NFL Power Rankings Week 10

1. Los Angeles Rams (8-1)

The Rams lost, but they still hold the top record in the NFC and are showing no signs of slowing down on offense. Todd Gurley scored a touchdown for the 12th straight game—a franchise record. Brandin Cooks caught six passes for 114 yards and a score against his former team, while Jared Goff completed 28-of-40 passes for 391 yards, three TDs and an interception.

2. New England Patriots (7-2)

Josh Gordon had his coming-out party with the Patriots, catching five passes for 130 yards and a touchdown. It's the second 100-yard game for Gordon in the past three contests.

Cordarrelle Paterson, the kick returner-turned-receiver-turned-halfback carried the rock 11 times for 61 yards and a touchdown versus Green Bay. James White rushed 12 times for 31 yards and two touchdowns and caught six passes for 72 yards in the victory for the Patriots, who have won six straight.

3. Kansas City Chiefs (8-1)

Patrick Mahomes remains the odds-on favorite for MVP, completing 23-of-32 passes for 375 yards and three touchdowns in Kansas City's 37-21 rout of Cleveland.

With seven games still left to play, he has thrown 29 touchdowns and is one away from tying the franchise record for TD passes in a season set by Hall of Famer Len Dawson in 1964.

Mahomes has thrown for over 300 yards in eight straight games. (AP Photo)

4. New Orleans Saints (7-1)

The Saints unseated the Rams behind the Big 3 of Drew Brees, Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas. Brees completed 25-of-36 passes for 346 yards and four touchdowns. Kamara rushed for 82 yards and two touchdowns and hauled in four passes for 34 yards and another score. Thomas had the best game of his career, catching 12 passes for 211 yards—a Saints single-game receiving record—and a 72-yard touchdown that essentially sealed the victory.

5. Los Angeles Chargers (6-2)

Keenan Allen broke out of his season-long slump, posting 124 receiving yards and adding 28 yards on the ground.

The visiting Chargers defeated the Russell Wilson-led Seahawks, the first time the Super Bowl champion quarterback lost a home game to an AFC opponent in his seven-year career.

6. Carolina Panthers (6-2)

The Panthers scored a franchise-record 35 points in the first half, eventually holding on for a 42-28 win over the Bucs.

Christian McCaffrey registered 79 rushing yards with two TDs and 78 receiving yards.

7. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2-1)

James Conner is the driving force behind the Steelers' resurgence and is performing better than Le'Veon Bell ever did. He mustered 163 total yards, running for 107 with 56 receiving yards and a TD reception.

8. Minnesota Vikings (5-3-1)

Adam Thielen’s streak of 100-yard receiving games ended at eight, but he still caught a touchdown in the Vikings’ win over Detroit.

The Vikings set a franchise-record with 10 sacks.

Defensive end Danielle Hunter was the player of the game for Minnesota, posting 3.5 sacks and returning a Matthew Stafford fumble 32 yards for the touchdown.

9. Philadelphia Eagles (4-4)

The Eagles return from their bye to host the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.

10. Houston Texans (6-3)

The Texans escaped Denver with a 19-17 win as Broncos kicker Brandon McManus clanked a a 51-yard field goal on the game's final play.

Winners of six in a row, the Texans look like the cream of the crop in the AFC South.

11. Cincinnati Bengals (5-3)

The Bengals received bad news during their bye week, as star wide receiver A.J. Green is expected to “miss some games” with a toe injury.

12. Chicago Bears (5-3)

The Bears produced two defensive touchdowns in the second quarter of their 41-9 beatdown over the turnover-prone Bills. Safety Eddie Jackson scooped up a fumble and ran for a 65-yard score and linebacker Leonard Floyd intercepted a tipped pass and returned it for 19 yards and a touchdown.

13. Baltimore Ravens (4-5)

The Ravens have lost four of five and head coach John Harbaugh is reportedly on the host seat in Baltimore, which has not made the playoffs since 2014.

14. Washington Redskins (5-3)

First-place Washington laid an egg versus Atlanta. The passing game continues to struggle under Alex Smith and the rushing attack was stymied against a Falcons’ defense ranked in the bottom of the league in nearly every statistical category.

The undisciplined Redskins totaled 147 penalty yards, their most since 1971.

15. Atlanta Falcons (4-4)

Julio Jones caught his first touchdown since Week 11 of the 2017 season, while Matt Ryan ripped the Redskins’ tough defense apart for 350 yards and four TDs. The Falcons won for the third consecutive time to place themselves back into the NFC playoff race.

Rest of the Pack

16. Miami Dolphins (5-4)

17. Seattle Seahawks (4-4)

18. Tennessee Titans (4-4)

19. Green Bay Packers (3-4-1)

20. Dallas Cowboys (3-5)

21. Detroit Lions (3-5)

22. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-5)

23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5)

24. Indianapolis Colts (3-5)

25. Cleveland Browns (2-6-1)

26. New York Jets (3-6)

27. Denver Broncos (3-6)

28. Buffalo Bills (2-7)

29. New York Giants (1-7)

30. Arizona Cardinals (2-6)

31. San Francisco 49ers (2-7)

32. Oakland Raiders (1-7)

NFL Power Rankings Week 7

1. Los Angeles Rams (6-0)

Todd Gurley rushed for a career-high 208 yards as the Rams remained perfect on the season.

Todd Gurley leads the NFL with 11 touchdowns. (Isaiah J. Downing/USA Today Sports)

2. New England Patriots (4-2)

The Patriots handed the Chiefs their first loss of the season in a 43-point scoring effort in which they did not punt or commit a single penalty—the first time in the Super Bowl era that a team played an entire game without punting or being charged a penalty.

3. Kansas City Chiefs (5-1)

The Chiefs were unstoppable on offense in the second half, scoring 31 of their 40 points after intermission. Tyreek Hill had 142 receiving yards with three touchdowns for the game and Kareem Hunt posted 185 yards from scrimmage with one receiving touchdown. Patrick Mahomes played well, recording 352 passing yards and four TDs, but he did throw two costly interceptions in the first half—one of which came in the redzone.

4. New Orleans Saints (4-1)

The idle Saints lead the NFC South by a full game after Carolina lost at Washington.

5. Los Angeles Chargers (4-2)

The visiting Chargers destroyed the Browns behind Melvin Gordon and Tyrell Williams. Gordon rushed for 132 yards and scored a career-high three touchdowns. Williams caught two TDs and totaled 118 receiving yards.

6. Minnesota Vikings (3-2-1)

Adam Thielen leads the NFL in receiving yards (712) after collecting 11 receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s win over Arizona. He also has the longest streak of 100-yard games (6) to start a season in the Super Bowl era (one shy of tying the NFL record) and has caught a league-high 58 passes, the most a player has recorded through the first six games in NFL history. He is on pace to grab 154 receptions for the season.

7. Philadelphia Eagles (3-3)

Carson Wentz completed 26 of 36 passes for 278 yards and three TDs in a commanding road win versus the division-rival Giants.

8. Baltimore Ravens (4-2)

The Ravens recorded a franchise-record 11 sacks and pitched a shutout on the road at Tennessee.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2-1)

The run defense remains elite, allowing only 62 rushing yards to the Bengals. On the other side of the ball, James Conner managed 111 rushing yards and two TDs on just 11 carries, continuing to look dominant in the absence of Le’Veon Bell.

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10. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2)

The Bengals surrendered over 480 yards for the second time in the past three weeks, failing to record a sack as Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger won in Cincinnati for the third consecutive year.

11. Carolina Panthers (3-2)

Rookie D.J. Moore lost two fumbles in the first half, leading to 10 points for the Redskins. The Panthers’ comeback came up short as they fell to 0-2 on the road this season. Up next is a matchup against the defending champions in Philadelphia.

12. Miami Dolphins (4-2)

Brock Osweiler played terrific in place of injured starting QB Ryan Tannehill, throwing for 380 yards and three TDs against Chicago’s vaunted defense. Albert Wilson, a speedster and suddenly a big-play specialist, caught six passes for a career-best 155 yards with two touchdowns in the overtime win.

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13. Chicago Bears (3-2)

Losing to a backup quarterback off a bye week is unacceptable for the Bears, who looked flat defensively against the Dolphins despite the extra time off.

14. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3)

Blake Bortles is unwatchable right now and the defense looks soft, giving up 206 rushing yards in an embarrassing 40-7 loss at Dallas.

15. Tennessee Titans (3-3)

The Titans gave up more sacks (11) than Marcus Mariota had completions (10). They failed to score and have managed a mere 12 points in the past two contests.

Rest of the Pack

16. Washington Redskins (3-2)

17. Green Bay Packers (3-2-1)

18. Seattle Seahawks (3-3)

19. Dallas Cowboys (3-3)

20. Cleveland Browns (2-3-1)

21. Detroit Lions (2-3)

22. Houston Texans (3-3)

23. New York Jets (3-3)

24. Denver Broncos (2-4)

25. Atlanta Falcons (2-4)

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-3)

27. Buffalo Bills (2-4)

28. New York Giants (1-5)

29. Indianapolis Colts (1-5)

30. Arizona Cardinals (1-5)

31. San Francisco 49ers (1-5)

32. Oakland Raiders (1-5)

Tom Brady Likely Edges Out Todd Gurley for MVP

Playing in his 18^th season at the age of 40, Tom Brady is a near-lock to win the 2017 NFL Most Valuable Player award. Already earning the league MVP honors twice before (2007, 2010), Brady led the New England Patriots to a 13-3 record and the No. 1 seed in the AFC as the franchise earned its eighth consecutive bye for the postseason.

            Brady led the NFL in passing yards (4,577), and ranked third in touchdowns (32) and third in passer rating (102.8). According to metrics determined by Football Outsiders, Brady was the best quarterback in terms of total value and total value per play.

Tom Brady was the best player of the 2017 NFL season. (Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports)

            The likely runner-up for MVP, Todd Gurley, spearheaded the 11-5 Los Angeles Rams’ high-octane offense, which ranked first in points per game (29.9)—a year after the team finished dead last in points and yards per contest. A workhouse for the Rams, the running back totaled 1,305 rushing yards with 13 touchdowns, and added 788 receiving yards and six more scores. He registered these breathtaking numbers despite resting in Week 17. Teammate Aaron Donald could be named the Defensive Player of the Year, but no one was more instrumental to the Rams’ first winning season since 2003 than Gurley.

Todd Gurley carried the Rams to a historic offensive turnaround. (Harry How/ Getty Images)

            Gurley amassed eight touchdowns in his final three games played and pushed the Rams to the NFC West title and the third-seed in the NFC playoffs. He generated plenty of MVP buzz after becoming the first running back ever to win two consecutive NFC Player of the Week honors (Week 15, 16). His superhuman statistics down the stretch will give some voters pause in selecting Brady for MVP. But ultimately, the award takes into account the entire year, and no player had a more impressive season résumé than Brady.

            The most reasonable—and likely scenario—sees the league hand the MVP award to Brady and the Offensive Player of the Year to Gurley. 

NFL MVP Race: Russell Wilson Emerges as Biggest Threat to Tom Brady

The Seattle Seahawks’ upset victory over the Philadelphia Eagles capped off Sunday’s Week 13 NFL action. Behind Russell Wilson, Seattle (8-4) ended Philly’s league-best nine-game winning streak and kept the Seahawks within a game of first place in the NFC West behind the Los Angeles Rams (9-3), who took care of business against the woeful Arizona Cardinals. Wilson threw for 227 yards and three scores and added 31 rushing yards (118.6 passer rating) as he strengthened his case for Most Valuable Player in the victory, outplaying his counterpart and MVP candidate Carson Wentz. With Wilson’s performance on Sunday night in consideration, here is a look at the updated race for the league's MVP award.

5. Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers

Bell and the Steelers travel to Cincinnati for ‘Monday Night Football’ to conclude Week 13. Even without playing his Week 13 contest, Bell currently leads the NFL with 981 rushing yards. His heavy workload, a league-high 252 rushing attempts, illustrates the Steelers’ reliance on the 25-year-old running back. The sensational play of teammate Antonio Brown, the NFL’s most dominant wideout who leads the league in receiving yards and warrants MVP consideration, devalues Bell’s MVP chances.   

4. Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams

Gurley currently leads the NFL with 1,502 yards from scrimmage (Bell could take the lead if he posts 125 yards from scrimmage on Monday night) and is the only halfback in the league with over 900 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards. Gurley has 11 touchdowns (eight rushing, three receiving), tied for most in the NFL with New Orleans Saints electrifying rookie running back Alvin Kamara.

Todd Gurley rushed for 74 yards and caught six passes for 84 yards in the Los Angeles Rams' road victory over the Arizona Cardinals. (Christian Peterson/Getty Images)

3. Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles

Despite the defeat on Sunday night, the 10-2 Eagles are tied for the No. 1 seed in the NFC with the red-hot Minnesota Vikings, behind the quarterback play of Wentz, who is on pace to shatter Eagles franchise records. Wentz has thrown for the most touchdown passes (29) in the NFL. The Eagles are tied with the Rams for the league-lead in points per game (30.1).

2. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks

Right in the thick of the ultra-competitive NFC, Wilson has done it all on offense for the Seahawks. Despite a spotty offensive line and the lack of effective complimentary running backs, Wilson has thrown for 3,029 yards and 23 touchdowns with just eight interceptions this season. He also has rushed for a team-best 401 yards and three scores.

Russell Wilson scrambles past Eagles defensive end Chris Long. (Josh Nicholson/USA TODAY Sports)

1. Tom Brady, New England Patriots

40 years young, Brady is playing the best football of his legendary career. Brady improved his record to 27-3 against the division-rival Bills with New England's win over Buffalo on Sunday. He leads the NFL in passing yards, completions, and passer rating. He ranks second in completion percentage (Drew Brees) and TD passes (Wentz). The 10-2 Patriots look like the best team in the NFL and Brady is the biggest reason why.