NFL Power Rankings 2014: Week 10 Standings Based on Latest Super Bowl Odds

When picking teams to win the Super Bowl, it is important to always look at the big picture.

The Arizona Cardinals currently have the best record in the NFL going into Week 10 at 7-1 and are looking more and more like a legitimate contender. However, they are not automatically the favorite to win it all with a number of talented teams in both conferences capable of making a run.

Here is a breakdown of Super Bowl odds for each team with ones you should really avoid in italics. All odds courtesy of Oddsshark.com.

32. Oakland Raiders (5,000-1)

The team keeps playing well, but 0-8 is 0-8. On the bright side, Khalil Mack is living up to the hype and could end up being a star in this league. The question is whether he and Derek Carr can help the Raiders get their first one.

31. Jacksonville Jaguars (3,000-1)

Despite the 1-8 record, the Jaguars appear to be a team on the brink of success. The defense has been playing better, and Denard Robinson now seems like a legitimate starting running back.

If Blake Bortles can simply tone down the turnovers, Jacksonville will be winning more games in the second half of the year. 

30. New York Jets (2,000-1)

Michael Vick is not the answer at quarterback any more than Geno Smith or Matt Simms were. The organization needs to find another option at some point in the offseason that could bring more success.

Fortunately, the new quarterback will have some quality weapons in Eric Decker and Percy Harvin. 

29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2,000-1)

Mike Evans had a breakout performance against the Cleveland Browns, totaling 124 receiving yards and two touchdowns on some pretty nice catches. Imagine how good he can be with a legitimate quarterback under center.

Mike Glennon has provided some quality efforts in his year-and-a-half in the NFL, but he does not look like the future in Tampa Bay and is certainly not helping the team in 2014. 

28. Tennessee Titans (1,000-1)

A bye week will give Zach Mettenberger time to learn the offense, but even if he does play well, it will not be enough to help the team this year.

There is a lot of young talent on that side of the ball with Bishop Sankey, Justin Hunter and Kendall Wright. However, no one in Tennessee should be expecting too much more success this season.

27. Washington Redskins (500-1)

After Colt McCoy led the Redskins to two wins, Robert Griffin III returned as the starting quarterback and lost to the Minnesota Vikings. Now McCoy might not be the answer long term, but his teammates seemed to believe in him.

No matter what happens, time is running out for RGIII to prove he can be the quarterback the team drafted with the No. 2 overall pick.

26. Atlanta Falcons (300-1)

While none of the above teams would represent good bets, this is likely the first one on the board that anyone would consider. Obviously, there is a lot of talent on the roster, and the team just needs to turn it on a little bit to make the playoffs in a weak NFC South.

However, there is little reason to believe this team has what it takes to turn things around after a 2-6 start.

The problems come from the offensive and defensive lines, which were bad last year and have not gotten much better. Matt Ryan often has no time to throw on offense, while the defense ranks dead last in the NFL with just seven sacks. This is a major reason the unit ranks 30th against the pass.

With talent on both sides of the field, a good portion of the blame lies on the coaching staff, which could lead to changes this offseason, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports:

Although things might be better in the future, do not count on any improvements this season.

25. St. Louis Rams (300-1)

After wins over the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers, the Rams will go into Week 10 with a lot of confidence. The defense finally remembered how to pressure a quarterback, something that was a strength coming into the year but seemingly disappeared.

There is still a lot to go before this team can compete consistently in the NFC West, but the Rams are not as bad as we thought they were a few weeks ago.

24. Minnesota Vikings (150-1)

Teddy Bridgewater now has a winning record as a starting quarterback, going 3-2 in his five starts. This might not have been what fans expected from a team missing its best player in Adrian Peterson, but the rookie quarterback is doing what he needs to win.

The schedule gets tougher after a Week 10 bye with four more divisional games, but the Vikings have to like what they have seen already from the young passer. 

23. Houston Texans (150-1)

After going 2-14 a year ago, the Texans cannot be too upset at the 4-5 record going into a bye. This is especially true considering they have gotten virtually no production from No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney.

Houston is likely not going to the postseason this year, but the squad is laying the foundation to get back to the playoffs before too long. 

22. Chicago Bears (150-1)

The Bears will hope the Week 9 bye was useful, because they looked awful in the two games prior. They have the talent to turn things around, especially on offense, but nothing seems to go right for this club.

It all comes down to Jay Cutler and his mental state. If he can play to his potential and avoid mistakes, Chicago can be a lot more successful in the second half of the season. 

21. Carolina Panthers (150-1)

The Panthers had an opportunity to take control of the NFC South in a home game against the New Orleans Saints. Unfortunately, they blew it thanks to Cam Newton's worst performance of the season.

With only one win in the last seven games, it is hard to trust Carolina to do much of anything going forward. 

20. Buffalo Bills (100-1)

Few people expected this team to be 5-3 at the halfway mark, but the Bills are a legitimate challenge for anyone that faces them.

With a defense that can stop both the run and the pass and an offense that features numerous playmakers, Buffalo has a chance to play its way into the playoffs. After years of futility, even getting this close could be considered a victory. 

19. New York Giants (75-1)

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

A three-game winning streak earlier in the year has now been canceled by a three-game losing streak to fall to 3-5 on the season. The latest loss was a particularly embarrassing defeat on Monday Night Football with the Indianapolis Colts winning 40-24.

Safety Antrel Rolle broke down the inconsistency with the team on WFAN Sports Radio:

On the other hand, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com showed the real problem:

The Giants are a team that can beat up on weaker opponents but have generally been blown out by better squads. With top cornerback Prince Amukamara now likely out for the year, the already struggling pass defense is only going to get worse.

It is always hard to count out Eli Manning and company, but this year does not look like it will end in a Super Bowl run.

18. Cleveland Browns (75-1)

The Browns don't make anything pretty, but they have been finding ways to win and are now 5-3. The problem is they play in arguably the deepest division in football, as all four teams in the AFC North have winning records.

When Josh Gordon returns in Week 12, though, Cleveland can be a dangerous bunch.

17. Miami Dolphins (50-1)

Some people might have predicted the Dolphins to beat the San Diego Chargers, but few thought it would be a 37-0 blowout. The defense completely shut down a red-hot Philip Rivers while Ryan Tannehill played nearly a flawless game to earn an easy win.

Tannehill seemed to be on the brink of being benched earlier in the year but he has been outstanding lately with six touchdowns and one interception during a three-game winning streak. If he keeps this up, the Dolphins will be playoff-bound. 

Alan Diaz/Associated Press

16. San Diego Chargers (40-1)

A few weeks ago, the Chargers looked like they were one of the best teams in the NFL. However, three losses in a row have killed this vibe.

While injuries are an issue, the team has become one-dimensional offensively, which puts too much pressure on Rivers. On defense, the weakened secondary keeps giving up big plays through the air.

A once-promising squad now appears doomed for a failed season. 

15. Baltimore Ravens (40-1)

A blowout loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers is definitely not something that will make the Ravens happy, especially after losing to the Cincinnati Bengals a week earlier. Baltimore is surprisingly now in last place in the AFC North.

The injury to Jimmy Smith seemingly exposed the secondary and has given opponents a blueprint to beat the defense. This is not a good sign going forward for Baltimore. 

14. Kansas City Chiefs (40-1)

It seems easy to forget about the Chiefs, but they are now 5-3 after winning three in a row. Jamaal Charles is once again the dominant force he was a season ago, while the defense is now No. 1 in the NFL against the pass.

As long as Alex Smith can continue to spread the ball around and avoid mistakes, the Chiefs will remain a top contender for the playoffs.

13. Cincinnati Bengals (33-1)

Even without Giovani Bernard, Jeremy Hill picked up the slack while A.J. Green returned to the field. Once Bernard is healthy, this offense will look as good as we expected coming into the year.

There are still questions about the defense that ranks 31st in the NFL against the rush, but better days are on the way.

12. San Francisco 49ers (25-1)

There are certainly 49ers fans out there who will complain about the outcome of their recent loss to the St. Louis Rams, saying they might have scored the go-ahead touchdown twice in the final minute. This does not matter, because the team still lost 13-10 to a team it should have beaten.

Even if the team earned the 17-13 win, it would not hide some major issues, especially on offense. 

General manager Trent Baalke even admitted the problems on his radio show, via Cam Inman of the Mercury News:

"

There are some things broken. What I mean is, when you’re 4-4 there are certain things you have to do better. The only thing we know how to correct it is to go back to work. You can’t keep doing the same things over and over, can’t keep making the same mistakes over and over.

"

The offensive line completely fell apart against the Rams, while the run game was once again abandoned. These factors hurt the squad's ability to score in the red zone, a problem that has limited this team for the last few years.

While the talent is still there to make a run at the Super Bowl—especially when three All-Pro linebackers return—the latest issues are real and should prevent San Francisco from playing into late January again.

11. Dallas Cowboys (25-1)

This season will now be decided on the health of Tony Romo. The quarterback missed Sunday's game with two fractured bones in his back, and his future is now up in the air.

While this team was successful to start the year thanks to the ability to run the ball, Romo still represents a major improvement over Brandon Weeden. If the starter can play near full strength for the rest of the year, the Cowboys will be a top contender. Otherwise, this will be another lost season for America's team. 

10. Detroit Lions (20-1)

You might not have thought it was possible coming into the year, but the Detroit Lions have been winning games on the strength of their defense.

With an offense that had been without Calvin Johnson, Reggie Bush, Eric Ebron and others, Matthew Stafford has been forced to do just enough to get by. Now that all of these players should be healthy, this offense will match the defense to help the Lions become top contenders going forward.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers (20-1)

It was easy to think Ben Roethlisberger's outstanding performance against the Indianapolis Colts was a fluke. However, the veteran backed it up with another six-touchdown showing against the Ravens, making history in the process:

Antonio Brown has turned himself into one of the best receivers in the NFL, with Martavis Bryant showing a lot of ability in the early going of his career. They have given Roethlisberger legitimate weapons to use, and it could lead to a lot more success for Pittsburgh going forward. 

8. New Orleans Saints (16-1)

The Saints had the biggest win of the season Thursday night for one reason: it was the first win on the road.

New Orleans had struggled away from home over the past two years and seriously looked like a squad that could go 0-8 on the road but 8-0 at home. Fortunately, the Saints showed they could win outdoors, which makes them a serious threat to all NFC teams for the rest of the season. 

7. Indianapolis Colts (16-1)

Andrew Luck certainly makes some mistakes, but he continues to show why he is already one of the best in the league at his position. He often puts his team in position to win, and there is enough help around him to make that happen.

As long as the Colts do not allow 51 points like they did in Week 8, Indianapolis should remain a top team to watch. 

6. Philadelphia Eagles (14-1)

The Eagles suffered a devastating blow when it was announced quarterback Nick Foles would miss six to eight weeks with a broken collarbone. Still, Mark Sanchez played well in Foles' absence and might actually be a better fit in Chip Kelly's system.

Sanchez will make mistakes and turn over the ball, but so did Foles. The drop-off will not be a huge problem, and the Eagles should still be a top contender in the NFC going forward.

5. Arizona Cardinals (12-1)

Although the win might have come against Brandon Weeden, the Cardinals showed they were the class of the NFC with consecutive wins over the Eagles and Cowboys. They are now 7-1 with the best record in the NFL.

There are still faults, like the fact that the team has the worst pass defense in the NFL, but Arizona is not falling from the top of the standings anytime soon. 

4. Green Bay Packers (9-1)

A bye week was important to recover from a disappointing effort against the Saints in Week 8. Still, Aaron Rodgers' message of "relax" still holds true at this point of the year.

The quarterback is still one of the best in the league and usually finds a way to put his team in a position to win. As long as the Packers play their way into the playoffs, they should remain a favorite to win once they get there. 

3. Seattle Seahawks (15-2)

Chris Keane/Associated Press

The Seattle Seahawks took care of business with a win over the Raiders Sunday, but it still was not as dominant as it should have been. This team was once unstoppable at CenturyLink Field but has now suffered a loss and two close wins in the last three games.

Bill Williamson of ESPN.com provided one reason heading into the game:

Without Bobby Wagner and a few key members of the offensive line, the Seahawks have been unable to play their usual brand of hard-nosed football with a strong run game and defense. They are still 5-3 halfway through the year, but this team is clearly not a terrifying opponent like it once was.

After a relatively easy battle against the Giants in Week 10, Seattle plays six games in a row against teams currently .500 or better. This could be a tough stretch for a team that needs to win.

With odds still this low, betting on the Seahawks to win another title would likely be a mistake.

2. New England Patriots (6-1)

It seems so ridiculous that everyone was talking about the demise of Tom Brady earlier this season (myself included). The Patriots thoroughly dismantled the Denver Broncos Sunday, continuing to show the team is unstoppable at home.

With Rob Gronkowski healthy and Brady finally trusting his other targets, the passing attack should be as good as ever as the team looks to get back to the Super Bowl.

1. Denver Broncos (13-4)

Despite the loss to the Patriots, it makes sense for the Broncos to be at the top of the list. The team's two losses came on the road, something that might not be a problem with a relatively easy schedule to end the season. Denver certainly has the ability to end the year with the best record in the AFC and earn the No. 1 seed.

If the rebuilt defense can simply hold up its end of the bargain, the Broncos should still be in consideration to bring home the Super Bowl title. 

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