Only one word can define the 2021 NFL season through 10 weeks — chaotic. Week 10 was the second consecutive week where four teams entered with a .500-or-below winning percentage and defeated a team that began the week in first place or tied for first place in their division. The eight wins by teams with a .500-or-below winning percentage against division leaders over the past two weeks are the most wins to occur during these two weeks of a season (Week 9 and 10) since the merger.
How much did the topsy-turvy Week 10 shake up the divisional power rankings? The NFC East went undefeated on the week while the AFC North and NFC West — the two top teams in the power rankings — went winless. The bottom divisions are starting to close the gap to the top, shaping up for a wild final eight weeks of the regular season.
This week’s divisional power rankings are interesting — to say the least.
8. NFC North
Last week’s ranking: 8
Only the NFC North can not lose a game in Week 10 and not gain a spot in the rankings. The Green Bay Packers shut out the Seattle Seahawks — which never happened with Russell Wilson at quarterback until Sunday — and the Minnesota Vikings beat the Los Angeles Chargers on the road. The Detroit Lions didn’t even lose this week (tied the Pittsburgh Steelers)!
So how does the NFC North remain the worst division in football? Well, the NFC East went undefeated in Week 10 and the AFC East did not lose any interdivisional games either. There was no room for the NFC North to jump ahead of any other divisions.
The NFC North is a league-worst 11-17-1 in interdivisional games (.397 win percentage) and 15-21-1 overall (.419). They fail to move up despite going 2-0-1 in interdivisional games this week.
7. AFC East
Last week’s ranking: 6
Another one of the bottom divisions that didn’t lose in interdivisional play this week, going 2-0 thanks to the New England Patriots thrashing the Cleveland Browns and the Miami Dolphins‘ massive upset of the Baltimore Ravens. The Buffalo Bills also crushed the New York Jets in a divisional matchup.
How did the AFC East fall a spot with an impressive week? The NFC East had a better Week 10, even though the Dolphins beat a first-place team in another division and the Patriots throttled an AFC North team with a winning record. New England has the look of a playoff team while Buffalo is still a Super Bowl contender.
The AFC East is still just 11-15 in out-of-division games (.423) and 17-21 overall (.447). This division is improving by the week.
6. AFC South
Last week’s ranking: 5
The AFC South fell a spot this week, even with the Tennessee Titans maintaining the best record in the AFC by defeating the New Orleans Saints in the lone out-of-division game. The Indianapolis Colts got to .500 for the first time by defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars, putting themselves in playoff contention.
While the Colts and Titans look good, it’s hard to ignore the Jaguars and Houston Texans are in this division. This division still has the team with the best record in the conference and is 4-1 in interdivisional games over the last two weeks.
The AFC South is only 10-16 in interdivisional games (.385) and has a 16-22 overall record (.421), both worst in the NFL. Last week’s showing only moves the AFC South down one spot after the division didn’t lose any interdivisional games.
5. NFC East
Last week’s ranking: 7
What a week for the NFC East, continuing to show the division wasn’t as bad as advertised heading into the year. The Dallas Cowboys destroyed the Atlanta Falcons while the Philadelphia Eagles took care of the Denver Broncos on the road. But the most impressive win by the NFC East was the Washington Football Team upsetting the NFC South leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers — who were coming off a bye week.
A 3-0 week for the NFC East deserves its praise, considering the division is a surprising 14-17 in interdivisional games (.452) and 17-20 overall (.460). The NFC East has three under .500 teams, but the division has a better overall record than the AFC South, AFC East, and NFC North. This division has overachieved thus far in 2021.
4. NFC South
Last week’s ranking: 4
Why is the gap closing between the bottom-tier divisions and the top-tier divisions? The NFC South going 1-3 this week certainly played a role, starting with the Buccaneers falling to Washington and the Saints losing to the Titans. The Falcons didn’t help in getting destroyed by the Cowboys, either.
The Carolina Panthers had the most impressive win by defeating the Arizona Cardinals, although Arizona didn’t have Kyler Murray, Chase Edmonds, or DeAndre Hopkins available. Carolina is still the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoff picture and this division does have three teams currently in the postseason.
A bad week for the NFC South still keeps them in the top half of the rankings. The NFC South is still 15-12 in out-of-division games (.556) and 20-17 overall (.541).
3. NFC West
Last week’s ranking: 2
Another poor week for the NFC West, starting with the Seahawks getting shut out by the Packers despite Russell Wilson returning. The Cardinals were blown out at home by the Panthers, as the injuries are starting to catch up to the offense and the defense had its worst performance of the year. The Los Angeles Rams had an opportunity to gain ground on the Cardinals but laid an egg against the San Francisco 49ers.
This division is still one of the strongest in football, yet has had a few hiccups in recent weeks. Seattle — the defending division champion — is far from the postseason while San Francisco needs to show it can beat other teams at home not named the Los Angeles Rams.
The NFC West hasn’t won an interdivisional game in two weeks. The division is 16-10 in interdivisional contests (.615) and 22-16 overall (.579).
2. AFC West
Last week’s ranking: 3
The AFC West didn’t have a great week amongst the division powerhouses, going 0-2 in out-of-division games. The Broncos were defeated by the Eagles after a huge win over the Cowboys, while the Chargers were upset by the Vikings at home. Every team in this division is .500 or better, but the AFC West allowed the Kansas City Chiefs to take over first place by not separating themselves in the midst of Kansas City’s struggles.
With Kansas City back in first place and the AFC West having all their teams .500 or better, the division moves up a spot. This is still one of the most compelling division battles in the NFL.
The AFC West is 17-13 in out-of-division games (.567) and 21-17 overall (.553).
1. AFC North
Last week’s ranking: 1
Remaining in the top spot is the AFC North, despite going winless in Week 10. The division-leading Ravens fell to the Dolphins while the Browns were destroyed by the Patriots — 0-2 against the AFC East. The Steelers tied the Lions, making the week even worse for the AFC North.
This division still has three teams with a winning record and all four teams are .500 or better. A poor week doesn’t affect the AFC North, which still is 17-11-1 in interdivisional games (.603) and 21-15-1 overall (.581 win percentage is the best in NFL).
In a bad week for the upper-tier divisions, the AFC North holds serve at No. 1. The gap between the top and bottom is shrinking thank to the craziness of Week 10.
