Updated NFL Power Rankings: Hot seats for every team, plus a shake-up in the top five
Marcus “Swagu” Spears explains why the Cowboys’ loss to the Packers in Week 10 was so disappointing. (1:33)
Welcome to Week 11 of the NFL regular season.
Our power panel — a group of more than 80 writers, editors and TV personalities — have evaluated how teams are stacking up through 10 weeks.
After a weekend that featured some wild finishes, there is a shuffle in top 10 of our rankings. Who is No. 1 after the Philadelphia Eagles‘ loss on Monday night? How did the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills fare after overtime losses? And which team made the biggest jump in the rankings this week? All of those questions are answered below.
In addition to our updated rankings, we checked in with NFL Nation reporters across the league and asked them for an update on the player or coach they put on “hot seat watch” in our preseason Power Rankings. Have the seats cooled off in the first half of the season, or are they starting to heat up?
Let’s get to it.
Jump to a team:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LV | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
Week 10 ranking: 2
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Temperature of seat right now: Hot
Edwards-Helaire played just four snaps and didn’t get the ball in Sunday’s win over the Jaguars, while Isiah Pacheco ran for 82 yards and Jerick McKinnon caught six passes. It’s too early to say Edwards-Helaire won’t again have an impact on the Chiefs, but it seems a foregone conclusion that the Chiefs will decline the fifth-year option on his contract next year. — Adam Teicher
Week 10 ranking: 1
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: QB Jalen Hurts
Temperature of seat right now: Cold
With Hurts eligible for a contract extension after the season and the Eagles holding two first-round picks in April’s quarterback-rich draft, this was widely viewed as a prove-it year for Hurts — and he definitely has so far. He is squarely in the MVP discussion thanks in large part to his passing improvements. Entering Monday’s game against the Commanders, Hurts’ completion rate sat at 68.2% — sixth best in the NFL and up nearly seven points from last year’s mark (61.3%). — Tim McManus
Week 10 ranking: 4
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: C Garrett Bradbury
Temperature of seat right now: Cold
The Vikings’ new leadership group committed to evaluating Bradbury this season, and he has rewarded that decision. Bradbury has played all but two snaps and ranks No. 10 in ESPN Analytics’ run block win rate metric. As for concern about past struggles in pass protection, he ranks No. 17 in the pass block win rate metric. Add it all up, and Bradbury has been an above-average center in 2022 and is on his way to being a priority free agent this winter. — Kevin Seifert
Week 10 ranking: 6
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: CB Noah Igbinoghene
Temperature of seat right now: Hot (but tolerable)
Igbinoghene turned in noteworthy performances against the Vikings and Steelers in Week 6 and Week 7, respectively, recording a winning interception against Pittsburgh. He has logged 37 total snaps in two games since, which is an upward trend from the healthy scratches he was logging at the beginning of the season. He still has a long way to go toward solidifying a long-term roster spot, and his fifth-year option is likely all but declined at this point. But this coaching staff appreciates his work ethic and demeanor. All hope is not yet abandoned. — Marcel Louis-Jacques
Stephen A. and Dan Orlovsky debate whether Tua Tagovailoa is a legit candidate for NFL MVP.
Week 10 ranking: 3
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: Offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey
Temperature of seat right now: Lukewarm
After recent events, there is a case to be made that Dorsey’s seat is hot, but that seems a bit strong. The Bills lead the league in yards per play (6.5) and third-down conversion percentage (52.4%), but they haven’t scored a second-half touchdown in three games (the last one was in the Week 6 win over Kansas City). Recent performances by Josh Allen have played a significant role in the shortcomings (two interceptions in three consecutive games for the first time in his career), but the offensive struggles certainly also fall on Dorsey, who has work to do to get things back on track. — Alaina Getzenberg
Week 10 ranking: 7
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: LB Patrick Queen
Temperature of seat right now: Lukewarm
Queen has found his niche playing alongside newly acquired Roquan Smith, producing the best season of his three-year career as a weakside linebacker. He leads the Ravens with 58 tackles and has recorded 3.5 sacks. “He’s becoming one of the dominant linebackers,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “You kind of see him growing up right before our eyes.” But Queen’s future is uncertain in Baltimore. The Ravens’ priority will be signing Smith to a long-term extension, which decreases the chances of Baltimore picking up Queen’s fifth-year option this offseason. — Jamison Hensley
Week 10 ranking: 11
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: QB Daniel Jones
Temperature of seat right now: Cold
The Giants’ starting quarterback, an impending free agent, has played the best football of his career. Jones is eighth in the NFL with a 60.2 QBR. That’s almost eight points higher than his career average. Jones has also seemingly solved his turnover problem. His four turnovers are the second fewest among quarterbacks who have started all their teams’ games this season. With each win, it’s looking more and more likely that Jones returns next year. — Jordan Raanan
Week 10 ranking: 10
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: OT Mike McGlinchey
Temperature of seat right now: Lukewarm
McGlinchey has had his struggles, most notably in a loss to Kansas City, but the 49ers still believe he’s having a solid year. Among tackles, he ranks in the middle of the pack in ESPN Analytics’ pass block win rate. He is set to be an unrestricted free agent after the season and though the Niners would like to bring him back, that’s going to depend largely on how his market shakes out. That’s hard to project right now, but solid offensive linemen usually do well on the open market. — Nick Wagoner
Week 10 ranking: 5
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: Coach Mike McCarthy
Temperature of seat right now: Lukewarm
No matter what the Cowboys did in the regular season, McCarthy’s success was always going to be determined by the playoffs. There are issues that need to be fixed, especially the run defense. But McCarthy deserves a ton of credit for keeping the Cowboys afloat during Dak Prescott‘s five-game absence. Yet he was brought to Dallas to do what Jason Garrett couldn’t do — get past the divisional round. Once the playoffs roll around, the clocks reset for McCarthy and Prescott. — Todd Archer
Week 10 ranking: 8
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: WR Denzel Mims
Temperature of seat right now: Cold
Mims requested a trade at the end of the preseason (request denied) and was a healthy scratch for the first six games, but he has emerged over the past three games as a useful player. Ironically, he got a chance because another player (WR Elijah Moore) was deactivated for a game after requesting a trade. Mims has only four receptions, including a huge third-down catch, but his attitude has improved, according to the coaches. It will be interesting to see what happens with his role with WR Corey Davis (knee) expected to return this week. — Rich Cimini
Week 10 ranking: 12
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: QB Ryan Tannehill
Temperature of seat right now: Cold
Tannehill missed two games before returning to post his best passing performance since the season opener by completing 19 of 36 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns Sunday. The Titans are going to keep relying on the rushing attack and asking Tannehill to make a play or two per game to help them win while not turning the football over. So far, his eight touchdowns to three interceptions fit the bill. The proverbial clock started ticking on Tannehill when Tennessee drafted Malik Willis, but the Titans have remained steadfast that the rookie’s development will be a ground-up process. Expect to see Tannehill back next season. — Turron Davenport
Week 10 ranking: 9
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: QB Drew Lock
Temperature of seat right now: Cold
The Seahawks want to re-sign Lock this offseason for the same reason they wanted to acquire him from Denver in the Russell Wilson trade: They believe he has the makings of a starting quarterback. Lock didn’t get blown out in Seattle’s QB battle so much as he started in the trail position and didn’t have enough time to catch Geno Smith, especially after an ill-timed bout with COVID-19 halted his momentum. Lock’s viability as a starter remains to be seen, but the Seahawks could do much worse than re-signing him to remain Smith’s backup. — Brady Henderson
Week 10 ranking: 13
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: CB Eli Apple
Temperature of seat right now: Boiling hot
Whether it was a benching or an injury situation, it’s very clear Apple’s long-term future in Cincinnati is in question after the season. Rookie CB Cam Taylor-Britt supplanted Apple during the second half of the team’s Week 7 win over the Atlanta Falcons. Taylor-Britt was a second-round pick in 2022, the same year Apple signed a one-year extension with the Bengals. Though, Apple will start the rest of the year with Chidobe Awuzie out for the season, giving him an opportunity to show to others in the NFL that he can be a starter in 2023. — Ben Baby
Get exclusive access to more than 3,000 premium articles a year from top writers.
• Passan: Inside the Astros’ turmoil »
• Connelly: CFB’s most improved teams »
• Goldsberry: Cavs’ roller-coaster ride »
• Walder: NFL playoff picture tiers »
More ESPN+ content »
Week 10 ranking: 14
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: Adviser/OL coach Matt Patricia
Temperature of seat right now: Hot
Bill Belichick’s belief that a good coach can be moved to any position — even if his primary background is on the other side of the football — is being put to the test. One of Belichick’s primary concerns has to be that QB Mac Jones, after a promising rookie season, hasn’t taken the expected Year 2 jump. Belichick thinks highly of Patricia, who will likely always have a spot on his staff, but the results to date spark questions about whether Patricia’s current position is the right fit. — Mike Reiss
Week 10 ranking: 17
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: QB Kyle Trask
Temperature of seat right now: Warm
Kyle Trask did enough in preseason to satisfy his critics and his cheering squad. He showed glimpses of poise, but the growth just hasn’t been at the rate that evokes any confidence if suddenly he’s thrust into a No. 2 role. This season, he has been inactive every game. — Jenna Laine
Week 10 ranking: 15
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: DL Jerry Tillery (cut on Nov. 10)
Coach Brandon Staley said there came a point when it was apparent that both sides needed to move on. “Where we’re headed as a team wasn’t going to be compatible with Jerry and where he’s trying to go,” Staley said. Tillery appeared in seven games this season and recorded a sack and forced fumble. — Lindsey Thiry
Week 10 ranking: 18
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: QB Carson Wentz
Temperature of seat right now: Hot
He’s somewhere between lukewarm and hot but given his past few seasons, and the scrutiny he faces, Wentz’s seat always trends toward hot. He has missed the past four games while on injured reserve. Wentz started off strong, with seven touchdown passes in the first two games, but in the next four games he threw three touchdown passes and the offense scored a combined 47 points. The issues don’t all stem from Wentz — he’s a byproduct of shaky pass protection while also learning a new offense. But his contract is not guaranteed beyond this season, so even though Washington gave up multiple draft picks for him, Wentz will have to play well and show improvement once he returns. — John Keim
Week 10 ranking: 24
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: LT David Bakhtiari
Temperature of seat right now: Lukewarm
Just when it seems like Bakhtiari is full go, his knee issue flares up. For example, two weeks ago at Detroit, he dropped out at halftime and then decided he was good to go for the game’s final series. Last month at Washington, his knee didn’t feel right the day before the game and he was a scratch despite practicing most of the week. The Packers might have a tough decision to make this offseason because he is a great player when available, but he is due a lot of money ($17.5 million in salary and bonuses) next season. — Rob Demovsky
Is a run-first offense key to success for the Packers?
Dan Orlovsky, Ryan Clark and Rex Ryan discuss what went right for the Packers’ offense vs. the Cowboys.
Dan Orlovsky, Ryan Clark and Rex Ryan discuss what went right for the Packers’ offense vs. the Cowboys.
Week 10 ranking: 23
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: Coach Kliff Kingsbury
Temperature of seat right now: Hot
Kingsbury is still on the hot seat, which would’ve started burning up beneath him if Arizona had lost to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. But the win didn’t cool his backside. He’s still under the microscope at 4-6. Another couple of losses and the bye week might be longer than just a weekend. — Josh Weinfuss
Week 10 ranking: 16
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: DL Marlon Davidson (cut on Oct. 25)
The Falcons cut Davidson from injured reserve after two lackluster seasons and 29 tackles with one sack, one tackle for loss and his career highlight for Atlanta — an interception return for a touchdown against Tom Brady in 2021. Another player to watch on the hot seat would be QB Marcus Mariota. Among the fan base, there are major questions and he has become a polarizing topic. He has done good things for Atlanta, particularly running the ball and getting the Falcons in the right plays, but his issues with accuracy (61.9% completion percentage) and his decision-making leads to questions about his medium- and long-term future as Atlanta’s starter. — Michael Rothstein
Week 10 ranking: 27
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: Coach Frank Reich (fired Nov. 7)
Unfortunately for Reich, we nailed this one. He was fired in the midst of his fifth season after a 26-3 loss to the Patriots. Reich was beset by a revolving door of quarterbacks during his tenure, leading to slow starts to seasons and inconsistent results. He is still highly regarded and will want to coach again. We’ll see what the marketplace thinks of him in the coming months. As for his replacement, Jeff Saturday, he’s embarking on an endeavor unprecedented in the modern era — becoming a head coach without any college or pro experience. He’ll either revolutionize NFL hiring or be a funny footnote in history. — Stephen Holder
• Why each team could win AFC East
• Panthers buy into coach Steve Wilks
• Jaguars not where they want to be, yet
• Key to Giants DT Lawrence’s sudden rise
• How do Cowboys fix poor rush defense?
Week 10 ranking: 19
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: S Taylor Rapp
Temperature of seat right now: Lukewarm
Taylor Rapp was a candidate for the hot seat during the preseason in part because it’s tough for a team to have many candidates six months after winning the Super Bowl. Rapp was the choice because he was entering the final season of his rookie contract, and Los Angeles has not typically re-signed safeties to big contracts. The two safeties the Rams drafted in April, Quentin Lake (sixth round) and Russ Yeast (seventh round) have combined for only one defensive snap, but the team could still choose to move on from Rapp when he hits free agency — Sarah Barshop
Week 10 ranking: 20
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: Coach Kevin Stefanski
Temperature of seat right now: Lukewarm
Sure, Stefanski has been without quarterback Deshaun Watson, who is set to return in Week 13 after an 11-game suspension. Even so, the 3-6 Browns have massively underachieved to this point. Stefanski has done well calling plays for an offense that ranks in the top 10 in efficiency. But the team overall, especially defensively, has performed far below its talent level. Unless the bottom completely falls out, Stefanski’s job probably isn’t in jeopardy yet. But his seat is warming up — and could be on the line in Watson’s first full Browns season in 2023. — Jake Trotter
Week 10 ranking: 21
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: QB Jameis Winston
Temperature of seat right now: Hot
Jameis Winston was injured in Week 1, and the team sat him in favor of Andy Dalton in Week 4 after Winston’s several failed attempts to play through it. But with the team’s record in free fall and two straight weeks of offensive struggles, it doesn’t seem out of the question that Winston could play again this season. For now, Winston is in limbo, both for 2022 and his future in New Orleans beyond this season. — Katherine Terrell
Week 10 ranking: 25
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: S Eddie Jackson
Temperature of seat right now: Cold
The Bears have an important decision to make with Jackson if they envision him as part of their long-term plans with his $13 million base salary in 2023. As far as his on-field production, the free safety has made the most of his bounce-back season and while Chicago’s defense has struggled, Jackson has provided leadership and stability in the secondary. Jackson is tied for the second-most interceptions in the NFL (four), has allowed a 73.5 passer rating when targeted and is the Bears’ active leader in tackles (51). His coverage skills look like how he performed in 2019, and his ability against the run has been an overall positive. — Courtney Cronin
Rex Ryan and Ryan Clark discuss Justin Fields’ recent success running the ball in the Bears offense.
Week 10 ranking: 26
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: RT Jawaan Taylor
Temperature of seat right now: Cold
Taylor has been better in 2022 than he was in his first three seasons when he gave up a league-high 40 sacks in 49 games and had a pass block win rate of 84.5% (which ranked 56th among offensive tackles). Taylor has given up four sacks and has a pass block win rate of 87.6% (39th among tackles), and he had a two-game stretch earlier in the season when he played the best football of his career. He has done enough for the Jaguars to consider signing him to an extension — but the team could still let him walk and go with third-year player Walker Little in 2023 because it’s already over the projected cap and has four players with cap hits of $19 million or more already on the books. — Michael DiRocco
Week 10 ranking: 29
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: ILB Devin Bush
Temperature of seat right now: Lukewarm
To be clear, this isn’t a referendum on Bush’s performance this season. The Steelers’ 2019 first-round pick has played pretty well this season, racking up 47 combined tackles and 3.5 stuffs. Bush responded well to Brian Flores’ addition to the coaching staff, and head coach Mike Tomlin is pleased with Bush’s performance so far, saying that he was starting to perform to his pre-ACL tear level. The Steelers, though, didn’t pick up Bush’s fifth-year option, making him a free agent after this season. There’s still the possibility he could return on a short-term deal like the one safety Terrell Edmunds signed in the 2022 offseason. — Brooke Pryor
Week 10 ranking: 22
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: QB Russell Wilson
Temperature of seat right now: Hot
Hot, in a he’s not going anywhere — he signed a five-year, $245 million extension in September — but he better find some touchdowns or he’s going to need a space shuttle heat shield kind of way. The Broncos are the lowest-scoring team in the league, their offensive line is decimated by injuries, their best running back and one of their best receivers are on injured reserve, and two other receivers are also hurt. Other than that, things are fine. — Jeff Legwold
Week 10 ranking: 30
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: QB Jared Goff
Temperature of seat right now: Hot
Not much has changed since the offseason. Goff is aware this is a huge year for his career, as he’s trying to prove he’s still a starter in the league in case the Lions decide to go in another direction come the offseason. Goff and the Lions’ offense got off to a hot start, leading the league in points per game through the first four weeks, before going cold with five straight losses. But they have recently turned it around with back-to-back wins for the first time since Weeks 6-7 of the 2020 season. — Eric Woodyard
Week 10 ranking: 31
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: Coach Matt Rhule (fired on Oct. 10)
Rhule’s seat definitely got too hot. Interim coach Steve Wilks isn’t on a hot seat, as he has done an admirable job thus far going 2-3 with some tough decisions, particularly at quarterback. But if he wants to keep the job full time in 2023, Wilks will have to get this team close to .500 and remain a factor in a weak NFC South that is still winnable. — David Newton
Everything you need this week:
• Full schedule » | Standings »
• Depth charts for every team »
• Transactions » | Injuries »
• Football Power Index rankings »
More NFL coverage »
Week 10 ranking: 28
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: DE Clelin Ferrell
Temperature of seat right now: Hot
Considering Ferrell was a surprisingly healthy scratch for Sunday’s stunning loss to the Colts, despite being somewhat productive for an unproductive defense, well, that’s not a good omen, right? Ferrell, the No. 4 overall pick of the 2019 draft, has 10 tackles, a pass defended and 0.5 sacks in eight games with no starts, for an underachieving 2-7 team. Writing on the wall? Stay tuned. — Paul Gutierrez
Week 10 ranking: 32
Who was on the hot seat in preseason: QB Davis Mills
Temperature of seat right now: Hot
The Texans’ games have mostly come down to the fourth quarter. There have been a few games in which Mills had the opportunity to lead the team to a win with his arm. But he just hasn’t. The final quarter is his worst, as he has a passer rating of 62 and has thrown five interceptions with only two touchdowns. The offense has averaged 3.3 points in the fourth quarter, ranked for 30th in the NFL. And the Texans have converted only eight third downs in the fourth quarter, which also ties for 30th in the NFL. For Mills to prove he is the Texans’ QB of the future, he needs to make plays in the final frame. — DJ Bien-Aime