While big-time media like ESPN, CBS, NBC, and so forth take forever to publish their week eight NFL power rankings, let's turn to some blogs and other small outlets. As long as they rank the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers in the top two, how far off can they be with the other 30? Mingling with commoners! Here we go!
Well, not entirely. Pro Football Talk at least has the good sense to get their power rankings out nice and early. The Jets and Steelers lead the way, so we're good. The Tennessee Titans make a surprise entry in the top four that shouldn't be all that surprising, except it's strange to see NFL people fire a team up the ranks like that. PFT inches the Falcons up from tenth to eighth, second in the NFC behind the New York Giants, and worries about the Birds' D:
They won't stay in the top eight for long if they keep giving up 30 points per game.
Luckily, Atlanta plays Tampa Bay next. The Sporting News is also on the board, ranking the Green Bay Packers eighth and the Falcons ninth:
Youth is serving them well again, but will it also get the better of them down the stretch?
TSN also worries about the Indianapolis Colts' youth and the Minnesota Vikings' age, so that must just be a thing they do. The Kansas City Chiefs guy at Examiner.com ranks the Giants all the way up there at the four spot, and the Falcons all the way down there at 11. This is the first set of power rankings I've seen since probably 2008 that features the Chiefs above the Falcons, and I welcome it for its novelty alone:
Showed the world their warts - and their strengths - all in one game against the Bengals. Blowing a 21-point halftime lead is unacceptable no matter who you are playing.
The Falcons have now won in two-score defensive struggles and shootouts. Somebody's always gonna be unhappy about either of those, but whatever. NFL News and Rumors agrees, slotting the Birds second behind only the New York Jets:
It took a monster game from Roddy White for the Falcons to pull out a win last Sunday against the Bengals, and while they're still the best team in the NFC, that's not saying much given how bad the rest of the conference is right now.
NE Patriots Draft, which sounds like the world's most specific website, actually puts out a power rankings list that we include every week. They find a home for the Falcons at sixth, behind five AFC teams led by the Steelers.