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

Recap: In somewhat of a stunning move, general manager Bob Quinn and the team wound up dealing safety Quandre Diggs to the Seattle Seahawks last week. On the field, Matt Patricia’s team took a three-game losing streak into its clash with the Giants and the Lions got off to a fast start thanks to outside linebacker Derek Kennard’s 13-yard fumble return and quarterback Matthew Stafford’s 49-yard scoring strike to emerging Marvin Hall. The veteran signal-caller threw for 342 yards and a total of three scores (1 interception) despite the fact he was sacked four times. And Detroit was able to survive four TD passes from Giants’ rookie Daniel Jones.

Next Week: The Lions head west to Oakland for the first time since 2011 looking to keep alive their current winning streak in this interconference series. While these franchises have split their previous 12 meetings, Detroit has won the last four meetings dating back to 2003, including two straight victories in the Bay Area.

Playoff hopes: Patricia’s club managed to stop the bleeding and got back to the .500 mark by holding off the game Giants. Stafford has been hot the last two games but the lack of a ground attack, regardless of the reasons, is still a big issue. There’s still time to make a run at the top spot in the NFC North but consistency has been a team issue.

Recap: Oakland’s defense had no answers for Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers last Sunday at Lambeau Field. Now the Raiders hit the road once again and made their way to Houston to face the explosive Texans. And Jon Gruden’s team gave the defending AFC South champions all they could handle, owning a 21-13 third-quarter lead. Derek Carr threw for 285 yards and three scores and wasn’t sacked as the Raiders played turnover-free football. But the Oakland defense, despite three sacks of Deshaun Watson, couldn’t slow down the Texans’ offense when it counted most. Houston got more than half (14) of its 27 points in the fourth quarter and lost by three.

Next Week: Gruden’s squad will play a game in Oakland for the first time since September 15 (Week 2) as the Silver and Black collides with the Lions. It’s the first encounter between the clubs said 2015 while the Raiders – who have dropped four straight meetings with Detroit – host this interconference series for the first time since ‘11.

Playoff hopes: Despite dropping below the .500 mark, which is the case for the entire AFC West sans the Kansas City Chiefs, the Raiders have proven to be a much-improved football team. There are still some big issues on the defensive side of the football and they need to be fixed if Gruden’s club is to remain in postseason contention.

Next: Nos. 16 and 15