NFL Power Rankings 2017: Week 8 Top 10 Teams Led By Eagles & Patriots
Several teams have emerged as top contenders as the NFL power rankings 2017 list moves into Week 8 of the season. In particular, the Philadelphia Eagles, led by their exciting young quarterback Carson Wentz, have shown they are early favorites to take the NFC. After Wentz and the Eagles were outdone by fellow rookie Dak Prescott and the Cowboys a season ago, things have certainly changed. In addition, the New England Patriots are once again near the top of the list for the league’s top 10, due to continuing to find ways to win as the defending Super Bowl champions. Here’s a look at the latest NFL power rankings for Week 8 the 2017 NFL season.
After another win in Monday Night Football, the Philadelphia Eagles are clearly the top team in the league at the moment. In their latest outing, Wentz and company defeated the Washington Redskins, 34-24. As ESPN reported, Wentz threw for 268 yards and four touchdowns on 17-for-25 passing, as he continues to showcase his excellence in his sophomore season. Wentz also led the team on the ground with eight carries for 63 yards, while Zach Ertz had five receptions for 89 yards and a score. Wentz currently ranks fourth among top quarterbacks for yards thrown this season with 1,852 yards, and has his team third overall in total offensive yards. With a win over the San Francisco 49ers this coming week, they’ll own the league’s best record halfway through the season.
Not far behind Philadelphia on the top 10 list are Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. After losing their first game of the season to the Kansas City Chiefs, they’ve gone 4-1 since then. Cam Newton and the Panthers gave the team their only other loss and it was by a field goal. New England leads the league in total offensive yards with over 2,800 so far this season, and Brady is leading all quarterbacks in passing yards. The Patriots have now racked up three wins in a row, defeating two potential NFC playoff teams in the process and a surprising Jets team.
Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers are once again looking like the team Brady and the Pats will have to get past in the AFC. They’re now 5-2 but their biggest wins have really been against Kansas City and Minnesota with the rest against mediocre competition. With the Kansas City Chiefs having lost a second-straight game of the season, they’re now holding onto the fourth spot after sitting atop the power rankings for several weeks. Below is the latest top 10 teams ranked for Week 8.
NFL Power Rankings (Week 8)
- Philadelphia Eagles (6-1)
- New England Patriots (5-2)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2)
- Kansas City Chiefs (5-2)
- New Orleans Saints (4-2)
- Seattle Seahawks (4-2)
- L.A. Rams (5-2)
- Buffalo Bills (3-2)
- Minnesota Vikings (5-2)
- Miami Dolphins (4-2)
Ahead of the season, there were several teams being picked to make the playoffs this coming season. At Sports Illustrated the preseason picks to participate in the postseason included the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers. Now those teams seem like they will both possibly be out of the picture. In their place for the NFC could very well be the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams, if they continue their paces. This past week, the Saints were able to defeat a Packers team without Aaron Rodgers and rank No. 5 on the list. Meanwhile, the L.A. Rams shut out the Cardinals 33-0 in the past week’s London NFL game to improve to 5-2 on the season. Much of the team’s success so far has come from quarterback Jared Goff and running back Todd Gurley putting up big numbers.
"We’re never really content. We’re happy with the way we played but we expect to play well." –@JaredGoff16 pic.twitter.com/zbbbiDwGqI
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) October 23, 2017
Two other teams that weren’t pegged as playoff teams by some analysts would be a part of the NFL playoff picture if the postseason started today. The Miami Dolphins at 4-2 would be the sixth seed while the Buffalo Bills (4-2) would be the fifth seed. Both teams are contending with the Patriots right now for the AFC East division lead, making the second half of the season look extremely interesting. Both teams rank in the lower part of the top 10 this week as they should.
Coming up for Week 8 will be a few intriguing matchups to watch. The Bills will be hosting the Oakland Raiders, and a loss by Buffalo could see them fall out of the top 10. Also, the two games on the tail end of the upcoming schedule will impact the rankings. Sunday night will feature the Pittsburgh Steelers visiting the Detroit Lions, a former top 10 team, while the Denver Broncos take on the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night.
NFL fans, how do you feel about the latest NFL power rankings top 10? Which teams deserve a higher or lower spot on the list?
[Featured Image by Abbie Parr/Getty Images]
