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

Week 10 brought about the demise of one more undefeated team and a handful of other upsets to shake up the standings. 

The top of the power rankings remain relatively unchanged, however, due to the huge gap in talent between the top and bottom of the league this season. Only 11 teams are above .500 at this point in the season, but seven of them are at least four games above the break-even point. 

Below are the updated rankings along with a breakdown of a few of the notable teams making moves in this week's update. 

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

Notable Teams

2. Carolina Panthers

Mike McCarn/Associated Press

Carolina opened the season with victories over Blake Bortles, Ryan Mallett, Luke McCown and Jameis Winston, so it's easy to see why so many were skeptical of their early 4-0 start. 

But the Panthers have since knocked off Russell Wilson, Andrew Luck and now Aaron Rodgers, proving that they are among the few elite teams in the league. 

With upcoming games against the Tennessee Titans and Washington Redskins, the Panthers are in excellent position to stretch their record to 10-0 before they're tested again at Dallas on Thanksgiving Day.

13. Indianapolis Colts

AJ Mast/Associated Press

It's been a disappointing season, but after nearly knocking off the Panthers on the road and upsetting the Denver Broncos Sunday, maybe things are turning around for the Colts. 

Andrew Luck had just his second interception-free game of the season against Denver, an encouraging sign given the success of the Broncos defense this season. 

In fact, Luck has played some of his best football in the Colts' toughest matchups this season. Against the Patriots and Broncos, Luck has combined for over 500 yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions. 

Indianapolis now has some momentum to carry into its bye week before returning to play the Atlanta Falcons in Week 11. 

17. Atlanta Falcons

Ben Margot/Associated Press

Over the past two weeks, the Falcons have lost to a rookie quarterback (Jameis Winston) and a top-10 draft bust (Blaine Gabbert). 

Despite all the good will the Falcons built up early in the season, thanks in large part to the breakout performance of Devonta Freeman, this team is in free fall in the power rankings. 

Dan Quinn's squad enters its bye week as one of the coldest teams in the league over the past month and is in desperate need of a shakeup. 

Quinn, a rookie head coach, has his work cut out for him as the Falcons return from their bye to face potential playoff contenders in the Colts and Minnesota Vikings in their first two games. 

21. Dallas Cowboys

Michael Ainsworth/Associated Press

It was another close call for the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, but ultimately Dallas suffered its sixth straight loss without Tony Romo. 

"

With Brandon Weeden and Matt Cassel each 0-3 since Tony Romo injury, #Cowboys have lost 6 straight in single season first time since 1989

— Ed Werder (@Edwerderespn) November 9, 2015"

The Cowboys are now three games behind the New York Giants in the win column in the NFC East, and still have one more game to play before Romo is eligible to return from injured reserve. 

Assuming Romo has recovered, he will be allowed to return for the team's game against the Miami Dolphins on November 22, giving him one week to get back into a rhythm before a crucial battle with the Panthers on Thanksgiving Day. 

As inconsistent as the rest of the NFC East has been, it's certainly too early to count the Cowboys out. But a win against Tampa Bay in Week 10 may be necessary to keep their hopes alive.