FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons may have dropped their third of four games since their Week 5 bye, but other teams across the league made stands in Week 9 that have them moving up the rankings.
The Pittsburgh Steelers defense thumped an (at the time) one-loss Indianapolis Colts team. The Carolina Panthers surprised the national audience by taking one on the road in Green Bay. And despite their struggles in years past to do so, the Buffalo Bills got a win over the Kansas City Chiefs. We're talking all of that and more in this week's Power Rankings.
Check them out below.
I am keeping the Colts at No. 1 in this ranking despite the loss because I would make the argument the Colts shot themselves in the foot more than the Steelers took the game away from them.
What a night for Sam Darnold. He completed all 16 of his passes in the first half for 282 yards and four touchdowns. He only threw three incompletions throughout the entire game and was never sacked. Who would have picked the Seahawks as a top-ranked team coming into 2025? Not I.
Josh Allen completed 20 of 21 passes (95.2%) for 243 yards and a touchdown from a clean pocket. The Bills defense pressured Patrick Mahomes on 52.6% of his dropbacks, their highest pressure rate against Mahomes across 10 matchups since 2020. Are the Bills finally tired of playing little brother?
The Bucs return from their week off set to face the Patriots, who aren't an unbeatable team but still one that is on a six-game winning streak.
Nothing to add here. The Rams did what they were supposed to do.
Another top 10 team on a bye week. They get back to it on Monday night against the Packers. Should be an interesting matchup. Wish I could watch it. But alas. I have YouTube TV.
Like the Patriots, the Broncos are another team on a tear. They just notched win No. 6 in a row. They face the Raiders this Thursday. So, maybe go ahead and pencil in No. 7.
It wasn't a perfectly played game for the Patriots. But it did showcase a team that can still win a game in which they don't play their best — a marker of a playoff-bound team.
This week marked the 16th game in Christian McCaffrey's career in which he scored a rushing and receiving touchdown, meaning he officially breaks a tie with Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk for the most such games in NFL history. He's so back.
Justin Herbert led the Chargers in rushing yards, and he surpassed Matt Ryan for the fifth-most passing yards in league history by a player in his first six seasons. I know there are other players on the Chargers right now, but it kind of feels like it's Herbert's world and we're just living in it.
The Steelers forced the Colts to turn the ball over six times. That doesn't happen every day. And honestly, it shouldn't in this league. But here we are.
According to Next Gen Stats, Jared Goff was pressured on 47.6% of his drop backs, the third-highest pressure rate he has faced in a game as a Lion. He struggled to connect in those moments, which made up for half of his attempts. Not a recipe for success.
For the first time in his career, Micah Parsons did not record one singular pressure. There are more reasons the Packers didn't win this game, but that one is the most shocking.
The Jags snuck out a one-point win in part because of a record-setting, 68-yard field goal. Just Jags things.
Julian Edelman said at halftime that the Packers were just playing with their food by keeping the score close. Doesn't he know a Panther is an apex predator and cheese is nature's best food?
It took Caleb Williams becoming a receiver (twice) and Colston Loveland surpassing his season totals in one game to beat Joe Flacco. Yes. You read that sentence correctly.
This was the Chiefs' fifth consecutive regular-season loss to the Bills. Which doesn't sound good. But they keep beating them in the postseason. So, it's probably not that bad, either.
J.J. McCarthy. The prodigal son returned — and scored three times.
I wish I could tell you what really happened on "Monday Night Football." But again, I have YouTube TV, and they're beefing with a mouse at the moment.
*See Arizona Cardinals explainer.
A missed extra point. There is nothing else to say.
C.J. Stroud exited the game with a concussion. With the Jaguars, Bills and Colts on deck in three of the next four weeks, things could get a bit tough for the Texans.
Thursday night was the matchup of the miserables where only one team could leave not being sad. Congrats to the Ravens.
I'm not a doctor, but I don't think Jayden Daniels' arm is supposed to bend that way. Gives me the heebie-jeebies.
Joe Flacco threw for 470 yards and four touchdowns in the Bengals' loss to the Bears. According to NFL.com, he leads the NFL with 11 pass touchdowns and 1,254 pass yards since being traded to the Bengals in Week 6. I never thought I would say this: But Joe Flacco deserves better!
I hate to admit it, but I do think that, regardless of the loss, the Giants have something good brewing with Jaxson Dart.
The Raiders were so close. So very close. Close enough to maybe be OK that it took overtime and a record-breaking field goal to beat them? Probably not.
Ah yes, there are the Dolphins we've come to know.
Hey! Lookie there. The Titans hung with the Chargers a bit. Maybe things aren't all bad in Nashville. I mean, it's not all good, but…
A week of not having to report on the Browns. I'll take it.
Oh, and no Jets, either? Man. How lucky are we?
Not lucky enough for the Saints to be off I see.
