Analysis
11/8/22
14 min read
Week 10 Power Rankings: Undefeated Eagles Rise to Top Spot
There’s a new sheriff in town, and it’s the Philadelphia Eagles.
The NFL’s only undefeated team (8-0) moved into the top spot in The 33rd Team’s weekly power rankings for the first time this season following their win over the Houston Texans, and previous No. 1 Buffalo’s surprising 20-17 loss to the Jets.
The Eagles are 8-0 for the first time in franchise history. They are first in the league in turnover differential (plus-15) and in takeaways (18). They are second in scoring (28.1 points per game) and fourth in points allowed (16.9). They haven’t trailed in the second half of a game yet this season.
The 6-2 Chiefs, who had to go to overtime to beat Tennessee, 20-17, moved up from three to two following the Bills' loss. The Bills, also 6-2, dropped to three. The Jets, who improved to 6-3 with their win over the Bills, jumped from 15 to 11, leaping over, among others, their North Jersey roommate, the 6-2 Giants, who dropped from 11 to 12 during their bye week.
The 3-6 Packers, who have lost five in a row for the first time since 2008, continued to slide, dropping from 22 to 25 after a 15-9 loss to the 2-6 Lions.
The 33rd Team’s Week 10 rankings:
1. Philadelphia Eagles (8-0)
Last week: W 29-17 at Texans | This week: vs. 4-5 Commanders | Previous: 2
Good news: The Eagles haven’t trailed in the second half this season.
Bad news: Jon Gannon’s defense has been shaky against the run lately. The Eagles have given up 570 rushing yards in the last four games.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (6-2)
Last week: W 20-17 vs. Titans | This week: vs. 3-6 Jaguars | Previous: 3
Good news: JuJu Smith-Schuster is giving Patrick Mahomes a needed Plan B when defenses put seven players on Travis Kelce. He has 22 catches for 325 yards and two TDs in the last two games.
Bad news: Chiefs have the league’s third-lowest run percentage (34.7). Patrick Mahomes threw the ball a career-high 68 times against Tennessee. Chiefs RBs had just 13 carries.
3. Buffalo Bills (6-2)
Last week: L 17-20 at Jets | This week: vs. 7-1 Vikings | Previous: 1
Good news: Bills have held opponents to a league-best 14.7 points per game.
Bad news: Josh Allen was held without a passing TD by the Jets for the first time this season. Perhaps more importantly, he hurt his throwing arm late in the game.
4. Minnesota Vikings (7-1)
Last week: W 20-17 at Commanders | This week: at 6-2 Bills | Previous: 4
Good news: TE T.J. Hockenson, who was acquired in a deadline deal with the Lions, caught nine passes for 70 yards in his first game with the Vikings.
Bad news: Minnesota averaged just 2.5 yards per carry against a Washington run defense that is ranked 19th in opponent rush average (4.6).
5. Baltimore Ravens (6-3)
Last week: W 27-13 at Saints | This week: Bye | Previous: 5
Good news: The Ravens' next four opponents have a combined 10-24 record.
Bad news: Lamar Jackson had just 133 passing yards and one touchdown against the Saints on Monday night. It was the seventh time in nine games he's thrown for fewer than 220 yards.
6. Dallas Cowboys (6-2)
Previous: 6
Last week: Bye | This week: at 3-6 Packers | Previous: 6
Good news: Led by Defensive Player of the Year candidate Micah Parsons, the Cowboys have a league-high 33 sacks.
Bad news: Even though they beat them by 20 points, the 240 rushing yards the Bears rang up against them two weeks ago set off some alarm bells.
7. Tennessee Titans (5-3)
Last week: L 17-20 at Chiefs | This week: vs. 3-5 Broncos | Previous: 7
Good news: The Titans took Kansas City to overtime without their starting quarterback.
Bad news: They’ve been outscored in the second half this season, 99-33.
8. San Francisco 49ers (4-4)
Last week: Bye | This week: vs. 5-3 Chargers | Previous: 8
Good news: The Niners are expected to get wide receiver Deebo Samuel and fullback Kyle Juszczyk back after the bye.
Bad news: Three of their four losses have been to teams with non-winning records.
9. Seattle Seahawks (6-3)
Last week: W 31-21 at Cardinals | This week: at 4-5 Bucs | Previous: 9
Good news: Rookie RB Kenneth Walker has rushed for 100-plus yards in two of the last three games, and has five TDs in those three games.
Bad news: The Seahawks are 18th in 20-plus-yard pass plays. Yeah, I know. I’m nitpicking. But this isn’t a team with many significant negatives right now.
10. Cincinnati Bengals (5-4)
Last week: W 42-21 vs. Panthers | This week: Bye | Previous: 10
Good news: The Bengals finally remembered Joe Mixon was on the roster. The running back had 211 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns in a lopsided win over the Panthers.
Bad news: WR Ja’Marr Chase missed his second straight game with a hip injury and could miss at least one more post-bye game before he is healthy enough to return.
11. New York Jets (6-3)
Last week: W 20-17 vs. Bills| This week: Bye | Previous: 15
Good news: The Jets' defense held the Bills, who were second in the league in scoring, to a season-low 17 points and intercepted Allen twice.
Bad news: Zach Wilson completed a season-high 72% of his passes against the Bills, but has just four touchdown passes in six starts.
12. New York Giants (6-2)
Last week: Bye | This week: vs. 1-6-1 Texans | Previous: 11
Good news: The Giants hope to get rookie tight end Daniel Bellinger back by Week 11. Bellinger, who injured his eye in Week 7 and needed surgery, has been an important part of the Giants’ offense, both as a blocker and a receiver.
Bad news: RB Saquon Barkley has cooled off a bit lately. He has averaged just 3.7 yards per carry in the Giants’ last three games. The Seahawks held him to 53 yards on 20 carries two weeks ago.
13. Los Angeles Chargers (5-3)
Last week: W 20-17 at Falcons | This week: at 4-4 49ers | Previous: 12
Good news: The Chargers didn’t have either of their top wideouts – Keenan Allen or Mike Williams – against the Falcons, and still won.
Bad news: Their run defense still leaks like a sieve. They’ve given up 200-plus rushing yards in three of their last four games.
14. Miami Dolphins (6-3)
Last week: W 35-32 at Bears | This week: vs. 3-5 Browns | Previous: 13
Good news: Tua Tagovailoa has a 122.7 passer rating in his three starts since returning from his concussion.
Bad news: The Dolphins have allowed 24.9 points per game, the seventh-most in the league.
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5)
Last week: W 16-13 vs. Rams | This week: vs. 5-3 Seahawks | Previous: 17
Good news: They’ve lost five of their last seven and somehow still own a piece of first place in the NFC South.
Bad news: The Bucs are last in the league in rush attempts per game, rush yards per game and yards per carry. Basically, they have no ground game and, for some strange reason, don’t seem interested in having one.
16. Los Angeles Rams (3-5)
Last week: L 13-16 at Bucs | This week: vs. 3-6 Cardinals | Previous: 14
Good news: For the first time this season, Matthew Stafford has managed to put together back-to-back games without an interception.
Bad news: Stafford, who threw 41 touchdown passes last year, has just eight in eight games this season.
17. Atlanta Falcons (4-5)
Last week: L 17-20 vs. Chargers | This week: at 2-7 Panthers | Previous: 16
Good news: Still tied for first in the NFC South.
Bad news: Rookie first-round WR Drake London has just 155 receiving yards and no TDs in the last six games.
18. Washington Commanders (4-5)
Last week: L 17-20 vs. Vikings | This week: at 8-0 Eagles | Previous: 18
Good news: Their defense held the 7-1 Vikings to their second-lowest point total of the season.
Bad news: The Commanders have managed to score more than 17 points just once in their last seven games. That’s not likely to change this week against the stingy Eagles.
19. New England Patriots (5-4)
Last week: W 26-3 Colts | This week: Bye | Previous: 23
Good news: The Patriots have won four of their last five games, and their average margin of victory in those four wins is 20 points.
Bad news: Mac Jones has averaged just 5.0 yards per attempt in the last three games.
20. Denver Broncos (3-5)
Last week: Bye | This week: at 5-3 Titans | Previous: 21
Good news: Their defense is keeping them alive. Only the Bills have given up fewer points per game than the Broncos.
Bad news: The perplexing mystery of Russell Wilson continues. Through eight games, he has the lowest touchdown percentage and the lowest completion percentage of his career.
21. Arizona Cardinals (3-6)
Last week: L 21-31 vs. Seahawks | This week: at 3-5 Rams | Previous: 19
Good news: Kyler Murray is averaging 6.1 yards per carry, which is actually more than he’s averaging per pass attempt.
Bad news: Their defense has given up 99 points in the last three games, 61 in the second half.
22. Indianapolis Colts (3-5-1)
Last week: L 3-26 at Patriots | This week: at 2-6 Raiders | Previous: 20
Good news: There are a lot of good quarterbacks in the 2023 draft.
Bad news: The Colts were without RB Jonathan Taylor for the third time in the last five games. They’ve averaged just 3.4 yards per carry without Taylor, the NFL’s 2021 rushing champ. Oh, yeah, and they just fired their coach.
23. Cleveland Browns (3-5)
Last week: Bye | This week: at 6-3 Dolphins | Previous: 24
Good news: Snapped a four-game losing streak with an impressive win over the Bengals before the bye.
Bad news: Browns haven’t gotten a lot from Jadeveon Clowney this season. He’s missed three games with injuries and has just 1.5 sacks.
24. Chicago Bears (3-6)
Last week: L 32-35 vs. Dolphins | This week: vs. 2-6 Lions | Previous: 25
Good news: QB Justin Fields leads all NFL quarterbacks in rushing with 602 yards, including 178 against the Dolphins. His 42 rushing first downs are the second-most in the league, behind only the Raiders’ Josh Jacobs (43).
Bad news: They've given up 84 points in their last two games.
25. Green Bay Packers (3-6)
Last week: L 9-15 at Lions | This week: vs. 6-2 Cowboys | Previous: 22
Good news: They haven’t had any significant snowfalls yet.
Bad news: Packers have lost five in a row for the first time since 2008. Aaron Rodgers threw three interceptions for the first time since ’09.
26. New Orleans Saints (3-6)
Last week: L 13-27 vs. Ravens | This week: at 2-6 Steelers | Previous: 26
Good news: Believe it or not, they're only a game out of first.
Bad news: The Saints have a league-worst minus-10 turnover differential.
27. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-6)
Last week: W 27-20 vs. Raiders | This week: at 6-2 Chiefs | Previous: 27
Good news: RB Travis Etienne notched his third straight 100-yard rushing performance against the Raiders. Also had two more rushing TDs, giving him four in the last three games.
Bad news: Where are the Texans and Colts when you need them? The Jags’ next two games are against the Chiefs and Ravens.
28. Detroit Lions (2-6)
Last week: W 15-9 vs. Packers | This week: at 3-6 Bears | Previous: 32
Good news: The Lions' defense, which came into the game with just two interceptions, picked off Aaron Rodgers three times.
Bad news: Four of the Lions’ next six games are against the 6-2 Giants, 6-2 Bills, 7-1 Vikings and 6-3 Jets.
29. Las Vegas Raiders (2-6)
Last week: L 20-27 at Jaguars | This week: vs. 3-5-1 Colts | Previous: 28
Good news: Well, at least the Davante Adams trade seems to have worked out pretty well.
Bad news: The Raiders have lost three games in which they held 17-point leads at one point.
30. Houston Texans (1-6-1)
Last week: L 17-29 vs. Eagles | This week: at 6-2 Giants | Previous: 31
Good news: The Texans have found a keeper in tackle-breaking fourth-round rookie RB Dameon Pierce, who is fourth in rushing and third in yards after contact.
Bad news: The Texans have given up just seven touchdown passes, but their run defense is a dumpster fire. They’re dead last in rushing yards allowed per game (180.6) and own the third-worst opponent rush average (5.5)
31. Carolina Panthers (2-7)
Last week: L 21-42 at Bengals | This week: vs. 4-5 Falcons | Previous: 29
Good news: Baker Mayfield threw multiple TD passes for the first time this season. Journey-of-a-thousand-miles-begins-with-the-first-step stuff.
Bad news: The Panthers have converted a league-low 26.7% of their third-down opportunities.
32. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-6)
Last week: Bye | This week: vs. 3-6 Saints | Previous: 30
Good news: The Steelers will be getting the heart and soul of their defense – T.J. Watt – back after the bye.
Bad news: Trading away WR Chase Claypool may benefit the Steelers in the long run, but it leaves rookie QB Kenny Pickett without his best pass-catching weapon in the short run. Then again, the Steelers already had the lowest-scoring offense in the league with Claypool.
