JOHN McCLAIN’S NFL POWER RANKINGS

WEEK 8

1. New England 6-1 (2): The Patriots are 3-0 since Tom Brady returned from his four-game suspension. He has 8TD passes, 0 interceptions and a 132.6 rating.

2. Dallas 5-1 (3): After their open date, the Cowboys put their five-game winning streak on the line at home game Sunday night vs. Philadelphia.

3. Minnesota 5-1 (1): Until Sunday’s loss at Philadelphia, the Vikings’ offense had not committed a turnover. They had four against the Eagles.

4. Denver 5-2 (9): The Broncos’ win over the Texans snapped their two-game losing streak and kept them tied with Oakland for first in the AFC West.

5. Oakland 5-2 (13): The Raiders are 3-0 on the road and 1-2 at home. Their next two games are on the road against Jacksonville and Tampa Bay.

6. Seattle 4-1-1 (4): The Seahawsk’ tie against Arizona didn’t hurt them as bad as it did the Cardinals. Seattle has a two-game lead in the loss column.

7. Kansas City 4-2 (12): Since their open date, the Chiefs have won back-to-back games to remain one-half game behind Denver and Oakland.

8. Philadelphia 4-2 (14): The most brutal part of the the Eagles’ schedule continues with a prime-time game at Dallas.

9. Green Bay 4-2 (10): The Packers are one game behind first-place Minnesota in the NFC North. They’ve got a tough road game against Atlanta.

10. Atlanta 4-3 (5): The Falcons have lost consecutive games to Seattle by two points and San Diego by three in overtime. They host Green Bay.

11. Pittsburgh 4-3 (6): After losing to New England in Landry Jones’ first start for Ben Roethlisberger, they have an open date.

12. Buffalo 4-3 (7): The Bills’ four-game winning streak was stopped at Miami, but now they have a chance to sweep New England.

13. Detroit 4-3 (17): In the Lions’ four wins, QB Matthew Stafford has thrown 11 touchdown passes and no interceptions. He has a 15-4 ratio this season.

14. Washington 4-3 (8): Washington is two games behind first-place Dallas in the loss column and can’t afford to lose to Cincinnati in England.

15. Houston 4-3 (11): The Texans have lost three road games to teams that have a combined 16-4 record.

16. N.Y. Giants 4-3 (16): In the victory over Los Angeles, the Giants had two players with two interceptions apiece for the first time since 1986.

17. San Diego 3-4 (19): After being drafted in the first round last year, running back Melvin Gordon didn’t score a TD as a rookie. He has 10 this season.

18. Arizona 3-3-1 (15): After tying Seattle, the Cardinals play five of their next seven games on the road.

19. Cincinnati 3-4 (24): A.J. Green has nine games with at least 150 yards and a TD, tying Andre Johnson and Steve Smith Sr. for the most among active players.

20. Miami 3-4 (27): Jay Ajayi joined O.J. Simpson, Earl Campbell and Ricky Williams as the only players to rush for at least 200 yards in consecutive games.

21. Indianapolis 3-4 (25): Ageless kicker Adam Vinatieri, 43, kicked two field goals against Tennessee, giving him a league-record 43 in a row.

22. Tennessee 3-4 (18): The Titans vs. Andrew Luck is as close to a sure thing as you’ll get in the NFL. They’re 0-8 against the Colts’ quarterback.

23. Tampa Bay 3-3 (26): If they beat Oakland at home and Atlanta loses at home to Green Bay, the Bucs will be within a half game of first place.

24. New Orleans 2-4 (20): Drew Brees is the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for at least 300 yards in 100 games. He’s done it four times this year.

25. Los Angeles 3-4 (22): In the Rams’ threegame losing streak, QB Case Keenum has been intercepted on the last play in each of those defeats.

26. N.Y. Jets 2-5 (29): Ryan Fitzpatrick came off the bench to beat Baltimore. Now he returns to the lineup because Geno Smith is out for the season.

27. Baltimore 3-4 (21): The Ravens have a fourgame losing streak and are 0-2 since offensive coordinator Marc Trestman was fired.

28. Jacksonville 2-4 (23): After losing to Oakland 33-16, the Jaguars are 1-3 at home. Gus Bradley’s seat is white hot because his career record is 14-40.

29. Carolina 1-5 (28): After losing the Super Bowl to Denver, the Panthers are the NFL’s most disappointing team. After their open date, they host Arizona.

30. Chicago 1-6 (30): The Bears need some good news going into their Monday night home game against Minnesota. QB Jay Cutler is ready to play.

31. San Francisco 1-6 (31): They are so bad it’s hard to believe they beat the Rams in their opener. It’s not hard to believe they have a six-game losing streak.

32. Cleveland 0-7 (32): If they lose at home to the Jets, they’ll be one loss closer to equaling the worst start (0-9) in franchise history.

Last week’s ranking in parentheses