NFL Power Rankings 2015: Predicting Post-Week 10 Standings

When pillaging through debris caused by weekly NFL carnage, football fans at least took solace in stability amid the league's top tier.

Entering Week 10, even that's gone.

There isn't a feasible title contender lurking from Nos. 7-32, but onlookers must now also question those top-six mainstays. The Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers each suffered defeats on Sunday, creating uncertainty at the top.

Nothing ever fully goes according to plan. As a result, perceptions will alter every week. One of three remaining undefeated squads stands tall after a major victory over its biggest conference foe. A team reminded everyone what it can accomplish when healthy, and another playoff hopeful brandished major flaws even in victory.

Let's look at how their stock has changed in relation to the latest volume of NFL power rankings.

Rank	Team	Record
1	New England Patriots	8-0
2	Cincinnati Bengals	8-0
3	Carolina Panthers	8-0
4	Arizona Cardinals	6-2
5	Denver Broncos	7-1
6	Green Bay Packers	6-2
7	Minnesota Vikings	6-2
8	Seattle Seahawks	4-4
9	Pittsburgh Steelers	5-4
10	New York Jets	5-3
11	Buffalo Bills	4-4
12	Philadelphia Eagles	4-4
13	Oakland Raiders	4-4
14	Atlanta Falcons	6-3
15	New York Giants	5-4
16	St. Louis Rams	4-4
17	Indianapolis Colts	4-5
18	Kansas City Chiefs	3-5
19	New Orleans Saints	4-5
20	Washington Redskins	3-5
21	Miami Dolphins	3-5
22	Chicago Bears	3-5
23	Baltimore Ravens	2-6
24	Dallas Cowboys	2-6
25	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	3-5
26	Houston Texans	3-5
27	San Diego Chargers	2-7
28	Cleveland Browns	2-7
29	Tennessee Titans	2-6
30	San Francisco 49ers	3-6
31	Jacksonville Jaguars	2-6
32	Detroit Lions	1-7

Carolina Panthers

Mike McCarn/Associated Press

It's probably time to give the Carolina Panthers some credit.

The NFC's lone undefeated team conquered the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, improving to 8-0 in the process. Armed with a plus-63 scoring differential and five single-digit victories, the Panthers are not the most dominant juggernaut. But they keep winning, with Week 9 providing a signature victory of sorts.

Instead of indulging in ludicrous Cam Newton MVP conversations—he ranks No. 26 in quarterback rating and isn't named Tom Brady—let's praise one of his superstar teammates. Cornerback Josh Norman leads a secondary ranked second in opposing completion percentage (56.6) and yards per pass attempt (5.9).

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

He has contained the likes of Allen Robinson, DeAndre Hopkins and Mike Evans while poaching four interceptions. Panthers head coach Ron Rivera praised his star defender to ESPN.com's David Newton: 

"

Josh is such a competitive guy and he wants to do so well that he epitomizes our feeling in that locker room. He says, ‘Yeah, we played well but we can play better.’ That’s important and that’s a good message for everybody. Josh is one of the guys who carries that moniker very well by wanting to be a better football player.

"

A team outside the top 10 in total offense and defense will lose eventually, but it could take a while longer. A fortuitous schedule heavy on the NFC South and NFC East has the Panthers poised for a strong finish to maintain their No. 1 seed.

Week	OPP	Record
10	@ Tennessee	2-6
11	vs. Washington	3-3
12	@ Dallas	2-6
13	@ New Orleans	4-5
14	vs. Atlanta	6-3
15	@ N.Y. Giants	5-4
16	@ Atlanta	6-3
17	vs. Tampa Bay	3-5

Assuming Tony Romo returns, Thanksgiving at Dallas will prove Carolina's top threat this month. Right now, the club has a strong chance of entering that bout 10-0. 

New York Jets

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

The New York Jets barely beat the Jacksonville Jaguars, but nobody feels good about narrowly defeating a 12-year-old in Madden while trying his hardest. Despite allowing 436 total yards to their 290, the Jets escaped with an ugly 28-23 win due to four takeaways.

Two weeks ago, the Jets held their heads up high after a 30-23 loss to the New England Patriots. After giving the reigning champions and runaway 2015 favorites a tough fight, they still held strong wild-card positioning at 4-2.

They're just fine at 5-3, but the past two games forebode a potential collapse. Against the Oakland Raiders and Jaguars, the Jets yielded 714 passing yards. Robinson found a boat out of Darrelle Revis Island, registering 121 yards against the heralded cornerback.

Meanwhile, Chris Ivory has fallen from unstoppable rusher to unproductive liability. Over the last three games, he has gained a bizarrely inefficient 84 yards on 55 handoffs.

Stat	Weeks 1-6	Weeks 7-9
GP	4	3
ATT/G	20.8	18.3
RUSH YD/G	115.0	28.0
YDS/RUSH	5.5	1.5

He needed 23 carries to gain 26 yards, the lowest output for a back given at least 23 rushes, per Elias Sports Bureau data obtained by ESPN.com's Rich Cimini. At what point does the team stop and say, "Wow, we really stink at this running thing. Maybe we should stop wasting plays on it"? 

A team founded on hard-nosed defense and running suddenly can't do either. The Jets need to get their act together on Thursday night, as their upcoming opponent is trending in the opposite direction.

Buffalo Bills

Gary Wiepert/Associated Press

Turns out having a healthy quarterback, wide receiver and running backs helps an offense. For the first time since Week 3, Tyrod Taylor, Sammy Watkins, LeSean McCoy and Karlos Williams all suited up for the Buffalo Bills. For the second time this season, the Miami Dolphins paid the price. 

During a 33-17 victory, Buffalo averaged a spectacular 8.3 yards per play. Taylor completed 11 of 12 passes for an ultra-effective 181 yards, 168 to Watkins, while McCoy and Williams combined for 222 rushing yards on 25 carries.

The Bills are now averaging 33.3 points per game with the whole gang together. They rank second behind the Panthers in rushing offense, but Taylor also has a league-high 71.8 completion percentage with 8.58 yards per pass attempt.

Tabbed as someone who'd wreak havoc with his legs, the 26-year-old has excelled through the air. The Dolphins will certainly vouch for his passing acumen, as noted by ESPN Stats & Info:

A victory over the Jets would give the Bills at least a share of one of two AFC wild-card spots. If a No. 16 defense starts holding up its end of the bargain under head coach Rex Ryan, the Bills will become a team nobody wants to face in the postseason.