Crowe - NFL Week #10 Power Rankings

Sunday, November 14, 2021

John Crowe, Sports Contributor

 

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Talk about your topsy turvy week! Week 9 of the NFL season was a bit of a head-scratcher as some of the teams at the top didn’t exactly show up with their “A” games.

At the very top of that list is the Dallas Cowboys. Coming off a road win at Minnesota without quarterback Dak Prescott and his calf injury, the ‘Boys were dismantled by Denver at home to the tune of a 30-16 defeat that wasn’t nearly that close.

Not to be outdone, the Buffalo Bills, a team previously noted by yours truly as the top team in the AFC, couldn’t even muster a touchdown in a 9-6 loss to the previously one-win Jacksonville Jaguars.

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Then, to end the evening, the Rams get punched in the mouth by the Titans, turning the ball over twice for 14 Tennessee points in a 28-16 loss.

Unfortunately for Baltimore, the upside-down nature of the league didn’t stop in week 9. The heavily-favored Ravens ventured down to South Florida and got dominated by the Dolphins’ defense, 22-10. Miami limited Lamar Jackson to just 304 total yards and turned Xavien Howard’s fourth-quarter interception into a game-changing touchdown as the Dolphins triple their win total from one to three in just five days.

So, let’s see how the top 10 plays out after all the craziness.

 

10. New Orleans Saints (5-3, Last week: ranked 9th)

Losing to the Falcons at home is NOT exactly how the Saints envisioned following up an emotional upset of the defending Super Bowl Champion Buccaneers. We’ll give New Orleans a small bit of credit, rallying from a 24-6 fourth-quarter deficit to take a 25-24 lead. But, watching the Falcons march straight down the field for a last-second, game-winning field goal washed all that away. Now, they have to face the Titans on the road this Sunday without running back Alvin Kamara (knee).

 

9. Los Angeles Chargers (5-3, Last week: not ranked)

It wasn’t pretty, but a road win traveling 3,000 miles East to beat the Eagles is one the Chargers will happily take. They’ll also take Justin Herbert bouncing back for a 2 TD, 356 yards game after two disappointing weeks against the Ravens and Patriots. Even better news for the Bolts is that the victory, their third on the road in 2021, vaults them into a first-place tie with the Raiders in the AFC West.

 

8. Buffalo Bills (5-3, Last week: ranked 5th)

Maybe we gave the Bills too much credit. There’s no excuse for a team as loaded as the Bills to only score 6 points and lose to a previously one-win Jaguars squad, 9-6. As long as Buffalo continues to have weeks in which Josh Allen is the team’s leading rusher (50 yards vs. 22 for the rest of the team), they will struggle. Allen tossing a pair of interceptions and having a fumble for three total turnovers doesn’t help either. It’s a shame because the defense did its part again, holding Jacksonville without a touchdown. It’s time for Buffalo to right the ship against the Jets this week.

 

7. Dallas Cowboys (6-2, Last week: ranked 4th)

If you thought Buffalo was disappointed at Jacksonville, what can you say about what Dallas did at home against Denver? The Cowboys, with Dak Prescott back from his calf injury, were being shutout 30-0 midway through the fourth quarter until a pair of garbage-time scores. Denver amassed 407 total yards of offense, including 190 yards on the ground. It’s a giant dose of reality that will probably benefit Dallas in the long run but really stings in the moment.

 

6. Baltimore Ravens (6-3, Last week: ranked 8th)

Before Thursday night’s defeat to the Dolphins in Miami, I had the Ravens in this week’s top 5. We were ready to call the Ravens the kings of clutch in 2021. For the third time this season, Baltimore wins on the game’s final play (2 in OT) as they outlast the Vikings, 34-31. The Ravens found themselves down 14 twice but managed to survive. But, now with the loss, Baltimore could find themselves sitting tied for first in the AFC North should the Steelers win their fifth game in a row Sunday over the Lions.   

 

5. Los Angeles Rams (7-2, Last week: ranked 1st)

Talk about getting punched in the mouth! That’s exactly what the Tennessee Titans did to the Rams last Sunday night. In the blink of an eye, the Titans turned two Matthew Stafford passes into two touchdowns and never looked back en route to a 28-16 loss. It’s the first time all season that Stafford looked like his old Detroit Lions-self. The good news for the Rams is that they have a shiny new weapon as Odell Beckham Jr. signs a one-year deal with LA.

 

4. Green Bay Packers (7-2, Last week: ranked 2nd)

Life without Aaron Rodgers was a tough one, losing 13-7 to the Chiefs in Jordan Love’s first NFL start. Love struggled, throwing for only 190 yards and one fourth-quarter touchdown. You can’t fault the Packers' defense though, limiting Patrick Mahomes and KC to just 166 yards and one TD pass. Green Bay hopes to have Rodgers back from his COVID-19 absence this week against Seattle if he clears the league’s protocols.

 

3. Tennessee Titans (7-2, Last week: ranked 7th)

Facing one of the NFC’s best teams, the Rams, on the road without Derrick Henry (foot surgery) in primetime was a very daunting task for Tennessee. Yet, all the Titans did was stand tall and dominate their way to the top of the AFC with their sixth win this season against 2020 playoff teams (Seahawks, Colts twice, Bills, Chiefs, Rams). The scary thing is what’s ahead for the Titans as they go from a team that’s played the toughest schedule through nine weeks to a team that’s about to play the league’s easiest schedule the rest of the way.

 

2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2, Last week: ranked 6th)

The Bucs are so good that they’re winning without even playing a game. While the Bucs licked their wounds from their week 8 loss to the Saints with a bye week, the teams around them disappointed and lost. The Rams, Cowboys and Packers all took a step back while the Bucs took a week to try and get a little healthier.  Sunday, they get back after it at Washington in a rematch of last season’s Wild Card Weekend win that started the Bucs march towards a Super Bowl Championship.

 

1. Arizona Cardinals (8-1, Last week: ranked 3rd)

Kudos to the Cards! Arizona took to the road and beat the 49ers without quarterback Kyler Murray (ankle) and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (hamstring). James Connor rushed for his fourth game this season with multiple touchdowns (3 total TD) while Colt McCoy subbed for Murray with an efficient 22-26. 249 yards, 1 TD day. It’s a very good way to bounce back from the team’s first loss of the season in week 8 against the Packers. How balanced are the Cards? They’re fourth best in offense and fifth-ranked defensively.

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Games to watch in week 10:

Browns at Patriots – A pair of 5-4 teams meet in Foxboro with playoff aspirations on the line.
Saints at Titans – Two of the more physical defenses meet in Nashville.
Falcons at Cowboys – Last season, these two combined for 79 points and a furious Cowboys rally from 20 points down.
Seahawks at Packers – Could be Wilson vs. Rodgers.
Chiefs at Raiders – Winner stays alive in the AFC West.

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Last week:
10. Raiders
9. Saints
8. Ravens
7. Titans
6. Buccaneers
5. Bills
4. Cowboys
3. Cardinals
2. Packers
1. Rams

 

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