2013 Week 8 NFL Power Rankings

Seattle Seahawks: 2013 Week 8 NFL Power Rankings (#1)

stevenlourie 2013 NFL Power Rankings, 2013 Week 8 NFL Power Rankings, Seahawks, Uncategorized

Last week: 2 (+1)

Record: 6-1

I moved the Seahawks down from 1a to 1b after they lost to the Colts in Indianapolis, but the Broncos did the same thing this week and evenly more convincingly, so I’m switching them back on top. I’m kind of disappointed in myself for even making the switch when it was obvious the Broncos would lose at some point. The Seahawks will probably be up here for the foreseeable future. They might not definitely be the more talented team, but they’re better designed to win a cold weather Super Bowl.

Week 7 Studs

QB Russell Wilson

RB Marshawn Lynch

TE Zach Miller

RE Red Bryant

RE Michael Bennett

LOLB Michael Smith

ROLB Bruce Irvin

DT Tony McDaniel

CB Richard Sherman

CB Brandon Browner

FS Earl Thomas

SS Kam Chancellor

Week 7 Duds

MLB KJ Wright

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Denver Broncos: 2013 Week 8 NFL Power Rankings (#2)

stevenlourie 2013 NFL Power Rankings, 2013 Week 8 NFL Power Rankings, Broncos, Uncategorized

Last week: 1 (-1)

Record: 6-1

Remember when people thought the Broncos were definitely going 16-0 because they looked so dominant for the first 4 weeks. It was clear that was an unsustainable level of offense and that their defense would eventually be exposed. I’m kind of disappointed in myself for moving them up to #2. I think they’re better than the Chiefs and could easily sweep the season series with them, but ironically they’d be the #5 seed if the playoffs started today and would go to New England.

Week 7 Studs

WR Wes Welker

RT Louis Vasquez

ROLB Von Miller

Week 7 Duds

RB Knowshon Moreno

LT Chris Clark

RG Chris Kuper

LE Derek Wolfe

DT Kevin Vickerson

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New England Patriots: 2013 Week 8 NFL Power Rankings (#4)

stevenlourie 2013 NFL Power Rankings, 2013 Week 8 NFL Power Rankings, Patriots, Uncategorized

Last week: 4 (+0)

Record: 5-2

The call that might have cost the Patriots a win was definitely questionable considering the number of times it wasn’t called this season and the stakes in those circumstances. However, it was the right call by the new rule. Bill Belichick took the blame for not understanding the rule, but you can’t blame him considering the Patriots did the same thing the week before and the refs didn’t care. Even the NFL’s official website didn’t have the rule right and had to edit the text of an article referring to the rule after Belichick’s press conference.

Week 7 Studs

LG Logan Mankins

TE Rob Gronkowski

DT Joe Vellano

MLB Brandon Spikes

FS Devin McCourty

Week 7 Duds

QB Tom Brady

RG Dan Connolly

C Ryan Wendell

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San Francisco 49ers: 2013 Week 8 NFL Power Rankings (#5)

stevenlourie 2013 NFL Power Rankings, 2013 Week 8 NFL Power Rankings, 49ers, Uncategorized

Last week: 5 (+0)

Record: 5-2

Colin Kaepernick had probably his best game since week 1 this week, completing 13 of 21 for 199 yards, while rushing for 68 yards and a touchdown on 11 attempts, against a Tennessee defense that has been solid all season. It’s a positive sign going forward for the 49ers, who have won 4 straight, thanks largely to a re-emphasis on the run game. Now they go to London to play the Jaguars before a bye. It’s hard to believe there was a time people were worried about them because they lost 2 of 3 games to top-10 caliber teams.

Week 7 Studs

WR Anquan Boldin

LG Mike Iupati

CB Tramaine Brock

Week 7 Duds

RG Alex Boone

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Kansas City Chiefs: 2013 Week 8 NFL Power Rankings (#6)

stevenlourie 2013 NFL Power Rankings, 2013 Week 8 NFL Power Rankings, Chiefs, Uncategorized

Last week: 7 (+1)

Record: 7-0

I am aware the Chiefs are the only team in the NFL who has not lost a game. If you want to see rankings were they are #1, go to espn.com/nfl/standings. I’m not interested in parroting back the standings. I’m trying to evaluate each team’s talent level and where they will end up at the end of the season. The Chiefs haven’t played anyone that good. The two toughest teams they’ve faced might be Dallas and Houston and they beat them by a point each in Kansas City. A few other top level teams haven’t played any either, but the Chiefs are not designed to beat top level teams. They are designed to win conservative games against average or worse opponents. Their turnover margin, the biggest reason why they are winning, will not continue to be this impressive against tougher opponents.

Week 7 Studs

RE Mike DeVito

Week 7 Duds

FB Anthony Sherman

RT Eric Fisher

TE Anthony Fasano

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Indianapolis Colts: 2013 Week 8 NFL Power Rankings (#7)

stevenlourie 2013 NFL Power Rankings, 2013 Week 8 NFL Power Rankings, Colts, Uncategorized

Last week: 8 (-1)

Record: 5-2

The Colts have beaten 3 of the top-5 teams on these Power Rankings, a group of teams that has lost a combined 7 games. However, they have also lost to San Diego and Miami and almost lost to Oakland. Furthermore, they also lost their top receiving threat Reggie Wayne for the season with a torn ACL. They’re a very good team, but you have to look at the whole story with them. Not just that they’ve beaten 3 very good teams.

Week 7 Studs

RT Gosder Cherilus

ROLB Robert Mathis

CB Vontae Davis

Week 7 Duds

FB Stanley Havili

CB Darius Butler

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Green Bay Packers: 2013 Week 8 NFL Power Rankings (#8)

stevenlourie 2013 NFL Power Rankings, 2013 Week 8 NFL Power Rankings, Packers, Uncategorized

Last week: 6 (-2)

Record: 4-2

The Packers blew out the Browns this week despite all of their injuries, but they’ve been dominant at home over the past few seasons, possibly even more than even the Seahawks. They are 22-8 ATS at home since 2010 and 27-3 straight up, outscoring opponents by an average 13.9 points per game. They’ll need to prove they can win on the road going forward, though their next road test is in Minnesota, so it’s not much of a test.

Week 7 Studs

CB Davon House

SS Morgan Burnett

Week 7 Duds

RT Don Barclay

TE Andrew Quarless

LOLB Mike Neal

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Cincinnati Bengals: 2013 Week 8 NFL Power Rankings (#9)

stevenlourie 2013 NFL Power Rankings, 2013 Week 8 NFL Power Rankings, Bengals, Uncategorized

Last week: 10 (+1)

Record: 5-2

The Bengals’ needed to prove themselves on the road after losing in Cleveland and Chicago and almost losing in Buffalo. They did that with a close win in Detroit this week. They’ll need to avoid a letdown game, however. After beating Green Bay, they lost to Cleveland. After beating New England, they went to overtime in Buffalo. They’ll need to avoid losing to the Jets this week.

Week 7 Studs

QB Andy Dalton

WR AJ Green

RE Michael Johnson

LE Carlos Dunlap

Week 7 Duds

LG Clint Boling

RG Kevin Zeitler

TE Jermaine Gresham

CB Terence Newman

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Detroit Lions: 2013 Week 8 NFL Power Rankings (#10)

stevenlourie 2013 NFL Power Rankings, 2013 Week 8 NFL Power Rankings, Lions, Uncategorized

Last week: 9 (-1)

Record: 4-3

I said before the game that the Lions and Bengals were as evenly matched as two teams could be and the Bengals won by a field goal. Still, the Lions have the inside track for a playoff spot in the NFC. They still have an explosive offense that moves the chains at a 78% rate and a decent defense that moves the chains at a 75% rate.

Week 7 Studs

WR Calvin Johnson

DT Ndamukong Suh

Week 7 Duds

RG Larry Warford

TE Brandon Pettigrew

RE Ezekiel Ansah

LE Willie Young

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