There are usually a couple things you look for in a football game. Momentum swings are always one of the first things you notice. Last night we saw the game reach a point where things good go from “okay” to “awesome.” Unfortunately neither the Bengals nor Giants could really get anything going and the game just kind of clunked away to its finish.

The Giants eked out a win last night to close out a fantastic week of football. While I thought we were getting a weird, but good season of football so far, Week 10 was the best week we have gotten to this point. All of the big games delivered, and we even got a few surprises along the way.

Seattle going into New England gave us a bit of both plus an ending that was all parts compelling, controversial, and ironic. The role reversal of the Super Bowl XLVIIII finish was a beautiful twist ending to a wild game.

I definitely agree that we just saw a potential Super Bowl preview on Sunday night and I’m sure I’m not alone in hoping to see that again in February. As bad as the Seahawks looked in the first few weeks, this team looks like it is turning a corner and becoming an elite team. In a year where “elite” status is rare to see, I definitely think you can consider Seattle up there with the likes of New England and Dallas.

As week make our way down the stretch I doubt we might add another team to that top group but we will definitely be able to start figuring out who are the rest of the contenders. We know that we have the three AFC West teams (Kansas City, Oakland, Denver) and the NFC East teams lurking in that group. Atlanta and Houston lead their division but it almost seems like we’re waiting for another shoe to drop. God only knows what is going on in either of the North divisions. Then there are teams like Miami, Tennessee, and Indianapolis who are all intriguing but we don’t know if any of them are for real.

With seven weeks left in the regular season, the playoff picture is awfully murky. The stretch run will be incredible to watch as the stakes get higher and higher with each passing week. Seven of the eight divisions will likely be coming down to the wire with leaves most of the playoff spots up for grabs.

It is going to be a lot of fun to watch, can’t wait to see how it will all unfold. Now that we’ve caught up a little bit on the state of the NFL just past the halfway point of the season, let’s get into this week’s power rankings and watch list. We have a new number one team this week as you might imagine, and a few other shake-ups as well. Here is the list for this week.

(1) Dallas Cowboys (8-1) – Last Week: 2

Dallas pulled off an incredible comeback on the road to cap off a wild game against Pittsburgh. Coupled with the Patriots loss to Seattle and this move to the top spot is a no-brainer. The Cowboys are playing some of the best football in the NFL and this offense is rolling on all cylinders. Ezekiel Elliot is making his own MVP case behind the best o-line in the game. ESPN writer Bill Barnwell even made the case that Dallas’ o-line should be the league MVP given how dominant they are this year. Even better news this week is Jerry Jones publically going with Dak Prescott over Tony Romo. Not messing with the chemistry of this team is the best for business in Dallas. The Cowboys will be going for the season sweep of the AFC North against Baltimore.

(2) New England Patriots (7-2) – Last Week: 1

A tough loss for the Patriots against a suddenly great Seattle team on Sunday night drops New England down one spot this week. I didn’t necessarily agree with the final sequence of play calls given how effective Blount had been at the goal line all game. Oh well, maybe one time a coach will just trust his o-line to gain one yard in a big spot. The Patriots may have bigger worries though in the form of a Rob Gronkowski injury. He reportedly finished the game with a punctured lung, which could put his playing status in jeopardy. They will be fine this week against the lowly 49ers despite being on the road.

(3) Seattle Seahawks (6-2-1) – Last Week: Watch List 

The biggest move of the week is Seattle going all the way from the watch list into the top three. A hard-fought road win at New England will do those kinds of things to a team’s stock. This offensive line looks to be holding up for the time being and Russell Wilson finally looks like himself again. C.J. Prosise could be an intriguing weapon in this offense too with the way he moved all over the field. There are definitely some good signs here for the Seahawks. The Legion of Boom is going to be tough to beat, especially if they are going to be playing with the lead more often. I’m very intrigued by the matchup this week with Philadelphia coming into town. We’ll see if this offensive line is coming together or not.

(4) Oakland Raiders (7-2) – Last Week: 3

Unfortunately standing pat worked against Oakland this week. They drop one spot in their bye week with the Seattle win. Raiders fans shouldn’t worry though as this is a team that I think is on the fringe of “elite” status. We know how well this offense already is with Carr, Cooper, Crabtree, and the second-best o-line in football. What could make this team elite rests on the play of this defense led by Khalil Mack. He has been turning in unstoppable performances and might be making a turn towards a Defensive Player of the Year run. Oakland gets its second consecutive primetime game against Houston on Monday night in Mexico City.

(5) Kansas City (7-2) – Last Week: 5

I’m going to steal a page out of Bill Maher’s playbook and make a new rule concerning the Chiefs. Don’t go up 17+ against Kansas City and think you’ve won. Just don’t do it, save yourself the heartbreak. There is nothing all that special about the Chiefs but this season’s comebacks have been ridiculous. Kansas City gets down three possessions and suddenly a switch flips. I just don’t get it. Either way this team just keeps finding ways to win, which makes them dangerous on any given week. Tampa Bay comes into town this week, which should be a winnable game for Kansas City.

Watch List: Denver (6-3), NY Giants (6-3), Washington (5-3-1), Philadelphia (5-4), Atlanta (6-4), Houston (6-3), Detroit (5-4), Baltimore (5-4)

 That’s it for me today, enjoy all of the games tonight. NBA, NHL, and college basketball are all on the schedule tonight. I’ll be back tomorrow with “Reality of Fantasy” to preview Week 11. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook.