NFL Standings in 2018, Week 9: Steelers Climb, Top 10's Brighten

The best NFL candidates seem pretty clear in mid-season. The Rams, the Patriots, the Chiefs and the Saints have imposed their will on their opposition and are plotting their way to the playoffs.

These teams are in the top four of our NFL standings at Week 9, with the Chargers finishing fifth after their past week. The Rams 8-0 continue to win and although the Packers nearly beat them, Los Angeles has kept its winning streak. The next will be the saints. Will L.A. remain undefeated in Week 9?

The patriots are … the patriots. An annual competitor and a team always dangerous. The Chiefs have lost only against the Patriots and expect to improve again over the weeks. The Saints made it easy to beat the Vikings on the road during the Minneapolis Miracle rematch on Sunday night.

On the rise

The Steelers went from eight to six after their third straight win and their fourth in the last five games. James Conner seems to be a more than fit replacement for Le'Veon Bell, who continues to stay at home and watch football on television.

The Panthers also prove that they are not a coincidence, as they have lost only two games this season, after an impressive year against Cam Newton and Christian McCaffrey. The semi-offensive half has 723 yards in the scrum and three touchdowns.

The Bears, who went from first to fourth place and have returned to first place in the north of the NFC over the past three weeks, are also on the rise. The Eagles were a little boosted by their victory over the lifeless Jaguars in London and elsewhere in the NFC East. Washington remains in the top 10 after another win. Their last victory was won by the Giants, which was not so difficult to achieve.

We would be sure to talk about the Texans who are really up after their fifth consecutive victory and a fantastic game of Deshaun Watson who had a magical night against the Dolphins.

The Colts are also climbing the rankings, although much lower in the list. They went from 22 to 17 after their third consecutive victory. These victories were won by Jets, Bills and Raiders. So, do not excite us for the moment, but they seem much improved. Then they have Jaguars, Titans and Dolphins. They will therefore have more opportunities to impress against similar and less competition.

In decline

The Ravens lost two weeks in a row against the top 10 teams. Their loss to the Saints was a close win, but their loss to the Panthers in Carolina was accompanied by a 15-point loss.

The Vikings are also falling after their defeat against the Saints. They have not yet won an impressive victory because they have defeated only the 49ers, the Eagles (by two), the Cardinals and the Jets. They then have their divisional rivals in three consecutive games: the Lions, then a week off, followed by games against the Bears and Packers.

The Packers made a two-point dive this week after losing to the Rams. You can not really blame a team for losing to the Rams, but the Packers (a bit like the Vikings) do not have an impressive win, their wins being won by the Bears (by one), the Bills and the 49ers .

Somewhere in the middle

There may be no stranger team than the 5-3 Bengals who often look hot and cold in the same match. The Bengals had a 27-6 lead over the Buccaneers on Sunday before Ryan Fitzpatrick came in and tied for 34-34. Cincinnati had the chance to win a victory.

The Seahawks find their relevance thanks to a very effective game of Russell Wilson. The Seattle quarterback earned a perfect score of 158.3 in the Seahawks' Lions victory. Wilson has joined his fellow countryman Jared Goff, NFC West quarterback, as a quarterback to finish a match with a perfect passer rating this season.

Basically

The Broncos lost to the Chiefs, but at least they were competitive and have now finished with the AFC best team for the rest of the year (unless Denver surprisingly takes the playoffs). The Falcons were released, but lost a spot due to the defeat of other teams. the Cowboys were also about to leave home and stayed in the same place as last week. The Jaguars have lost their home away from home (in London) and have the impression of collapsing. The Jets, Buccaneers, Browns, Cardinals, Bills, Giants, 49ers and Raiders complete the last eight.