Top 10 NFL Teams, week 10

Top 10 NFL Teams, week 10

Not to be confused, this is going INTO week 10, not after week nine, just wanted to make that clear.

As we get just past the half-way mark of the NFL season, there are still just as many questions to answer as the start of the season. It seems that the NFC seems to have a slightly stronger conference than the AFC, but there are still many games left to be played. So let’s jump right into this and count down the top 10 teams of the NFL as of the end of week 9, and heading into week 10:

#10 Baltimore Ravens (5-3)

This was kinda hard to start because when you look at the teams, there are currently 8 teams with a 5-3 mark, and that is where I start my countdown. There were some teams that were 4-4 and were on my list last week, but I think of the eight teams, the Ravens deserve to now be on this list. There are 4 teams on the top 10 that are 5-3, and the reason I have the Ravens here is because the only team of quality they defeated was Miami. With major games against the Giants, Eagles, Redskins, Steelers and Cowboys, their stay on this list is likely to be very brief.

#9 Chicago Bears (5-3)

What makes Da Bears better than the Ravens? Not much, except that their quality wins include Colts and Eagles. And the Bears kinda sit on top of their division, but this is not official. The thing here is the schedule for the Bears is not very challenging. Sure they have the Titans next, but they also have to play the Packers twice. This could be a playoff team that barely sees my top 10. Yet the schedule could have them moving up by default. Keep your eyes in Chicago, we really don’t know what to make of the Bears.

#8 New England Patriots (5-3)

The AFC Champs are still in the mix and are in a pretty tough division. I put the Patriots over the Bears and Ravens because they are still the AFC Champs until they fall under .500, and they do have quality wins over the Jets and Denver. I know some will question the strength of those two wins, so I won’t argue if you see differently. But the future for the Patriots may be rough. Games against the Bills twice (whom I have taken off my top 10), the Jets, Dolphins, Pittsburgh and the upstart Cardinals will be interesting to check out. The Pats can make the post season, but we are not fully sure if they are down for the count, or just wounded.

#7 Philadelphia Eagles (5-3)

For me to put the Eagles here means I think they are the best 5-3 team in the NFL. Remember there are 8 teams currently at 5-3, and I put the Eagles as the best of them. Why? I looked at their losses, quality losses to the Redskins, Cowboys and Bears. The Eagles also come out of a incredibly competitive division and they have key wins over Pittsburgh and Atlanta. This is a good 5-3 team, and I think the best 5-3 team in the NFL. But now the real test begins. They play the Giants twice, as well as the Ravens, Cardinals, as well as repeat games vs. Washington and Dallas. This might be the best team NOT to make the playoffs and their schedule is more brutal than the Pats, Ravens or Bears. Good luck Philly, you’re gonna need it!

#6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3)

So now we move up to teams that have a strong record. Two teams have a 6-3 record, and I put the Buccs second of those two. Why? I think this is a very strong division, but a loss to the Saints and Denver hurt them. These two teams are not even on my top 10, so these are not quality losses…well, I know some will argue for Denver, so I take that back. But their third loss to Dallas once was quality, now has fallen off. This does not mean this is a bad team, I mean, they could easily have 11 wins by the end of the year. But I think there are a few other NFC teams that will give them a run for their money. If the Buccs can knock off the Packers or Panthers again, then we might be looking at a really tough team to be reckoned with.

#5 Washington Redskins (6-3)

The other half of the 6-3 teams, I put the Redskins here over the Buccs because I felt that the division was slightly stronger than the NFC South. Both are VERY good, so we are really splitting hairs, but I give a nod to the Redskins. A loss to the Rams might be hard to swallow, but you can’t fault them for losses to the Steelers and Giants. This is a tough team in a tough division, with many tough games left to play. Half of their remaining games are against teams on my top 10 list (Cowboys, Giants, Ravens, Eagles) and the other half is well…(Bengals, Seahawks, 49ers). A 10 win season will be a strong possibility, but how strong do they need to be to make post season?

#4 Carolina Panthers (6-2)

You can argue that this is a position by default, because Carolina and one other team is 6-2, meaning they are a game behind other teams. They sit on top of the NFC South only on this measure, because remember they lost to Tampa Bay. All things being equal, the Buccs SHOULD be on top, but that will be settled later. The argument here however, is that the Panthers have wins over only 4 teams over .500, and two of those are on my top 10 list. Games against the Lions and Raiders will make them look pretty nice at an expected 8-2, but is this smoke and mirrors? If you believe the Saints are getting better, then the last 6 games for the Panthers will be a very, very hard test to survive. All of those teams are good enough to make the playoffs if it started today…will the Panthers make it after those 6 games?

#3 Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2)

The win over Washington was exactly what the Steelers needed, proving that the AFC is still in the house and that they need not fear the NFC East anymore. Losing to the Eagles and Giants on an average of 8 points means they were in the game, but I have heard stories about the weak schedule of the Steelers. Wins over the Bengals, Texans, Browns and Jaguars have been sniffed at. The Steelers need more credible wins, and their schedule will give them a chance to prove it. We don’t know about the Colts, but we do know that the Pats, Cowboys, Ravens and Titans will be true tests for the Pittsburgh Steelers. As it stands in my book, the Steelers will get a first round bye, and it is hard to see another team to take that spot away from them, but there is still many more games to play. Could health be a problem for the Steelers….

#2 New York Giants (7-1)

The only one-loss team in the NFC, this was an easy choice. The defending Super Bowl Champs ought to be on this list if they have a winning record, and with only one loss, they should be at least this high right? But wait, some have questioned the strength of schedule. 5 of their first 6 games were against teams currently under .500. The first win of the year over the Redskins could have been different. The win vs. Pittsburgh was a quality win, but now that last win over the Cowboys might not be as impressive as we first thought. And then there’s that embarrassing loss to the Browns. The Giants are quite touchable, and the next 7 of 8 games will put the champs through the fire. Only the Minnesota Vikings don’t have a losing record, but they are even at 4-4. This means that at the moment, the New York Giants must play 8 straight teams that could get in the playoffs…there will be more losses, but how many?

#1 Tennessee Titans (8-0)

Well, here we are again, with the Titans at the top of the list. Nobody else is undefeated, so there can be no argument about this one…but we can debate the true strength. I know I sound like a scratched CD, but I am still not fully convinced that this is the BEST team in the NFL. I won’t argue it as of now, but I cannot say this is the team to get to the Superbowl….not yet. Their first 3 wins were against the Jaguars, Bengals and Texans…currently 7-18 collectively. Not impressive, but it’s not the Titan’s fault. The next 3 games were wins over the Vikings, Ravens and Chiefs. The Vikings seem to be getting it together, the Ravens actually have a winning record and the Chiefs…well…

Collective those records of those 3 teams is 10-14. And that win vs. a quality opponent (Ravens) was only by 3 points. The last two games were against the Colts and Packers, and I have to give that to the Titans. These are in fact quality wins, but close ones. The Tennessee Titans have proven their place at #1 by being undefeated.

But it does not quench the thirst of whether this is the BEST team. Of the teams they have beaten this year, only the Ravens seem to be the best, and that leaves a bit to be desired, considering the Colts this year and the Packers. With games coming up against the Jaguars, Browns, Lions and Texans, it seems like 4 more easy wins. The Titans seem to almost be assured a bye already. They do have to play the Bears, Colts, Steelers and Jets, so it is hard to see them go undefeated. If they beat the Bears this weekend, they could then string enough wins to have people wondering if this team CAN go undefeated. With such a soft schedule, they just might…but what does it mean to gain such a prestigious mark if you can’t win the Superbowl?

We shall see…..