest NFL Power Rankings?

Recap: It’s been a rough debut season for new head coach Brian Flores but the team has started to perform a bit better and had chances the last two weeks to either defeat, take the lead or take the game into overtime in eventual losses to the Redskins and Bills, respectively. Still, the Dolphins were ranked 30th in the league in total offense, next-to-last in the NFL in yards allowed and has scored just 63 points during the club’s 0-6 start. A less-than-opportunistic squad has forced only two turnovers while quarterbacks Ryan Fitzpatrick and Sam Rosen have each thrown five interceptions this season – accounting for 10 of the Dolphins’ 13 turnovers this year.

Next Week: The Dolphins play their fifth home game of the season and host a Jets’ team also in the midst of a very tough year. All told, Miami is 5-1 in its last six games in this longtime divisional series. A year ago, Miami swept the Jets for the second time in three years via 20-12 and 13-6 wins – on the road and at home, respectively.

Playoff hopes: The undermanned Dolphins have been much more competitive as of late. But this is still a franchise that appears to have more of an eye on the future than it does the present. It will be very interesting to see how the quarterback situation plays out the rest of the year. In any case, there’s a serious lack of talent in South Florida.

Recap: Zac Taylor and his team made their way to England to take on old friend Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams. And unfortunately, the Cincinnati defense was once again a no-show for his club and failed to find a way to cover Rams’ wide receiver Cooper Kupp. All told, the Bengals allowed 470 total yards in this latest setback, did not come up with a sack and failed to force a turnover in the 14-point loss. Veteran quarterback Andy Dalton did hit on 32-of-52 passes, threw for an impressive 329 yards and one score and the team did not give away the football. But the nine-year signal-caller was sacked five times.

Next Week: Taylor’s club gets some much-needed time off as the team looks to regroup after a disastrous start. When the Bengals next take the field, there’s a rematch with the Ravens. The teams met in Baltimore in Week 6 and Cincinnati fell, 23-17. It’s the start of a stretch in which the Bengals play at home three times in four games.

Playoff hopes: The last time the Bengals lost their first eight games was back in 2008. And a lot of the team’s issues fall on a defensive unit that has seemingly gotten worse on a weekly basis. Some may ask why this team isn’t dead last in these power rankings and if it was based solely on one side of the football, there would be a valid argument.

Next: Nos. 30 and 29