The NFL is getting serious now. The sample size is starting to become larger and more of a proper gauge to what's going on in the league. Injuries impact things, but the top teams are starting to truly separate themselves from those already turning their mindset to the 2027 NFL Draft.
There is no clear Super Bowl favorite, but there are a good 10 teams or more who should be in the mix once the playoffs roll around. The AFC and NFC North divisions are dominating, and the AFC and NFC West divisions are also loaded with elite teams in both conferences.
Going into Week 8, here's a look at our latest power rankings after a Week 7 filled with unbelievable moments and upsets:
The Contenders
1. Buffalo Bills (Last Week: 3)
2. San Francisco 49ers (Last Week: 1)
3. Baltimore
Ravens (Last Week: 4)
4. Chicago Bears (Last Week: 6)
5. Seattle Seahawks (Last Week: 10)
6. Kansas City Chiefs (Last Week: 2)
7. Minnesota Vikings (Last Week: 5)
8. Denver Broncos (Last Week: 8)
9. Green Bay Packers (Last Week: 7)
10. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last Week: 9)
11. Detroit Lions (Last Week: 11)
12. New England Patriots (Last Week: 12)
13. Cincinnati Bengals (Last Week: 14)
14. Cleveland Browns (Last Week: 13)
With Caleb Williams healthy, there is no reason to think that Ben Johnson's Chicago Bears can't be the best team in the NFC. After the San Francisco 49ers lost, every other NFC team has shown a weakness at some point, including the Minnesota Vikings, who would have lost to the Bears had Caleb not gotten hurt in that game. Every team in the NFC North is in this top tier. They are all above average and see themselves as Super Bowl contenders, but the Bears are proving that they are the class of the division when they are healthy.
The Buffalo Bills were on a bye in Week 7, and they still found a way to jump into the top spot. With the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers both losing, they take a bit of a fall. The Minnesota Vikings are the last unbeaten team in the NFL, but they can't score and almost lost to a bad Indianapolis Colts team that recently had a fire sale in their front office.
The AFC has a couple of teams that can challenge Kansas City and Buffalo: the Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New England Patriots. For now, it's a large list of contenders, but all of these teams have viable reasons to believe in themselves.
Teams To Watch
15. Atlanta Falcons (Last Week: 18)
16. Los Angeles Rams (Last Week: 19)
17. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last Week: 16)
18. Carolina Panthers (Last Week: 15)
19. Dallas Cowboys (Last Week: 24)
20. New York Giants (Last Week: 21)
21. Las Vegas Raiders (Last Week: 17)
Someone has to win the NFC South -- it will either be the Atlanta Falcons or Carolina Panthers. Someone has to win the NFC East -- it will either be the Dallas Cowboys or New York Giants. They find themselves in this tier for that reason. The Pittsburgh Steelers are probably the "worst" team in the AFC North, but they are still formidable. If they don't come in last, they still have the least amount of young talent, which makes them harder to trust than the other teams in their division.
The Los Angeles Rams won a big game over the weekend as they try to build thier way back up. They have elite players all over the place, but their bad start to the season isn't making anything easy for them. Right now, it's still fair to believe that they can come out of the rut and make the playoffs. Nobody would want to play against them if they did squeak in.
After a solid start to the season, the Las Vegas Raiders have come crashing down to Earth. If they continue to lose, it won't be long before they drop out of this tier.
More To Prove
22. Arizona Cardinals (Last Week: 20)
23. Philadelphia Eagles (Last Week: 22)
24. Indianapolis Colts (Last Week: 23)
25. New York Jets (Last Week: 25)
26. Houston Texans (Last Week: 26)
27. New Orleans Saints (Last Week: 27)
28. Washington Commanders (Last Week: 28)
29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last Week: 29)
30. Tennessee Titans (Last Week: 30)
31. Miami Dolphins (Last Week: 31)
32. Los Angeles Chargers (Last Week: 32)
The bottom of the league is very bad, but nobody is feeling it like the Los Angeles Chargers. They are now the only winless team in the NFL, now that the Miami Dolphins found a way to win a football game. Do the Chargers ride it out and try to earn the number one pick? Or will they go on a run at any point?
The Houston Texans had a chance to pull themselves out of this tier, but they blew it in the end against the New York Giants. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a big win by a large margin, and they have Baker Mayfield back, but that doesn't do enough to move the needle on their power ranking - yet.
The teams near the top of this tier are in a bad spot. They might not get a top-10 pick, and they are unlikely to be postseason contenders once the year is over. It can be hard to come out of being "mid".
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: NFL Week 8 power rankings: Seahawks rise, Raiders plummet
