NFL Power Rankings after Week 10: Changes everywhere

Week 10 saw changes throughout the NFL, with Super Bowl contenders losing games you would expect them to win and previously written-off teams winning games no one thought they would. It’s time to see where every team ranks after the completion of week 10.

It perhaps feels too harsh to keep ripping on Tommy Devito, a player who probably never expected to see much playing time this season. Having said that, is he really the best the Giants could get as a backup? This team is, once again, a mess.

There was a lot of optimism in Carolina at the start of the season. An exciting new quarterback led by what seemed like a solid coaching staff. Unfortunately, things went downhill early and continue to worsen week by week.

Bill Belichick is the best coach of all time, willing to try new things and take risks. That was a lot easier when you had Tom Brady under center. Now Bill’s schtick is looking a little silly. From not having a returner on a very returnable punt to benching your starting QB in a two-minute drill, nothing is working in Foxborough.

TNF viewers were treated to a spectacular 16-13 win for the Bears. Chicago now sits a lofty 3-7, possibly three wins more than we expected at the start of the season, but not exactly great. There is a severe lack of inspiration in this team, with nothing to play for and no expectations for a full rebuild either.

The Rams will probably win a few more games in the back half of the season, maybe even impacting playoff seedings within their division. Ultimately, though, this is a team in transition that needs to decide what their plan for the future is, and fast.

The return of Kyler Murray gives the Cardinals’ new coaching staff a chance to review their options moving forward. It’s possible Murray still has what it takes to be a starting QB in the NFL, which will open the door to drafting a team around him. If not, well, Caleb Williams and Drake Maye could be within their reach.

Washington was in position to make a run at a Wildcard spot before the trade deadline. Then they traded away both starting edge-rushers and now look a shell of their former selves defensively. What’s their plan?

Jordan Love mostly played well in this game after a rough few weeks, but a couple of INTs gave the game to the Steelers. The Packers won’t be a bad team for long if Love can figure it out, there’s just no guarantee that’s going to happen.

In a league that is posing more questions than answers, perhaps the biggest question of them all is, what is Arthur Smith doing? Is he a serious coach? Are the Falcons a serious team? It’s impossible to know on a week-to-week basis.

It’s never fair to rip on young QBs to prove a point, but we were down on Will Levis pre-draft, and the reasons why are becoming obvious. His accuracy and decision-making aren’t good enough, especially behind a leaky offensive line. The arm talent is otherworldly, so hopefully he can turn it around, otherwise, it’s another stretch in NFL purgatory for Tennessee.

If it wasn’t obvious before, it certainly has been the past two weeks, Zach Wilson is not the guy, and never will be. The Jets organization looks ridiculous backing him this season given what Joshua Dobbs is doing in Minnesota. Dobbs on this Jets team is arguably still a Super Bowl contender.

One of the games of the year between the Chargers and the Lions, with LA losing in a heartbreaking, yet somehow predictable fashion. Justin Herbert is incredible, Keenan Allen remains unguardable, and Brandon Staley’s defense still gets gashed on the ground.

The Raiders seem to be having fun again, which is great to see after Josh McDaniels’ awful tenure. Aiden O’Connell probably isn’t the guy to lead them to glory, but giving him the season seems sensible. Who knows, this could yet be a team making a serious playoff push.

Don’t look now, but this Broncos team is rolling. Beating Buffalo in Buffalo is no mean feat, even this season. Russell Wilson is looking somewhere close to his best again and defensively they are not a bad unit at all.

Apologies to all NFL fans in Germany as they were ‘treated’ to one of the worst games of the year, with the Colts running out 10-6 winners over the Pats. What was once the marquee matchup of the season was a game between a bad team and a team starting Gardner Minshew. Not quite Brady v Manning…

Derek Carr’s concussion saw him leave the field, Jameis Winston played fairly well when he stepped up. It was perhaps the most ‘Jameis Winston’ game of all time, making some incredible throws no one else would even attempt, keeping his team in the game and still throwing for two picks. Never change, Jameis, never change.

The NFC South is one of the most intriguing divisions in football at the moment. Three teams are in a genuine battle for first place despite their obvious flaws and mediocrity. The Bucs could have the inside track given their offensive personnel. We trust the team with Mike Evans to win games.

The Bills have been all over these power rankings this season. It speaks to a strangeness about them that is hard to figure out. They just don’t seem as good as previous versions of themselves, losing games they would previously have won. Perhaps this isn’t their year after all.

The Seahawks are a good team, and that’s about as much praise as we’re willing to give them. They snuck a win against a competitive Washington team, which is nothing to be sniffed at, they just don’t seem to stack up talent-wise to some of the top teams in the NFL.

Joe Burrow through a couple of awful picks in the Bengals’ loss to the Texans, a game they really should be winning if they want to keep themselves in the playoff race. A little like the Bills, this isn’t the juggernaut of seasons past.

There are very few superlatives left to describe what C.J. Stroud is doing in his rookie year. He’s been playing like one of the best QBs in the league in recent weeks. Making quick reads, finding open receivers, and operating out of structure in a way many thought he couldn’t. This is a fun team to root for going down the stretch.

We had the Jags at four last week, which always felt a little high, but given other teams losing around them, they sort of ended up there by default. This week they were humiliated by the 49ers who seemed to spend most of the second half trying to get Christian McCaffrey his record-setting TD.

Joshua Dobbs is an impressive individual, leading the Vikings to another win and the inside track to another playoff berth. Another impressive individual is Kevin O’Connell who has his team playing outstanding football despite losing their starting QB and All-World wide receiver.

The Steelers make it incredibly hard for you to beat them. Despite very little productivity through the air, they were able to move the ball at will in the ground game with rookie Broderick Jones looking like a stud at tackle. No one will want to face this team in January.

The Browns looked down and out against their division rivals in Baltimore before staging a late comeback that showcased everything good about this team. Their pass rush is formidable, their secondary is opportunistic and offensively they can do enough to win lots of games.

Miami is sitting pretty atop the AFC East following the Bills’ loss to the Broncos. They are still yet to prove they can beat the elite teams, which is something they are going to have to show in the second half of their season.

The Ravens lost a close game to a very talented divisional opponent, certainly not the end of the world. It just feels like it’s those sorts of games where the very best teams find a way to win despite the momentum shifting entirely against them. Still, the Ravens are playoff-bound and a nightmare match-up for anyone.

The top five are all exceptional teams, and four of them are going to be in the NFC, not something many would have expected this late in the season. The Cowboys could arguably be a place or two higher, but they’ve lost to both the Niners and Eagles this year so need to show they can win against the elite teams.

The Lions are one of only three seven-win teams in the NFL, so putting them at four may seem controversial. They are an excellent team, loaded offensively, especially in the trenches, but defensively there are flaws. On a player-to-player basis, we just don’t see them stacking up to some of the very best teams.

The Niners’ bye week came at the perfect time as they were able to lick their wounds and put their three-game losing streak behind them. Adding Chase Young to an already great defense is worrying for every other team.

Is this the uber-dominant Chiefs team of the past few seasons? No, but they are still comfortably among the best teams in the league. This defense has come on so much in the past couple of seasons, with experienced DC Steve Spagnulo shaping them into a formidable unit.

The only eight-win team in the league, the Eagles have not played perfect football for much of the year, yet their incredibly loaded roster can win games most teams would lose. The Eagles face the Chiefs in KC on MNF with both teams coming off their bye weeks, this is a game everyone should be keeping an eye on.