Post Trade Deadline Power Rankings (Week 9)

Image from Philadelphia Inquirer

32) Carolina Panthers 1-6

Congrats on getting a win Carolina! Rookie signal-caller Bryce Young is getting into a better groove and is starting to show us why he was the number-one pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. I touched on this in my Week 4 Power Rankings, but I have no expectations for this roster, and neither should Panthers fans - just keep watching to see if Young is your guy.

31) Chicago Bears 2-6

No, Da Bears aren’t back - you beat the Raiders with Brian Hoyer and the Commanders aren’t physically capable of playing defense. Even though Fields started turning it up a notch before he went out with an injury, the game plan hasn’t changed - tank for Caleb while the Panthers tank for you to get Marvin Harrison too. Getting Sweat was a good move too if he signs long-term. The future is yours Chicago!

Deadline moves & grades:

A: Traded ‘24 2nd rd pick to Washington for DE Montez Sweat

30) Green Bay Packers 2-5

Oh man, some of those Jordan Love picks are tough to watch - and losing to the Broncos and Raiders consecutively? The first few weeks this season were merely a delay of the inevitable feeling Green Bay is now feeling: that Aaron, along with about two decades of perennially contending for the playoffs, is long gone and a rebuild is starting. For your sake, Packers fans, I hope this is rock bottom.

Deadline moves & grades:

A: Traded CB Rasul Douglas & ‘24 5th rd pick for ‘24 3rd rd pick

29) New England Patriots 2-6

Mac Jones is starting to look a little bit better over the last two contests, but I think Belichick will tank either way to see if he can slide up to select QB Drake Maye out of North Carolina in the 2024 Draft. You’re in for the long haul for the rest of the season New England, so strap on in.

28) Arizona Cardinals 1-6

We’re a long ways from that win over the Cowboys now and reality is very much starting to set in, but hey, Kyler will be back soon. I don’t anticipate him whipping this roster into shape and going on a win streak, but he’ll make them competitive, and that’s all you can really ask to see as a fan after a 1 and 7 start.

Deadline moves & grades:

A: Traded QB Josh Dobbs for ‘24 6th rd pick

27) New York Giants 2-6

The defense is starting to look better, but you can’t win many games in this league if you can’t put up points, and the Giants have only scored more than 16 once this season. It’s looking like Daniel Jones will be back Sunday against the Raiders, but I actually think that’s a downgrade from Tyrod Taylor who might be out for a while.

Deadline moves & grades:

A: Traded DT Leonard Williams to Seattle for ‘24 2nd rd pick & ‘25 5th rd pick

26) Las Vegas Raiders 3-5

Holy moly Mark Davis did it. I don’t think I was going to be able to handle another weekend of ineptitude. After McDaniels opted to kick a field goal down 21-3 in the 4th against Chicago I was genuinely wondering if he was tanking. Then, against Detroit, the Raiders had multiple opportunities to cut into the lead in the 4th quarter and their offense just refused to get a first down. It’s been so depressing after we were watching Carr sling it downfield to Adams last season. I don’t expect the interim head coach Antonio Pierce to do a complete 180, but maybe we can actually score some points now that we’re away from McDaniels' “genius” offense. But who knows, Rich Bisaccia did it…

25) Denver Broncos 3-5

Denver’s defense is looking remarkably better over the past few weeks, but I’m not buying it just yet. Looking at their remaining schedule, I only see this squad winning 4 more games max, and if you’re a Broncos fan, anything above that is a dub. Russell Wilson has already thrown for as many touchdowns as last season (16), and I think this franchise is starting to trend up - not that that’s saying much considering last year and the first few games of this season were nothing short of a trainwreck.

24) Washington Commanders 3-5

The Commanders oscillate between looking like professionals and forgetting how to make routine plays. I’m leaning more and more towards declaring Sam Howell the guy, but that’s neither here nor there if you can’t protect him - he’s on pace to beat David Carr as the most sacked quarterback in a season. I also don’t understand how this team was fielding such a sorry defense when you had a front four of absolute units - they currently sit at 31st in total points allowed, and now we traded away both of our starting defensive ends…I’d like to think a good defensive coordinator can get the best out of his individual players, and for that reason, we should have looked for a new DC instead of having a deadline fire sale.

Deadline moves & grades:

B: Traded DE Montez Sweat to Chicago for ‘24 2nd rd pick.

D: Traded DE Chase Young to San Francisco for ‘24 3rd rd pick

23) Indianapolis Colts 3-5

With rookie QB Anthony Richardson out for the season, the Colts have about 4 more wins left in the tank with Gardner Minshew under center - that said, Indianapolis has stayed competitive in every game they’ve played and will look to play spoiler as the season progresses.

22) Minnesota Vikings 4-4

Dang - just when the season starts turning around they lose Kirk Cousins. Unless the fifth-rounder out of BYU Jaren Hall is ready to go, this is the end of the the Vikings’ season. This team was going to have to have a shootout with other teams to stay competitive throughout the season, and I don’t see that happening with Cousins and Justin Jefferson missing significant time. I also don’t think Josh Dobbs is going to take Minnesota to the playoffs if they decide to start him - I mean just look at Arizona’s record - but he’s got mettle, so enjoy that...

Deadline moves & grades:

C: Traded ‘24 6th rd pick to Arizona for QB Josh Dobbs & ‘24 7th rd pick

C: Traded G Ezra Cleveland to Minnesota for ‘24 6th rd pick

21) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3-4

The Buccs will be frisky this year, and they might even win their division, but this is a first-round-exit-in-the-playoffs team - their defense can keep them in any game but their offense prevents them from pulling out the dub. Whether it’s their nonexistent run game or Baker’s inconsistency under center, Tampa just doesn’t have enough firepower to compete against good offenses.

20) Los Angeles Rams 3-5

The Rams' track record thus far doesn’t look particularly stellar, as the only “good” team they have beaten is the Seahawks. They’re slightly above average on offense and below average on defense, which makes them, well, pretty average, which is fitting considering that I expect LA to win 8 or 9 games this season.

19) Atlanta Falcons 4-4

The Falcons are not only a quarterback away from truly competing, but their current quarterback room is the greatest detriment to their success between Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke. Despite having talented playmakers like Kyle Pitts, Bijan Robinson, and Drake London, this team scores the fifth least points per game (17.3) in the league. On the defensive side of the ball, they’re about average, but losing defensive end Grady Jarrett is a major blow to any playoff aspirations Atlanta may have had.

Deadline moves & grades:

B: Traded ‘24 6th rd pick to Philadelphia for DL Kentavius Street & ‘25 7th rd pick

18) Houston Texans 3-4

I am a simple man. This season is already a success for the Texans because rookie QB CJ Stroud has shown flashes of being a serious franchise quarterback for this group. There will still be growing pains, such as the 15-13 loss to the previously no-win Panthers (and the #1 pick Bryce Young!), but for the first time in a while, things are looking up for Houston.

-Michael

17) New York Jets 4-3

I still don’t quite know what to make of the Jets - they’re 2-1 against really bad teams, and 2-2 against REALLY good teams - can New York keep this up until Aaron Rodgers comes back? Looking at their remaining matchups, this team can win at least 6 more games even without A-Rod the way the defense has been putting the clamps on opposing offenses - thus far they’re tied for 5th in total points allowed and have allowed the 3rd least total passing yards. When Aaron makes his supposed early comeback, there’s no telling how good they can be.

16) Tennessee Titans 3-4

It was truly perplexing to me why Tennessee had kept Tannehill for so long - the team has been great at times in years past, but Tannehill was always the weakest link - just look at that 2022 playoff loss to the Bengals where the Titans came in as the 1 seed and Tannehill lost them the game throwing 3 picks. But alas, Tennessee has Will Levis. Now, I don’t want to be too reactionary and crown Levis the King of Nashville just yet, but he honestly couldn't have played better in his first start. Having someone who can get the ball to Hopkins and open up the field for Henry is key to their success as an offense.

Deadline moves & grades:

C: Traded S Kevin Byard to Philadelphia for S Terrell Edmunds, ‘24 5th & 6th rd picks.

15) New Orleans Saints 4-4

Derek Carr looked good against the Colts, and it felt like a rare occasion where he was good all game rather than good 75% of the time and then a turnover machine the other 25% of the time. This New Orleans roster is teeming with talent, and if the Saints can find more consistency on both sides of the ball we’ll see them marching into the playoffs in a couple of months.

-Michael

14) Pittsburgh Steelers 4-3

The Steelers will be competitive in almost all their games - that’s always been their mantra. The defense will be in the top half of units across the league, but there just isn’t enough on the offensive side of the ball for this team to be seriously dangerous. You just know Mike Tomlin will find a way to get Pittsburgh to 9 wins still through some dogfights though.

-Michael

13) Los Angeles Chargers 3-4

We all know the Chargers CAN be dangerous, it’s a question of whether or not they can start to string these bouts of good football together. When clicking the offense is fearsome and the defense can play a bend-don’t-break style that is conducive to winning games. I think LA will be on the rise as the season progresses as long as they don’t find a way to shoot themselves in the foot in winnable games.

-Michael

12) Cleveland Browns 4-3

This is the best overall defensive unit in football, but I’m still not afraid of this group in terms of them being a true contender. I think they are beatable with or without Watson under center, but Cleveland’s defense gives them a high floor week-to-week so I see them finding a way to 10 or 11 wins and a Wild Card berth.

-Michael

Deadline moves & grades:

C: Traded WR Donovan Peoples-Jones to Detroit for ‘25 6th rd pick

11) Seattle Seahawks 5-2

This is probably the best team that cannot win the Super Bowl this year. Geno Smith has continued to play the best football of his career and the Seahawks added fearsome defensive lineman Leonard Williams to bolster their D down the stretch. It’s as complete a football team as you can ask for, really, the question will be if Seattle has enough star power to get through other top teams.

-Michael

Deadline moves & grades:

B: Traded ‘24 2nd rd pick & ‘25 5th rd pick to New York Giants for DL Leonard Williams

10) Cincinatti Bengals 4-3

Maybe this is me just coping as a Ravens fan, but I’m not sold yet on the Bengals revival into a true contender after three straight wins. The 49ers have looked all out of sorts for multiple weeks, and they just barely eked out a win over a good Seahawks team – but at home. Show me a potent offense against the Bills Sunday night and a good performance against the Ravens on the road two weeks from now on Thursday Night Football and then we can talk - and get Tee Higgins the ball man, dude is elite.

-Michael

9) Dallas Cowboys 5-2

The Cowboys' “Jekyll and Hyde” act gets difficult to keep up with - look, this team is a complete unit top to bottom, but sometimes they just look so bad it’s unbelievable. Gotta check back in with this squad after two divisional games, the Eagles on the road and the Giants at home. Now that I think about it though, I don’t expect either of those games will end up telling us anymore about Dallas…

-Michael

8) Miami Dolphins 6-2

If Miami’s not a pretender then I don’t know who is - they’ve blown everyone out of the water except for the only two Super Bowl-aspiring teams that they’ve played, and in those games, they have had trouble both scoring and defending. I actually think the Fins will win their division, and they’ll have some chances to prove me wrong including an upcoming game against the Chiefs in Germany, but I expect them to take an early-round exit come January.

7) Detroit Lions 6-2

That was an ugly loss against the Ravens, and while I’m not ready to use the p-word (see Miami Dolphins) for these cats just yet, the Lions are on fraud alert. They’re ripping up their weaker opponents but they’ve lost to two out of three playoff-caliber teams they’ve played this year. Their offense wasn’t able to score as much as they should’ve against the Raiders, and they were forced to settle for field goals on 5 separate drives - that’s not Super Bowl football.

Deadline moves & grades:

B: Traded 6th rd pick to Cleveland for WR Donovan Peoples-Jones

6) Buffalo Bills 5-3

Buffalo has had some tough moments thus far, but we’re not writing them off one bit. They are still one of the few true Super Bowl contenders in the league and I expect them to right the ship bit-by-bit as the season goes on. The offense hasn’t even looked bad, though the defense has been a bit up and down but not really much worse than in the previous couple seasons. Where the Bills seem to be losing points is actually on the special teams side of things, where they have had an expected points added (EPA) that has been negative every game on this third football phase.

-Michael

Deadline moves & grades:

A: Traded ‘24 3rd rd pick for CB Rasul Douglas & ‘24 5th rd pick

B: Signed veteran RB Leonard Fournette

5) Jacksonville Jaguars 6-2

As a football fan I want to see Jacksonville play a few more good teams pronto. It’s an exciting group but their big win of the season was against the Bills in London, and who knows how teams and players actually adjust overseas. Lawrence, Ettienne, and Co. taking on the 49ers this weekend could be a super fun game, and should also be telling in where the Jags rank amongst the NFL elite.

-Michael

Deadline moves & grades:

A: Traded ‘24 6th rd pick to Minnesota for G Ezra Cleveland

4) San Francisco 49ers 5-3

For the first time since Purdy joined the first string, the Niners are looking vulnerable - I’m not selling my stock just yet because the Browns have the best D in the league and the Vikings and Bengals are great on offense, but Purdy’s lackluster play the last few games makes me question if he can get the job done against the best version of other teams. I expect new addition Chase Young to help get this defense back on the right track too.

Deadline moves & grades:

A: Traded ‘24 3rd rd pick to Washington for DE Chase Young

3) Baltimore Ravens 6-2

The Ravens' 31-24 final score against the Cardinals paints a picture of a game that was close, but that’s not really the case. Baltimore had it in the palm of their hand and it took a late score and an onside kick for the Cards to make it a one-possession game. Truth is, the Ravens can beat anybody in the league at their best, and they can even beat some of the best teams in a blowout. However, at their worst, they can drop games in jaw-dropping fashion to teams they clearly have more talent than. It’s hard to say if that’s a head coaching issue or not, but it’s starting to feel like a Super Bowl berth or bust year to me. Maybe I’m the high man on that one, but I truly believe that this is one of the most complete rosters in the NFL. Wonder if they missed out on an opportunity at the trade deadline to add another strong piece.

-Michael

2) Kansas City Chiefs 6-2

The Chiefs just haven’t been the same product on the field we’re used to seeing on Sundays. I know there was neither Chris Jones nor Travis Kelce for the loss against the Lions and Mahomes had the flu last weekend against the Broncos, but outside of the Chargers and Bears games, Kansas City’s offense has not looked up to par. Right now, it’s really KC’s defense that’s holding down the fort, clocking in at 4th in yards allowed and 2nd in points allowed per game. Maybe rookie Rashee Rice can step up and be the star they need, but frankly, they needed to trade for or need to sign some more talent at the receiver position.

1) Philadelphia Eagles 7-1

Do the Eagles just forget how to play defense against the Commanders? Only Minnesota and Washington have scored more than 20 points against Philly’s D. This team’s main concern is their secondary, which has allowed the seventh most passing yards per game, but they just acquired safety Kevin Byard from Tennessee so perhaps that can help bolster their DB room. I wouldn’t argue that the Eagles are a clear number one, but they’re finding a way to win (nearly) every game, and I don’t see another NFC team that measures up - also their ability to hold the NFL’s best offense to 17 is pretty incredible.

Deadline moves & grades:

B: Traded DL Kentavius Street to Atlanta & ‘25 7th rd pick for ‘24 6th rd pick

A: Traded S Terrell Edmunds, ‘24 5th & 6th rd picks to Tennessee for S Kevin Byard

A: Signed veteran WR Julio Jones.