2019 NFL power rankings, Week 10: Dolphins win, Patriots don’t

Recap: The Jaguars, winners of their last two contests, were in London on Sunday afternoon and looked to avoid being swept by the Houston Texans. Doug Marrone’s club trailed by six points at halftime and the Jacksonville offense managed only 120 total yards and three points after two quarters of action. Things got worse for the Jaguars in the second half and despite the fact that the team rolled up 356 total yards by game’s end, rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew committed four second-half turnovers in Jacksonville’s fourth straight loss in this series. Meanwhile, the Jaguars’ defense was gashed for 216 yards on the ground – 160 by Houston’s Carlos Hyde.

Next Week: Marrone’s intriguing squad finally embarks on its midseason vacation after the franchise’s latest appearance in London. When the Jaguars get back to business, it’s the first of two consecutive road divisional games in the form of a trip to Indianapolis to face the Colts, followed by a clash with the Titans at Nashville.

Playoff hopes: The Jaguars are in the midst of an interesting season in which they have lost two games and followed that up with consecutive wins twice this season. Do does that mean this setback to the Texans is the first of two straight defeats once again? Still, the next two weeks will tell us a lot about Marrone’s intriguing squad.

Recap: Winners of two straight games and on the second leg of a three-game home stand, the Steelers took on the well-schooled Indianapolis Colts. Mike Tomlin’s team hoped to avoid another slow start, as was the case in the eventual Monday night win over Miami. Pittsburgh would be hurting at running back minus James Conner and rookie Benny Snell but quarterback Mason Rudolph kept Jaylen Samuels busy. But the theme for the Steelers this season has been forcing turnovers and they came up with three more on Sunday. The big play came courtesy of safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, whose fourth interception of the season was taken back 96 yards for a touchdown.

Next Week: Tomlin’s squad plays a third straight home game as they take on the well-rested Los Angeles Rams. It’s an inner conference series that features a fabled Super Bowl meeting 40 years ago in Pasadena, won by the Black and Gold (31-19).  As for modern times, the Steelers have won the teams’ last three meetings dating back to 2007.

Playoff hopes: The Steelers have suddenly pieced together a three-game winning streak and are certainly in the postseason picture. Tomlin’s team seems to be doing it with smoke and mirrors but it’s really been the product of taking advantage of the opportunities in front of them. And can they continue with their opportunistic formula?

Next: Nos. 16 and 15