NFL Power Rankings Week 10: Updated 2014 Analysis Before Thursday Night Football

Now that each NFL team has played at least half of its schedule, we have a pretty good idea of where most teams stand in the league power rankings.

Of course, we didn't need nine weeks to know that the Oakland Raiders would be bad and the New England Patriots would be good. There were some surprises, though. Who knew the Seattle Seahawks would be scuffling into Week 10? And how about the Arizona Cardinals? They currently hold the league's best record.

There's still a lot of football left to be played in 2014, but the power rankings heading into Week 10 are a good indicator of which teams will and won't be competing as we head into the cold winter months.

Here's a look at where all 32 teams stand ahead of Thursday Night Football.

32. Oakland Raiders (0-8)

The winless Raiders are going nowhere fast, but Derek Carr is at least getting valuable experience at the helm of an NFL offense. Much of their struggles have to do with their lack of a run game and inconsistent protection from the offensive line, but the defense has not done the team any favors either.

With a high pick in the draft in their future, the Raiders will have a good opportunity to fill at least one area of need.

31. New York Jets (1-8)

Before bashing the Jets, it's worth looking at a few positives. Michael Vick played pretty well last week. Percy Harvin was spectacular. The defense wasn't really all that bad.

But there were also negatives. We can tell Vick is 34 years old. He appears slow when moving around the pocket. His receivers are wildly inconsistent, and it will be hard for him to compete at a high level without a reliable running game to lean on.

The Jets are destined for a top-five selection in the draft.

30. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-8)

The only thing saving the Jaguars from the bottom spot in the rankings is the futility of the Raiders and the Jets. There really isn't much to be proud of in Jacksonville, but NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah points to the young talent as a bright spot:

The young group of wideouts has impressed, as has Denard Robinson out of the backfield. If the Jaguars can beef up the offensive line, Blake Bortles should find success next year.

29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-7)

Josh McCown will start in place of Mike Glennon this week as head coach Lovie Smith continues to fight for his job week after week.

Glennon wasn't getting the job done, even if his rapport with rookie Mike Evans was growing gradually. The quarterback position isn't the only real problem in Tampa, however. Doug Martin has been a major disappointment, and the defense hasn't performed nearly as well as anticipated.

28. Tennessee Titans (2-6)

Zach Mettenberger wasn't too impressive in his first NFL start, but the Titans are hoping for good things coming off their bye week. Head coach Ken Whisenhunt told John Glennon of the Tennessean that a week of practices should help the 23-year-old signal-caller:

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Getting the time during the bye week was good, because like I said, we got a lot of plays. (Mettenberger) got the majority of those, which is invaluable, and hopefully that'll help us as we go forward.

We got a chance to do some situational work, which is what we needed, to work on third down, work on some red zone things. A lot of times it was even a case of repeating plays, where you get two looks at it, so you get a chance to really get a feel for the play. That's good.

"

Without a ton of weapons offensively, the Titans are relying on Mettenberger to at least not turn the ball over. He probably isn't the quarterback of the future, but Tennessee will roll with him for now.

27. Washington Redskins (3-6)

Things aren't going particularly well in Washington either. Robert Griffin III is back, but his teammates might not be too happy about that. ESPN reported that RGIII has "alienated himself" from his teammates:

Without a quarterback capable of rallying the troops and working toward a common goal, it's going to be a long rest of the season for the Redskins.

26. Atlanta Falcons (2-6)

A 2-6 record isn't ideal, but the Falcons can make up significant ground starting this week. They have back-to-back divisional road games against the Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers beginning on Sunday. Winning both of those would help their standing in the NFC South immensely.

25. St. Louis Rams (3-5)

The Rams pass rush is stifling, as evidenced by the eight sacks of Colin Kaepernick in their last game. St. Louis beat the 49ers despite entering the game as underdogs.

Austin Davis has done several very good things for this Rams team since stepping into the starter's role, but there have been other disappointments all around. Tavon Austin has been underwhelming, and Zac Stacy is arguably the biggest disappointment of the year.

24. New York Giants (3-5)

A 40-24 drubbing at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts didn't help the Giants in this week's power rankings. The offense was very bad in the first half, and then the defense was very bad in the second. The G-Men just couldn't get things going consistently on either side of the football.

Of course, Odell Beckham emerged with a strong contest, while defensive lineman Robert Ayers consistently pressured Andrew Luck in the pocket. The secondary just couldn't stop the young quarterback.

23. Carolina Panthers (3-5-1)

Coming off a career-worst performance, Cam Newton will take on the suddenly vulnerable Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night. He'll have to get back on track with Kelvin Benjamin through the air, as the two had been clicking at one point earlier this season.

The defense has been shockingly below-average, ranking 24th in the league in terms of total defense. The Panthers have a chance to redeem themselves against Mark Sanchez, who will now start for Nick Foles while he nurses an injury to his clavicle.

22. Minnesota Vikings (4-5)

Teddy Bridgewater has three wins as the Vikings quarterback. They haven't been the flashiest wins, but it's now undeniable that he is the team's best option at the position. He suffers a bit from not having definitive weapons in the air or on the ground, but this team continues to find ways to win.

21. Houston Texans (4-5)

The Texans are off this week, but the team will look different when they come back to the field on November 16. That's because Ryan Fitzpatrick won't be under center.

Head coach Bill O'Brien decided on Wednesday to name Ryan Mallett the starter, calling it a "very difficult" decision, according to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle.

Mallett, Tom Brady's longtime backup in New England, has never started a game in his NFL career.

20. Chicago Bears (3-5)

Jay Cutler is 0-3 in his career at Lambeau Field, and that's exactly where he and the Bears are headed in Week 10.

This team has the offensive talent to be very successful. Any quarterback with the luxury of handing the ball to Matt Forte and throwing to Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall should be the leader of a successful team. That hasn't happened in Chicago, though.

19. Buffalo Bills (5-3)

Sammy Watkins is pacing NFL rookies, and he appears in prime position to win the Rookie of the Year award. He has 38 receptions for 590 yards and five touchdowns. He has been so impressive that NFL Live has already recognized him as the midseason Rookie of the Year:

He has been a huge help to Kyle Orton in his transition to the starting position.

18. Cleveland Browns (5-3)

One of the surprises of the 2014 season, the Browns are running a pretty fluid offense and playing good enough defense to win. A quarterback battle in training camp led many to believe that this team wouldn't succeed, but Brian Hoyer has done more than enough to warrant the team's choice at the position.

A bevy of competent running backs and an underrated group of receivers have led this team. The Browns face a tough Cincinnati Bengals team in their next game.

17. San Francisco 49ers (4-4)

The wildly inconsistent 49ers just can't seem to put it together. Colin Kaepernick hasn't found much rhythm with his wideouts, and the fact that he couldn't defeat a much inferior Rams team last week speaks to the type of struggles San Francisco is currently enduring.

16. San Diego Chargers (5-4)

Philip Rivers wants to forget all about last week's 37-0 route against the Miami Dolphins. He threw three picks, and the offense simply couldn't get going without his ability to spread the ball around. Now on a three-game losing streak, the Chargers must bounce back against the winless Raiders after their bye week.

Oakland did just play pretty well against the Seattle Seahawks, though, so it might not be too easy.

15. Baltimore Ravens (5-3)

Joe Flacco and the Ravens ran into the juggernaut known as the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, and Ben Roethlisberger played so well that Baltimore didn't have a chance.

C.J. Mosley has been stellar for this defense, and he's in the running for the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year. He has already emerged as a defensive captain of sorts.

Offensively, Flacco hasn't maintained consistent production with Torrey Smith or Steve Smith. Neither wideout has enjoyed more than a few weeks of success before crashing back down to mediocrity.

14. New Orleans Saints (4-4)

The Saints are a terrible road team, as evidenced by their 1-4 record away from New Orleans this year. Their next three games are at home, so it's a great time for Drew Brees to begin to pull away in the NFC South.

Mark Ingram has emerged as a quality running back, and the defense showed signs of coming around by holding the Panthers to 10 points last week. New Orleans will need a repeat performance against a 49ers team that scored just 10 points last week.

13. Miami Dolphins (5-3)

The Dolphins are playing very good football right now, and it can all be traced back to Ryan Tannehill. SI.com's Doug Farrar broke down his 2014 campaign:

"

But lately, Tannehill has played like a different quarterback. With an integrated set of targets and a completely redefined offensive line -- the most-sacked quarterback in 2013 has five new starters up front -- Tannehill upped his completion percentage to 66.3, and started to engineer more big plays. However November started with the biggest bang, as the 5-3 Dolphins shredded the San Diego Chargers 37-0, behind Tannehill's three-touchdown day (24-of-34 for 288 yards and no picks) and a very strong defensive performance.

"

Miami faces three tough games in a row, though. The Dolphins will take on the Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos in subsequent weeks.

12. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2-1)

Jeremy Hill posted the best game of his young career against the Jaguars on Sunday, running for 154 yards and two touchdowns. The Bengals lean heavily on Giovani Bernard, but Hill has seen plenty of playing time behind the second-year back.

Andy Dalton has this offense playing well. With a defense capable of stopping most offenses, the Bengals can make a run through the AFC if they make the playoffs. Every team in the AFC North currently has five wins, so there are no guarantees.

11. Kansas City Chiefs (5-3)

The Chiefs are a good football team, but this fact from ESPN's Adam Schefter should leave you questioning how long they can sustain their success:

Kansas City's receivers don't exactly scream dominance, but one would think that Dwayne Bowe or somebody would have at least grabbed a touchdown. Granted, Travis Kelce and Jamaal Charles have done most of the heavy lifting through the air. It's not like Alex Smith is without weapons.

10. Seattle Seahawks (5-3)

The Seahawks have been pedestrian through eight games, and there's a real chance the defending Super Bowl champions miss out on the playoffs this year. ESPN.com's Terry Blount broke down their upcoming schedule:

"

Getting through a brutal six-game stretch that's upcoming. Games 10 through 15 will be the defining stretch of the season -- two games against the Arizona Cardinals, two against the San Francisco 49ers, at Kansas City and at Philadelphia. That's four tough road games, two against NFC West rivals. Realistically, the Seahawks should hope to split those six, or possibly go 4-2, before closing out the regular season at home against the St. Louis Rams, another game they should win. So 11-5 is probably the best they can do, but whether that will be good enough to win the division is hard to say. They really need to win both games against Arizona.

"

This team would be nothing without Russell Wilson. He has easily been the team's most valuable player through the first half of the season.

9. Dallas Cowboys (6-3)

The once-dominant Cowboys are scuffling. They've dropped two games in a row, one against a team (Washington) they should have dominated. At one point this team was 6-1 and forcing people to believe that it was for real. A two-game losing streak isn't much, but now many are pondering if the team will fall back to its usual mediocrity.

8. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3)

Roethlisberger is a big-time MVP candidate, especially after back-to-back AFC Offensive Player of the Week awards:

He has 12 touchdowns in his last two weeks. Heck, he might throw 12 touchdowns against the Jets in Week 10. Their secondary is beyond depleted, having been forced to start undrafted rookie Marcus Williams, who they had just signed.

Look for Big Ben to post more unreal numbers.

7. Green Bay Packers (5-3)

Aaron Rodgers and Jordy Nelson are arguably the most formidable quarterback-wideout tandem in the NFL. Nelson is on pace for 100 catches and roughly 1,500 yards (give or take a few), while Rodgers is again performing like one of the most consistent passers in the league. As mentioned earlier, Jay Cutler and the Bears have never beaten Green Bay at Lambeau Field.

6. Detroit Lions (6-2)

Calvin Johnson has missed the last three games, but Golden Tate's presence in the passing game has led the Lions to win all three of those contests. Just imagine how good this offense is going to be with Megatron and Tate both playing at 100 percent.

The story for Detroit isn't the offense, however. The defense ranks No. 1 in the NFL in total defense, as the defensive line has set the tone for the secondary.

5. Indianapolis Colts (6-3)

The NFL's top offense showed its potency on Monday night. Luck torched the Giants with Reggie Wayne, T.Y. Hilton, Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen all finding the end zone. The overall success of this season rests on the shoulders of the defense. All Indianapolis has to do is hold other teams to roughly 20 points.

4. Denver Broncos (6-2)

The Broncos got run over by the New England Patriots last week. In a game that many thought would be competitive, Denver simply couldn't answer New England's persistence. Peyton Manning didn't play all that well, and the defense had no answer for Tom Brady.

The Broncos should bounce back against Oakland this week.

3. Philadelphia Eagles (6-2)

The Eagles must now maintain their high level of play without starting quarterback Nick Foles. The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane tweeted that he'll be out about four to six weeks:

Of course, there is still the potential for him to be out longer, like McLane alluded to.

Mark Sanchez will be the guy under center in his stead. He looked pretty good last week, even connecting with Jeremy Maclin on a beautiful deep pass on his first attempt of the game.

2. Arizona Cardinals (7-1)

Not many picked the Cardinals to have the best record in the NFL at the midway point of the season. Arizona has done it with a balanced effort, led by veteran Carson Palmer and a stingy run defense.

Andre Ellington, a runner many questioned as a feature back, as outperformed expectations. He has rushed for 559 yards and two touchdowns while hauling in 32 receptions for 313 yards and another two touchdowns in the passing game.

He's one of the NFL's best young weapons.

1. New England Patriots (7-2)

Remember when the Patriots lost 41-14 to the Chiefs and everyone was ready to write them off? They've now won five games in a row, and Brady is playing like his usual self. In fact, Pro Football Focus tweeted how much he has improved since that fateful night against Kansas City:

"

Since that KC game Tom Brady has earned a +19.6 grade & pushed himself to 3rd overall in our QB rankings

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) November 3, 2014"

On a bye in Week 10, New England is tasked with preparing for the Colts on November 16. That matchup will certainly have a playoff atmosphere.

Follow Kenny DeJohn on Twitter: @kennydejohn