NFL Power Rankings Week 10: Contenders Who Aren't as Good as Their Records

The worst part about records is that they can be misleading. This is one of the only reasons to tip your cap to college football's various ranking systems—records are only part of the concern.

Indeed, you have to consider not just what a team's record is, but how a team achieved its record.

When you look around the NFL, you'll notice that there are plenty of teams whose records set them apart as contenders. Take a closer look, and you'll notice that some of these teams are more convincing than others.

When I look at the NFL, I see four contenders that just aren't as good as their records indicate.

New York Jets (5-3)

I'm pretty sure I'm not the first person to insinuate that the Jets are overrated. Nor will I be the last.

Truth be told, I am a bigger believer in the Jets now than I was a week ago, when they were still winless on the road. They may have proved that they can win on the road by beating the Buffalo Bills, but you'll have to excuse me if I still have doubts.

If you take a look at the Jets' schedule, you'll notice that the Bills are the only legitimately good team they've beaten so far. If they get one more, I'll get off their backs and proclaim that they are the team to beat in the AFC East.

Translation: they need to beat the Patriots this weekend.

"This Guy Doesn't Mince Words" Tweet:

Houston Texans (6-3)

I was ready to bury the Texans as overrated hacks a couple of weeks ago, yet here they are on a three-game win streak and with a very comfortable lead in the AFC South.

The Texans are going to make the playoffs, but my concern is how well they'll stack up once they get there. As the saying goes, you have to beat the best to be the best, and the Texans haven't quite beaten the best so far this season.

The Texans have one notable win against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Their other five wins were against teams that are on the bad side of mediocre.

Hey, you can't blame the Texans for winning these games. They're just nothing to write home about.

"Overrate This, Jackass!" Tweet:

Detroit Lions (6-2)

I actually really like the Lions, but I have my doubts about whether or not they'll be able to stave off the Chicago Bears in the NFC North race.

The primary reason for this is that the Bears have caught their stride in recent weeks. The Lions definitely looked good when they were beating up on Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos in Week 8, but they lost two straight home games to two very good NFC teams in Weeks 6 and 7.

That's pretty alarming.

We're going to find out in the very near future whether the Lions are contenders or pretenders. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they turn out to be pretenders.

"This Is My Surprised Face" Tweet:

Cincinnati Bengals (6-2)

Since I have the 6-2 Lions on here, I suppose it's only fair that I have the 6-2 Bengals on here.

The Bengals are another team that I really like. They're young, they play great defense, and you have to like Andy Dalton and A.J. Green. 

That being said, I still feel like I need to see more from the Bengals. They've won five games in a row, but the last four of the wins have come against lousy teams.

And, to reiterate something I've said 100 times, I need to see them beat either the Steelers or the Ravens.

As if on cue, the Bengals' next two games are against the Steelers and Ravens. 

"Cherish This Moment, Andy Dalton" Tweet:

Zachary D. Rymer's Week 10 Power Rankings

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