NFL Power Rankings – Week 10
Each week during the heart of the NFL season, and once or twice during the NFL Preseason, we’ll gather the troops around the roundtable and hash out the NFL Power rankings. We check out the stats, looks at the records, and, most importantly, we take a close, close look at the heart of each team.
Best performance from Week 9
Miami – I am surprised to be writing about the Dolphins here but have to give them their due. They played a clean game and got the convincing victory as a result. Since they don’t get to play themselves or the other horrible teams at the bottom it might be their only one.
Worst performance from Week 9
It wouldn’t be a stretch to give it to the Chiefs but I think it has to go to Buffalo. With all due respect to the Jets, the Bills were feeling good and at home and they got smacked. They didn’t even crack 300 yards of offense and lost the time of possession battle by 15 minutes.
Best game of Week 10
This week there are quite a few to choose from with several games featuring two playoff contenders. For me, the one I am most interested in is Pittsburgh at Cincinnati. Baltimore should win at Seattle so the winner of this will be able to keep pace with the Ravens. Pittsburgh needs it more in the standings while the Bengals need it more for confidence and credibility.
The Rankings
1. Green Bay (8-0) – As long as they stay undefeated they will remain at the top. In fact they could probably lose and still hold on to the top spot.
2. San Francisco (7-1) – I am not sure they are the second best team but they are the only team with just a single loss so that has to count for something. This week they will have their first test in a couple of weeks against the Giants.
3. Baltimore (6-2) – It gets tough when you look at the 6 win teams to determine who is the best but Baltimore gets the nod here due to their two wins against Pittsburgh. Especially last week on the road.
4. Detroit Lions (6-2) – The question is not how to evaluate their performance in the first half. It is whether they can keep it up. Chicago this week on the road will be a test.
5. New York Giants (6-2) – The public keeps doubting and the team keeps winning. They have a nice cushion in the NFC East but will be tested big time at San Francisco. Time to start buying Eli.
6. New Orleans Saints (6-3) – An important win told us what we already knew: The Saints are tough to beat at the Superdome. They have a visit to the Georgia Dome on Sunday for a honey of a game with the rival Falcons.
7. Cincinnati Bengals (6-2) Until they start losing it is hard not to include them near the top. Facing an angry Steelers team is going to be their stiffest test yet.
8. Pittsburgh (6-3) – The Steelers are still a very good team but they are in a tight spot having already lost to Baltimore twice. They are still very much in the thick of things for the Wild Card race in the AFC even if they are playing below expectations.
9. New York Jets (5-3) – I was impressed with their play on Sunday. Of the three teams logjammed at the top of the AFC East they are the only one heading in the right direction.
10. New England Patriots (5-3) – And here comes the rest of them. The last couple of games have confirmed what we already knew. Average Brady = Patriots loss. The real question is whether he is off or are defenses getting smarter.
11. Houston Texans (6-3) – I think these guys are a notch below the elite teams but they might have just the right construction to go far in the playoffs with that running game. When Andre Johnson is back lookout.
12. Atlanta Falcons (5-3) – Cruised over Indy as expected. We will get a real measure this weekend when they host the Saints. Winner takes control of NFC South.
13. Chicago (5-3) – The Bears keep confounding me with their victories including their most reason win over the Eagles. This week they have a revenge game with Detroit which they need to stay in the playoff picture. Can Cutler handle the pressure and win? We’ll see.
14. Buffalo (5-3) – I hope it is not the beginning of the end for the feel good Bills. Their visit to Dallas isn’t going to be easy but it is a very winnable game.
15. Dallas (4-4) – I was hesitant to put the Boys ahead of the Eagles given the whipping Philly but on them but their win against Seattle means they are still in the race for a little while longer. The talent is there if they start applying themselves.
16. Philadelphia (3-5) – The Monday nighter has been typical of the Eagles’ season. Second half blunders paving the way to another loss. And this one the Bears tried to gift to them.
17. Tennessee (4-4) – I was all over the Bengals to beat Tennessee last week. This team has got nothing going for it right now. They aren’t even favoured at Carolina this weekend, which shows that Vegas is as down on these guys as I am.
18. San Diego (4-4) – No shame is losing to the Packers even if they did get shredded on defense. Phillip Rivers is still in a funk, he threw two pick 6s. He better snap out of it before he deep sixes their season. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
19. Oakland (4-4) – Can they just cut their losses with Carson Palmer already? He threw another three picks and without Darren McFadden the Raiders looked sorry against the Broncos. Another division game this week at SD.
20. Kansas City (4-4) – Three teams are tied at 4-4 in the AFC West but I just had to put the Chiefs lowest on the list after the way they lost to Miami last week. I think this team is closer to the one that started 0-3 than the one that won four games in a row afterwards.
21. Tampa Bay (4-4) – I think this is a make or break game for the Bucs. Houston can coast a little bit and they might be catching them at the right time. A loss for TB and their season is done.
22. Carolina (2-6) – Can Newton had cooled a bit so hopefully the Panthers used the bye week to tune up the engine. Home against Tennessee, I like the Panthers this weekend.
23. Cleveland Browns (3-5) – Only two more games before their season falls off the table. The Brownies play 5 of their last 6 against Cincy, Pittsburgh and Baltimore.
24. Denver Broncos (3-5) – I am still not impressed with Tebow as a QB but at least he is a winner Bronco fans. AFC West is the only division where all four teams still have a shot at it.
25. Minnesota Vikings (2-6) – Can a bye week be enough for the Vikings to challenge Green Bay at Lambeau Field this week. Not unless they signed Cris Carter, Randy Moss and Joey Browner with the extra time. Chris Doleman wouldn’t hurt either.
26. Washington (3-5) – I wouldn’t be surprised to see them switch places with Miami below after their visit to the Dolphins on Sunday. The only thing keeping this team respectable is an average defense.
27. Miami (1-7) – The Dolphins didn’t leave much of a chance to throw away the game by putting up 31 points. Now that they have the monkey off their back it is OK to say they are better than some teams that have more wins than them.
28. Arizona Cardinals (2-6) – John Skelton got the start and the team won – in overtime. Patrick Peterson saved the day with a 99 yard punt return for a TD. I can’t remember the last time I saw an OT game end that way.
29. Jacksonville (2-6) – Jags were on a bye last week and have Indy this week on the road. You would think gimme but this is the most futile scoring team in the league this year. They have less than 100 points in a half a season.
30. Seattle (2-6) – The Seahawks are bad, very bad. One of the shocks from last weekend was that the Cowboys didn’t hang 35 on them. It was just a modest beating.
31. St. Louis (1-7) – Rams got a bump last week after beating New Orleans but the only thing they accomplished this week was helping Arizona’s ranking. On the road again this week at Cleveland won’t be much easier for this poor team.
32. Indianapolis (0-9) – Just like the very top, the very bottom is an easy choice. Especially now that only one team is winless. Some hope this week facing Jacksonville.
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