Here’s my take on how the league shapes up after another wild week of football. As always, feel free to leave any comments you might have at the bottom of the page.
Top of the Heap
1. New York Jets (5-1) – Nothing that happened this week was enough to push the Jets off the top spot, and with a home game against the Packers up next, a sixth straight win could be in the cards if they can keep Aaron Rodgers down.
2. Atlanta (5-2) – It took a monster game from Roddy White for the Falcons to pull out a win last Sunday against the Bengals, and while they’re still the best team in the NFC, that’s not saying much given how bad the rest of the conference is right now.
3. Baltimore (5-2) – Giving up 34 points to the Bills at home and going to overtime to get the win is inexcusable for a team of the Ravens ability. They’ll have to be much, much better next week against the Dolphins.
4. Pittsburgh (5-1) – The Steelers lived up to their name last Sunday, literally stealing a victory from Miami in the waning seconds, with a horrible call by the officials on the field. Still, their defense and offensive firepower is close to being elite once again, giving them a chance to win every week.
5. New England (5-1) – While the Patriots should have their way with a depleted Vikings secondary next week, the real matchup to watch will be the Patriots defense versus former teammate Randy Moss. With Brett Favre not healthy, my money’s on New England.
6. New York Giants (5-2) – If not for their five turnovers, the Giants probably would have dropped 60 points on a pathetically inept Cowboys team last night. That said, they showed the whole country just how dangerous they’ll be late in the year, with an electric receiving corps, strong running game, and dominant defense.
7. Indianapolis (4-2) – If there’s a better quarterback in the league than Peyton Manning, I haven’t seen him this season, and the Colts are going to need every bit of his skill to overcome the key injuries that have plagued their team thus far.
8. Houston (4-2) – The Texans offense is definitely legit, but their defense is lagging far behind, and the loss of DeMeco Ryans definitely won’t help in that regard. They’ll have to put up or shut up in a primetime showdown against the the Colts next Monday night.
9. Tennessee (5-2) – You have to love what the Titans are doing so far this year, utilizing their opportunistic defense to the max, and letting their offensive stars take them home to the victory. Staying focused on beating a reeling Chargers team on the road next week is a must though.
10. Kansas City (4-2) – People love to bash on Matt Cassel, but he’s consistently improved his game from week to week, and the Chiefs have responded in a huge way. With an extremely favorable schedule ahead, a division title is definitely within reach.
Middle of the pack
11. New Orleans (4-3)
12. Washington (4-3)
13. Tampa Bay (5-2)
14. Green Bay (4-3)
15. Seattle (4-2)
16. Philadelphia (4-3)
17. Chicago (4-3)
18. Miami (3-3)
19. Minnesota (2-4)
20. Arizona (3-3)
21. St. Louis (3-4)
22. Oakland (3-4)
23. San Diego (2-5)
24. Jacksonville (3-4)
Bottom of the Barrel
25. Cincinnati (2-4)
26. Denver (2-5)
27. Cleveland (2-5)
28. Dallas (1-5)
29. Detroit (1-5)
30. Carolina (1-5)
31. San Francisco (1-6)
32. Buffalo (0-6)
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Written by Chris Kolb
Topics: NFL News, Power Rankings