NFL Week 10 power rankings

Week 9 provided a handful of wildly exciting games. From the Lions upsetting the Vikings in overtime to the Raiders emerging as the best team in the AFC West to the Seahawks escaping a potential home loss to the Bills, it was a fantastic slate of games. That doesn’t necessarily mean things became any clearer as far as the standings go.

The Patriots and Cowboys remain the teams to beat in each conference, with a handful of other teams looking like potential Super Bowl contenders. Fortunately, we still have seven more weeks to figure all of this out as it’s sure to be a crazy finish down the stretch.

Here are your NFL power rankings heading into Week 10.

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The Browns remain the worst team in the league and are in serious danger of going 0-16. While they don’t lack effort on the field, their underwhelming talent and youth is a problem on both offense and defense. At least rookie QB Cody Kessler has played relatively well and avoided mistakes this season.

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Colin Kaepernick had one of the best games of his career, totaling 421 combined passing and rushing yards and two touchdowns. The 49ers still got blown out by the Saints, but it was a step in the right direction for a quarterback trying to resurrect his career.

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The Jaguars probably could have beaten the Chiefs if not for an apparent missed call by the officials when Chris Ivory’s touchdown was ruled a fumble. However, that doesn’t make up for Blake Bortles’ struggles and inability to routinely complete 10-yard passes.

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Jameis Winston played fairly well against the Falcons, using Mike Evans when he needed his big receiver most. Unfortunately, the defense couldn’t hold its own against Matt Ryan and the Falcons, resulting in yet another loss. The Bucs have several issues on both sides of the ball, but their lack of a running game is concerning.

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When will Jeff Fisher turn to Jared Goff? Seemingly never, but the time has to come at some point – perhaps when they’re out of the playoff race, as if they’re not already. The Rams are a complete mess, having lost four in a row after starting 3-1. It appears Fisher is destined for 7-9 yet again, if not worse.

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The last time the Bears played, they looked great with Jay Cutler playing well in his return. Unfortunately, that was two weeks ago and they hit their bye in Week 9. They’re still among the worst in the league, but at least they looked capable of winning their last time out.

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The Jets lost yet another divisional game, and now quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has an MCL injury. Their season has gone completely off the rails, which will lead to an offseason rebuild. Part of that rebuilding process may include moving cornerback Darrelle Revis to safety or cutting him altogether.

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The Bengals didn’t play in Week 9, but with so many teams below them winning, they drop a bit – especially given the fact that they have the ninth-worst record in football.

The Titans and Marcus Mariota were playing as well as anyone before the Chargers ended their hot streak. They’re still squarely in the mix in the AFC South, but Sunday’s loss hurts a bit, considering the chances they had to win the game.

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The Panthers won again, but beating Case Keenum’s Rams by three points isn’t exactly a confidence-builder. They still have a long and tough road ahead of them, but their recent success is promising – at least to prove they are not the worst team ever to appear in the Super Bowl the prior season.

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The Colts marched into Lambeau Field and beat the Packers, which was their most impressive victory in some time. Andrew Luck still needs significant help on the offensive line, but they played well in a tough environment despite their opponent being noticeably uninspired – not even by the rogue squirrel in the end zone.

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Yes, the Bills were the victims of botched refereeing at the end of the first half. And yes, Tyrod Taylor played arguably the best game of his career against an elite defense. But they still lost their third straight game Monday against the Seahawks. There just aren’t enough playmakers on offense to spread the ball around and keep a defense on its toes.

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The Dolphins continued to ride Jay Ajayi to third straight victory as they’ve surged up the AFC standings to a 4-4 record. They haven’t become an overly frightening team to play, but if they can continue to run the ball like this, they could become a challenge down the stretch.

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Watch out for the Saints. Drew Brees is playing like an All-Pro, and the defense is just barely good enough to keep them in games. Catching the Falcons is likely out of the equation, but at 4-4 they have a shot at the playoffs.

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The Ravens finally beat a decent team after four straight losses, practically dominating the inexplicably bad Steelers squad. They lead the AFC North, but that’s hardly an accomplishment given every team’s struggles. If there’s one thing they need to improve upon, it’s their non-existent running game.

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With the Cardinals getting the week off, several other teams surpassed them. Take into account that Tyrann Mathieu and their starting left tackle are out and the Cardinals could be in some trouble.

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After a scorching hot start, Carson Wentz and the Eagles have cooled off a bit, falling all the way to 4-4. Their struggles have mostly come on offense, but cornerback is a weak spot of the defense and isn’t likely to improve. They have one of the toughest remaining schedules with only one opponent having a losing record.

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The Steelers are one of the most unpredictable teams in the NFL, and they just might not be as good as we think they are. Despite having Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh failed to put together any representation of a decent offense, racking up more penalty yards than total yards in the first half of a loss to Baltimore. They need to elevate their game significantly if they want to win the AFC North.

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Washington got a bye week before going on an extremely tough stretch of games against the Vikings, Packers, Cowboys and Cardinals. Those four contests will determine their fate in the NFC East, most likely.

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The Chargers have dealt with significant injuries on both sides of the ball but have battled back in the toughest of circumstances. Making the playoffs will be tough, but they’re certainly a team that you don’t want to play right now.

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The Texans were off this week but remained in first place in the AFC South thanks to a loss by the Titans. It’s hard to consider them the runaway favorites in the division, but they appear to be the best team right now.

The Packers looked stagnant on offense again for 3 1/2 quarters, resulting in some frustration from Aaron Rodgers. Coach Mike McCarthy appears to be lost with his offensive game plan, which is hurting this team dearly. Still, they’re in the mix for a playoff berth in the suddenly mediocre NFC North, and it’s hard to ever doubt Rodgers.

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The Lions might very well be the team to beat in the division. Matthew Stafford has been the most clutch quarterback in the league and has turned Detroit into a team you can never count out. In all nine of their games, the Lions have trailed in the final 90 seconds. They’ve won five of them.

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Is it time to hit the panic button on the Vikings? They’re getting dangerously close to that point as they’ve lost a third straight game. However, Sunday's failure against the Lions might have been a victory if not for Blair Walsh blowing kicks and the defense getting gashed late in the game and in overtime. After scoring the would-be game-winning touchdown, the Vikings should have locked up a ‘W’.

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The Giants came off their bye to beat a reeling Eagles team at home, which may not sound that impressive, but it was a big win for their confidence. Eli Manning tried to give the game away twice, but the defense stepped up when it needed to most. Safety Landon Collins is a big reason for the team’s recent success — he leads the Giants in tackles, interceptions and sacks.

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The Broncos are a similar team to the Vikings. They have a great defense but lack talent at quarterback and running back. The Broncos will bounce back from a tough road loss to the Raiders, and Trevor Siemian will improve. If not, we could see first-round pick Paxton Lynch in the future.

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The Raiders went into Week 9 lacking one thing: a signature win. They got exactly that Sunday in primetime by crushing the Broncos 30-20. The Raiders looked great in all three phases as the line limited Von Miller’s pass rush, allowing Derek Carr to stand comfortably in the pocket.

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The Chiefs are easily the most underrated team in football, sitting at 6-2 and having won 16 of their last 18 regular-season games. They’ve done so with Jamaal Charles injured and Justin Houston on the PUP list, which makes it all the more impressive. They’re getting it done on both sides of the ball.

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The Seahawks were fortunate to have beaten the Bills on Monday night as they came dangerously close to a hugely disappointing loss. If not for a pair of blown calls at the end of the first half, the outcome may have been different. Still, a win is a win and the Seahawks remain one of the best teams in the league.

Matt Ryan bolstered his case for MVP by leading the Falcons to a commanding win over the Buccaneers. Atlanta appears poised to avoid another second-half letdown like it had last season, which is huge for their chances at a possible Super Bowl berth. They look like one of the teams to beat in the NFC.

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It wasn’t just that the Cowboys beat the Browns – they were supposed to do that. It’s that they absolutely dominated them in all three facets of the game, rolling to a 35-10 victory. Dak Prescott may have entrenched himself in the starting quarterback role with another near-perfect performance, and Ezekiel Elliott continues to roll as the top running back in football.

The Patriots got a week off, but it’s not as if they needed it. New England was firing on all cylinders with Tom Brady at the helm. They’re still the best team in football despite the Cowboys tying them at 7-1.