PurplePTSD: Week 10 NFL Power Rankings

Press release from the PurplePTSD:

Josh Frey

2021-11-09

Daylight savings time ended this week, and like the rest of the world, the NFL went dark very early. We saw a lot of upsets and close games between powerhouses and inferior teams. Three of the top five teams from last week lost in their week 9 matchups, and it reflects in this week’s list.

1. Arizona Cardinals

Last Week: 31-17 win @ SF

Trending: +2

This Week: 11/14 vs CAR

Despite not having Kyler Murray, the Cardinals were able to walk out of San Francisco with another divisional win, reclaiming the top seed in the NFC. James Conner had the game of his life with three touchdowns, and the defense held the Niners offense in check. 

2. Tennessee Titans

Last Week: 28-16 win @ LAR

Trending: +3

This Week: 11/14 vs NO

The Titans defense has stepped up in a big way during recent weeks. They got tons of pressure on Matthew Stafford on Sunday night, and they have forced eight turnovers in the past three weeks. The offense needs to figure out what their identity is without Derrick Henry because Adrian Peterson does not look like a permanent solution, but they have been the hottest team in football since mid-October.

3. Baltimore Ravens

Last Week: 34-31 win vs MIN

Trending: +3

This Week: 11/11 @ MIA

It was a chaotic day in Baltimore, but the Ravens pulled out a very nice win against the Vikings. Lamar Jackson was not very good for much of the day, but he made enough plays and got some help from Devonta Freeman and LeVeon Bell out of the backfield. 

4. Cleveland Browns

Last Week: 41-16 win @ CIN

Trending: +3

This Week: 11/14 @ NE

In the first game since OBJ officially being off the roster, Baker Mayfield had the game of his life passing the ball. A 99-yard pick-six by Denzel Ward helped as well, and the Browns blew past Cincinnati.

5. Green Bay Packers

Last Week: 7-13 loss @ KC

Trending: -4

This Week: 11/14 vs SEA

Jordan Love’s first career start didn’t go as well as he would have hoped, but he didn’t get much help from his o-line or the special teams. Mason Crosby missed a field goal and had another blocked, and that proved to be the difference in the game.

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Last Week: Bye

Trending: +2

This Week: 11/14 @ WSH

The defending champs rested up after getting beaten by the Saints a couple weeks back, and now they get a playoff rematch with the Washington Football Team. Assuming this team got healthier over the course of the week, they should handle their business.

7. Los Angeles Rams

Last Week: 16-28 loss vs TEN

Trending: -5

This Week: 11/15 @ SF

Matthew Stafford had his worst day as a Ram for the whole world to see. A few unfortunately timed turnovers essentially put this game out of reach, and when LA was able to put some drives together, they sputtered out before reaching the end zone. 

8. New England Patriots

Last Week: 24-6 win @ CAR

Trending: +2

This Week: 11/14 vs CLE

The Evil Empire has definitely returned. New England just continues to gain steam week by week, and they suddenly find themselves as winners of four of their last five games. Mac Jones has settled into the offense very nicely, and the defense is playing at an elite level.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers

Last Week: 29-27 win vs CHI

Trending: +2

This Week: 11/14 vs DET

The game got a little too close at the end, but Ben Roethlisberger was able to lead what ended up being a game-winning drive capped off by a Chris Boswell field goal. Pittsburgh’s defense showed up for much of the night as well, forcing a few timely turnovers to help get this win. They get another battle against an NFC North opponent next week when they host the Lions.

10. Dallas Cowboys

Last Week: 16-30 loss vs DEN

Trending: -6

This Week: 11/14 vs ATL

Dak’s return from his calf injury was not quite as glamorous as I’m sure he had hoped. He looked a bit off throughout the day, and Dallas offense was held to a standstill throughout much of the game. 

11. Buffalo Bills

Last Week: 6-9 loss @ JAX

Trending: -4

This Week: 11/14 @ NYJ

Send out a search party for the Buffalo Bills offense. After demolishing opponents throughout September and early October, this group has gone MIA in recent weeks. Josh Allen had an awful day passing the ball, and that will need to improve this week against the Jets. It should if they get some of their injured players back, especially on the o-line.

12. Los Angeles Chargers

Last Week: 27-24 win @ PHI

Trending: —

This Week: 11/14 vs MIN

Justin Herbert played a very good football game, and Austin Ekeler’s late-game heroics were just enough to help LA escape from Philly with a win. With both Denver and KC winning, it was a crucial victory for the Chargers to hold onto the AFC West. 

13. New Orleans Saints

Last Week: 25-27 loss vs ATL

Trending: -4

This Week: 11/14 @ TEN

The Saints scored 3 points in the first 3 quarters, and then they went off for 22 in the fourth. While they took a lead with just over a minute to play, Atlanta ultimately stole one in the Superdome.

14. Kansas City Chiefs

Last Week: 13-7 win vs GB

Trending: +3

This Week: 11/14 @ LV

Things still don’t look great in Kansas City, but maybe getting back into the win column can turn the tides. The defense did its best to hold Jordan Love in check, and Patrick Mahomes made a few plays while avoiding turnovers. 

15. Denver Broncos

Last Week: 30-16 win @ DAL

Trending: +4

This Week: Bye

All season, the Denver Broncos have been assumed to be the “good-bad” team that destroys bad teams while being unable to carry their own weight against the contenders. This week, that changed a bit. This was a dominant performance in Dallas for the Broncos behind the arm of Teddy Bridgewater.

16. Cincinnati Bengals

Last Week: 16-41 loss vs CLE

Trending: =2

This Week: Bye

Cincinnati, we have a problem. This is now back-to-back games where a combination of bad Joe Burrow play and defensive struggles have led to ugly losses for the Bengals. This team is stumbling into their bye week.

17. Indianapolis Colts

Last Week: 45-30 win vs NYJ

Trending: +5

This Week: 11/14 vs JAX

A week after struggling a bit against the Titans, Carson Wentz had his best game of the season against the New York Jets. Given how wide open the AFC is at this point, they have to believe they have a chance in the playoff race. Another win this week to bring them to an even 5-5 will go a long way towards legitimizing their hunt for the postseason.

18. San Francisco 49ers

Last Week: 17-31 loss vs ARI

Trending: -3

This Week: 11/15 vs LAR

The Niners continue to be one of those teams that beat up on lesser teams while struggling against the better ones, Even without Kyler Murray, the Cardinals proved to be too much for San Francisco to handle this week. 

19. Seattle Seahawks

Last Week: Bye

Trending: +1

This Week: 11/14 @ GB

Russell Wilson is eligible to return from IR next week, and it couldn’t come a moment too soon for the Seahawks. They head to Green Bay as they play for their postseason lives, and Wilson will be needed if Aaron Rodgers is able to come off the COVID-19 list by then. 

20. Minnesota Vikings

Last Week: 31-34 loss @ BAL

Trending: -2

This Week: 11/14 @ LAC

Once again, the Vikings got off to a blistering start in this game, but they couldn’t find a way to keep the momentum going. They scored two touchdowns in the first quarter, and only managed two others through the final three quarters and overtime. Minnesota needs to find some answers fast if they want to hang with the Chargers next week.

21. Philadelphia Eagles

Last Week: 24-27 loss vs LAC

Trending: —

This Week: 11/14 @ DEN

Philly couldn’t quite pull this upset off, but the fact that they kept it close against the Chargers is impressive in and of itself. Jalen Hurts has come down to earth after his scorching start to the season, but he played well once again in this one. The defense just let the Eagles down one too many times.

22. Las Vegas Raiders

Last Week: 16-23 loss @ NYG

Trending: -6

This Week: 11/15 @ SF

The Raiders have dealt with multiple very unfortunate events throughout their franchise this season, and the effects may finally be showing themselves. This was an ugly game for Las Vegas, and their leader Derek Carr needs to find a way to pull this team together next weekend.

23.  Atlanta Falcons

Last Week: 27-25 win @ NO

Trending: +1

This Week: 11/14 @ DAL

It got ugly down the stretch, but Atlanta still managed to come away with a massive divisional road win to keep their playoff aspirations alive. Matt Ryan was terrific for 3.5 quarters, and Cordarrelle Patterson ultimately won the game when this game turned chaotic.  

24. Washington Football Team

Last Week: Bye

Trending: +1

This Week: 11/14 vs TB

Ahead of a 2020 playoff rematch, Washington got a bye to prepare for the game. Unfortunately, so did Tom Brady and the Bucs, so there isn’t as much of an advantage here as the Football Team likely needs to make this competitive.

25. Carolina Panthers

Last Week: 6-24 loss @ NE

Trending: -2

This Week: 11/14 @ ARI

In Christian McCaffrey’s return to the Panthers offense, Carolina could not move the ball for much of the day. The group clearly wanted to ease McCaffrey into the game, but by the time his impact could really be felt, this one was far out of reach. 

26. Jacksonville Jaguars

Last Week: 9-6 win vs BUF

Trending: +4

This Week: 11/14 @ IND

After Trevor Lawrence left this game, things looked bleak for the Jaguars. However, the defense won the day in Jacksonville, and the Jags came away with a very improbable win against one of the top teams in the league.

27. Chicago Bears

Last Week: 27-29 loss @ PIT

Trending: -1

This Week: Bye

Justin Fields nearly pulled off a major upset when he led a TD drive with less than two minutes left in Pittsburgh, but the defense that shot themselves in the foot all game long continued to commit penalties down the stretch of the game. The good news? Fields continues to improve on a weekly basis.

28. New York Giants

Last Week: 23-16 win vs LV

Trending: —

This Week: Bye

Devontae Booker carried the Giants offense throughout the afternoon, and the defense forced a couple timely turnovers en route to an upset win against Las Vegas. New York hasn’t had a ton to be happy about this season, but a great win should make this bye week much more enjoyable.

29. Miami Dolphins

Last Week: 17-9 win vs HOU

Trending: —

This Week: 11/11 vs BAL

The Dolphins found a way to end their losing streak against the lifeless Texans this week, and Tua has now put together a nice stretch of games since returning from injury. This season is a wash, but 2022 looks much more promising after these past four weeks. 

30. New York Jets

Last Week: 30-45 loss @ IND

Trending: -3

This Week: 11/14 vs BUF

Another week, another rough outing for the New York Jets defense. They now rank dead last in the NFL in both points allowed and yards allowed this season, and that probably won’t change against the Buffalo Bills.

31. Houston Texans

Last Week: 9-17 loss @ MIA

Trending: —

This Week: Bye

Tyrod Taylor struggled against Miami, throwing a trio of interceptions in the loss. It was his first game since week 2, so maybe a bye week can help him regain some of his early season form. It’s probably too late to do anything to save Houston’s season, though. 

32. Detroit Lions

Last Week: Bye

Trending: —

This Week: 11/14 @ PIT

The 0-8 Lions got their bye week to regroup as much as they possibly can ahead of their bout with Pittsburgh this week. Either way, this is probably a tough matchup for the rebuilding group.

This press release was produced by the PurplePTSD. The views expressed here are the author’s own.