Welcome to Gridiron’s Week 10 power ranking. 

Heading into Week 10, we have movement towards the lower end, with the Texans having a tough time of it against the Jets, leaving them clinging on to top 10 status.  

GRIDIRON POWER RANKINGS: WEEK 10

1 Detroit Lions (7-1) =

Last Sunday’s meeting with the Green Bay Packers at a sodden Lambeau Field was the first game the Lions had played outside all season. Guess what? The elements did not slow the Lions down one bit as they ran roughshod over the Packers in their own building in a statement win. With Za’Darius Smith coming in to boost the pass rush at the trade deadline, the Lions look excellently placed to go one better than their run to last season’s NFC Championship Game.

2. Kansas City Chiefs (8-0) =

A very similar story to last week for the Chiefs, who survived in overtime against an ailing Tampa Bay Buccaneers team. There was nothing to suggest the Chiefs are deserving of moving up to the top spot, but the progress of trade acquisitions DeAndre Hopkins and Josh Uche bears watching closely. Hopkins had two touchdowns in his home debut as the Chiefs held off the Bucs.

3. Baltimore Ravens (7-2) =

I told you not to overreact to the narrow loss to the Cleveland Browns, and the Ravens responded in outstanding fashion, eviscerating an upstart Denver Broncos team to remind everyone that they are a force to be reckoned with the in the AFC.

4. Buffalo Bills (7-2) =

The Bills were extremely fortunate to hold off the two-win Dolphins and prevail in a 30-27 thriller on a last-second 61-yard field goal. It was a game in part decided by the Houdini-like exploits of Josh Allen, whose penchant for pulling off the improbable means they can never be discounted as a legitimate contender in the AFC.

5. Washington Commanders (7-2) +1

Another rise for the team that just keeps finding ways to win games. They were from their best at the Meadowlands, with the New York Giants finding some room to run the ball, but there’s a case to be made this is the best offensive team in the NFC right now. With the Steelers and Vikings on the horizon, we’ll have a better idea of whether this team is actually viable as a threat to go on a deep playoff run.

6. Green Bay Packers (6-3) -1

Jordan Love wasn’t fully healthy, so the Packers get something of a mulligan for their beatdown by Detroit. Still, it wasn’t exactly the most promising indication of how Green Bay might hold off if they are renewing acquaintances with their division rivals come playoff time.

7. Minnesota Vikings (7-3) =

A return to form for the Minnesota defense, which never allowed the Indianapolis Colts’ offense across the 20-yard line in their primetime victory. With the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans next up, the Vikings have a chance to build momentum once more and contend for the division crown.

8. San Francisco 49ers (4-4) +1

The 49ers were on bye in Week 9, but appear set to get Christian McCaffrey back from an Achilles injury that kept the Offensive Player of the Year sidelined for the opening eight games. We’ll soon learn whether his return can spark a second-half surge, or whether this really is the year of the Super Bowl hangover for the Niners.

9. Philadelphia Eagles (6-2) +1

There was almost a lot of egg on the faces of the Eagles as they went extremely close to throwing away a game they dominated against the Jaguars. Theirs is an imperfect team with coaching that leaves a lot to be desired, but with the playmakers they have and some young ascending players on defense, the Eagles have a formula that could see them make a deep run.

10. Houston Texans (6-3) -2

We’ll keep the Texans in here, for now, but they’re clinging on by a thread in terms of their stay in the top 10, with bad offensive line and dwindling supply of playmakers severely hindering C.J. Stroud in their loss to the New York Jets. The saving grace is that the AFC South is so bad that there’s very little chance of them not winning the division.