NFL Divisional Power Rankings, Week 10: AFC North starting to look like its 2023 self

There was plenty of suspense when it came to Week 9. During the first eight weeks of the season, there were only four overtime games. That number was almost matched this week, with the Titans, Rams, and Chiefs needing more than four quarters to get a victory.

There was also the second head coaching dismissal of the season. After getting off to a rousing 2-0 start this season, the New Orleans Saints haven’t won a game since, and the team made a change at the top spot.

Week 10 gets off to a rousing start as the Bengals and Ravens renew acquaintances for the second time this season. Baltimore survived a wild 41-38 overtime thriller back in Week 5. Speaking of the AFC North, the division is slowly but surely starting to flex its muscles again.

The latest NFL Divisional Power Rankings

8. AFC South

Last week: 7th

It was a rocky start to the week for this division as the Texans were tripped up by the struggling Jets on Thursday night at East Rutherford. Houston had a problem scoring points and quarterback C.J. Stroud was sacked eight times in the 21-13 setback. All three of the Texans’ losses this season by DeMeco Ryans’s defending AFC South champions have come on the road. Meanwhile, the Jaguars and Colts were both coming off losses and each faced a huge task as they traveled to Philadelphia and Minnesota, respectively. Tennessee, looking to end the club’s three-game skid of the season, hosted the Patriots in a battle of division cellar dwellers.

Like the Texans, Indianapolis also fell on the road and in prime time by an identical 21-13 score. The Colts’ offense failed to score a touchdown, and a second consecutive loss dropped Shane Steichen’s team below .500. The only AFC South team to win was the Titans, who needed overtime to dispose of the Pats. The overall shoddy showing by these teams dropped this division to the bottom again.

7. NFC South

Last week: 8th

Nine weeks into the season, the Falcons were already playing their sixth home game. They hoped to get back to the .500 mark when it came to their own building when they took on the Cowboys. The ugly game of the week in the league terms of win-loss marks was in Charlotte as the struggling Saints visited the team with the worst record in the league. The battered Buccaneers were back on Monday night for the second time in three weeks and were in Kansas City to take on the reigning Super Bowl champions.

The Panthers ended a five-game losing streak and avenged a 47-10 loss in Week 1 at New Orleans. The Saints dropped their seventh game in a row, and on Monday dropped head coach Dennis Allen. Atlanta is now 3-3 at home after holding off the Cowboys, 27-21. Kirk Cousins threw for 222 yards and three scores, one apiece to three different receivers. The Bucs came up with a big effort vs. the Chiefs. Too much Patrick Mahomes, Kareem Hunt, Travis Kelce, and DeAndre Hopkins added up to a third consecutive loss.

6. AFC East

Last week: 6th

The big battle when it came to this quartet was between two teams that finished 1-2 in the division standings the past two seasons. However, the week for the AFC East began on Thursday night at MetLife Stadium. The Jets ended a frustrating five-game losing streak by handing the visiting Texans a 21-13 setback. Aaron Rodgers threw for three scores, one of those courtesy of a spectacular one-handed catch from wide receiver Garrett Wilson. New York’s defense came up with eight sacks of Houston’s C.J. Stroud.

Buffalo hired Sean McDermott in 2017. Entering Sunday’s clash with Miami, the team owned a 14-2 mark (including playoffs) in this rivalry under their current head coach. Thanks to Josh Allen, and via a 61-yard field goal by Tyler Bass with five seconds to play, McDermott’s Bills made it 15 out of 17 vs. the ‘Fins, 30-27. For the second time in ‘24, the Patriots headed to overtime. Once again, New England came up three points short, this time at Nashville, 20-17, as Drake Maye served up an interception in the extra session.

5. NFC West

Last week: 4th

Talk about a log jam? The week began with the Cardinals, 49ers and Seahawks all sporting 4-4 records, and Sean McVay’s Rams owning a 3-4 mark. There was a divisional battle in the Pacific Northwest, while Jonathan Gannon’s club hosted the Bears. As for the reigning NFC champion 49ers, Kyle Shanahan’s club had the week off; Still, it appears running back Christian McCaffrey will make his season debut on Sunday at Tampa. Surprisingly, there’s now only one club in the NFC West that is currently above the .500 mark.

Surging Arizona (5-4) has now won one more game than it did all of last season and it’s now the only They are also own a 2-0 record within the division, quite an improvement from a year ago when they couldn’t beat an NFC West foe (0-6). The Rams escaped Seattle with a 26-20 overtime win, but the bigger story is the sudden struggles of Mike Macdonald’s team. His club opened 3-0, but has now lost five of its last six games. The Seahawks are also winless within the division with home losses to both the Niners and Rams.

4. AFC West

Last week: 3rd

With the exception of Andy Reid’s team, the rest of this division was on the road on Sunday. The Broncos, Chargers, and Raiders all faced teams from the AFC North. All three games were lopsided affairs, and both Denver and Las Vegas were pushed around for 41 points apiece. The Chiefs were pushed to the limit on Monday night by the Buccaneers. However, Patrick Mahomes and a balanced attack got the job done in overtime, 30-24. It marked the first time since Week 12 of 2023 that Reid’s team scored at least 30 points.

As for those blowout losses, the Silver and Black dropped to 2-7 after a fifth straight setback. The 41-24 defeat at Cincinnati cost Raiders’ offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and two other assistants their jobs. Sean Payton’ club had allowed only 120 points during its 5-3 start, but the Broncos were humbled at Baltimore, 41-10, and dropped to third place. The surprising Chargers defense continued to open eyes. The Bolts have allowed 101 points during their 5-3 start, and the club has equaled its 2023 win total.

3. AFC North

Last week: 5th

Mike Tomlin’s first-place Pittsburgh Steelers were off and sitting at home with a 6-2 record. The other three teams in the division were not only in action, each was at home and hosted an AFC West opponent. The reigning AFC North champion Ravens welcomed the improved Broncos to Baltimore, the Bengals looked to extend the Raiders’ recent losing ways, and the Browns were hoping to hand a Harbaugh a second straight loss when they took on the Chargers. Each of these contests lacked competitiveness.

The AFC North prevailed in two of the clashes. The combination of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry was too much for a Denver defense that came into the game allowing the third-fewest points per game in the league, and left town 41-10 losers. The Bengals also scored 41 points as Joe Burrow threw five TD passes in a 17-point win. However, the Browns were on the opposite end of a lopsided score as Jameis Winston threw three interceptions. Despite Cleveland’s loss, this is a division starting to gain a little momentum.

2. NFC East

Last week: 2nd

The first-place Commanders were not only looking for a third consecutive victory, Dan Quinn’s club was in position to sweep the rival Giants for the second time in four years. The resurgent Eagles also looked to extend their own winning streak as they hosted the disappointing Jaguars. Meanwhile, Mike McCarthy’s team was looking to end a two-game skid as they traveled to Atlanta to take on the explosive Falcons. As was noted here last week, there’s been some separation in this division and it continued on Sunday.

In the Cowboys’ 27-21 loss to the Falcons, quarterback Dak Prescott left the game in the second half with a hamstring injury and is now out for multiple weeks. Dallas dropped to 3-5, equaling their loss total from each of the previous three seasons. The Birds did their best to blow a 22-0 third-quarter lead, but some questionable decisions by head coach Nick Sirianni made things sticky. Simply put, Washington (3) and Philadelphia (4) own winning streaks, while Dallas (3) and the Giants (4) are headed in the other direction.

1. NFC North

Last week: 1st

The best division in the NFL showed a few warts in Week 9, although none of the four teams in the NFC North has dipped below .500. However, there were certainly some disturbing signs for this quartet, with the exception of the hottest team in the NFC. You had to wait a bit for each of these four teams to take the field on Sunday. The Packers hosted the Lions late in the afternoon, while the Bears were in the desert to take on the Cardinals. The Vikings welcomed the Colts to Minneapolis in a game flexed into prime time.

Chicago’s offense was AWOL for the second straight Sunday, and now Matt Eberflus’s club has dropped two straight and sit at 4-4. Detroit flexed its muscles at Lambeau Field, and Green Bay now sits with a pair of divisional home losses. While Kevin O’Connell’s club managed to snap a two-game losing streak with a 21-13 victory over Indianapolis, quarterback Sam Darnold (3 TD passes) committed all three of the team’s turnovers, including a lost fumble that was returned for the Colts’ lone touchdown of the evening.