Thanks to a full Sunday slate of action that saw a league record five games come down to game-winning field goals as time expired, and a Monday night game that did, as well, Week 10 might have been the most wildly entertaining and consequential of the NFL season.
There were some major upsets in Week 10, several contenders rested, and others emerged. Suddenly some teams are surging up the playoff hierarchy while others are solidifying their place at the top of next year's draft order.
Here's how the league looks after 10 weeks, in FanBuzz's latest NFL Power Rankings:
1. Philadelphia Eagles (8-1)
Previous: No. 2
The Eagles have the best record in football, including victories over contenders with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations such as the Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys, and suddenly white-hot Minnesota Vikings in that bunch. We'll find out just how seriously to take the reigning NFC champions next Monday night in Arrowhead.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (7-2)
Previous: No. 3
It's good to be the defending champs, right now. Patrick Mahomes and Co. held serve against their biggest challenge to date, over the Dolphins in Frankfurt, Travis Kelce received a hero's welcome backstage from Taylor Swift following her Buenos Aires concert. Now, things get serious with a Super Bowl matchup next Monday night that will be a true barometer.
3. Detroit Lions (7-2)
Previous: No. 6
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Detroit checked another box, as Jared Goff nearly flawlessly led a comeback drive to set up a game-winning field goal at the buzzer against Justin Herbert's Chargers. The Lions are a relentless buzzsaw on both sides of the football, with a punishing defense and a pair of backs in Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery who combined Sunday for 193 yards and three touchdowns. Dan Campbell's team is talented and confident enough to crash the Super Bowl party.
4. San Francisco 49ers (6-3)
Previous: No. 8
Chase Young is going to be a nightmare for NFC quarterbacks, especially now that he's racing Nick Bosa into the pocket. Young seems to have reignited San Francisco's defense, and Deebo Samuel's impact appeared transcendent to the 49ers' offense in a blowout victory over the Jaguars, who had previously been in the midst of a four-game winning streak. San Francisco is back.
5. Miami Dolphins (6-3)
Previous: No. 7
Is the Miami Dolphins' prolific offense enough? Will the defense be able to start making stops and creating turnovers against teams with a winning record? We're about to find out. The Dolphins have games upcoming, off the bye week, against the Ravens, Cowboys, Bills, and Ravens, who will all offer significant resistance to Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Co.
6. Baltimore Ravens (7-3)
Previous: No. 1
A hiccup against the Cleveland Browns is a bit worrisome and perhaps an indication that even with an explosive backfield that Lamar Jackson and the Ravens' offense is prone to slip into a lull at times. That said, Deshaun Watson made it look easy against what is typically a bruising Baltimore defense. If Baltimore's going to make a legitimate run, it's going to need to be more efficient in both phases.
7. Dallas Cowboys (6-3)
Previous: No. 10
The Cowboys shrugged off coming up short against the Eagles by holding serve against their annual homecoming opponent, the New York Giants. Following Sunday's 49-17 victory, that at one point was 42-7 before Dallas pulled the majority of its starters. The Cowboys defense didn't face any sort of test, but Dak Prescott got to build up his confidence against the Giants by passing for 404 yards with four touchdowns and one rushing score.
8. Houston Texans (5-4)
Previous: No. 17
Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Texans are real and they're spectacular. C.J. Stroud is having one of the greatest seasons for a rookie quarterback in NFL history, and has now led game-winning drives in consecutive weeks. If the season ended today, Houston would be the No. 7 seed in the AFC, but are getting elite quarterback play, an efficient ground game, and a defense that is ascending each week. DeMeco Ryans' team is plenty good enough to play spoiler, at the very least.
9. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3)
Previous: No. 9
Don't look now, but Pittsburgh has won four of five, largely by playing a Steeler brand of football. This is a defense that is producing timely turnovers, swarming to the quarterback, and proving to be a worthy complement to an offense built around running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, who are closing in on 1,000 combined rushing yards. Mike Tomlin has his team playing a brand of football that travels, and right now, is winning.
10. Cleveland Browns (6-3)
Previous: No. 12
If the Browns get the version of Deshaun Watson who completed all 14 of his passes for 134 passing yards with a touchdown, Cleveland is going to be a team to watch in the AFC. Sunday's comeback win over the Ravens was a signature moment for this team, but concerns loom after Watson was seen in a walking boot following the game.
11. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-3)
Previous: No. 5
Jacksonville ran into a buzzsaw, in the 49ers who were sitting around stewing during the bye week, getting healthy, and adding Chase Young. It happens. However, after losing to the Texans earlier this season, the Jaguars have minimal margin for error. With games upcoming against the Ravens, Browns, Bengals, and the rematch with Houston, there is real opportunity for Doug Pederson's team to climb the AFC hierarchy.
12. Cincinnati Bengals (5-4)
Previous: No. 4
The Bengals' offensive line continues to be a going concern, for yet another season, after the Texans sacked Joe Burrow four times and added seven quarterback hits. Cincinnati's explosiveness in the passing game remains a threat, but the Bengals need more consistent offensive line play and more from the defense than it got against C.J. Stroud and Co.
13. Minnesota Vikings (6-4)
Previous: No. 14
Suddenly, the Minnesota Vikings are the hottest team in football. The only team currently riding a five-game winning streak, quarterback Joshua Dobbs has stabilized — and potentially saved, the Vikings' season. Dobbs' stat line since being forced into action against Atlanta last week, after being acquired in a trade deadline deal that Tuesday; a 67.1 completion percentage for 426 passing yards with three passing touchdowns, two rushing scores, and two victories. Kevin O'Connell and Dobbs have the Vikings believing.
14. Seattle Seahawks (6-3)
Previous: No. 15
Geno Smith, D.K. Metcalf and the Seahawks got in on the last-second game-winning field goal party. That that's what it took for Seattle to escape, at home, over the Washington Commanders is a bit alarming. Big picture, more worrisome for the Seahawks is that Pete Carroll's team faces the eighth-toughest remaining schedule. It may start to get bumpy for the Seahawks.
15. Buffalo Bills
Previous: No. 11
If you didn't know any better, you'd think the Bills were trying to lose Monday night, which they ultimately did to the Broncos, 24-22. Josh Allen and the Bills committed four turnovers, including a pair of Allen interceptions. With the game on the line, Taron Johnson committed a 22-yard pass interference penalty to set up a Will Lutz game-winning field goal, that Lutz missed, only to have the Bills commit a 12-men on the field penalty which gave him the chance to stick the do-over. Stick an early dagger in Buffalo's fading playoff hopes, after this loss.
16. Las Vegas Raiders (5-5)
Previous: No. 22
Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Interim head coach Antonio Pierce and the Raiders got to light up victory cigars, for the second consecutive week, after hanging on against Zach Wilson and the Jets. Left for dead, in the wake of Josh McDaniels' firing, the Raiders are now just half a game behind the Texans for the final AFC Wild Card berth.
17. Denver Broncos (4-5)
Previous: No. 23
Don't count the Broncos out, just yet. Denver went into Buffalo and survived several of their own mistakes while forcing critical Bills turnovers that the made the hosts pay for. Russell Wilson is heating up, Sean Payton's team has won three straight, and things seem to be snowballing in the right direction.
18. Los Angeles Chargers (4-5)
Previous: No. 13
The Chargers just can't figure out how to close, or how to win consistently. Quarterback Justin Herbert is doing all he can, even with a banged up finger, but the defense can't get off the field or protect a late lead. Those are both fatal flaws, and could prove to be head coach Brandon Staley's undoing.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5)
Previous: No. 19
Against the Titans, Baker Mayfield returned to his strong September form, passing for 278 yards with a pair of touchdowns and one interception as Mike Evans had his way with the Titans' secondary catching six passes for 143 yards and a score. While the running game has become a series of fits and starts and the defense is still searching for consistency, Tampa can stack some wins with that version of Baker Mayfield.
20. Indianapolis Colts (5-5)
Previous: No. 20
Sunday in Germany was one of the uglier and uneventful games of this NFL season, as the Colts escaped with a 10-6 win, whil potentially ending Mac Jones' career as the Patriots' starting quarterback. Better to board the Transatlantic flight as winners than what New England is coming home to.
21. New Orleans Saints (5-5)
Previous: No. 16
Derek Carr hasn't worked out. Carr simply hasn't elevated the Saints' offense the way New Orleans had hoped, and now he's battling what could be significant injuries as the bye week begins. With the trade deadline in the rearview, the Saints have limited option. If this season comes off the rails, there's a very real chance Dennis Allen is gone.
22. Washington Commanders (4-5)
Previous: No. 21
Ron Rivera's team just keeps finding ways to lose. Sunday, giving up a big play over the middle of the field to D.K. Metcalf to set up the Seahawks' game-winner. Washington has been more competitive than could reasonably been expected after pass rushers Montez Sweat and Chase Young were both traded at the deadline, but, will that be enough to save Rivera's job?
23. New York Jets (4-5)
Previous: No. 18
How Robert Saleh can walk into the Jets' defensive meeting rooms and insist that Zach Wilson is the best option at quarterback is dumbfounding. It might take all the motivational leadership Saleh can muster to stave off a mutiny, after Wilson passed for 263 yards with an interception, in an otherwise winnable game against the Raiders. Maybe New York is misguidedly holding out on the prayer that Aaron Rodgers can make it back on the field in December. Even if that miraculously happens, the Jets' postseason fate may long have been sealed because they never sought an upgrade over Wilson.
24.Los Angeles Rams (3-6)
Previous: No. 24
Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images
It sounds like Matthew Stafford is going return for the Rams, following Los Angeles' bye week, which kind of begs the question why Carson Wentz was signed. Regardless, the Rams have to hope that things start to click offensively with all of the weapons at receiver getting into sync down the stretch.
25. Tennessee Titans (3-6)
Previous: No. 25
The only thing that matters for the Titans the rest of the season is getting Will Levis playing time. Even if he's going to have to navigate dreadful offensive line play and an inconsistent running game. But, Levis has shown some flashes early in his career to make Tennessee optimistic about the future.
26. Green Bay Packers (2-7)
Previous: No. 27
Jordan Love is potentially down to eight more games to prove that he can be the Packers' franchise quarterback of the future. Love was average against the Steelers, accounting for 289 passing yards with two touchdowns but also two interceptions. The bigger issue is that the Packers' defense both bent and broke late against the Steelers. If the season ended today, Green Bay would be picking sixth ...
27. Atlanta Falcons (4-5)
Previous: No. 27
Bijan Robinson saw an increased workload, with the star rookie running back logging 22 carries for 95 yards and a touchdown, which is probably what the Falcons' offense should have funneled through all season. Whether it's Taylor Heinicke, or Desmond Ridder at quarterback, there's just not much working in the passing game right now. Nor for Arthur Smith's decision-making.
28. Arizona Cardinals (2-8)
Previous: No. 31
The Cardinals are a different team with Kyler Murray at quarterback. That's just the fact of the matter. Murray and tight end Trey McBride connected on a huge 33-yard gain to set up a game-winning field goal against the Falcons, and seem to have figured out how to dictate to opponents offensively. Arizona is out of the playoff chase, but that doesn't mean they won't throw some chaos into the race the rest of the way.
29. Chicago Bears (3-7)
Previous: No. 29
Chicago is in the enviable position of getting to play with house money. Because the Bears own the Panthers' first-round selection, Chicago doesn't need to try to openly tank. Since Tyson Bagent has been playing quarterback, they're probably going to lose anyway. Except when they played the Panthers, where notching the win served the greater purpose of draft positioning, anyway.
30. New England Patriots (2-8)
Previous: No. 28
New England's trip to Frankfurt to play the Colts couldn't possibly have gone worse. Mac Jones was benched. A Bill Belichick coached team dropped to 2-8 for the first time in his coaching career, and now rumors are persistent that there could be a mutual parting of the ways between the head coach and the franchise he won six Super Bowls with. Worse, there doesn't seem to be a clear solution to what ails the Patriots on both sides of the ball.
31. Carolina Panthers (1-8)
Previous: N0. 30
Bryce Young isn't getting any better, and that's an indictment on Frank Reich, and the staff he's assembled. Unfortunately for Young, not much is working for the Panthers' offense, and the defense has only made incremental strides in recent games.
32. New York Giants (2-8)
Previous: No. 32
The Giants' season is coming completely undone. Between sideline squabbles throughout a blowout loss, to team captains criticizing the coaching staff, and Saquon Barkley claiming he doesn't plan on re-watching Sunday's loss to the Cowboys, it's going to take a Herculean effort by Brian Daboll to keep this team together through the final seven games. Daboll may need to make "significant" changes to his staff, just to keep his job beyond this season.
