There was movement after week 8 in our NFL power rankings, with the Cardinals & Buccaneers moving down after losses to the Packers & Saints.
If week 8 challenged what we thought we knew, week 9 was even more testing. The theme of the NFL Power Rankings ahead of week 10 is to learn from our mistakes and not be so rash in our analysis.
Here are your NFL Power Rankings heading into week 10.
| # | UP/DOWN | RECORD | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  | ARIZONA CARDINALS | 8-1 |
| 2. |  | LA RAMS | 7-2 |
| 3. | | TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS | 6-2 |
| 4. | | BUFFALO BILLS | 5-3 |
| 5. | | TENNESSEE TITANS | 7-2 |
| 6. | | GREEN BAY PACKERS | 7-2 |
| 7. | | DALLAS COWBOYS | 6-2 |
| 8. | | BALTIMORE RAVENS | 6-2 |
| 9. | | LA CHARGERS | 5-3 |
| 10. | | KANSAS CITY CHIEFS | 5-4 |
| 11. | | PITTSBURGH STEELERS | 5-3 |
| 12. | | CLEVELAND BROWNS | 5-4 |
| 13. | | NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS | 5-4 |
| 14. | | CINCINNATI BENGALS | 5-4 |
| 15. | | NEW ORLEANS SAINTS | 5-3 |
| 16. | | DENVER BRONCOS | 5-4 |
| 17. | | INDIANAPOLIS COLTS | 4-5 |
| 18. |  | SEATTLE SEAHAWKS | 3-5 |
| 19. | | LAS VEGAS RAIDERS | 5-3 |
| 20. | | MINNESOTA VIKINGS | 3-5 |
| 21. | | SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS | 3-5 |
| 22. | | ATLANTA FALCONS | 4-4 |
| 23. | | PHILADELPHIA EAGLES | 3-6 |
| 24. | | CHICAGO BEARS | 3-6 |
| 25. | | CAROLINA PANTHERS | 4-5 |
| 26. | | JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS | 2-6 |
| 27. | | NEW YORK GIANTS | 3-6 |
| 28. | | NEW YORK JETS | 2-7 |
| 29. | | WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM | 2-6 |
| 30. | | MIAMI DOLPHINS | 2-7 |
| 31. | | HOUSTON TEXANS | 1-8 |
| 32. | | DETROIT LIONS | 0-8 |
NFL POWER RANKINGS ANALYSIS
TOP HALF
Arizona return to the top after falling last week. They dropped last week coming off a loss to Green Bay and with JJ Watt done for the year and with Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins unable to play, we were questioning whether the Cardinals could get it done without their stars.
Well, learn from your mistakes, as Arizona return to the top after putting to bed any concerns!
For Green Bay, the Aaron Rodgers saga has dominated the news cycle and with their star QB out for 10 days in Covid protocols it was always going to be difficult for them to retain last week’s spot.
The Titans move up after a statement win against the Rams. Now, the offense didn’t look spectacular but the defence and the defensive line in particular, looked great. The question of could the Titans get it done without Derrick Henry has been answered and their schedule looks untroubling through the back half of the season.
After overreacting last week to some losses, we are trying to take a calmer approach to these power rankings, with so many big teams losing. These are power rankings not power standings and we are banking on some teams bouncing back.
The Bills are one of those teams. They were poor against one of the worst teams in the NFL in the Jaguars, losing 9-6. Trying not to make those rash decisions, Buffalo are still clearly one of the best teams in the AFC.
When at their best and when healthy, the Browns can make a case for being one of the best teams in the AFC. Their team is pretty complete and is physical in the right spots. The OBJ situation seems to have galvanized the team who looked fantastic against the Bengals.
BOTTOM HALF
For weeks now we have been calling for Trey Lance to become the starter for the 49ers. Not because Jimmy Garropolo is a problem. He just isn’t the answer. With Lance being the future of the franchise, he now needs to start learning on the job ahead of next season. It’s important for Lance to get some game time under his belt if the 49ers are to be competetive next season.
With a stunning win over the Buffalo Bills, the Jacksonville Jaguars will be getting dizzy sat at the heights of #26. They have some difference makers on both sides of the ball and they should be confident that with Trevor Lawrence the franchise is now heading in the right direction. They have their QB, it’s now a matter of building around him.
For the Panthers, the Sam Darnold experiment has failed. Their decision to pass up on both Justin Fields and Mac Jones was questionable at the time and looks even worse now. Having already picked up Sam Darnold’s 5th year option and paying him a ton of money in 2022, can they really stick this out another year?
If it wasn’t for some questionable refereeing decisions in their clash against the Steelers, the Bears may well be thinking they could and should have won that game. Justin Fields is looking better each week while learning on the job and is setting the example to San Francisco that at some point you are going to have to back your guy and get him playing games before you waste another year.
Who are you higher on and who are you lower on? Let us know what you think of our NFL Power Rankings over on Twitter @NinetynineYards and @Owain_Jones_