2020 NFL Power Rankings Week 10: Tom Brady's Bucs drop after bad loss to Saints

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Week 9 of the 2020 NFL season saw several teams make a statement to the rest of the league with emphatic victories.The Buffalo Bills impressed with a 44-34 win over the NFC-leading Seattle Seahawks to improve to 7-2 and strengthen their lead in the AFC East.The NFC North-leading Green Bay Packers trounced the San Francisco 49ers, the Baltimore Ravens went on the road and defeated a good Indianapolis Colts team, and the Tennessee Titans held on to first place in the AFC South with a bounce-back win over the Chicago Bears.The biggest result of the week was the New Orleans Saints decimating Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 38-3 rout. The Saints are getting healthy and hitting their stride as the playoff races heat up.It's time for a fresh batch of 2020 NFL Power Rankings entering Week 10.

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1/32

The Jets put up a good fight Monday night and nearly beat the Patriots in 30-27 loss.

New York probably would've pulled off the upset with a better fourth quarter performance. The Jets were outscored 13-0 and ran four plays totaling just three yards over the final 15 minutes of regulation.

The Jets are 0-9 for the first time in franchise history.

(Last three rankings: 32, 32, 32)

 

 

 

2/32

The Jaguars lost to the Texans in a battle of 1-6 teams, which means Jacksonville (1-7) and the Jets (0-8) are the frontrunners for the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

(Last three rankings: 30, 31, 31)

 

3/32

Washington quarterback Kyle Allen had to be carted off in the first quarter after suffering a  dislocated ankle. Veteran backup Alex Smith replaced him and threw three interceptions as Washington lost 23-20 to the struggling Giants.

(Last three rankings: 31, 29. 29)

 

4/32

Give the Cowboys credit: Garrett Gilbert started at quarterback and they nearly defeated the league's only undefeated team.

Dallas jumped out to a 13-0 lead on Pittsburgh but faltered in the second half as the Steelers outscored the Cowboys 15-0 in the fourth quarter.

(Last three rankings: 22, 30. 30)

 

5/32

The Giants are better off losing games for the remainder of the season and improving their position in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Beating Washington on Sunday did not help in that regard.

On the bright side for the Giants, second-year quarterback Daniel Jones' streak of three consecutive games with an interception ended.

(Last three rankings: 29, 28, 27)

 

6/32

The Texans beat the Jaguars on Sunday to move one game ahead of Jacksonville in the standings. Texans wide receiver Will Fuller hauled in a 77-yard touchdown in the third quarter, giving him at least one touchdown reception in six consecutive games. It's the longest such streak since Antonio Brown's eight-game run in 2018.

(Last three rankings: 27, 25, 28)

 

7/32

The Lions suffered their fifth consecutive loss to the Vikings, and all have come by double digits. Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford left Sunday's game in the fourth quarter due to a possible concussion and didn't return.

The 2020 season is quickly falling apart for the Lions, who could find themselves at the bottom of the NFC North next week.

(Last three rankings: 25, 23, 22)

 

8/32

The Bengals had a Week 9 bye and will resume game action next Sunday on the road against the the Steelers. It will be the first ever meeting between Bengals rookie quarterback Joe Burrow and Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

(Last three rankings: 24, 24, 21)

 

9/32

The Broncos' comeback attempt fell a bit short in a loss to the Falcons. 

The takeaway for Denver was the breakout performance from rookie wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. The No. 15 pick in the 2020 draft set career highs with seven receptions and 125 receiving yards, in addition to a receiving touchdown.

(Last three rankings: 21, 21, 18)

 

10/32

The Falcons nearly blew another double-digit lead. They led the Broncos 20-3 at halftime and escaped with a 34-27 win. Atlanta has won back-to-back games and is now tied for third place in the NFC South with the Panthers. 

After a Week 10 bye, the next three weeks will be tough for the Falcons. They play the Saints twice over that span, including a Week 11 matchup at New Orleans.

(Last three rankings: 28, 26, 23)

 

11/32

The Panthers led the defending champion Chiefs at halftime, lost the lead in the second half and had a chance to win the game late. Unfortunately for Carolina, it couldn't convert on a 67-yard field goal attempt as time expired.

The good news for the Panthers was that All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey returned after missing the last six games due to injury. He tallied 151 total yards and two touchdowns.

The Panthers have lost four straight games.

(Last three rankings: 17, 16, 20)

 

12/32

The Chargers keep finding new ways to lose.

L.A. had a chance to beat the Raiders on the final play of Sunday's game, but rookie quarterback Justin Herbert's pass intended for Donald Parham Jr. was ruled incomplete after replay review. 

The Chargers dropped to 2-6 at the bottom of the AFC West, and all six of their losses have come by seven or fewer points.

(Last three rankings: 20, 19, 19)

 

13/32

The Eagles had a Week 9 bye, and they'll return next Sunday with a very winnable game against the rival Giants. A win for Philly would strengthen its lead atop the NFC East.

(Last three rankings: 23, 22, 26)

 

14/32

The Patriots nearly suffered a horrendous loss to the winless Jets on Monday night, but they escaped with a 30-27 victory on a 51-yard field goal as time expired.

The bright spot for the Patriots was the play of quarterback Cam Newton, who made up for last week's costly fumble by leading a game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium.

(Last three rankings: 13, 17, 25)

 

 

15/32

The Vikings probably won't make the playoffs, but they have shown great improvement with back-to-back wins, including Sunday's impressive 34-20 victory over the Lions.

Vikings running back Dalvin Cook continues to dominate opposing defenses and ran all over the Lions with 206 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

(Last three rankings: 26, 27, 24)

 

16/32

The last eight weeks for the 49ers have unfolded as followed -- two wins, two losses, two wins and two losses. The 49ers were trounced 34-17 by the Packers on Thursday night, dropping San Francisco's record at home to a shocking 1-4.

Injuries have played a huge factor in the 49ers' struggles, and with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and tight end George Kittle both set to miss multiple weeks due to injuries, it's hard to envision San Francisco returning to the playoffs.

(Last three rankings: 12, 11, 13)

 

17/32

The Browns had a Week 9 bye, and they have three very winnable games coming up against the Texans, Eagles and Jaguars to improve their standing in the AFC playoff race.

(Last three rankings: 15, 15, 17)

 

18/32

The Rams were the other team on a Week 9 bye. It came at a good time, too, giving them plenty of time to prepare and rest up for a Week 10 showdown against the NFC West-leading Seahawks.

(Last three rankings: 18, 12, 16)

 

19/32

Unfortunately for the Colts, they had a controversial interception in the third quarter go against them, which helped lead to a Ravens touchdown on the ensuing Baltimore drive. But overall, Indy did not play well enough to win Sunday and lost 24-10. 

We'll learn if the Colts are true contenders in the AFC over the next three weeks. They play the AFC South-leading Titans in Week 10 and Week 12, with a difficult game against the NFC North-leading Packers in between.

(Last three rankings: 11, 13, 10)

 

20/32

The Dolphins are 5-3 in second place in the AFC East after an impressive 34-31 win over a good Cardinals team on the road.

Rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw for 248 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions. He improved to 2-0 as a starter.

Miami outscored Arizona 10-0 in the fourth quarter to secure the victory and match its win total from last season at five.

(Last three rankings: 19, 20, 15)

 

21/32

Don't sleep on the Raiders. A 31-26 win over the Chargers on Sunday has put Las Vegas right in the thick of the AFC playoff race.

(Last three rankings: 14, 18, 14)

 

22/32

The Bears were 5-1 and looking like a legit contender in the NFC just three weeks ago. Since then, Chicago has suffered three consecutive defeats, allowing the rival Packers to open a 2.5-game lead in the NFC North.

The Bears have scored just 50 points over their last three matchups combined, and they didn't get on the scoreboard Sunday versus the Titans until the fourth quarter.

(Last three rankings: 9, 14, 12)

 

23/32

The Cardinals are very much alive in both the NFC West and wild card races, but Sunday's loss is going to sting for a bit. Arizona coughed up a 10-point lead at home in the fourth quarter and lost 34-31 to the Dolphins. 

The Cardinals have a tough schedule coming up. They will play the AFC East-leading Bills in Week 10 before traveling to play both the rival Seahawks and Patriots on the road.

(Last three rankings: 16, 9, 6)

 

24/32

The Titans bounced back from two consecutive defeats with a much-needed 24-17 win over the Bears. 

Tennessee's tough schedule doesn't get any easier. Two of their next three games are against the Colts -- the Titans' toughest competition in the AFC South. The other matchup over that span is with the 6-2 Ravens.

(Last three rankings: 7, 7, 11)

 

25/32

The Packers bounced back from a bad loss to the Vikings last week by dominating the 49ers in a 34-17 victory on Thursday night. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw for 305 yards with four touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Next up for Green Bay is an easy matchup with the 1-7 Jaguars.

(Last three rankings: 6, 6, 9)

 

26/32

The Bucs' win streak came to a screeching halt with an embarrassing 38-3 home defeat to the Saints on Sunday night. 

Tampa Bay's defense had no answers for New Orleans' many elite playmakers as the Saints offense jumped out to a 28-0 halftime lead and never looked back.

Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady was decisively outplayed by Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who tossed four touchdown passes in the win.

(Last three rankings: 4, 4, 4)

 

27/32

The Seahawks have lost two of their last three games after Sunday's 44-34 defeat to the Bills, and Seattle's defensive issues are now a genuine concern.

Seattle entered this game giving up the most passing yards per game, and it allowed Bills quarterback Josh Allen to throw for 415 yards with three touchdowns in Week 9. 

The Seahawks have now given up 30.4 points per game, which is the fifth-most in the league.

Russell Wilson is arguably the best quarterback in football, but he cannot be expected to lead this team deep into the playoffs if the defense keeps playing so poorly.

(Last three rankings: 1, 3, 3)

 

28/32

The Ravens didn't play amazing Sunday, but a 24-10 win over a playoff-caliber team like the Colts is still impressive. Baltimore's defense did a nice job forcing two turnovers and allowing just three points over the final three quarters.

(Last three rankings: 5, 5, 5)

 

29/32

The Bills earned their first signature win of the season by beating the NFC-leading Seahawks 44-34 at home.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen outplayed Seahawks quarterback and MVP frontrunner Russell Wilson, throwing for 415 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Buffalo has not led the AFC East this late in a season since 1996. The Bills are now heavy favorites (over 80 percent, per ESPN FPI) to win the division for the first time since 1995.

(Last three rankings: 8, 8, 8)

 

30/32

The Saints earned a convincing 38-3 win over Tom Brady's Buccaneers on "Sunday Night Football" to take over first place in the NFC South. New Orleans won both of its games versus Tampa Bay this season and has a five-game win streak entering Week 10.

(Last three rankings: 10, 10, 07)

 

31/32

The Chiefs held on late for a 33-31 victory over the Panthers as they enter a Week 10 bye.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is quietly having another MVP-worthy season. He threw for 372 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions versus the Panthers. 

(Last three rankings: 2, 1, 1)

 

32/32

The Steelers beat the Cowboys 24-19 to maintain their status as the league's only unbeaten team, but it wasn't a pretty win.

Pittsburgh fell behind 13-0 and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was limping to the locker room shortly before halftime (he finished the game).

The Steelers, who are 8-0 for the first time in franchise history, have a great chance to go 10-0 with games against the struggling Bengals and Jaguars over the next two weeks.

(Last three rankings: 3, 2, 2)

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