NFL Power Rankings: Commanders Tumble After Close Loss to Steelers

Washington’s steep fall says more about the league’s crowded class of contenders than the potential of the NFC East leaders.

Daniels recorded a 36.2 QBR against the Steelers, his worst mark since Week 1. / Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Welcome to the NFL Power Rankings. Week 10 is in the books and it leaves me wondering whether we have ever seen such disparate NFL universes before. There are 10 teams in the NFL with absolutely glowing bright present moments and near futures. There are about the same number of teams that may need the removal crew from Hoarders to sort through their personal wreckage (looking at you, Jets). 

Still, the recipe is on display. Dynamic play-callers, an injection of young, cost-controlled players who can alter the tenor of a game physically and an amoebic, healthy defense willing to tackle. An elite quarterback is great but does not seem like an automatic prerequisite now as we look out at this group. 

Russell Wilson and Sam Darnold are helming two of the 10 best teams in the NFL right now. Kyler Murray, with another performance like he logged this week, will be the quarterback of one of the best teams in the NFL. Brock Purdy, too. Some clubs have been almost artful in how swift they can turn a franchise around and keep it relevant. Some clubs have been equally artful in how deeply they can ruin themselves in lieu of doing the hard and necessary work. 

With that, let’s dig in…

1. Detroit Lions (8–1)

Last week’s ranking: No. 1
Last week’s result: beat Houston, 26–23
This week: vs. Jacksonville

I think this exercise is going to perpetually drive Chiefs fans insane when in real life we should be incredibly kind to Kansas City given the power it has to fix games at the NFL level. But seriously, if Patrick Mahomes threw five INTs, the Chiefs would have lost to the Broncos by 35. The Lions won this one and, after halftime, showcased just how good this coaching staff has been at making adjustments.  

2. Kansas City Chiefs (9–0)

Last week’s ranking: No. 3
Last week’s result: beat Denver, 16–14
This week: at Buffalo

In all seriousness, even though these games are fixed, we should stop punishing the Chiefs for finding different ways to win games. The field goal block team was mostly a selection of—and, to me, extension of—the excellent defense they’ve put together. The coaching staff, from Steve Spagnuolo to Dave Toub, is aces behind Andy Reid. 

3. Buffalo Bills (8–2)

Last week’s ranking: No. 4
Last week’s result: beat Indianapolis, 30–20
This week: vs. Kansas City

Could the eventual return of Matt Milano to this very good Buffalo defense prove to be the salve for a team that struggles to find the extra edge at the most critical junctures of the season? The Bills are coasting just beneath the radar, not having to wilt under the weight of expectations and getting enough breathing room to figure themselves out. Luckily, no one in the AFC East is coming to challenge them. 

4. Baltimore Ravens (7–3)

Last week’s ranking: No. 2
Last week’s result: beat Cincinnati, 35–34
This week: at Pittsburgh

This is absolutely stunning. And, as much as we want to talk about the fact that the Ravens are a toenail from beating the Chiefs and being 8–2, they could very well be 6–4. 

5. Minnesota Vikings (7–2)

Last week’s ranking: No. 6
Last week’s result: beat Jacksonville, 12–7
This week: at Tennessee

I enjoy how Sam Darnold has just his second game of the season in which his quarterback rating is under 100 and we’re now treating him as if he’s the Cinderella carriage that has been turned back into a pumpkin. Really excellent quarterbacks routinely slump but our margin of error for Darnold is somehow razor thin as we try to swallow him back into this narrative of underperformance. The Jaguars bracketed Justin Jefferson. Darnold still tried his alpha No. 1 wideout. We’d be all over him if he ignored Jefferson and hadn’t targeted him at least nine times. 

Sirianni has guided the Eagles on a five-game winning streak after an uneven start to the season. / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

6. Philadelphia Eagles (7–2)

Last week’s ranking: No. 9
Last week’s result: beat Dallas, 34–6
This week: vs. Washington

Credit to Nick Sirianni for staying the course. An interception and a fumble in the first half against Dallas didn’t lead to some kind of spiral. This team is playing a more steady brand of football and now the practice window has opened for stalwart tackle Jordan Mailata. This is the most maligned 7–2 team I can remember in recent history. But, remove Philadelphia from the storm and you have one of the best clubs in football over the last five weeks. 

7. Pittsburgh Steelers (7–2)

Last week’s ranking: No. 8
Last week’s result: beat Washington, 28–27
This week: at Baltimore

Getting hit is part of the Russell Wilson experience. He has consistently been one of the most sacked quarterbacks in the NFL, so we should remove that fact from this—the interior of this Steelers offensive line is playing pretty well despite being tested regularly. Wilson bailed out his offensive line with a quick-reaction touchdown to Mike Williams, but that was a two-way street in a big win over the Commanders. 

8. Green Bay Packers (6–3)

Last week’s ranking: No. 7
Last week’s result: bye
This week: at Chicago

The Packers slide a bit but only because of a top-tier logjam at the moment. Matt LaFleur’s club has a big rivalry game against Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers bookended by a matchup against the Bears and another against the Dolphins. In short: Green Bay should do some serious work toward solidifying a postseason berth before depending on second matchups with the Vikings and Lions. 

9. Los Angeles Chargers (6–3)

Last week’s ranking: No. 11
Last week’s result: beat Tennessee, 27–17
This week: vs. Cincinnati

As good as Justin Herbert’s day was, there was another score to Will Dissly that nearly happened. I’m not sure how Herbert feels about this, but I wonder if he would trade those outlier Burrow-Jackson duel-under-the-lights games for what he has now: a more conservative approach that allows for some panache but keeps him mostly protected. He has gone from a top-third sacked player in the NFL to a middle-tier sacked player. That has to make a difference. 

10. Washington Commanders (7–3)

Last week’s ranking: No. 5
Last week’s result: lost to Pittsburgh, 28–27
This week: at Philadelphia

A harsh downgrade for the Commanders? I don’t see it that way. Everyone struggles against this Steelers defense and if this is what the Kliff Kingsbury offense looks like when humanized, I’ll take two rushing scores and 100-plus receiving yards from your No. 1 target. There’s been a bunch of teams turning in strong performances of late, which has crowded the top 10. 

11. San Francisco 49ers (5–4)

Last week’s ranking: No. 10
Last week’s result: beat Tampa Bay, 23–20
This week: vs. Seattle

Brock Purdy’s time navigating this team without one star or the other has turned him into such a confident and situationally mobile pocket passer. His athleticism has unlocked a new level and it will be worth seeing how this manifests itself with Christian McCaffrey now a part of this team again. It was a blessing in disguise for Purdy who, if you’ll remember, was playing in the preseason behind a line full of backups. That has paid off. 

Murray ranks second in QBR (75.7) after completing a career-best 91.7% of his passes against the Jets. / Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

12. Arizona Cardinals (6–4)

Last week’s ranking: No. 14
Last week’s result: beat New York Jets, 31–6
This week: bye

The second-best team in the NFL on opening drives and the fourth-most efficient offense in the NFL, the Cardinals have it all right now. Against the Jets, it was clear that the execution was there. Kyler Murray’s zone-read game was devastating and pulled the rug out from underneath a team that was already unwilling to match them physically. There is some legitimate and well-earned head coaching buzz around offensive coordinator Drew Petzing right now. 

13. Houston Texans (6–4)

Last week’s ranking: No. 12
Last week’s result: lost to Detroit, 26–23
This week: at Dallas

It’s cliché to say we’re about to learn a lot about Houston as a team, but here we have a juxtaposition. Detroit has already been through the suck. DeMeco Ryans coached up a first-year team into a first-round playoff victory. But now, their proverbial suck has arrived. Since Oct. 20, C.J. Stroud hasn’t posted a QB rating over 100, he has a 1:1 touchdown to INT ratio and he’s been sacked 18 times. Not even close to all of this is on his plate, but the salad days are over. 

14. Cincinnati Bengals (4–6)

Last week’s ranking: No. 15
Last week’s result: lost to Baltimore, 35–34
This week: at Los Angeles Chargers

I suppose we still can’t quit the Bengals and rightfully so. Their offense is among the best in the league and their personnel-tattered defense is among the worst. The Bengals were active at the trade deadline, still have Dallas, Tennessee, Cleveland and Pittsburgh remaining on the schedule and a long rest before a gigantic prime-time game against the Chargers that will likely turn the lights out on their season—or finally justify our desire to keep them on. 

15. Atlanta Falcons (6–4)

Last week’s ranking: No. 16
Last week’s result: lost to New Orleans, 20–17
This week: at Denver

I think we should press pause on a major overreaction for Atlanta, a team that ran the ball well but ran into the interim buzz saw game. So many outliers, including ridiculous energy from a called-back, 88-yard Taysom Hill touchdown to start the game, two massive deep shots to Marquez Valdes-Scantling and the dawn of #RizzBall. Hit these markers on the bingo card, miss three field goals and you have a recipe for a loss you couldn’t really afford. 

16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4–6)

Last week’s ranking: No. 17
Last week’s result: lost to San Francisco, 23–20
This week: bye

I’m calling it right now: The Buccaneers are going to make the playoffs. Giants, Panthers, Raiders, Chargers, Cowboys, Panthers and Saints make up the remainder of a schedule that may not have a single loss on it. My takeaway from the San Francisco game is that this team is still slinging it down all of its top weapons and, now, pass protector. 

17. Denver Broncos (5–5)

Last week’s ranking: No. 22
Last week’s result: lost to Kansas City, 16–14
This week: vs. Atlanta

Bo Nix logged top- 10 numbers in Week 10 in terms of EPA per play and completion percentage over expectation but he wasn’t the only one taking the fight to the Chiefs. Audric Estime is a rookie running back worth watching and ripped his way through some very tough Chiefs tacklers at the second level. I have been highly critical of the Payton/Paton regime since day one and am preparing to eat some very difficult-to-swallow crow.  

18. Chicago Bears (4–6)

Last week’s ranking: No. 19
Last week’s result: lost to New England, 19–3
This week: vs. Green Bay

A wholly disappointing loss to the Patriots exposes a lot of issues for the Bears. Upon first watch, I was throwing up my hands and blaming the offensive line. Upon second watch, I found myself watching certain plays and wondering why Caleb Williams hadn’t thrown it or set his feet. On a third watch, I’d wonder who was actually there to catch the ball. So, it’s a kind of kaleidoscope from hell. 

19. Seattle Seahawks (4–5)

Last week’s ranking: No. 18
Last week’s result: bye
This week: at San Francisco

Off a bye, the Seahawks get the San Francisco 49ers, who, while not world beaters by any stretch, can now fold McCaffrey into the offense for a second straight week. The Seahawks have no choice but to iron out their offense, which comes into this week as the third-worst rushing EPA per play team in the NFL behind only the Dolphins and the Raiders. College-to-NFL coordinator Ryan Grubb is under the bright lights.

20. Indianapolis Colts (4–6)

Last week’s ranking: No. 20
Last week’s result: lost to Buffalo, 30–20
This week: at New York Jets

I promise this is not a contrarian take, but I really didn’t think Joe Flacco played all that bad. Like, we can have a five-interception game for Jared Goff and shrug it off in the grand scheme of things but because Flacco is replacing a fun player we all kind of like, this is some damning indictment of Shane Steichen and his QB. Spare me. According to EPA tracking data, Flacco was still top 12 in completion percentage over expectation for the week, total completion percentage and passing down success rate. Anthony Richardson isn’t there. 

Stafford has nine touchdowns and seven interceptions this season after enduring his fourth game without a TD pass against the Dolphins. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

21. Los Angeles Rams (4–5)

Last week’s ranking: No. 15
Last week’s result: lost to Miami, 23–15
This week: at New England

Whew, there are a lot of mediocre teams in the NFL right now and Los Angeles finds itself at the pinnacle, right on the edge of interesting and irrelevant after a gutting loss to the Dolphins at home on Monday Night Football. This Sean McVay team is talented and with the Patriots, Jets and Saints remaining on the schedule, it could be enough to trampoline the Rams into contention yet. 

22. New Orleans Saints (3–7)

Last week’s ranking: No. 32
Last week’s result: beat Atlanta, 20–17
This week: vs. Cleveland

I don’t care about common sense. The Saints do not belong anywhere near this point under any normal circumstance but this club is really pressing all the right buttons for me. High-energy interim special teams coordinator/head coach who talks about what happens in the bathroom before games? Check. Reclamation project wide receivers? Check. #RizzBall now and forever. 

23. Miami Dolphins (2–6)

Last week’s ranking: No. 24
Last week’s result: beat Los Angeles Rams, 23–15
This week: vs. Las Vegas

A good opportunity for Miami to break up the losing streak regardless of an utter lack of style points. I think we’ve become so accustomed to what this Mike McDaniel offense can look like that this MNF slog was a little hard to digest. Tua Tagovailoa turned the ball over, swung his head right into the thick of an interception return and nearly had an additional pick in this one. Thankfully, the Rams’ own offensive struggles allowed for some breathing room.  

24. New England Patriots (3–7)

Last week’s ranking: No. 29
Last week’s result: beat Chicago, 19–3
This week: vs. Los Angeles Rams

Look at Drake Maye up against a still-good Matt Eberflus defense driving the Patriots down field just before halftime, hitting Kayshon Boutte for a long gain, getting the team set and spiking the football while Bears defensive end Montez Sweat is still trying to get onside. Maye had some big-kid moments in this game that didn’t show up in box scores, either, like the hand-switching legal throw to avoid a big sack. But this one will be back-pocketed for Patriots fans trying to savor the good from this slog of a season. 

25. Carolina Panthers (3–7)

Last week’s ranking: No. 30
Last week’s result: beat New York Giants, 20–17
This week: bye

Good for this organization finally putting a foot in the turf and moving forward. The Chuba Hubbard extension was the first time I’ve seen something positive in months in terms of a whole-organization decision. As for Dave Canales and Brad Idzik, the proof is evident. Bryce Young, when backed up against his own end zone against a good pass rush, is night and day from the player that started the season. 

McCarthy and the Cowboys suffered an embarrassing home defeat to the Eagles to extend their four-game losing streak. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

26. Dallas Cowboys (3–6)

Last week’s ranking: No. 24
Last week’s result: lost to Philadelphia, 34–6
This week: vs. Houston

I understand that Mike McCarthy and Cooper Rush had a rapport and that Rush has a good record as a spot starter for Dak Prescott. I also understand that it's O.K. to label Trey Lance a project not worth reclamation at this moment in time. I realize I can’t have it both ways, supporting Shane Steichen for benching Anthony Richardson and chiding McCarthy for not playing Lance. But if you were McCarthy and could read the room, getting Lance some easy completions, running a few empty draws, moving the football in a fun way with a quarterback you could attach some modicum of positivity to … isn’t that infinitely better?  

Also, Lance doesn’t look totally lost to me. Despite the fumble and the pick he had some good moments in spot relief. 

27. New York Jets (3–7)

Last week’s ranking: No. 21
Last week’s result: lost to Arizona, 31–6
This week: vs. Indianapolis

Saying that a team flat-out quit is a difficult accusation to make professionally. As much as those of us who watch football for a living can think we saw something the truth could be different. Take, for example, the Trevon Diggs incident in Dallas where it looked like he was loafing a play but was, in reality, slow playing a possible tackle. But when interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich said it himself, that the Jets failed to tackle well enough, and took the blame, I felt like the message was communicated. This team has hung it up for 2024. 

28. Cleveland Browns (2–7)

Last week’s ranking: No. 27
Last week’s result: bye
This week: at New Orleans

For the price of $25, according to several online ticket brokers, you can witness Jameis Winston return to New Orleans and face off against Darren Rizzi. If you’re not here … where on earth are you planning to be? In all seriousness, this is a critical stretch for the Browns, a team that could go one of two directions quickly with draft implications being very much a part of the equation. 

29. Tennessee Titans (2–6)

Last week’s ranking: No. 28
Last week’s result: lost to Los Angeles Chargers, 27–17
This week: vs. Minnesota

A loss to a better Chargers team was a pretty solid all-around effort for the Titans. Will Levis completed more than 11% of his passes over expectation. He set his feet and showcased his deep arm talent on the first touchdown to Calvin Ridley. And, on defense, what a pleasure it was watching linebacker Jack Gibbens, who, I’d bet, just earned himself some money on the free-agent market this offseason. 

30. New York Giants (2–8)

Last week’s ranking: No. 26
Last week’s result: lost to Carolina, 20–17
This week: bye

A painful loss follows an emergence of informed utterance that John Mara, while often declaring his coaches safe, also tends to change his mind once the tenor of the season changes. While we can read into anything, my thought is that the last thing Mara wants to do is start over. The only course of action at this point, it would seem, is for Brian Daboll to rack up some wins with Drew Lock and finish the season on a positive note. 

31. Las Vegas Raiders (2–7)

Last week’s ranking: No. 31
Last week’s result: bye
This week: at Miami

Antonio Pierce comes off of a bye week after a player-led meeting which, according to friend Jonathan Jones, ended uncomfortably. The Raiders now have three former head coaches—Joe Philbin, Marvin Lewis and Norv Turner—on staff as well as Tom Coughlin in advisory. At 2–7, one would assume this is just a very loud prelude to a one-year experiment gone wrong. However, more unexpected things have happened. Especially with a Mark Davis–owned team. 

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (2–8)

Last week’s ranking: No. 25
Last week’s result: lost to Minnesota, 12–7
This week: at Detroit

I’ve become accustomed to the media being disrespected, so this isn’t some kind of sanctimonious rant. Instead, it’s the realization that Doug Pederson just doesn’t want to be doing this anymore. I know we’re not always at our best, but to be so brazenly flippant after a game when representing a franchise cannot be anything other than a white flag. There’s 200 coaches who would eat their own foot for that opportunity. If Pederson isn’t going to take it seriously he should pass it off to someone who will.