10. New Orleans Saints, 3-5
The New Orleans Saints land at No. 10 in our NFC power rankings as Week 10 hits. The Saints are tied for the best record in the NFC South at 3-5, and with a showdown against Carolina this weekend, you can expect a playoff environment.
The Saints have seen second-year QB Tyler Shough play considerably better in year two, and while it has been far from perfect, Shough's ascension surely gives this franchise some optimism for the rest of 2026 and beyond.
And the thing here is, while the defense has been shaky this year, Shough having a bit of a breakout is a lot better than the alternative of the defense being awesome but the QB struggling. This should make it not-too-difficult for the Saints to eventually find their footing in the Shough era.
Getting a win over Carolina would be flat-out massive in that mission. The Saints could be a team on the rise in the coming weeks.
9. Dallas Cowboys, 4-5
The Dallas Cowboys, like the Saints, have a good offense but a rather horrible defense, but it's more pronounced in Dallas. This team has struggled on the defensive side of the ball for multiple years now, and it seems like the hiring of Christian Parker was the wrong move.
There is enough talent on defense for the Cowboys to not be as bad as they've been, but coaching goes a long way. With New York in front of them but only having one more win, the Cowboys are absolutely in striking distance in the NFC East.
This defense has allowed opponents to score at least 20 points in every single game this year. That is simply a recipe for disaster, as Dallas won't win many more games if they keep allowing that to happen.
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