Week 10 NFL Power Rankings: Titans, Patriots go Flying! How Far do the Rams fall?
Going into this week, I specifically said that it would be hard to compete with how crazy last week was. We were so wrong. Holy upsets. This week showed us more than 4 big upsets that really are going to change the way we see teams heading down the stretch. There will be a lot of movement this time including a new no. 1 with the Rams losing badly. Who goes where?
1. Arizona Cardinals (8-1)
Previously #4 +
The Cardinals have been no. 1 in the ranks for many weeks this season, and after a brief exit from that spot last week, they return. Even without Kyler Murray, DeAndre Hopkins, Chase Edmonds, and JJ Watt on Sunday, it did not matter. The Cardinals steamrolled the 49ers in a statement victory which showed just how deep and for real this team is. The defense continues to prove they are for real and is looking like one of the best in the league. How about James Conner. The after-thought free agent signing this off-season has become one of the best acquisitions in the league. He leads the NFL in total TDs and was absolutely unfair in this game. The Cardinals are dominant even without 4 of their best players. This team is so for real.
2. Tennessee Titans (7-2)
Previously #8 +
3. Green Bay Packers (7-2)
Previously #3
No movement here for the Packers even though they are coming off of the loss. No one is really discrediting them however as they were obviously without Aaron Rodgers and still barely lost to the Chiefs who got lucky to face them at that state. The Packers with Rodgers who is likely to return Sunday still look like one of the best teams in the league. The offense moves the ball with ease and the defense has been stifling. Give some credit to LB De'Vondre Campbell who is quietly having a major breakout season for the cheeseheads.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2)
Previously #6 +
Nothing that a nice bye week can't fix. After a tough loss to New Orleans a week ago, the Bucs hit bye and now return healthy and rejuvenated. I'm not concerned despite one close loss to a divisional rival. Tom Brady is currently the betting favorite for MVP and should have star pass catchers Antonio Brown and Gronk returning from multi-week absences as well. The Bucs are so well rounded and have a nice chance for a get right game against the free-falling Washington Football Team this Sunday.
5. Baltimore Ravens (6-2)
Previously #7 +
6. Los Angeles Rams (7-2)
Previously #1 -
Quite a fall from grace in just one week. The Rams drop from 1 to 6 this week following an ugly loss at home to the Titans on SNF. Nothing looked right for them. This was Stafford's worst game yet as a Ram as the Titan D pushed him around all day and forced him into a few critical errors (2 bad INTs). Still, we know how deep and well coached this team is. They were bound to have at least one disappointing performance. This could be it and they may just coach themselves out of doing it again. Von Miller will make his debut for the team this week. Despite a terrible performance, things aren't too bad for the Rams.
7. Dallas Cowboys (6-2)
Previously #2 -
Both the no. 1 and no. 2 teams from last week's ranks drop 5 spots. The Cowboys had one of the most surprising dud performances of the season in this one. The Rams were playing a good team at least but the Cowboys got shredded by the lowly Broncos. This game had to be pretty humbling for Mike McCarthy's team which was riding so high after 6-straight wins including one on SNF without Dak Prescott last week. They will have to bounce back from this one because losing 2 straight could put them in a bad spot heading into the final stretch of the season. I have a ton of confidence that they will be able to do so.
8. Buffalo Bills (5-3)
Previously #5 -
9. Los Angeles Chargers (5-3)
Previously #12 +
While it was against the poorly-coached Eagles, a win is a win. The Chargers absolutely needed it. Like usual, it was a close one for the Chargers, but with a chip-shot FG for the win by new kicker Dustin Hopkins, the Bolts were able to leave victorious. I saw some improvement on offense and even on defense for this team. They are slowly getting back to the dominance that they started off the season with. I like the Chargers a lot and see them as real post-season contenders. If they figure out some issues on defense, they will be right back where we expected them to be.
10. Cleveland Browns (5-4)
Previously #14 +
With OBJ finally gone, the Browns looked like they have exorcized some demons. Baker Mayfield was good in a major win over the upstart Bengals. The AFC North is as close as can be right now and the Browns would be in danger of missing the playoffs had they not won this game. Not only did they win, they dominated. Both sides of the football looked great. Nick Chubb had a DAY with over 130 rushing yards. This was an all-around great performance from the Browns who looked like they were getting back to their old ways. They will hope it continues as we head down the stretch.
11. New England Patriots (5-4)
Previously #15 +
12. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3)
Previously #13 +
In a controversial win on MNF vs Chicago, the Steelers improved to an impressive 5-3 mark. Few thought they would be multiple games over .500 at any point in the season after their rough beginning. Still, the Steelers find ways to win and are starting to figure things out on offense. The defense has never been a problem at all, they are one of the best units in the league and one of the few defenses that really wins games almost singlehandedly for their squad. The offense, which started out so poorly, is finding a rhythm. Big Ben is looking better and alongside star rookie RB Najee Harris, they have been moving the ball and scoring. At 5-3, the Steelers are right in the thick of the AFC North race. Games head-to-head against their divisional foes in the coming weeks will tell us everything on if this team really is for real or if they are just a team bailed by the refs to their current record.
13. New Orleans Saints (5-3)
Previously #11 -
The shine has worn off for the Saints who somehow found a way to outlast Brady and the Bucs last weekend with Trevor Siemian at QB. He wasn't terrible on Sunday, but he certainly wasn't great. The Saints are in a weird spot now. Just two weeks ago, they looked like serious playoff contenders with Jameis Winston at QB, now I'm not sure they make the playoffs. Siemian or even Taysom Hill both just don't appear like guys who can string together wins with an iffy supporting cast to get this team to the playoffs. While they almost came back and won, the Saints lost to a poor Falcons team at home on Sunday. It doesn't get any easier this week against Tennessee...
14. Cincinnati Bengals (5-4)
Previously #10 -
Is the inevitable happening again? After such a promising start to the season, the Bengals have dropped back-to-back games and are starting to look like the classic Cinncy team that falls apart after a hot start. We hope it is different this year. Just two weeks ago, the Bengals were the no. 1 team in the AFC, now they are tied for last in their own division. With an improved defense and Joe Burrow/Ja'Marr Chase carrying the offense, we want to think that this team will figure it out and be different than past Bengal teams, but our hopes may not come to fruition if they continue to lose.
15. Las Vegas Raiders (5-3)
Previously #9 -
The Raiders continue to be one of the hardest to read teams in the league. When they are looking grim, they win. When they are getting hot, they lose. I just don't know what to say about this weird weird Raider team. While it came down to the final play, the Raiders did lose to the lowly Giants this week. That is a major disappointment for a team that would have one of the best records in the entire league had they won a game that they were heavily favored in. There may just be too many off the field issues with this team for things to work out. Their record has them squarely in playoff conversation at the moment, but they will need to get back in the win column immediately if they want to stay in that position.
16. Kansas City Chiefs (5-4)
Previously #16
Delusional Chiefs fans might be out partying in the streets after the win vs Green Bay on Sunday, but it came at a major asterisks. GB was without Aaron Rodgers and playing with second-year QB Jordan Love in his first career start. Things were rough for Love but even with how poorly he played, it was still a game to the very end. It was a decent performance on both sides of the ball for the Chiefs but you again have to realize the circumstances. KC continues to be one of the luckiest teams in the league and it will run out soon. This just doesn't look like a playoff team to me.
17. Seattle Seahawks (3-5)
Previously #17
The bye came at a perfect time for this team that suddenly is within a game of a wildcard spot due to the underperforming bottom half of the NFC. Russell Wilson is BACK! That is obviously huge for a team that is ready to make a playoff push down the stretch. The bye couldn't have gone any better for Seattle either as every team they wanted to lose for their own personal gain did in fact lose. A massive game looms this Sunday in Green Bay and it could be huge for Seattle to steal it if Aaron Rodgers doesn't play. At this current moment, the Hawks also appear to be very in on the OBJ sweepstakes, does he end up in the PNW by the end of the week? A lot of positives for Seattle right now after a rough start to the year.
18. Denver Broncos (5-4)
Previously #21 +
19. Indianapolis Colts (4-5)
Previously #20 +
The Colts do not give up. After a winless start to the season through the first few weeks and then a couple of heartbreaking OT losses to Tennessee and Baltimore, they are still here, and still alive in the race. On the back of Jonathan Taylor, the Colts are rolling on offense. Taylor is seemingly becoming a lock to be the NFL's rushing leader by the end of the year without Derrick Henry playing. Taylor is just playing out of his mind right now. The Colts need to keep riding Taylor and the wins will keep coming. This resilient team is not out of anything just yet.
20. Atlanta Falcons (4-4)
Previously #24 +
No one knows how, but the Falcons are at .500 at the mid-season point. As terrible as they have looked for much of the season, the Falcons are at .500. I doubt the winning continues, but they had a statement victory on the road in New Orleans this weekend. They currently hold the final NFC wildcard spot and hope to keep it down the stretch. While this defense continues to be terrible, this offense has many players to be excited about. Matt Ryan is heating up and with Kyle Pitts and Cordarrelle Patterson proving to be elite offensive threats, this team can score on anyone. Sunday's game at Dallas for the Falcons could be one to keep an eye on.
21. Minnesota Vikings (3-5)
Previously #19 -
When you play a game down to the wire every week, you are set up for some heartbreaking losses. Sadly for the Vikings, they seem to come out on the losing end of these thrillers more often than not. A promising start to the season continues to come undone. While they are still very much in the NFC wildcard race, the time is now to start winning these close games. They really couldn't afford to lose a game at Baltimore in which they were up multiple scores at one point in the second half. Their defense has been heating up lately but their offense seems to be faltering subsequently. They have to figure it out and fast.
22. San Fransisco 49ers (3-5)
Previously #18 -
It might be safe to finally call this season a wash for the 49ers. They can win against lesser opponents but just don't have the continuous fight to take down a better team. On Sunday they got absolutely shredded by the Cardinals who were without 4 of their best players including QB Kyler Murray. It wasn't even close. Their defense was supposed to be back to its old ways this season and it hasn't been even close to that form. Jimmy Garopollo shows his flashes but ultimately he never seems to be enough for this team to win. The one bright spot for this Niners team that just dropped its 8th straight home game was the return of George Kittle who did fumble but also had 100+ yards. If the Niners continue to lose like this, it sets up an interesting off-season.
23. Carolina Panthers (4-5)
Previously #23
Another loss for the Panthers. The return of CMC didn't mean as much as we thought it would. Against the stout Patriot did, he did not do much. The Panthers are just not a good team. I won't say much more, but they just aren't. They would be much lower if they didn't have the 4 wins (3 of which came from the first 3 games of the season).
24. New York Giants (3-6)
Previously #27 +
The defense has been improving each and every week and finally had a statement performance. Behind this defense, the Giants upset the Raiders and left the NFL world shocked. DE Leonard Williams was amazing as he was all over Derek Carr the entire game. Heading into the bye week, the team will try and get healthier on offense and hope that they can move the ball more effectively when they return to match how good this defense is finally playing. Saquon Barkley may be close to a return.
Previously #25
What a valiant effort the Bears put up to try and comeback and win on MNF against the Steelers. Even though they have such a good defense, Justin Fields was great. He put up his second straight good performance and is finally starting to look like they guy the Bears thought they were getting when they traded up to draft him. This clearly isn't their year, but what we saw last night was promising for the future of this team. Side note: the NFL taunting rule needs to go, the Bears arguably might have lost singlehandedly because of it.
26. Philadelphia Eagles (3-6)
Previously #22 -
I say this every week, the Eagles came so close to winning against a good team, but couldn't wind up doing it in the end. HC Nick Sirianni just isn't it. Hopefully the Eagles find that out sooner rather than later for their own sakes but it's true. He just isn't right for the job. Riding RB Jordan Howard, the offense looked good again in this one, they just didn't do enough on D to outlast the Chargers. Jalen Hurts continues to impress me but him alone isn't enough for the Eagles to win games it would appear.
27. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6)
Previously #30 +
Upset of the year??!! It was amazing to watch the Jaguars stifle the high flying Bills on Sunday and get one of the most unexpected victories of the decade. You have to be happy for HC Urban Meyer who is much maligned and needed this win. It probably doesn't matter much for the rest of the season, but it was nice to see the Jags do this. Can they build off of it by any chance?
28. New York Jets (2-6)
Previously #26 -
Mike White mania came to a bit of an abrupt halt as he was injured in the first quarter of the Jets' loss to the Colts on Thursday. It was looking like he wasn't just a one game fluke though as he led the Jets to a scoring drive right away. Could the Jets have upset the Colts had White finished the game? We will never know. White might be back on Sunday for the Jets as they face Buffalo and look to maybe pull off another major upset just like last weekend against the Bengals.
29. Miami Dolphins (2-7)
Previously #29
The Dolphins got their second win of the year on Sunday, but just barely, and against the terrible Texans. This team is so ready for the off-season in which they will probably retool and could contend again next season. For now, they are a joke.
30. Washington Football Team (2-6)
Previously #28 -
It was nice for WFT fans to be on bye this week, so they couldn't lose again.
31. Houston Texans (1-8)
Previously #31
Even with the return of Tyrod Taylor, it did not matter for this team. The Texans are so so bad. They lost to the Dolphins. Not much promise with this team as they will be in a dog fight with Detroit for the no. 1 overall pick in the draft the rest of the way.
32. Detroit Lions (0-8)
Previously #32
Just like Washington, it was nice for Detroit to have a bye so they couldn't lose again. Maybe they did lose even on a bye week. Who knows. This team is one of the worst of all-time and genuinely is more likely to go winless than not at this point.
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