Colin Cowherd predicted the Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks would meet in the NFC title game, and after Monday’s 34-17 win in Chicago, he thinks the Bears are the best team in football.
Cowherd revealed his latest Herd hierarchywith a new team at No. 1 after the defending champion Seahawks, last week’s top team, fell to 4-4.
Here are the Week 8 Cowherd Herd Hierarchy rankings:
Herd Hierarchy for Week 9: Chiefs Fall, Bears Rise, Is There a New Team on Top? | flock
Colin Cowherd lists his NFL power rankings entering Week 9, including the Chicago Bears, Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks.
Record: 5-2
Previous ranking: 5 ↓
Cowherd’s thoughts: “Kansas City is still good, but they’ve got to clean up the penalties, they’ve got to clean up the shooting game. Back-to-back losses to Seattle and Denver, they’ll go 8-2 because the next three games are a stretch before they have to go to Buffalo in a short week.
“They have the worst penalty differential in the league. They need a No. 2 wide receiver. I think they’re good, they have a great coach, great DC. Travis Kelce, 37, I’d rather he not be the No. 1 target in big plays. I think they’re just breaking down in some spots … I think they’ll clean it up and thank him.”
Record: 5-2
Previous ranking: 7 ↓
Cowherd’s thoughts: “They’re playing better defense! Jack Campbell though – cross your fingers. Great player, great man. He’s going to be out and that doesn’t help you.
“They’ve outscored opponents in five straight games. They’re very dependent on the health of their O-line because Jared Goff can be a sitting duck if he doesn’t have time. I never really trust their defense to a big point — maybe I have them low, I have them No. 9.”
Record: 4-4
Previous ranking: 9 ↑
Cowherd’s thoughts: “I’d take the Rams to beat the Lions if they were playing on a neutral field, because I just think if Davante Adams is healthy, they have a great offense, too. It’s remarkable how much they depend on him, even with Puka Nacua, all the tight ends, Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay.
“When Davante Adams doesn’t play, the 26th-ranked passing offense. So Myles Garrett is coming back, only top-five team in offense and defense. They’re an uneven team, they haven’t played four quarters of great football yet … they’ve got to get it.”
Record: 5-2
Previous ranking: Unranked ↑
Cowherd’s thoughts: “People think I have the Jags down. It’s the division. What am I supposed to do when you play the Titans twice a year and the Colts twice a year? And I don’t even know if I like the Texans right now. … Liam Coen is the best coach in the league that nobody talks about. If that guy was coaching in LA or New York or Chica.
“They do really well, but it’s a bad split. I should probably have them at six or five, I have them at seven. I’ll say: Travis Hunter, Parker Washington, they’re two of the five best athletes in the NFL.”
Record: 5-3
Previous ranking: 4 ↓
Cowherd’s thoughts: “The Patriots are beat. I think they’re the most underrated team in the league. They were missing their No. 1 receiver, their No. 2 receiver, their No. 3 receiver, their No. 1 back. A lot of their weapons.
“They got the Packers, Lions and Bills, I think they can sweep those teams. … Drake Maye, I’ll take a Lombardi Trophy. They just have to get healthier.”
Record: 6-1
Previous ranking: 6 ↑
Cowherd’s thoughts: “By an inch, Buffalo. No. 1 scoring offense. Multiple giveaways in four of their last five games. That’s why I keep them here. You can’t do it. You just can’t do it. It’s like the Chiefs and penalties. I love it! You can’t give me the ‘worst of penalties early, to make things differential.
“A lot of giveaways for this team, and they’re bad on the back end. Which means you can beat a team and then lose. It’s like a bad ball in baseball. You can’t have that.”
Record: 4-4
Previous ranking: 1 ↓
Cowherd’s thoughts: “Seattle is good. Like Kansas City, it would be nice if they had another receiver in the building. But Monday night they’re playing musical chairs with the offensive line — they don’t have their left, their left guard or their right guard. That’s not going to work with Jeffery Simmons and Montez Sweat, who are in the game.
“It was the first game back, it was their third game in a row in primetime. … Seattle has a lot of good players, a very good coach, a lot of talent … last night was a bad place, I still think they’re a top-four team.”
Record: 6-2
Previous ranking: 8 ↑
Cowherd’s thoughts: “I’ve given up trying to understand Denver. Fifteen one-possession games in a row. I don’t get it. I don’t understand how you can be bad in every first half offensively. I love their personnel. In fact, if you need a wide receiver, call them. They’ve got guys like Marvin Mims Jr. who don’t throw.
“I love their talent and there’s something that QB Bo Nix reveals late in the game. They’re 5-0 in one-score games. But they’ve been outscored by almost 700 yards. They do things historically that don’t make sense, but the roster, the coach, the players, the pass rush … I can’t deny it.”
Record: 6-1
Previous ranking: 2
Cowherd’s thoughts: “They’re going to get healthier now. Nick Bosa, Christian McCaffrey, Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel are going to be back. Look at their schedule, they’re going to start picking up gains.
“Three of their six wins this season have come against the Seahawks, Broncos and Rams. Really well-coached, really good team — less big plays allowed, so they make you march down the field to them.”
Record: 6-2
Previous ranking: 3 ↑
Cowherd’s thoughts: “What do you mean? I mean, Jeffery Simmons and Montez Sweat, their big weakness was ‘well, tight end.’ Well, now they’re not fading. Lowest blitz rate of the season, and yet they pressured Sam Darnold 12 times and sacked him three — should’ve been six.
“And oh, by the way, they’re getting their high-priced safety Malik Muhammed back in December, their cornerback Malik Muhammed coming back in a few weeks. So the safety and cornerback positions, seen as weaknesses, will be strengthened and encouraged here in the next month and a half.”
