With Washington taking down the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football to conclude Week 10, it rearranged the top teams in the latest Touchdown Wire NFL power rankings.
Enter the Minnesota Vikings. Albeit the lone loss in their 8-1 mark is thanks to the Eagles, it is hard to argue against the way Minnesota has found ways to win since Week 2.
The Houston Texans remain a terrible team, but the Las Vegas Raiders are giving them company.
The Dallas Cowboys fell out of the top-10 with their loss to the Green Bay Packers, who made up some ground.
Here is a look at the latest power rankings following the conclusion of Week 10.
32. Houston Texans (1-7-1)
Last week: No. 32
In his Monday morning presser, coach Lovie Smith said the Texans are “close.” At this point, the only thing Houston is close to is a No. 1 overall pick. The Texans have no intention to stop the Mills experiment, which could help them in the long run when it comes to 2023 draft capital.
31. Las Vegas Raiders (2-7)
Last week: No. 30
There is no way around how horrendous the Raiders are in 2022. It is one thing to lose leads early in the season, but it is quite another to take Ls at home against dysfunctional teams that hired outside interim coaches and are trotting out lesser quarterbacks than Derek Carr. Maybe the Raiders should have kept Rich Bisaccia and not gone for Josh McDaniels.
30. Chicago Bears (3-7)
Last week: No. 28
Losing offensive slugfests to high-powered offenses is one thing; blowing leads to the Detroit Lions at home is something else. The Bears are still trying to find their identity, which includes the ability to close out games, regardless of their opponent. In Week 3, they got lucky when an equally bad team, the Houston Texans, gave away the game. Chicago wasn’t so lucky with Detroit.
29. Carolina Panthers (3-7)
Last week: No. 31
The Panthers did a good job defending their home field against a Falcons team aiming to dethrone the Buccaneers as the kings of the NFC South. The season is still a mess for Carolina, and their winning ways will only push their draft picks further into the 2023 order.
28. Cleveland Browns (3-6)
Last week: No. 25
It may not get better for Cleveland until their quarterback situation achieves the definitive vision for the 2023 campaign as the Browns were unable to keep up with the Miami Dolphins.
27. Indianapolis Colts (4-5-1)
Last week: No. 29
The wild experiment of going with an outside interim coach worked for at least one week as the Colts beat the Raiders 25-20. Indianapolis’ problem all season has been inconsistency, and they be back on the rollercoaster as they host a mad Philadelphia Eagles team in Week 11.
26. New Orleans Saints (3-7)
Last week: No. 24
The Saints have quarterback problems that may not exactly get rectified this season. The defense also wasn’t on its A-game as they weren’t able to cultivate a takeaway from Steelers rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett.
25. Detroit Lions (3-6)
Last week: No. 27
Detroit had a decent win coming back in the fourth quarter on the road. The Lions have moments where they can put it together and get a nice win. Even with the Lions’ record as lopsided as it is, a winning streak at this point would be a validation of the Dan Campbell Way that fans want to see.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-6)
Last week: No. 26
A win is a win nonetheless. Pittsburgh was able to exert their dominance over a struggling Saints team. Having key pieces back in the lineup such as T.J. Watt will also help the Steelers be a more competitive team down the stretch rather than the trap game they have been through the first 10 weeks.
23. Atlanta Falcons (4-6)
Last week: No. 19
The magic for Atlanta is starting to wear off as they have now dropped three of their last four games. Nevertheless the Falcons are not too far away from the 5-5 Buccaneers and could challenge for the division if they can find another one of their winning streaks.
22. Denver Broncos (3-6)
Last week: No. 18
Another week, another game where a Russell Wilson-led offense is somehow stuck in the teens in putting points on the board. Denver was admittedly a bit compromised with Jerry Jeudy out of the lineup, but that doesn’t bode well for their offensive production going forward.
21. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-7)
Last week: No. 21
Getting beaten by the Kansas City Chiefs on the road by 10 points isn’t as bad as it could have been for the Jaguars. Aside from falling down 20-0 at halftime, Jacksonville didn’t allow the game to get too out of hand. The Jaguars are more poised to make the jump than some of the other teams in the twenties.
20. Los Angeles Rams (3-6)
Last week: No. 17
The Rams risked it all in 2021, and had good fortune along the way. None of the breaks are coming for Los Angeles as they now have to pay the price for their big wagers to become reigning Super Bowl champs. Cooper Kupp being out of the lineup will be a big blow to the offense.
19. Arizona Cardinals (4-6)
Last week: No. 24
Arizona escaped the bottom of the NFC West with a 27-17 win over the Los Angeles Rams. However, there is only a certain level of achievement inherent with a team that has to rely on Colt McCoy as its starting quarterback.
18. Seattle Seahawks (6-4)
Last week: No. 14
The Seahawks fell down as many as 21-3 to the Buccaneers before they started mounting a comeback. Seattle is still in great position with regards to the NFC West, but they may have had a little taste of how limited they still are on offense.
17. Green Bay Packers (4-6)
Last week: No. 22
What is scarier than facing the Packers on a five-game winning streak? Facing them on a five-game losing streak because, sooner or later, Aaron Rodgers will get them off the schneid. Rookie wideout Christian Watson came to life with three receiving touchdowns. Green Bay may have finally revived from their dormant state. Has it cost them a shot at the playoffs though?
16. Cincinnati Bengals (5-4)
Last week: No. 16
The Bengals get back in action on the road in Week 11 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
15. Washington Commanders (5-5)
Last week: No. 20
When you hand the only remaining undefeated team their first L of the season, it counts for something. Washington’s identity may be having Taylor Heinicke in the lineup as it was good enough to beat the Philadelphia Eagles, and he is 3-1 as a starter this season.
14. Los Angeles Chargers (5-4)
Last week: No. 13
Justin Herbert and the Chargers offense looked anemic against the 49ers. Los Angeles will have to figure out how to elevate their offense as they host the Kansas City Chiefs for their 2022 series finale at SoFi Stadium.
13. New York Giants (7-2)
Last week: No. 12
The Giants take a step back because they played with their food a little bit with the hapless Texans. New York’s defense should get credit for their two red zone takeaways. Nevertheless the offense should have been able to muster more than 24 points, especially when one of the league’s best running backs was going against the league’s worst run defenses.
12. Dallas Cowboys (6-3)
Last week: No. 10
You can’t blow a 14-point fourth quarter lead, even if it is to Aaron Rodgers at Lambeau Field, and expect to be a top-10 team. The Cowboys’ next two games are hardly easier as they take on the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants.
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-5)
Last week: No. 15
Brady and the Bucs appear to have fixed some of their issues from earlier in the year. Tampa Bay is still in good position to keep command of the NFC South. The Buccaneers have the bye in Week 11, but then have two nice tune-up games against the Browns and Saints to prep them for a consequential NFC tilt with the 49ers in Week 14.
10. San Francisco 49ers (5-4)
Last week: No. 11
The 49ers have put together a nice nucleus with the addition of Christian McCaffrey. San Francisco seems like the renegades they were in the 2021 playoffs, which should help them dethrone the Seahawks when they square off in Week 15.
9. New York Jets (6-3)
Last week: No. 9
New York gets back in action at the New England Patriots in Week 11.
8. New England Patriots (5-4)
Last week: No. 6
The Patriots square off with the Jets at Gillette Stadium in Week 11. Can New England return to the top of the AFC East?
7. Miami Dolphins (7-3)
Last week: No. 8
Miami is on a whole other level when they have Tua Tagovailoa in the lineup. They are a threat to score anytime they touch the football, which has made the AFC East one of the top divisions in the league in 2022. Miami has not won the division since 2008.
6. Buffalo Bills (6-3)
Last week: No. 5
The Bills have hit a slump and now the rest of their division is catching up to them, and quarterback Josh Allen has been part of the team’s struggles. Buffalo has a chance to get back on track against the Browns in Week 11.
5. Tennessee Titans (6-3)
Last week: No. 7
The Titans continue their dominance as the class of the AFC, not just their division. With Ryan Tannehill back in the lineup, Tennessee should be able to make a significant push for the top spot in the conference.
4. Baltimore Ravens (6-4)
Last week: No. 4
By virtue of the Buffalo Bills falling out of the top-5, the Ravens moved up. Baltimore takes on the Carolina Panthers their first week out of the bye.
3. Philadelphia Eagles (8-1)
Last week: No. 1
It was fun while it lasted. The Eagles may not be perfect, but they are still a formidable team that can either outgun opposing offenses or squelch them with their defense. Their tiebreaker over the Vikings from earlier in the season may play key down the stretch.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (7-2)
Last week: No. 2
The Chiefs took care of business against the Jaguars. Kadarius Toney continues his integration into the potent Kansas City offense. The Chiefs have a big matchup with the Chargers on Sunday night to start putting the finishing touches on the AFC West.
1. Minnesota Vikings (8-1)
Last week: No. 4
Minnesota had a hiccup against the Eagles in Week 2. Otherwise, the Vikings have continuously found ways to win ballgames. Kevin O’Connell has the Vikings playing at a high level. The question for the holidays: how long can it continue?
