Week 8 marked about the halfway point for the NFL 2023-2024 season. Three Philadelphia talents gave their honest, accurate rankings following Week 8.
97.3 ESPN Contributor Nick Earnshaw (@nearn_9) Power Rankings
5. Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys looked really good against the Rams last week with CeeDee Lamb scoring two touchdowns and having 158 yds through the air. Even Dak had a nice day with four touchdowns. They are a solid 5-2 team with some flaws. It will be a real test to see where they move in my rankings after taking on the Eagles.
4. Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore is an intriguing 6-2 with a blowout performance against a good Detroit Lions team a few weeks ago and a closer win last week against a bad Arizona team. When you have a guy like Lamar Jackson at the helm you always have a shot to win. The ravens have won in funky ways this season but they are finding ways to get it done. If Lamar is able to stay healthy watch out for Baltimore.
3. Kansas City Chiefs
I know they are coming off of a brutal loss to a division opponent they had beaten sixteen times in a row but it’s hard to have a flu game similar to what Michael Jordan did back in the 90s. Patrick Mahomes was reported to have flu-like symptoms before the game so that one is a wash for me. They still have him at QB and Andy Reid as their head coach. Who knows they could go up a spot if they beat Miami this week in Germany. That should be a fun one to start off SUnday funday this weekend at the crack of dawn.
2. Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins have to still be up in the rankings due to how prolific their offense has been this year. Tyreek Hill is just unfair to line up against and they also have Jaylen Waddle on the other side. Tua has ingrained himself into the MVP conversation but Tyreek Hill has also etched his name into the conversation as well. With the Dolphins getting a myriad of players back off injury the past couple of weeks and going forward as well the team from south beach at 6-2 is still no joke.
1. Philadelphia Eagles
There is no question that the Eagles have to be number one on this list. They have the best record in football at 7-1 while seemingly not even playing up to their potential yet. AJ Brown has been on a tear with 6 straight weeks of 125 receiving yards or more breaking the old mark held by Megatron, Calvin Johnson. They also just added Kevin Byard from the Titans to help a secondary that has struggled but have gotten inspiring play out of undrafted rookie Eli Ricks the past couple of weeks which could help their cause. The real test comes over the next six games as they face the arch rival Cowboys twice, and four playoff teams from 2022 including the Chiefs who the Eagles fell to in the Super Bowl.
WIP Part-time Producer Danny Ryan (@DannyRy02) Power Rankings
5. Miami Dolphins
I have the Dolphins at #5 solely because they aren’t battle tested. While Mike McDaniels squad only has 2 losses, both of those losses have come from the only above .500 opponents they’ve faced so far this season (Buffalo Bills (5-3) Philadelphia Eagles (7-1). I think Miami’s defense should be better with the return of Jalen Ramsey, but I can’t put them any higher on my list until they beat a true contender.
4. Detroit Lions
At #4 I have Dan Campbell and the Lions. The Lions have been a great story so far this season and have surpassed my expectations of them, but I think they’re just a bit overrated. Their win against the Chiefs is by far their most impressive but has a bit of an asterisk next to it for me. The Chiefs were dealing with the absence of star TE Travis Kelce (ankle injury) coupled with anatrocious performance by Kadarius Toney (3 drops, 1 resulting in a pick-six). Similar to the Dolphins, I’d like to see the Lions take down better competition before I rank them higher on my list (Lions are 1-2 against above .500 opponents this season).
3. Kansas City Chiefs
At #3 I have the reigning Champion Kansas City Chiefs. It was tough for me to put the Chiefs at 3 because you can never doubt Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, however, I think their lack of depth at wide receiver could come back to bite them in the playoffs. Their week 8 loss to Denver was ugly and shouldn’t be overlooked, however, Patrick Mahomes had the Flu. I think that’s the worst play you’ll see from him and the Chiefs all season.
2. Baltmore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens come in at #2 for me because I feel like they’re a team that hasn’t even unlocked their full potential at 6-2. Lamar Jackson hasn’t been playing his brand of football through the rushing attack and has been used more as a pocket passer since the Ravens week 3 loss against the Colts. If the Ravens can solidify their offensive identity I think they’ll be hot on the Eagles tail for the top spot in the NFL.
1. Philadelphia Eagles
That brings me to #1, the Eagles. All bias aside, I think the Eagles are the best team in the NFL for obvious reasons. They have the best record in the NFL and arguably the best receiver in the NFL with A.J. Brown. The birds haven’t even been playing their best football yet and they still find themselves 7-1. The offense and defense need to start succeeding in unison more consistently to truly make a run at winning the Super Bowl. This upcoming 6 week stretch for the Eagles could make or break their spot at #1 in the NFL.
USA Today Football Writer Jennifer McGraw (@jennifermcgraw_) Power Rankings
5. Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a super intriguing team to me. There’s not a lot of buzz about them, but they’re silently dominating the AFC North division. The Ravens held two teams to a single score (Lions with a touchdown and the Steelers with a field goal) and are averaging a little more than 20 points per game. I don’t know why there isn’t more conversations about Lamar Jackson and the Ravens this season.
4. Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys will go toe-to-toe with just about anyone this season and do so with ease. Even with just three losses, the Cowboys know how to match energy on both sides of the ball. Their defense should not be under looked and they will take the momentum in-game. Inconsistencies within this team are really holding back the true potential of this Cowboys team as they try to run it back in the playoffs.
3. Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs will still somehow find a way to be a dominant team, even if they lose a few along the way. I think the Chiefs are a scary good team and can manage to get far in the playoffs if not back to another Super Bowl, but some other AFC teams are chomping at the Chiefs heels to take that #1 spot.
2. Miami Dolphins
I love everything about the Miami Dolphins this season. I’m not concerned about their recent loss to the Eagles or Chiefs, I think they can make a late-season push to put themselves in as best position for the playoffs as possible. I have no doubt in my mind they could be in the top half of the playoff picture in the AFC. From there, it’s really only a matter of beating the team in the first spot.
1. Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are easily the best team in the NFL right now whether people want to believe it or not. They had the hardest schedule coming into this season and still manage to have the best record right now. That’s insane. Jalen Hurts-DeVonta Smith-AJ Brown-DeAndre Swift are a deadly quadruple that continue to dominate on the field each week, beating teams on the ground, in the air, in the trenches or a combination of all.
First & Jenn 
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