2013 NFL Power Rankings Week 8

It's crazy if you think about it. It really is. A year removed from a 2-14 season the Kansas City Chiefs remain undefeated as they have rolled their record to an impressive 8-0. They have quadrupled last year's win total. That just doesn't happen. A few weeks ago I hinted that Andy Reid should be Coach of the Year. I think it is all but official now. They still have a long way to go if they want to win the AFC West as the Denver Broncos are looming at a mere 7-1 but these Chiefs look destined to be playing meaningful games in January whether or not they take home the division crown.

1. Kansas City Chiefs (8-0) ~ Their defense has yet to allow an opponent to score more than 17 points in a game. That's ballin'. (Last Week's Ranking 1)

2. Denver Broncos (7-1) ~ For a second it looked as though former coach Mike Shanahan was going to come into Mile High and pull the upset. Just for a second. Then the Broncos offense exploded. (LWR 2)

3. Seattle Seahawks (7-1) ~ Off to a club best start the Seahawks just found out that receiver Sidney Rice will miss the rest of the year with a torn ACL. Good thing Percy Harvin is just around the corner. (LWR 3)

4. New Orleans Saints (6-1) ~ Will the real Marques Colston please stand up? The star receiver has gone three straight games without topping 20 receiving yards. That is unheard of in this pass happy offense. (LWR 4)

5. Indianapolis Colts (5-2) ~ Fresh off the bye week I expect T.Y. Hilton to step up into a large role now that Reggie Wayne is lost for the year. Big things from Hilton. Prove me right. (LWR 5)

6. Cincinnati Bengals (6-2) ~ I slurped Andy Dalton last week and then he went out and threw a career high five touchdowns in a laugher over the New York Jets. Usually when I talk someone up they bomb. Now that I've traded for him in fantasy he is truly doomed. (LWR 6)

7. San Francisco 49ers (6-2) ~ After throttling the Jacksonville Jaguars in London it will seem like the Niners are off for two weeks in a row while they enjoy the bye. (LWR 7)

8. New England Patriots (6-2) ~ Over his last fourr games Tom Brady has a 2:4 TD:INT ratio. It doesn't get more un-Brady like than that. (LWR 8)

9. Green Bay Packers (5-2) ~ It doesn't seem to matter to Aaron Rodgers who he is throwing to because everyone out there is getting the job done. Down go Jones and Finley and up go Boykin and Quarless. (LWR 9)

10. Detroit Lions (5-3) ~ Calvin Johnson. Need I say more? 329 yards receiving? I thought it was a typo when I first saw that. Un-freaking-real. (LWR 10)

11. San Diego Chargers (4-3) ~ See, not all of the teams kept their rankings from last week. San Diego moved up without even playing. Good on them. (LWR 12)

12. Carolina Panthers (4-3) ~ I admit it. I have criminally underrated them all year. Their defense is allowing a mere 13.7 points per game. (LWR 22)

13. Dallas Cowboys (4-4) ~ Oh so close to taking out Detroit and padding their lead in a weak NFC East. Too bad, so sad. (LWR 11)

14. Baltimore Ravens (3-4) ~ I'm not sure a team needed a bye week to figure things out more than the Ravens. Now a matchup with a fiesty Cleveland Browns team will determine who takes over second place in the AFC North. (LWR 13)

15. Chicago Bears (4-3) ~ Can Josh McCown lead this team while Jay Cutler is out? The Packers should expect a heavy dose of Matt Forte on Monday night. (LWR 14)

16. Miami Dolphins (3-4) ~ The Dolphins are reeling and now get a short week to prepare for the white-hot Bengals. Ryan Tannehill has cooled considerably since his hot start. (LWR 15)

17. Tennessee Titans (3-4) ~ Tennessee will travel to St. Louis this week to take on the Rams and former longtime head coach Jeff Fisher. It should be heartfelt on both sides. (LWR 16)

18. New York Jets (4-4) ~ There's the Jets team we all thought we were going to see this year. Geno Smith did throw two touchdowns, however, they were to players in Bengal uniforms. Whoops. (LWR 17)

19. Arizona Cardinals (4-4) ~ I never quite know where to rank these Birds. Hmm. Well, at least it looks like Andre Ellington has surpassed Rashard Mendenhall on the depth chart. Or at least he should have. (LWR 24)

20. Cleveland Browns (3-5) ~ They came up just short of the upset over Kansas City with their third starting quarterback of the year. Jason Campbell is starting again next week and it looks like the Brandon Weeden era may officially be over in Cleveland. (LWR 21)

21. Atlanta Falcons (2-5) ~ Do you hear that? I believe the fat lady is warming up. It's almost over now for the Falcons. (LWR 19)

22. Buffalo Bills (3-5) ~ Bills fans have to be wondering what could have been if CJ Spiller and EJ Manual stayed healthy this season. (LWR 23)

23. Philadelphia Eagles (3-5) ~ The defense has improved greatly allowing a combined 32 points in the last two games. The problem? The defense has outscored their offense in the last two games seven to three. (LWR 18)

24. Houston Texans (2-5) ~ Matt Schaub is out as starting quarterback. At least for now. The bigger concern is that Arian Foster and Ben Tate might also be out this week. That severely limits the weapons Case Keenum will have at his disposal. (LWR 20)

25. Oakland Raiders (3-4) ~ Did you see Terrelle Pryor's NFL record touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage last week? If you didn't you should check it out. Seriously. History and all that. (LWR 28)

26. St. Louis Rams (3-5) ~ I didn't think they would stand a chance against the Seahawks without Sam Bradford. I was wrong. Their defense played one hell of a game sacking Russell Wilson seven times. (LWR 26)

27. Washington Redskins (2-5) ~ Jordan Reed is emerging as a dangerous option at tight end with 17 catches for 224 yards and a score in his last two games. (LWR 27)

28. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-5) ~ That game in Oakland was a must-win. Up next for the Steelers is a trip to Foxborough. If they fall to 2-6 the season is toast. (LWR 25)

29. New York Giants (2-6) ~ Two in a row for the G-Men though they are going to need to score touchdowns if they want to keep their win streak alive. (LWR 29)

30. Minnesota Vikings (1-6) ~ I wonder how Greg Jennings feels after leaving the Packers to join Minnesota. Probably not good. (LWR 30)

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-7) ~ I'm not really sure how it could get worse for Tampa. Wait, they play in Seattle this week? Oh. Well then. (LWR 31)

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-8) ~ Well, they can't lose this week. Viva la bye! (LWR 32)