Week 10 Power Rankings

Here are the National Football Post Week 10 Power Rankings as compiled by Michael Lombardi and Matthew Bowen.

 

1.    Tennessee Titans (9-0):  Another week, another win.  Chicago figured out how to shut down the Titans’ potent rushing attack, but underestimated quarterback Kerry Collins.  This train just keeps on moving.  Next Up:  At Jacksonville

 

2.    New York Giants (8-1):   The score made their win over the Eagles this past Sunday look like a close one, when in reality, it was anything but.  The G-Men rushed for over 200 yards and controlled the clock for close to forty minutes.  Next Up:  Baltimore

 

3.    Carolina Panthers (7-2): It certainly wasn’t pretty (Delhomme’s 4 INTs), but Carolina found a way to win and maintained their stranglehold on the NFC South.  With the Bucs and Falcons in their rearview mirror, they can’t afford to let off the gas.  Next Up:  Detroit

 

4.    Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3): Even with a home loss to Indy, the Steelers hold on to the fourth spot because they’ve beaten idle Washington and Tampa had the week off.  Ben Roethlisberger needs to limit the mistakes or Pittsburgh is going to be looking up at Baltimore.  Next Up:  San Diego

 

5.    Washington Redskins (6-3):  Washington is coming off the bye and ready to make a run at the playoffs.  The NFC East is starting to separate, so a win this weekend would put the ‘Skins in great shape for a Wild Card.  Next Up:  Dallas

 

6.    Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3):  At 6-3, the Bucs are in good shape.  The problem for Tampa is the road.  They’re 2-3 away from Raymond James Stadium, with one of those victories being an overtime comeback thriller against lowly Kansas City.  Next Up:  Minnesota

 

7.    Arizona Cardinals (6-3):  With the exception of the Cardinals, the NFC West is garbage, meaning the boys in the desert could find themselves playing late into January.  However, you have to wonder how good they really are.  Last Monday against the 49ers was not very convincing.  Next Up:  At Seattle

 

8.    Baltimore Ravens (6-3): What started as an offensive rebuilding project is now a team looking to capture a division crown.  Flacco continues to impress and the defense is as nasty as ever.  A big test looms this Sunday.  Next Up:  At New York Giants

 

9.    New England Patriots (6-3): Credit the Pats improved play on defense for their success this season.  A win over division foe Buffalo last weekend created some space in the AFC East.  A win tonight would create even more.  Next Up:  Thursday night against the New York Jets

 

10.  New York Jets (6-3):  The Jets have been on a roll since the debacle in San Diego.  Running back Thomas Jones has been a beast as of late, and the New York run defense is setting the tempo.  If they want to be considered legitimate contenders, they have to win tonight.  Next Up:  Thursday night at New England

 

11.  Atlanta Falcons (6-3): Rookie quarterback Matt Ryan has been playing some great football the past four weeks (7 TDs, 2 INTs, 3-1 record).  The Falcons are playing with house money during the second half of the season because nobody expected them to look this good, this soon.  Next Up:  Denver

 

12.  Indianapolis Colts (5-4):  With a monster win at Pittsburgh last Sunday, the Colts let the rest of the AFC know they plan on making some noise.  While a division crown is out of the question, a Wild Card birth certainly is not.  Next Up:  Houston

 

13.  Philadelphia Eagles (5-4):  ESPN’s Bill Simmons said it perfectly about the Eagles:  “they are the most predictable team in the NFL.  When they play somebody good, they lose.  When they play somebody bad, they win.  Next Up:  Cincinnati

 

14.  Miami Dolphins (5-4):  At 5-4, you can’t count the Dolphins out of the AFC East.  Especially when their remaining schedule looks like this:  Oakland, New England, St. Louis, Buffalo, San Francisco, Kansas City, New York Jets.  Wow.  Next Up:  Oakland

 

15.  Chicago Bears (5-4):  Sexy Rexy and the Bears gave it a good try against the undefeated Titans last Sunday, but Kerry Collins proved to be too much.  Chicago has to move forward because the NFC North is up for grabs and this Sunday is a big one.  Next Up:  At Green Bay

 

16.  Dallas Cowboys (5-4):  The best thing Wade Phillips’ team can do is put the first half of the season behind them while they try to salvage 2008.  Romo is back and his timing couldn’t be more perfect.  Next Up:  At Washington

 

17.  Minnesota Vikings (5-4):  The Vikings have won five straight and are sitting at the top of the wide-open NFC North.  Gus Frerotte may not look pretty, but he is getting the job done.  This division just got a whole lot more interesting.  Next Up:  At Tampa Bay

 

18.  Buffalo Bills (5-4):  After a strong start to the season, the Bills find themselves falling behind in the chase for the AFC East.  Marshawn Lynch has to get more involved if this team wants to still be playing in January.  Next Up:  Monday Night against Cleveland

 

19.  Denver Broncos (5-4):  An explosive fourth quarter led by quarterback Jay Cutler was enough to get the Broncos a big win last Thursday at Cleveland.  With the extra rest, Denver needs to keep winning if they want to hold off the Chargers.  Next Up:  At Atlanta

 

20.  Green Bay Packers (4-5):  The defense stepped up big at Minnesota, but it wasn’t enough as the Packers came up short (again).  The good news is that the NFC North is a wide-open race.  The bad news is that the Packers need to right the ship to stay in the hunt.  Next Up:  Chicago

 

21.  San Diego Chargers (4-5):  They won, but it was at home, against Kansas City, and it was closer than many expected.  Time is running out on the Chargers and they need to start firing on all cylinders if they want to get back to the AFC Championship game.  Next Up:  At Pittsburgh

 

22.  New Orleans Saints (4-5):  You can’t make the playoffs if you can’t win on the road, and the Saints are 0-4 away from the Superdome.  It doesn’t matter how explosive the offense is if the defense can’t stop anybody.  Next Up:  At Kansas City

                                   

23.  Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5):  All of that locker room drama last week must have done something right, because the Jags went to Detroit and pounded the Lions.  Maurice Jones Drew had his best game of the year and needs to be the centerpiece of this offense.  Next Up:  Tennessee

 

24.  Houston Texans (3-6):  Houston got rocked at home by Baltimore last Sunday, proving once again they aren’t capable of hanging with the NFL’s top teams.  An 0-4 road record doesn’t exactly help their cause either.  Next Up:  At Indianapolis

 

25.  Cleveland Browns (3-6):  Another week, another fourth quarter meltdown from Cleveland, this time against the Denver Broncos.  Brady Quinn looked good in his first NFL start, but he is going to have to take more shots down the field for this offense to work.  Next Up:  Monday Night At Buffalo

 

26.  Seattle Seahawks (2-7):  Matt Hasselbeck and Deion Branch return to the lineup this weekend for the Seahawks. At this point, the only thing that will do is hurt their chances of getting a high draft pick.  Next Up:  Arizona

 

27.  San Francisco 49ers (2-7):  The 49ers came off the bye and played the Cardinals tough, right up until their play calling blunder at the end of the game.  San Francisco needs a lot of work before they can start thinking about being competitive.  Next Up:  St. Louis

 

28.  St. Louis Rams (2-7): After two shocking victories over the Redskins and Cowboys, the Rams are right back where they started:  Getting blown out of the water.  Last Sunday’s beat down against the Jets was something everyone in St. Louis would love to forget.  Next Up:  At San Francisco

 

29.  Cincinnati Bengals (1-8):   Houshmandzadeh guaranteed two wins, and the Bengals have delivered on half of it.  The problem is getting the next one.  With the way the Bengals play football, that may not come until 2009.  Next Up:  Philadelphia

 

30.  Kansas City Chiefs (1-8):  As bad as the Chiefs have looked this year, the last few weeks give them something to build on.  Second year quarterback Tyler Thigpen has been playing some quality football, and WR Mark Bradley has emerged as a legitimate threat.  Next Up:  New Orleans

 

31.  Oakland Raiders (2-7):  Even with quarterback Jake Delhomme playing the worst game of his career, the Raiders still never had a shot.  DeAngelo Hall is gone, so what is the next move for Al Davis and the Black Hole?  Next Up:  At Miami

32.  Detroit Lions (0-9):  Running back Kevin Smith said the Jaguars were “laughing at us” during last Sunday’s game.  Really?  What was so funny?  The way Detroit plays offense, defense, and special teams?  Or the fact that they haven’t won a game?  Next Up:  At Carolina