NFL Power Rankings Week 10: Desperate Teams with Opportunities To Climb

Desperation is something that any NFL team can identify with. Whether it's dodging defeat in a single game or doing everything humanly possible to avoid falling into the abyss in a given season, fear often proves to be a pretty solid motivating force.

Just ask these teams, each of which has its own demons to live down and the opportunity to do so in Week 10.

Denver Broncos

No player embodies the power of desperation quite like Tim Tebow. The starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos used that drive to lead his team to a surprising win over the well-rested Oakland Raiders on Sunday, throwing for two touchdowns and 124 yards to go along with 118 yards rushing.

And if the previously resurgent Raiders couldn't stop him, then what hope do the Kansas City Chiefs have?

If their 31-3 loss to the Miami Dolphins is any indication, the answer would seem to be "slim to none."

Miami Dolphins

Speaking of the Dolphins, they just might be able to play themselves out of the "Suck For Andrew Luck" sweepstakes after stomping said Chiefs on Sunday.

Granted, Matt Moore would be lucky to throw three touchdowns without a pick two weeks in a row, just as Reggie Bush isn't about pile up 142 yards from scrimmage every time out.

Then again, anything can happen against a Redskins team that's lost its last four games and is playing as poorly as any team in the NFL right now.

Tennessee Titans

At 4-4 and with three losses in their last four games, the Titans now find themselves on the brink of falling out of the AFC South race entirely—a race that the Texans could wrap up if Tennessee loses and Houston wins in Week 10.

And while the Titans can do little to keep the Texans from trouncing Tampa Bay, they can do plenty to help themselves against the Panthers in Charlotte. Matt Hasselbeck and Chris Johnson actually looked passable against a stout Cincinnati D this past weekend and should be able to build on that relative success against Carolina's middle-of-the-pack resistance.

Josh Martin's Week 9 NFL Power Rankings

1. Green Bay Packers

2. San Francisco 49ers

3. Baltimore Ravens

4. New York Giants

5. New Orleans Saints

6. Detroit Lions

7. Atlanta Falcons

8. Pittsburgh Steelers

9. New England Patriots

10. New York Jets

11. Cincinnati Bengals

12. Houston Texans

13. Buffalo Bills

14. Dallas Cowboys

15. Philadelphia Eagles

16. Chicago Bears

17. San Diego Chargers

18. Kansas City Chiefs

19. Denver Broncos

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

21. Tennessee Titans

22. Oakland Raiders

23. Minnesota Vikings

24. Carolina Panthers

25. Cleveland Browns

26. Seattle Seahawks

27. Washington Redskins

28. Jacksonville Jaguars

29. Arizona Cardinals

30. Miami Dolphins

31. St. Louis Rams

32. Indianapolis Colts