NFL power rankings, Week 9: Commanders rise, Packers fall

The Washington Commanders are moving up in our NFL power rankings, while the Green Bay Packers fell again after a fourth consecutive loss.

The Texans were at least competitive before the bye week. They’ve been blown out twice since.

It might be time to start wondering if Dan Campbell survives his second season in Detroit.

The Panthers had two kicks to beat the Falcons and missed them both.

Kenny Pickett has been a disappointment to this juncture. Too many turnovers.

With a loss to Denver, the Jaguars are officially cooked. Trevor Lawrence isn’t playing well at all.

Russell Wilson must have been something truly special on the flight back to Denver. The Broncos finally get off the snide.

Chicago is playing better, but the Bears are simply too limited t make any significant mistakes and win.

Indianapolis has to be devastated. The Colts led Washington 16-7 in the fourth quarter at home and lost.

When you get skunked against the Saints, facing a depleted secondary, it’s time to panic.

Huge, emphatic win over the Bengals. Suddenly, Cleveland remains alive in the AFC.

The Saints got a huge win over the Raiders, and now find themselves only one game back of the NFC South-leading Falcons.

Arizona needs more from Kyler Murray. Two interceptions and few big plays. Not enough, especially with a leaky defense.

The Buccaneers are an offensive mess, and now Shaq Barrett is gone for the year with a torn Achilles. This could get out of control.

Green Bay doesn’t have the weaponry to beat anybody decent. That was incredibly evident against the Bills on Sunday night.

New England doesn’t do anything incredibly well, but the Patriots are in the AFC wild card race thanks to an important win over the Jets.

The Commanders are suddenly in the mix after winning once again. Taylor Heinicke is sparking the offense in big moments.

The Chargers are coming out of their bye to play the Falcons and 49ers on the road. They need to stop the run, or they’ll get blasted.

At some point, the offense has to be more than Cooper Kupp on every down. Also, the defense was bullied all over the field against the Niners.

Atlanta won, then lost, then lost again, then actually beat the Panthers. That game likely caused people in Georgia to take up smoking.

The Jets need much more from Zach Wilson if they’re going to survive the Breece Hall injury.

The Bengals were starting to really warm up, and then Monday night happened. Woof.

Seattle is a really fun team that suddenly is playing really well defensively. The Seahawks are a real playoff contender.

Despite no passing attack, the Titans rolled the Texans behind a phenomenal Derrick Henry performance. Now, the Chiefs at Arrowhead.

Christian McCaffrey showed why he was worth four draft picks to San Francisco. What an absurd performance.

The Dolphins were able to keep scoring and finally put the clamps on Detroit in the second half. Another winnable game against the Bears is up next.

Baltimore was able to run the ball at will in the second half, trouncing the Buccaneers. Now, a long rest before New Orleans on Monday night.

The Giants couldn’t go cross-country and handle the Seahawks. When New York runs for 2.8 yards per carry, it’s going to be ugly.

The Cowboys are a legitimate contender. Excellent defense, solid offense and a coach who isn’t actively hurting the team.

Say what you will about the Vikings and how they’re winning, but Minnesota is 3.5 games ahead in the NFC North. Looking like a runaway.

The Chiefs come out of their bye with home dates against the Titans and Jaguars. This is an opportunity for Kansas City to really get rolling.

Not their best effort, but the Bills were never in serious danger against the Packers. That’s the mark of a great team.

Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown are turning into one of the great duos the league has in 2022. Another three touchdowns against the helpless Steelers.