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NFL Power Rankings Week 8: Review and Reaction to 2016 League Standings
- Updated: October 25, 2016
Now that the Denver Broncos and Houston Texans are finished with their Monday night battle—Denver won 27-9—it’s time to officially mark the end of Week 7.
We saw some intriguing action in the past week, beginning with a bounce-back game for the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night. The Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings were both on the receiving ends of upset losses. The Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks played to a draw on Sunday night.
Those Broncos and Texans? Well, Denver got back to looking like a legitimate title contender, while Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler looked like an offseason mistake.
All of this, of course, has an effect on how we view the NFL landscape at large, and that’s what we’re going to examine here. We’ll inspect the standings heading into Week 8, provide our power rankings and take a look at some of the biggest storylines coming out of Week 7.
NFL Standings
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Power Rankings
Notable Storylines
Offensive Lines a Problem for Top Teams
The previously undefeated Vikings lost on Sunday, while the Seahawks were forced to settle for a tie. In both cases, shaky offensive lines were partially to blame.
This brings up a fair question for teams like Minnesota and Seattle. As great as these teams seem to be, can they survive deep into the postseason with such a huge weakness? The reality is that it’s hard to imagine either team being a true title contender without first addressing the line.
Pro Football Focus rates Seattle dead last in pass blocking. Minnesota is rated 31st in pass blocking, and the Broncos are 29th.
The good news for contending teams looking for line help is that there are a couple of premier options out there.
Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com reported that the Cleveland Browns are at least listening to offers for Pro Bowl tackle Joe Thomas, and the San Francisco 49ers are doing the same for Pro Bowl tackle Joe Staley.
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