Week 9 was another fascinating chapter in the 2022 NFL season.
Some teams continued their dominance as the Philadelphia Eagles outpaced the Houston Texans to open up the festivities on Thursday Night Football.
Some teams continued their downward spiral as the Carolina Panthers took another loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Indianapolis Colts concluded Week 9 with the biggest surprise as they fired their coach and went completely outside the building for their interim coach.
The Miami Dolphins also continued their long march through the AFC East with a win in the Windy City.
Here is a look at the NFL power rankings following the results of Week 9.
32. Houston Texans (1-6-1)
Last week: No. 32
The longer the Texans’ losing streak lasts, the longer they will stay at the bottom. The Texans’ dysfunction is evident as receiver Brandin Cooks has expressed his displeasure with not being dealt at the trade deadline. At least the Astros are giving Clutch City sports fans a reason to smile.
31. Carolina Panthers (2-7)
Last week: No. 30
Things in Carolina are dismal, and the 42-21 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals did not help. Quarterback play was not the Panthers’ strong suit going into the season, and the only reliable weapon is D.J. Moore. Carolina’s schedule is nothing more than a countdown to the end of the season and finding Matt Rhule’s replacement.
30. Las Vegas Raiders (2-6)
Last week: No. 28
Las Vegas’ problem is they can’t hold onto leads, and it’s effectively wrecked their season. With nine games to go, it’s unlikely the Raiders mount a winning streak that pushes them into the playoffs, especially with the AFC East aiming to punch the three available wild-card tickets.
29. Indianapolis Colts (3-5-1)
Last week: No. 22
Not only did the Colts get walloped 26-3, but they also fired coach Frank Reich, a move the organization hasn’t done since 1991 when they fired Ron Meyer in-season. Back then, the Colts went with Rick Venturi, who was on staff, to finish out the year. Jim Irsay went with former Pro Bowl center Jeff Saturday as the interim coach, making him the first NFL coach since Norm Van Brocklin to not have any college or pro experience on the sidelines. It has made for good headlines, but not for confidence in Indianapolis’ chances for the next nine games.
28. Chicago Bears (3-6)
Last week: No. 29
The Bears are an example on the power rankings of a team that failed forward. However, their outing against the Miami Dolphins showed promise despite the 35-32 loss. Justin Fields is developing into a playmaker who can help the Bears keep up with higher paced offenses.
27. Detroit Lions (2-6)
Last week: No. 31
The Lions would have made a nice tune-up opponent for the Green Bay Packers to snap their losing streak. Instead Detroit defended Ford Field with rookie defensive end Aidan Hutchinson making a clutch play in the red zone. Detroit has a little momentum. Can coach Dan Campbell sustain it?
26. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-6)
Last week: No. 26
The Steelers are coming off of their bye week. What will they look like for the last nine games? Questions will start to be answered in Week 10 at home against the New Orleans Saints.
25. Cleveland Browns (3-5)
Last week: No. 25
Demolishing the Cincinnati Bengals in prime time was a great way to start the bye week. Cleveland has a tough one against the Miami Dolphins in Week 10.
24. New Orleans Saints (3-6)
Last week: No. 19
The Baltimore Ravens demonstrated in prime time inside the Superdome the chasm between a conference leader and a team like the Saints. New Orleans may be one of the better teams in this half of the power rankings, but they still get outclassed by better opponents.
23. Arizona Cardinals (3-6)
Last week: No. 21
The Cardinals finally got all of their missing pieces, but their record is terrible. Arizona has a chance to get back on track against the Los Angeles Rams and still add to their division record.
22. Green Bay Packers (3-6)
Last week: No. 20
It may be time to p-a-n-i-c in Green Bay. Not only did the Packers take one on the chin to the hapless Lions, but they also sustained key injuries throughout the contest that will compromise their chances for success to finish 2022.
21. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-6)
The Jaguars managed to battle back down 20-7 to the Raiders to pull off the 27-20 victory. Trevor Lawrence stayed efficient, going 25-of-31 for 235 yards and a touchdown. As long as Lawrence can start playing consistently, Jacksonville should be a team no one will take lightly anymore.
20. Washington Commanders (4-5)
Last week: No. 23
Washington took one of the best teams in the NFC down to the wire. They may not be a team that will creep into the top-10 of anybody’s power rankings anytime soon, but Washington still looks like a team that is starting to form its identity.
19. Atlanta Falcons (4-5)
Last week: No. 18
The Falcons were able to keep a high-scoring team like the Los Angeles Chargers to just 20 points. However, the Falcons offense is still relatively curtailed and was only able to muster 17. As long as Atlanta can play low-scoring games with their opponents, they have a decent chance.
18. Denver Broncos (3-5)
Last week: No. 24
The Broncos had the benefit of the bye week. Can they finally show what a prolific offense looks like with Nathaniel Hackett and Russell Wilson? Denver has a heck of a challenge on the road at the Tennessee Titans.
17. Los Angeles Rams (3-5)
Last week: No. 17
The Rams did an excellent job stifling Tampa Bay’s offense throughout the game, but gave up the game-winning drive at the end. If the Rams’ defense can continue to hold teams within the 16-21 point threshold, it should allow their struggling offense opportunities to win games.
16. Cincinnati Bengals (5-4)
Last week: No. 14
The Bengals had a tune-up game against one of the worst teams in the league. The win was good momentum to carry into the bye week. Cincinnati closes their season series with the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road in Week 11.
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5)
Last week: No. 16
The Buccaneers were able to get a much needed win over the Rams. There are still problems with Tampa Bay’s offense, but sitting atop the division does make things seem better than had they taken another loss to Los Angeles at home.
14. Seattle Seahawks (6-3)
Last week: No. 11
It seems surreal that a Geno Smith led team is leading its respective division, but the Seahawks are back to playing football in the style of Pete Carroll: good defense, strong running game. As the NFC West sorts itself out over November, it will be fascinating to see if Seattle can continue with its good fortune.
13. Los Angeles Chargers (5-3)
Last week: No. 12
The Chargers had a little bit of trouble with the Atlanta Falcons but ultimately pulled out the win. Los Angeles is trying to keep pace with the Kansas City Chiefs the best they can. Given how dominant the AFC East is, don’t be surprised if the Chargers need to win the AFC West to make the playoffs.
12. New York Giants (6-2)
Last week: No. 9
Throw in the injury to Xavier McKinney and there is reason to believe the Giants may be in for a bumpy ride through the power rankings over the next month. Coming out of the bye with the Houston Texans at home is a great way to keep the momentum.
11. San Francisco 49ers (4-4)
Last week: No. 7
The 49ers get back in action Sunday night against the Chargers. The Jimmy Garoppolo resurgence and the addition of Christian McCaffrey has worked thus far. Can it deliver an NFC West title by the end of the season?
10. Dallas Cowboys (6-2)
Last week: No. 6
Dallas can exorcise some demons with a win over the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in Week 10. The Cowboys offense appears up for the challenge.
9. New York Jets (6-3)
Last week: No. 13
The turnaround in New York has been quick, and the Jets are in the thick of things in the AFC East. Although they weren’t able to beat a foe who has historically had their number in the Patriots last week, they toppled the reigning division champions. Zach Wilson is also developing into a quarterback who makes good decisions with the football.
8. Miami Dolphins (6-3)
Last week: No. 15
The Dolphins offense appears they can score on virtually every possession, and with being seventh in the NFL with 213 points, that may not be too far fetched. So what if rookie coach Mike McDaniel can’t win with backups? He can dominate with Tua Tagovailoa, which makes Miami an interesting challenging to the Buffalo Bills’ supremacy in the AFC East.
7. Tennessee Titans (5-3)
Last week: No. 10
Even though the Titans didn’t beat the Chiefs, they executed a game plan that limited Kansas City to 17 points in regulation with a rookie quarterback making his second start. Through no fault of Malik Willis’, but if the Titans had Ryan Tannehill, they would have stomped the Chiefs and cruised much higher in the power rankings.
6. New England Patriots (5-4)
Last week: No. 8
The Patriots are second in the NFL with 17 takeaways and only give up 5.2 yards per play, the ninth-fewest in the league. As long as the defense is playing elite, it gives second-year quarterback Mac Jones a safety net to continue his growth as a perfect Bill Belichick field general.
5. Buffalo Bills (6-2)
Last week: No. 2
Buffalo took a hard fall in Week 9. It was bad enough to lose to the New York Jets, but to also have Josh Allen sustain an injury to his UCL — elbow injury — is enough to unseat them as the second-best team in the NFL. If Buffalo can weather the storm, they are still favorites in the AFC.
4. Minnesota Vikings (7-1)
Last week: No. 5
The Vikings are a gritty, hearty team that finds ways to win. Even though Kirk Cousins has an 89.5 passer rating, he is tied with Daniel Jones and Matt Ryan for the most fourth-quarter comebacks with four and owns the second-most game-winning drives with four. On the “Manningcast” for Monday Night Football, Cousins admitted that the Vikings have yet to play their best football. Once they do, they could be the best team in the NFC.
3. Baltimore Ravens (6-3)
Last week: No. 4
The game was never in doubt against the Saints, even with the Ravens down Gus Edwards and Mark Andrews. The defense also kept New Orleans in check and prevented any possible attempts to keep up. Coming out of the bye, the Ravens get the Panthers at home.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (6-2)
Last week: No. 3
The Chiefs looked like a team that the Titans had figured out, but ultimately were able to outlast Tennessee. Kansas City’s defense “held” Derrick Henry to 6.8 yards per carry (115 rushing yards) and two touchdowns, but the pass rush showed up in key moments to help the Chiefs prevail.
1. Philadelphia Eagles (8-0)
Last week: No. 1
The Eagles played with their food a little bit against the Houston Texans on Thursday Night Football, but ultimately kicked it into a gear the Texans couldn’t match. Products of their schedule or not, the Eagles continue to remain perfect.
