The NFL gets more exciting by the week. The contenders will start to separate themselves from the pretenders. The Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings play against each other this week and this will affect the NFC playoff picture. The Philadelphia Eagles could put the icing on the cake for the NFC East Crown with a win against the Dallas Cowboys.
10. Detroit Lions (5-4): Matthew Stafford continues to spark the Lions offense. He is the heart and soul of this team. Stafford led another Lions comeback once again this season and in his career even though it was against the Cleveland Browns though. The defense is very underrated and they don't get enough credit for what they do. Last week's ranking: not ranked.
9. Tennessee Titans (6-3): They have won four consecutive games because of the play of Marcus Mariota. Whenever the ball is in his hands, he is usually trustworthy with the football. DeMarco Murray scored all three Titans touchdowns in a 24-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. If they can find a way to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night, Tennessee will be in good shape. Last week's ranking: 10.
8. Carolina Panthers (7-3): Cam Newton is playing with swagger right now. He torched the Miami Dolphins by throwing for 254 yards, 4 touchdowns and rushing for 95 yards on five carries. Christian McCaffrey continues to be one of the most fundamentally sound running backs in the NFL. Luke Kuechly continues to be the leader of this defense and they are much improved. Last week's ranking: 9.
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7. Kansas City Chiefs (6-3): The Chiefs were enjoying their bye week but other teams were impressive when the Chiefs were enjoying their week off. They are still very good, but Kansas City can not afford to lose to the New York Giants this week. Last week's ranking: 6.
6. Minnesota Vikings (7-2): Case Keenum was playing the game of his life against the Washington Redskins until he had a couple of hiccups along the way. Teddy Bridgewater is now the Vikings backup quarterback. Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen might be the most underrated receiving core in the league. Last week's ranking: 7.
5. Los Angeles Rams (7-2): Jared Goff continues to ball in a big way. Goff's favorite target is Robert Woods. They are very good at executing play action. The Rams have scored 296 points so far this season which is the most in the NFL. Last week's ranking: 5.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-2): The Steelers found a way to win, but a slow start to the Indianapolis Colts cost the Steelers a couple of spots in this week's rankings. JuJu Smith-Schuster is starting to take serious pressure off of Antonio Brown which is a good thing. Le'Veon Bell needs to get at least 15 carries a game or they lose for some reason. Last week's ranking: 2.
3. New Orleans Saints (7-2): The Saints completely embarrassed the Buffalo Bills in Buffalo on Sunday. Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara is the best 1-2 running back combination right now in the NFL. Drew Brees only threw the ball 25 times which isn't a bad thing. The defense continues to be physical at the point of attack. Last week's ranking: 4.
2. New England Patriots (7-2): Tom Brady continues to play at a high level at 40 years of age. The defense isn't average anymore and it is playing more at a level of a top-10 defense. New England's special teams outplayed Denver's. The Patriots humiliated the Broncos this past Sunday Night. Last week's ranking: 3.
1.Philadelphia Eagles (8-1): The Eagles were on a bye this week, but they must have been scoreboard watching. Teams like the Saints, Vikings, and the Rams are coming for them. Philadelphia needs to put the NFC East on wraps with a win on Sunday Night against the Dallas Cowboys. Last week's ranking: 1.
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