NFL power rankings, Week 8: Did Ravens and Eagles put rest of NFL on notice?
John Harbaugh’s team hosted the red-hot Detroit Lions. The Ravens’ offense started hot and really never cooled off. It finished the game with a season-best 503 total yards. Lamar Jackson was sizzling. He wasn’t sacked and did lose one fumble, but he hit on 21-of-27 throws for 357 yards and three TDs and also ran for one touchdown.
The Baltimore defense certainly did its share, sacking Lions’ quarterback Jared Goff five times (2 by linebacker Kyle Van Noy), forcing him into two fumbles while picking him off once. The Ravens allowed just 84 yards rushing.
After stubbing its toes last week against the Jets, Nick Sirianni’s team came up with a solid victory over a fellow division leader as the determined Eagles cooled off the highest-scoring team in the league. The Birds rebounded from their first loss of the season and limited the Dolphins’ offensive unit to 244 total yards and one touchdown.
Jalen Hurts was far from perfect. He threw for 279 yards and two scores and ran for another. However, he also committed two more turnovers, giving him 10 for the season. That has to be an area of concern for Sirianni.
Andy Reid’s team had not lost since Week 1. Off a Thursday night win over the Broncos, the Chiefs hosted the rival Chargers and looked to make it 13 straight wins vs. divisional rivals. The teams traded scores in the first half but it was all Kansas City after that. Patrick Mahomes threw for 424 yards and four scores (1 interception).
Travis Kelce caught 12 passes for 179 yards and one TD. However, the Chiefs’ defense has been the team’s most consistent entity, and the biggest reason Reid’s team still owns the top spot in these NFL Power Rankings.