NFL Power Rankings Heading into Week 10

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The 2nd half of the NFL season kicked off with some teams proving that they are serious playoff contenders while other teams proved that their superb start to the season was just a fluke.

In one of the biggest Oakland Raiders games in the post-Gruden era, the Raiders defeated the defending Super Bowl champion Broncos on Sunday Night Football. Matthew Stafford recorded his 5th game-winning drive this season as the Lions beat the Vikings with another clutch finish by the Lions offense. The Colts finally won a road game against a winning team as they beat Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. After poor starts to the season, the Dolphins and Saints got back to the .500 mark. The Giants defense performed well against Carson Wentz and the Eagles as Big Blue won their 3rd game in a row.

After nine weeks of the NFL season, here are the NFL Power Rankings heading into week 10.

1. New England Patriots (7–1) — Ranked #1 last week

• No movement at the #1 spot as the Patriots remain at the top for another week. Tom Brady and the Patriots enjoyed a much needed bye week but now they will prepare for a Super Bowl rematch against the Seattle Seahawks.

2. Dallas Cowboys (7–1) — Ranked #2 last week

• The Cowboys went into Cleveland and they had no problem getting the job done. Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott combined for all five Cowboys touchdowns. On defense, the Cowboys continued their underappreciated streak as they have not allowed a 100 yard receiver or a 100 yard rusher in any game this season. The Cowboys front seven were able to get to Cody Kessler four times and Cowboys defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli had another excellent defensive game plan. Now every NFL fan will have to answer this question: are the Cowboys the real deal? If the playoffs were to start today, they would rank as the #1 seed but would they make it to the Super Bowl? So far, they have played flawless football and they deserve to be the favorites in the NFC.

3. Kansas City Chiefs (6–2) — Ranked # 4 last week

• The Chiefs are one of the best under the radar teams over the last decade. With all of the talk going to the top teams such as New England and Dallas as well as the rising Raiders and Falcons, the Chiefs are quietly taking care of business. Even without starters Alex Smith and Jamaal Charles, the Chiefs extended their win streak to four games with a win over the Jaguars. Against quarterbacks Derek Carr, Drew Brees, Andrew Luck, and Blake Bortles, the Chiefs defense have allowed just 14 points per game in their four game win streak.

4. Oakland Raiders (7–2) — Ranked #5 last week

• In a battle of top five offense vs top five defense, Latavius Murray and the Raiders offense came away victorious. The Broncos defense had not allowed at least 30 points in their last 13 games but the Raiders ended the streak. Latavius Murray rushed for 114 yards and three touchdowns as the Broncos defensive front were unable to limit Murray to one or two yard gains but they allowed numerous 10+ yard gains instead. Khalil Mack also had an excellent day in pass rush as he sacked Trevor Siemian two times to go along with two tackles for a loss. Like with the Dallas Cowboys, every NFL fan is asking, are the Raiders serious contenders? Their offense will have no problem putting together multiple long scoring drives per game but 3rd down stops by the defense will be the x-factor to their success.

5. Seattle Seahawks (5–2–1) — Ranked #7 last week

• Jimmy Graham is finally being utilized like he is supposed to, at least 8–10 targets per game and the Seahawks are loving the results. After a down year last season, Jimmy Graham is playing like vintage New Orleans Saints Graham as he now has three 100+ yard games to go along with three touchdown receptions. Pass blocking and rush offense continues to be a major concern for the Seahawks.

6. Atlanta Falcons (6–3) — Ranked #8 last week

• Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it was another all-around outstanding performance by the Falcons offense. They scored at least 10 points in every quarter and they scored 40 points for the third time this season- all versus NFC South opponents. Matt Ryan continued to make a strong case for the MVP award. Through nine games, Ryan has accumulated a league-leading 2,980 passing yards and 23 touchdown passes.

7. Denver Broncos (6–3) — Ranked #3 last week

• The 2015 Broncos did not have their 3rd loss until week 14, ironically to the Raiders, but the 2016 Broncos are now at 6–3 after nine weeks. Against one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL, Trevor Siemian struggled to get anything going as he completed 48% of passes. The Broncos have the Saints upcoming and it will be another huge test for Von Miller and the Broncos defense.

8. New York Giants (5–3) — Ranked #12 last week

• After a tough three game losing streak, the Giants have responded with a three game winning streak. Their game against the Eagles almost ended in a disaster after an Eli Manning interception but the Giants defense came through with a clutch stop to end the game. The Giants will now look ahead to a home game against the Bengals next week.

9. Detroit Lions (5–4) — Ranked #14 last week

• Matthew “Clutch” Stafford did it again. The Lions offense could not get much going until the 4th quarter. A late drive to set up Matt Prater for the game-tying touchdown and a game-winning touchdown pass to Golden Tate sealed the Lions 5th win of the season. Stafford now has a 4th quarter comeback in all five Lions wins to go along with 18 touchdowns and 5 interceptions.

10. Minnesota Vikings (5–3) — Ranked #6 last week

• What happened to the Vikings? Rollercoaster season for Vikings fans as they went from Super Bowl hopefuls to now holding a 0.5 game lead in the NFC North. The Vikings are desperate for Adrian Peterson to return as the Vikings unbalanced offense has forced Bradford to throw 35+ passes in his last three games. Vikings defense have also now allowed at least 20 points in three straight games compared to zero in their first five games. Vikings will be a getting a much needed boost as guard Alex Boone and defensive starters Sharrif Floyd and Eric Kendricks should be returning over the next two weeks.

11. Houston Texans (5–3) — Ranked #11 last week

• After a their bye week in week nine, the Texans will travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars. Watch out for the Colts and Titans…

12. Philadelphia Eagles (4–4) — Ranked #10 last week

• Before the bye week, Carson Wentz completed 64% of passes with an impressive five touchdowns/zero interceptions ratio. After the bye week, Wentz has completed 64% of passes with four touchdowns/five interceptions. Defensive coordinators have had solid game plans against Wentz over the past month but all the fault for the Eagles recent struggles should evidently not go to Wentz. Crucial drops by Eagles receivers and an inconsistent rushing game have also been a negative factor in the Eagles last four games.

13. New Orleans Saints (4–4) — Ranked #18 last week

• First off, congrats to Drew Brees as he is now one touchdown pass away from 450 in his career. Now with the Saints vs 49ers game, it went just as you would have expected it to go. No surprise as Brees went for 300+ yards and three touchdowns again while Mark Ingram finally had a 100+ yard rushing game. Here come the Saints back in playoff contention.

14. Green Bay Packers (4–4) — Ranked #13 last week

• On the Football Night in America pregame show, analyst and former NFL player Rodney Harrison said it best when referring to the Packers latest loss, “Aaron Rodgers just can not do it all.” That opinion is an echo of what many NFL fans think too as the Packers dropped a close one to the Colts in week nine. Against a struggling Colts offensive line, the Packers were unable to disrupt Andrew Luck’s rhythm as the Colts scored 24 points in the 1st half. With the sudden downfall of the Vikings, Packers fans should not give up on the division just yet.

15. Miami Dolphins (4–4) — Ranked #22 last week

• When everyone threw in the towel on the Dolphins 2016 season, Jay Ayaji decided to turn the tide and carry this team, literally. After two 200+ yard performances in his last two games. Ayaji put up yet another superb performance with 111 rushing yards and a touchdown against the Jets. Jordan Phillips and Bobby McCain were able to pick off two Ryan Fitzpatrick passes and now the Dolphins have made it two wins in a row. The Dolphins will have the Chargers up next in a battle of two surging teams in the AFC.

16. Washington Redskins (4–3–1) — Ranked #16 last week

• After the bye week, the Redskins will have the Vikings up next as they will try to keep pace in the NFC East.

17. San Diego Chargers (4–5) — Ranked #21 last week

• The Chargers +21 in the point differential is the highest you will ever see for a losing team and that does not paint the entire picture for the Chargers season so far. Anyways, Melvin Gordon was the shining star for the Chargers against the Titans. Gordon rushed for a career high 196 rushing yards and he was unstoppable once he reached the Titans secondary. Watch out for the Chargers as they could potentially sneak into the playoff race as the they will only play three winning teams in their final seven games including home games against the Raiders and Chiefs.

18. Baltimore Ravens (4–4) — Ranked #27 last week

• The Ravens rush defense was the story of the game once again. C.J Mosley and the Ravens defense held Le’Veon Bell and the Steelers rush offense to just 36 yards on a two yards per carry average. Offense, defense, and special teams all had huge plays that resulted in touchdowns. Joe Flacco and the Ravens are now in 1st place and they will get ready for their first Thursday Night Football game of the year with a matchup against the winless Browns.

19. Pittsburgh Steelers (4–4) — Ranked #9 last week

• After three quarters against the Ravens in week nine, the Steelers offense had a total of 69 yards. Yes, 69 total yards for a team that aspired to average 30 points per game. Coming off injury, Ben Roethlisberger played one of his worst games in years. Ben was not able to connect with receiver Antonio Brown, he missed plenty of wide open receivers and overthrows were a big issue. Defense and special teams allowed two crucial plays that would turn into touchdowns and it was an overall mess for the Steelers. At 4–4, Mike Tomlin will need to gather the team and tell them that there are eight games left and well, it starts next week against the 7–1 Cowboys.

20. Indianapolis Colts (4–5) — Ranked #26 last week

• Many Colts fans could not believe what they were seeing on Sunday. Not only did the Colts play their best game of the season but they also beat a winning team on the road for the first time since the week six of the 2014 season against the Texans. Pass protection for Luck was actually decent as Luck was sacked “just” two times and hit eight times. On defense, they did just enough as Darius Butler came through with an interception and although it was an ugly win, this win put them a game under the .500 mark and still alive in the AFC South… but then again, a team could be 1–7 and still have a legit chance to win the division.

21. Buffalo Bills (4–5) — Ranked #15 last week

• After a 4–2 start, the Bills have now lost three in a row. They did play a well-rounded game on offense with a huge game by Robert Woods but it was not enough as the Bills were unable to score a game-winning touchdown in the late stages of the 4th quarter. Trying to get back in playoff contention will be tough considering that the Broncos, Chiefs, Steelers, and Dolphins are all currently ahead of them in the wild card race.

22. Carolina Panthers (3–5) — Ranked #24 last week

• Another mediocre performance by the Panthers offense but that it not matter much as the defense were able to shutdown Case Keenum and Todd Gurley. The Rams were able to total 339 yards but they clawed their way to a mere 10 points. These wins for the Panthers are not as flawless as last year’s wins en route to a 15–1 record but at this point in the season, they will take it.

23. Cincinnati Bengals (3–4–1) — Ranked #19 last week

• Coming off the bye, the Bengals will take on the red hot Giants team as Cincinnati will have a chance to get back to the .500 mark.

24. Arizona Cardinals (3–4–1) — Ranked #20 last week

• The Cardinals were on their bye this week but with the big wins by the Panthers, Colts, Ravens, and Chargers, the Cardinals dropped four spots this week. With the playoffs still in mind, they will look to get back on track with a home game against the 49ers.

25. Tennessee Titans (4–5) — Ranked #17 last week

• For the 2nd time this season, the Titans blew another golden opportunity for a winning record. A win against the Chargers would have put them at 5–4 and half a game back of the Texans for 1st place in the division. Instead, the theme of the game was Marcus Mariota literally throwing the game away and Melvin Gordon giving the Titans a taste of their own medicine. Mariota turned the ball over three times with two of the turnovers returned for Chargers defensive touchdowns. Mariota had a good day throwing the football but costly turnovers halted potential scoring drives. The #2 ranked rush offense Titans had just 80 rushing yards as rookie Derrick Henry was ruled out with a calf injury. Instead, Chargers running back Melvin Gordon put on a show with 196 total yards. Titans will have the Packers up next.

26. New York Jets (3–6) — Ranked #23 last week

• The way it is looking with three winning teams in the AFC West and the division-leading Patriots taking control of the division, it is safe to say that the Jets will not be playing playoff football. Special teams errors and the inability to contain Jay Ayaji ultimately proved costly for the Jets as they lost yet another game. Now before fans began to scout DeShone Kizer or DeShaun Watson, give Petty and Hackenberg a chance.

27. Los Angeles Rams (3–5) — Ranked #25 last week

• “We want Goff, We Want Goff” was chanted all game long by Rams fans. Case Keenum had another below average game but it definitely was not all his fault. Dropped passes -including a dropped TD pass- and 10 penalties were also factors in the loss. Rams defense performed well as they did not allow Cam Newton to open up the Rams defense with deep passes as Cam was faced with pressure on more than half of his dropbacks. Rams fans called for a quarterback change but they should probably also call for a head coaching change.

28. Chicago Bears (2–6) — Ranked #28 last week

• The Bears are still enjoying their huge win over the Vikings but they will take on the Buccaneers next week with Jay Cutler looking to make it back-to-back solid games.

29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3–5) — Ranked #29 last week

• In the Bucs last two games, they have allowed 73 points and Matt Ryan/Derek Carr have combined for 857 passing yards and eight touchdown passes. The Bucs defense has plenty of talent from Gerald McCoy, Lavonte David and the developing rookie Vernon Hargreaves III but they just can not find a way to get clutch stops in the 4th quarter. On offense, Jameis Winston has performed well but the offensive line continue to be the glaring issue. Winston was sacked 27 times last season in 16 games but now he has been sacked 22 times through 10 games.

30. Jacksonville Jaguars (2–6) — Ranked #30 last week

• It was more of the same for the Jaguars offense as they struggled to string together a couple of long scoring drives but the offense woke up in the 4th quarter. A stagnant offense led by Bortles pulled within five points in 4th quarter but once again, it was not enough. Looks like Gus Bradley will survive another week as the Jaguars head coach… somehow.

31. San Francisco 49ers (1–7) — Ranked #31 last week

• Drew Brees probably came into the 49ers game with memories of the 2012 heartbreaking loss in the NFC Divisional playoff game. And Brees avenged the loss four years later and the 49ers defense had no answer. The 49ers defense allowed 571 total yards and seven Saints scoring drives. The 49ers struggled all day in coverage and missed tackles piled up as Mark Ingram was successfully able to reach the open field on numerous occasions.

32. Cleveland Browns (0–9) — Ranked #32 last week

• Another week and another loss for the Cleveland Browns. The GPODAWUND squad lost 35–10 to the Cowboys as they allowed 423 total yards. The race for a defensive star such as Texas A&M’s Myles Garrett or Alabama’s Jonathan Allen is looking good as they easily hold the #1 pick at the moment.