The Raiders, who beat Denver convincingly in Week 9 and have won three straight games, make their way into the top five in the Week 10 NFL Power Rankings. ESPN's power panel (a group of more than 80 writers, editors and TV personalities) also rewarded another Week 9 winner, the Falcons, who moved up four spots to cap off the top five.
Methodology note: These rankings reflect which teams voters think would win head-to-head matchups. Higher-ranked teams would be favored against lower-ranked teams. Coming off a win doesn't guarantee a jump, and coming off a loss doesn't guarantee a fall.
Check out the rest of the league and where each team ranks.
Previous rankings: Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1 | Preseason
ESPN Stats & Information contributed the following research, with this week's focus on a key stat for the first half of the season and a key stat looking ahead to the second half.
1. New England Patriots
2016 record: 7-1 | Week 9 ranking: 1
91.5: Tom Brady leads the NFL in Total QBR this season with a 91.5 mark. He has thrown 12 touchdowns and no interceptions since returning from a four-game suspension. The Pats were rolling without him (3-1) but have gotten to another level since his return.
38 percent: The Patriots are the heavy favorites to win the Super Bowl, according to NFL FPI, with a 38 percent chance of doing so. No other team has odds better than 15 percent.
2. Dallas Cowboys
2016 record: 7-1 | Week 9 ranking: 2
7: Rookie QB Dak Prescott has won seven straight games for the Cowboys and is only the third rookie since the 1970 merger to win that many games. But Prescott is not the only rookie making an impact.
1,782: Rookie RB Ezekiel Elliott is on pace for 1,782 rushing yards this season, which would be the second most of all time by a rookie (Eric Dickerson, 1,808 in 1983).
3. Oakland Raiders
2016 record: 7-2 | Week 9 ranking: 6
1st: Through nine weeks, the Raiders are in sole possession of first place in the AFC West for the first time since Week 12 in 2011. They missed the playoffs that season, but this year could be different.
81 percent: NFL FPI gives the Raiders an 81 percent chance of making the playoffs. The Raiders haven't made the playoffs since 2002, when they lost to Tampa Bay in the Super Bowl.
4. Seattle Seahawks
2016 record: 5-2-1 | Week 9 ranking: 4
75.4: If we told you at the beginning of the season that through eight games, the Seahawks would be averaging 75.4 rushing yards per game, third fewest in the NFL, would you have expected them to still be 5-2-1?
XLIX: The Seahawks might need that rushing offense to kick it into gear in Week 10, when they take on the Patriots in a Super Bowl XLIX rematch. It's the first time the two teams will meet since the Pats won 28-24.
5. Atlanta Falcons
2016 record: 6-3 | Week 9 ranking: 9
33.9: The Falcons' offense leads the NFL in scoring this season and is averaging 33.9 points per game, a field goal better than the next-best team (Saints with 30.3).
2009: Scoring doesn't necessarily equal championships. The 2009 Saints are the most recent team to win the Super Bowl while leading the NFL in scoring. The team with the top offense at the end of the season has lost five of its past six Super Bowl appearances.
6. Kansas City Chiefs
2016 record: 6-2 | Week 9 ranking: 11
.889: The Chiefs are 6-2 this season and 16-2 in their past 18 games, good for an .889 winning percentage, best in the NFL since Week 7 of last season.
.557: The Chiefs still have a tough road ahead, as they have the fifth-most difficult remaining strength of schedule (.557 opponent win percentage).
7. Denver Broncos
2016 record: 6-3 | Week 9 ranking: 3
3rd: It seems unusual for the defending champion Broncos to be third in the AFC West this late in the season, but at 6-3, they trail the Raiders (7-2) and Chiefs (6-2).
72 percent: NFL FPI still gives the Broncos a 72 percent chance of making the playoffs, fourth in the AFC, but with games against the Chiefs (twice), Raiders and Patriots remaining, those odds could hang in the balance.
8. Cincinnati Bengals
2016 record: 3-4-1 | Week 9 ranking: 13
42.1: The Bengals got off to a slow start this season, partially because of an inability to convert red zone drives into touchdowns. They scored a touchdown on only 42.1 percent of red zone drives in their first six games.
83.3: However, since tight end Tyler Eifert's return, the Bengals are converting 83.3 percent of their red zone drives into touchdowns. This should bode well for Cincy down the stretch.
9. Pittsburgh Steelers
2016 record: 4-4 | Week 9 ranking: 8
.250: QB Ben Roethlisberger is now 2-6 (.250) in his career in his first game back from an injury. The Week 9 loss to the Ravens dropped Pittsburgh to 4-4 this season.
.685: The good news is Roethlisberger has a .685 career winning percentage, excluding his first game back from injury, so the Steelers will have ample opportunity to get north of .500.
10. Minnesota Vikings
2016 record: 5-3 | Week 9 ranking: 7
2.7: It's easy to knock QB Sam Bradford, but he isn't getting much help. The Vikings are averaging an NFL-worst 2.7 yards per rush this season.
1953: To put that 2.7 yards per rush into perspective: If it holds, it would be the lowest average since the 1953 Giants averaged 2.6 yards per rush. It also would be the worst mark in franchise history.
11. Green Bay Packers
2016 record: 4-4 | Week 9 ranking: 5
.500: The Packers have thrived and struggled this season, but they currently sit at .500 (4-4) through eight games for the first time since 2009.
1-2: The Packers are 1-2 on the road this season but have traveled only once since Week 3. That'll change soon, as the Packers' next three games are on the road.
12. New York Giants
2016 record: 5-3 | Week 9 ranking: 22
56.4: Odell Beckham Jr. is averaging 84.5 receiving yards per game and is catching 56.4 percent of his targets this season, both the lowest of his career.
68.6: The 5-3 Giants haven't been as reliant on Beckham this season, as QB Eli Manning is completing 68.6 percent of his passes to all others, the highest rate of the Beckham era.
13. Washington Redskins
2016 record: 4-3-1 | Week 9 ranking: 15
300: How much the Redskins have had to rely on QB Kirk Cousins is a direct indicator of how well they've done. The Redskins are 0-3-1 when Cousins throws for 300-plus yards this season and 4-0 when he doesn't have to and throws for less.
3-0: Coming up, the Redskins have tough games against the Vikings, Packers, Cowboys, Cardinals, Eagles, Panthers and Giants. But fear not: The Redskins are 3-0 this season against teams entering the game with a record better than .500.
14. Detroit Lions
2016 record: 5-4 | Week 9 ranking: 21
9: The Lions are 5-4 this season, which in itself is unremarkable. What is remarkable is that the Lions have trailed in the fourth quarter in all nine games, something only the 0-9 Browns have also done this season.
1993: If the Lions keep winning and the Vikings keep losing, Detroit could win its first division title since 1993.
15. Baltimore Ravens
2016 record: 4-4 | Week 9 ranking: 20
+1: The Ravens are 4-4 this season, with every game decided by eight or fewer points. The Ravens have been about as even as you can get, with a plus-1 point differential.
4: The fate of the Ravens' season will likely fall on their four remaining division games. Baltimore is 2-0 in the division this season and gets the 0-9 Browns on Thursday.
16. Arizona Cardinals
2016 record: 3-4-1 | Week 9 ranking: 12
37 percent: Running back David Johnson has accounted for 37 percent of the team's yards from scrimmage -- by far the highest total in the NFL.
54.2: If the Cardinals want to get back above .500, they'll need QB Carson Palmer to return to form. His 54.2 Total QBR this season is 24.4 points lower than his mark for all of last season.
17. San Diego Chargers
2016 record: 4-5 | Week 9 ranking: 14
2nd: The Chargers have run 308 offensive plays with a lead this season. Only the Patriots have run more plays than San Diego in 2016.
2nd: Why are the Chargers 4-5 overall? While forcing the second-most turnovers (18), they've also committed the second-most turnovers (18).
18. Philadelphia Eagles
2016 record: 4-4 | Week 9 ranking: 10
82 percent: The Eagles started the season 3-0 and had an 82 percent chance of making the playoffs, according to NFL FPI. That was fifth best in the NFL at the time.
29 percent: Since dropping four of their next five, the Eagles' playoff chances have dipped to 29 percent, according to FPI, 16th in the NFL. The Eagles have the second-hardest remaining strength of schedule (.602).
19. Houston Texans
2016 record: 5-3 | Week 9 ranking: 17
-30: Despite sitting 5-3 coming off their bye, the Texans have a minus-30 point differential this season, worst of any team with a winning record and eighth worst overall.
1: The Texans should have a chance to improve on that point differential. Only one of their remaining eight games is against a team that currently has a winning record (Raiders in Week 11).
20. New Orleans Saints
2016 record: 4-4 | Week 9 ranking: 19
80: The Saints have won four of their past five, and though QB Drew Brees has been effective all season, he has posted a Total QBR of at least 80 in five straight games, the longest streak in the NFL this season.
28th: Brees will need to keep it up to keep New Orleans winning. The Saints rank 28th in defensive efficiency, according to NFL FPI, which explains why they are 4-4, despite having the fourth-most efficient offense.
21. Buffalo Bills
2016 record: 4-5 | Week 9 ranking: 18
34: The Bills are not built to win high-scoring games, and they fell short once again Monday against the Seahawks. It was the Bills' 34th consecutive loss when allowing at least 24 points in a game.
26.3: The Bills are averaging 26.3 points per game this season, and if they keep hitting that average, they could get wins against the Bengals and Jags the next two weeks.
22. Indianapolis Colts
2016 record: 4-5 | Week 9 ranking: 25
22nd: The Colts have had some flashes of strong play (see: Week 9 vs. the Packers), but NFL FPI has them ranked as the 22nd-most efficient team through Week 9.
18: The Colts' efficiency could rise if QB Andrew Luck & Co. could string together some wins. Luck hasn't won consecutive starts in his past 18 games, but he will get an opportunity in Week 11 against Tennessee.
23. Tennessee Titans
2016 record: 4-5 | Week 9 ranking: 23
5: QB Marcus Mariota has improved this season, but he needs to limit critical errors. He has had five turnovers returned for touchdowns this season -- most in the NFL -- with the Titans going 0-3 when that happens.
85.2: When Mariota is on, the Titans can do some damage. Only Ben Roethlisberger (85.3) has a higher QBR in wins the past two seasons than Mariota (85.2), which makes his play the biggest key to Tennessee's success.
24. Carolina Panthers
2016 record: 3-5 | Week 9 ranking: 16
.417: The Panthers are off to a 3-5 start, and besides last season, that record is pretty par for the course for QB Cam Newton, who has a career .417 winning percentage in September and October.
.721: Once the calendar turns to November, however, Newton and the Panthers take off. Newton is 31-12 in his career from November through January, good for a .721 winning percentage.
25. Miami Dolphins
2016 record: 4-4 | Week 9 ranking: 28
100: That's the magic number for the Dolphins' rushing attack, as they are 4-0 when rushing for 100-plus yards this season (and 0-4 when rushing for fewer than 100).
3: The Dolphins have won three straight thanks to Jay Ajayi, who has at least 100 yards and a touchdown in all three games. He's one game shy of tying the longest such streak in franchise history (Ricky Williams in 2002).
26. New York Jets
2016 record: 3-6 | Week 9 ranking: 27
12: The Jets have the fourth-worst second-half point differential this season, thanks in large part to QB Ryan Fitzpatrick's 12 second-half interceptions (one in the first half).
0.7 percent: The Jets' struggles have them with a 0.7 percent chance of making the playoffs, according to NFL FPI.
27. Los Angeles Rams
2016 record: 3-5 | Week 9 ranking: 24
40.2: Case Keenum, who has taken every offensive snap for the Rams this season, has a 40.2 Total QBR, worst in the NFL.
3rd: Jared Goff, the 2016 No. 1 overall pick, has yet to see the field this season. He's now the third quarterback to go first overall and not play in the first half of the season, joining Carson Palmer and JaMarcus Russell.
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2016 record: 3-5 | Week 9 ranking: 26
3-1: The Buccaneers are one of five teams with a 3-1 or better road record so far this season.
0-4: On the other hand, the Bucs are 0-4 at home this season and have lost six straight home games dating to last season. Tampa Bay has four home contests remaining and is allowing 34.3 points per home game this season.
29. Chicago Bears
2016 record: 2-6 | Week 9 ranking: 29
31st: Despite a team with offensive talent in Alshon Jeffery, Jordan Howard and Zach Miller, Chicago ranks 31st in points scored (16.4 PPG).
2004: If the Bears' offense continues to struggle, they could post their lowest offensive ranking in a season since 2004, the season they finished dead last (14.4 PPG) in the league.
30. San Francisco 49ers
2016 record: 1-7 | Week 9 ranking: 31
193.0: In eight games this season, opponents have averaged 193.0 rushing yards against the 49ers, which, as you might guess, is the worst in the NFL.
3,008: The 49ers are on pace to allow 3,008 rushing yards this season. No team has allowed 3,000 rushing yards in a season since the 1980 Saints.
31. Jacksonville Jaguars
2016 record: 2-6 | Week 9 ranking: 30
66: The Jaguars have held the lead on an NFL-low 66 plays this season, and 57 of those came in one game (a 30-27 win over the Colts in Week 4). It's not going to get much easier for Jacksonville.
.559: The Jaguars have the fourth-most difficult remaining schedule, with their opponents combining for a .559 win percentage.
32. Cleveland Browns
2016 record: 0-9 | Week 9 ranking: 32
0: The Browns remain the only winless team in the NFL this season. It's the first time since 1975 that the franchise has started 0-9.
15 percent: According to NFL FPI, the Browns have a 15 percent chance of losing out. No other team has more than a 5 percent chance of doing so.