Ranking the league’s 32 teams
Week 9 saw the Steelers barely escape with a win over the Cowboys. But they remain unbeaten, and atop the rankings. For now. Still think the Chiefs are a better team, but the Men of Steel have faced every challenge and delivered. The Chiefs were also in a dogfight Sunday, but they held off the Panthers. It was a tight game throughout, but with Patrick Mahomes, even the nail-biters don’t seem close. What wasn’t close was the highly-anticipated showdown between the Bucs and Saints. It was a rout, and an embarrassing one for Tom Brady & Co. with Antonio Brown making his return to football. This was one of the worst beatings Brady has had during his career. Drew Brees is now 4-1 lifetime against his fellow 40-something. Along with the Saints, the Bills and Packers had impressive wins. Flipping to the Patriots, they eked out a victory over the winless Jets. For the moment, they maintain their slim hopes of getting into the playoffs. Here’s our NFL Power Rankings heading into Week 10. 1. Steelers (8-0): Least surprising development of the week — Ben Roethlisberger gutted out a come-from-behind victory over the Cowboys on one leg. 2. Chiefs (8-1): They were pushed by the Panthers. But they still have the ultimate weapon. Patrick Mahomes (4 TD passes) wasn’t about to let the defending Super Bowl champs lose. 3. Ravens (6-2): The MVP version of Lamar Jackson finally showed up in the second half to lead a comeback win over the Colts. For the Ravens to be legitimate contenders, he needs to morph into that more often. 4. Saints (6-2): Five straight wins including their utter domination and decimation of the Bucs. Drew Brees hit 12 different receivers. They were scary good. 5. Packers (6-2): Having been blown out twice by San Francisco last season, they didn’t feel too bad about kicking the stuffing out of the injury-ravaged 49ers. 6. Bills (7-2): Signature moment for Josh Allen and the Bills, with Allen out-dueling Russell Wilson on the heels of knocking off the Patriots. They’re back on a roll, after sputtering with two straight losses. 7. Seahawks (6-2): Pete Carroll knew his defense was going to be bad, just not historically bad. Let’s just say he’s not jacked and pumped about his team allowing 44 points for the first time under his watch.
