NFL Power Rankings: Initial Post-Sunday Breakdown Ahead of Week 10

Week 9 of the 2014 NFL season was chock-full of bye weeks. Still, despite a number of inactive teams, the league's hierarchy shifted after several pivotal contests—some of which produced rather unexpected results.

With only one game remaining this week—a Monday Night Football contest between the Indianapolis Colts and New York Giants—it's pretty clear what the updated NFL power rankings will look like as we head into Week 10. Rest assured, they look far different from one week ago.

As we await the week's final showdown, let's take an early look ahead at the league's pecking order following a very interesting Week 9.

32. Oakland Raiders

Here we are again. Another week, another winless record for the Raiders. This team may have the league's worst record, but it's deserving of credit for competing against the Seattle Seahawks for a full 60 minutes on Sunday. The wins will come eventually.

31. New York Jets

It's pretty simple when it comes to the Jets: Until this team finds some sort of viable quarterback, it will keep losing games. Michael Vick played much better Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, but he only managed 10 points in nine drives. According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, Vick earned another start:

Stephen Brashear/Associated Press

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers practically beat themselves once again in Week 9. While rookie wide receiver Mike Evans flourished, quarterback Mike Glennon threw two picks, with one coming in the red zone. The Cleveland Browns offense really struggled to get going, but Tampa Bay still couldn't manage a win.

29. Jacksonville Jaguars

Blake Bortles looked a bit better Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. His rookie wide receivers are playing very well, and running back Denard Robinson has been a revelation for this team out of the backfield. Still, there are still some holes to fill and experience that must be accrued before Jacksonville starts contending.

28. Tennessee Titans

Tennessee had the week off, and that will prove to be very helpful, as rookie quarterback Zach Mettenberger continues to get acclimated to the speed of the NFL. He had a nice outing in Week 8, and if he can continue to build upon that performance, the future will be looking bright for this offense.

27. Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons may have needed a week of rest more than any other team on a Week 9 bye. This team has been decimated by injuries once again this season, and that's led to another below-average year for a team that has an above-average roster.

26. Washington Redskins

Robert Griffin III returned to action on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, and he looked decent in his return. Due to his ability to run, lanes also began to open up for running back Alfred Morris. Still, due to a terrible defense, the team couldn't pull out the win. Despite the quarterback's decent effort, this tweet from NFL on ESPN is surely a cause for concern:

AJ Mast/Associated Press

We'll see where things go from here.

25. Carolina Panthers

Carolina no longer holds the top spot in the NFC South after a big loss to the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night. The team's offense hasn't been able to get going for the last couple of games, and Cam Newton appears to be regressing.

24. Chicago Bears

If Jay Cutler can't stop making a bevy of mistakes on a weekly basis, this team won't go far. He's surrounded by one of the league's best wide receiver duos, a big tight end and a talented running back. Hopefully a Week 9 bye will help this offense get things in order.

23. Minnesota Vikings

Teddy Bridgewater notched another win Sunday against Washington. He hung in there nicely despite a struggling offensive line and led four scoring drives without turning the ball over once. Britt McHenry of ESPN tweeted a favorable statistic for the quarterback:

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

He's currently looking like a great late-first-round selection.

22. New York Giants

The Giants have been one of the most inconsistent teams in the NFL this season. Eli Manning is playing far better in a new offensive scheme, but a porous defense and several key injuries continue to hold this team back. New York won't have it easy on Sunday night against the Indianapolis Colts.

21. St. Louis Rams

Who are the Rams? This team is terribly difficult to predict. Just one week after being blown out of the water by the Chiefs, they squeezed out a win against the San Francisco 49ers. Credit the St. Louis defense for coming up huge in the clutch.

20. Houston Texans

The Texans certainly have some talent, but they continues to prove each week they aren't capable of hanging with the league's better teams. The secondary was torched on Sunday by the Philadelphia Eagles, and Ryan Fitzpatrick wasn't good enough to keep up.

19. San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers have completely lost their identity on offense. This team used to flourish in a ground-and-pound scheme, but that game plan has recently gone out the window in favor of a pass-happy offense. Play-calling has been terrible, and this team is going nowhere in a hurry as a result. Here's the hole this team has dug itself into, via Pro Football Talk:

Ben Margot/Associated Press

It won't be easy to climb back out.

18. San Diego Chargers

Once again, the Chargers proved their defense will be their downfall. For the third consecutive week, San Diego couldn't contain the opposing signal-caller. Making matters worse, Philip Rivers decided to have the worst game in a while, as the Chargers laid an egg against the Miami Dolphins.

17. Buffalo Bills

Buffalo needs to get healthy if it is to compete in the AFC East. While quarterback Kyle Orton has been surprisingly good at the helm, the lack of a running back without C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson is concerning. This must be figured out before the weather gets colder.

16. Cleveland Browns

Cleveland's offense struggled again Sunday, but it found a way to get another win. After throwing another two interceptions in Week 9, Brian Hoyer seems to have lost his efficiency. That will have to change with a difficult contest against the Cincinnati Bengals on the horizon. Still, the Browns are off to their best start in quite some time, according to SportsCenter:

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

15. Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens floundered for the second consecutive week against a divisional foe, as the Pittsburgh Steelers pummeled them on Sunday night. Baltimore's defense couldn't stop Pittsburgh, leading to a pass-heavy offense for the Ravens. Joe Flacco wasn't on point, Justin Forsett didn't get enough touches and an embarrassing loss was the result.

14. New Orleans Saints

Don't look now, but the Saints appear to be back in form. This team is quickly gaining steam and moving up the power rankings thanks to a surging Drew Brees and a resilient defense. Over the last two weeks, this team has improved tremendously. Keeping that pace will earn New Orleans a top-10 ranking soon.

13. Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks earned another unimpressive win Sunday, defeating the Raiders 30-24 in Seattle. The winless Raiders hung in there for a full 60 minutes and made a game of a contest that the Seahawks should have won in a landslide. This team needs to improve in a hurry to keep pace with the Arizona Cardinals.

12. Green Bay Packers

The surging Packers were given the week off following a Week 8 loss to the Saints. Aaron Rodgers continues to play lights-out this season, and when he's on point, this team is difficult to beat. Expect another big performance from this quarterback in Week 10 against a reeling Bears defense.

11. Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs are an extremely well-rounded football team. Alex Smith produced another efficient performance on Sunday, while Jamaal Charles looked great out of the backfield, and Travis Kelce continues to emerge as a great weapon from the tight end position. Add that to a very stout defense, and you get a major contender.

10. Miami Dolphins

It's time to stop sleeping on the Dolphins. This team has a fantastic secondary, giving Rivers fits in Week 9 while blanking the Chargers. Ryan Tannehill continues to play very well from the quarterback position, throwing with accuracy and using his legs to move the chains when necessary.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers

It's time to give credit to the Steelers. This team struggled earlier in the season but has been on fire over the past two weeks. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has found his stride, throwing 12 touchdown passes in his last two games. That's never been done before, according to NFL on ESPN:

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

All of a sudden, this may be one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL.

8. Dallas Cowboys

Without Tony Romo in the fold in Week 9, the Cowboys offense struggled. It's unclear as to how much time the quarterback will miss, but this team needs him back in the fold to remain in contention. Luckily, he may be able to take another week off to heal with a contest against the struggling Jaguars forthcoming in Week 10.

7. Cincinnati Bengals

With A.J. Green back in the fold, the Bengals aerial attack got back on track Sunday against the Jaguars. Even without Giovani Bernard, the team didn't miss a beat, as rookie Jeremy Hill rushed for 154 yards and two scores. Defense is still a bit of a concern for this team, but it sits atop the AFC North for a reason.

6. Indianapolis Colts

The Colts are coming off a terrible defensive performance in Week 8, allowing a whopping 51 points to the Steelers. Still, it's hard to bet against quarterback Andrew Luck. He's on a blistering pace this season, and he should be expected to keep it up against the Giants secondary on Monday night.

5. Denver Broncos

The Broncos were simply outmatched by the New England Patriots on Sunday. Denver's secondary continues to struggle, allowing 333 yards to Tom Brady. Playing in Foxborough continues to be Peyton Manning's Achilles' heel, as he matched his two touchdown passes with two interceptions. Expect a better performance in Week 10 against the Raiders.

4. Detroit Lions

The Lions had a week of rest but still sit comfortably atop the NFC North at 6-2. This team's defense is playing so well, missing Calvin Johnson and Reggie Bush for a number of games didn't seem to matter much at all. Of course, the play of Golden Tate certainly helped matters as well.

3. Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia defeated the Texans Sunday, but it came at a price, as quarterback Nick Foles was lost with a clavicle injury, and he could miss a significant amount of time, according to NFL:

AJ Mast/Associated Press

Backup Mark Sanchez played well, LeSean McCoy finally seems to be gaining his form and the team's defense stepped up nicely. If that trend continues, this team will keep winning games—no matter who's under center.

2. Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals offense continues to impress with Carson Palmer under center. The quarterback threw for 249 yards and three touchdowns Sunday, while running back Andre Ellington accumulated 95 rushing yards and another score. The team's defense even held DeMarco Murray to his first game with fewer than 100 rushing yards this season. That's impressive.

1. New England Patriots

After clobbering Manning and the Broncos on Sunday, the Patriots are absolutely deserving of the top spot in the league's power rankings. Despite the lack of a running back, Brady was electric in Week 9. He continues to step up his play with every passing game. Here's a look at Brady's resilient play, via ESPN Stats & Info:

Rob Gronkowski is healthy, Brandon LaFell has emerged and Julian Edelman is dangerous in multiple phases of the game. This is a team to be reckoned with.