Rams, Patriots remain atop RJ’s NFL rankings heading into Week 9
Review-Journal NFL reporter Gilbert Manzano’s weekly rankings, with last week’s ranking in parentheses.
1. Rams 8-0 (1). Todd Gurley said forget Vegas and forget another Aaron Rodgers comeback. Gurley’s decision to run out the clock instead of crossing the end zone kept the Rams undefeated heading into their showdown with the Saints.
2. Patriots 6-2 (2). The Patriots had a sluggish outing, but that’s OK against the Buffalo Bills.
3. Chiefs 7-1 (3). Just another four-touchdown performance from Patrick Mahomes last week. That’s three straight games. No biggie for the second-year player.
4. Saints 6-1 (4). New Orleans didn’t have its best performance and still managed to beat the Vikings by 10 points on the road. That’s a scary thought.
5. Panthers 5-2 (7). Cam Newton and the Panthers dropped 36 points on the Ravens’ No. 1 scoring defense.
6. Chargers 5-2 (6). The Chargers return from a bye week to face the Seahawks on the road.
7. Steelers 4-2-1 (9). The Steelers have won three straight games and still no Le’Veon Bell.
8. Vikings 4-3-1 (5). The Vikings shot themselves in the foot with turnovers against the Saints, and the self harm came from their talented wideouts Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs.
9. Packers 3-3-1 (8). Aaron Rodgers is telling everyone to relax again as the Packers face the Patriots on the road this week.
10. Texans 5-3 (11). Deshaun Watson and the Texans are being called AFC contenders after winning five straight games.
11. Redskins 5-2 (13). Adrian Peterson continues to carry the first-place Redskins in the NFC East.
12. Bengals 5-3 (12). The Bengals blew the lead before their kicker bailed them out with a game-winning field goal as time expired against the Buccaneers.
13. Eagles 4-4 (14). Philly badly needed the win in London against the Jaguars. Let’s see if that sparks the defending champs after their bye week.
14. Ravens 4-4 (10). So the Ravens aren’t serious contenders in the AFC? This erratic team will probably finish 9-7.
15. Seahawks 4-3 (19). Russell Wilson has found his groove again and has the Seahawks primed for a wildcard run.
16. Bears 4-3 (16). The Bears are the median of the league. Still a lot of unanswered questions.
17. Falcons 3-4 (20). The Falcons return from the bye week to face the Redskins on the road.
18. Jaguars 3-5 (17). Too soon to fork the Jaguars? A lot going wrong for the defending AFC South champs.
19. Lions 3-4 (18). The Lions were embarrassed by the Seahawks at home in Week 8.
20. Dolphins 4-4 (15). Looks like “Brocktober” is going to stretch into November and that’s not a good thing for Miami if Brock Osweiler continues to be the starter.
21. Cowboys 3-4 (21). Amari Cooper makes his Cowboys debut against the Titans on “Monday Night Football.”
22. Colts 3-5 (27). The Colts’ offensive line is giving Andrew Luck plenty of time to operate. It’s been a long time since Luck has had this type of protection.
23. Titans 3-4 (23). Will Marcus Mariota ever break out of his funk? He has three touchdown passes this season.
24. Buccaneers 3-4 (22). Welp, it’s time for “Fitzmagic” again. Buckle up.
25. Broncos 3-5 (24). Denver’s defense is still licking its wounds from being gashed by the Chiefs’ offense.
26. Browns 2-5-1 (25). So winning two games in eight weeks got Hue Jackson fired. The 1-31 record in his first two seasons wasn’t enough?
27. Jets 3-5 (26). Another rough outing for rookie Sam Darnold last week against the Bears.
28. Cardinals 2-6 (30). The Cardinals are 2-0 against the Niners this season. Too bad they can’t play them every week.
29. Bills 2-6 (28). Please sign another quarterback, Bills. The football world can’t take another game of Derek Anderson or Nathan Peterman under center.
30. Giants 1-7 (29). Someone save Odell Beckham and Saquon Barkley from this nightmare season.
31. Raiders 1-6 (31). Derek Carr stepped up with four total touchdowns versus the Colts after a forgetful week. Maybe his terrible defense should be the ones accused of crying.
32. 49ers 1-7 (32). Kyle Shanahan’s brilliant mind is being wasted in San Francisco. On the bright side, he gets to shine on “Thursday Night Football” against that terrible Raiders defense.
Contact Gilbert Manzano at gmanzano@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GManzano24 on Twitter.
