8. New England Patriots, 5-4
The New England Patriots got blown out by the Green Bay Packers in Week 9 and dropped to 5-4 on the season. The Pats lost four games all of last year, so this is definitely notable.
It's clear that the Patriots are regressing. This team is banged up, and you just do not get the sense that they're going to be able to stay in the playoff hunt unless this roster health can improve. Drake Maye has also played rather horribly against the Patriots toughest opponents, so that's also a major question mark - is Maye actually a 'schedule merchant?'
Overall, the Patriots still have a winning record and are still in a reasonably good spot to sneak into the playoffs with 9 or 10 wins, but the Super Bowl hangover is real with this team, and the best thing that could get this team on the right track is their near-MVP QB from a year ago playing like it in the coming weeks.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers, 6-2
The Pittsburgh Steelers have won four games in a row and were on the bye in Week 9. The one thing I keep coming back to with the Steelers is the ceiling of Aaron Rodgers. He is clearly a declining player and isn't close to who he was even three years ago.
Those limitations are going to get amplified as the season goes on, but the Steelers did get some buffer with their record across these first eight games, and they have been able to run the ball rather well this year. The defense is also quite good, so perhaps this is a winning formula.
I have been low on Pittsburgh for most of the season, as I don't see the team's ceiling being high enough to warrant a better ranking.
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