Week 9 NFL Power Rankings

The Chiefs, Ravens, Bills and Lions make up the tier top, but good luck figuring out their correct rankings

For more info you can find the archive of previous Power Rankings posts, including the initial offseason rankings that detail much of the methodology of coming up with the Week 1 rankings, which only carry roughly 5% weight at this point in the season.

TEAM OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE STRENGTH

*Downloadable power ratings/rankings available in the paid subscriber Google sheet.

I revamped this plot below to only factor in 2024 numbers. It’s a clearer delineation of how teams have performed so far this year, knowing that I also add in some 2023 priors and injury adjustments, primarily at quarterback.

Even several weeks into the season, it’s still jarring to see the Baltimore Ravens so low in defensive strength. In Week 8, the Cleveland Browns, with Jameis Winston at the helm, posted their best offensive efficiency of the season (73rd percentile EPA/play), adding to the list of offenses that got a boost facing the Ravens. On the other side of the ball, the Ravens’ offense is crushing their opponents, registering the best numbers in the NFL, with a gap down to the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions. I’d rather have a strong offense and weaker defense at this point in the season than the reverse, knowing that defensive performance tends to fluctuate more as time goes on.

Speaking of defensive ineptitude, the Cowboys now have the worst schedule-adjusted defense in the NFL by their 2024 performances, after ranking top-5 defensive efficiency the previous three seasons. Things aren’t going great for them offensively either, but this is mostly a defensive problem for America’s Team™️.

A team on the rise to watch out for are the Philadelphia Eagles. They’ve jumped close to the top-tier of 2024 performers, and that rating might undervalue their roster, now at full strength. The Eagles now have the fourth best offense when adjusting for schedule, and their defense is vastly improved from 2023.

UNEXPECTED POINTS POWER RANKINGS