NFL Week 10 Power Rankings: Bills, Patriots, Packers Among Risers, Fallers After Crazy Week 9

NFL Week 9 instant reactions

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NFL Week 10 Power Rankings: Bills, Patriots, Packers Among Risers, Fallers After Crazy Week 9

Matt Johnson · Sportsnaut

Tue, Nov 4, 2025 ·

15 min read

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Chaos. That's how Week 9 of the 2025 NFL season should be remembered. We saw some of the best NFL teams this season go down, with several of those clubs losing at home and suffering some major injuries. It was a weekend of chaos in the NFL, fitting for a season that has seen some surprise contenders emerge.

As the NFL games today draw to a close, let's dive into our NFL Week 10 power rankings.

1. Buffalo Bills (7)

Just an excellent performance by the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. James Cook continues to perform like an All-Pro this season, and Josh Allen was nearly perfect through the air. But what really stood out today was how well this defense performed against an offense that looked unstoppable coming into Week 9. We know Buffalo's history versus Kansas City in the regular season versus playoffs; that doesn't matter right now. What does matter is that the Bills looked like the best team in the NFL for the first time since September.

2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6)

Health is everything for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as they return from the Week 9 bye. Baker Mayfield needs Bucky Irving and Chris Godwin back, especially given what lies ahead on this Buccaneers' schedule. These matchups against the Patriots , Bills, and Rams will put the Buccaneers' defense and offensive line to the test. A 1-2 record during this three-game stretch is well within reason, which could make that 6-2 record amid all the previous injuries even more crucial.

3. Indianapolis Colts (1)

Halloween is over, but the nightmare version of Daniel Jones came out in Week 9 against the Steelers . The Indianapolis Colts lost their second game of the season because of it. Indianapolis performed really well defensively and it was still a one-score game even with Jonathan Taylor (45 rushing yards) shut down. It was just those four turnovers by Jones, turned into 24 points for the Steelers, that proved so costly. Four turnovers is fluky, but Jones turning back into pumpkin again could prove costly in the coming weeks versus Atlanta, Kansas City, and Houston .

4. New England Patriots (11)

Week 9 was chaotic, and the New England Patriots were one of the few teams to survive it. Drake Maye was sacked six times on Sunday and has now taken 12 sacks over the last two games, but three first-half touchdowns were enough in Foxborough to beat the Falcons . New England should come out of this one feeling like if it can clean up the mistakes—two takeaways turned into 10 points—it can challenge for the No. 2 seed in the AFC.

6. Denver Broncos (8)

Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos just find ways to win. Missing reigning DPOY Pat Surtain, Denver again found itself facing a fourth-quarter deficit. Of course, Mr. Fourth Quarter delivered again. Maybe that game shouldn't have been as close as it was, given CJ Stroud left early with a concussion, but the Broncos salvaged a victory on Sunday, and that's never a given in the NFL as teams like the Colts and Packers demonstrated.

5. Seattle Seahawks (6)

This is who the Seattle Seahawks are now. They certainly won't win blowouts every week, but this is a team with an elite defense and an offense capable of putting up 28-plus points on any given week. Sam Darnold is thriving behind a much-improved offensive line, Seattle's run game is getting better and Torry Horton could be emerging as a No. 2 receiver. This is the team to beat in the NFC West.

7. Philadelphia Eagles (9)

We're a tad bit lower on the Philadelphia Eagles than the consensus NFL power rankings entering Week 10, but that can change in a hurry. The bye week came at a good time, allowing A.J. Brown and the Eagles' offensive line to get healthy. If Philadelphia's front five can hold up, Brown and Saquon Barkley could be critical to humbling the Packers on Monday Night Football in Week 10.

8. Los Angeles Rams (10)

The Los Angeles Rams won convincingly on Sunday over New Orleans , but there has to be a bit of concern following the Puka Nacua injury. If it is not serious, it is time to talk about Matthew Stafford as a top-two candidate for NFL MVP. Los Angeles is rolling right now, and Sean McVay's club now has a shot at revenge in San Francisco versus Kyle Shanahan.

9. Kansas City Chiefs (2)

Both the Kansas City Chiefs offensive line and defense came crashing back down to earth on Sunday. Patrick Mahomes was under duress far too much, and Kansas City's defense was picked apart by Josh Allen, all the while James Cook seemingly turned every carry into a chunk of yards. The Chiefs still looked like one of the best NFL teams, but they also have four losses on the season and still have looming matchups against the Colts and Broncos (twice). All of that is to say Kansas City will be playing at least one road game in the playoffs.

10. Detroit Lions (4)

Sunday was a particularly painful loss for the Detroit Lions , given what happened at Lambeau Field on Sunday. Detroit's offensive line was certainly an issue versus Minnesota , and it could get even worse given the injuries suffered on the interior. However, it was really the special-teams woes that ultimately swung this 27-24 game in the Vikings' favor. Given how well-coached Detroit is, we expect the team to recover immediately next week against the reeling Commanders .

11. Los Angeles Chargers (12)

We'll start with the good for the Los Angeles Chargers . In a game where they gave up a pick-six and a punt return touchdown, they still won on the road after making a cross-country trip to Tennessee for an early game. Unfortunately, left tackle Joe Alt was carted off the field with an ankle injury in Week 9 and didn't return. The Chargers' offensive line without Alt is abysmal, and that could prove very poor timing with matchups against the Steelers and Jaguars looming before the Week 12 bye.

12. Green Bay Packers (3)

Everything that could go wrong for the Green Bay Packers in Week 10 did. Brandon McManus missed a field goal, Savion Williams fumbled in the red zone, Tucker Kraft suffered a significant knee injury, and Jordan Love 's questionable decision-making with the football returned. Oh, Green Bay also repeatedly shot itself in the foot with penalties and red-zone ineffectiveness ( 1-for-5 ). The Packers just seem to have a penchant for playing at their opponent's level, so we'll just have to see what's in store for a Monday Night Football matchup versus the Eagles.

13. San Francisco 49ers (13)

Feed Christian McCaffrey —that was what the San Francisco 49ers needed to do on Sunday to win at MetLife Stadium. Mission accomplished. CMC turned 33 touches into 173 scrimmage yards and 2 touchdowns, carrying San Francisco to a 10-point victory over the Giants. The 49ers don't necessarily look like an impressive six-win team, but being three games above .500 is quite remarkable given all the injuries.

14. Pittsburgh Steelers (17)

Where has this version of the Pittsburgh Steelers defense been? Against a historically great offense, Pittsburgh generated six takeaways and turned them into 24 points. Aaron Rodgers and Co. didn't play particularly well in this one, but it didn't matter because Pittsburgh put on a defensive clinic. What we've seen from this unit over the first two months of the season suggests regression will happen, but that was a monumental win for the Steelers (5-3) ahead of another tough matchup against the Chargers.

15. Chicago Bears (15)

Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory and then reaching in at the last second to snag the win, that is what the Chicago Bears did in Week 9. Chicago led Cincinnati 41-27 with 2:24 left, and Caleb Williams next took the field trailing 42-21 with 54 seconds left. Thankfully for him, rookie tight end Colston Loveland delivered the game-winning touchdown that could be his breakout moment in the NFL. It was too close for comfort, and the Bears' defense is a mess, but Chicago comes out of it with a 5-3 record and a chance at its sixth win if it can handle its business at home in Week 10 versus the Giants.

16. Carolina Panthers (21)

Look at what happens when Dave Canales makes Rico Dowdle the centerpiece of the Carolina Panthers offense. We also have to acknowledge the fine work done by this Panthers defense on Sunday at Lambeau Field, recording two critical takeaways and holding Green Bay to 1-for-5 in the red zone. This is a great recovery after the Buffalo game, and Carolina now has a shot at its sixth win of the season in early November. Who saw that coming after the 1-3 start?

17. Minnesota Vikings (24)

For the Minnesota Vikings playoff hopes to remain alive, they desperately needed a big win against a top-flight opponent. All three sides of the ball proved instrumental in Sunday's stunning win in Detroit. J.J. McCarthy was outstanding in the first half, Aaron Jones had a big game, big plays on special teams generated points, and Brian Flores' defense got back on track. While a 4-4 record still leaves something to be desired, the arrow is pointing up on the Vikings as they head into a Week 10 fight at home versus Baltimore .

18. Baltimore Ravens (20)

Here come the Baltimore Ravens . Lamar Jackson returns and this offense, for the most part, fires on all cylinders and the defense is playing relatively well with Roquan Smith back on the field. Health coming out of the bye week has helped deliver two consecutive wins for Baltimore, all at a time when the Steelers are struggling. If the Ravens can go into Minnesota and win in Week 10, this might be the new favorite in the AFC North moving forward.

19. Houston Texans (13)

The C.J. Stroud concussion wiped out whatever chance the Houston Texans had of taking out Denver in Week 9. Houston's defense held on for as long as it could, but that unit was bound to break eventually since the Texans' offense had five three-and-outs after taking a 15-7 lead. If Stroud doesn't clear the concussion protocol this week, Houston will be staring down a 3-6 record.

20. Jacksonville Jaguars (16)

That version of the Jacksonville Jaguars that started the season 4-1 with victories over the 49ers and Chiefs is long gone. There are plenty of reasons for the regression, including this defense's historic takeaway rate plummeting back to normal. However, the holes on this offense have also become evident, and Trevor Lawrence is demonstrating that he's simply never going to recapture the form we saw a few seasons ago. Going to OT against the Raiders is unacceptable; Jacksonville looks like a mediocre football team.

21. Arizona Cardinals (23)

Marvin Harrison Jr. is establishing himself as a true No.1 wide receiver and the Arizona Cardinals held onto a fourth-quarter lead. Those are the two biggest developments for Arizona coming out of Monday Night Football. Now, Kyler Murray is poised to return to the starting lineup and the Cardinals offense has looked worse with him under center. Maybe, though, Arizona just figured out its passing game and Murray can keep this going. We're not optimistic, especially since its a matchup against the Seahawks defense.

22. Atlanta Falcons (22)

Keeping it close on the road against the Patriots is nice, but the end result is still a 3-5 record for the Atlanta Falcons . The team's outlook seemed promising after beating Buffalo on Monday Night Football, but the Falcons are now riding a three-game losing streak and set to face an Indianapolis team that will be looking to rebound after a stunning Week 9 loss. It suddenly feels like this could be a 10-loss team by the time the season ends, given there are still matchups versus the Seahawks, Buccaneers, and Rams, too.

23. Dallas Cowboys (18)

Fumbles likely cost the Dallas Cowboys two scoring drives on Monday night, but it wouldn't have mattered because this defense would've just given up the game-winning points. Trading for Logan Wilson and whoever else Jerry Jones thinks will help won't move the needle, not even close. This team is everything the Bengals were in 2024.

24. Washington Commanders (19)

There will be discourse about whether or not Jayden Daniels should've been playing in that moment, but that shouldn't be the real discussion. The Washington Commanders roster is bad, injuries play a part of that, but years of poor drafting are the biggest reason why. This is also the oldest roster in the NFL. It might be in the Commanders' best long-term interest to be a seller at the NFL trade deadline and start prioritizing the 2026 NFL Draft.

25. Cincinnati Bengals (25)

The Cincinnati Bengals won't trade Trey Hendrickson because that is how this defense looks when he isn't on the field. That is a bigger indictment on the 'talent' assembled by the Bengals front office, but the end result is that this team is a worse version of what fans saw last year. If the losses keep piling up, it is fair to wonder if the Bengals eventually consider just shutting Joe Burrow down for the season because he does not need to return to this.

26. Las Vegas Raiders (29)

Brock Bowers returns and Geno Smith delivers a season-best performance, looking like an above-average starting quarterback. How about that. Las Vegas clearly doesn't have the offensive line nor the defense to beat the Broncos or Cowboys in the next two weeks, but at least a Bowers-led Raiders offense looks capable of winning two more gmaes this season.

27. New York Giants (27)

This is the new normal for the New York Giants offense. Even against an injury-decimated 49ers defnese that struggles mightily to rush the passer, New York finished under 300 total yards on Sunday and much of the damage came after San Francisco had a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter. The hope is just gone with this team and the only desire now should be for Jaxson Dart to stay healthy and steadily make improvements.

28. Miami Dolphins (26)

The true victory for the Miami Dolphins in Week 9 is the firing of general manager Chris Grier. He is responsible for constructing one of the league's worst rosters, and that is the biggest reason why this team has fallen off so drastically in the last two years. A head-coaching change and new quarterback still feel necessary, but the biggest step has finally been taken.

29. New Orleans Saints (26)

While we understand that the New Orleans Saints want to use the rest of the season to evaluate Tyler Shough , it would still be in the team's best interest to be a fairly aggressive seller atthe NFL trade deadline. Move on from Rashid Shaheed , Brandin Cooks , Alontae Taylor and Carl Granderson . This roster needs to be reloaded and trading away contributors now will give the front office a better shot at rebuilding the roster.

30. Cleveland Browns (30)

We can see the rationale in the Cleveland Browns not trading Myles Garrett , given he chose to stay with the franchise this offseason for the money. What we don't understand is the franchise's commitment to Dillon Gabriel , who hasn't looked like an NFL-caliber starting quarterback since taking the field. If Shedeur Sanders isn't any closer to making his first NFL start after Week 9, that is a further indictment of the Browns' entire organization.

31. New York Jets (31)

Can that first victory of the season serve as some sort of springboard for Aaron Glenn's New York Jets ? They've shown some fight this season versus Denver and Tampa Bay , losing by 4 total points , but that elusive first win is now in the books. Selling at the NFL trade deadline is still the right call for the Jets, but there's reason to hold out hope for 3-4 more wins over the rest of the season.

32. Tennessee Titans (32)

The Tennessee Titans won't win many games if they continue to lose control like they did in their recent matchup. Despite grabbing an unlikely victory against the Cardinals on a last-minute field goal, the broader trend is concerning. As of now, they sit at a 1-7 record, with the season still far from over. That catch-up effort against Arizona was a bright spot, but the overall performance this season suggests a team that is still mired in rebuild mode and struggling with consistency, talent, and injuries.

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