NFL Power Rankings Week 10: These Teams Are Sure to Tumble Soon

With the NFL season beginning its home stretch, some teams are starting to pull away, while others can't even stand upright.

In Week 9 the NFL saw a dominating performance turn into an offensive shootout, a back and forth slug fest and even saw the Miami Dolphins finally pick up a win.

As teams begin to focus on making it to the playoffs, there are a number of teams who are in line for a tumble. A tumble doesn't necessarily mean an extended losing streak, but some teams are ready to lose key games that they cannot afford to.

32. Indianapolis Colts*

The Indianapolis Colts have been in a tumble all season. We always knew Peyton Manning was the team, but I don't think anyone imagined he meant this much.

The Colts offense has become completely anemic, and their star players are looking older and older every week. At least the previously winless Miami Dolphins have been competitive in most of their games. The Colts haven't been competitive in over a month.

The Colts could conceivably go winless this season. Their best chance at winning comes next week against Jacksonville, but the Jaguars always play the Colts tough—even when Manning played.

If the Ravens offense couldn't beat them, what hope is there for Indianapolis' offense?

31. St. Louis Rams

The St. Louis Rams were unable to use the momentum from the New Orleans game to beat the Arizona Cardinals. They came close, but in the end Patrick Peterson showed why he is one of the NFLs game changers on special teams.

Even though the Rams are back to losing, they do have some things to be hopeful about. Sam Bradford returned from injury, and they've gotten excellent production out of Steven Jackson the past two weeks.

The Rams are going to need Jackson to keep it up as they play the Cleveland Browns, who own the league's best passing defense.

30. Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins finally broke through the wall and won their first game of the season.

After choking away games against Denver and New York, the Dolphins used their motivation to rout the Kansas City Chiefs on the road.

Reggie Bush finally had a good game as a Dolphin, and Matt Moore looked great. The Dolphins could make it two in a row next week, as they get the Redskins in their next contest.

29. Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks made quite a stir in the NFL a few weeks ago by beating the New York Giants. Nobody thought the Seahawks could win due to the time change and not being a better team.

Since that win, the Seahawks have fallen farther and farther off the national radar. There is some good news for Seahawks fans, though, as Marshawn Lynch looked like his old self again on Sunday.

Looking to next week, Seahawks fans have to hope that the Ravens will be jet lagged for their game next Sunday to have any hope of winning.

28. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars are like Jekyll and Hyde this year.

Their defense has been fairly good, but the offense has struggled mightily this year. Teams routinely load the box against Maurice Jones-Drew, and Blaine Gabbert hasn't done much this year. The Jags rank last in the NFL in passing offense.

Gabbert needs to make more plays so teams will be forced to respect the pass, and not just on third down. MJD is the team's best offensive player, but even he can't do much with all 11 players in the box.

27. Carolina Panthers

Cam Newton has developed into a superstar in his very first season for the Carolina Panthers. Along with Newton, the duo of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart have put up great numbers given their 50-50 split.

One of the Panthers' biggest problems is that their prolific offense hasn't been on the field as much as it should, due to the defense. The Panthers rank 27th in the league against the run.

The defense needs to force some more three-and-outs and get their playmakers on the field if they want to win against the Tennessee Titans next week.

26. Arizona Cardinals*

The Arizona Cardinals pulled out a victory against the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. Patrick Peterson continues to be Devin Hester-like on special teams, and he's arguably been the team's best offensive weapon this season.

The Cardinals need Kevin Kolb to come back from his injury to restore their vaunted passing attack to prominence. Kolb hasn't been what the Cardinals were expecting, but he's better than John Skelton.

Look for the Cardinals to likely lose three games in a row. They've yet to win a game on the road, and the next three weeks see them travel to Philadelphia, San Francisco and to St. Louis before getting a revitalized Cowboys team at home.

25. Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings have been a different team since switching QBs. The Donovan McNabb experiment was clearly failing, and for some reason, the coaching staff had completely forgotten about Adrian Peterson.

With Christian Ponder behind center, the Vikings have improved dramatically. They're finally giving Peterson his carries, and the passing attack has drastically improved.

In the six games McNabb started he threw 1,026 yards and four TDs. In the two games Ponder has started he's thrown for 554 yards and three TDs.

Look for the Vikings to give Green Bay another run for their money next week.

24. Washington Redskins*

Rex Grossman made a lot of noise when he predicted his team would win the NFC East. For the first four weeks of the season, it certainly looked that way, as the team started 3-1.

Since then, Grossman has been moved back to his usual bench warming role, and the team has lost four straight.

The game against the Dolphins next week isn't a gimme. They've already lost to the Cowboys once this season, and then the team has to make a west coast trip to Seattle.

If Redskins' fans think there's light at the end of the tunnel, they're in for a surprise, as the 'Skins could conceivably not win any of their remaining games.

23. Cleveland Browns*

The Cleveland Browns have had some bright moments this season. Unfortunately, they've been few and far between.

Colt McCoy has proven that he can play in the NFL, but it doesn't help that the Browns leading rusher has 244 yards. That's 244 yards in eight games. And it's not even Peyton Hillis.

On defense the Browns are excellent against the pass, but they have a lot of work to do when it comes to stopping the run.

It won't get any easier for the Browns, as they face a slew of top RBs in the next few weeks. Steven Jackson, Maurice Jones-Drew and Ray Rice are all coming to town soon.

22. Philadelphia Eagles*

"The Dream Team" hasn't lived up to the hype they had before the season began.

The Philadelphia Eagles were riding a two-game win streak and were looking like they were beginning to turn things around—then came Monday's game against the Chicago Bears.

The Eagles still had trouble in the red zone, they couldn't get pressure on Jay Cutler, and Michael Vick continued his turnover-plagued season.

Eagles' fans will look forward to the team righting the ship next week, as they should beat Arizona. But then the Eagles play the Giants (whom they've already lost to), the Patriots and then travel to Seattle on a short week.

The next few weeks will make or break this team, but haven't we been saying that all season?

21. Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos may be on their way up.

After a disappointing loss against the Detroit Lions, the Broncos rebounded in a big way against the Oakland Raiders.

Tim Tebow threw and ran for over 100 yards, and the defense forced three turnovers. The Broncos have one of the league's best rushing attacks and that will be key to keeping the defense—and media—off Tebow's case.

20. San Diego Chargers*

The San Diego Chargers have had quite a turbulent past three weeks.

In the game against the New York Jets, Philip Rivers seemed to fall apart. Then, against Kansas City, the team gift wrapped a win for the Chiefs.

On Sunday, after starting the fourth quarter behind by 21 points, the Chargers fought back to make it a game.

Rivers will need to control the turnovers if the Chargers want to get back in the win column. The next few games could provide a road block for that goal, as their rushing defense hasn't been that great, and they face some good RBs in the upcoming weeks.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers*

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers came into the season as a lot of people's dark horse to win the NFC South. Those predictions have fallen well off the mark, as the Bucs continue to struggle.

The team looked like they were still stuck in the bye week instead of being in must-win mode against the Saints in New Orleans.

The Bucs are a young team, and this year will likely be passed off as growing pains. Unfortunately for Bucs fans, more pains are likely on the way.

A revamped Texans rushing attack heads to Tampa next week, followed by the unstoppable machine known as Aaron Rodgers the week after. The Bucs could be looking at a four-game losing streak within the next few weeks.

18. Oakland Raiders

The Oakland Raiders renaissance season continues to have its ups and downs.

After stringing together two straight wins, the Raiders have dropped two games in a row. The first was an ugly loss to the Chiefs, and on Sunday they witnessed the Tim Tebow show.

The Raiders will have a short week, as they travel to division rival San Diego on Thursday.

17. Kansas City Chiefs*

The Kansas City Chiefs were blown out at home by the Miami Dolphins.

I'm not sure if there's anything else I can say to describe what that means, because other than losing to the Colts, that's about as low as it gets.

The next few weeks don't look too bright either, as the team gets the Broncos, New England (in Foxborough) and the Steelers.

After that rough stretch, the Chiefs then have to travel to Chicago and to New York. Both teams play well at home, and it will be tough for the Chiefs to pull out more than one win given that schedule.

16. Tennessee Titans*

At halftime on Sunday, the Tennessee Titans were up 17-7. The second half saw the Cincinnati Bengals score 17 unanswered points to claim victory.

Although a loss is never good, Titans fans can take away some positives from the game. Chris Johnson finally showed flashes of his old self and could be on his way back to producing at a high level.

The Titans are going to need Johnson to return to form in the next few weeks if they want to be competitive, let alone win.

Road trips to Carolina and Atlanta won't be easy games to win, especially given the offensive firepower of both teams. 

15. Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys needed to bounce back from the beat down they received in Week 8. The Cowboys did just that at the Seahawks' expense.

DeMarco Murray has emerged as a playmaker the past few weeks and continues to put up good numbers.

Although Cowboys fans are happy about an emerging rushing attack, they're no doubt concerned about Miles Austin's hamstring injury. Early reports are indicating he will be out at least 2-4 weeks.

That means Dez Bryant and Jason Witten will need to pick up the slack from Austin's absence.

14. New England Patriots

The New England Patriots at one time were 5-1. Since then, they've dropped two games in a row, and it appears the defensive faults have caught up with the offensive firepower.

The Patriots can't stop anyone's passing attack. In a league that grows more pass heavy each week, stopping the pass is going to get more and more important.

Until the Patriots can get their defense fixed, look for Tom Brady and the offense attempt to win a shootout every week.

13. Buffalo Bills*

After smacking around the Washington Redskins, the Buffalo Bills were the ones getting smacked on Sunday.

The Jets' defense effectively shut down Fred Jackson, and Ryan Fitzpatrick was forced to do it on his own. It's not time to panic in Buffalo, but the upcoming stretch of games looks challenging, to say the least.

The Bills travel to Dallas and Miami and then get set for a rematch against the Jets in New York. The Bills have gone 1-2 on the road this season, so their season will be won or loss in the upcoming weeks.

12. New York Jets

After losing three straight, the New York Jets have reeled off three straight wins.

Key to the Jets' turnaround has been the return of the defense. In their three-game losing streak, the Jets gave up 24, 17 and 21 points. During their winning streak, the defense has given up 6, 21 and 11 points.

Shonn Green seems to be getting on the right track finally, and Mark Sanchez is avoiding the tendency to try and win games with every throw he makes.

Look for the Jets to make a statement in a critical game against New England next week.

11. Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears have been one of the hottest teams in the past few weeks.

Jay Cutler, who comes under constant scrutiny in Chicago, has shown why the team traded so much to get him. If given time, Cutler can be one of the best QBs in the league. The Bears have done a good job of protecting him the past few weeks, and they've won three straight as a result.

A rematch against Detroit should show how much the Bears have grown since their first encounter.

10. Atlanta Falcons

Like the Bears, the Atlanta Falcons have also made a big turnaround.

For the Falcons, it's not so much the fact they've won three games in a row, it's the manner in which they've done it.

They kept the high powered offenses of Carolina and Detroit out of the end-zone, and then they trounced the hapless Colts on Sunday.

Next week's game against the Saints will have major NFC South implications, and we will see if the Falcons offense can keep rolling along.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers*

The Pittsburgh Steelers had won four-straight games before their clash against rival Baltimore. You can't really fault the Steelers for losing to the Ravens, because it's been one of the closest rivalries in the NFL in recent years.

The game was physical as usual, and we are likely to see some fines come from the league office for some of the hits. It will be interesting to see if the team can respond, or if they'll still be beaten down when they travel to division rival Cincinnati.

For the Steelers to get back on a roll again, they'll need Rashard Mendenhall to step up his production and break out of his season-long slump.

8. Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions got their swagger back in their game against Denver two weeks ago. The offense, which had been shut down in their two losses, finally came back in an offensive outburst against the Broncos.

The Lions will look to put up big offensive numbers again when they visit Chicago on Sunday. Getting to Jay Cutler again will be key to the Lions' success in that game.

The Ndamukong Suh saga will continue to be a big media story and that spells trouble for the Lions' defense. If Suh gets suspended for his rough play, the defense will lose its best player during a crucial stretch of games.

7. New Orleans Saints

In a major NFC South clash and following an ugly loss to St. Louis, the New Orleans Saints responded emphatically.

The Saints were at their lowest point in the season following the loss against Tampa earlier in the year. The Bucs loss was only a jab compared to the power punch the team took from the Rams in Week 9.

New Orleans didn't allow the Bucs to have any chance for a comeback on Sunday and will look to firmly assert themselves at the top of the division against Atlanta next week.

6. Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens' players may have a little more purple on them than just from their jerseys after Sunday's game.

The Ravens emerged victorious against the rival Steelers after a thrilling game-winning drive by Joe Flacco.

Next week's game against Seattle could be a trap game—other than it just being a west coast trip. The Ravens will no doubt be looking forward to an AFC North clash against the Bengals.

After those two games, the Ravens get the 49ers at home, in what could be an important game for both teams when factoring in the playoff possibilities.

5. Houston Texans

After Week 6, many NFL fans had left the Houston Texans for dead.

Since then, the Texans have rushed back into people's minds. Arian Foster and Ben Tate are the best 1-2 RB combo in the league, and they've been running wild the past three games.

The defense has also played well after the loss of Mario Williams, allowing only 33 points the past three games.

Look for the Texans to continue their recent run of success against a weak Tampa Bay defense that's without its best player.

4. New York Giants

Admit it, we all laughed when Eli Manning said he was an elite QB at the beginning of the season. Now it's Manning who's making all of us laugh by actually producing at a high level on a consistent basis.

In a Superbowl rematch, Manning once again led the Giants down the field and threw a game-winning TD pass. But it wasn't all Manning.

The defense put pressure on Tom Brady all day and forced some uncharacteristic throws by "the golden boy."

Manning and the Giants face off against the San Francisco 49ers next week in a game that has major playoff implications.

3. Cincinnati Bengals

Has there been a quieter good team this year than the Cincinnati Bengals? Usually by this time of year we are used to more Bengals players being in police reports than endzones.

But these are the new look Bengals. They aren't flashy and won't put up gaudy numbers. In fact, the team had to rally from 10 points to defeat the Titans.

As T-Pain would say, "All they do is win."

The Andy Dalton-AJ Green connection will look to make it six in a row against division rival Pittsburgh next Sunday.

2. San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers have gone from one of the worst teams in the league last year to the second best in 2011.

In what many fans believed would be a rebuilding year, Jim Harbaugh is no doubt in the lead for the Coach of the Year award.

Everything seems to be coming together for the 49ers this year. Alex Smith has turned into an effective game manager, Frank Gore has remained healthy and the defense continues to force turnovers.

Look for the 49ers to put the NFC West back on the map when they take on the New York Giants.

1. Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers continued to roll this week against the San Diego Chargers.

Well, that is until the fourth quarter. Instead of a clock-eating drive, or the defense slamming the door shut, the Packers allowed the Chargers to get back into the game.

The passing defense needs to step up, as they're the leagues second worst, and the rushing attack needs to be able to take time off the clock at the end of games.

With that being said, Aaron Rodgers is simply unstoppable this year. He is putting up huge numbers every week, and it seems no matter what defenses do, he dominates.

As long as Rodgers continues to put up the video game numbers, the Packers should coast into a division showdown against the Lions on Nov. 24.