1. New England Patriots (8-1; Lost 37-20 vs BAL) (-)
The Patriots had no answer for the Ravens dynamic rushing attack as they dropped their first game of the year on Sunday night. Their all-time great defense gave up 30 points (the Ravens defense added 7 of their own) and it looks like there may finally be a blueprint to beat them.
2. San Francisco 49ers (8-0; Won 28-25 vs ARI) (-)
San Francisco kept their perfect season alive on Thursday night. Newly-acquired wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders had a huge game, with 112 yards and one of Jimmy Garappolo’s four touchdown passes on the day.
3. New Orleans Saints (7-1; BYE) (+1)
Drew Brees and the Saints got a bye week ahead of a matchup against the Atlanta Falcons where they might score 100 points.
4. Seattle Seahawks (7-2; Won 40-34 vs TB) (+1)
They needed overtime, but the Seattle Seahawks avoided suffering an upset at home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 378 yards and five touchdown passes further solidify the MVP resume of quarterback Russell Wilson. The addition of Josh Gordon from the Patriots should only help.
5. Green Bay Packers (7-2; Lost 26-11 vs LAC) (-3)
Green Bay crashed back down to earth in Week 9. Aaron Rodgers and Aaron Jones had their worst performances of the season and they dropped a winnable game on the road, allowing the Vikings to stay within range in a tough NFC North.
6. Baltimore Ravens (6-2; Won 37-20 vs NE) (+6)
Lamar Jackson revived his MVP candidacy — and more importantly upset the Patriots — with a dazzling display on Sunday Night Football. The young quarterback threw for 163 yards and a touchdown, then added 61 yards and two scores on the ground. Running back Mark Ingram had 115 yards on 15 attempts as well. Baltimore has the division firmly in hand, and they should have their eyes set on the Super Bowl.
7. Los Angeles Rams (5-3; BYE) (-) (-1)
Los Angeles got a week of rest after playing in London in Week 8. They draw the Steelers in a tough Heinz Field environment up next.
8. Dallas Cowboys (5-3; Won 37-18 vs NYG) (-1)
Dallas pulled off a decisive victory against their division rival Giants after a rough start. The defense stepped up in the second half and Dak Prescott recovered from a horrible start to close the game out.
9. Kansas City Chiefs (6-3; Won 26-23 vs MIN) (+2)
The Matt Moore-led Chiefs got their first victory as a last-second field goal gave them a crucial win over the Minnesota Vikings. Running back Damien Williams was the real star, as the running back pulled off a 91 yard touchdown run and finished the day averaging over 10 yards a carry.
10. Houston Texans (6-3; Won 26-3 vs JAX) (-)
The Texans hammered the Jaguars in London to keep pace in a competitive AFC South. Running back Carlos Hyde ran for 160 yards on 19 carries and the defense was all over Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew.
11. Minnesota Vikings (6-3; Lost 26-23 vs KC) (-2)
Kirk Cousins was hit-or-miss and star running back Dalvin Cook could not get going as the Vikings dropped a game to the Chiefs after a last-second field goal. Minnesota squandered a chance to gain ground in the NFC North, and have a tough Sunday night matchup against the Cowboys on the horizon.
12. Philadelphia Eagles (5-4; Won 22-14 vs CHI) (+1)
The Eagles won despite a bad performance. Their defense befitted from an abysmal day from the Bears offense, and their own offense could not take advantage of opportunities. Miles Sanders looks like the only player on offense getting the job done at the moment.
13. Indianapolis Colts (5-3; Lost 26-24 vs PIT) (-5)
An already banged up Colts team suffered a huge loss in Week 9, when quarterback Jacoby Brissett had to leave the game early on with an injury. Brian Hoyer entered the game in relief, and his three-touchdown performance was not enough to get the win. The long term health of Brissett is this teams biggest concern, though, as they are in the heat of a fierce AFC South race.
14. Buffalo Bills (6-2; Won 24-9 vs WAS) (+1)
The Bills got back on track against a floundering Washington team this week. Devin Singletary rushed for 95 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries and the defense had a huge bounce back week as well. This Bills team looks destined for the postseason.
15. Carolina Panthers (5-3; Won 30-20 vs TEN) (+4)
Christian McCaffery added to his MVP resume with a huge day that included 166 yards from scrimmage and three total touchdowns. Carolina got back into the win column and stayed alive in the fierce NFC wild card race.
16. Los Angeles Chargers (4-5; Won 26-11 vs GB) (+2)
The Chargers pulled off a huge upset with their season on life support. They knocked off a talented Packers team and managed to claw their way back into an AFC wildcard race that still looks wide open.
17. Oakland Raiders (4-4; Won 31-24 vs DET) (+4)
Josh Jacobs could not be stopped by the Lions defense, as he went for 120 yards and two touchdowns to continue an amazing rookie season. Quarterback Derek Carr also performed well with 289 yards and two touchdowns on 31 attempts.
18. Tennessee Titans (4-5; Lost 30-20 vs CAR) (-1)
A rocky performance from Ryan Tannehill and the defense’s inability to contain Christian McCaffery cost the Titans in Week 9. The team drops back below .500 as they hit a crucial juncture in the race for the AFC South.
19. Chicago Bears (3-5; Lost 22-14 vs PHI) (-3)
The Mitch Trubisky era in Chicago looks like it is in real danger. The quarterback had a horrible day against the Eagles: Chicago had negative passing yards for much of the first half, and the young quarterback finished the day with just 125 yards on 21 attempts. Their season is on life support.
20. Detroit Lions (3-4-1; Lost 31-24 vs OAK) (-6)
An amazing 400-yard passing performance from Matthew Stafford was wasted by the Lions as their defense could not contain the Raiders offense. Detroit fell back below .500 as their playoff hopes begin to slip away.
21. Arizona Cardinals (3-5-1; Lost 28-25 vs SF) (+2)
A few big plays kept the Cardinals alive, but they could not hang in an NFC West showdown. Kenyan Drake had a great debut with his new team, totaling 110 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.
22. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-4; Won 26-24 vs IND) (+2)
Pittsburgh has miraculously clawed their way back to .500 after a horrible start that included losing franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Mason Rudolph threw for 191 yards and a touchdown, while Trey Edmunds added 73 yards on 12 carries in the absence of James Conner.
23. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5; Lost 26-3 vs HOU) (-1)
Jacksonville was blown out in their annual trip to England. Gardner Minshew had a tough time navigating the Texans pass rush, and the offense was stagnant the entire way.
24. Denver Broncos (3-6; Won 24-19 vs CLE) (+3)
Brandon Allen got a victory in his first career NFL start, upsetting the Browns in relief of Joe Flacco. He threw for 193 yards and two touchdowns, and got a lot of help from running back Phillip Lindsay — who added 92 yards and a score on nine carries.
25. Cleveland Browns (2-6; Lost 24-19 vs DEN) (-5)
The dream may be dead in Cleveland. The Browns’ dream team lost their sixth game of the year to a bad Broncos squad that was starting a backup quarterback. Baker Mayfield looks like a shell of his former self.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-6; Lost 40-34 vs SEA) (-1)
Mike Evans caught 12 passes for 180 yards and a touchdown as the Bucs offense actually looked great against a tough Seahawks defense. Their own defense had no answer for the dynamic Russell Wilson, though, as they dropped a tough game in overtime.
27. New York Giants (2-7; Lost 37-18 vs DAL) (-1)
Daniel Jones played a bad second half on Monday Night Football, and the Giants once again got swept by their division rivals from out west.
28. Atlanta Falcons (1-7; BYE) (-)
A Falcons defense that can stop nobody got an extra week to prepare to be obliterated by Drew Brees next week.
29. New York Jets (1-7; Lost 26-18 vs MIA) (-)
Oh boy. Sam Darnold was an absolute disaster as the Jets lost to one of the worst rosters in NFL history. It is hard to see how this team beat the Cowboys, and the Jets are in deep trouble this year after building a win-now roster last offseason.
30. Washington (1-8; Lost 24-9 vs BUF) (-)
Dwayne Haskins had a rough day in his first NFL start. The rookie quarterback threw for only 122 yards on 22 attempts. A 108-yard performance from veteran Adrian Peterson was not enough as Washington lost once again.
31. Miami Dolphins (1-7; Won (?) 26-18 vs NYJ) (+1)
I can’t make jokes about Alabama here anymore because this team actually WON! Ryan Fitzpatrick pulled off some Fitzmagic to deliver three touchdowns, and the defense looked great against the New York. The monkey is finally off of their back, and getting into the win column could turn this team around.
32. Cincinnati Bengals (0-8; BYE) (-1)
The Bengals got an extra week to prepare for Lamar Jackson and the incredible Ravens offense next week, while Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa got a bye week to prepare for their showdown on Saturday.