NFL Power Rankings for Week 10: The AFC is really, really good

The AFC is beginning to separate themselves from the NFC. I have the top four teams now coming out of the American Football Conference and the only two NFC teams that I think would be in the discussion right now would be the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers. The Seattle Seahawks are close, but their defense has looming question marks that may keep them from competing for the NFC title in 2020.

Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers are the NFL’s only unbeaten. The Kansas City Chiefs are likely still the best team in the league despite that one loss and Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills are absolutely legit. Of course, don’t count on the Baltimore Ravens or Tennessee Titans either. In all, the AFC has nine teams with a 5-3 or better record to the NFC’s six.

Then you have our Denver Broncos. I was quite generous to their ranking this week after another three and a half quarters of garbage offense followed by a furious comeback attempt. This time it came up short and they fell to 3-5. Someone mentioned Blake Bortles in 2015, so I looked it up. I found a breakdown of that from Five Thirty Eight that found Bortles played his worst when the game was in doubt and his best when the team was down multiple scores.

2015 was Bortles’ second season in the NFL and he threw for 4400 yards and 35 touchdowns, but also led the NFL with 18 interceptions. I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see where on that spectrum Drew Lock lands.