Welcome to the second of four parts of a mini-series looking ahead at the NFL season with Week 10 officially in the books.
The alignment of the rankings of all 32 NFL teams looks quite different now than it did just a few weeks ago. Here are the latest power rankings.
32. Cincinnati Bengals
This team just cannot do anything right. Their blowout loss to the Ravens was expected, but their 0-9 start was not. Bungle for Burrow has legitimately replaced Tank for Tua.
31. Washington Redskins
The only team to fire their coach so far this season, the Redskins’ future has potential but their present is bleak. It could be a long couple of seasons for Washington football fans.
30. New York Jets
I did not expect them to beat the Giants, but I won’t move them up in the rankings because of their win. I think their talent level is much lower than the Giants’.
29. New York Giants
And here’s the team that lost to the Jets. This team has a lot of potential. They need to fire their head coach, let Saquon Barkley run free, and work to get healthy receivers.
28. Miami Dolphins
Brian Flores is going to be a good head coach once his team isn’t in a rebuild. The future is bright for Miami, but the present remains bleak.
27. Cleveland Browns
I am not ready to move the Browns up higher in these rankings. They beat a challenging Bills team, but I can’t see them building on that anytime soon.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This Bucs team managed a win in their first home game in forever, but their offense continues to fail on many opportunities. Tampa needs more consistent success on offense.
25. Arizona Cardinals
Despite losing to the Buccaneers, the Cardinals rank one spot higher. However, they’re struggling as of late and could find themselves tumbling very soon.
24. Atlanta Falcons
I am not sure what happened that caused the Falcons to beat the Saints. It moves them up a few spots, but I’m not ready to put much faith into them yet.
23. Denver Broncos
The Broncos had a bye week and celebrated a win over the Browns, but they likely won’t be doing much rejoicing as another long offseason approaches.
22. Detroit Lions
I had confidence in this team until Matthew Stafford’s injury. He’ll miss a few games, and that will hurt their record and chances at making the playoffs.
21. Chicago Bears
Chicago barely beat a Detroit team led by Jeff Driskel. A win is a win, but I have no faith in this team going forward. Expect to see them continue to suffer.
20. Los Angeles Chargers
We saw the Chargers underperform yet again last week in a disgusting loss to the Oakland Raiders. Los Angeles’ playoff hopes have just about disappeared.
19. Indianapolis Colts
This team just lost to the Steelers and Dolphins, and they’re without Jacoby Brissett and T.Y. Hilton. More losses are ahead for the Colts.
18. Jacksonville Jaguars
Doug Marrone’s decision to bench Gardner Minshew for Nick Foles hints that they’re still looking for a playoff run. It’s going to be tough, but don’t rule them out quite yet.
17. Buffalo Bills
The Bills crumbled at the mercy of the Browns. That was a miserable showing, and it helped prove that their six wins came against an easy-to-beat six teams.
16. Los Angeles Rams
The Rams just lost to the Steelers, who are seeing sudden momentum. Sean McVay has been figured out by the league and he has no more tricks up his sleeves.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers
The final playoff spot is Pittsburgh’s to lose. They should beat the Browns this week, and their long-term outlook appears positive.
14. Tennessee Titans
This team has been on the winning end of a few surprising game outcomes in recent weeks. Ryan Tannehill has been playing some very good football as of late.
13. Oakland Raiders
This team is the real deal. They should sneak into the playoffs. That’s all I’ve got.
12. Carolina Panthers
I thought for sure that Christian McCaffrey reached the football across the goal line. The Panthers were literally an inch away from beating the Green Bay Packers. Things are looking good in Charlotte.
11. Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys have been up and down and up and down. While I think they will manage to secure a playoff spot, there are real concerns about Dallas’ legitimacy and consistency.
10. Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are playing solid football. Week 11 vs. New England will be a big test for this team.
9. Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs will win the AFC West … right?
8. Minnesota Vikings
Well, would you look at that?! Kirk Cousins won a primetime game! Minnesota could pose a tough challenge to the Packers as the race for the NFC North crown heats up.
7. Houston Texans
The Texans had a bye week, so there wasn’t much they could do to show off their skills. However, they did benefit from the Colts’ loss to the Dolphins.
6. Green Bay Packers
The Packers nearly lost to the Panthers. That’s not a knock against the Panthers, but I would’ve expected Green Bay to win a bit more handily.
5. New Orleans Saints
I am not currently concerned about New Orleans’ loss this past week, but if the trend continues, I may be soon.
4. San Francisco 49ers
Even if Chase McLaughlin hit that kick, I would have the Niners ranked worse than the Seahawks. I will continue to question this team’s legitimacy and I think they will be forced to settle for a Wild Card spot.
3. Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens followed up a victory over the Patriots with a demolition of the Bengals. The Ravens are significantly better than the 49ers but significantly weaker than the Seahawks, so they could be cemented at No. 3 for a while.
2. Seattle Seahawks
Seattle’s win over San Francisco only confirmed their status as the NFC’s best team. They should hold on to this two spot for a while if the Patriots defeat the Eagles this week.
1. New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are still the best team in football and their loss to the Ravens doesn’t concern me too much. A loss to the Eagles, however, would make me ponder this ranking a bit more.
