NFL Power Rankings: Looking at the League's Top 10 Teams

Week 9 brought a lot of changes to the power rankings, including (and especially) the top 10.

Here's a quick look at each of the top teams headed into Week 10, with their Week 9 rankings in parentheses for easy reference.

No. 1: Green Bay Packers (1)

Another win, this time over the formidable San Diego Chargers (who put up quite a bit of points in their quest to bring down the NFL's only undefeated team), means that the 8-0 Packers stay at the top for yet another week.

No. 2: San Francisco 49ers (2)

Winning decisively both on the road and at home, the Niners continue to roll over all comers. They lead the NFC West by a large margin, and it's pretty much a guarantee we will be seeing San Francisco in January, with few teams even capable of stopping their impressive run.

No. 3: Baltimore Ravens (7)

The Ravens made a major jump in the rankings on the merit of their series-sweeping Week 9 win over the difficult Pittsburgh Steelers by way of an impressive performance by quarterback Joe Flacco that saw the team convert 14 of its 21 fourth downs.

No. 4: Houston Texans (4)

The Texans are dominant and well-balanced, to be sure, but they do not rise in this week's power rankings only because they defeated the less-than-formidable Cleveland Browns in Week 9. Houston, however, is practically a lock to win the AFC South this year, barring any serious setbacks.

No. 5: New Orleans Saints (9)

The Saints bounced back in a big way from both their Week 8 loss to the St. Louis Rams and their Week 6 defeat at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by beating the Bucs in their second meeting of the season. There's little question that the Saints remain serious contenders.

No. 6: Cincinnati Bengals (10)

With the Steelers' Week 9 loss, the Bengals hold sole control over the hotly-contested AFC North, with a 6-2 record and a five-game win streak. They may struggle when facing tougher teams—their six wins have come from teams that have a combined 16 wins between them—but for now, they're the toast of the NFL's strongest division.

No. 7: Detroit Lions (8)

With the Lions on the bye this week, they move up one spot in the rankings as a result of teams shifting around them. They're a solid team, to be sure, but with the Packers in their division, they'll only reach the playoffs as a Wild Card entrant.

No. 8: Pittsburgh Steelers (3)

The Steelers aren't very capable of consistent play, with their stout passing defense that stopped Tom Brady's New England Patriots in Week 8 coming up flat—especially on third down—against Joe Flacco's Ravens in Week 9.

No. 9: New England Patriots (5)

Almost unheard of—the Patriots dropping two games in a row, including a close contest at home against the New York Giants in Week 9. That defense is a liability now that two consecutive teams have found ways to stifle the Pats' high-powered offense.

No. 10: New York Jets (12)

The Jets made a statement in Week 9, defeating the Buffalo Bills 27-11, proving that they are more than an afterthought in the NFL this season—rather, they're a top-10 team. Now they just have to maintain this momentum in the coming weeks.

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

*Subject to change pending on outcome of Monday night's Bears-Eagles contest