Ravens’ rise continues
1. Ravens 7-2 (Last week: 3): Lamar Jackson is on pace to pass for 3,620 yards and 27 TDs and rush for 1,248 yards and 11 scores — mind-boggling projections.
2. Patriots 8-1 (4): The Patriots, who were off last week, had a schedule crammed with cream puffs before a loss to the Ravens.Things are about to get tougher.
3. Packers 8-2 (7): LB Preston Smith became the first player on the Packers to reach double-digit sacks after getting two in a win over the Panthers.
4. Seahawks 8-2 (8): The Seahawks answered questions about their defense in a gritty OT victory over the 49ers. Jadeveon Clowney dominated off the edge. 5. 49ers 8-1 (2): A potential storybook ending for rookie Chase McLaughlin turned into a nightmare as he shanked a 47-yard FG try wide left in OT.
6. Saints 7-2 (1): The Saints dropped from the No. 1 spot after just a one-week stay in the wake of their upset loss at home to the struggling Falcons.
7. Texans 6-3 (6): The Texans come out of their open date having won four of their last five games and sitting a game ahead of the Colts in the AFC South.
8. Vikings 7-3 (12): If Christian McCaffrey wasn’t putting together such a monstrous season for the Panthers, Vikings RB Dalvin Cook might be getting MVP hype.
9. Chiefs 6-4 (5): The return of Patrick Mahomes wasn’t enough to lift the Chiefs over the Titans. Like a lot of teams, the Chiefs have an imperfect roster.
10. Steelers 5-4 (17): Mike Tomlin is working magic with a Steelers team that was left for dead after an 0-3 start and the season-ending injury to Big Ben.
11. Cowboys 5-4 (11): Bad run defense and tackling, inept red-zone offense and poor game management near the end spelled doom for the Cowboys against the Vikings. 12. Eagles 5-4 (13): How desperate are the Eagles at wide receiver? They’ve brought back journeyman Jordan Matthews for a third tour with the team. 13. Colts 5-4 (9): The Colts now trail the Texans in the AFC South. The hope is QB Jacoby Brissett will be cleared to face the Jaguars this week.
14. Rams 5-4 (10): QB Jared Goff has been shaky. He’s averaging 7.0 yards per attempt with 17 TD passes, 16 picks and a 79.2 passer rating over his last 16 games. 15. Titans 5-5 (21): QB Ryan Tannehill came up big in the upset of the Chiefs. He has six games remaining to improve his resume when looking ahead to free agency. 16. Raiders 5-4 (18): The Raiders’ revival under Jon Gruden promises to be a big storyline in Las Vegas next season if the team can continue to play well.
17. Panthers 5-4 (16): The Panthers claimed veteran RB Mike Davis off waivers. They want a fresh back to take a little of the load off Christian McCaffrey. 18. Bills 6-3 (14): The Bills haven’t been beating the good teams on their schedule, and then they lost to a bad one, falling 19-16 to the lowly Browns in Cleveland.
19. Bears 4-5 (22): A four-game losing streak ended after the Bears scored TDs on three consecutive possessions in the middle of a 20-13 win over the Lions.
20. Jaguars 4-5 (20): WR DJ Chark really took off playing with Gardner Minshew. Will Chark keep it up now that Nick Foles is back under center?
21. Chargers 4-6 (15): The Chargers traveled to Colorado Springs, Colo., for a week of practice before a Monday night meeting with the Chiefs in Mexico City. 22. Lions 3-5-1 (19): It’s hard to make sense of what happened with Matthew Stafford, whose consecutive-starts streak ended at 136 when he didn’t face the Bears. 23. Browns 3-6 (26): The Browns ended a four-game skid by edging the Bills at home. Nick Chubb has been one of the few bright spots for an inconsistent offense.
24. Buccaneers 3-6 (27): Maybe there’s a future for Jameis Winston with the Bucs after all. The offense is producing. It ranks fourth in the NFL at 28.9 points per game. 25. Cardinals 3-6-1 (23): David Johnson was benched in the loss to the Bucs after losing a fumble. They made the change to keep newly acquired Kenyan Drake rolling. 26. Broncos 3-6 (24): Nickel CB Bryce Callahan, a key free-agent signing, missed the preseason with a foot injury. There’s a 50/50 chance he plays later this season.
27. Falcons 2-7 (29): Where was this team in the first eight games? The Falcons went into New Orleans and demolished the Saints, sacking Drew Brees six times.
28. Dolphins 2-7 (28): The Dolphins’ shot at the No. 1 pick is really fizzling. They have won two straight games, most recently beating the Colts in Indianapolis.
29. Jets 2-7 (31): The Jets managed to stop the bleeding as they held off the Giants, but G Brian Winters and TE Chris Herndon suffered season-ending injuries. 30. Giants 2-8 (25): The Giants have lost six straight games. Rookie QB Daniel Jones continues to be a turnover machine with eight INTs and nine lost fumbles.
31. Redskins 1-8 (30): The Redskins emerged from their week off with first-round draft pick Dwayne Haskins set to start at QB the rest of the season.
32. Bengals 0-9 (32): The Bengals’ chances of running the table and going 0-16 seems remote. There are some real duds on their remaining schedule.
Seahawks kicker Jason Myers celebrates after his game-winning FG Monday.