A Wide Open League

Unscripted NFL Power Rankings

2014 Week 10

Nipping at #10's heels:

Chargers (#16), 49ers (#15), Ravens (#14)

Saints (#13), Chiefs (#12), Seahawks (#11)

10. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2-1)

Last Week: 11th
Best Ranking: 3rd (Week 5, 4)
It wasn't the prettiest of wins for the Bengals, particularly considering they were playing the one-win Jaguars. But at this stage of the year, a win is a win and it demonstrates the Bengals can win the games they are supposed to win, even when without some of their best players. The Bengals will take this 10-point victory and hope it provides a little momentum entering Thursday's game against Cleveland. It will be the first meeting of the season between the AFC North rivals, and the first division game the Bengals have played this season that hasn't been against the Ravens. The game also closes out a three-game stretch of home contests. After Thursday, the Bengals go on the road for three straight. - Coley Harvey

9. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3)

Last Week: 14th

Best Ranking: 9th (Week 10) 

The Steelers are 6-3 and as hot as any team in the NFL after overcoming an early 7-0 deficit to bury the Ravens. The Steelers are just a half-game out of first place in the AFC North, and by averting a season sweep at the hands of the Ravens, they didn't put themselves in a bad spot when it comes to tiebreakers within the division. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is quite simply playing out of his mind right now. The Steelers didn't manage a touchdown in a 26-6 loss to Baltimore on Sept. 11, but the 11-year veteran toyed with a depleted secondary in throwing six scoring passes for the second consecutive game. Roethlisberger's 12 touchdown passes in two games are an NFL record. - Scott Brown

8. Dallas Cowboys (6-3)
Last Week: 4th
Best Ranking: 2nd (Week 8)
The Cowboys have their first losing streak of the year. QB Tony Romo did not play and his replacement, Brandon Weeden, was woeful, completing 11 of 23 passes for 103 yards with no touchdowns before a final meaningless scoring drive. He was intercepted twice, stared down his receivers and was unable to get the ball down the field. Dez Bryant was held without a catch until 1:50 remained in the game when the score was 28-10, and DeMarco Murray saw his streak of 100-yard games come to an end at eight. He finished with 79 yards on 19 carries, getting just 2 yards in the final quarter. All three of the Cowboys' losses this year have been at AT&T Stadium. Maybe it's a good thing they have only two home games the rest of the season. - Todd Archer

7. Green Bay Packers (5-3)

Last Week: 6th

Best Ranking: 6th (Week 9, 8, 3, 1)

With the Packers coming out of their bye week, the next three weeks may serve to sort out the NFC North. That's when the Packers appear to have a chance to regain control of the division they have dominated of late, having won it each of the last three years. At 5-3, they trail the first-place Detroit Lions (6-2) by a game, but that could change well before the teams meet again in the Week 17 regular-season finale at Lambeau Field. While the Packers will spend two of the next three weeks at home and play against three teams with a combined record of 13-12, the Lions' next three opponents are 19-6. And two of Detroit's next three games are away from Ford Field. - Rob Demovsky

6. Indianapolis Colts (6-3)

Last Week: 7th
Best Ranking: 3rd (Week 8)
The Colts sputtered along for nearly a half, but they got it going offensively after quarterback Andrew Luck used a quick snap to keep Giants coach Tom Coughlin from throwing a challenge flag and got a 32-yard touchdown pass to Coby Fleener out of it. Luck got past his slow start in what turned out to be an easy victory for the Colts. The quarterback threw for 354 yards and four touchdowns on 25-of-46 passing to extend his streak of at least 300 yards passing to seven straight games. He's only two games shy of tying a Drew Brees record of nine straight games with at least 300 yards passing. Luck, as he's done throughout the season, hit a number of different targets. He completed passes to nine different players. - Mike Wells

5. Philadelphia Eagles (6-2)

Last Week: 5th

Best Ranking: 4th (Week 8, 4, 3)

Signing Mark Sanchez wasn't such a bad idea. The former New York Jets starting quarterback spent the first seven games watching from the sideline as Nick Foles played behind an injury-depleted offensive line who allowed Foles to be pressured more than any other quarterback in the NFL. Then, on the last play of the first quarter, Foles was knocked out of the game by Texans linebacker Whitney Mercilus. Sanchez looked sharp in his first regular-season action since 2012, leading the Eagles to a touchdown on his first drive. A couple of interceptions took some of the shine off, but Sanchez was able to run the offense pretty effectively. The Eagles moved back into first place in the NFC East with a 6-2 record. - Phil Sheridan

4. Detroit Lions (6-2)
Last Week: 8th
Best Ranking: 4th (Week 10)
Along with Calvin Johnson, the Lions should have a healthy Reggie Bush, Joseph Fauria and LaAdrian Waddle back to start the second half following their bye week. Though complementary players, they now slide into an offense where quarterback Matthew Stafford already has Johnson, Golden Tate, Joique Bell and Theo Riddick. So remember how Detroit wanted to give Stafford as many options as possible? For the first time since the first week of the season, the Lions should be able to do so. And it sounds hokey, but this team has completely bought into head coach Jim Caldwell’s message this season. The way he has handled his players and his demeanor - always calm with a strong belief - has permeated from the head coach to players. - Michael Rothstein

3. Arizona Cardinals (7-1)

Last Week: 3rd

Best Ranking: 3rd (Week 10, 9)

How the does the saying go? It’s not about how you start, it’s how you finish. That was the case Sunday for the Cardinals. What Arizona can take away from the game is that the offense, as often as it stalled, was able to score after the defense stopped the Cowboys on fourth-and-1. Arizona showed its defense is the reason it’s atop the NFC. It was down 10-0 early, but the Cardinals’ defense didn’t panic and continued to line up four down linemen to slow DeMarco Murray. Well, it worked. Arizona held Murray to 79 yards on 19 carries -- the first time he’s been held under 100 all season. - Josh Weinfuss

2. Denver Broncos (6-2)

Last Week: 1st

Best Ranking: 1st (Week 9, 8, 7, 3)

For all the talk about how things could go in the AFC, it's going to be the Patriots-Broncos in a game that matters come January. And the Broncos better get to work the rest of the way in the second half of their season if they don't want to come back to Gillette to play that game. The Broncos again were unable to recover from an early mistake and watched it all cave in around them after a Peyton Manning interception was just the first of many errors to follow. - Jeff Legwold

1. New England Patriots (7-2)

Last Week: 2nd

Best Ranking: 1st (Week 10)

The Patriots showed they warrant consideration in the discussion as the AFC's best team with a thorough dismantling of the Broncos, who were widely viewed as the conference's top club and didn't bring their top performance. Making big plays in three phases -- offense, defense and special teams -- the Patriots outplayed Denver in cold and windy conditions to improve to 7-2. Very impressive. It was an extra special game as 17 of the team's 22 three-time Super Bowl championship players were honored at halftime. Those players were introduced as a "team" and it was a theme that resonated in more than one way on Sunday. - Mike Reiss