Week 10 is finished, and like the life reflection that occurs when one reaches double digits, it is a great opportunity to reflect on the current positioning of the NFL. It's time for a Power Poll update!
Jeff's Splendid Power Poll
Kansas City, Philadelphia, and San Francisco are given at the top. Yes, sometimes even the best teams lose surprising games. The top of the AFC North all deserve mention as they have collected multiple marquee victories. That division race will be the best to watch down the stretch by a margin. The winner will be battle-tested, though the teams may all beat up on each other to allow some outside of the division to slip into wildcard spots. The most interesting team is Detroit. The Lions are a dark horse pick to claim the top spot in the NFC. They are 13-4 over their last 17 games, and the schedule opens up well for them, with only Dallas as a game they may be an underdog in.
The next tier of Miami, Dallas, and Jacksonville are as talented as the top tier, but we have seen them struggle when stepping up in competition. For Miami and Jacksonville, it is easy to get the sense they may just be a year early. Dallas may have a head coach problem in getting over the hump.
The Any Given Sunday tier is fascinating. The members in it have some significant victories and are trending toward grabbing playoff spots. Still, they will likely be underdogs against the top two tiers in any matchup. C.J. Stroud and Joshua Dobbs are currently two of the best stories in football, as is the Steelers' collective team approach.
The Bills are in their "Lebron's First Stint In Cleveland" phase. Injuries have ravaged their defense, making it one of the worst in the league. They have a brutal schedule, seeing Philadelphia, Kansas City, Dallas, and Miami down the stretch. Still, if they get in, they have Josh Allen playing some of the best football of his career, which makes them dangerous.
At this point, we are at 15 teams with 14 playoff spots up for grabs. Considering the NFC South champion will fall backward into a spot, the following two tiers are likely playing spoiler down the stretch. The Fatally Flawed Week Ruiners are not to be trifled with. They all may struggle to win consistently, but they can top anyone in the league if taken lightly. Most of these teams are in a death march likely to result in a new coach or quarterback.
And that leaves the Giants.
The Giants are the perfect storm. Decimated by injuries. Facing expectations following a playoff appearance. And not competitive. But we have seen this before.
Coach Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen come from a shared history in Buffalo. In coach Sean McDermott's first year, the team surprisingly punched above their weight class and grabbed a playoff spot at 9-7, ending a nearly 20-year playoff drought. In their second season, reality hit, and the team struggled to a 6-10 season. They quickly rebounded and launched their current run of success.
Giants fans need to have faith. The team has foundational building blocks in edge Kayvon Thibodeaux and left tackle Andrew Thomas. The Bills positioned themselves to add a quarterback in the 2018 NFL draft by taking a conservative approach to player acquisition. Schoen and Daboll look to be following the same building steps.
It is time for the Roundup.
Blind Resume
| Player | Comp Percentage | Passing Yards | Rushin Yards | Touchdowns | Won? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 67% | 268 | 44 | 2 | YES |
| B | 56% | 223 | 41 | 1 | NO |
| C | 67% | 347 | 20 | 2 | NO |
| D | 58% | 185 | 7 | 0 | NO |
Quarterback performances were all over the board in Week 10, with several franchise quarterbacks and potential MVP candidates struggling in matchups with potential playoff implications. But one player is quickly becoming one of the best stories in football on a team left for dead. Can you place this production?
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