NFL Power Rankings Week 10: Are Falcons or Giants the NFC's Best?
With Week 9 in the books, it's time to take a look at the NFL power rankings for Week 10!
There was a flurry of movement from top to bottom in the NFL, but, most notably, a power struggle emerged in the NFC. Three teams have separated themselves from the pack: the Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants.
All three picked up big wins in Week 9, and are battling it out to see who is truly the NFC's best team. Who is it this week? Let's find out.
The Walking Dead: 32-27
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32. Dallas Cowboys: Yeesh. They may have more wins than the Bills, but they're such a mess right now, they're easily the NFL's worst team.
31. Buffalo Bills: They might be winless, but they're looking better than a few teams on the list and should have beaten the Bears on Sunday. Still, that 0-8 mark isn't going to get them higher than this.
30. Carolina Panthers: John Fox's name has been mentioned as a potential candidate for the Cowboys head coaching gig next season. Hopefully, Jerry Jones looks at Carolina this season and realizes how terrible of an idea that would be.
29. Cincinnati Bengals: They had no business being in that game with the Steelers on Sunday. I still maintain Marvin Lewis is a decent coach, but his team has looked awful this season.
28. Denver Broncos: The wheels are coming off for the Broncos on the defensive side of the ball in 2010. Their season is just about finished, and they'd have to win out to change that.
27. San Francisco 49ers: The win over the Broncos is the only reason why they're higher than Denver on the rankings.
Hanging By a Thread: 26-21
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26. Arizona Cardinals: They played fairly well in Minnesota on Sunday, but blew what should have been a win. So they stand pat for the time being, and could fall further, what with Derek Anderson at quarterback.
25. Minnesota Vikings: Brad Childress needs to personally thank every single one of his players for saving his job for another week. Because through three quarters, it sure looked like they'd quit on him. I think they made it clear who's really in charge.
24. Seattle Seahawks: Somehow, we knew this was coming, but no one expected it to be quite that bad.
23. Miami Dolphins: Now that they've lost on the road, can we all admit that this is a .500 team and move on with our lives? Chad Henne is looking more like Marinovich than Marino at this point in his career.
22. Cleveland Browns: Hey, they're almost in the top 20! Another big win could see the Browns crack the top 15, even. But to put Oakland and Cleveland in the top 20 in the same week is pushing the fabric of the universe a bit too far.
21. Detroit Lions: Would have creamed the Jets had Matt Stafford not gotten hurt again. I swear, they need to wrap that kid in bubble wrap or something.
20. Washington Redskins
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Where They Stood Last Week: 20.
Why The Move: The Redskins were on bye in Week 9, so no change for them.
Why They Could Be Higher: They have wins over the Eagles, Packers and Bears. The offense has looked solid, if unspectacular.
Why They Could Be Lower: Rex Grossman? Really, Mike Shanahan?! The defense has been awful all year, and the offense sputters on occasion. Plus, they've lost to the Lions, so they don't deserve a top 20 spot. But we can't move them in a bye week.
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19. San Diego Chargers
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Where They Stood Last Week: 23.
Why The Move: The annual "Save Norv Turner's Job" campaign has begun, as San Diego has won two straight, including one over a decent Houston club.
Why They Could Be Higher: Statistically, the Chargers have been great on both sides of the ball. Philip Rivers can rack up yards no matter who he's throwing to, and the defense can contain most attacks.
Why They Could Be Lower: They're still 4-5, and with so many injuries to the receiving corps, it's going to be tough to rally the troops enough to get into the AFC West race. Plus, Norv Turner is still the head coach.
18. Jacksonville Jaguars
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Where They Stood Last Week: 18.
Why The Move: The Jags had a Week 9 bye, so no change in their ranking this week.
Why They Could Be Higher: The offense has started to jell, and Jacksonville's 4-4 and still in the AFC South hunt. David Garrard remembered that the objective is to throw the ball to your teammates, and Maurice Jones-Drew is pinballing up and down the field.
Why They Could Be Lower: That defense. Yeeeesh. It's been absolutely awful in 2010, and doesn't look like it's going to get much better.
17. St. Louis Rams
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Where They Stood Last Week: 17.
Why The Move: The Rams took a bye in Week 9, so they stand pat.
Why They Could Be Higher: This team looks better each time they take the field. The defense is solid, the offense is balanced and just effective enough, and they're in the driver's seat in the NFC West.
Why They Could Be Lower: They play six games against the NFC West, so there's that. Plus, they've gotten smoked by the Lions, so we know they can't be that great.
16. Houston Texans
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Where They Stood Last Week: 13.
Why The Move: The Texans fell to the Chargers at home in Week 9, and have now lost three of four after their 3-1 start.
Why They Could Be Higher: The offense has the potential to be great, and Arian Foster is still blowing up opposing defenses. The defense should be good.
Why They Could Be Lower: The passing game has sputtered on occasion in 2010, the defense has been terrible—particularly against the pass—and they've lost four of their last six games. The wheels are starting to get shaky in Houston.
15. Chicago Bears
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Where They Stood Last Week: 16.
Why The Move: The Bears squeaked by the Bills on Sunday, and probably should have lost the game in the end.
Why They Could Be Higher: The offense should be great, with quarterback Jay Cutler and a slew of speedy receivers. The defense is back to its dominant form, more or less.
Why They Could Be Lower: The Bears should have fallen to the Bills, the offense has struggled recently and speedy receivers don't do you much good when they can't catch. The offensive line can't protect the quarterback long enough to let him throw deep.
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Where They Stood Last Week: 10.
Why The Move: The Bucs fell to the Falcons, despite Josh Freeman's best comeback attempts.
Why They Could Be Higher: The offense looks like it's firing on all cylinders, and the defense is slowly but surely improving. Josh Freeman is a leader, and looks like a star for years to come. This team will bounce back up the rankings at some point, but were a victim of circumstance this week.
Why They Could Be Lower: The defense still has a lot of work to do, and if they'd been able to neutralize the Falcons in the first half of Sunday's clash, Tampa Bay could have walked out of the Georgia Dome with a win.
13. Kansas City Chiefs
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Where They Stood Last Week: 7.
Why The Move: They lost to the Raiders in overtime, and needed a win to keep their lofty perch.
Why They Could Be Higher: The defense is vastly improved over last year's unit, the offense is firing on almost all cylinders and Matt Cassel actually looks like functional NFL quarterback. Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones are one of the best running back tandems in the NFL.
Why They Could Be Lower: The offense still goes through lapses of ineffectiveness, the defense isn't impenetrable and they should have won on Sunday, but couldn't move the ball when it counted in overtime.
12. Tennessee Titans
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Where They Stood Last Week: 12.
Why The Move: The Titans had Week 9 off, so they don't move in either direction.
Why They Could Be Higher: The defense is one of the league's toughest, the ground game is superb behind running back Chris Johnson and the passing game just added wideout Randy Moss to its arsenal.
Why They Could Be Lower: Losses to San Diego, Denver and Pittsburgh proved that this team can be shut down, and the offense has moments of ineffectiveness.
11. Oakland Raiders
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Where They Stood Last Week: 21.
Why The Move: A meaningful win over the Chiefs in Week 9 sees the Raiders make the biggest jump of anybody in the NFL this week.
Why They Could Be Higher: They really couldn't, although I toyed with switching Oakland and Philly. The run game has been excellent, the pass defense has been solid and the passing offense has shown signs of life in recent games.
Why They Could Be Lower: The Raiders have lost four games, including a blowout loss to Tennessee and normal losses to Arizona and San Francisco. The run defense is flat out bad.
10. Philadelphia Eagles
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Where They Stood Last Week: 14.
Why The Move: The Eagles squeaked past the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9, and sit second in the NFC East.
Why They Could Be Higher: The offense looks stellar, and the ball-hawking secondary is capable of making good quarterbacks look bad.
Why They Could Be Lower: The run defense has been non-existent, the pass defense is high-risk, high-reward and the Eagles do suffer from the occasional offensive outage. Plus, Philly was essentially handed a win on a silver platter by the officials against Indy, so there's that.
9. New York Jets
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Where They Stood Last Week: 11.
Why The Move: The Jets eked out a close one against the Lions in Week 9, so they get a boost for the win.
Why They Could Be Higher: The Jets lead the AFC East right now, and have looked like Super Bowl contenders at times in 2010. The offense can put up big numbers, and the defense can shut down just about anyone.
Why They Could Be Lower: The offense hasn't exactly been all that consistent, and had Matt Stafford not gotten hurt, the Jets would be 5-3 right now.
8. Indianapolis Colts
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Where They Stood Last Week: 3.
Why The Move: The Colts fell to the Eagles in Week 9, so their ranking takes a hit.
Why They Could Be Higher: The offense, despite being decimated with injuries, has still been one of football's most potent. The defense didn't look too awful against Philly, and the Colts still lead the AFC South.
Why They Could Be Lower: The defense is still not all that great, and is flat out bad against the run. The offensive line has struggled to protect Peyton Manning all game long.
7. New England Patriots
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Where They Stood Last Week: 1.
Why The Move: The Patriots got waxed by the Browns in Week 9, so they drop down the ranks.
Why They Could Be Higher: The offense can be extremely effective, and the defense is young and should improve. Tom Brady gives this team a chance every time he takes the field.
Why They Could Be Lower: The defense has been subpar in 2010, and they just lost by 20 points to the Browns, which hurts them pretty badly. The offense lacks a consistent weapon either in the receiving corps or the running game.
6. New Orleans Saints
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Where They Stood Last Week: 10.
Why The Move: A big win over the Panthers on the road is enough to get New Orleans back to the edge of the top five.
Why They Could Be Higher: The offense is looking like its 2009 self again, and the defense seems to get better every week. This team seems to be coming together down the stretch.
Why They Could Be Lower: The run defense and offense are both still unreliable, and the Saints have lost three games in 2010.
5. New York Giants
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Where They Stood Last Week: 8.
Why The Move: The Giants routed the Seahawks in what could have been a tricky road test, so they climb into the top five.
Why They Could Be Higher: They're the hottest team in football, having ripped off five straight wins. The defense is tough, the offense is balanced and loaded and the Giants are playing with confidence right now.
Why They Could Be Lower: They've beaten mediocre Houston and Chicago teams, but other than that, they haven't beaten any other elite teams. Until they beat a good team, they can't go higher than this.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
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Where They Stood Last Week: 5.
Why The Move: Pittsburgh blew through the Bengals in Week 9, in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicated.
Why They Could Be Higher: The offense is balanced, the defense is one of the league's best and the Steelers have the capability to be the best team in football.
Why They Could Be Lower: The offense has struggled to find rhythm since Big Ben returned as quarterback, and the defense, while tough, isn't impenetrable.
3. Green Bay Packers
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Where They Stood Last Week: 4.
Why The Move: Green Bay routed the Cowboys 45-7 on Sunday night at Lambeau, helping them claw their way to third.
Why They Could Be Higher: The offense showed what it can do despite being ravaged by injuries this season, putting up 45 on the Cowboys. The defense is one of the league's best, capable of shutting down just about anyone.
Why They Could Be Lower: They haven't been the most consistent team in the NFL, struggling with both offense and defense in different games this season. They have three losses, which makes it tough to justify their place in the top three.
2. Atlanta Falcons
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Where They Stood Last Week: 6.
Why The Move: The Falcons knocked off the Bucs on Sunday in a key NFC South contest. They now hold the division lead by a full game over both Tampa Bay and New Orleans.
Why They Could Be Higher: The defense is solid, the offense is balanced and high-powered and the Falcons are 6-2 in one of the toughest divisions in all of football.
Why They Could Be Lower: They lost to Pittsburgh early in the season, and the offense stalls on occasion, while the defense can suffer from lapses in judgement, particularly against the pass.
1. Baltimore Ravens
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Where They Stood Last Week: 2.
Why The Move: The Ravens blew past the Dolphins in Week 9, making them the logical top team this week.
Why They Could Be Higher: They can't be. The Ravens have been football's best team through nine weeks—balanced offensively, excellent defensively and owning wins over two of the AFC's better teams in Pittsburgh and the Jets.
Why They Could Be Lower: A loss to the Bengals and a near loss to the Bills show that Baltimore's still not perfect. The pass defense is still shaky, and the offense can still sputter.
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