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2013 NFL Power Ranks Week 10
NFL Power Ranks Week 10
Well, that's it. The 0-fer is O-ver. The last two winless teams heading into this past week's slate of games both broke through in the win column. First, the Jacksonville Jaguars ended their season of futility by knocking off the Tennessee Titans in Nashville Sunday afternoon. Then, Tampa Bay handed Miami a loss in Tampa. So for this week, at least, fans of the Jags and the Bucs can take the bags off their heads and smile.
At the other end of the spectrum Kansas City enjoyed their bye week and take their undefeated record to Denver in a battle for first place in the AFC West. It's almost unthinkable that a team can go this deep into a season without losing a game and have the division lead on the line in one single contest. That's exactly how it will play out against the Broncos this weekend in what should be one hell of a game Sunday night. I know I'll be watching. That being said the Chiefs will retain their top spot but that could all change after Sunday.
1. Kansas City Chiefs (9-0) ~ If there has been a bigger game involving the Chiefs in the last decade I can't think of it. I'm sure most Chiefs fans can't either. This week's showdown in Denver should be a doozy. (Last Week's Ranking 1)
2. Denver Broncos (8-1) ~ Peyton Manning and the number one offense in the league will play host to the number one defense in the league Sunday. The game is in Denver. They have to have the edge. Don't they? (LWR 2)
3. Seattle Seahawks (9-1) ~ Percy Harvin has been activated from the PUP (physically unable to play) list and may make his season debut this weekend against his former team, the Minnesota Vikings. Smart money would give him one more week of rest before the bye to have him healthy down the stretch. Emotions lead me to believe he will play , even if sparingly. (LWR 3)
4. New Orleans Saints (7-2) ~ No, it wasn't a Judd Apatow movie but the Saints had their own version of This is Forty over the weekend by rolling up an NFL record 40 first downs while they dismantled the Dallas Cowboys. Forty. (LWR 6)
5. New England Patriots (7-2) ~ If there is a fan in the New England area who had this upcoming game against the Carolina Panthers circled as must-see, well, you sir (or ma'am) win this round. It remains to be seen who will win this dogfight in Carolina Monday night. (LWR 7)
6. Carolina Panthers (6-3) ~ Sleeper no more. The Panthers and their relentless D went into the 49ers house and held them without a touchdown in a 10-9 upset victory. Statement game achieved. (LWR 10)
7. San Francisco 49ers (6-3) ~ Their five-game win streak was snapped but that was by no means a bad loss. Going down by one point to a good team is nothing to hang your head about. (LWR 5)
8. Indianapolis Colts (6-3) ~ Sometimes teams go out and lay an egg and that is exactly what happened with the Colts. A 38-8 whooping at home to a so-so St. Louis Rams team looks bad and it is bad. The good news for Indy is they still hold a two-game lead in the division. (LWR 4)
9. Detroit Lions (6-3) ~ Detroit took control of the NFC North as they swept the season series from the Chicago Bears. Reggie Bush has given this team the ground game it has lacked in recent years. (LWR 9)
10. Cincinnati Bengals (6-4) ~ Back-to-back overtime losses may do more damage to the psyche of a team than it does to their place in the standings. Cincy is still atop the weak AFC North but a loss to Cleveland this week would really muddy things up. (LWR 8)
11. Chicago Bears (5-4) ~ It's the Josh McCown show again in Chi-town. Surprisingly he has played well in place of the injured Jay Cutler. The Bears will have a real tough decision at the end of the year when Cutler's contract expires. (LWR 12)
12. New York Jets (5-4) ~ It's my hope that ranking the Jets this high will cause them to fall. I doubted them all year. I expected nothing and they defy me. Let's see how this works. (LWR 15)
13. Philadelphia Eagles (5-5) ~ The Eagles are 5-1 away from Philly and 0-4 at the Linc. It's remarkable, really. Philly will try and win one in front of the home crowd for the first time in over a year when the Resdkins come to town Sunday. (LWR 20)
14. Green Bay Packers (5-4) ~ When are injuries too much for a team to overcome? When Scott Tolzien is your starting quarterback. (LWR 11)
15. Arizona Cardinals (5-4) ~ With a win in Jacksonville this coming weekend the Cards could put themselves in the thick of the playoff race in the NFC. They won't catch Seattle but they could make things interesting. (LWR 19)
16. Dallas Cowboys (5-5) ~ For the second time in three weeks the Cowboys have given up at least 620 yards on defense. Can someone see if Monte Kiffin knows the games are played on Sunday's? (LWR 13)
17. San Diego Chargers (4-5) ~ These Chargers are playing just like Norv Turner's old teams. They have the talent but they can't quite seem to put it all together. A loss this week in Miami could spell the end of their season. (LWR 14)
18. Cleveland Browns (4-5) ~ I mentioned earlier that the Chiefs-Broncos game is huge this weekend. The Browns-Bengals game also has large implications to it but it won't be nearly as talked about as KC-Denver. (LWR 18)
19. Baltimore Ravens (4-5) ~ Former safety Ed Reed was released from the Houston Texans earlier today and if he clears waivers there is a chance for a reunion. (LWR 21)
20. Miami Dolphins (4-5) ~ Miami has lost five of its last six and now with Bullygate the focus isn't even on the field. This season has fishtailed out of control in Miami. (LWR 16)
21. Tennessee Titans (4-5) ~ Jake Locker goes down for the season and a foe of the Jaguars goes down for the first time this year. Not a banner week in Tennessee. (LWR 17)
22. St. Louis Rams (4-5) ~ There's Tavon Austin. I know he is small but I haven't seen him show up to a game until this week in Indy. Boy what a game. Three touchdowns of 50-plus yards including a 98-yard punt return for a score. That's why they brought you to the Lou. (LWR 26)
23. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-6) ~ Someone is starting trade rumors about Ben Roethlisberger. I just don't see that ever coming to fruition. He is on the wrong side of 30 and his body has a lot more mileage on it than his age will tell you. (LWR 28)
24. New York Giants (3-6) ~ I can't believe I am saying this but three straight wins after the brutal 0-6 start give the Giants a pulse in the horrid NFC East. (LWR 29)
25. Washington Redskins (3-6) ~ What happened to Washington's defense? The only team to allow more points than their 287 is the woeful Jaguars. That isn't going to get it done. (LWR 23)
26. Buffalo Bills (3-7) ~ EJ Manuel is back which should provide some stability under center for the Bills who have had anything but this year. (LWR 22)
27. Oakland Raiders (3-6) ~ Just another lost year for Darren McFadden and the Oakland Raiders. Terrelle Pryor is not going to be the quarterback to lead this team back to glory. (LWR 27)
28. Atlanta Falcons (2-7) ~ The Falcons have given up multiple touchdowns to opposing quarterbacks in every game so far this season. That's troubling. (LWR 24)
29. Houston Texans (2-7) ~ Houston is mired in a franchise worst seven game losing streak. Yeah, that means they started the year 2-0 with title hopes. Funny how that worked out. (LWR 25)
30. Minnesota Vikings (2-7) ~ And the Vikings win their first game in America in the 2013 season. What, you forgot their only win came in London? (L:WR 30)
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-8) ~ I had to read this stat twice when I saw it. Tampa held Miami rushers to a total of two yards on Monday night. Two. I might be able to get that in an NFL game. (LWR 31)
32. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-8) ~ If only Tampa had lost the Jags would be out of the basement. Oh well. Motivation to go get another win I suppose. (LWR 32)