Predominantly Orange Week Nine NFL Power Rankings

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The Top-10 in the Power Rankings got shaken up again. There are two newcomers in the Top-5. Who’s for real and who is a pretender? Find out here.

What is really happening this season is that there are a few elite team, a few good teams, a lot of so-so teams, and a lot of bad teams. There are only four teams that have better than a plus-50 point differential halfway through the season—the Patriots, the Broncos, the Cowboys, and the Eagles. It’s no surprise that they all land in the top-10 in the Power Rankings. However, it makes it very difficult to rank everyone else. See what shakeups happened this week.

The Rankings

Oct 30, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) tries to break a tackle by Buffalo Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore (24) during the second half at New Era Field. The Patriots beat the Bills 41-25. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports /

1. New England Patriots (1)

Rob Gronkowski, Martellus Bennett, Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, Chris Hogan—The list of formidable pass-catchers for Tom Brady is huge. This offense is humming right now but will have their toughest test of the year coming up after their week nine bye. A rematch of Super Bowl XLIX will be played in Foxborough as the Seahawks bring their number-two-ranked scoring defense to try and stop Tom Brady and the Pats. It will also be interesting to see how the Pats defense fares after trading away their best defender in Jamie Collins. It’s a bold strategy, let’s see how it works out for them.

Oct 30, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) celebrates his game tying touchdown in the fourth quarter with receiver Dez Bryant (88) against the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Dallas Cowboys (2)

Just when Dak Prescott finally looked like a rookie—just when they thought the win-streak would be snapped—just when Tony Romo saw a flicker of hope that he could get his job back; Dak to Dez tied the game, and Dak Prescott solidified his spot as the starting QB—a sentiment that was echoed by Jerry Jones after the game. Dak Prescott is the starter in Dallas, and the Cowboys look like the team to beat in the NFC.

Oct 30, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Bradley Roby (29) returns a interception for a touchdown in the second quarter against the San Diego Chargers at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Denver Broncos (5)

The Broncos defense is beginning to round into form, even with a few key components out. Brandon Marshall and Aqib Talib were both spectators on Sunday but it didn’t matter one bit. Demarcus Ware made his return and helped this defense hit Phillip Rivers 13 times on the day. This looks like 2015 all over again—a putrid offense, an all-time defense. Remember how that worked out?

Oct 30, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith(11) gets ready to take a hit from Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson (53) at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Kansas City Chiefs (7)

Perhaps the beat down they took on national t.v. from the Steelers was the best thing to happen to the Chiefs. Since then, they have been the same dominant force they were to close the 2015 season. However Alex Smith was twice forced to leave the game against the Colts and will now have to pass concussion protocol to play next week. The good news—even if Smith can’t go, Nick Foles is most likely capable of beating the Jaguars.

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