Brad Biggs' Week 8 NFL rankings
There’s a new No. 1 in Brad Biggs’ power rankings for Week 8 of the 2020 NFL season after the Seattle Seahawks tumbled following their first loss of the season.
Last week’s ranking in parentheses.
———
1. Chiefs 5-1 (2)
The Chiefs had an interception return for a touchdown and a kickoff return for a score, highlighting the many ways they can beat you. Backup quarterback Chad Henne scored on a run in garbage time of a blowout of the Broncos in snowy Denver.
2. Steelers 6-0 (5)
The Steelers scored on their first four possessions and then held on for dear life on the road against the Titans to improve to 6-0 for the first time since 1978. Another huge AFC battle looms this week as they travel to Baltimore to play the Ravens.
3. Titans 5-1 (3)
Stephen Gostkowski missed wide right from 45 yards with seconds remaining, and the Titans fell to the Steelers, 27-24.
4. Ravens 5-1 (4)
The Ravens come out of their week off needing to tighten up on offense, but the defense has 22 sacks — on pace for 59 — and the arrival of Yannick Ngakoue from the Vikings will bolster the pass rush. Calais Campbell leads the defense with four sacks.
5. Packers 5-1 (6)
The absence of left tackle David Bakhtiari didn’t slow the Packers as they bounced back from a miserable showing against the Buccaneers and throttled the lousy Texans. Wide receiver Davante Adams had a career-high 196 yards.
6. Seahawks 5-1 (1)
Russell Wilson has been having an MVP season, masking some of the defense’s shortcomings, but his third interception came in overtime and ultimately doomed the Seahawks in a 37-34 road loss to the Cardinals.
7. Saints 4-2 (7)
The Saints were without their top two wide receivers — Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders — but running back Alvin Kamara had his fifth consecutive game of 100 or more yards from scrimmage as they held off the Panthers.
8. Buccaneers 5-2 (9)
Antonio Brown has to be COVID-19 insurance more than anything, right? Mike Evans and Chris Godwin have had injuries, but Tom Brady is rolling now with 369 yards and four touchdown passes in a blowout win against the Raiders in Las Vegas. Brady has thrown 15 touchdown passes and one interception in the last five games.
9. Cardinals 5-2 (14)
The Cardinals trailed by 10 points with less than three minutes to play before Kyler Murray rallied them to an overtime win against the Seahawks. It could be a seminal victory for the second-year quarterback.
10. Bills 5-2 (12)
Josh Allen’s final numbers looked fine — he completed 30 of 43 passes for 307 yards and ran for another 61 — but the Bills offense is out of sync and was 0 for 5 in the red zone in an 18-10 win over the Jets.
11. Rams 5-2 (13)
Outside linebacker Leonard Floyd always has played well in prime time, and Monday night was no exception with two sacks. He now has four sacks this season, one more than he had with the Bears in 2019.
12. Colts 4-2 (10)
The Colts had the week off, and near the midpoint of the season, the acquisition of defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is looking good. He has 28 tackles, four stops for a loss, 2 1/2 sacks and 22 QB pressures. The Colts play the Lions on Sunday in Detroit.
13. Bears 5-2 (11)
Matt Nagy’s offense ranks 29th in total yards, 32nd in rushing, 25th in passing and 27th in scoring.
14. 49ers 4-3 (15)
With Raheem Mostert out, Jeff Wilson Jr. filled in at running back and rushed 17 times for 112 yards and three touchdowns in a 33-6 win against the Patriots, but he suffered what the team fears is a high ankle sprain on the final score. Injuries continue to plague the 49ers.
15. Browns 5-2 (17)
Baker Mayfield threw a pick on his first attempt for the second straight game, but he got on a heater against the Bengals. He set a Browns record by completing 21 consecutive passes and fired three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter of a 37-34 win.
16. Raiders 3-3 (8)
The Raiders offensive line missed most of the week of practice because of COVID-19, but it was the defense that looked as if it was out of it in a 45-20 loss to the Buccaneers.
17. Dolphins 3-3 (16)
The Dolphins used their week off to transition to rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. There’s no question he’s the future, but it’s an interesting move considering the Dolphins are in the AFC East race. Tagovailoa faces the Rams on Sunday.
18. Chargers 2-4 (21)
Rookie Justin Herbert passed for 347 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for a QB franchise-record 66 yards and another score in a 39-29 win over the Jaguars. It was the first victory for Herbert, who has 10 TD passes and one interception in the last three games.
19. Lions 3-3 (25)
Matthew Stafford’s 30th game-winning drive in the fourth quarter was completed on the final play against the Falcons in Atlanta. The Lions have won three of their last four to join a group of nine NFC teams at .500 or better.
20. Patriots 2-4 (18)
Cam Newton is struggling mightily — he completed 9 of 15 passes for 98 yards with three interceptions in a 33-6 home loss to the 49ers — but Bill Belichick says the Patriots are sticking with him at quarterback.
21. Panthers 3-4 (19)
Joey Slye’s 65-yard field-goal try with two minutes remaining was just short in a 27-24 loss to the Saints. The Panthers running game was nonexistent with only 14 carries for 37 yards.
22. Eagles 2-4-1 (22)
Injuries have hampered the Eagles, but they are managing to tread water in the swamp that is the NFC East — one of three teams with two wins and little chance of doing anything in the playoffs.
23. Broncos 2-4 (23)
If you told Broncos coach Vic Fangio his defense would hold the Chiefs to 0 for 8 on third down and limit Patrick Mahomes to 15 completions and 200 passing yards, he would take it every time. But in this instance, Denver was crushed, 43-16.
24. Washington 2-5 (31)
Much of the focus has been on No. 2 pick Chase Young, but Montez Sweat, a first-round pick last year, has five sacks, including two in Sunday’s demolition of the Cowboys. Those are two young pass rushers to build around.
25. Texans 1-6 (24)
The Texans were leaving Packers receivers wide open in the secondary, and this game was over at halftime.
26. Falcons 1-6 (26)
Todd Gurley tried to go down short of the goal line, but his momentum carried him into the end zone. The Falcons could have run out the clock and kicked a chip-shot field goal had Gurley gone down. Instead, there was too much time for Matthew Stafford and the Lions to rally for a victory. It’s that kind of season in Atlanta.
27. Bengals 1-5-1 (28)
Joe Burrow was sacked four times, increasing his NFL-high total to 28, but the rookie still threw for 406 yards and three touchdowns in a 37-34 loss to the Browns in the battle for Ohio.
28. Vikings 1-5 (27)
Maybe the Vikings haven’t packed it in, but they are looking ahead to 2021 after trading defensive end Yannick Ngakoue to the Ravens.
29. Cowboys 2-5 (20)
Quarterback Andy Dalton was knocked out on a dirty hit by Washington linebacker Jon Bostic, but the game was well out of hand at that point.
30. Giants 1-6 (29)
Scrutiny is on Daniel Jones and not because the quarterback did a face plant at the end of his 80-yard run Thursday night in Philadelphia. Jones and running back Saquon Barkley were among those in a bar Friday night in New York, and that is a COVID-19 no-no these days.
31. Jaguars 1-6 (30)
The idea, and maybe it was more like a dream, was the Jaguars could have a quarterback to build around in Gardner Minshew and use their bounty of draft picks to build the remainder of the roster. Scratch that. Jacksonville is squarely in the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes.
32. Jets 0-7 (32)
The defense limited the Bills to eight field-goal attempts in an 18-10 loss, but the Jets managed only two first downs and 4 yards of offense on five second-half possessions. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has to be steaming.
———
©2020 Chicago Tribune
Visit the Chicago Tribune at www.chicagotribune.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
