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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Jeff Risdon

NFL power rankings: Update after Week 8

Two months have come and gone off the NFL calendar. Between the impending flip to November and the Lions’ bye week hitting at a much-needed time, it’s a good opportunity to update the Lions Wire NFL power poll.

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Quite a bit has happened at both the top and the bottom of the poll in recent weeks. Three weeks ago I’d have put San Francisco as No. 1 or No. 2, but now it’s a struggle to place them in the top 10.

As for the 6-2 Lions? You’ll have to scroll down a good way before you find them in the rankings from 32 to 1…

The bottom 5

More based on how the teams are performing and their injury statuses going forward than their current records.

32. New York Giants

31. Carolina Panthers

30. Las Vegas Raiders

29. Chicago Bears

28. Arizona Cardinals

Close to the bottom

These teams sure look a lot closer to No. 30 than they do top-20.

27. Green Bay Packers

26. New England Patriots

25. Washington Commanders

24. Denver Broncos

23. Atlanta Falcons

Lower-middle class

Too good to be considered bad, not good enough to be considered good.

22. Minnesota Vikings*

21. Los Angeles Rams

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

19. Pittsburgh Steelers

18. Tennessee Titans

17. Houston Texans

16. Indianapolis Colts

*The Vikings would have been no lower than 16th if not for the Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson injuries

Upper-middle class

Getting into the range of teams that can realistically win a playoff game by means other than a freak act of the football gods.

15. Cleveland Browns

14. New Orleans Saints

13. New York Jets

12. Los Angeles Chargers

11. Buffalo Bills

Top 10

Fans of every team here should have a realistic expectation that their team can win at least one postseason game.

10. San Francisco 49ers

9. Cincinnati Bengals

8. Dallas Cowboys

7. Kansas City Chiefs

6. Jacksonville Jaguars

5. Miami Dolphins

4. Detroit Lions

3. Seattle Seahawks

2. Baltimore Ravens

1. Philadelphia Eagles

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