Neil Reynolds' 2023 Week 8 Power Rankings

It was a more familiar scenes for the Chiefs in their 31-17 win over the Chargers. Patrick Mahomes threw for 424 yards and four touchdowns while Travis Kelce caught 12 for 179 and one score. But the defense that recorded five sacks and two interceptions deserves some love. They have still not allowed more than 21 points in a game this season.

The 49ers are now facing a serious test in the middle of their season. After a 5-0 start, they have dropped back-to-back games against Cleveland and Minnesota – both very beatable teams. Brock Purdy is also feeling some heat at QB and things don’t get any easier as a Week 8 matchup with Cincinnati beckons.

The Eagles used their physicality in the trenches to beat the Miami Dolphins on Sunday night and Jalen Hurts made some special plays during the course of a 31-17 win. But Hurts is making the kind of mistakes that can quickly end a season in the playoffs. He has 10 turnovers already after just eight in all of 2022.

The Ravens are starting to look formidable and delivered a statement win over Detroit. The 38-6 scoreline was by no means misleading. Lamar Jackson was excellent in throwing for 357 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for another score. And the defense now has 11 sacks in the past two games. Scary!

The Dolphins learned that there is at least another level or two to be found before they can be considered among the NFL’s elite. They got pushed around early by the Eagles and lacked balance, rushing for just 45 yards. But their defense had one of its best showings of the year and that bodes well for the stretch.

The whole of Florida – and the UK – is watching Trevor Lawrence’s knee very closely indeed. Any drama there and the feel-good factor could disappear very quickly indeed. But, for now, the Jags are riding high with a four-game winning streak which has catapulted them to the top of their division.

Like the Dolphins, the Lions discovered that they are not quite there yet. The most worrying aspect of a brutal loss to the Ravens was how easily Jared Goff crumbled under pressure. A red-hot start to the year completely spiraled into oblivion over the course of three difficult hours in Maryland. The response 

The Cowboys are coming off their bye and will face a tricky opponent on Sunday in the Los Angeles Rams. Dallas have alternated losses and wins for the past month, but have spent a lot of time on the road. The good news as they return to Texas is that Dallas have won 10 home games in a row dating back 

Who are the Buffalo Bills? Take away the magical moments from Josh Allen and where is their Plan B? They are so reliant on their star quarterback, but others need to step up. The defense is also reeling from the loss of All-Pro linebacker Matt Milano and Buffalo are an early-season disappointment at 4-3.

The Bengals will come out of their bye week hoping Joe Burrow has been able to completely put his summer calf injury behind him. If that is not the case, it will likely linger the rest of the way as there are no more weeks off for Cincinnati. They have a huge game coming up at San Francisco and are dangerous.

The Browns would feel much better about consecutive wins over San Francisco and Indianapolis if they knew more about the long-term health of quarterback Deshaun Watson. Whoever is under center is going to receive help from playmaking defensive end Myles Garrett, who was sensational in Week 7.

The Seahawks rarely blow the doors off an opponent and don’t very often make national headlines, but they are 4-2 and very well placed to make another march to the NFC playoffs. Their defense has been a surprising plus in 2023 and rookie cornerback Devon Witherspoon is a player who cannot be 

It’s fitting that the Steelers are right behind the Seahawks in these rankings because they are another team who have a better record than the eyeball test might suggest. Given their slow starts on offense this season, I’m not quite sure how Pittsburgh are 4-2. But this is also kind of the norm for Mike Tomlin’s men.

The Jets ran an early-season gauntlet without Aaron Rodgers and came out of a tough start with a 3-3 record. Now, can they build on that with winnable games coming up against the New York Giants, Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders? NY are looking to stay alive just in case 12 can return 

Houston are relevant at 3-3 and that’s because of rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, who could embarrass the 0-6 Panthers in Carolina on Sunday. It’s early, but it’s certainly looking like Carolina backed the wrong rookie quarterback. The Texans may not be a playoff team this season, but they are making positive strides.

The pressure is building on coach Brandon Staley because his defense continues to leak too many yards and big plays. There was a second half tightening up against KC but then the offense went into a funk and another game slipped away. The talents of Justin Herbert, like Philip Rivers before him, are being 

So, I guess Kirk Cousins can play in Primetime after all. He was sensational in defeating San Francisco and once Justin Jefferson returns from his hamstring injury, the Vikings are going to have quite the offensive trio with rookie wideout Jordan Addison beginning to shine. Despite a slow start, Minnesota are 

The Rams’ loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers summed up the first half of their season. They can be really encouraging at times and then maddeningly frustrating. They blew that winnable game to fall to 3-4. But the plus side is the connections between Matthew Stafford and receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua.

The Falcons got the win in Tampa to move top of the NFC South at 4-3. Head coach Arthur Smith has firmly pinned his flag to Desmond Ridder’s mast, but is that wise? A week after throwing three interceptions against Washington, Ridder lost two fumbles at the goal-line that kept this game far too close for comfort.

Baker Mayfield has been outspoken about the Bucs scoring prowess – or lack of it – in recent weeks with Tampa totaling 19 points in their last two outings. Mayfield wants a move away from the running game and more of an aerial attack. We’ll see if such a move can see this team escape mid-table in these 

The Colts can feel hard done by when it comes to the late-game officiating against Cleveland. I thought they did enough at the end of that game to win and move to 4-3. Instead, they are a 3-4 team but one that can remain alive. Their next five are New Orleans, Carolina, New England, Tampa Bay and Tennessee.

If the Saints are to shake themselves from occasionally-dangerous, middle-of-the-league territory into contender status, they must get more out of quarterback Derek Carr. He is taking a very cautious approach and is averaging just 229 passing yards per game – his lowest output since his rookie year of 2014.

Jordan Love was very encouraging out of the gate, throwing for six touchdowns in his first two starts since ‘you know who’ moved to New York. His form – which has coincided with three straight losses – has been more worrying. Love has thrown four interceptions in his last two outings and is making too many errors.

When you’re saying your bedtime prayers, make sure you say one for Sam Howell. Washington are doing little to protect their young quarterback who is on pace to become the most-sacked passer in any NFL season. Howell is tabbed to be sacked a stunning 97 times, which would smash the mark of 76 set by Houston’s David Carr in 2002.

Bill Belichick masterminded a win over Buffalo on Sunday just hours after news broke that he had signed a multi-year and lucrative extension with the Patriots. Follow-up reports suggest that deal does not extend beyond next season. Belichick is not out of the woods yet and needs to guide his team to a strong finish.

The calls for a Belichick pupil – Josh McDaniels – to be fired are growing louder by the day in the desert. His decision making has been questionable from game to game, but this past week might have been the worst of the lot. Who on earth felt Brian Hoyer was the right man to start against the Chicago 

The Titans’ rebuild has officially begun and by the time you have read this, we might know who is replacing the injured Ryan Tannehill at quarterback. That has been a well-guarded secret. We also might see star running back Derrick Henry traded to a new team, joining All-Pro safety Kevin Byard in exiting 

The Tyson Bagent feel-good story is going to warm the hearts of Bears fans for about 13 minutes. Then they’re going to realise Justin Fields is on the sidelines – again – and another lost season is going to meander to a conclusion without any real signs of hope or promise. Another winter of discontent beckons.

If Sean Payton is only going to be truly happy with a “perfect performance” from the Denver Broncos, I hope he has a good therapist. This is a flawed team and one which the much-heralded coach has not been able to affect all that much. Last week’s win was nice, but the troubles still pile a Mile High in 

This is such a knee-jerk media question but humour me and let me ask it anyway… Are the New York Giants actually better off with Tyrod Taylor at quarterback instead of Daniel Jones? Neither has proven to be a perfect solution but while Taylor has shown some moxie, the big money remains tied up in Jone

The Cardinals have activated the three-week window to get Kyler Murray on the practice field and then back into games. And he might prove to be the difference in winning a game or two. The Cards have been close in quite a few contests only to fade away in the second half.

Frank Reich has seen this movie before. The owner starts to get unhappy with results, makes some remarks in the media and then starts to get more involved in team decisions. Reich is forced to make changes behind the scenes and has given up play-calling. What comes next for Reich is not something he is going to want to think about right now as the leader of a winless team.