NFL Power Rankings: As season heats up, elite teams starting to gain separation

We’re finally starting to see the dust settle, which means good teams are starting to separate themselves from the rest of the pack, mediocre teams hoping for late-season win streaks and bad teams counting the days until the combine. Where does your favorite team rank? Read on for the latest updates to our big board.



1. Eagles (8-1 — last week, No. 1): Philly has road games left with the Seahawks and Rams, but there’s the very real possibility the Eagles could wrap up home field before Christmas. This week: at Cowboys.

2. Patriots (7-2 — last week, No. 2): The first four games of the season, New England was allowing an average of 32 points per game. The last five games, the Patriots have yielded an average of 13.4 points per game. This week: vs. Oakland in Mexico City.

3. Steelers (7-2 — last week, No. 3): Had to sweat it out on the road against the Colts, but it’s still enough for us to keep them at No. 3. This week: vs. Titans.

4. Chiefs (6-3 — last week, No. 4): Kansas City is coming off a bye. Andy Reid is 16-2 as a head coach coming off a bye week. The Giants are the Chiefs’ next opponent. I’d go with Kansas City in this one. This week: at Giants.

5. Rams (7-2 — last week, No. 5): Just give Sean McVay the Coach of the Year Award right now, and we can be done with it. This week: at Vikings.

6. Vikings (7-2, last week, No. 6): Love the shot of Teddy Bridgewater on the sidelines before last week’s game. It’s been a long road back, and it’s hard not to be happy for him. This week: vs. Rams.

7. Saints (7-2 — last week, No. 8): According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Saints became the first NFL team since 1941 to run for six touchdowns and not punt in Sunday’s win over the Bills. This week: vs. Redskins.

8. Seahawks (6-3 — last week, No. 7): It’s unfair for Seattle to drop a spot even though it won on the road, but the loss of Richard Sherman is really going to test that defense the rest of the way, This week: vs. Falcons.

9. Panthers (7-3 — last week, No. 12): There’s going to be a really nice chase down the stretch for the NFC South division title. This week: Bye.

10. Falcons (5-4 — last week, No. 9): Atlanta has won two of its last three, and three of its next four games are at home. If the Falcons are going to get their you-know-what together and make a run, now is the time. This week: at Seahawks.

11. Cowboys (5-4 — last week, No. 10): Injury to Sean Lee. The uncertainty around Ezekiel Elliott. Jerry is threatening to sue everybody. Have to wonder how sustainable it all is in Dallas right now. This week: vs. Eagles.

12. Lions (5-4 — last week, No. 14): This column pretty much spells out my feelings on the Lions right now. Go read it. This week: at Bears.

13. Raiders (4-5 — last week, No. 13): Tom Brady is 8-1 in his career when going against a Jack Del Rio-led defense. This week: vs. Patriots in Mexico City.

14. Texans (3-6 — last week, No. 11): Bill O’Brien is getting fired, isn’t he? I mean, it’s really not all his fault, but when you lose your starting quarterback and two best defensive players to injury, and you were on the hot seat coming into the season already, it’s not ideal. This week: vs. Cardinals.

15. Jaguars (6-3 — last week, No. 17): No AFC playoff contender has an easier schedule down the stretch than Jacksonville. This week: at Browns.

16. Packers (5-4 — last week, No. 16): Good thing for Green Bay that John Fox doesn’t know which end is up. This week: vs. Ravens.

17. Bills (5-4 — last week, No. 15): We’ll know just who the 2017 Bills really are over the next two weeks, as they have road games with the Chargers and Chiefs. Facing those two challenges, how they respond to that gruesome home loss to New Orleans will let the rest of the league know if Buffalo can finally get back to the postseason. This week: at Chargers.

18. Titans (6-3 — last week, No. 18): We’re not as high on Tennessee as we are on Jacksonville, but four wins in a row heading into a weekend date in Pittsburgh has certainly got our attention. This week: at Steelers.

19. Redskins (4-5 — last week, No. 19): No shame in losing to Minnesota, so we’ll keep them at No. 19. But their continued inconsistency is still a little baffling. Like a slightly worse version of the Lions. This week: at Saints.

20. Broncos (3-6 — last week, No. 20): You can’t even say that Denver has a great defense any more — the Broncos have yielded 121 points in the last three games. This week: vs. Bengals.

21. Dolphins (4-5 — last week, No. 21): Remarkably, of all the teams still kicking around the playoff picture, Miami still has a shot. This week: vs. Bucs.

22. Ravens (4-5 — last week, No. 22): The last three weeks of the regular season, Baltimore plays three teams that have won a combined six games to this point in the year. A couple of wins between now and then and that No. 6 spot in the AFC playoffs could be theirs. This week: at Packers.

23. Bears (3-6 — last week, No. 23): John Fox had a bad week. This week: vs. Lions.

24. Chargers (3-6 — last week, No. 24): Kellen Clemens would start in place of Philip Rivers if the veteran isn’t ready to go. This week: vs. Bills.

25. Jets (4-6 — last week, No. 25): Since they lost to the Patriots, New York has lost three of its last four. This week: Bye.

26. Bucs (3-6 — last week, No. 27): Tampa got a chance to eat a W this week, but there will be more L’s the rest of the season. This week: at Dolphins.

27. Cardinals (4-5 — last week, No. 26): In four games with Arizona, Adrian Peterson has 343 rushing yards, but he’s somehow under four yards per carry. This week: at Texans.

28. Bengals (3-6 — last week, No. 28): Well, at least we’ll be spared the traditional first-round playoff exit from Marvin Lewis and Andy Dalton this year. This week: at Broncos.

29. Colts (3-7 — last week, No. 29): Had the Steelers on the ropes but couldn’t finish them off. Good teams win those types of games. This week: Bye.

30. Niners (1-9 — last week, No. 30): Five of their losses are by one score of less. If they stay healthy, don’t be surprised if San Francisco is the surprise team of 2018. This week: Bye.

31. Giants (1-9 — last week, No. 30): Given the expectations coming into the season, this is one of the most disappointing Giants’ teams of the last 20-plus years. This week: vs. Chiefs.

32. Browns (0-9 — last week, No. 32): Last of the winless teams this year. This week: vs. Jaguars.