Week 7 has come to a close, which means it is time once again for NFL power rankings. The Denver Broncos got a big home win over the Houston Texans, winning 24-9. The Texans took an early 6-0 lead on a pair of field goals, but things started to slip away in the second half. Brock Osweiler was a mess in his return to Denver, but considering how awful the AFC South is, Houston will probably still win the division.
The San Francisco 49ers remain at the bottom of my weekly power rankings, but I’ve decided on a new ranking. Instead of 32, the 49ers get ranked infinity. It could mean just about anything, but at this point, there is no reason to think anybody in the NFL is worse than the 49ers.
Some might stick with record, which would drop the Cleveland Browns to the bottom. But at this point, the Browns at least seem to have a plan moving them in some direction. They might be a ways away from being any good, but they’ve cleaned out some contracts, and have a strong leader in place in Hue Jackson. The Browns have a long history of problems, but there is at least some reason for optimism. With the 49ers, it is hard to see reason for optimism. They have some young talent, a lot of cap space and draft picks, and a head coach that may or may not be able to do something with improved talent. Some will take some reasons for optimism from that, but it’s easy to be pretty worn down at this point.
I decided to bump the Dallas Cowboys up to No. 2 in my rankings. The New England Patriots seem like the clear No. 1, but after that, you could make arguments for a whole host of teams. I thought about listing the Seahawks at No. 2, but for now I think the Cowboys are looking like the second best team in the NFL. They went in to Green Bay and got a strong win, which followed a home win over the Cincinnati Bengals. They’re looking really solid coming out of their bye week.
Here are my Week 8 NFL power rankings.
| Rank | Team | LW |
| 1 | New England Patriots (6-1) | 1 |
| 2 | Dallas Cowboys (5-1) | 4 |
| 3 | Seattle Seahawks (4-1-1) | 3 |
| 4 | Minnesota Vikings (5-1) | 2 |
| 5 | Green Bay Packers (4-2) | 6 |
| 6 | Oakland Raiders (5-2) | 8 |
| 7 | Denver Broncos (5-2) | 9 |
| 8 | Kansas City Chiefs (4-2) | 13 |
| 9 | Philadelphia Eagles (4-2) | 14 |
| 10 | Atlanta Falcons (4-3) | 5 |
| 11 | New York Giants (4-3) | 16 |
| 12 | Detroit Lions (4-3) | 18 |
| 13 | Washington (4-3) | 11 |
| 14 | Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3) | 7 |
| 15 | Buffalo Bills (4-3) | 10 |
| 16 | Houston Texans (4-3) | 12 |
| 17 | Arizona Cardinals (3-3-1) | 15 |
| 18 | Cincinnati Bengals (3-4) | 21 |
| 19 | San Diego Chargers (3-4) | 24 |
| 20 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-3) | 22 |
| 21 | Baltimore Ravens (3-4) | 17 |
| 22 | Los Angeles Rams (3-4) | 20 |
| 23 | Miami Dolphins (3-4) | 27 |
| 24 | Indianapolis Colts (3-4) | 28 |
| 25 | Tennessee Titans (3-4) | 19 |
| 26 | New York Jets (2-5) | 29 |
| 27 | Jacksonville Jaguars (2-4) | 23 |
| 28 | New Orleans Saints (2-4) | 25 |
| 29 | Carolina Panthers (1-5) | 26 |
| 30 | Chicago Bears (1-6) | 30 |
| 31 | Cleveland Browns (0-7) | 31 |
| ∞ | San Francisco 49ers (1-6) | 32 |