Here are the NFL power rankings ahead of Week 8 in the 2024 season (previous rank in parentheses):

1. Kansas City Chiefs (1): Patrick Mahomes has joined Peyton Manning (2015) as the only quarterbacks in the last 30 years to lead their teams to a 6-0 record while throwing more interceptions than touchdowns. Manning’s Broncos went on to win the championship that year. This Sunday, the Chiefs head back to Allegiant Stadium, where they’ve won all five games this season, including their overtime victory in Super Bowl 58. It’s likely K.C. will extend their road win streak against the Raiders to seven years and reach 7-0.

2. Baltimore Ravens (2): Unless they clinch a spot in Super Bowl 59, they have only two more scheduled games against NFC teams this year. This is significant since QB Lamar Jackson holds a remarkable 23-1 record against NFC opponents, boasting a .958 winning percentage since the two conferences formed in 1970. Following his fifth game with five touchdown passes on Monday night in Tampa, Jackson is making a strong case for a third MVP title.

3. Detroit Lions (4): Currently the frontrunners for home-field advantage in the NFC, they might actually be more formidable on the road, where they remain unbeaten with an impressive average victory margin of 15.7 points.

4. Minnesota Vikings (3): They too are undefeated away from home, but will have to navigate through a tough stretch with four of their next five games on the road, with only one game against a team above .500 (Chicago).

5. Green Bay Packers (7): New kicker Brandon McManus nailed the game-winning field goal at Lambeau Field, marking just the second time in his 11-year career that he’s done so at that iconic stadium. He could be the final piece in what looks to be a championship-caliber team.

6. Houston Texans (8): Claims of a sophomore slump for QB C.J. Stroud are premature, though his performance has dipped after his least productive game as a pro. Thankfully, his challenging run through the NFC North is almost over.

7. Buffalo Bills (9): After acquiring WR Amari Cooper, rookie Keon Coleman made history by recording Buffalo’s first 100-yard receiving game of the season during Sunday’s win.

8. Atlanta Falcons (5): Other than QB Kirk Cousins’ impressive 509-yard performance in Week 5, the Falcons’ offense has struggled, averaging just 213.5 passing yards per game.

9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6): Monday night began well for the receivers, with Mike Evans celebrating his 100th touchdown and wisely deciding to keep the ball. However, it ended on a sour note as Evans aggravated a hamstring injury and Chris Godwin appeared to suffer a season-ending leg injury late in the game.

10. Washington Commanders (10): Although their impressive +66 point differential was bolstered by a rout of Carolina on Sunday, it might surprise you that they lead the league in this category. Maintaining this edge may be tough if rookie QB Jayden Daniels misses games due to his rib injury.

11. Philadelphia Eagles (11): In Saquon Barkley’s return to the Giants, he recorded a remarkable 21.93 mph on a 55-yard run—this year’s fastest by any running back, according to Next Gen Stats.

12. Chicago Bears (14): Cornerback Jaylon Johnson has had an outstanding season. Among defenders who have been targeted at least 20 times, quarterbacks have posted a league-low passer rating of 20.8 against him.

13. Dallas Cowboys (15): Looking forward to their next two games away from AT&T Stadium—often a difficult venue for them—is encouraging. The Cowboys are 3-0 on the road this season, allowing no more than 17 points in each of those outings.

14. Pittsburgh Steelers (16): Here’s a fun fact: QB Russell Wilson has the longest active streak in the league, having thrown at least one touchdown pass in 20 consecutive games. They’ll face a Giants defense that has allowed only two touchdown passes in their last three games.

15. Arizona Cardinals (21): If RB James Conner is indeed the most underappreciated player in the league, it won’t be due to a lack of admiration for him. Don’t be shocked if this resilient team channels its grit through Conner and earns an NFC West title.

16. Cincinnati Bengals (19): Look who’s approaching a .500 record after starting the season 0-3. Interestingly, neither WR Ja’Marr Chase nor Tee Higgins has had a 100-yard game in the victories this season.

17. San Francisco 49ers (12): With WR Brandon Aiyuk sidelined for the rest of the season due to an ACL injury, it’s evident that this team might be in disarray—fitting for a “Last Dance” scenario. Depending on injuries, they might need to rely on rookies Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing in their upcoming game against Dallas.

18. Seattle Seahawks (23): Their most impressive victory this season came alongside their first game with a turnover differential of at least +2. The Seahawks will only leave their home turf once more until December.

19. Los Angeles Chargers (17): While there’s much to say about the Chargers over the years, being boring isn’t usually one of them. However, under HC Jim Harbaugh’s Big Ten coaching style, the team’s already limited potential may drop further.

20. Denver Broncos (20): Did you catch Courtland Sutton’s smile following Thursday’s strong win against the Saints? Remarkably, he had zero targets that game for the first time in his career—a truly unique occurrence for a receiver.

21. Indianapolis Colts (13): Sitting at 4-3, they have climbed into the wild-card spot in the AFC. However, the team isn’t impressing viewers much, especially with sophomore Anthony Richardson struggling as the least accurate (48.5%) and efficient (60.0 rating) quarterback among those who have attempted over 100 passes.

Colts are gearing up for a Sunday night matchup against Minnesota in Week 9.

22. New York Jets (18): If you’re seeking a silver lining, NYJ supporters, consider this: In five of the last six years, a team that kicked off the season with a 2-5 record eventually made it to the playoffs.

23. Los Angeles Rams (24): WR Cooper Kupp (ankle) is set to return on Thursday, marking his first appearance since Week 2. However, former offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell will be back at SoFi Stadium for the first time since 2021 with a notably stronger Vikings team.

24. Miami Dolphins (29): Just how underwhelming has the offense been? They’ve recorded a league-low 1.04 points per drive. Getting QB Tua Tagovailoa back will certainly help, but we shouldn’t overlook that the Dolphins were struggling even when he was playing.

25. Jacksonville Jaguars (32): You might think they’d prefer a bye week after two games in Europe, but it could be beneficial to keep the momentum going following their best win of the season and two victories in their last three games. As for their time in London, Trevor Lawrence now holds the record for the most career passing yards (1,401) and wins (4) there, surpassing the beloved Blake Bortles.

26. New Orleans Saints (25): What’s the mess QB Derek Carr returning to? The Saints have lost their last two home games by over 20 points each, matching the total number of such blowout losses during former coach Sean Payton’s entire tenure.

27. New England Patriots (30): They had little chance when rookie QB Drake Maye attempted to win over UK fans with this rationale: “I think it comes with the team name, New England, which I think makes it easier for UK fans to connect with. Our colors are pretty cool and represent a lot of different things.” For what it’s worth, Maye majored in business administration at UNC, not history. However, what he’s doing on the field is rather promising.

28. Carolina Panthers (26): They’ve been outscored by 133 points, which is 57 points more than any other team. One main factor is their league-worst 11.5% pressure rate.

29. Las Vegas Raiders (27): Stay positive, Raider Nation – you might soon be cheering for newly signed QB Desmond Ridder, whose 8-9 NFL record is quite impressive given your current circumstances.

30. New York Giants (22): One of the more surprising developments this season is that typically double-teamed, 340-pound DL Dexter Lawrence II leads the league with nine sacks and is on track for an impressive 22 this season.

31. Tennessee Titans (28): It’s fortunate that you have all those veteran wide receivers since you can’t seem to pass for even 150 yards weekly. Just two words: Trade deadline.

32. Cleveland Browns (31): Regardless of what his future holds on the field, injured QB Deshaun Watson will still be financially linked to the team for another two seasons. If he has indeed played his last game for the Browns, he will be remembered for settling 24 lawsuits during his time there, compared to the 22 touchdowns he achieved.

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