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Week 10 NFL Power Rankings: Biggest risers, fallers since preseason

NFL, Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings

Has your team exceeded, lived up to or fallen short of expectations?

Here's a rundown of the Week 10 Power Rankings, as voted on by our power panel -- a group of more than 80 writers, editors and TV personalities -- with a look at how all 32 teams measure up to their preseason rankings. 

ESPN Stats & Information's John McTigue contributed the following information.

Methodology: These rankings are based on which teams voters think would win head-to-head matchups. Higher-ranked teams would be favored against lower-ranked teams. Coming off a win doesn't guarantee a jump, and a loss doesn't guarantee a fall.

Previous rankings: Week 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | Preseason

1. Philadelphia Eagles

2017 record: 8-1
Week 9 ranking: No. 1

Preseason ranking: 15. Carson Wentz leads the NFL in touchdown passes (23) and is the primary reason the Eagles jumped from 15th heading into the season to first in our midseason edition. Thanks to the great start, Philadelphia is the FPI favorite to win the Super Bowl (20.8 percent chance).

2. New England Patriots

2017 record: 6-2
Week 9 ranking: No. 2

Preseason ranking: 1. If there's any concern around the Patriots this season, it's the fact that five of their past six games have been decided by eight or fewer points. They aren't blowing teams out, but wins are wins, and the defending champions still belong toward the top.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers

2017 record: 6-2
Week 9 ranking: No. 4

Preseason ranking: 4. The Steelers looked like they could slide down the rankings, but since hopping back on the Le'Veon Bell train, they're back on track. Bell has rushed 92 times for 389 yards in Pittsburgh's three-game winning streak.

4. Minnesota Vikings

2017 record: 6-2
Week 9 ranking: No. 5

Preseason ranking: 17. Case Keenum has started the bulk of the games for the Vikings this season, and they've still jumped from middle of the pack to near the top in the rankings. Keenum deserves credit, but so does the defense, which has allowed the third-fewest points per game this season.

5. Kansas City Chiefs

2017 record: 6-3
Week 9 ranking: No. 3

Preseason ranking: 8. The Chiefs are 1-3 in their past four games after a 5-0 start. With Kareem Hunt slowing down (47.8 rushing yards per game over the past four), Alex Smith will need to continue making big plays.

6. Seattle Seahawks

2017 record: 5-3
Week 9 ranking: No. 6

Preseason ranking: 3. Russell Wilson might not be getting enough credit. He has been pressured at the third-highest rate this season, and he's the only quarterback leading his team in both passing and rushing. The Seahawks would've fallen much further from their preseason ranking if not for his efforts.

7. Los Angeles Rams

2017 record: 6-2
Week 9 ranking: No. 8

Preseason ranking: 27. The biggest risers since the preseason edition of our rankings are the Rams, who lead the NFL in scoring with 32.9 points per game. How good has the offense been? They've scored 40 points three times this season. The last time the Rams did that in a season was in 2001, when they reached Super Bowl XXXVI.

8. Dallas Cowboys

2017 record: 5-3
Week 9 ranking: No. 7

Preseason ranking: 6. There hasn't been much movement for Dallas, but when you start at No. 6, that isn't a bad thing. Dak Prescott is second in the NFL in Total QBR, and Ezekiel Elliott is second in rushing, so these Cowboys might be here to stay.

9. New Orleans Saints

2017 record: 6-2
Week 9 ranking: No. 9

Preseason ranking: 23. The Saints are just the third team in the Super Bowl era to win six straight games immediately following an 0-2 start. That winning streak has led to one of the most significant rises in our rankings, but there's better news for New Orleans: The two other teams to win six straight following an 0-2 start both went on to win the Super Bowl.

10. Jacksonville Jaguars

2017 record: 5-3
Week 9 ranking: No. 14

Preseason ranking: 28. The Jaguars have been one of the biggest risers in our rankings, and it's (mostly) thanks to defense, which ranks first in points allowed per game (14.6), Total QBR (33), sacks (35) and TD-INT ratio (0.4).

11. Carolina Panthers

2017 record: 6-3
Week 9 ranking: No. 12

Preseason ranking: 16. It might not be the prettiest of climbs, but the Panthers have risen in the rankings despite the drama surrounding Cam Newton. His passing hasn't been on point, with 10 touchdowns to 11 interceptions so far this season, but he has picked up the running, accumulating 251 rushing yards the past four games, 11th in the NFL in that span.

12. Oakland Raiders

2017 record: 4-5
Week 9 ranking: No. 21

Preseason ranking: 7. The NFL season is entering Week 10, and the Raiders' defense still hasn't intercepted a pass. Opponents are completing 71.2 percent of their passes against Oakland, so despite a few recent wins, it's no wonder the team has slipped in the rankings.

13. Washington Redskins

2017 record: 4-4
Week 9 ranking: No. 18

Preseason ranking: 20. The Redskins are .500 despite playing the most difficult schedule so far, so they're deserving of the bump in these rankings. It doesn't get much easier with the Vikings, Saints and Cowboys coming up in three of the next four weeks, so if Washington wants to keep climbing, the team will have to pull off some more big wins.

14. Tennessee Titans

2017 record: 5-3
Week 9 ranking: No. 19

Preseason ranking: 12. What to make of the Titans, who have seen a slight dip in these rankings since the preseason? They currently sit atop the AFC South, but they're the only winning team with a negative point differential (minus-12).

15. Buffalo Bills

2017 record: 5-3
Week 9 ranking: No. 11

Preseason ranking: 26. The Bills have climbed our rankings well, thanks to a 5-3 start, but a Week 9 loss to the Jets could indicate that they're still the same team. This is the fifth time they've been over .500 through eight games since 2000. They missed the playoffs the past four times.

16. Detroit Lions

2017 record: 4-4
Week 9 ranking: No. 15

Preseason ranking: 19. The Lions took down an Aaron Rodgers-less Packers team to end a three-game losing streak, with Matthew Stafford posting his first game this season of 300-plus yards, multiple touchdowns and no picks. Detroit has had its ups and downs this season but has risen slightly in these rankings.

17. Atlanta Falcons

2017 record: 4-4
Week 9 ranking: No. 13

Preseason ranking: 2. The Super Bowl runners-up have lost four of five following a 3-0 start. The offense was expected to pick up where it left off last season, but Atlanta is averaging 16.6 points per game the past five games, cracking 20 points just once to make them one of the biggest fallers.

18. Green Bay Packers

2017 record: 4-4
Week 9 ranking: No. 16

Preseason ranking: 5. It's no surprise that the Packers have fallen so far in the rankings with Aaron Rodgers hurt. They're 0-3 since Brett Hundley took over in Week 6 and haven't mustered more than 17 points in any of those games. It's the Packers' longest streak of scoring fewer than 20 points since 2005.

19. Los Angeles Chargers

2017 record: 3-5
Week 9 ranking: No. 22

Preseason ranking: 24. The Chargers can't seem to put everything together, and because of that, they've been muddling around the low 20s in these rankings. They rank 22nd in scoring this season after ranking ninth last season and rank seventh in defensive scoring after finishing 29th last season. Maybe everything will even out in 2018?

20. Baltimore Ravens

2017 record: 4-5
Week 9 ranking: No. 23

Preseason ranking: 21. Joe Flacco has thrown eight touchdown to 10 interceptions, which is good for the third-worst TD-INT ratio in the NFL this season. He isn't the only reason for the Ravens' fall from grace, but with his high price tag, he's going to take the brunt of the criticism.

21. Denver Broncos

2017 record: 3-5
Week 9 ranking: No. 17

Preseason ranking: 9. The Broncos won a Super Bowl with a great defense and below-average quarterback play, but this season, their QB play has bottomed out. Denver ranks 29th in Total QBR this season and has seen a drastic fall in the standings and our rankings as a result.

22. New York Jets

2017 record: 4-5
Week 9 ranking: No. 26

Preseason ranking: 32. The Jets weren't given much of a chance coming into this season, carrying with them the worst playoff chances according to FPI (0.6 percent). They're now 4-5, and that includes two blown fourth-quarter leads. Their rise would be even greater if not for a minus-60 fourth-quarter point differential.

23. Arizona Cardinals

2017 record: 4-4
Week 9 ranking: No. 28

Preseason ranking: 10. The Cardinals were expected to return to their 2015 form, with which they went 13-3, but a 4-4 start and injuries to Carson Palmer and David Johnson derailed that train. Still, their start despite those injuries isn't bad.

24. Houston Texans

2017 record: 3-5
Week 9 ranking: No. 10

Preseason ranking: 14. Deshaun Watson briefly had the Texans in the top 10 of our rankings, but with Tom Savage back at QB, the Texans are falling fast. Only one of the 18 drives Savage has led in his two starts this season has resulted in a touchdown.

25. Cincinnati Bengals

2017 record: 3-5
Week 9 ranking: No. 20

Preseason ranking: 22. The Bengals were held to one or fewer touchdowns for the third time this season last week. They've scored more than two offensive touchdowns just once this season, and it was against the Browns. The Bengals have seen just a slight dip from the preseason ranking, and the offense is to thank for that.

26. Miami Dolphins

2017 record: 4-4
Week 9 ranking: No. 25

Preseason ranking: 25. The fact that the Dolphins are .500 seems like a miracle. They rank last in the NFL in scoring and have been outscored by 63 points. Four wins or not, they fit in with the bottom tier in these rankings.

27. Chicago Bears

2017 record: 3-5
Week 9 ranking: No. 27

Preseason ranking: 29. The Bears haven't seen a huge rise in these rankings since the start of the season, but they've performed better than expected, particularly on defense. The Bears rank 13th in points allowed per game this season after finishing 24th last season.

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2017 record: 2-6
Week 9 ranking: No. 24

Preseason ranking: 13. The Buccaneers have lost five straight and have taken a huge dive in our rankings as a result. The blame for the downfall lies on both sides of the ball: The offense and defense rank outside the top 20 in points per game this season.

29. Indianapolis Colts

2017 record: 3-6
Week 9 ranking: No. 29

Preseason ranking: 18. The Colts have won three games yet have the worst point differential in the NFL this season -- and there are two winless teams. If Andrew Luck were healthy, this season could be totally different. But unfortunately for Indianapolis, that isn't the case.

30. New York Giants

2017 record: 1-7
Week 9 ranking: No. 30

Preseason ranking: 11. The Giants have taken the biggest fall since the preseason edition of these rankings, but you can't really blame Eli Manning. The Giants have the highest drop rate, rank 27th in rushing yards per game and rank 29th in points allowed per game.

31. San Francisco 49ers

2017 record: 0-9
Week 9 ranking: No. 31

Preseason ranking: 31. The 49ers kept it close for a stretch, losing five straight by three or fewer points earlier in the season. But when the Week 1 starting quarterback has been released and the team is 0-9, "almost" doesn't mean much. If it weren't for the Browns, the 49ers would be last in these rankings.

32. Cleveland Browns

2017 record: 0-8
Week 9 ranking: No. 32

Preseason ranking: 30. At the start of the season, there was some hope that the Browns might not be the worst team in the league. But after another 0-8 start, the Browns are back to the bottom, and it isn't getting better. No quarterback on the roster has ever won a game as a starter.

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