Power Rankings: Niners coming for No. 1 – NFL.com, NFL News

Previous rank:     No. 3

Absolute dominance on Sunday by the      49 ers, who welcomed the red-hot      Panthersto their house … and      promptly crushed their spirits.This is what the great teams do, and week after week, we’re seeing that San Francisco should be viewed through that prism.      Tevin Colemanwas the big star on offense, piling up four touchdowns (three on the ground) in the best game of his career. The standout on defense was rookie defensive end      Nick Bosa, who finished with three sacks and      an acrobatic leaping interceptionthat he nearly returned for a score. Bosa has removed all doubt from the Defensive Rookie of the Year race – and now you have to start thinking of Bosa as a very real candidate for Defensive      Playerof the Year. Lawrence Taylor 1981) is the only rookie to win DPOY, and Bosa’s impact on the Niners is similar to LT’s on those      Giants. Every team needs a Bosa boy.

Previous rank:     No. 2

The rich get richer. The      Saintshad been whupping up on teams with      Teddy Bridgewaterbehind center .      Drew Breesreturned to the lineup on Sunday against the      Cardinals, and New Orleans promptly rolled up more than 500 yards of offense in      a 31 – 9 win.New Orleans’ only other 500 – plus yard game came in Week 1 – not coincidentally the only other game Brees started this season. Brees and      Michael Thomas(11 catches for 112 yards and a TD on 11 targets) picked up where they left off, and running back      Latavius ​​Murraycontinued to play like an All-Pro while      Alvin Kamaraworks his way back from an ankle injury. Murray became only the second player in      Saintshistory with 100 – plus rushing yards, 50 -plus receiving yards and both a rushing and receiving score in a single game. Throw in one of the best defenses in football, and Sean Payton’s team is a juggernaut.

Previous rank:     No. 4

“They’ve turned that guy into a superstar.” Those were the words of      Around The NFL Podcastcolleague Chris Wesseling as we watched      Aaron Jonesrumble to the end zone with the      Packers‘      game-winning scoreon Sunday night      against the Chiefs. There’s so much to like about Green Bay right now, but Jones’ ascent to legit dual-threat monster has opened up a surging      Packersoffense that was expected to suffer when receiver      Davante Adamswent on the shelf with a toe injury. With Adams out since Week 4,      Aaron Rodgersand first-year coach Matt LaFleur have essentially turned Jones into a productive wide receiver. According to Next Gen Stats, Jones caught four of five targets aligned wide for 127 yards and a touchdown against the      Chiefs. That’s 53 more yards than the next-closest running back lining up out wide in a single game since the Next Gen era began in 2016. Good teams find a way to make the most of their personnel.

Previous rank:     No. 5

It wasn’t the blowout most expected, but the      Vikings     took care of the Redskinson      Thursday Night Footballand have now won four straight after last month’s apparent      near-mutinyin the locker room.      Kirk Cousins ​​failed to complete just three of 26 attempts, but the real star was      Dalvin Cook, who piled up 171 yards of total offense and provided the game’s lone touchdown on another monster day. Cook is the NFL’s leader in scrimmage yards and has become a dual-threat in the backfield on par with      Saintsstar      Alvin Kamaraand fellow MVP candidate      Christian McCaffrey. According to NFL Media Research, Cook is averaging 11 .6 yards after the catch per reception this season, tops in the league. Spinning forward, we’ll learn a lot about the Vikes in the next two weeks, with road matchups      against the Chiefs     and Cowboyson tap. Cousins ​​has struggled historically in high-visibility showdowns against      Super Bowlcontenders – can he quiet that ugly narrative?

Previous rank:     No. 6

The      Seahawksauthored a classic Jekyll and Hyde performance against the      Falconson Sunday, following a dominant first half with an unsightly second half in an eventual      27 – 20 win.This was not supposed to be a close game, with Atlanta QB      Matt Ryansidelined by an ankle injury, but a Matt Schaub-led      Falconsoffense still managed to pile up more than 500 total yards against the      Seahawks. Strange.      Russell Wilsonthrew only five passes in the game’s final two quarters, feeding into the feeling that Pete Carroll was content to coast to a victory rather than attempt to bury the one-win      Falcons. One big loss on Sunday: Center      Justin Brittsuffered a torn ACL and      will undergo season-ending surgery.Center is not a position of depth for the      Seahawks, who might be active at the trade deadline in search of a replacement.

Previous rank:     No. 7

The      Cowboyshit their Week 8 bye with a win and the warm feeling that      Ezekiel Elliottis playing like      Ezekiel Elliottagain. The star running back, who looked a step or two slow in the weeks after he ended his contract holdout, now has more than 140 scrimmage yards in consecutive games.      Dak Prescottshowed earlier this season that he is capable of carrying the Dallas offense when he’s hot, but having Elliott at the center of the universe is the best and most stable version of this attack. In other ‘Boys news,      last week’s tradefor defensive lineman      Michael Bennettcould be great for      Robert Quinnand      DeMarcus Lawrence, who have been the focus of constant double-teams. Bennett has a habit of wearing out his welcome (he’s on his fifth team in 11 seasons), but he’s been an impact producer everywhere he’s gone. He should make the      Cowboysbetter.

Previous rank:     No. 9

JJ Watttold the world      he is “gutted”after learning his season has been ended by      a torn pec musclesuffered in      Sunday’s winover the      Raiders. Bill O’Brien can relate. The      Texans‘head coach and de facto general manager went all in on 2019, making a series of aggressive roster moves with the goal of getting Houston to its first      Super Bowlin February. Even      withWatt, who remained an All-Pro stud before his latest injury, the      Texanswere facing an uphill challenge as they battled both inconsistencies in their week-to-week play and the grim understanding that the defending Super Bowl-champion      Patriotshave that 16 – 0 glow. Losing Watt significantly weakens Houston – that much is obvious. Does it remove the      Texansfrom the conversation of legitimate contenders? Counting out any team led by a player as special as      Deshaun Watsonwould be foolish, but this was an undeniably crushing blow.

Previous rank:     No. 8

Who would have thought the 2019      Chiefswould suffer three losses at Arrowhead before Halloween? Kansas City      Couldn’t find a wayto get past the      Packersin prime time, with      Patrick Mahomesstuck on the sideline with that bad knee. The most frustrating part of the loss is that the      Chiefsdidn’t lose because of quarterback play. Backup      Matt Mooreperformed extremely well, completing (of 36 passes for 267 yards and two touchdowns while leading the      Chiefsback from two deficits, including a 14 – 0 hole in the first quarter. The regret here is that K.C. didn’t get help from the players it counts on. Running back      LeSean McCoyhad      a key fumble, tight end      Travis Kelcedropped a pass in the end zone and receiver      Sammy Watkinslet a huge potential gain bounce off his hands. The      Chiefshad to be razor sharp without the MVP in the lineup … especially against peak      Aaron Rodgers. On Sunday night, they weren’t.

Previous rank:     No. 10

With the      Ravensexiting their bye week, let’s use this space to contextualize      Lamar Jackson‘s greatness this season through numbers. Let’s start with the offense Jackson leads: The      Ravensare averaging 30 .6 points per game and 434 .9 yards per game, both the best marks in franchise history. Jackson’s 576 rushing yards were good for 10 th in the NFL entering Monday. You won’t find another quarterback on that list of top runners until      Kyler Murray, ranked 38 th in the league. Jackson had more rushing yards on his own than seven other teams in the NFL entering Week 8, and he’s currently on pace for 1, 316 rushing yards, which would shatter Michael Vick’s NFL record for a quarterback of 1, 039 yards, set in 2006 . Throw in the fact that Jackson has more than twice as many touchdown passes (11) as he does interceptions (5), with a passer rating near 100, and yes, the      Ravenshave a legit MVP candidate under center.

Previous rank:     No. 12

“The throw was stinking impressive.” That’s how      Coltscoach Frank Reich described      Jacoby Brissett‘s      35 – yard sideline striketo      TY Hiltonlate in the fourth quarter      against Denver,a completion that came after Brissett dodged a potential game-deciding sack by       (Von Miller) , rolled to his right and found his favorite receiver. Two plays later, a suspect horse-collar tackle penalty on the      Broncosmoved Indy to the fringe of field-goal territory, and       (Adam Vinatieri) completed a topsy-turvy day with       (a) – yard kick to put the Colts aheadwith 22 seconds to play . Vinatieri missed an earlier field-goal attempt and a PAT try that would have tied the game 13 in the third quarter. His inconsistency remains a concern for the      Colts, but this was another Sunday where Indy found a way. All five of Indy’s wins have been by seven points or less, with three of those victories decided by three points or less.

Previous rank:     No. 14

How about       (Cooper Kupp) ? Last year around this time, Kupp was getting his left knee reconstructed on an operating table. Now? He just might be the best of all the       (Rams) ‘skill players. He certainly was on Sunday, when he piled up over 200 receiving yards and a touchdown in      a win over the Bengals.Right now, he’s my choice for Comeback Player of the Year. The       (Rams) will need Kupp to continue to produce after the disappointing news that      Brandin Cooks     suffered yet another concussionagainst the      Bengals. That’s now four concussions for Cooks since      Super BowlLII and two in the span of 24 days. This could lead to an extended absence for Cooks, which would be a significant loss for a       (Rams) offense that counts on the speedy wideout to stretch the field.

Previous rank:     No. 11

Consider      Sunday’s loss to the Eaglesfuel for those who don’t believe Buffalo to be a legitimate contender despite its 5-2 record. A struggling Philly team went to Western New York and bullied the      Billsin their own house.      Josh Allenhad      another costly fumble(he’s up to eight on the season, with three lost), while the Buffalo defense – which has played at an elite level for most of the year – got pushed around in the second half, allowing a season-worst 31 points on the day. A disappointing performance, no doubt, but it’s not time to panic. This was a classic Cornered Animal Game for the      Eagles, who played like a dangerous team fighting for its season. The      Bills, meanwhile, have an      extremely inviting scheduleover the next month, with home matchups against the      Redskinsand      Broncosand road games in Cleveland and Miami. Buffalo remains on the inside track for a playoff return.

Previous rank:     No. 16

That was a potential      season-saving performancein Orchard Park. Rookie running back      Miles Sandersmade the play of the game,       (a) – yard burst to the end zoneearly in the third quarter that put the      Eaglesin control. That’s why Philly used a second-round pick on the former Penn State star. The      Eaglesran for 218 yards against a normally stout      Billsdefense, the highest rushing total in the Doug Pederson era. Speaking of Pederson, this performance reflect very well on the coach coming off      a week of dramasurrounding his team. With chatter everywhere, the      Eaglesshowed up to Buffalo focused and took out their frustrations on a      Billsteam that entered the game with just one loss. Now the biggest question: Can the      Eaglessustain this momentum?      Up next are the Bears,who are about as desperate now as the      Eagleswere entering Sunday.

Previous rank:     No. 13

Well, that was rough. The      Panthersentered their matchup against the      49 ersriding a four-game winning streak. They left after      Being force-fed a 50 – burgerand slice of humble pie. “This was the ultimate team meltdown,” is how tight end      Greg Olsen     put it.Yep, it was a classic bury-the-ball game for pretty much every      Panthersplayer not named      Christian McCaffrey, who somehow still managed 155 total yards and a touchdown. Quarterback      Kyle Allenwas overwhelmed by a great Niners defense, throwing three interceptions with a 28 .9 passer rating in absorbing his first loss as a starter. Coach Ron Rivera quickly announced Monday that Allen      will start againin place of the injured      Cam Newtonthis Sunday      against the Titans. You get the feeling that Cam will get cleared to return to action soon. Could Allen be playing for his starting job in Week 9?

Previous rank:     No. 17

Matthew Staffordisn’t getting the national recognition he deserves this season. The      Lionsquarterback is enjoying one of the best seasons of an underrated career, and we saw him spinning magic again in       (a) – 26 winover the      Giantsto snap a three- game losing streak. Stafford completed 25 of 32 passes for 342 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, once again turning      Kenny Golladay(six catches, 123 yards, two touchdowns) into his modern-day version of      Megatron. Stafford is on pace to set career highs in yards per attempt, touchdown-to-interception ratio and passer rating. The      Lions, following the lead of their star quarterback, have now scored 30 points or more three times this season, matching their total over 16 games a year ago. Stafford is doing his best work in the red zone, where he has thrown for 10 touchdowns without an interception. Detroit needs to build a winner around its QB before it’s too late.

Previous rank:     No. 20

Quarterback / Floridian folk hero       Gardner Minshew played perhaps his best game of the season      against the Jets,using his great escapability and deft touch to burn New York repeatedly, often on third down.      Nick Foles, who’s been out since Week 1 after breaking his collarbone, is still a few weeks away from being ready – it’s hard to imagine Doug Marrone putting Minshew back on the bench if the rookie continues to thrive. It was a well-rounded win for the      Jaguars, who sacked      Sam Darnoldeight times and continued to thrive with the traded-away      Jalen Ramseyout of the picture. The Jags have forced seven turnovers in the last two games, a return to the opportunistic ways of the Sacksonville defense of 2017. With      JJ Watt‘s season over in Houston, the AFC South remains wide open.

Previous rank:     No. 19

Things were not looking good for the      Steelerson Monday night. Down 14 – 0 to the      Dolphinswith      Mason Rudolphplaying like a guy who could use a few more weeks on the sideline. But Rudolph improved as the game progressed, and      James Connerlent a much-needed hand with a big day on the ground (though he exited late with an injury). Even       (JuJu Smith-Schuster) ********** (delivered a) – yard game with a score, much to the delight of impatient fantasy owners. On the defensive side,      TJ Wattclinched the win with      a sack / forced fumble / recoveryin the fourth quarter, and      Minkah Fitzpatrickhad two interceptions against the team he couldn’t wait to get away from. I’m sure that felt nice. The      Steelershave won three of four with      the AFC South-leading Colts up next. Good test for a team that was left for dead at 0-3.

Previous rank:     No.

     Raidershave been one of the NFL’s most pleasant surprises, but they      missed a golden opportunitySunday to put themselves on the inside track in the AFC playoff race. Oakland had an eight-point lead over the      Texansmidway through the third quarter, and      Derek Carrand the offense were going up and down the field on the Houston defense. But      Deshaun Watsonput Houston on top with consecutive touchdown drives covering 77 and 75 yards, then ran out the clock on the final possession with a trio of first downs. Watson did this with his right eye nearly swollen shut following      a cleat to the faceon his fourth-quarter touchdown pass. Not how Jon Gruden wanted to end a largely successful marathon road swing. But all is not lost. The      Raiderswill finally play their first true home game since Sept. 15, with favorable matchups       (over the next three weeks.) Just win, baby.

Previous rank:     No. 15

This is fast turning into a Murphy’s Law season for the Bears:      Whatever can go wrong will go wrong.On Sunday, it was the kicker … again.       (Eddy Pineiro missed a) – yard attempt wide leftas time expired, giving the      Chargers      (a) – 16 winat Soldier Field.      Matt Nagy offered a fiery responseto reporters who questioned his decision to not attempt a move deeper into Bolts territory before the kick, but you wonder if he felt as resolute about his decision when he put head to pillow on Sunday night. The       (Bears) have now lost three straight, a slump that has buried them in the NFC North and put their playoff hopes in great peril in a loaded NFC.      Mitchell Trubiskycommitted two killer turnovers in the fourth quarter against the      Chargers, but Nagy announced Monday he will stick with his starter. It’s must-win time for the       (Bears) and their QB.

Previous rank:     No. 23

Another lost week for the      Browns, who are running out of time to make something of a once-promising season. Sunday’s challenge was always going to be titanic against the undefeated      Patriots, but Cleveland was not nearly sharp enough to win in Foxborough. We heard during the Week 7 bye that Freddie Kitchens’ team had committed itself to cleaning up the sloppy play that had undermined it during a 2-4 start … then Cleveland came out Sunday and committed turnovers on three consecutive plays in the first quarter to fall behind, 17 – 0. To their credit, the      Brownsbattled back to make it a one-score game midway through the third quarter, but      a 59 – yard gain on a screen pass from Tom Brady to James Whiteset up the New England touchdown that put this one out of reach. Spinning forward, Cleveland finds itself in virtual must-win territory      on Sundayagainst the       Joe Flacco-less Broncos.Better find a way.

Previous rank:     No. 22

With some better execution (and some worse field-goal kicking by their opponents), the      Broncoscould be 5-3 at the season’s midpoint. But the execution hasn’t been there, and the opposing kickers have been true, and so the      Broncosare 2-6 and all but dead in the AFC playoff race.      Sunday’s loss to the Coltswas painful, as was      Monday’s newsthat      Joe Flaccowill miss time with an ominous-sounding neck injury.      Flacco called outthe      Broncos‘conservative game plan in his postgame press conference on Sunday, but now it will be on      Brandon Allen, claimed off waivers Sept. 1 from the       (Rams) , to lead the offense against the      Brownsin Week 9. Second-round pick      Drew Lockhas recovered from his thumb injury, but      the Broncos have not decidedwhether he is prepared to see live game action this season. Well, that sounds ominous, too.

Previous rank:     No. 25

The final score doesn’t quite tell the story of the      Cardinals‘      31 – 9 lossto the      Saints. Arizona did a nice job hanging around with an NFC powerhouse, until a gutsy call by Kliff Kingsbury brought disastrous consequences. The scene: Trailing 10 – 6 with less than eight minutes to play in the third quarter, the      Cardinalsfaced fourth-and-1 from their own 30 -yard line. Kingsbury elected to go for it, and      Chase Edmondswas flattened for no gain. The      Saintstook over and reached the end zone five plays later.      Game over.Kingsbury knew the      Cardinalshad to be bold to beat the      Saints, but the execution simply wasn’t there. Speaking of Edmonds, the running back exited early with      a hamstring injury,and the team      subsuquently acquiredrunning back      Kenyan Drakefrom the      Dolphinson Monday. Drake is a talented runner – it will be interesting to see where he fits in long-term in a crowded but banged-up backfield.

Previous rank:     No. 26

Though it was      another lossfor the G-Men, Sunday’s contest brought some much-welcomed progress on the      Daniel Jonesfront. The rookie quarterback, who has struggled in recent weeks, put together a monster statistical day against the      Lions– 28 for 41 for 322 yards and four TDs. That’s more touchdowns than he had in New York’s prior three games combined. Meanwhile, the      Giants     made a trade with the Jets(yes, the Jets) on Monday, sending third- and fifth-round picks across the building to acquire defensive lineman      Leonard Williams. It’s a fairly hefty price, given Williams’ lack of production and impending 2020 free agency. Perhaps GM Dave Gettleman believes he can unlock the promise inside Williams, who was widely hailed as a steal for the      Jetsin 2015 when he went sixth overall. Gettleman has been investing heavily in the      Giants‘defensive line, a strategy he brought over from his “hog molly” days with the      Panthers.

Previous rank:     No. 28

Bruce Arians has every right to be mad. Referees did it again, apparently prematurely blowing a play dead that wiped out a potential game-changing touchdown. It burned the      Saintsagainst the       (Rams) in Week 2, and it might have cost the Bucs a game      against the Titanson Sunday. “My biggest thing is, referees aren’t held accountable,”      a still-agitated Arians said Monday. “Coaches get fired. General managers get fired. Players get cut. Referees aren’t accountable. And it’s a shame.” Had the official not blown his whistle, safety      Andrew Adamswould have put the Bucs ahead with less than four minutes to play on a fumble return for score . One can understand the frustration of the Bucs and their head coach, but let’s not bury the reality that      Jameis Winstonhad four more turnovers and continues to put Tampa Bay in difficult positions on a weekly basis. Change is coming.

Previous rank:     No. 27

Another week,      another lossfor the      Falcons, who managed to turn a blowout into a narrow defeat to the      Seahawksbut still seem like a rudderless operation at the season’s midway point. After the game, owner Arthur Blank      said the teamwould use its Week 9 bye to “evaluate where we are, and whatever decision we have to make, we’ll make. ” None of that sounds particularly promising for head coach Dan Quinn, who is very clearly on borrowed time in Atlanta. On the positive side of things, let’s give it up for      Matt Schaub, the 38 – year-old backup to      Matt Ryanwho started a game for the first time in forever and damn near threw for 500 yards. It’s a reminder that with skill players like      Julio Jones,      Calvin Ridleyand      Austin Hooper, the      Falconshave no right to be this far adrift. Unfortunately, none of those guys can play defense.

Previous rank:     No. 29

     Jetscontinue to tailspin, and their young quarterback is along for the ride. Six days after      a scary-bad performanceagainst the      Patriots,      Sam Darnoldtossed three more interceptions – including a back-breaker midway through the fourth quarter – in      a loss at Jacksonville.Darnold’s day actually started brilliantly: He went 7-of-7 for 89 yards and a touchdown to tight end      Ryan Griffinon the      Jets‘opening possession. But Adam Gase’s offense managed just 120 yards the rest of the way in another unimaginative performance. Darnold continues to struggle with turnovers, but the 22 – year-old is being done no favors playing behind an offensive line that’s non-competitive most weeks. Darnold was sacked eight times, and      Le’Veon Bellfared no better in another quiet afternoon. The      Jetsare in teardown mode (again), and the process began Monday with      Leonard Williams’ trade to the Giants. GM Joe Douglas has a gargantuan task on his hands.

Previous rank:     No. 30

On the      (Around The NFL) Podcast,we call      Andy Daltonthe prime meridian of NFL quarterbacks. The theory goes like this: If your QB is better than Dalton, your team is armed with a franchise passer. If your quarterback is worse than Dalton – or below The Dalton Line – he is a replaceable commodity. Dalton lives in that gray area between two very different worlds, and his success or failure is based entirely on the supporting cast around him. To wit: With      Sunday’s lossto the       (Rams) , Dalton became the first quarterback in NFL history to open seasons both 0-8 and 8-0. That undefeated start came with the 2015 version of the      Bengals, a team with an excellent offensive line and skill players all over the field. Dalton has had the opposite of that situation in 2019, with harrowing results. I’m sending my FREE ANDY DALTON T-shirts into production.

Previous rank:     No. 31

A strange game      against the Vikings.The      Redskinsremained in striking distance for much of the night, but interim coach Bill Callahan never seemed overly motivated to steal a win away from a superior Minnesota team.      (Around The NFL) Podcastcolleague Gregg Rosenthal      put it well: With the last two      Redskinsgames clocking in at well under three hours, it’s almost as if Callahan is running out the clock on the season. With Washington at 1-7, one could understand the temptation. Rookie QB      Dwayne Haskinsreplaced a concussed      Case Keenumto start the third quarter and was permitted to throw the ball just five times, despite Washington facing a deficit during the entire second half. We keep hearing whispers and reports that the      Redskinsdon’t believe their first-round pick is ready to play – but it’s a little more disconcerting when he’s forced into a game and they still keep him out of the action.

Previous rank:     No. 32

Monday felt like the big night. Victory No. 1. Glory … or whatever passes for glory in this deeply weird season for a once-relevant franchise. The Miami defense was forcing      Mason Rudolphinto bad decisions , while      Ryan Fitzpatrickhad led the offense to the end zone twice for a 14 – 0 lead. But, as often happens with bad football teams, the wheels fell off in a hurry. The defense stopped getting stops, Fitzpatrick stopped moving the offense and the      Steelersscored the game’s final 27 points. Jumping out to a double-digit lead counts as progress, but the      Dolphinslosing streak is up to 10 dating back to last season. This Sunday is the Gase Bowl:      Jets vs. Dolphins. 1-6 vs. 0-7. Something tells me this will not be the Tony Romo-Jim Nantz game on CBS. It’s arguable whether it should even be televised.