NFL: Mid-Season Power Rankings
The 2017-18 NFL campaign has reached the half way point, which means it's time to release our newest edition of power rankings, slotting each team in order based on how they've looked through the first half of the year. There is only one team with one loss, the Philadelphia Eagles, and five teams with two losses, the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings, and Los Angeles Rams. Then, there are two teams with no victories, the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers, and one team, the New York Giants, with only one win. Here are our power rankings and top five MVP candidates.
1. Philadelphia Eagles (8-1, +0): The Eagles have been the best team in the NFL for a good portion of the last month, after sitting near the top, behind the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs, for nearly two months. But when the Chiefs slipped up, the Eagles were right there to take the No. 1 slot, and they've held on to it since. QB Carson Wentz has been stellar, earning most peoples' nods as the frontrunner for the MVP in his sophomore season. They are 5-0 on their home field and are 3-0 in the division. They have a bye week in Week 10.
Team MVP: Carson Wentz (QB) - 2,262 Yards & 23 TDs.
2. New England Patriots (6-2, +0): The Patriots looked old in their Week 1 loss to the Chiefs, but since then, they've been one of the best teams in the league (no shocker there). QB Tom Brady and WR Brandin Cooks have looked great in their first year together, and Cooks has been the only Patriots receiver to stay healthy for the whole season. The defense still needs to show some improvement, but they have looked better over the last three weeks. New England faces the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football.
Team MVP: Tom Brady (QB) - 2,541 Yards & 16 TDs.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2, +1): The Steelers started off the first month of the season underperforming, with a couple of bad losses, highlighted by a slip-up on the road against the Chicago Bears, but they have been trending upward ever since then. They were the first team to knock off the undefeated Chiefs on the road, and that has vaulted into contention. RB Le'Veon Bell, who held out for most of the preseason, started off the year poorly, probably because he wasn't in game shape, but now that he is, the Steelers are rolling again.
Team MVP: Le'Veon Bell (RB) - 760 Yards & 5 TDs.
4. Minnesota Vikings (6-2, +1): The Vikings have been one of the most injury-prone teams in the league, losing QB Teddy Bridgewater, QB Sam Bradford, and RB Dalvin Cook, but they're still somehow leading the NFC North, and have a chance to return the playoffs are missing out last season. QB Case Keenum has done a fine job in relief, asserting himself as the teams most important player to this point, but Bridgewater is available now if need be. However, the schedule kicks up from here, starting with a trip to the Washington Redskins.
Team MVP: Case Keenum (QB) - 1,610 Yards & 7 TDs.
5. Los Angeles Rams (6-2, +2): The Rams have become one of the most improved teams in the league, after looking abysmal in all of 2016-17 under Jeff Fisher, as QB Jared Goff struggled to gain any level of traction in his rookie year after being drafted No. 1 overall in the prior NFL Draft. Now, Goff is much improved, and has been killing defenses through eight games, along with RB Todd Gurley who is looking like his normal self again after taking a step back last season. L.A. leads the division for now, and host the Houston Texans.
Team MVP: Todd Gurley (RB) - 686 Yards & 7 TDs.
6. New Orleans Saints (6-2, +3): The Saints fell to 1-2, and then all of a sudden, a defense showed up for the first time since 2013. And of course, QB Drew Brees is slinging the ball deep and on target, leading his team to five straight victories. New Orleans is in one of the best divisions in football, alongside the last two NFC champions, the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers, but they are currently the leaders. In Week 10, the Saints travel to Buffalo to face the Bills in a matchup that pits a pair of playoff teams against one another.
Team MVP: Drew Brees (QB) - 2,214 Yards & 13 TDs.
7. Kansas City Chiefs (6-3, -4): The Chiefs started off the year 5-0 with an opening night stomping of the Super Bowl champions, the Patriots, and then grabbed a victory over the Eagles a couple of weeks later. It was a great start to the season, and that was mainly because of how well rookie RB Kareem Hunt was running. He's led the league in rushing yards from wire to wire (so far) with 800 yards on the dot. The next closest, RB Ezekiel Elliott, has 783 yards for the Dallas Cowboys. They are idle in Week 10.
Team MVP: Kareem Hunt (RB) - 800 Yards & 4 TDs.
8. Seattle Seahawks (6-3, -2): The Seahawks slipped up in Week 9 against the Washington Redskins, following one of the Game of the Year candidates, in a win the week prior against the Texans. They've already played their Week 10 game, beating the mediocre Arizona Cardinals on the road on Thursday Night Football, shutting down RB Adrian Peterson. QB Russell Wilson has been great for the majority of the year, behind an improved offensive line. Unfortunately, the Seahawks will be without All-Pro CB Richard Sherman from here on out.
Team MVP: Russell Wilson (QB) - 2,543 Yards & 19 TDs.
9. Carolina Panthers (6-3, +1): The Panthers have stepped up for a trio of big time victories, taking down the likes of the Patriots and the Detroit Lions, both away from home, and then the Falcons last weekend. It's been and up-and-down year for QB Cam Newton and Co., but they have looked far better this season and last, and because of it, they're likely going to return to the playoffs. Standing at 6-3, they get the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football and should be able to add another win to that column.
Team MVP: Cam Newton (QB) - 1,978 Yards & 10 TDs.
10. Dallas Cowboys (5-3, +1): The Cowboys' season has been watered down by RB Ezekiel Elliott's pending and probable suspension. Well, after three straight games of rushing for 100+ yards, his suspension is effective immediately, after his most recent appeal was denied. It's been an enormous distraction for the entire year, but what it's taking away from, is that the 'Boys are starting to play well. They have won three straight games and have a huge opportunity today against Atlanta, before facing the Eagles in Week 11.
Team MVP: Ezekiel Elliott (RB) - 783 Yards & 7 TDs.
Power Rankings:
11. Buffalo Bills (5-3)
12. Tennessee Titans (5-3)
13. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-3)
14. Washington Redskins (4-4)
15. Detroit Lions (4-4)
16. Atlanta Falcons (4-4)
17. Miami Dolphins (4-4)
18. Green Bay Packers (4-4)
19. Oakland Raiders (4-5) 20. Baltimore Ravens (4-5) 21. New York Jets (4-5) 22. Arizona Cardinals (4-5) 23. Los Angeles Chargers (3-5) 24. Cincinnati Bengals (3-5) 25. Chicago Bears (3-5) 26. Houston Texans (3-5) 27. Denver Broncos (3-5) 28. Indianapolis Colts (3-6) 29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-6) 30. New York Giants (1-7)
31. Cleveland Browns (0-8)
32. San Francisco 49ers (0-9)
Top Ranked Team:
Week 1 - Dallas Cowboys.
Week 2 - Kansas City Chiefs.
Week 3 - Kansas City Chiefs.
Week 4 - Kansas City Chiefs.
Week 5 - Kansas City Chiefs.
Week 6 - Kansas City Chiefs.
Week 7 - Philadelphia Eagles.
Week 9 - Philadelphia Eagles.
Player of the Week:
W1 - Kareem Hunt (Kansas City Chiefs) - 148 Yards, 1 TD, 42-27 win vs. Patriots.
W2 - Tom Brady (New England Patriots) - 447 Yards, 3 TDs, 36-20 win vs. Saints.
W3 - Jared Goff (Los Angeles Rams) - 292 Yards, 3 TDs, 41-39 win vs. 49ers.
W4 - Deshaun Watson (Houston Texans) - 283 Yards, 4 TDs, 57-14 win vs. Titans.
W5 - Carson Wentz (Philadelphia Eagles) - 304 Yards, 4 TDs, 34-7 win vs. Cardinals.
W6 - Deshaun Watson (Houston Texans) - 225 Yards, 3 TDs, 33-17 win vs. Browns.
W7 - Amari Cooper (Oakland Raiders) - 210 Yards, 2 TDs, 31-30 win vs. Chiefs.
W8 - Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks) - 451 Yards, 4 TDs, 41-38 win vs. Texans.
W9 - Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) - 361 Yards, 2 TDs, 30-17 win vs. Packers.
MVP Candidates:
1. Carson Wentz (Philadelphia Eagles) - 2,262 Yards & 23 TDs.
2. Todd Gurley (Los Angeles Rams) - 686 Yards & 7 TDs.
3. Tom Brady (New England Patriots) - 2,541 Yards & 16 TDs.
4. Kareem Hunt (Kansas City Chiefs) - 800 Yards & 4 TDs.
5. Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints) - 2,214 Yards & 13 TDs.
Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated.
