Welcome to The MMQB’s midseason power rankings poll! With nine weeks now in the books, it’s time to reassemble a panel of voters to sort out how we see the 2022 season having played out so far. We will also include each team’s standing in our preseason poll, which regrettably remains on the internet, so you can remind us which teams we were most wrong about. Of course there won’t be many surprises in that department. The Seahawks (up 20), Giants (up 17), Vikings (up 14) and Jets (up 13) have exceeded preseason expectations the most. The Rams, Colts and Packers (all down 16), and Raiders (down 14) have dropped the most since the eve of the season.
Everyone else, well, you can see in a moment.
Here are this week’s voters:
Greg Bishop, senior writer
Andrew Brandt, business of football columnist
Albert Breer, senior NFL reporter
Mitch Goldich, editor
Gary Gramling, senior editor
Michael Rosenberg, senior writer
John Pluym, managing editor
Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports
1. Philadelphia Eagles (8–0)
Points in poll: 221
Highest-place vote: 1 (5 votes)
Lowest-place vote: 3 (1 vote)
Preseason rank: 11
Last week: win vs. Houston, 29–17
Next week: vs. Washington
The NFL’s lone unbeaten team comes in at No. 1 in our poll, though not unanimously. The Eagles have faced a relatively soft schedule, but have so far handled all challenges thrown at them. Jalen Hurts has earned MVP consideration for his leap forward, and the defense has held seven of its last eight opponents to 17 points or fewer.
2. Buffalo Bills (6–2)
Points in poll: 218
Highest-place vote: 1 (2 votes)
Lowest-place vote: 3 (1 vote)
Preseason rank: 1
Last week: loss at New York Jets, 20–17
Next week: vs. Minnesota
The Bills have been Super Bowl favorites since the season started, and might have been No. 1 if not for Sunday’s loss to the Jets. One voter left them in the top spot, anyway. We are awaiting news about Josh Allen’s elbow injury, but the Bills still have the inside track for the AFC’s top seed.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (6–2)
Points in poll: 210
Highest-place vote: 2 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 4 (1 vote)
Preseason rank: 4
Last week: win vs. Tennessee, 20–17
Next week: vs. Jacksonville
The Chiefs lost the most anticipated game of the regular season, falling to the Bills in Week 6, but Patrick Mahomes is still magic and they are still the team to beat in the division we all expected to be the NFL’s best.
4. Dallas Cowboys (6–2)
Points in poll: 199
Highest-place vote: 2 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 6 (2 votes)
Preseason rank: 14
Last week: BYE
Next week: at Green Bay
The Cowboys deserve a lot of credit for surviving Dak Prescott’s absence, and they are in prime position to make a run in a weaker NFC. They look capable of going on a playoff run, even if the Eagles force them to do it on the road.
5. Baltimore Ravens (6–3)
Points in poll: 188
Highest-place vote: 5 (2 votes)
Lowest-place vote: 7 (3 votes)
Preseason rank: 9
Last week: win at New Orleans, 27–13
Next week: BYE
The Bills and Chiefs get most of the attention at the top of the AFC, but the Ravens are unquestionably dangerous and hanging around. They have led by double digits in every game they’ve played—of course, they’ve also blown three of those leads.
6. Minnesota Vikings (7–1)
Points in poll: 184
Highest-place vote: 4 (2 votes)
Lowest-place vote: 14 (1 vote)
Preseason rank: 20
Last week: win at Washington, 20–17
Next week: at Buffalo
Raise your hand if you thought the Vikings would be up five games in the loss column over everyone else in the NFC North at this point in the season. It hasn’t always been pretty, but the Vikings have beaten everyone on their schedule except the Eagles.
7. San Francisco 49ers (4–4)
Points in poll: 177
Highest-place vote: 4 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 12 (1 vote)
Preseason rank: 8
Last week: BYE
Next week: vs. Los Angeles Chargers
We expected this season would be a referendum on the decision to move on from Jimmy Garoppolo to Trey Lance. Instead, Jimmy G is now back at the controls, this time with Christian McCaffrey in the backfield. The Niners are a matchup nightmare, with a ranking higher than their record would indicate.
Joe Nicholson/USA TODAY Sports
8. Seattle Seahawks (6–3)
Points in poll: 168
Highest-place vote: 7 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 11 (2 votes)
Preseason rank: 28
Last week: win at Arizona, 31–21
Next week: at Tampa Bay
Geno Smith and the Seahawks are the biggest (positive) surprise in the NFL. They lead the NFC West and are picking up new believers every week. But will a team that has relied heavily on rookies hit a wall?
9. Cincinnati Bengals (5–4)
Points in poll: 167
Highest-place vote: 5 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 13 (1 vote)
Preseason rank: 7
Last week: win vs. Carolina, 42–21
Next week: BYE
The Bengals have had an up-and-down start to the season, but they seem to be coming together and have drawn comparisons to where they were at this time last season. For what it’s worth, we had Cincinnati at No. 14 when they were 5–4 last year, so we believe in them more now.
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10. Miami Dolphins (6–3)
Points in poll: 164
Highest-place vote: 4 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 15 (1 vote)
Preseason rank: 19
Last week: win at Chicago, 35–32
Next week: vs. Cleveland
Most of the country has fallen in love with watching the Dolphins’ new offense, with Tua Tagovailoa airing it out to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. And the team’s losses have come with second- and third-stringers playing quarterback, or else its ranking might be even higher.
11. Tennessee Titans (5–3)
Points in poll: 162
Highest-place vote: 8 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 13 (1 vote)
Preseason rank: 15
Last week: loss at Kansas City, 20–17
Next week: vs. Denver
Mike Vrabel gets his team to overperform consensus expectations every season, and once again the Titans are on top of the AFC South. They had the Chiefs on the ropes Sunday night, and they may not be the favorite against the AFC’s other top teams, but none of them will take Tennessee lightly.
12. New York Giants (6–2)
Points in poll: 144
Highest-place vote: 10 (3 votes)
Lowest-place vote: 22 (1 vote)
Preseason rank: 29
Last week: BYE
Next week: vs. Houston
Year 1 under Brian Daboll has seen the Giants turn things around more quickly than anyone could have expected. We had them 29th before the season—29th! This team has made us look silly, and we’re not alone. We will see how sustainable it is with five division games in the final seven weeks, including two against the Eagles.
13. New York Jets (6–3)
Points in poll: 136
Highest-place vote: 9 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 18 (1 vote)
Preseason rank: 26
Last week: win vs. Buffalo, 20–17
Next week: BYE
And here’s the other New York team, also in the top half of the rankings! It’s a full-on New York football revival. Robert Saleh had a one-year head start on Daboll, but has his team surprising people just as much. Jets fans probably would have hoped and expected a 6–3 record would’ve meant better play from Zach Wilson, but the owners of the NFL’s longest playoff drought are probably happy with the wins.
14. Los Angeles Chargers (5–3)
Points in poll: 134
Highest-place vote: 12 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 16 (1 vote)
Preseason rank: 6
Last week: win at Atlanta, 20–17
Next week: at San Francisco
To quote ourselves, when we ranked the Chargers No. 6 in September: “The media is high on the Chargers on the eve of the season? When has that ever happened before, besides each of the last 15 years? There is the feeling that this year could be different, but we’ve probably said that before, too.” Being No. 14 is … fine. Let’s just move on.
Douglas DeFelice/USA TODAY Sports
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4–5)
Points in poll: 127
Highest-place vote: 11 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 18 (1 vote)
Preseason rank: 5
Last week: win vs. Los Angeles Rams, 16–13
Next week: vs. Seattle
Ho hum, the Bucs are in first place, just like we all thought. Well … not exactly. It’s been a rocky season, with Tom Brady’s offense not exactly looking like a Tom Brady offense. But it did for 35 crucial seconds Sunday in what felt like a must-win game against the Rams.
16. New England Patriots (5–4)
Points in poll: 124
Highest-place vote: 14 (2 votes)
Lowest-place vote: 17 (1 vote)
Preseason rank: 16
Last week: win vs. Indianapolis, 26–3
Next week: BYE
The Patriots come in one spot behind their old quarterback, even with a better record. New England is a perfectly average team, which would feel normal for any other franchise. Some days the defense will win a game for you; some days the nation will watch a Mac Jones–Bailey Zappe QB controversy play out in prime time. That’s life in the NFL middle.
17. Cleveland Browns (3–5)
Points in poll: 109
Highest-place vote: 9 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 22 (1 vote)
Preseason rank: 22
Last week: BYE
Next week: at Miami
The Browns’ best bet for this season was to hang in there with Jacoby Brissett until Deshaun Watson returns in Week 13. They showed their pre-Watson ceiling with a demolition of the Bengals, and still have a chance to do that. But it’s yet to be seen how good they’ll be when he comes back.
18. Green Bay Packers (3–6)
Points in poll: 96
Highest-place vote: 16 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 22 (1 vote)
Preseason rank: 2
Last week: loss at Detroit, 15–9
Next week: vs. Dallas
The Packers have had just about the worst half of a season you could have expected. Aaron Rodgers is still doing as many interviews as during his MVP season last year, but now he’s slinging arrows at teammates after losses. Can they pick up the pieces, or is the Rodgers era going to end in disaster?
19. Los Angeles Rams (3–5)
Points in poll: 89
Highest-place vote: 18 (3 votes)
Lowest-place vote: 25 (1 vote)
Preseason rank: 3
Last week: loss at Tampa Bay, 16–13
Next week: vs. Arizona
The defending Super Bowl champs are another one of the NFC’s preseason favorites that have fallen on hard times. The Rams shrugged off preseason concerns about their quarterback’s elbow. Everyone moved past the flirtations with retirement from their coach and best player. But suddenly things don’t look so peachy.
20. Atlanta Falcons (4–5)
Points in poll: 87
Highest-place vote: 17 (2 votes)
Lowest-place vote: 25 (1 vote)
Preseason rank: 31
Last week: loss vs. Los Angeles, 20–17
Next week: at Carolina
The Falcons are another of the teams that have pleasantly surprised us, still sitting with the same record as the Bucs atop a weak NFC South. Marcus Mariota is not the long-term answer at QB, but we can dream about the Arthur Smith system when they get that answer in place.
Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports
21. Denver Broncos (3–5)
Points in poll: 86
Highest-place vote: 16 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 24 (2 votes)
Preseason rank: 10
Last week: BYE
Next week: at Tennessee
We have talked about other struggling veteran quarterbacks on this list, but Russell Wilson took an enormous amount of heat because his poor performances came so soon after signing an extension with his new team. Broncos fans, this is who you are riding with.
22. Jacksonville Jaguars (3–6)
Points in poll: 77
Highest-place vote: 13 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 26 (1 vote)
Preseason rank: 27
Last week: win vs. Las Vegas, 27–20
Next week: at Kansas City
This was teed up as almost like a second rookie season for Trevor Lawrence, with Doug Pederson’s operation a much better environment than Lawrence was dropped into with Urban Meyer last year. The franchise should still be more concerned about development from young players than wins and losses, and that appears to be on the right track.
23. New Orleans Saints (3–6)
Points in poll: 73
Highest-place vote: 20 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 24 (3 votes)
Preseason rank: 17
Last week: Loss vs. Baltimore, 27–13
Next week: at Pittsburgh
The Saints tried to mostly run it back with Dennis Allen taking over for Sean Payton, but they don’t have a long-term answer at quarterback, don’t have their own first-round pick and may need to think about their first true rebuild in a long time.
24. Chicago Bears (3–6)
Points in poll: 67
Highest-place vote: 18 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 29 (1 vote)
Preseason rank: 30
Last week: loss vs. Miami, 35–32
Next week: vs. Detroit
Congrats to the Bears on finally realizing they should let Justin Fields run with the ball. It has worked, and may even lead to more wins. It will definitely lead to a more enjoyable experience watching the team. Like some other teams around this section of the rankings, the development of the young quarterback is the most important part of the next two months.
25. Washington Commanders (4–5)
Points in poll: 62
Highest-place vote: 19 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 29 (1 vote)
Preseason rank: 25
Last week: loss vs. Minnesota, 20–17
Next week: at Philadelphia
Is the Carson Wentz era already over in Washington? The team is more competitive with Taylor Heinicke under center, which can’t be what this team was hoping for. Of course, if Dan Snyder actually sells the franchise, that might be all fans of the team wanted out of the 2022 season.
26. Arizona Cardinals (3–6)
Points in poll: 55
Highest-place vote: 22 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 27 (2 votes)
Preseason rank: 18
Last week: loss vs. Seattle, 31–21
Next week: at Los Angeles Rams
The strange vibes around Kyler Murray’s relationship with the Cardinals this offseason have spilled onto the field, with everyone dissecting every head nod, shrug and heated conversation. This is the perfect team to be featured on the in-season version of Hard Knocks this year
27. Las Vegas Raiders (2–6)
Points in poll: 47
Highest-place vote: 21 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 28 (2 votes)
Preseason rank: 13
Last week: loss at Jacksonville, 27–20
Next week: vs. Indianapolis
The Raiders charged into the playoffs with interim coach Rich Bisaccia, then opted for a splashy hire this offseason. Josh McDaniels (and Davante Adams) raised expectations, but the team has fallen back down to Earth.
28. Indianapolis Colts (3-5-1)
Points in poll: 40
Highest-place vote: 23 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 31 (1 vote)
Preseason rank: 12
Last week: loss at New England, 26–3
Next week: at Las Vegas
Very recently the Colts looked like one of the best-run franchises in the league, with a core of talented players. Now interim coach Jeff Saturday has his hands full with this one. The Colts are not that far out in the AFC playoff picture, but it certainly feels like it.
29. Detroit Lions (2–6)
Points in poll: 36
Highest-place vote: 25 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 31 (1 vote)
Preseason rank: 23
Last week: win vs. Green Bay, 15–9
Next week: at Chicago
Nobody expected much of anything from the Lions last year, but at some point the results on the field will have to be there. Stopping a five-game skid with a win over the floundering Packers was a good start.
30. Pittsburgh Steelers (2–6)
Points in poll: 25
Highest-place vote: 26 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 30 (6 votes)
Preseason rank: 21
Last week: BYE
Next week: vs. New Orleans
Mike Tomlin’s streak of .500-or-better seasons finally looks to be in serious jeopardy. With Kenny Pickett now in the lineup earlier than the coach said he would, the Steelers will have a chance to see some development in the second half of the year.
31. Carolina Panthers (2–7)
Points in poll: 15
Highest-place vote: 29 (1 vote)
Lowest-place vote: 32 (2 votes)
Preseason rank: 24
Last week: loss at Cincinnati, 42–21
Next week: vs. Atlanta
The Panthers were the first team to fire their coach, and have now reached the “bench the backup and reinsert the original starter” phase of their lost season.
32. Houston Texans (1-6-1)
Points in poll: 9
Highest-place vote: 31 (2 votes)
Lowest-place vote: 32 (5 votes)
Preseason rank: 32
Last week: loss vs Philadelphia, 29–18
Next week: at New York Giants
The Texans were hoping to make some on-field progress this year, and a Week 1 tie (and near win) raised some hopes. But five members of our panel still think this is the NFL’s worst team. They would currently get the No. 1 draft pick to show for it, at least.
