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We are officially past the halfway point of the NFL season. Playoff races are going to start heating up as the men are about to separate themselves from the boys. Who was impressive this week and who wasn't? Here are the top 10 teams heading into week 10:
10. Tennessee Titans (5-3): Marcus Mariota is very good at controlling the football and he doesn't force plays. Kevin Byard is emerging into a star in a hurry on defense. They have a solid pass rush and the Titans know how to control the line of scrimmage. Last week's ranking: not ranked.
9. Dallas Cowboys (5-3): Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott continue to carry the Cowboys offense time and time again. At some point they will be without Elliott and Prescott will be under pressure to perform even better. They have a solid offensive line and the Cowboys are starting to get a pass rush led by Demarcus Lawerence. Last week's ranking: not ranked.
8. Carolina Panthers (6-3): Christian McCaffrey and Cam Newton continue to be the main catalysts in the Panthers offense. Losing Kelvin Benjamin in a trade to Buffalo hurt the Panthers early in the game, but the Panthers offense found its mojo as the game moved on. Luke Keuchley and Carolina's defense is very underrated. Last week's ranking: 9.
7. Minnesota Vikings (6-2): The Vikings were on a bye this week and they slipped in the standings because teams like the Los Angeles Rams and the New Orleans Saints were impressive. The Vikings are still a very talented team. They could be getting Teddy Bridgewater back soon. Last week's ranking: 5.
6. Kansas City Chiefs (6-3): Losses to teams like the Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers makes you wonder whether or not the Chiefs are serious contenders or not. Alex Smith played well, but he didn't seem to play with urgency however. The speed of the Chiefs has been contained lately. Last week's ranking: 3.
5. Los Angeles Rams (6-2): Jared Goff and Todd Gurley continue to humiliate opposing defenses. They made the Giants defense look lost especially on a third-and-33 play that led to a 52-yard touchdown by Robert Woods. The Rams also have a good defense and special teams. Last week's ranking: 8.
4. New Orleans Saints (6-2): The Saints defense is starting to establish an identity and it was so physical that it even causes Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans to shove Marshon Lattimore to the ground. Alvin Kamara continues to be a weapon out of the backfield by either catching the ball or running the ball. Drew Brees doesn't have to throw the ball 50 times anymore. Last week's ranking: 6.
3. New England Patriots (6-2): Tom Brady and the rest of the Patriots were able to relax during the bye week. The only thing not relaxing was shopping Jimmy Garapollo to the San Francisco 49ers. The Patriots have a tough game at Denver next week and the Broncos will have their backs against the wall. The defense needs to be ready to answer the bell and New England is tough to beat off a bye week. Last week's ranking: 4.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2): The Steelers were able to get needed rest during their bye week. They have the ultimate trap game against the Indianapolis Colts this week. Pittsburgh needs to keep their simple formula intact with running the ball with Le'Veon Bell, passing the ball to either Antonio Brown or JuJu Smith-Schuster, and play solid defense. Last week's ranking: 2.
1.Philadelphia Eagles (8-1): The Eagles continue to be the most impressive team in the NFL. Carson Wentz is a magician and he makes it look easy. Alshon Jeffery is a beast and the Eagles offense scored 51 points on the Denver Broncos (top-ranked defense in the NFL). Jay Ajayi has made the Eagles offense even more dangerous. The defense continues to force turnovers. Last week's ranking: 1.
