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

There are few times when almost all NFL fans are genuinely happy. There's Week 1 of the NFL season, when everyone's favorite team is undefeated. Then there's the draft, a perpetual beacon of hope for the future. The third and final instance that can unite nearly every fanbase in cheers of joy is a high-stakes loss by the New England Patriots. Ladies and gentlemen, Sunday night was one of those rare times.

Thanks to a legitimately brilliant performance from dark-horse MVP candidate Lamar Jackson, the Baltimore Ravens ran away and hid in the fourth quarter on Sunday Night Football, soundly defeating Bill Belichick's team 37-20.

Both New England's standing as the top team in the AFC and Baltimore's status as a challenger to that throne remain unchanged by this result, but head coach John Harbaugh and Jackson exposed the Pats in a real way yesterday. Their performance can serve as an example for the likes of the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs, all of whom play the Patriots in the next five weeks.

NFL Power Rankings

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

Of course, New England's defeat is not yet cause for the 1972 Dolphins to pop champagne for the 47th straight year. After narrowly defeating the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday night, the San Francisco 49ers are now the only undefeated team left in the NFL. They'll face their toughest test yet next Monday night, welcoming MVP favorite Russell Wilson and his Seattle Seahawks to Levi's Stadium. 

Though it was a relatively uneventful slate compared to previous weeks, several upsets dotted Week 9's results, particularly in the NFC North. The Kansas City Chiefs continued their strong play in Patrick Mahomes' stead, this week defeating the red-hot Minnesota Vikings 26-23 thanks to a game-winning field goal from Harrison Butker.

However, the Vikings probably felt a bit better about their loss after seeing the Los Angeles Chargers pressure the Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers into an abysmal 26-11 loss, dropping their record to 7-2. 

Regarding the AFC playoff picture, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett suffered a likely knee sprain early on in the Colts' matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers and did not return. As of yet, there is no official diagnosis nor timetable for his return, but if he were to sit out next week, then Brian Hoyer would likely get the start for the 5-3 Colts, who hold the sixth and final slot in the AFC playoff bracket. 

In other news, the Miami Dolphins finally won a game, defeating division rival New York Jets by the score of 26-18 thanks to three touchdowns from former Jet Ryan Fitzpatrick. The two teams are now tied with the Atlanta Falcons for the third pick in the upcoming 2020 NFL draft and trail the still-winless Cincinnati Bengals, who were idle this week.