Prisco's NFL Week 8 Power Rankings: Lone unbeaten Vikings take over top spot
Pete Prisco shares his Week 8 Power Rankings for the 2026 NFL season, including some big risers and fallers
• 1 min read
Legit question: How good are the undefeated Minnesota Vikings?
That isn't to demean the Vikings, the league's last undefeated team, but rather to ask an honest football question. Can a team that is so limited on offense be considered good?
The Vikings are 6-0 after beating the Indianapolis Colts, 16-10, on Sunday, but they are winning games without a real semblance of an offense that scores or scares.
They have scored 125 points in their six games, which means 10 touchdowns on the season. That is historically bad. They are a tough watch on the eyes, even if they showed a little more life on offense against the Colts.
We will learn a lot more about the Vikings over the next four weeks. They play at the Lions, home against the Bills, at the Packers and the 49ers in Mexico. That's quite the string of games.
They will need to be better on offense for sure. But the defense is the gold standard right now in the league, thanks to the uber-aggressive coordinator Brian Flores.
Minnesota takes over the top spot in my Power Rankings this week after the 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs both lost, leaving the Vikings as the only team without a blemish.
The Minnesota offense was a little better in the victory over the Colts, but Indianapolis isn't very good on defense. The Vikings are ranked first in scoring defense and 23rd in scoring offense. That is a heck of a disparity for an unbeaten team.
Quarterback Kyler Murray has to be better. The passing game has to improve from its 29th-ranked yards-per-game mark. If not, the next four games could be a big problem for the Vikings, and their stay at the top won't last long.
The bottom of my rankings has a new team this week. The Miami Dolphins, fresh off their first victory of the season over the New York Jets, have moved above the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Chargers are the only team without a victory this season, and they couldn't lose this past week because they were on a bye. At 0-6, they play their city rival, the Los Angeles Rams, this week. It might mean a stay at the bottom for the Chargers as the heat intensifies for all in that building.
Biggest Movers
6 Buccaneers
6 Texans
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | They still don't score enough on offense, but the defense is special. Brian Flores is so good at what he does in coordinating it. | 2 | 6-0-0 |
| 2 |  | They come off the bye with a big one against the Ravens, who should have Lamar Jackson back. The defense has to be better than it was before the bye. | 2 | 5-1-0 |
| 3 |  | They lost for the first time this season at Atlanta, and it was four turnovers that did them in Sunday. They head to their bye in need of key players getting healthy when they return. | 2 | 6-1-0 |
| 4 |  | They are just too limited on offense without a big-play threat receiver. They need to make a move to get Patrick Mahomes some help. | 2 | 5-1-0 |
| 5 |  | Joe Burrow lit up the Ravens Sunday. The way they played in the second half is the way the need to play going forward: Let Burrow cook. | 1 | 4-2-0 |
| 6 |  | The defense was outstanding in the victory over the Chiefs, but the really good news was the running game came alive. That's a must for this team's offense to succeed. | 1 | 4-3-0 |
| 7 |  | The offense showed signs of life against the Cardinals. That's progress. Maybe it took a long touchdown run for Bo Nix to get him going this season. | 2 | 5-2-0 |
| 8 |  | Caleb Williams is playing the best football of his career right now. But the best news for this team: The defense has made strides. | 5 | 5-2-0 |
| 9 |  | They come off their bye with the news that left tackle Anton Harrison is done for the year with a knee injury. Walker Little played well against the Texans, but can he hold up? | 1 | 4-2-0 |
| 10 |  | The offense is, as usual, playing at a high level. Jared Goff has been really good. Dan Campbell needs to quit going for it all the time. | 1 | 4-2-0 |
| 11 |  | Losing at Chicago on a short week isn't damning, but the defense wasn't as good as in weeks past. That's concerning. | 2 | 4-3-0 |
| 12 |  | Without Lamar Jackson, the offense is ordinary. But it's the defense that was awful in the loss to the Bengals. | 2 | 4-3-0 |
| 13 |  | Their winning streak came to an end against the Lions in what was a sloppy game. The injuries on the offensive line are a big concern. | 1 | 4-3-0 |
| 14 |  | Beating the Titans in a close one might not be impressive, but they are 5-2. That is impressive. Deshaun Watson is playing well. | 2 | 5-2-0 |
| 15 |  | It hasn't always been pretty, but they find ways to win games. They are tied for first place in the division. | 2 | 5-2-0 |
| 16 |  | The team we saw beat up the Raiders is the Dream Team we expected to see before the season. The run game is back. | 2 | 3-4-0 |
| 17 |  | Is JJ McCarthy their starter the rest of the way? It sure looked like it in the upset of the Texans. Don't look now, they are 4-2-1 and in first place. | 3 | 4-2-1 |
| 18 |  | Just when we are ready to crown them the best team in the division, they lay a big egg against the Bucs. So much for the Bryce Young-MVP talk. | 4 | 3-3-0 |
| 19 |  | Rallying to beat the 49ers is big for this team after losing two straight. The defense made the plays when they needed to be made. | 4 | 3-4-0 |
| 20 |  | Against the Eagles, that was the offense we expected to see from the Cowboys this season. If they can run it like that, they will be tough to beat. | 1 | 3-4-0 |
| 21 |  | Losing at home to the Giants just might be the death blow in their chances of winning the AFC South. The defense just isn't good enough. | 6 | 2-5-0 |
| 22 |  | After three straight victories to begin the season, the Raiders have lost four straight. It wasn't because of Kirk Cousins, but it might be time for Fernando Mendoza. | -- | 3-4-0 |
| 23 |  | They saved their season by winning at Carolina behind the dominant running game. They are still alive in the division. | 6 | 2-5-0 |
| 24 |  | The injuries have crippled this team, and it's about over. Do they have a fire sale? | 3 | 2-5-0 |
| 25 |  | s the fire sale coming? Will they start selling off assets? This season is done. | 1 | 2-5-0 |
| 26 |  | They keep floundering in key moments and losing to the Dolphins is the low point. Will Aaron Glenn be the coach in 2027? | 1 | 2-5-0 |
| 27 |  | Their lack of a running game is killing this team. They are way too one-dimensional to consistently win games. | 1 | 2-5-0 |
| 28 |  | The high of beating the Rams last week went by the wayside as they were blown out by Denver at home Sunday. They just lack the talent to compete week in and week out. | 1 | 2-5-0 |
| 29 |  | They come off their bye with a lot of pressure on Dan Quinn to start winning games, beginning with a home game against the Eagles. They aren't out of the division race yet, though. | 1 | 1-4-1 |
| 30 |  | They won! That's a great sign coming out of the bye. They aren't in the cellar of these rankings anymore as the young players continue to improve. | 2 | 1-5-0 |
| 31 |  | They just don't do enough in the passing game to win games. Cam Ward has to put up better numbers going forward. | 1 | 1-6-0 |
| 32 |  | The good news is they were on a bye Sunday, which means they couldn't lose. The bad news is they are now in the bottom spot. | 1 | 0-6-0 |
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