JOHN McCLAIN’S NFL POWER RANKINGS
WEEK 9
New England 8-0 (Week 8 ranking: 1): Bill Belichick’s defense is surrendering 7.6 points a game going into the Patriots’ game at Baltimore.
New Orleans 7-1 (2): Drew Brees returned sooner than expected, replacing Teddy Bridgewater and throwing three passes in a win over Arizona.
Green Bay 7-1 (3): Matt LaFleur is off to the best start of any Packers coach in history. They play another AFC West game against the Chargers.
San Francisco 7-0 (4): The 49ers are the biggest surprise in the league. They’re allowing 11 points a game going into their trip to Arizona.
Baltimore 5-2 (5): After taking Sunday off, the Ravens play their most important game of the season, hosting New England on Sunday night.
Seattle 6-2 (8): After winning at Atlanta, the Seahawks return home vs. Tampa Bay and should have no trouble getting a second win in a row.
Minnesota 6-2 (9): Kirk Cousins and the Vikings are red hot and on an impressive roll on their way to Kansas City for a non-conference game.
Indianapolis 5-2 (10): The Colts escaped Denver’s upset bid to extend their winning streak to three games entering their game at Pittsburgh.
Kansas City 5-3 (6): Despite losing Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs have maintained their lead in a division with only one winning team.
Buffalo 5-2 (7): Against Philadelphia, the Bills suffered their first loss since New England defeated them. They should beat Washington.
Houston 5-3 (12): The Texans rebounded from their loss at Indianapolis to pull out a victory over Oakland but lost J.J. Watt for the season.
Dallas 4-3 (13): The Cowboys are coming off their open date with a one-half game lead in the NFC East entering their game at the Giants.
L.A. Rams 5-3 (14): A 14-point win over the Bengals wasn’t too impressive. The defending NFC West champion is three games out of first place.
Philadelphia 4-4 (16): The Eagles bounced back from their loss to the Cowboys with a victory at Buffalo. They host the rapidly deteriorating Bears.
Jacksonville 4-4 (20): The Jaguars’ win over the Jets gave them a two-game winning streak going into their game against the Texans in London.
Tennessee 4-4 (19): After earning back-to-back controversial wins over the Chargers and Bucs, the Titans have a road game against Carolina.
Carolina 4-3 (11): The Panthers suffered a 38point loss to San Francisco. They’re happy to return home to try to recover against the Titans.
Oakland 3-4 (15): For the first time since the second week of the season, the Raiders play a game in Oakland. They entertain the Lions.
Arizona 3-4-1 (17): The Cardinals’ three-game win streak was broken against New Orleans. They host San Francisco in a Thursday night game.
Detroit 3-3-1 (22): The Lions are coming off a five-point win over the Giants. They’re in third place ahead of Chicago.
Chicago 3-4 (18): The Bears are a huge disappointment. They lost by one point to the Chargers on a missed field goal.
Pittsburgh 3-4 (21): The Steelers had to rally for a come-from-behind victory over Miami on Monday night. Now they get Indianapolis at home.
L.A. Chargers 3-5 (25): The Chargers escaped Soldier Field with a one-point win vs. the Bears, then fired offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt.
Cleveland 2-5 (23): The Browns may be the league’s most disappointing team. They lost to New England but might be able to win at Denver.
Denver 2-6 (24): As if the Broncos didn’t have enough problems, Joe Flacco is injured and may not play again this season. They host Cleveland.
N.Y. Giants 2-6 (26): Going into their Monday night game against the Cowboys, the Giants are one game out of last place in the NFC East.
N.Y. Jets 1-6 (27): Even with Sam Darnold back, the Jets are going nowhere fast, but they might be able to win their second game against Miami.
Atlanta 1-7 (28): The Falcons lost Matt Ryan and another game, the latest defeat with Matt Schaub at QB. They need their open date bad.
Washington 1-7 (29): After losing at Minnesota to stay in last place in the NFC East, Washington travels to Buffalo.
Tampa Bay 2-5 (30): Jameis Winston committed four turnovers in a four-point loss to Tennessee. Now the Bucs travel to Seattle.
Cincinnati 0-8 (31): The Bengals are pathetic on offense and defense in Zac Taylor’s first season as coach. They’re competing for the top pick.
Miami 0-7 (32): If the Dolphins are going to win a game this season, Sunday might be the ideal time to do it because they host the Jets.