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

Recap: Ron Rivera’s club took a four-game winning streak and two weeks of preparation into their meeting with the unbeaten San Francisco 49ers. And frankly, the Panthers never knew what hit them as the Niners finished with more yards on the ground (232) than Carolina did on total offense (230). Rivera did get 117 yards rushing and one score (and a two-point conversion) from Christian McCaffrey but that was little solace for a team that surrendered seven offensive touchdowns and 388 total yards. Quarterback Kyle Allen came into the afternoon having not thrown an interception in his brief career but was sacked seven times and was picked off on three occasions.

Next Week: The Panthers host the Tennessee Titans for the first time since 2011. It’s a series that began in 1996, at Houston, and the teams will be meeting for only the sixth time. Four years ago at Nashville, Carolina came away with a 27-10 victory. But the Panthers own a 2-3 lifetime record in this series, with two of those losses at home.

Playoff hopes: While the rival New Orleans Saints continue to win, the Panthers were one of the three other clubs in the NFC South to lose on Sunday. The club’s run defense was exposed once again and Carolina’s offensive front had no answers for San Francisco’s pass rush. It was a humbling experience for a team that was on the rise.

Recap: While the Cowboys were enjoying some time off, the team acquired a little more pass rush help and some assistance when it comes to stopping the run when they swung a deal to acquire defensive end Michael Bennett from the Patriots. Dallas’ offense is a different beast when the offensive line is healthy and the club comes off an impressive blowout win over the visiting Philadelphia Eagles. Quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver Amari Cooper have developed some great chemistry and running back Ezekiel Elliott is still one of the best players in the league at his position. But the Cowboys’ talented defense has looked less than stellar on more than one occasion.

Next Week: Garrett’s club looks to extend its recent success in its longtime series with the New York Giants. Back in Week 1 at Arlington, the Cowboys started slow but would cruise to a 35-17 win. Dallas has now won the last five meetings in this series dating back to 2017 and also owns a 5-2 road record in this setting dating back to ’12.

Playoff hopes: It’s becoming a simple matter of which Cowboys’ squad will show up from week to week. Granted that injuries have certainly played a factor on offense – most notably on the line. But there have also been issues when it comes to Dallas’ defense and that’s a bit of a surprise. This is still a very inconsistent football team.

Next: Nos. 12 and 11