NFL Pittsburgh Steelers

2014 NFL Power Rankings Week 9 (Pre-Monday Night Edition): Pittsburgh Steelers Make Huge Statement

NFL Power Rankings Week 9

NFL Power Rankings Week 9
(Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

From the Pittsburgh Steelers putting up 51 points against the Indianapolis Colts to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots crushing the Chicago Bears--there's plenty to talk about in the NFL after this weekend.

Without wasting any more time, here's a look at the 2014 NFL Power Rankings Week 9 Pre-Monday Night edition.

32. Oakland Raiders 0-7 (32)

Oakland Raiders
(Jason Miller/Getty Images)

32. Oakland Raiders 0-7 (32)

Oakland Raiders
(Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Darren McFadden (59 rushing yards on 12 attempts) is playing better, but it's still not enough for the Oakland Raiders--who suffered another loss to the Cleveland Browns to fall to 0-7 on the year. Don't be surprised if the Raiders fall to 0-11 considering their next four games are against playoff teams from one year ago.

31. New York Jets 1-7 (31)

New York Jets
(Al Bello/Getty Images)

31. New York Jets 1-7 (31)

New York Jets
(Al Bello/Getty Images)

It seems like the New York Jets manage to hit a new low each week as they were absolutely embarrassed by the Buffalo Bills on their own field. Even Geno Smith hit a new low as he was replaced by Michael Vick early on after throwing three interceptions in the first quarter.

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1-6 (30)

Minnesota Vikings v Tampa Bay Buccaneers
(Cliff McBride/Getty Images)

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1-6 (30)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
(Cliff McBride/Getty Images)

To say the offense of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was horrendous would be a huge understatement. The fact that Tampa Bay couldn't score more than 13 points against the Minnesota Vikings is the perfect example of how bad this season has been for Lovie Smith and company.

29. Jacksonville Jaguars 1-7 (29)

Jacksonville Jaguars
(Rob Foldy/Getty Images)

29. Jacksonville Jaguars 1-7 (29)

Jacksonville Jaguars
(Rob Foldy/Getty Images)

If it wasn't for two costly interceptions that were returned for touchdowns by Blake Borltes, the Jacksonville Jaguars could have won against the Miami Dolphins. While Bortles is going through similar mistakes any rookie would go through, the Jaguars should be concerned that he's recorded six turnovers over his last two games.

28. Tennessee Titans (2-6) (27)

Tennessee Titans
(Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

28. Tennessee Titans (2-6) (27)

Tennessee Titans
(Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

In his first career start, Zach Mettenberger (27 of 41 for 299 yards with two touchdowns and one interception) looked decent during his debut with the Tennessee Titans, but most of his numbers came in the second half when the team was trailing big against the Houston Texans. The Titans clearly have issues with the quarterback position and it will be interesting to see what Mettenberger does moving forward.

27. Atlanta Falcons 2-6 (26)

Atlanta Falcons
(Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

27. Atlanta Falcons 2-6 (26)

Atlanta Falcons
(Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

How did the Atlanta Falcons blow a 21-0 lead against the Detroit Lions? This team has nobody to blame but themselves as poor play calling at the end of this game led to the Falcons suffering their sixth loss of the season.

26. New York Giants 3-4 (24)

New York Giants
(Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

26. New York Giants 3-4 (24)

New York Giants v Dallas Cowboys
(Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

With the way things have gone this season for the New York Giants, they need the bye week more than anybody. Unfortunately, things won't get any easier for this team next weekend against Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts.

25. Minnesota Vikings 3-5 (28)

Minnesota Vikings
(Scott Iskowitz/Getty Images)

25. Minnesota Vikings 3-5 (28)

Minnesota Vikings
(Scott Iskowitz/Getty Images)

In what may have been the most unentertaining game of the day, the Minnesota Vikings came up on the winning end against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in overtime. Jerick McKinnon (83 rushing yards) continues to impress at running back for the Vikings after posting solid numbers for the second-straight week.

24. Washington Redskins 2-5 (22)

Washington Redskins
(Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

24. Washington Redskins 2-5 (22) (Monday Night)

Washington Redskins
(Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

The smart move for the Washington Redskins would be to rest Robert Griffin III for Monday night against the Dallas Cowboys and let Colt McCoy run the show.

23. Chicago Bears 3-5 (18)

Chicago Bears
(Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

23. Chicago Bears 3-5 (18)

Chicago Bears
(Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

There were plenty of questions surrounding Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears heading into Sunday's game against the New England Patriots and it's safe to say those concerns are now at an all-time high. This game was well over at halftime and once again, the Bears looked absolutely horrendous on defense as they allowed Tom Brady to throw for five touchdown passes.

22. Houston Texans 4-4 (25)

Houston Texans
(Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

22. Houston Texans 4-4 (25)

Houston Texans
(Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

After a tough loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Houston Texans bounced back with an impressive road win against the Titans. Arian Foster (173 yards from the line of scrimmage with three touchdowns) continues to show why he's one of the league's top running backs as he's carried the offense on his shoulders for the entire season.

21. St Louis Rams 2-5 (21)

St Louis Rams
(Kyle Rivas/Getty Images)

21. St Louis Rams 2-5 (21)

St Louis Rams
(Kyle Rivas/Getty Images)

At first, it looked like the St. Louis Rams were going to carry over their magic from last week against the Kansas City Chiefs--only to end up scoring just seven points all game. Austin Davis (15 of 25 for 160 yards with one touchdown and one interception) just couldn't get anything going on offense for the Rams as they struggled against the Chiefs' defense all afternoon.

20. Cleveland Browns 4-3 (23)

Cleveland Browns
(Jason Miller/Getty Images)

20. Cleveland Browns 4-3 (23)

Cleveland Browns
(Jason Miller/Getty Images)

We can hold off on whether or not the Cleveland Browns should replace Brian Hoyer with Johnny Manziel for at least one more week as the quarterback helped the team get back on the winning track against the Raiders. At 4-3, don't count Cleveland out of the AFC North hunt just yet.

19. Carolina Panthers 3-4-1 (17)

Carolina Panthers
(Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

19. Carolina Panthers 3-4-1 (17)

Carolina Panthers
(Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

In a straight-up defensive battle, the Carolina Panthers fell just short against the Seattle Seahawks--which is frustrating when considering the tiny mistakes made by Cam Newton that played a difference. It's amazing how Carolina is still in first place in the NFC South despite a record below .500.

18. Buffalo Bills 5-3 (19)

Buffalo Bills
(Al Bello/Getty Images)

18. Buffalo Bills 5-3 (19)

Buffalo Bills
(Al Bello/Getty Images)

Let's hope Sammy Watkins (three catches for 157 yards with one touchdown) learned his lesson when it comes to celebrating touchdowns before entering the end zone. While it was impressive to see the Buffalo Bills put up 43 points without Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller, keep it mind it was against the Jets.

17. New Orleans Saints 3-4 (20)

New Orleans Saints
(Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

17. New Orleans Saints 3-4 (20)

New Orleans Saints
(Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Sunday's matchup against the Green Bay Packers was a game the New Orleans Saints desperately needed to win--and they came through big. The best part about the win is Jimmy Graham appears to be more comfortable playing with that injured shoulder of his as he came up with big catches from Drew Brees throughout the entire game.

16. San Francisco 49ers 4-3 (13)

San Francisco 49ers
(Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

16. San Francisco 49ers 4-3 (13)

San Francisco 49ers
(Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

After a tough loss against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, the San Francisco 49ers hopefully used the bye week to rest up considering all of their injuries. If this team is going to catch up with the Arizona Cardinals, Colin Kaepernick will need to carry this team on his shoulders like he's done in the past.

15. Miami Dolphins 4-3 (14)

Miami Dolphins
(Rob Foldy/Getty Images)

15. Miami Dolphins 4-3 (14)

Miami Dolphins
(Rob Foldy/Getty Images)

It wasn't their best performance on offense, but the defense of the Miami Dolphins came up big on Sunday against the Jaguars with two touchdowns. It will be interesting to see whether or not Lamar Miller (78 rushing yards against the Jaguars) can continue to carry the ground game with Knowshon Moreno out.

14. Philadelphia Eagles 5-2 (9)

Philadelphia Eagles
(Norm Hall/Getty Images)

14. Philadelphia Eagles 5-2 (9)

Philadelphia Eagles
(Norm Hall/Getty Images)

Once again, the weaknesses in the secondary of the Philadelphia Eagles was on display late in the game against the Arizona Cardinals as this was a game Chip Kelly and company should have won. If this team is going to have any shot at the playoffs, Nick Foles is going to need to fix his footwork and limit his turnovers.

13. Cincinnati Bengals 4-2-1 (15)

Cincinnati Bengals
(John Grieshop/Getty Images)

13. Cincinnati Bengals 4-2-1 (15)

Cincinnati Bengals
(John Grieshop/Getty Images)

While it was good to see the Cincinnati Bengals pick up their first win since the end of September, this team still has plenty to work on. Give credit to Andy Dalton for carrying this team on his shoulders with A.J. Green sitting out again.

12. Pittsburgh Steelers 5-3 (16)

Pittsburgh Steelers
(Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

12. Pittsburgh Steelers 5-3 (16)

Pittsburgh Steelers
(Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

We may never see Ben Roethlisberger (40 of 49 for 522 yards with six touchdowns) play as well as he did against the Indianapolis Colts ever again. The quarterback was phenomenal and Sunday's win was a big statement that the Pittsburgh Steelers are strong contenders in the AFC.

11. Kansas City Chiefs 4-3 (12)

Kansas City Chiefs
(Kyle Rivas/Getty Images)

11. Kansas City Chiefs 4-3 (12)

Kansas City Chiefs
(Kyle Rivas/Getty Images)

After an 0-2 start, the Kansas City Chiefs have now won four of their last five games following Sunday's easy victory over the St. Louis Rams. Jamaal Charles (73 rushing yards with two touchdowns) continues to impress on offense as the Chiefs appear to have what it takes to compete in the AFC.

10. Baltimore Ravens 5-3 (7)

Baltimore Ravens
(Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

10. Baltimore Ravens 5-3 (7)

Baltimore Ravens
(Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

The Baltimore Ravens were close to pulling off what would have been a huge road win against the Cincinnati Bengals--only to fall short in the final minutes. The Ravens only have three losses this season--two of which have come against the Bengals.

9. Detroit Lions 6-2 (11)

Detroit Lions
(Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images)

9. Detroit Lions 6-2 (11)

Detroit Lions
(Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images)

The Detroit Lions showed us on Sunday why you always fight--no matter how many points you may be down. Overcoming a 21-0 deficit to win with a last-second field goal was huge for the Lions as they improve to 6-2 on the year--which is impressive considering they've had to adjust to life without Calvin Johnson over the last couple of games.

8. Green Bay Packers 5-3 (6)

Green Bay Packers
(Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

8. Green Bay Packers 5-3 (6)

Green Bay Packers
(Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Whether he wants to admit it or not, Aaron Rodgers wasn't the same for most of the second half against the Saints. The Green Bay Packers lost in a very tough atmosphere and hopefully Rodgers uses the bye week to rest up so this team can bounce back in Week 10.

7. Seattle Seahawks 4-3 (10)

Seattle Seahawks
(Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

7. Seattle Seahawks 4-3 (10)

Seattle Seahawks
(Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Russell Wilson showed us once again why he's one of the league's top quarterbacks after a big road win against the Panthers. Even with all of the drama surrounding the Percy Harvin trade, the Seahawks came up big in Week 8 to stay close to the 49ers and Arizona Cardinals in the division.

6. Indianapolis Colts 5-3 (5)

Indianapolis Colts
(Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

6. Indianapolis Colts 5-3 (5)

Indianapolis Colts
(Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

One week after praising their defense, the Indianapolis Colts looked awful against the Steelers as they allowed Roethlisberger to throw for six touchdowns. Luckily, Andrew Luck and company have a favorable matchup next Monday night against the Giants.

5. San Diego Chargers 5-3 (4)

San Diego Chargers
(Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

5. San Diego Chargers 5-3 (4)

San Diego Chargers
(Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

After the San Diego Chargers were one of the hottest teams in football, Philip Rivers and company have now lost back-to-back games after suffering a tough loss against the Denver Broncos. The Chargers are dealing with numerous injuries, but they need to figure out a way to bounce back quickly before it's too late in the AFC West.

4. New England Patriots 6-2 (8)

New England Patriots
(Darren McCollester/Getty Images)

4. New England Patriots 6-2 (8)

New England Patriots
(Darren McCollester/Getty Images)

Over his last four games, Tom Brady has thrown for 14 touchdowns--including five on Sunday against the Chicago Bears. The New England Patriots are one of the hottest teams in football and the scary thing is Rob Gronkowski (nine catches for 149 yards with three touchdowns against the Bears) looks like his old dominant self again.

3. Arizona Cardinals 6-1 (3)

Arizona Cardinals
(Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

3. Arizona Cardinals 6-1 (3)

Arizona Cardinals
(Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Larry Fitzgerald (seven catches for 160 yards with one touchdown) loves playing the Eagles as the wideout had his best game of the season on Sunday. The Arizona Cardinals continue to amaze us each week and now have a two-game lead in the division over the 49ers and Seahawks--which nobody could have predicted at the beginning of the season.

2. Dallas Cowboys 6-1 (2) (Monday Night)

Dallas Cowboys
(Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

2. Dallas Cowboys 6-1 (2) (Monday Night)

Dallas Cowboys
(Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Will DeMarco Murray continue his run at history with another 100-yard game? With a favorable matchup at home against the Redskins--we can only hope so.

1. Denver Broncos 6-1 (1)

Denver Broncos
(Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

1. Denver Broncos 6-1 (1)

Denver Broncos
(Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Just when you think the Denver Broncos couldn't get any more dangerous on offense, Emmanuel Sanders explodes for three touchdowns against the Chargers. Next weekend's game in Foxboro should be another classic.

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