NFL Top 10: Week 10
With week nine in the books, the NFL season has officially hit the halfway point. A season full of old faces in new places has kept fans on their toes as plenty of teams have been performing way above and below their preseason expectations.
Now let’s get into the top 10 teams in the NFL!
1. Philadelphia Eagles (8-0)
Is this even a question? The Eagles are still flying high as they remain undefeated.
Many people try to take away from the greatness of this team due to their strength of schedule.
Well, they beat the 7-1 Vikings and the 6-2 Cowboys and in the NFL, any team can win on any given Sunday.
If Jalen Hurts continues to play at an elite level and they can stay healthy, the Eagles will keep on soaring.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (6-2)
Patrick Mahomes reminded everyone why he should be the MVP as he threw for 446 yards in their 20-17 overtime win against the Titans.
Mahomes leads the NFL with 2,605 passing yards and 21 passing touchdowns and is second in QBR with a 75.4 rating.
If the Chiefs get in a shootout, it is rare that they lose.
3. Buffalo Bills (6-2)
After a tough 20-17 loss to the Jets, the Bills come in as the third-best team in the NFL. They have been too dominant this season to put them any lower.
The story for the Bills has been injuries. Last week they were without Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer, Tre'davious White and Matt Milano. Kaiir Elam and Greg Rousseau also got banged up during the game.
Most importantly, Josh Allen injured his throwing elbow. The severity is unknown, but if it is serious, it is going to be tough sledding for this team as the AFC East would be up for grabs.
4. Minnesota Vikings (7-1)
Adding T.J. Hockenson to an already lethal passing attack proved to be a wise decision as the tight end recorded 70 yards on nine catches in his Vikings debut.
On the defensive side, veteran Harrison Smith is still holding down the secondary and Za’Darius Smith is tied for second in the NFL with 8.5 sacks.
Their upcoming game against the Bills is a major prove-it game for the Vikings if Josh Allen ends up playing.
5. Miami Dolphins (6-3)
This offense is EXPLOSIVE.
Through nine games, Tyreek Hill has a league-best 1,104 receiving yards, and Jaylen Waddle is fifth in the NFL with 812 receiving yards.
In the six games that Tua Tagovailoa has played entirely, the Dolphins are undefeated.
It is up to their defense if they want to keep climbing this list, as they did give up 32 points to the Bears last week.
6. Dallas Cowboys (6-2)
After a bye week, the Cowboys will be taking on the Packers.
In Dak’s first game back, he didn’t prove much as it was the Tony Pollard Show.
However, no matter how the offense plays, that defense led by Micah Parsons keeps them in games and wins them games.
7. Baltimore Ravens (6-3)
The Ravens stomped a hot Saints team on Monday Night Football without Lamar Jackson’s top two targets, Rashod Bateman and Mark Andrews.
Their defense is really coming together and if they can get/stay healthy, the former MVP can take this team on a serious tear.
8. Seattle Seahawks (6-3)
One of the most surprising stories in the NFL is the Seattle Seahawks. Most people expected this to be a rebuilding year, yet they are 6-3 after a 31-21 win against the Cardinals and have sole ownership of the NFC West.
Geno Smith is having an incredible year and making a serious case for comeback player of the year.
Another huge part of their success is thanks to the play of their rookies. Tariq Woolen is tied for second in interceptions, Coby Bryant has forced the most fumbles, and Kenneth Walker has six touchdowns over the past four weeks.
9. New York Jets (6-3)
Okay, the Jets are for real. Well, that defense is for real.
They are one of the few teams to make Josh Allen and the Bill’s offense sputter.
They sacked Allen five times last week and their secondary, led by rookie star Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed continued to play at an elite level.
Zach Wilson didn’t do much, but he didn’t turn the ball over which was big for the Jets to win.
10. San Francisco 49ers (4-4)
At 4-4 after the bye, the 49ers aren’t where they want to be, but the future is looking bright - really bright.
They have been plagued with injuries but they are getting healthier and scarier by the week.
In his first full game in the offense, Christian McCaffrey dominated and that was without Deebo Samuel in the lineup.
Can you imagine what Kyle Shanahan is going to do with both of those versatile studs at his disposal? Yeah, the sky's the limit.
Jake Hernick is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jrh6589@psu.edu.
