Checking in on the 2022 NFL Power Rankings after the Cleveland Browns completed their implosion and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers melted down once again.
It’s been an interesting season as several teams are sitting around the three and four-win range. But beyond the parity, there’s been some shocks with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers both struggling to compete — and each lost again in Week 7.
As bad as it has been for them, at least they haven’t had a complete implosion the way the Cleveland Browns have as they were yelling at each other in the locker room following their fourth loss in a row.
With all the dust settling from this weekend, we can again check out the 2022 NFL Power Rankings as we enter Week 8.
2022 NFL Power Rankings Week 8
32. Detroit Lions
For some reason, Dan Campbell gets a lot of love. Throughout the CBS broadcast, Tony Romo was singing his praises and that seems to be a common theme when those who cover the sport talk about Campbell.
What’s weird is, his record is absolutely abysmal. He’s 4-17-1 with the Detroit Lions and was 5-7 as the interim coach for Miami back in 2015. As Bill Parcells said, you are what your record says you are, and while Campbell was one of his favorite players, he’s a losing coach that fell to 1-5 with a loss in Week 7.
There will be calls for patience with Campbell, but his tough-guy approach is leading to a team that can stay in games for 45 minutes at best.
31. Houston Texans
If NFL games were three quarters instead of four, the Houston Texans would have scored a win on Sunday. They headed into the final quarter up 20-17 but then gave up 21 points in a row to the Raiders and fell to 1-4-1 on the season.
Davis Mills continues to struggle when it matters as he had 302 yards passing but threw a pick-six as they were trying to get back into it late and then had a turnover on downs on the ensuing possession.
The one good thing for the Texans is knowing that they now have only one team to beat in the race for the No. 1 pick in the Detroit Lions. C.J. Stroud would do a lot to improve the chances in Houston, then again, so would Bryce Young. As long as they stay within the top two picks, they could improve a lot in the offseason.
30. Chicago Bears
Plays on Monday Night Football vs. New England Patriots
When the Chicago Bears improved to 2-1 with a 23-20 win over the Houston Texans, it was still hard to believe in them. They won in an ugly game against the 49ers in Week 1 and then got blown out by Green Bay in Week 2.
Now heading into their Monday Night Football game in Week 7, it’s clear they’re the team we thought they were. They’ve lost three in a row, including an ugly 12-7 loss to the Washington Commanders in arguably the most boring Thursday Night Football game of all time (and that’s saying something).
Now at 2-4, they’re going to face a surging New England team that’s won their past two games by a combined 67-15. This one could get away from them in a hurry.
29. Cleveland Browns
Things have gone from bad to worse for the Cleveland Browns. They’ve lost four games in a row and are sitting at 2-5. What’s most frustrating about that is they’ve had a shot to win all but one of those five losses, including in Week 7 when they were driving late against Baltimore down by just three.
Instead of tying, or going ahead, they had two late penalties force them into a 60-yard field goal try that was blocked. Following the loss, there were yells heard in the locker room as it’s clear this team is falling apart in front of our eyes.
They’re still awaiting the return of Deshaun Watson but it’s hard to say what kind of a mess he will be taking over in Week 13.
28. Carolina Panthers
It’s hard to say anyone saw this coming. The Carolina Panthers were playing with P.J. Walker as their starter under center and facing Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They had also just traded away their best player, sending Christian McCaffrey to the 49ers.
Despite this, they seemed to have a renewed fire — probably since they got rid of Matt Rhule who didn’t like touchdowns — and won 21-3 against the Bucs. They’re still just 2-5 but believe it or not, they’re only a game out of first place in their treacherous division.
Perhaps moving on from Rhule could be what they needed to turn things around and since the South is so bad, maybe it’s not too late. Then again, this was probably just an anomaly.
27. Pittsburgh Steelers
Before their game against the Dolphins on Sunday Night Football, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin discussed his 2-4 start and said he’s climbed out of similar holes in the past. Then, the Steelers took the field and put themselves in a deeper hole.
Pittsburgh managed just 10 points on offense but the defense still held Miami to 16. They gave them two different opportunities to pull off the upset but Kenny Pickett was picked off twice, including an end zone interception when he had tons of room in front of him to run and keep the drive alive.
Now at 2-5, things look bleak for the Steelers who have more questions than answers at this point.
26. Washington Commanders
Out goes Carson Wentz, and in comes the wins.
It might be more complicated than that, but it’s probably not. There’s clearly something about Wentz that rubs teammates the wrong way. We saw this with the Philadelphia Eagles — who won a Super Bowl while he was hurt — the Indianapolis Colts and now with the Washington Commanders.
Taylor Heinicke stepped in for Wentz and the entire team looked as though they had new life. They scored 13 points in the second half and held the Packers off as they attempted a late comeback in their 23-21 win.
They’re now 3-4, but unfortunately for them, they’re in a strong division where the third-place team is Dallas at 5-2.
25. Jacksonville Jaguars
Well, it was fun while it lasted.
Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars were 2-1 early in the season and then started to fall apart. They’ve suffered four losses in a row to fall to 2-5 and their latest was a 23-17 loss to the New York Giants.
The frustrating thing for the Jags is that they went into the fourth quarter with a lead but couldn’t hold off the Giants. Up 17-13, they gave up a touchdown to Daniel Jones after a 10-play drive and then a field goal from Graham Gano to cap off a nine-play drive.
Those two drives alone ate up roughly 8:30 of the final quarter as they ran out of time in the end.
24. New Orleans Saints
In their first season without Sean Payton, the New Orleans Saints are reminding us how important a good head coach is in the NFL. The Saints hoped they would stay competitive by keeping Payton’s coaching staff on the sideline and replacing him with Dennis Allen. So far, that looks like the wrong call.
No disrespect meant to Allen but he was never going to be able to do what Payton did and New Orleans is now 2-5 following a 42-34 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday Night Football. They had several turnovers from Andy Dalton and their defense had no answers for the Cards’ passing game. They deserve credit for fighting back and making it a game but it’s clear they’re heading toward a rebuild.
23. Las Vegas Raiders
If they could play the Houston Texans once per week, the Las Vegas Raiders would be a great team. They thoroughly outplayed the Texans in their 38-20 win with Derek Carr going 21-of-27 for 241 yards and Josh Jacobs had 143 yards on the ground with three touchdowns.
Jacobs especially took off in the fourth quarter, which is when he ran two of his touchdowns as the Raiders outscored them 21-0. Having said all that, their only wins are now against the lowly Broncos and the Texans — who are even worse.
There’s a lot of ground to cover for this team to move into the competitive range and it’s hard to figure out why that is since the roster isn’t terrible.
22. Denver Broncos
Russell Wilson was out with an injury and Brett Rypien got the start for the Denver Broncos as they hosted the New York Jets. The good news was that they looked the same as they have this season when Wilson starts. The bad news is that they haven’t looked good when Wilson starts.
Denver again struggled to score points as they lost to New York 16-9. The defense again did its job, limiting Zach Wilson to just 121 yards without a touchdown pass. unfortunately, they managed just one touchdown and failed on the extra point attempt for good measure.
They were supposed to be part of the best division in the NFL but instead, the AFC West has been a mess, and the 2-5 Broncos’ only solace is that the Raiders are nearly as bad as them at 2-4.
21. Los Angeles Rams
At 3-3, the Los Angeles Rams have been a disappointment so far in 2022. They’ve suffered losses at the hands of the Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, and Dallas Cowboys (with Cooper Rush) while winning over the Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals, and Carolina Panthers.
That’s not a good sign since they’ve only knocked off subpar teams and have truly struggled with anyone that has a strong defense. They do have a shot to make some ground with two divisional games coming up over the next three weeks following their bye — but they also have a meeting with Tampa Bay in the middle of those.
We’ll know a lot more about the 2022 Rams after those three games are in the books.
20. Arizona Cardinals
Usually, a 3-4 start would spell doom but the Arizona Cardinals are still in the NFC West race since it’s so tight with every team sitting at either three or four wins heading into Week 8.
Their win against the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football was helpful but the real story was how good DeAndre Hopkins looked in his return. And it couldn’t have come at a better time since Marquise Brown was just lost for the season.
Arizona’s defense came up big with two pick-sixes in Week 7 but they’re still a problem overall, especially when it comes to their inability to generate a pass rush. So to summarize, they’re in the mix but it’s hard to believe in this defense, even if the offense gets rolling.
19. Indianapolis Colts
A two-game win streak came to the end for the Indianapolis Colts as they lost to the Tennessee Titans 19-10 this weekend. They’re now 3-3-1 and missed a huge opportunity to take control of the AFC South had they been able to knock off the Titans, who are in first with a record of 4-2.
Again, they struggled to protect the ball as Matt Ryan had two picks and Michael Pittman lost a fumble. Those kinds of mistakes can’t happen, especially in a big divisional game. Ryan’s addition was supposed to help them take a step forward on offense but this was the third time this year they’ve managed 12 points or fewer.
18. San Francisco 49ers
Up until the fourth quarter, the San Francisco 49ers were holding their own against the Chiefs. It was 14-13 at the half and they pulled to within five when a George Kittle touchdown reception made it 28-23. Then, Kansas City scored 16-unanswered en route to a 44-23 blowout win.
The 49ers fell to 3-4 but still had some good moments to build on. Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 303 yards and they even forced a pick on Patrick Mahomes. They’re still in the mix in the NFC West with the Seahawks in first place at 4-3 and can gain some ground if they’re able to knock off the Rams next week for the second time this year.
17. Tampa Bay Bucs
One of the most unexpected things to happen so far in 2022 is the decline of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They started out 2-0 but have since lost four of their past five games including a shocking defeat this past weekend.
Facing P.J. Walker as the starting quarterback for the Panthers, Tampa Bay lost 21-3. Tom Brady continues to struggle but he has had very little help. The ground game had just 2.9 yards per rush and Mike Evans dropped a wide-open touchdown.
Despite another loss, the Bucs are tied for first place in the south with the Falcons at 3-4. The division has been abysmal, which might be the only thing that keeps them alive this year.
16. New England Patriots
Plays on Monday Night Football vs. Chicago Bears
The New England Patriots have turned things around following a slow start and have had two convincing wins in a row with Bailey Zappe under center. Mac Jones started out struggling this year but the mid-round rookie has been a pleasant surprise.
He hasn’t done anything crazy but he’s just keeping the offense moving. They knocked off the Lions 29-0 then blew out the Browns 38-15. They could make it three big wins in a row as they now take on the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football.
Chicago has been terrible on offense and the Patriots’ defense has been suffocating. This could end up being one-sided as New England reminds us all they won’t go away quietly.
15. Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons’ recent winning streak ends at one. They were a surprise winner in Week 6 when they beat the 49ers but Joe Burrow and the Bengals brought them back down to earth as they ran them out of the building in a 35-17 loss.
Atlanta had no answers for Burrow, who threw for 481 yards and three touchdowns while Tyler Boyd had 155 yards and Ja’Marr Chase had 130.
They’ve had their moments and still share the lead in the NFC South with Tampa Bay at 3-4 but it’s hard to compete in the NFL when the passing game scares no one — and Marcus Mariota completing just eight passes is clearly not scaring anyone.
14. Green Bay Packers
A 3-1 start for the Green Bay Packers feels like an eternity ago. They’ve since lost three in a row with their latest coming against the Washington Commanders and Taylor Heinicke. Down 23-21, the Packers tried for a miracle finish with the parade of laterals but the ball went out of bounds as Aaron Rodgers tried to toss it to a lineman across the field.
It’s weird to see them at 3-4 and things could get worse next week when they take on the Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night Football in Western New York. This is the worst start ever under Matt LaFleur and it might not be too easy to turn things around since their defense is struggling and the offense is limited outside of Rodgers and Aaron Jones.
13. Los Angeles Chargers
One of the hardest teams to figure out this year has been the Los Angeles Chargers. They started out 1-2 after a close loss to the Chiefs and a blowout defeat at the hands of the Jaguars. Then, they reeled off three wins in a row to get back into the race in the AFC West.
Their streak came to an end on Sunday when they were knocked off 37-23 by the Seahawks. While Seattle is a surprising 4-3 team this year, the Chargers were at home and should have been able to handle them.
Instead, they gave up 168 yards and two touchdowns to rookie Kenneth Walker III and never really got back into following a 17-0 hole in the first quarter.
12. Miami Dolphins
Early in the season, the Miami Dolphins were one of the most impressive teams in the NFL. Over the past few weeks, they’ve been trending in the wrong direction. They suffered three losses in a row as Tua Tagovailoa was injured and they struggled without him.
Even with Tua back, they weren’t exactly convincing against the Steelers on Sunday Night Football against the Pittsburgh Steelers. They had several chances to put Pittsburgh away but let them hang around. Two poor decisions that led to picks from Kenny Pickett in the final quarter ensured they would get to 4-3 with a 16-10 win but they need to find a way to put up more points in the future.
11. Seattle Seahawks
Remember when we all thought the Seattle Seahawks were heading for a rebuild after trading away Russell Wilson? Well, they decided that rather than ship off the rest of their team to fight their way through and are now in first place in the AFC West with a record of 4-3.
Their latest win was a convincing two-touchdown defeat on the road as they dropped 37 on the Chargers. They might have also seen a star born as rookie Kenneth Walker III went off with 168 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
It’s a long season and they do have to face the 6-1 Giants in Week 8 but the Seahawks are off to a solid start and can’t be overlooked.
10. Cincinnati Bengals
They might have started off on the wrong foot but the Cincinnati Bengals are firing on all cylinders now. An 0-2 start has been countered with a 4-1 stretch over the past five games and their latest was a lopsided one as they beat the Falcons 35-17.
It was the second week in a row the offense dropped at least 30 and this time, their passing game blew up. Joe Burrow had 481 yards passing with three touchdowns. Ja’Marr Chase had two of those while gaining 130 yards. He was second on the team in this one though as Tyler Boyd had 155 yards. For good measure, Tee Higgins had 93 yards, nearly making it three wideouts in triple digits.
They’re tied with the Ravens for first place but did lose to them earlier this season. Still, they’ve rebounded nicely and can make another statement as they face the Browns on Halloween next Monday night.
9. Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens nearly collapsed in the final quarter again but got bailed out. Up 23-20, Justice Hill fumbled the ball while being tackled by Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. That set the Browns up with a chance to win late but a couple of penalties — which were questionable — forced a 60-yard field goal that was blocked.
Baltimore hung on to improve to 4-3 on the season and they’re tied for first place in the AFC North with the Cincinnati Bengals but are in first due to a head-to-head win. While they’ve had a few early losses, the Ravens are 2-0 in their division, which is what it might come down to when crowning the North champion.
8. Tennessee Titans
It appeared the Tennessee Titans were headed in the wrong direction as they started out 0-2 on the year. However, those two losses came against teams that have one loss apiece after Week 7. Since then, they’ve reeled off four wins in a row, including two against the Colts.
This weekend, it was a 19-10 win over Indy as they beat them for the second time in three weeks. It gives them a strong lead in the AFC South but it’s still fair to ask how good they really are since they have yet to win against a team that has a winning record.
The next test in that department will be in Week 9 when they head to Kansas City, which will tell us a lot about this team. For now, the Titans get a slight bump up in this week’s NFL Power Rankings.
7. Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott returned for the Dallas Cowboys in Week 7 and had to be thrilled to be taking over following a 4-1 stretch while he was out. Against the Lions, it took a while for Prescott to get rolling but eventually, they won it 24-6 thanks to 14 points in the final quarter.
Prescott was able to shake off the rust and not have it affect his team since the defense continues to shine. There were five turnovers and five sacks courtesy of Dan Quinn’s unit as they continue to carry this team. They’re aggressive, opportunistic, and confident and will be needed as they try and gain ground in the toughest division in the NFL this season.
6. New York Jets
It doesn’t have to be pretty for it to count — and the New York Jets win in Week 7 wasn’t a thing of beauty, but that’s ok. They had two huge wins in the past couple of weeks as they knocked off the Dolphins 40-17 and then beat Green Bay 27-10.
This week, they took on the Denver Broncos and won 16-9 in a defensive battle. Zach Wilson threw for just 121 yards but the defense kept it low scoring and they moved to 5-2.
There was a dark cloud, however, as Breece Hall was lost to an injury after he was really starting to come on strong. That could hurt them but they’ve done a solid job drafting lately and the arrow is pointing up.
5. Minnesota Vikings
One of the better teams this season has been the Minnesota Vikings who entered the Week 7 bye in first place in the NFC North at 5-1. Their only loss was to the Philadelphia Eagles, which was a one-sided affair in Week 2.
That loss also happened to be against the only really strong team they’ve faced this season. They beat Green Bay in Week 1 but they have been up and down and their other wins were against the Lions, Saints, Bears, and Dolphins — with Tua Tagovailoa out.
They have a couple more winnable games after the bye as they host the Cardinals then head to Washington. After that, there’s a stretch where they play Buffalo, Dallas, New England, and the New York Jets. How they come out of that will tell us just how good this Minnesota team really is.
4. New York Giants
The New York Giants roster might not be full of superstars but they just keep finding ways to win. They’re now 6-1 after knocking off the Jacksonville Jaguars thanks to their ground game taking off.
Saquon Barkley ripped off 110 yards on 24 rushes and quarterback Daniel Jones added 107 yards and a touchdown. Jones was also efficient with his arm, throwing for 202 yards and a touchdown while avoiding any turnovers.
Brian Daboll continues to prove he was the right choice for head coach in New York and fans have to be thrilled about the future for the G-Men. Sprinkle in a few more game-changing players and they can be a real threat. Having said that, they can already make noise this year.
3. Kansas City Chiefs
Watching the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday brought up one question — how did this team lose to the Colts in Week 3?
Kansas City is one of the more explosive teams in recent memory and they were clearly frustrated by their 24-20 loss to the Bills in Week 6. They took out that frustration on the 49ers, winning 44-23. At 5-2, the Chiefs have now responded to both losses this year with a 40-plus-point outing as they beat Tampa Bay 41-31 in Week 4.
Ironically, both times they did this, it was against a team they faced in the Super Bowl. Heading into Week 8, they’re one of the favorites to be back in the big game and are still third in our 2022 NFL Power Rankings.
2. Philadelphia Eagles
All three teams in the NFC East won, which means things got much tighter for the Philadelphia Eagles who had the week off. This is suddenly the toughest division in the NFL but the Eagles remain the best team in the conference.
They’re the final undefeated team in the NFL and they’re 2-0 in their division whereas the Cowboys lost to the Eagles and the Giants lost to the Cowboys. That means they’re not only in first place but they have the best divisional record, which is another huge plus.
After their bye week, they have a stretch of winnable games with the Steelers, Texans, Commanders, Colts, and Packers coming up. They could put a lot of space between them and the rest of their rivals with that schedule.
1. Buffalo Bills
They entered this week as the No. 1 team in these 2022 NFL Power Rankings and remained there since they were enjoying a week off. They headed into that bye with a huge win over the Kansas City Chiefs and will be back on Sunday Night Football in Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers.
At 5-1, the Bills are still in full control of their division and currently have the No. 1 seed in the AFC. They’re led by Josh Allen on offense and he’s become one of the top players overall in the NFL.
On defense, they have several stars but the addition of Von Miller might be what puts them over the top. Easily one of the more exciting teams to watch, Buffalo will spend at least another week atop the mountain in these rankings.