Still not feeling great about the Falcons' three wins seven games into the season? Thirteen teams total, in fact, head into Week 8 with just three wins to their names – including the Eagles, Steelers, Jaguars and Packers. I don't think the so-called experts and prognosticators saw that start coming for any of those teams, including the Falcons.
Just a little perspective for you to chew on.
MORE POWER RANKINGS
The top five teams in my Wildly Important NFL Rankings remain the same this week, which is a first all season long. But we do have two new teams cracking the top 10 this week – the Redskins and Panthers, who are both 4-2. The Redskins come in a little higher since they knocked off Carolina two weeks ago, 23-17.
And speaking of winning and the Redskins, the Falcons have now won back-to-back games for the first time all season. Atlanta jumps from 22 to 18 and heads into its bye week on a mini roll. The Falcons (3-4) return to action on Nov. 4 at ... Washington. In the meantime, check out my rankings heading into Week 8 below:
| RANK | TEAM | TABEEK'S TAKE | PREVIOUS (Oct. 16) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rams (7-0) | The Rams continue to roll and, frankly, I don’t see anyone beating them in the regular season right now. | 1 |
| 2 | Saints (5-1) | Sometimes even the good teams need a little luck along the way, and that’s what the Saints got in Baltimore. Impressive road win. | 2 |
| 3 | Patriots (5-2) | They survived a late rally on the road against a pretty good team, but that’s what good teams do. They’re heading into Buffalo on a roll. | 3 |
| 4 | Chiefs (6-1) | They annihilated what I thought was a decent Bengals team. Patrick Mahomes continues to get better every week. | 4 |
| 5 | Chargers (5-2) | I keep saying it: Watch out for these Chargers. They are a complete team and no one wants to face them. | 5 |
| 6 | Vikings (4-2-1) | I need some more “Dead-Arm Dance” in my life because that offense is a blast to watch. How good is Adam Thielen, by the way? | 8 |
| 7 | Steelers (3-2-1) | BYE WEEK. Next: Home game vs. the Browns. | 6 |
| 8 | Packers (3-2-1) | BYE WEEK. Next: Road game vs. the Rams. Uh, hello. | 9 |
| 9 | Redskins (4-2) | Tough (and important) home win against their division rivals. I’m still skeptical of this team, but it’s time to give them their due. | 13 |
| 10 | Panthers (4-2) | Impressive fourth-quarter rally and road win against the defending Super Bowl champs. They should only get better if they stay healthy. | 14 |
| 11 | Ravens (4-3) | Justin Tucker has won a dozen games for the Ravens but everyone is still talking about the one he lost – and will for a while, unfortunately. Gut-wrenching loss. | 10 |
| 12 | Bengals (4-3) | I really thought they’d go into Arrowhead and show some fight and give the Chiefs a game. Boy was I wrong. | 7 |
| 13 | Texans (4-3) | They’ve reeled off four straight wins and the three they lost were all very close. Look out for the Texans. | 18 |
| 14 | Dolphins (4-3) | After a 3-0 start, this team has cooled down dramatically. Up next? Those aforementioned red-hot Texans. | 11 |
| 15 | Bears (3-3) | They didn’t quit against the Patriots, which I really liked. And they nearly pulled off a Hail Mary at the end. One yard short. | 12 |
| 16 | Seahawks (3-3) | BYE WEEK. Next: Road game vs. the Lions. | 17 |
| 17 | Eagles (3-4) | They squandered a late lead at home against the Panthers and now they’re throwing around the words “Super Bowl hangover.” | 16 |
| 18 | Falcons (3-4) | Don’t look now but the Falcons are slowly climbing out of an early season hole. Two back-to-back road games await them following their bye week. | 22 |
| 19 | Jaguars (3-4) | Is it me or does it feel like the wheels are falling off in Jacksonville? I’ve said here repeatedly that they’ll go as far as Blake Bortles can take them. | 15 |
| 20 | Buccaneers (3-3) | Jameis Winston tossed two picks for the second week in a row, but they managed to squeak one out in overtime. They all count, even the ugly ones. | 24 |
| 21 | Cowboys (3-4) | A snap infraction? On the game-tying kick? Are you kidding me? They’ll have to regroup in a hurry. Hey, at least they have a No. 1 receiver now, right? | 19 |
| 22 | Lions (3-3) | The Lions have now won three of their last four – which include victories over the Patriots, Packers and Dolphins. Hmmm. | 26 |
| 23 | Titans (3-4) | Gutsy call to go for two and the win on the road against a very good team. I liked it then and I like it now. | 20 |
| 24 | Jets (3-4) | Sam Darnold had one of those games where he looked like a rookie quarterback playing a solid defense. Yep, three picks. But don’t panic, Jets fans. | 21 |
| 25 | Broncos (3-4) | They easily handled a bad Cardinals team for their third win. But all they’re talking about right is Chad Kelly. Bizarre incident. | 25 |
| 26 | Browns (2-4-1) | This team continues to scrap and lost a disappointing game to the Bucs. I really like Baker Mayfield’s passion and fight. | 23 |
| 27 | Colts (2-5) | They got their second win of the season in convincing fashion. They might get their third in convincing fashion, too, with the Raiders up next. | 29 |
| 28 | Bills (2-5) | This team is really struggling and they host the Patriots next. Hide the children and look the other way. | 27 |
| 29 | Giants (1-6) | They gave the Falcons their best punch and hung in there but fell short in the end. This might be Eli Manning’s last hurrah in New York. | 28 |
| 30 | 49ers (1-6) | Injuries have hit this team hard, but they continue to fight hard despite piling up losses. They might get one this week, though, in Arizona. | 30 |
| 31 | Raiders (1-5) | Jon Gruden continues to trade away their best players and stock pile first-round draft picks. He’s also on the verge of losing his locker room, if reports are true. | 31 |
| 32 | Cardinals (1-6) | It’s a rebuilding year for the Cardinals and their best players (see Patrick Peterson) and growing frustrated. | 32 |
