With their big win over the San Francisco 49ers, the Denver Broncos showed us once again why they're one of the hottest teams in football as they improved to 5-1 to sit alone in first place in the AFC West. Here's a look at the 2014 NFL Power Rankings Week 8.
32. Oakland Raiders 0-6 (31)
(Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
32. Oakland Raiders 0-6 (31)
(Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Will the Oakland Raiders win a game in 2014? They put up a fight against the Arizona Cardinals in the first half, but this outcome ended up being exactly how we thought it would be--another loss for the Raiders.
31. New York Jets 1-6 (30)
(Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
31. New York Jets 1-6 (30)
(Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
With the way things have gone this year, the New York Jets should actually feel good about the way they played against the New England Patriots considering they were one blocked field goal away from pulling off the upset. Chris Ivory (107 rushing yards with one touchdown) needs to figure out how to play at that high level on a consistent basis.
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1-5 (29)
(Cliff McBride/Getty Images)
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1-5 (29)
(Cliff McBride/Getty Images)
The fact that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are ranked 30th overall for offense and 32nd for defense shows just how much this team needed the bye week. Lovie Smith was supposed to make an immediate impact in his first year as head coach, but that's obviously far from the case as the Bucs have been one of the league's biggest disappointments.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars 1-6 (32)
(Rob Foldy/Getty Images)
29. Jacksonville Jaguars 1-6 (32)
(Rob Foldy/Getty Images)
The Jacksonville Jaguars have to be thrilled with knowing they won't go winless in 2014 after their victory over the Cleveland Browns. Hopefully, this team will continue to use Denard Robinson (122 rushing yards with one touchdown) as the starting running back.
28. Minnesota Vikings 2-5 (26)
(Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
28. Minnesota Vikings 2-5 (26)
(Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
The rookie struggles continued for Teddy Bridgewater against the Buffalo Bills as he now has five interceptions over his last two games. Wins won't be easy for the Minnesota Vikings this season and this team has to be kicking themselves for giving up that last-second touchdown to Sammy Watkins.
27. Tennessee Titans 2-5 (25)
(Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
27. Tennessee Titans 2-5 (25)
(Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Will Bishop Sankey (56 rushing yards on 16 attempts) ever get anything consistent going in the ground game? The Tennessee Titans have now lost five of their last six games after falling just short against the Washington Redskins.
26. Atlanta Falcons 2-5 (23)
(Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
26. Atlanta Falcons 2-5 (23)
(Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
The Atlanta Falcons are quickly becoming the laughing stock of the NFL as they've scored just 20 points over the last two weeks. The offensive line has been dealing with their fair-share of injuries, but the Falcons need more out of Matt Ryan at quarterback before it's too late.
25. Houston Texans 3-4 (21)
(Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
25. Houston Texans 3-4 (21)
(Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
The Houston Texans looked like they were going to pull off a big road win in the national spotlight before allowing the Pittsburgh Steelers to score 24 points in three minutes. Arian Foster (115 yards from the line of scrimmage with one touchdown) continues to impress, but even that hasn't been enough for the Texans.
24. New York Giants 3-4 (20)
(Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
24. New York Giants 3-4 (20)
(Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Look at the bright side--at least the New York Giants didn't look as bad as they did against the Philadelphia Eagles in their loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Eli Manning (248 passing yards with three touchdowns) had the Giants in this game during the first half, but the defense just couldn't contain DeMarco Murray and Tony Romo in the second half.
23. Cleveland Browns 3-3 (16)
(Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
23. Cleveland Browns 3-3 (16)
(Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
So much for all of the hype surrounding the Cleveland Browns being contenders in the AFC. With the way they've been playing lately, this was a game the Browns should have been able to win.
Instead, Brian Hoyer and company managed just six points against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
22. Washington Redskins 2-5 (27)
(Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
22. Washington Redskins 2-5 (27)
(Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Who would have predicted Colt McCoy would have led the Washington Redskins to a win in Week 7? While McCoy looked solid against the Titans, the quarterback will face a tougher task next weekend against the red-hot Dallas Cowboys.
21. St. Louis Rams 2-4 (28)
(Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images)
21. St. Louis Rams 2-4 (28)
(Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images)
The biggest surprise of Week 7 goes to the St. Louis Rams who pulled off the shocking upset against the Seattle Seahawks. Give the Rams coaching staff credit for calling numerous gutsy plays that ended up paying off big time
20. New Orleans Saints 2-4 (18)
(Leon Halip/Getty Images)
20. New Orleans Saints 2-4 (18)
(Leon Halip/Getty Images)
Is it time for Sean Payton to be on the hot seat? The New Orleans Saints have been one of the biggest disappointments of 2014 as this team is coming off yet another frustrating loss to the Detroit Lions.
Giving up a 13-point lead in the final four minutes is inexcusable.
19. Buffalo Bills 4-3 (22)
(Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
19. Buffalo Bills 4-3 (22)
(Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
If you were wondering why the Buffalo Bills traded up to draft Sammy Watkins--just look at what he did against the Vikings. The Bills couldn't have asked for more thrilling win and they should still be considered contenders in the AFC East.
18. Chicago Bears 3-4 (15)
(Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
18. Chicago Bears 3-4 (15)
(Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
We're heading into Week 8 and the Chicago Bears have yet to win a game at home in 2014. This team is having all sorts of problems and as much as you want to blame Jay Cutler--the real problem is the poor play of the defense.
17. Carolina Panthers 3-3-1
(Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
17. Carolina Panthers 3-3-1
(Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
Is it time for the Carolina Panthers to hit the panic button? This team has allowed 75 points over the last two weeks--even if they did face a tough matchup against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
16. Pittsburgh Steelers 4-3 (19)
(Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
16. Pittsburgh Steelers 4-3 (19)
(Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
At first, it looked like the Pittsburgh Steelers were on their way to another embarrassing loss at home before they scored 24 points in three minutes before halftime. Antonio Brown is quickly emerging as one of the league's top wideouts and don't count the Steelers out of the hunt in the AFC just yet.
15. Cincinnati Bengals 3-2-1
(Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
15. Cincinnati Bengals 3-2-1
(Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
Just when you thought the Cincinnati Bengals couldn't hit another low--they failed to score a single point against the Indianapolis Colts. This team is quickly falling apart as they've looked absolutely horrendous since their 3-0 start.
14. Miami Dolphins 3-3 (24)
(David Banks/Getty Images)
14. Miami Dolphins 3-3 (24)
(David Banks/Getty Images)
Give the defense credit for displaying one of their best performances of the year for the Miami Dolphins against the Chicago Bears as this team came through with a big road win. Even after losing Knowshon Moreno, Lamar Miller (61 rushing yards with one touchdown) is showing he can still carry the load in the ground game.
13. San Francisco 49ers 4-3 (12)
(Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
13. San Francisco 49ers 4-3 (12)
(Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
If the San Francisco 49ers are going to compete in the NFC, they're going to need to figure out their problems in the ground game. Frank Gore has rushed for just 58 yards over the last two weeks--which is completely unacceptable.
12. Kansas City Chiefs 3-3 (17)
(Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
12. Kansas City Chiefs 3-3 (17)
(Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Don't look now, but the Kansas City Chiefs are playing like contenders in the AFC. If the Chiefs can beat the San Diego Chargers on the road, they can beat anyone.
11. Detroit Lions 5-2 (13)
(Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
11. Detroit Lions 5-2 (13)
(Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
The most important part about the Detroit Lions winning their last two games is they've managed to do so without Calvin Johnson. Talk about an exciting win as the Lions rallied by scoring 14 points in the final minutes against the New Orleans Saints to improve to 5-2 on the season.
10. Seattle Seahawks 3-3 (5)
(Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images)
10. Seattle Seahawks 3-3 (5)
(Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images)
All of a sudden, the defending Super Bowl champions have lost three-straight games after a shocking loss to the Rams. Even a career game by Russell Wilson (313 passing yards and 106 rushing yards with three total touchdowns) wasn't enough for the Seahawks as they find themselves in a must-win situation next weekend against the Panthers.
9. Philadelphia Eagles 5-1 (6)
(Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
9. Philadelphia Eagles 5-1 (6)
(Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
The Philadelphia Eagles may be 5-1, but they still have plenty to work on if they're going to have any chance at winning the NFC East. These next two away games will determine just how good Chip Kelly's squad really is with games against the Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans.
8. New England Patriots 5-2 (9)
(Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
8. New England Patriots 5-2 (9)
(Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
The New England Patriots nearly escaped a major upset against the New York Jets, but special teams came up big at the end by blocking Nick Folk's potential game-winning field goal. After everyone wrote off the Patriots, Tom Brady has helped this team win three games in a row.
7. Baltimore Ravens 5-2 (10)
(Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
7. Baltimore Ravens 5-2 (10)
(Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
Are the Baltimore Ravens the team to beat in the AFC North? Joe Flacco has the offense rolling and the defense has allowed just 24 points over their last two games.
These next two weeks will be extremely important with key games against the Bengals and Steelers.
6. Green Bay Packers 5-2 (8)
(Mike McGinnis/Getty Images)
6. Green Bay Packers 5-2 (8)
(Mike McGinnis/Getty Images)
As long as Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb stay healthy, there's no reason why Aaron Rodgers shouldn't be considered an MVP candidate. The Green Bay Packers have won four games in a row since Rogers told fans to "relax" and this team made a big statement on Sunday with their win over the Panthers.
5. Indianapolis Colts 5-2 (7)
(Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
5. Indianapolis Colts 5-2 (7)
(Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
We all knew the Indianapolis Colts had one of the most high-powered offenses in the NFL, but their defense shined against the Bengals as they recorded their first shutout of the season. If the Colts' defense can play at that high level on a weekly basis, they shouldn't have any problems with winning the AFC South.
4. San Diego Chargers 5-2 (1)
(Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
4. San Diego Chargers 5-2 (1)
(Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
After Sunday's loss to the Chiefs, the San Diego Chargers may find themselves in a must-win situation against the Denver Broncos on Thursday if they're going to have any shot at winning the division. This team is dealing with plenty of injuries, but there's no reason why the Chargers shouldn't bounce back with Philip Rivers under center.
3. Arizona Cardinals 5-1 (4)
(Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
3. Arizona Cardinals 5-1 (4)
(Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Be honest--did you think the Arizona Cardinals would be on top of the NFC West at this point in the season? Even if it was against the Raiders, the Cardinals continue to impress each week--especially when it comes to Andre Ellington.
2. Dallas Cowboys 6-1 (3)
(Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
2. Dallas Cowboys 6-1 (3)
(Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
If the Dallas Cowboys can stay healthy, they should be considered the favorites in the NFC. Not only is the offense playing at a high level with Tony Romo and DeMarco Murray, but the defense has exceeded all expectations.
Expect the Cowboys to continue rolling with a home matchup against the Redskins next Monday.
1. Denver Broncos 5-1 (2)
(Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
1. Denver Broncos 5-1 (2)
(Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
As much as we want to praise Peyton Manning for breaking Brett Favre's record, we need to discuss just how dominant Demaryius Thomas has been for the Denver Broncos. Over his last three games, Thomas has 26 catches and five touchdowns--which is nothing short of amazing.
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