Week 9 was one to remember for the Cleveland Browns who scored a 27-0 win over the Arizona Cardinals. They were dominant on both sides of the ball with Deshaun Watson throwing two touchdowns while the defense held the Cardinals to just 58 yards.
Cleveland is now 5-3 but in the crowded AFC North, that just means they're tied for both second and last with every team other than the Ravens also sitting at 5-3.
That loaded division would all be in the playoffs if the season ended today and are all up high in our Week 10 edition of the NFL Power Rankings.
32. Carolina Panthers (1-7)
The Panthers finally got a win in Week 8 but then lost by multiple scores this weekend. They’re not contending for anything other than the No. 1 pick in 2024 at this point.
31. Arizona Cardinals (1-7)
The Browns destroyed the Cardinals who need more than just the return of Kyler Murray to start putting up wins.
30. New York Giants (2-7)
Daniel Jones is out for the season with a torn ACL but the Giants still weren’t winning anything with him. This team was a feel-good story in 2022 and now they’re a dumpster fire. Things can change in a hurry.
29. Chicago Bears (2-7)
Then again, some things never change. The Bears just can’t field a good team no matter what they try.
28. New England Patriots (2-7)
Bill Belichick refused to speak on whether or not he’s coaching for his job. In all fairness, he’s probably not. Surely, they team already knows it’s time to move on.
27. Tennessee Titans (3-5)
Will Levis is so much better than Ryan Tannehill that you have to ask why it took an injury for the Titans to make a change.
26. Denver Broncos (3-5)
Denver spent this week on a bye following two wins in a row. Perhaps they’ve turned a corner. Or maybe they just beat a bad Green Bay team and a sick Patrick Mahomes.
25. Los Angeles Rams (3-6)
The Rams got a Super Bowl out of their Matt Stafford trade but the success was short-lived. Sean McVay might decide to move on after this season since he was losing interest even before they fell off the face of the earth.
24. Green Bay Packers (3-5)
Aaron Rodgers might have masked more than we realized in Green Bay. Yes, they needed to move on from him but no, they don’t have their next franchise quarterback.
23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5)
Tampa Bay was on fire with a 3-1 start but four-straight losses have them looking for answers.
22. Las Vegas Raiders (4-5)
Firing the coach doesn’t always work. Unless the coach is Josh McDaniels. No one can kill the culture quite like he can and the Raiders looked like a new team without him.
21. Indianapolis Colts (4-5)
Gardner Minshew is a solid backup and has kept the Colts from falling apart. Still, they're 4-5 and not going to be contending this year.
20. Atlanta Falcons (4-5)
Atlanta had a record of 4-3 but then lost the past two games. In Week 9, they went with Taylor Heinicke over Desmond Ridder but still walked away with the loss when they were unable to stop Josh Dobbs at the end of the game.
19. Washington Commanders (4-5)
A win over the Patriots improved the Washington Commanders to 4-5. They're not out of the race yet but made it much tougher on themselves when they traded away Montez Sweat and Chase Young. Perhaps they can now use the day two picks they landed to hope for players who can replace Montez Sweat and Chase Young.
18. New York Jets (4-4)
Even with Aaron Rodgers out due to an Achilles injury, there's not a single New York Jets game that goes by where we don't see him. There are those who believe he will be back if New York makes the playoffs. While it's true they have a good enough defense to make a run, their offense is simply too inconsistent. Plus...there's no way he would be ready after four months from such a major injury.
17. Los Angeles Chargers (4-4)
The L.A. Chargers needed a win in a huge way this week and found a way to get that against the Jest on Monday Night Football. They're now 4-4 but they don't feel like a team anyone can believe in. Justin Herbert can make just about any throw but for some reason, this offense stalls out often and they seem to struggle with injuries throughout every season.
16. Houston Texans (4-4)
C.J. Stroud absolutely went off in Week 9 with 470 yards and five touchdowns. The Ohio State product has easily been the best rookie this season and has the Texans ahead of schedule after eight games.
15. Minnesota Vikings (5-4)
Josh Dobbs was thrust into action after Jaren Hall was injured and somehow led the Vikings to a comeback win. The former Cleveland backup continues to make the most of every opportunity he gets and it’s hard not to root for him.
14. New Orleans Saints (5-4)
Derek Carr has been fine but the Saints are surely benefiting from playing in an awful division. They’re likely making the playoffs by default.
13. Buffalo Bills (5-4)
Buffalo has the talent to be one of the best in the NFL but they’re also very inconsistent. Josh Allen has thrown far too many interceptions and it’s been very costly. They’re not in terrible shape at 5-4 but they’re also not in great shape either.
12. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3)
As much as Browns fans want the Pittsburgh Steelers to fall apart, they just won’t do it. Their offense is pretty rough — which is partly on Kenny Pickett and partly on Matt Canada — but their defense is one of the best. That’s a recipe for a playoff berth but they won’t go far.
11. San Francisco 49ers (5-3)
After a huge win over the Cowboys in Week 5, the 49ers have fallen apart. They've lost three in a row and Brock Purdy has struggled to regain his footing. Maybe the bye week helps them get back on track but they're nowhere near as scary as they were before the Browns humbled them.
10. Cleveland Browns (5-3)
Cleveland is in the top 10 but there will still be those who hate that they're not ahead of the Cincinnati Bengals. The reason for that is they have yet to really put it all together.
Sure, they have a favorable point differential but they've also stuck it to some bad teams and been in close contests with the good ones. This weekend was a beautiful win and they have a lot to build upon. Having said that, Week 10 and 11 against the Ravens and Steelers will tell us a lot about this team.
9. Seattle Seahawks (5-3)
Seattle can be an up-and-down team but still finds a way to win. They're tied for the lead in the NFC West and could wind up winning it if San Francisco doesn't turn it around.
8. Cincinnati Bengals (5-3)
Joe Burrow looks like Joe Burrow again. Cleveland was fortunate to play the Bengals in Week 1 because they’re a different team now than they were at that point in the year. They’re slightly ahead of Cleveland due to Burrow but the Browns defense can eventually close the gap if they continue to play as they did in Week 9.
7. Dallas Cowboys (5-3)
The Dallas Cowboys lost a heartbreaker to the Eagles in Week 9 and are now 5-3. They are another team that has talent but the depth is concerning at wideout and their offensive line is a major problem.
6. Miami Dolphins (6-3)
Miami is still a dangerous team but they have to start figuring out how to beat good teams. This weekend, the Chiefs held them in check but they had a chance to tie it up late but Tua Tagovailoa had a series to forget to close things out.
5. Detroit Lions (6-2)
Dan Campbell has the Detroit Lions playing incredible football this year. Jared Goff is suddenly a star and has been much better than Matthew Stafford. Sure, the Rams won a title in 2021 but with the way Goff is playing now, they might have done it with him. In the end, Detroit won that trade.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-2)
Jacksonville is 6-2 and they still haven't seemed to hit their full potential. That's a scary prospect.
3. Baltimore Ravens (7-2)
It's hard to watch the Baltimore Ravens continue to succeed. They still don't have great play at wide receiver but Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews make up for that. Their defense is also annoyingly consistent.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (7-2)
Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the NFL. Don't believe that? Look at the wide receivers corps he's working with. And then ask how in the world this team is 7-2. The answer is — Mahomes.
1. Philadelphia Eagles (8-1)
Entering Week 10, there's no team playing better than the Philadelphia Eagles. The defending NFC Champions escaped with a win against Dallas thanks to their pass rush. They have very few weaknesses and they're another team that still hasn't played to its full potential yet — but is still somehow 8-1.