If you take part in a survivor pool for the NFL, you have my condolences. In a week full of turmoil that nobody could expect, this week provided a roller coaster of emotions for even the casual NFL fan. With so much craziness going on across the league, and with some teams on bye watching from afar, it’s tough to get a grasp on just where everyone stacks up. Although we are already in Week 10, the race to Super Bowl LVI and the [Vince] Lombardi Trophy is still wide open for the taking. Here are your updated NFL power rankings.
NFL Power Rankings: Week 10
1) Arizona Cardinals (8-1) (Last Week: 3)
Arizona rebounded to their first loss of the season in a big way against San Francisco. With quarterback Kyler Murray out for the game, Colt McCoy looked like the best backup in the league, completing 22 of his 26 passes for 249 yards and a touchdown. The bounty of offensive weapons at his disposal certainly helped, but it remains to be seen if this team can win the big games. Arizona’s strength of schedule is tied for 11th among the 16 teams in the NFC alone and 18th overall.
2) Green Bay Packers (7-2) (2)
Jordan Love’s first career start for the green and gold did not go as he or the Packers faithful would have hoped. With that being said, the Packers went into Arrowhead and lost by just six to a Kansas City Chiefs team that should’ve had them beaten by the end of the first half. While there were plenty of special teams miscues that definitely need to be cleaned up right now, there’s no mistake that Aaron Rodgers would’ve absolutely shredded this Kansas City team. The defense looked incredible and held Patrick Mahomes in check, even with multiple injuries across the board.
3) Tennessee Titans (7-2) (8)
Many wondered what this Tennessee Titans team would look like without the monster that is Derrick Henry at running back. Right off the bat, the Titans received a huge test in the form of an away game against the Los Angeles Rams. Boy did they pass with flying colors. Defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons had three sacks in just the first half and this defense looked elite. While the rushing efficiency surely took a hit, the Rams are by no means an easy team to run against. Vrabel really opened up the playbook on offense and they were rolling on all cylinders in the first half. That’s better than most teams can say against this Rams defense.
4) Los Angeles Rams (7-2) (1)
The Rams played a Titans team without Derrick Henry at home and were punched in the mouth almost immediately. LA did come back nicely after being down 21-3 at the half, but they showed that they need more than just their defense. While their offense has plenty of firepower, their offensive line just did not cut it against Tennessee. Matthew Stafford looked rattled under pressure and his decision-making can and should be questioned. They’ll look to bounce back against a bad 49ers team.
5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2) (4)
Tampa Bay had a bye week and certainly enjoyed seeing the Atlanta Falcons best the New Orleans Saints to give them a lead atop of the NFC South again. The Buccaneers don’t play a team above .500 again until mid-December when they play the Buffalo Bills at home. The only true threat that stands in this team’s way until then is if they come out bored and are outhustled. With Tom Brady running the show, I doubt that happens, so we should see them climb the NFL Power Rankings.
6) Baltimore Ravens (6-2) (7)
Say what you will about Baltimore, but they sure have a knack for winning ugly. After falling behind by 14 points twice, once in both halves, the Ravens were able to turn it on when needed. While a home win over the Minnesota Vikings, especially one in which they gave up 31 points, isn’t great, Lamar Jackson is. Jackson has to be the MVP frontrunner as of now, and he tied Mike Vick’s record with his 10th game as a quarterback with more than 100 rushing yards.
7) Buffalo Bills (5-3) (5)
The Buffalo Bills looked like they were sleepwalking against the Miami Dolphins in a home win last week, and many wondered when it would catch up with them. We no longer have to wait to find out. The Bills were embarrassed in a 9-6 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Josh Allen reverted back to his rookie form, as he had two interceptions, a fumble and took a big sack while in field goal range on the last drive. Credit to the Jaguars defense for playing well, but there is no doubt that this offense needs to go back to the drawing board. Playing dink-and-dunk offense with Cole Beasley when you have the weapons they have is inexcusable.
8) Cleveland Browns (5-4) (14)
Dare I say the Cleveland Browns look better without Odell Beckham Jr. at wide receiver? While they did play against a Cincinnati team that just lost to the New York Jets, Baker Mayfield and this Browns offense were on another level. Nick Chubb looked like the best running back in the league, Mayfield was spreading the ball around and he was accurate on long shots downfield. The defense certainly chipped in as well, but this offense looked like they should, even with Kareem Hunt still sidelined.
9) Dallas Cowboys (6-2) (6)
“America’s Team” looked about as ugly as the political landscape before the last election. Teddy Bridgewater and the Denver Broncos came into “Jerry World” and made Dallas bend to their will. While the score only shows Dallas losing by 14 points, the game wasn’t nearly that close, as Denver had a 30-0 lead with six minutes left in the fourth quarter. The offense stalled out way too often and their defense was exposed. The warning signs have been showing on this team for weeks, but nobody expected it to drop off this quickly. While they do play the Falcons at home next week, they were supposed to beat Denver and we saw how that turned out.
10) Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3) (12)
Although they needed a lot of help from the referees, the Pittsburgh Steelers were able to get the job done and beat the Chicago Bears at home. The Steelers had all the momentum in the game, but this turned into a thriller thanks to more poor playcalling for the Pittsburgh offense. To score 29 points on this Bears defense with a quarterback as immobile as Ben Roethlisberger is impressive. The Steelers win ugly often this year, but a win’s a win, and it got them into the top 10 of this week’s NFL Power Rankings.
