Devereaux’s Week 9 NFL Power Rankings

The trade deadline was very underwhelming, as very few moves were made. It seemed that more players got frustrated that they were considered being traded or were not traded by Wednesday’s deadline.

Since there was very little movement around the league, it was easier to place teams into a ranking based on the season. Rather than teams rebuilding or getting more depth to their team for a playoff push, teams stayed put and made the rankings much easier to work with.

Here are the Week 9 Power Rankings:

1. The New England Patriots (8-0) (Last Week: 1): Another week, another win for a dominant Patriots. The addition of receiver Mohammed Sanu, Sr. will help Tom Brady and the Patriots lackluster offense as the weeks get closer to the playoffs.
2. New Orleans Saints (7-1) (Last Week: 2): Drew Brees is back, and it seems that there was no rust to shake off for the veteran quarterback. As Teddy Bridgewater smoothly took over for Brees when he was hurt, Brees took the same moment and played as if he never missed a game this year. 
3. San Francisco 49ers (7-0) (Last Week: 4): The Niners had a very dominant win against the Carolina Panthers last week. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has installed a power run offense that has just taken over the league in their unexpected undefeated run. The 49ers may be very young around their star players, but with Shanahan in control, this team will continue to succeed. 
4. Green Bay Packers (7-1) (Last Week: 3): Although Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams are running backs, Aaron Rodgers has been relying on them more for end zone receiving targets. Jones and Williams have been huge playmakers on offense that have allowed the Packers to be successful. 
5. Baltimore Ravens (5-2) (Last Week: 6): They were on a bye week, which means the players are now rested for a long second half of the season. Lamar Jackson will be tested this week as he will face the Patriots defense. I expect a run-heavy game plan to possibly dethrone the Patriots from their reign of terror in this season’s power rankings. 
6. Seattle Seahawks (6-2) (Last Week:7): The Seattle Seahawks were in cruise mode during the second half against the Atlanta Falcons. This allowed passive defense which in turn allowed the Falcons’ backup quarterback, Matt Schaub, to throw for over 450 yards. If the Seahawks took the game more seriously, they would be higher up on the list. 
7. Minnesota Vikings (6-2) (Last Week: 9): Dalvin Cook is the second-best running back in the league, Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs are top 15 receivers in the league. Pair that trio with how Kirk Cousins has been playing the past four weeks and you get a winning football team. If the Vikings keep this up, they can make a deep run in the playoffs. 
8. Houston Texans (5-3) (Last Week: 8): Deshaun Watson may be a wizard, as his playmaking ability when being rushed is second to none. The offensive line has been better as the year goes on, but the run game needs to be worked on for this team to go further. 
9. Buffalo Bills (5-2) (Last Week: 5): The Buffalo Bills took a straight beating against the Philadelphia Eagles. But do not be worried, as a young team like the Bills will have games like these where they just do not show up on either side of the ball. Expect them to bounce back in their next game. 
10. Indianapolis Colts (5-2) (Last Week: 12): Even without Andrew Luck, this team is succeeding. The team is well-coached, has talented playmakers on both ends of the ball, and is surprisingly deep at many positions that allow a more sound team. 
11. Kansas City Chiefs (5-3) (Last Week: 11): Even without having their starting quarterback in the game against the Green Bay Packers, the team held their own against a very good team. Injuries have definitely hindered this team’s full potential this year, but within the next few weeks, players will start to return to the field. 
12. Dallas Cowboys (4-3) (Last Week: 10): A bye week is exactly what the Dallas Cowboys needed. They needed a week to regroup as a team and find their identity.  
13. Los Angeles Rams (5-3) (Last Week: 15): The NFC West is a tight race this year. The way the team has played this year, I highly doubt they will have a chance to win it all. The playoffs are gradually getting farther away from the reigning NFC Champs. 
14. Carolina Panthers (4-3) (Last Week: 13): Kyle Allen finally had a bad game. But I still do not think that this will harm his season. Cam Newton is still not being rushed back to the field and people forget that he is a young player. Mistakes happen, and Allen will bounce back in their next game. 
15. Detroit Lions (3-3-1) (Last Week: 16): The Lions almost dealt star cornerback Darius Slay at this year’s trade deadline. If a deal was made, then the team would be considered out of the playoff race. I know Slay is taking up a good chunk of the salary cap, but his ability on the field has definitely helped the team succeed. 
16. Philadelphia Eagles (4-4) (Last Week: 21): The Eagles love to beat really good teams. First, it was the Cowboys, and last weekend it was the Bills. Although they strive against good competition, the team’s health will be their undoing for the year. 
17. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-4) (Last Week: 17): The Jaguars are coming! The Jaguars are coming! No team is safe when the Jaguars’ mascot catches wind of an event. Sam Darnold learned that the hard way on Sunday. Gardner Minshew will lead this team to a better record than what many had predicted before the season had started, a nice and average 8-8 season. 
18. Chicago Bears (3-4) (Last Week: 14): This offense is so bad. There are only two people to blame for having such a bad offense. The first person is the quarterback. Mitchell Trubisky. He is having a terrible season, as he has not thrown more than ten touchdowns this year. The second person to blame is the coaching staff. Whether you want to blame the offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich or head coach Matt Nagy, it’s clear the play-calling is hurting the team. 
19. Tennessee Titans (4-4) (Last Week: 20): A team that is 4-4 would usually be higher on a power ranking than 19. But, the Titans are different. They are not a good 4-4 team. The team is in dysfunction; their direction is not clear to fans and themselves. 
20. Oakland Raiders (3-4) (Last Week: 19): Although the team does not have a winning record, there have been great improvements throughout the team. The offense is slowly coming together under head coach Jon Gruden, and the team’s morale does not seem to be destroyed yet. 
21. Arizona Cardinals (3-4-1) (Last Week: 22): The Cardinals have dealt with heavy injuries to their running game as they lost both David Johnson and Chase Edmonds for a few weeks. So they decided to trade for Miami’s best offensive player in running back Kenyan Drake. This move will help the team fill the need of replacing injured running backs but it definitely will not help them in the long run for the franchise. 
22. Los Angeles Chargers (3-5) (Last Week: 24): The Chargers fired offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt after their Sunday win. This move was made because of their team’s offensive struggles all year. 
23. Cleveland Browns (2-5) (Last Week: 18): The team is very young and their experiences are limited, and it shows heavily on their play week in and week out.  
24. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-4) (Last Week: 23): They should have made some moves during the trade deadline, giving some relief to players who are looking to win in the final years of their prime. 
25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-5) (Last Week: 25): Jameis turnover Winston is lucky to have offensive and defensive talent around him to keep them in games. 
26. The New York Giants (2-6) (Last Week: 26): The Daniel Jones hype is over, and reality is striking the young quarterback.
27. Denver Broncos (2-6) (Last Week: 27): Should have traded Von Miller this week. The move would’ve cleared up cap space and Miller would have been happy playing for a competitive team. 
28. The New York Jets (1-6) (Last Week: 29): Joe Douglas just pissed off half of the Jets team during the rumors of the trade deadline. Douglas had openly said that players such as Le’Veon Bell, Jamal Adams, and Robbie Anderson were open for a trade. But now, they’re still in New York. That’s awkward. 
29. Atlanta Falcons (1-7) (Last Week: 28): Talented and yet awful; please fire Dan Quinn after this season. 
30. Washington Redskins (1-7) (Last Week: 30): When your best player says he does not want to play, maybe there should be some change in the organization. 
31. Cincinnati Bengals (0-8) (Last Week: 31): Benching Andy Dalton for a young quarterback is one thing. However, benching Andy Dalton on his birthday is just mean. Also, the fact that the Bengals did not trade him or A.J. Green shows dysfunction in the front office. 
32. Miami Dolphins (0-7) (Last Week: 32): If he has any amount of talent, trade him for draft picks. That is the Miami logic this year.

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