NFL Power Rankings 2016: Week 10 Edition

The ninth week of the 2016 NFL schedule is over. Now it’s time to see how all 32 teams stack up. Let’s dive right in to this week’s edition of NFL Power Rankings. For reference purposes, here’s a link to last week’s order.

WEEK 10 NFL POWER RANKINGS

1 – New England Patriots 7-1 (Last Week: 1) – The Patriots return from their bye week with a home game against the Seahawks.

2 – Oakland Raiders 7-2 (LW: 6) – The Raiders are legitimately one of the best teams in the NFL. When was the last time that could be said?

3 – Atlanta Falcons 6-3 (LW: 3) – Atlanta’s offense is averaging 34 points per game. That’s crazy good. Julio Jones could have another huge game against Philadelphia’s lackluster cornerbacks this week.

4 – Dallas Cowboys 7-1 (LW: 4) – The Cowboys have rattled off seven wins in a row. Their only loss came by one point. There’s no way Dallas goes back to Tony Romo at this point, right?

5 – Kansas City Chiefs 6-2 (LW: 5) – It wasn’t pretty but the Chiefs managed to get a win despite having to rely on Nick Foles as their starting quarterback. The good news (?) for Kansas City is that Alex Smith is expected to return this week.

6 – Denver Broncos 6-3 (LW: 2) – The Broncos’ defense is dealing with some injuries at cornerback and it hurt them against Oakland. Their defensive backs were flagged six times as Denver fell to third place in the AFC West.

7 – Seattle Seahawks 5-2-1 (LW: 7) – The Seahawks once again benefited from poor officiating in a win at home.

8 – Detroit Lions 5-4 (LW: 16) – The Lions could realistically be 0-9 now. They’ve trailed in the fourth quarter of every game this season. The only other team to do that? The winless Browns. Still, give Detroit credit for finding a way to actually win these games.

9 – Minnesota Vikings 5-3 (LW: 9) – It looked like the Vikings were going to end their losing streak but then the Lions stole the game away from them. Minnesota’s 2017 first-round pick continues to get better for the Eagles.

10 – Philadelphia Eagles 4-4 (LW: 8) – Some might consider this a hot take, but the Eagles aren’t a bad football team. Yes, they’ve lost four out of their last five games. But they’ve been in position to win them. They entered Week 9 ranked No. 1 overall in DVOA. After losing to the Giants, the Birds still have the NFL’s third best point differential. The Eagles are not a team without flaws. But they’re not far off from being a good team. Getting off to stronger starts would help. Carson Wentz’s two picks early against New York set a bad tone for the game despite the fact he rebounded well after throwing them. The bad news for the Eagles is they’re 0-3 in the division and their playoff hopes likely lie in winning a wild card spot.

11 – Buffalo Bills 4-5 (LW: 11) – Buffalo got hosed to some extent by the refs in their loss in Seattle. Kudos to the Bills for hanging tough anyway.

12 – Arizona Cardinals 3-4-1 (LW: 12) – Bye week. Look for the Cardinals to get back to .500 as they have a home game against the lowly 49ers.

13 – Houston Texans 5-3 (LW: 13) – Bye week. The Texans have the league’s eighth worst point differential. They have a real chance at being 6-3 with a game against the Jaguars this week. The benefits of playing in the AFC South.

14 – New York Giants 5-3 (LW: 17) – The G-Men tried to give away yet another win to the Eagles but Philadelphia failed to take advantage. This Giants team might have a winning record but they don’t look so great.

15 – Washington Redskins 4-3-1 (LW: 14) – Bye week. Washington will next face a struggling Vikings team that’s lost three straight. Will Sam Bradford be motivated to have a big day after Josh Norman talked a bunch of trash about him this offseason?

16 – Green Bay Packers 4-4 (LW: 10) – The Packers continue to look like a mediocre football team. Green Bay is 8-10 in their last 18 regular season games. They would be 7-11 if not for a miraculous Hail Mary against the Lions last season.

17 – San Diego Chargers 4-5 (LW: 19) – The Chargers might not be able to win the AFC West but their offense could give them a fighting chance for a wild card spot.

18 – Miami Dolphins 4-4 (LW: 20) – Don’t look now but Miami is on a three-game winning streak.

19 – New Orleans Saints 4-4 (LW: 21) – Playing the 49ers is essentially a free win. The Saints’ offense was a huge mismatch for a bad San Francisco defense.

20 – Pittsburgh Steelers 4-4 (LW: 15) – There’s no question Ben Roethlisberger is tough. There is serious question about his effectiveness, though, when he’s playing hurt. If he can’t healthy, Pittsburgh is in trouble.

21 – Cincinnati Bengals 3-4-1 (LW: 18) – Bye week. Next up for Cincy is a road game against the Giants. The Bengals will be desperate to get back to .500 to stay alive in their division.

22 – Indianapolis Colts 4-5 (LW: 29) – The Colts are bad, but sometimes Andrew Luck can make you forget about that. That’s what having a special quarterback can do for a team. Big win for Indy in Green Bay.

23 – Baltimore Ravens 4-4 (LW: 26) – Baltimore ranks first in the AFC North after breaking their four-game losing streak with a win over the Steelers. That division isn’t looking so hot, though.

24 – Tennessee Titans 4-5 (LW: 22) – Former Eagles quarterback Marcus Mariota shows moments of brilliance, but he’s also made some really bad mistakes. Five of Mariota’s turnovers this season have directly led to opponent touchdowns. That figure leads the NFL. Two such turnovers caused the Titans to lose to the Chargers.

25 – Carolina Panthers 3-5 (LW: 27) – The Panthers are trying to stay alive after getting off to a 1-5 start.

26 – Los Angeles Rams 3-5 (LW: 23) – Jeff Fisher is still refusing to play Jared Goff even though Case Keenum looks awful. The Rams reportedly won’t play Goff until they’re eliminated. So … that’s something for L.A. fans to look forward to?

27 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3-5 (LW: 24) – Tampa Bay owns the NFL’s fifth worst point differential.

28 – New York Jets 3-6 (LW: 25) – It’s safe to say the Jets are going nowhere fast with turnover machine Ryan Fitzpatrick.

29 – Chicago Bears 2-6 (LW: 28) – Chicago had a bye week. The Bears are 2-0 in the NFC North so if the rest of the division continues to slip, they might not be dead just yet. But don’t count on it.

30 – Jacksonville Jaguars 2-6 (LW: 30) – Gus Bradley is now 14-42 in 56 games. In addition, Blake Bortles does not look like the answer at quarterback for Jacksonville.

31 – Cleveland Browns 0-9 (LW: 31) – The Browns are headed for the No. 1 overall pick. With seven games remaining, there’s a real shot they could finish the season without a win.

32 – San Francisco 49ers 1-7 (LW: 32) – The 49ers are the first team in NFL history to allow a 100-yard rusher in seven consecutive games. Chip Kelly and Trent Baalke are reportedly headed for a “collision course.” Will the former Eagles head coach last more than one season in San Francisco? Will he even last the season?