There’s a New #1 and Some AFC West Controversy in Rich’s NFL Power Rankings for Week 9

Rich gave himself a round of applause before he even started. "This is not easy," he said. "It's getting crazier." His Week 9 power rankings have a new team at the top, a debut, a return, and an AFC West call that Broncos fans will not love.

The return belongs to the Detroit Lions, back on the list after three straight wins: at Arizona, then after a bye, home wins over Green Bay and Minnesota in the division. Now they go to Miami staring at a 6-2 start. Rich called them "the real Gotti of the National Football League right now," running through Goff and Gibbs and Amon-Ra and J-Mo and LaPorta, with the offensive line doing its thing. He is a little concerned about the defensive injuries, and mentioned a statement from Jack Campbell that he called "troubling and encouraging all at the same time."

The debut is Pittsburgh at number nine. Rich recalled asking Cam Heyward who the team's unheralded MVP is, and Heyward answering Jaylen Warren. Rich knows the Next Gen stats say Rodgers is completing passes only a few yards downfield without many chunk plays in the air. "That's Next Gen stat garbage," he said. "They're 6-2 with a defense that can hit you in the mouth." Rich also suggested getting Pittman back, and the studio debated whether Rodgers would welcome more help. "I think Rodgers would work with anybody that is talented enough to help him help them," came one answer.

The Bengals climbed one spot to eighth. Rich asked about a claim from the studio that Joe Burrow deserves the MVP at the midway point. "He's got the numbers," came the reply, with 20 touchdown passes. Defensively, Rich said, the Bengals "are improved. We can say that with certainty."

Then came the controversy. The Broncos jumped three spots to number seven, but Rich kept the Chiefs above them at six. He understands Denver fans are looking down at Kansas City in the standings. But the Chiefs were at the one-yard line, he said, and if they had popped it in, they would be ranked even higher. Rich thinks the rematch at Arrowhead goes to Kansas City, and noted the Chiefs "damn near won in Denver, too."

In the top five, Chris's Patriots moved up two spots to number five. Rich wasn't terribly impressed with their first half in Miami, but he threw it out because they are banged up and crazy things happen in division games. Drake Maye got it done again, and the defense is stout. Rich's concern is the field goal kicking, which was superb last year and is "not nearly as automatic" this year. "Might come back to bite you," he warned.

The Jaguars jumped four spots to number four. "You make a mistake against them and they pounce like a Jaguar," Rich said, admitting he has never actually been around a real jaguar but assumes a mistake there is "not good for you." A question from the studio, whether they are the team that plays most like its mascot, got a "great question" from Rich, along with a groan-worthy suggestion that the Giants also qualify "because they are gigantic." More seriously, Rich expects the Jaguars to go 6-2 and said that of every team leading its division, this one can start thinking about printing playoff tickets.

The 49ers dropped one spot to number three on their bye.

That left the Bills and the Bears. Buffalo was number one last week and beat the Ravens, but Rich and the studio noted that Buffalo beat up a Baltimore team that had Joe Fagnano in the game. And Chicago did what it did against Seattle. So Rich knocked the Bills down. "I think right now the Chicago Bears beat anybody that's on their schedule," he said. "That's the way they're playing." The studio was in.

Next up for Chicago is Tampa Bay, a team that has won two in a row and has been taking care of business on defense. Rich called it a nice new test for Caleb, then caught himself, noting Caleb hears that a lot. Nobody tells Mahomes a game is a test, he said. With Jeffery Simmons on the defensive line, Kyle Monangai hopefully returning from turf toe after more than a month, the run game rolling, and an offensive line that protected Caleb against Seattle, plus Luther Burden, Rome Odunze, Kalif Raymond, Colston Loveland and the Bears defense, Rich is all in.

Two teams fell off the list entirely: the 6-1 Vikings and the Seahawks. Rich knows the comment section will have thoughts. "I've reached the point of the season where the eye test sometimes outweighs the overall record," he said. "Feel free to comment. I might comment back."