NFL Power Rankings Week 10: Predicting Post-Monday Night Football Standings

It's time to panic in Los Angeles. The Rams have lost a game, the undefeated season is over and that means their season is about to go down the drain.

That's a panic reaction, and it has nothing to do with reality. They lost a tough road game to an excellent New Orleans Saints team, and the only thing it means is that they won't be joining the 1972 Miami Dolphins as the only undefeated Super Bowl champions in NFL history.

The Rams are still the top team in our power rankings despite the loss, and they did some good things after falling behind in the first half. They were down 35-14 before a late field goal in the second quarter, and then mounted a huge comeback when all the momentum was against them.

They couldn't finish the job, but they did something positive when most teams would not have been able to stem the tide.

All teams (other than the Tennessee Titans and Dallas Cowboys, playing on Monday night) have either reached the halfway point or passed it. Here's our look at how the teams stack up going into the Week 9 Monday night game.

NFL Power Rankings

1. Los Angeles Rams (8-1)

2. Kansas City Chiefs (8-1)

3. New Orleans Saints (7-1)

4. New England Patriots (7-2)

5. Carolina Panthers (6-2)

6. Los Angeles Chargers (6-2)

7. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2-1)

8. Minnesota Vikings (5-3-1)

9. Houston Texans (6-3)

10. Cincinnati Bengals (5-3)

11. Chicago Bears (5-3)

12. Philadelphia Eagles (4-4)

13. Atlanta Falcons (4-4)

14. Washington Redskins (5-3)

15. Miami Dolphins (5-4)

16. Seattle Seahawks (4-4)

17. Green Bay Packers (3-4-1)

18. Dallas Cowboys (3-4)

19. Baltimore Ravens (4-5)

20. Tennessee Titans (3-4)

21. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-5)

22. Detroit Lions (3-5)

23. Indianapolis Colts (3-5)

24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5)

25. San Francisco 49ers (2-7)

26. New York Jets (3-6)

27. Denver Broncos (3-6)

28. Cleveland Browns (2-6-1)

29. New York Giants (1-7)

30. Arizona Cardinals (2-6)

31. Buffalo Bills (2-7)

32. Oakland Raiders (1-7)

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs continue to roll along with their spectacular record and an offense that looks unstoppable—quarterback Patrick Mahomes and running back Kareem Hunt lead the way.

A look at the schedule for the second half of the season makes it look like they should be no worse than 5-2 the rest of the way, which would leave them with a 13-3 record.

However, their defensive problems remain intact, and while they are probably at least a little better than their No. 31 ranking on defense, that area is an issue that will show itself at one point or another. It could come in their regular-season games against the Rams or Chargers, or it may not show itself until the postseason.

However, at some point, they will meet a team that will slow down Mahomes and the offense while embarrassing the defense. So, while they are the No. 2 team in our power rankings, there is a real chance that they will suffer a major fall at one point and disappoint their fans, who have been waiting for another Super Bowl appearance since the 1970 season and Super Bowl IV.

New England Patriots

The Patriots and Packers were tied into the fourth quarter Sunday night, and the Packers were driving for the go-ahead score, but the Pats turned things around with a forced fumble, then Tom Brady led back-to-back touchdown drives to give New England yet another win.

Does that say more about the Patriots or the Packers? It's hard to answer that question with 100 percent certainty, but the Patriots have known how to win for years. While the talent may not be at a peak level anymore, Bill Belichick and Brady almost always figure it out.

The Patriots will get stronger when rookie running back Sony Michel and tight end Rob Gronkowski return to the lineup, and they still have to scare every team in the AFC. They have already beaten the Chiefs, and they are nearly impossible to beat at home.

The Pats have three defining games coming up in December against the Vikings (home), Dolphins (road) and Steelers (road), and that's when we will have a clear picture of what this team is capable of accomplishing this year.

Chicago Bears

The Bears have already made a huge move up the NFL ladder as they sit in first place in the NFC North for the second week in a row after hammering the Bills by a 41-9 margin.

The Bears are coming off back-to-back wins over the Jets and Bills, and the schedule will get far more competitive in the second half of the year. They still have five games remaining against divisional opponents, and they have three games coming up in a 12-day span against the Lions, Vikings and Lions (again).

This is a team that has a dominant defense when Khalil Mack is in the lineup, and there should be a good chance that he can return from an ankle injury this week. Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky is a better runner than passer at this point, but he is getting better. The Chicago offense has a chance to develop into a capable unit that takes advantage of the gifts that the defense provides.

They will get tested severely in the second half of the season, and the belief here is that the team will do well enough in those tests to remain in contention for a playoff spot through the final weeks of the season.