Week 10 NFL Power Rankings (2020)
The best division in the NFL, the NFC West, just suffered an 0-3 week with the 49ers, Seahawks, and Cardinals all losing. Meanwhile, the Dolphins just went 3-1 against that same division, and they are 2-0 since Tua took over as the starting QB. The Bills got a massive win over the Seahawks, the Ravens knocked off the Colts, and the Saints demolished the Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football. At opposite ends of the NFL spectrum, the Jets remain winless while the Steelers are still undefeated.
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32) New York Jets (Prev: 32)
The Jets should have won on Monday night. They led by 10 points more than halfway through the fourth quarter but fell apart late and dropped to 0-9 on the season. They are the first team in the league that is guaranteed a losing record and are probably unhappy with the bye week since they’ve actually played pretty well the last few weeks.
31) Jacksonville Jaguars (Prev: 31)
Jake Luton got his first career start on Sunday and played well enough to keep the Jaguars within striking distance for 60 minutes. He finished the game with 304 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. However, the Jaguars lost their seventh-straight game and still have not won a game since Week 1. As things stand, they look like the only real challenger to the Jets for the first overall pick.
30) Dallas Cowboys (Prev: 30)
The Cowboys played arguably their best game of the season in Week 9, yet they will fell 24-19 to the undefeated Steelers. Garrett Gilbert started in place of Andy Dalton and Ben Dinucci and proved to be much more effective than both of them. The defense has played much better since the loss of Dak Prescott, but it is likely too little, too late, as the Cowboys are now 2-7 and tied for last place in the NFC East.
29) Washington Football Team (Prev: 28)
Kyle Allen’s leg injury was another horrific injury in a long line of horrific QB injuries in Washington franchise history. With Allen out the rest of the season, this looks like Alex Smith’s team. In relief, he threw for 325 yards and one touchdown but also threw three interceptions. In total, the Football Team had five turnovers and failed to turn the Giants over once.
28) New York Giants (Prev: 29)
The Giants saved their season for the time being and have now completed a season sweep of the Washington Football Team. The defense was key in propelling New York to victory as they turned Washington over five times and were able to hold off a late Washington rally with timely turnovers. The Giants are just 2-7, but they are also still in the hunt for the NFC East title.
27) Los Angeles Chargers (Prev: 25)
For the second consecutive week, the Los Angeles Chargers lost on the last play of the game. This time, it was even more heartbreaking as a touchdown was originally called on the field just to be overturned. The Chargers have been in almost all their games this season but keep finding ways to lose. While their 2020 season is lost, this could be a great team to bet futures on in 2021, considering how much different this season could have gone for them.
26) Houston Texans (Prev: 27)
Deshaun Watson led the Texans in both passing and rushing, as Houston defeated Jacksonville for the second time this season. Next week, the Texans travel to Cleveland, and while the Texans likely can’t save their season, they can start spoiling playoff dreams for teams in the hunt.
25) New England Patriots (Prev: 26)
The New England Patriots were incredibly lucky to escape New York with a win. They’re now 3-5 and finally ended their four-game losing streak, but there was nothing about Monday night’s performance that should instill confidence in Patriots’ fans. With both the Dolphins and Bills ahead of them, the Patriots will have to play much better over the second half of the season, if they want any chance of making the playoffs.
24) Detroit Lions (Prev: 21)
The Lions have lost back-to-back games after fighting their way back to .500, and their season looks very much on the brink at this point. Matthew Stafford spent most of the week in COVID protocol and it showed in his performance. The QB finished with 211 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Detroit will host Alex Smith and the Washington Football Team in Week 10.
23) Denver Broncos (Prev: 20)
Drew Lock led the Broncos in passing and rushing, as Denver struggled all day against the Atlanta Falcons. While the final score shows a close game, the truth is, the Broncos needed to outscore the Falcons 21-7 in the fourth quarter just to lose by seven. The Broncos are now 3-5 and two games behind the Raiders for second place in the AFC West.
22) Cincinnati Bengals (Prev: 22)
The Bengals were off this week after upsetting the Titans in Week 8. They will have a chance in Week 10 to be the first team to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers.
21) Minnesota Vikings (Prev: 24)
Dalvin Cook looks fully recovered from injury, as he rushed for 206 yards and two touchdowns as the Vikings knocked off the Lions 34-20. Since Cook’s return, the Vikings have won back-to-back games over division rivals and have saved their season from the brink. The Vikings will look to make it three in a row against the NFC North when they travel to Chicago to take on the Bears on Monday Night Football.
20) Atlanta Falcons (Prev: 23)
The Falcons have won back-to-back games after starting the season 1-6, and like the Vikings, they have at least temporarily saved their season from extinction. Matt Ryan finished with 283 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception, and did it all without one of his favorite targets in Calvin Ridley. The Falcons are off this week, then will travel to New Orleans to take on the Saints.
19) Carolina Panthers (Prev: 19)
The Panthers played about as well they could on Sunday, but they still ultimately fell short against the Chiefs in a 33-31 loss. In addition to the loss, the Panthers got more bad news in the form of Christian McCaffrey suffering a shoulder injury. The Panthers have been playing really well both with and without him, but can they possibly get back into the playoff hunt with him out?
18) Philadelphia Eagles (Prev: 18)
The Eagles were off this week, but their lead in the NFC East continued to expand with the Cowboys and Washington losing. Philly will travel to New York to take on the Giants in Week 10. If they win that game, it will be incredibly difficult for anyone to catch Philadelphia in the division.
17) San Francisco 49ers (Prev: 17)
The 49ers are in a lot of trouble and it’s really not their fault. With all the injuries piling up, they are a shell of the team they were supposed to be at the start of the season. They’re now below .500, and it is quite clear that they are not going to be able to compete with the best in the league with the team they currently have assembled.
16) Cleveland Browns (Prev: 16)
The Browns were off this week and lost ground in the AFC North with the Steelers and Ravens both winning. Cleveland will take on Houston in Week 10. All eyes will be on Baker Mayfield who is currently on the COVID-19 list.
15) Las Vegas Raiders (Prev: 15)
The Raiders escaped with a victory on Sunday, and they are now 5-3 and right in the thick of the AFC playoff hunt at the midpoint of the season. Derek Carr continues to struggle to find a consistent weapon in the wide receiving corps. This week Hunter Renfrow led the team in yards with 60 but only had two catches. After a season-high rushing total a week ago, Josh Jacobs struggled and was outgained by Devontae Booker who finished with 68 yards.
14) Chicago Bears (Prev: 13)
The Bears never had a chance against the Titans and are starting to show their true colors as the season progresses. Their defense has been playing solid all year long, but the offense, whether it be under Nick Foles or Mitchell Trubisky has really struggled. The defense gave up just 228 yards in Sunday’s loss, and while the offense scored 17 points, all of them came in the fourth quarter.
13) Indianapolis Colts (Prev: 10)
The Colts jumped out to a 7-0 lead and looked poised to pull the upset over the Ravens, but they failed to score in the second half against Baltimore and lost the game 24-10. They will take on the Titans on Thursday Night Football, which will determine who has the upper hand in the AFC South title hunt. Jonathan Taylor rushed just six times for 27 yards and one touchdown in the loss.
12) Los Angeles Rams (Prev: 12)
The Rams were off this week but had a very productive bye week since the rest of their division lost. The Rams will host the Seahawks for first place in Week 10.
11) Arizona Cardinals (Prev: 6)
Kyler Murray did everything he could on Sunday, but the defense was unable to get stops against the Dolphins, and now Arizona is 5-3 and back to being tied with the Rams in the NFC West. Murray finished 21-26 for 283 yards and three touchdowns and added 106 yards and one touchdown on the ground. He did fumble the ball once, which was picked up and run back for a touchdown by the Dolphins. Next week, the Cardinals take on the Bills.
10) Miami Dolphins (Prev: 14)
No, this is not a typo. After back-to-back wins over the Rams and the Cardinals, the Miami Dolphins are one of the 10 best teams in the NFL. They just finished 3-1 against the NFC West, a division that many consider to be the best in the NFL, and they have won four straight games since starting 1-3. After a rough first start, Tua Tagovailoa settled in nicely and finished 20-28 for 248 yards and two touchdowns.
9) Tennessee Titans (Prev: 9)
The Titans stopped the bleeding on Sunday, with a 24-17 win over the Bears that was never nearly as close as the final score indicates. Tennessee led 24-3 late in the fourth quarter before the Bears mounted a mini-comeback, which ultimately led nowhere. With the Colts’ loss to the Ravens, the Titans retake first place in the AFC South with a massive Thursday Night Football clash against Indianapolis on deck.
8) Green Bay Packers (Prev: 8)
Aaron Rodgers played near-perfect football on Thursday night as the Packers decimated the short-handed San Francisco 49ers 34-17. Rodgers finished 25-31 for 305 yards and four touchdowns and connected with Davante Adams 10 times for 173 yards and one touchdown. With the Bears’ loss to the Titans, the Packers now hold a one and a half-game lead in the NFC North.
7) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Prev: 4)
Last week’s game against the Giants felt like a letdown spot for the Bucs, who were likely already looking ahead to their Week 9 matchup against the Saints. However, after what played out on Sunday night, the truth may be that the Bucs are in some trouble right now. In back-to-back weeks, the offense has struggled to move the ball at all, but even worse was how the defense looked against New Orleans. They trailed 28-0 at the half, and things could have gotten much worse if Sean Payton had decided to really pour it on late. The Bucs’ prospects of winning the NFC South now hinge on the Saints slipping up in the back half of the season, and Tampa playing just about perfect football. If the last two weeks were any indication, it doesn’t seem likely the Bucs will have any such luck.
6) Seattle Seahawks (Prev: 3)
The Seahawks turned the ball over five times against the Bills on Sunday, and the defense proved to be a huge issue, giving up a season-high 44 points. Russell Wilson threw for 390 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw two very bad interceptions, including one in the end zone. Seattle was fortunate, however, that the Cardinals lost to the Dolphins, so they maintain their one-game lead in the NFC West for the time being.
5) Buffalo Bills (Prev: 11)
I’ve been waiting for the Bills to get a signature win, and they finally did it on Sunday against the Seahawks. Josh Allen was absolutely incredible, finishing 31-38 for 415 yards and three touchdowns, as the Bills outpaced Russell Wilson and the Seahawks to move to 7-2 on the season. After dropping back-to-back games, the Bills have now won three-straight, and none was more impressive than Sunday’s win.
4) New Orleans Saints (Prev: 7)
Michael Thomas finally saw the field this week, and though he didn’t have a great game by any means, the Saints’ offense looked absolutely incredible against a solid Bucs’ defense. The offense recorded 420 yards, and Drew Brees threw for four touchdowns, as he pulled away from Tom Brady on the all-time passing list. The Saints now hold the tiebreaker over Tampa Bay for the NFC South, which puts them firmly in the driver’s seat for the division.
3) Baltimore Ravens (Prev: 5)
The final score makes it seem as though the Ravens took care of the Colts rather easily, but the truth is, the Ravens once again struggled on the offensive side of the ball and relied heavily on their defense to shut down Philip Rivers and the Colts’ offense. Lamar Jackson threw only four incompletions, but he was mostly ineffective through the air. The Ravens managed just 266 yards, and things could have gotten out of hand early if Chuck Clark didn’t return a fumble for a touchdown. Baltimore has a lot they need to clean up, but with the rest of the teams near the top of the league losing games, the Ravens will continue to move up no matter how bad they look when they win.
2) Kansas City Chiefs (Prev: 2)
Things got a little hairy for the Chiefs as the clock ticked close to zero, but the defense held strong and forced a ridiculously long field goal attempt from Joey Slye, which never had a chance. Patrick Mahomes passed for 372 yards and four touchdowns, two of which were to Tyreek Hill. The Chiefs are off this week, then travel to Vegas to take on the Raiders in a game that could all but solidify Kansas City’s AFC West title.
1) Pittsburgh Steelers (Prev: 1)
The Steelers needed 15 points in the fourth quarter to knock off the hapless Cowboys 24-19 in Dallas. Pittsburgh moves to 8-0 and remains the only undefeated team in the league, but there are very few teams they would have beaten in the NFL playing the way they did on Sunday afternoon. Next week, they take on the Bengals who are fresh off a bye and an upset victory over the Tennessee Titans.
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