We are now nine weeks into the season, and contenders and pretenders are sorting themselves out as we sort out another week of NFL Power Rankings. The Cleveland Browns made a statement with Deshaun Watson back in the lineup, Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins have yet to beat a team over .500, and Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens have turned into an absolute buzzsaw over the past few weeks.
The NFL playoff picture is getting murkier than ever, especially in the AFC North as every team is still in the fight. And then there is the NFC South where everybody except the New Orleans Saints sit with a losing record as we enter into Week 10. All-in-all, there are far more bad teams than there are true competitors this season in the NFL.
Who is on the move in this week’s power rankings– for both good and bad reasons?
32
Arizona Cardinals (1-8)
At least they’ll get Kyler Murray back in the lineup next week, right? Right?
31
Carolina Panthers (1-7)
Without looking too deeply into the first year of a new regime, it has been a rough year in Carolina.
30
Chicago Bears (2-7)
Even with a change at quarterback, the Bears are not saving any jobs.
29
New York Giants (2-7)
Now with Daniel Jones likely out for a while, the Giants are a mess.
28
New England Patriots (2-7)
What a disappointing era in New England Patriots’ football.
27
Los Angeles Rams (3-6)
No Matthew Stafford, no wins for the Los Angeles Rams.
26
Green Bay Packers (3-5)
The Green Bay Packers finally get back into the win column against the Stafford-less Rams. That’s not going to move the needle much.
25
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5)
I tried to tell you. The Buccaneers have not had a statement win on their schedule yet.
24
Atlanta Falcons (4-5)
Their schedule is weak, so they could sneak into the playoffs. Now with Taylor Heinicke under center, at least the Atlanta Falcons are getting average quarterback play.
23
Denver Broncos (3-5)
The Broncos have won two of their last three, including a big win over the Chiefs. Is their floor higher than anticipated?
22
Las Vegas Raiders (4-5)
After a trainwreck of a week, the Las Vegas Raiders find a way to win big.
21
Indianapolis Colts (4-5)
The Colts will not make the playoffs without Anthony Richardson, but with a rookie head coach, this is a strong start to their new era.
20
Washington Commanders (4-5)
Sam Howell is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but the Commanders have edged out four wins thus far.
19
Tennessee Titans (3-5)
It appears the Will Levis era is here, but that roster is still pretty bad.
18
Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3)
This is the worst 5-3 team I’ve ever seen. Mike Tomlin has to stop spinning gold out of this.
17
Minnesota Vikings (5-4)
The Minnesota Vikings are 1-0 without Kirk Cousins. Is it sustainable? Who knows? But right now they are a playoff team.
16
New York Jets (4-3)
The quarterback play will catch up to them.
15
New Orleans Saints (5-4)
Congrats to the New Orleans Saints on winning the NFC South by default.
14
Houston Texans (4-4)
CJ Stroud is a superstar and the Texans are the NFL’s most fun team right now.
13
Los Angeles Chargers (3-4)
The Los Angeles Chargers are coming off of a big win. Can they keep it rolling? The talent is there. Is the coaching?
12
San Francisco 49ers (5-3)
The Sna Francisco 49ers have plummeted back to earth after a 5-0 start. Is the honeymoon over with Brock Purdy?
11
Dallas Cowboys (5-3)
After taking a close loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys are a team that is always close but cannot get over the hump.
10
Miami Dolphins (6-3)
The Miami Dolphins have not beaten a team over .500 on the season. However, there is a chance each of their next five opponents won’t be when they face off.
9
Cleveland Browns (5-3)
I’ve been screaming that the Browns are Super Bowl contenders with even average quarterback play. Well, they’ve gotten above-average play in the last two full starts from Deshaun Watson.
8
Buffalo Bills (5-4)
The Bills are like the magician’s handkerchief. We just keep pulling more and more from the sleeve, but we have not hit the final reveal of who this team is. Are they contenders? Probably. But I’m not too sure for certain.
7
Detroit Lions (6-2)
The Detroit Lions are a tough team to keep a pulse on, but in a weak NFC North, they are destined to find the postseason.
6
Seattle Seahawks (5-3)
Despite a blowout loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the Seahawks have proven to be NFC contenders. They’ve beaten the Lions. They’ve beaten the Browns. The Seahawks can hang with anybody in the NFC. And they’ll have to as they still have to play the Niners twice.
5
Jacksonville Jaguars (6-2)
The Jaguars unlock a new piece every week. Their growth this season has been linear and they have not hit their peak yet.
4
Cincinnati Bengals (5-3)
Both offensively and defensively, the Bengals have returned to the form of a team that has appeared in back-to-back AFC Championship games.
3
Kansas City Chiefs (7-2)
Sitting at 7-2, as long as they have Patrick Mahomes the Chiefs are contenders. Even if their wide receivers are among the league’s worst.
2
Philadelphia Eagles (8-1)
The Philadelphia Eagles keep winning, and they keep doing it against good football teams.
1
Baltimore Ravens (7-2)
A new top team here in this week’s NFL Power Rankings, the Ravens have blown out two top-10 teams in the last three weeks. The Browns have an opportunity to make a statement this week.
