NFL Power Rankings Based on Super Bowl Odds Ahead of Week 9
By Peter Dewey
Week 8 in the NFL was a dangerous one for the top contenders, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Chargers and Arizona Cardinals were all upset.
Both the NFC and AFC playoff pictures are extremely hard to read, and we got some news on Monday that should shake them up even further.
Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry is out for a significant period of time as he needs surgery on his injured foot, and the Los Angeles Rams acquired All-Pro pass rusher Von Miller in a trade with the Denver Broncos.
Every week this season, yours truly ranks each NFL team in relation to theirSuper Bowl odds atWynnBET Sportsbook in BetSided's NFL Power Rankings. If you’re looking for last week’s rankings to see where everyone moved to, you can find it here.
Let's see how everyone stacks up ahead of Week 9:
1. Green Bay Packers (7-1, +850) Last Week: No. 4
Aaron Rodgers and the Packers knocked off the Cardinals on Thursday Night Football without Davante Adams, Allen Lazard or Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Maybe people will start realizing that Aaron Rodgers is still pretty damn good.
2. Los Angeles Rams (7-1, +600) LW: No. 3
The Rams took care of business against the Texans, but the bigger story is the team added Von Miller. With Kyler Murray banged up for Arizona, the Rams could take control over the NFC West the next few weeks.
3. Arizona Cardinals (7-1, +1000) LW: No. 1
I'm not going to drop Arizona too far, cause it nearly came back and beat the Packers, and probably would have if A.J. Green looked for the ball in the end zone on Kyler's game-sealing interception. If Murray misses time, the Cards may be in trouble, but they stay at No. 3 this week.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2, +550) LW: No. 2
Tom Brady has struggled against the New Orleans Saints in the regular season since coming to Tampa, but the Bucs are still primed to win the NFC South now that Jameis Winston is out for the year.
5. Dallas Cowboys (6-1, +950) LW: No. 6
No Dak Prescott? No problem. Cooper Rush filled in for the Cowboys and led them to a win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football. Dallas is sitting pretty in the NFC East.
6. Buffalo Bills (5-2, +450) LW: No. 5
The Bills handled the Dolphins on Sunday, but they needed a 16-point fourth quarter to pull away. Buffalo is the Super Bowl favorite at Wynn, but the Bills are fourth in the AFC at the moment.
7. Baltimore Ravens (5-2, +1100) LW: No. 9
The Ravens were on a bye, but they get a bump because the Cincinnati Bengals lost, the Titans lost Henry and the Browns lost to the Steelers. the bye may have come at the perfect time for Baltimore.
8. Tennessee Titans (6-2, +2000) LW: No. 8
The Titans would have jumped if they didn't lose Derrick Henry, but there's a lot of uncertainty around the AFC South leader. They still have an inside track to the playoffs, but losing Henry may cost them any chance at a Super Bowl.
9. Las Vegas Raiders (5-2, +4000) LW: No. 10
The Raiders move up on a spot on their bye week after Cincy faltered against the Jets. Derek Carr and company have a chance to win the AFC West if with the Chargers losing in Week 8.
10. New Orleans Saints (5-2, +3500) LW: No. 12
The Saints pulled off a major upset over the Buccaneers, but they lost Jameis Winston in the process. Maybe Sean Payton can win with Trevor Siemian and Taysom Hill, but it's going to be a lot harder.
11. Los Angeles Chargers (4-3, +2000) LW: No. 11
The Chargers have lost back-to-back games to fall to 4-3, but they still are in the conversation in the AFC West. Still, losing to the Patriots at home may come back to haunt them.
12. Cincinnati Bengals (5-3, +5000) LW: No. 7
I gave the Bengals a ton of love last week, and they promptly lost to the Jets who were playing backup quarterback Mike White. Unbelievable. Cincy had a chance to make a real playoff case, but it lost a game you simply can't lose. The Browns are next.
13. Kansas City Chiefs (4-4, +1600) LW: No. 14
Yes, the Chiefs won on Monday Night Football. No, they did not look good while doing it. A porous defense and a turnover-prone offense have made the Chiefs an extremely frustrating team to watch, and they're only at this spot because of what we've seen them do in the past. However, this team just doesn't look anything like a contender at this point in the season.
14. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3, +7500) LW: No. 17
The Steelers won an ugly game against the Browns in Week 8 and are now winners of three straight. Ben Roethlisberger doesn't have much left in the tank, but if the Steelers defense is going to dominate, they have a shot to make the playoffs.
15. New England Patriots (4-4, +6000) LW: No. 18
Mac Jones and the Patriots defense (two picks from Adrian Phillips, including a pick-six) was too much for the Chargers in Week 8, and now Bill Belichick's team is 4-4. New England has competed this season, and it's trending up as we near the halfway point of the season.
16. Cleveland Browns (4-4, +3000) LW: No. 13
Am I the only person not sold on the Browns? Most of their key skill players, including Baker Mayfield, are banged up and they're now just 4-4 on the season. The defense is still good, but the Browns can't afford to drop another AFC North division game against Cincy this week.
17. San Francisco 49ers (3-4, +5000) LW: No. 22
The 49ers have bounced form No. 17 to No. 22 to back to No. 17 over the past three weeks. Jimmy Garoppolo looked good in Week 8 and Elijah Mitchell has been a stud in the backfield. However, the 49ers' rise is more of a product of the struggling teams around them.
18. Seattle Seahawks (3-5, +12500) LW: No. 20
It's going to be an uphill battle for the Seahawks, but Geno Smith got things done against the Jaguars. If Russell Wilson is back in Week 9 or 10, there's a path to a playoff spot in Seattle.
19. Indianapolis Colts (3-5, +7500) LW: No. 15
Live by Carson Wentz, die by Carson Wentz. The Colts' quarterback's interceptions cost the team against Tennessee in Week 8, but the Colts may have a chance to win the AFC if the Titans fall off without Henry.
20. Denver Broncos (4-4, +50000) LW: No. 21
The Broncos narrowly defeated the Washington Football Team in Week 8, and they traded Von Miller the next day. This team is the epitome of mediocre, and Denver is going to be a team that has a borderline top-10 selection again in the 2022 NFL Draft. They Broncos have been in purgatory since the 2016 Super Bowl.
21. Minnesota Vikings (3-4, +10000) LW: No. 16
Kirk Cousins can't win in primetime no matter what it seems. The Vikings were thrashed by Cooper Rush (!) in Week 8 and fell below .500 once again. Danielle Hunter may have a torn pec, and the Vikings playoff hopes are looking slim at best at the moment.
22. Carolina Panthers (4-4, +50000) LW: No. 24
The Panthers beat the Falcons, but it seems Christian McCaffrey is far from a lock to return in Week 9. Sam Darnold, as bad as he's been, may be out with a concussion which further hurts this team with Bill Belichick's team waiting in Week 9.
23. Atlanta Falcons (3-4, +100000) LW: No. 19
The Falcons couldn't beat a Panthers team that was on life support heading into Week 8. Now, with Calvin Ridley away for personal reasons (hope he is OK) the Falcons' offense may be in trouble.
24. Chicago Bears (3-5, +100000) LW: No. 23
Bright side: Justin Fields played arguably his best game of the season in Week 8. Not so bright side: The Bears lost by 11. It's going to be a long second half of the season.
25. New York Giants (2-6, +50000) LW: No. 25
The Giants hung with a confusing Kansas City team but ultimately fell short to fall to 2-6 on the season. The Giants' skill players can't stay healthy, and Daniel Jones has yet to take the next step in Jason Garrett's offense. That's a recipe for a losing season.
26. Philadelphia Eagles (3-5, +75000) LW: No. 27
The Eagles dominated a bad Lions team, as Nick Sirianni finally decided to run the ball. The problem? It came in Philly's first game without Miles Sanders. Maddening. Philly is out of the league's basement, but the Chargers wait next.
27. New York Jets (2-5, +200000) LW: No. 31
Mike White became the only quarterback other than Cam Newton to throw for 400 yards in his first career start as the Jets upset the Bengals. While a win is a good thing, if White creates a quarterback controversy with No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson, that's a problem for Jets fans.
28. Washington Football Team (2-6, +25000) LW: No. 26
Washington has taken a major step back this season, and losing to a Broncos team that had lost four straight is just another tough pill to swallow. The Football Team needs to find a quarterback in 2022.
29. Miami Dolphins (1-7, +50000) LW: No. 28
Tua Tagovailoa did not look good on Sunday, and the Dolphins went from 10-6 last season to 1-7 to start this season. Go figure. Will Deshaun Watson be a Dolphin by Week 9?
30. Houston Texas (1-7, +200000) LW: No. 30
Tyrod Taylor may be able to win the Texans a few games when he returns, but should they even want that? Houston has shown it can't even hang the past two weeks against quality opponents.
31. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-6, +200000) LW: No. 29
Geno Smith and the Seahawks blew out of the Jaguars 31-7 on Sunday. Trevor Lawrence really isn't getting much better, and I don't know how Jacksonville can justify keeping Urban Meyer beyond this season if Lawrence doesn't make any improvements over the second half of the season.
32. Detroit Lions (0-8, +200000) LW: No. 32
The Lions were absolutely blown out by the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 8. Dan Campbell's team is in serious danger of going 0-17 if performances like this become the norm.