Slowly but surely, the teams that will be competing for playoff spots are starting to separate themselves from the pack. Meanwhile, the teams competing for the services of Sam Bradford and Eric Berry are just staying bad. Seems like the past two weeks, there have been an inordinate amount of games involving good teams against really bad teams, making for a lack of excitement on Sunday. But hopefully we've got the majority of those games out of the way. Let's get to the power rankings.
1. Indianapolis (6-0) - The Colts just keep on truckin. Peyton didn't have his first 300-yard passing game but something tells me he didn't mind one bit. So far, this team looks even better than the one that won the Super Bowl. Yeah, that good. NEXT vs. San Francisco
2. Denver (6-0) - I'm still not sure how this team got this good so fast. What Josh McDaniels and his staff has done is donwright impressive. They somehow resurrecting Kyle Orton's career and proved Denver can have a good defense. NEXT @ Baltimore
3. Cincinnati (5-2) - Maybe that loss to Houston is what this team needed to light a fire. That or Cedric Benson playing his former team. Whatever it was, if the Bengals play like that every week, they'll have no problem winning the AFC North. NEXT: Bye Week
4. Pittsburgh (5-2) - The offense wasn't as dynamic as they had been but when the defense scores two touchdowns, it doesn't have to be. I still think the run game needs to be more prevalent in the offense but you ca't dispute how good the pass offense is. NEXT: Bye Week
5. New England (5-2) - It's been a couple of easy weeks for the Pats, taking on the Titans and Bucs so no need to skyrocket them up the rankings for those wins. And with Miami playing better, the Pats better be ready for a fight to win the AFC East. NEXT: Bye Week
6. Baltimore (3-3) - They have lost three in a row to three tough opponents but they are still the 6th best team in the AFC. They'll get a chance to prove they are with a tough home test against the Broncos. We'll see just how good Joe Flacco is. NEXT: vs. Denver
7. Miami (2-4) - This may seem high for them but they are playing like a team worthy of this ranking. The loss to the Saints stings with the lead they had but most teams don't recover like New Orleans did. They've bounced back from their rough start. NEXT: @ NY Jets
8. Houston (4-3) - Back-to-back wins have bumped them up to contender status. Losing Andre Johnson to injury would really hurt this offense though. And the defense still needs to play better if they plan on winning crucial ballgames down the stretch. NEXT @ Buffalo
9. San Diego (3-3) - The Chargers look re-energized against the Chiefs, putting up 37 points. But again, they were playing the Chiefs so that is to be expected. If they can stay away from the injury bug, they can still fight for a wild-card spot. NEXT vs. Oakland
10. NY Jets (4-3) - Playing the Raiders may have been just what the doctor ordered for Mark Sanchez and the Jets. They were solid on both sides of the ball but that's pretty easy against Oakland. Now, they have to handle the Dolphins. NEXT vs. Miami
11. Buffalo (3-4) - For a little while, it looked like the Bills were just gonna pack it in at 1-4. But they've won 2 in a row, both on the road, and seem to want to compete again. Ryan Fitzpatrick has done an admirable job fillinf in for Trent Edwards at QB. NEXT vs. Houston
12. Jacksonville (3-3) - Through 6 games, the Jags are right where they began at .500. If they're going to make a run at a playoff spot, they need to keep the balance on offense. With a player like Maurice Jones-Drew, there's no reason not to. NEXT @ Tennessee
13. Kansas City (1-6) - The game they played against the Chargers was just absolutely dreadful. Matt Cassel threw 3 INT and the defense gave up 37 pts. And now, Larry Johnson calls out his coach via Twitter. And we're just halfway Chiefs fans. NEXT: Bye Week
14. Cleveland (1-6) - The Browns are probably just waiting for the bye week before they start being competitive. Or maybe not. The switch to Derek Anderson at QB hasn't produced any better offensive numbers. Eric Man-genius is not living up to his nickname. NEXT @ Chicago
15. Oakland (2-5) - It's hard for me not to put them in the 16th spot because despite their two wins, they're terrible. It's mainly QB JaMarcus Russell, who despite nearly a season and a half of game experience, looks confused in and out of the pocket. NEXT @ San Diego
16. Tennessee (0-6) - I don't know if things will get any better in Tennessee after the bye week. What I do know is that I respect Jeff Fisher even more for the whole Peyton Manning jersey event. Any coach with a sense of humor at 0-6 is a classy coach. NEXT vs. Tennessee
1. New Orleans (6-0) - Is there any doubt just how good this team is now? They get down 24-3 and then come back to win by 12. The defense showed some chinks in the armor but with an offense like they have, they can sometimes afford to have a bag game. NEXT MON vs. Atlanta
2. Minnesota (6-1) - The Vikings did finally lose but they didn't play that bad. The turnovers are what did them in against the Steelers but they played a solid game other than that. But now all eyes are on this week's game. Cue ESPN's annoying coverage. NEXT @ Green Bay
3. Arizona (4-2) - Great quality win for the Cards in New York. It was a team effort too with the offense and defense coming through. Before this win, they've kinda flown under the radar despite the fact that they were NFC champs just a season ago. NEXT vs. Carolina
4. NY Giants (5-2) - Just that quick, the Giants have lost two in a row against two of the NFC's best. It's still the regular season though so no need to freak out. Still waiting to see a game in which Brandon Jacobs takes over so Eli doesn't have to. NEXT @ Philadelphia
5. Philadelphia (4-2) - Beating Washington isn't anything special but Desean Jackson sure is. Between he and Maclin, that pass attack of Philly is no joke. That's good to know too with Brian Westbrook probably out for a couple weeks with that concussion. NEXT vs. NY Giants
6. Dallas (4-2) - There's not a lot of confidence in Tony Romo these days but there should be after the performance he put in against the Falcons. That and the defense played a great game, proving that maybe, just maybe, the Cowboys are a contender. NEXT vs. Seattle
7. Atlanta (4-2) - This is a big fall for a team that I think will be near the top all year but they deserve it after the performance they put in against Dallas. All 3 phases were terrible and with a trip to NO next, falling to 4-3 is a real possibility. NEXT MON @ New Orleans
8. Green Bay (4-2) - Good solid victory over the Browns. Aaron Rodgers had yet another solid game and Ryan Grant and the running game was there to help him out. Now, all attention should be focused in on the Vikings. NFC North division on the line. NEXT vs. Minnesota
9. Chicago (3-3) - Ever since the bye week, they haven't looked the team that went into it with 3 straight wins. Jay Cutler has reverted back to his erratic play and the defense was extinct in the loss to the Benglas. Better turn it around soon. NEXT vs. Cleveland
10. San Francisco (3-3) - I figured it would be a good bet that the Niners would come out of the bye week firing on all cylinders, especially after the embarassment from the Falcons. That obviously wasn't the case and now, they're switching QBs. Yikes. NEXT @ Indianapolis
11. Seattle (2-4) - Having Matt Hasselbeck back was supposed to be enough to keep this team in the NFC West race but is hasn't been so far. This is a big game this week on the road as they try to stay in the race, because Arizona isn't slowing down. NEXT @ Dallas
12. Carolina (2-4) - John Fox needs to make a big coaching decision. Bench Jake Delhomme or hope he turns his play around sooner rather than later. I say bench him. 13 INT in 6 games is not assuring, especially against the teams they've played. NEXT @ Arizona
13. Washington (2-5) - The Jim Zorn saga continues. They didn't play all that bad against the Eagles but two things are for sure. Zorn isn't coming back as head coach next year and Jason Campbell's future is not as an NFL quarterback. NEXT: Bye Week
14. Detroit (1-5) - The bye week may have done the Lions some good. Matthew Stafford (the better QB) is back practicing, which should spark the offense. Plus, they come back and get to play a team worse than they are in the Rams. NEXT vs. St. Louis
15. St. Louis (0-7) - There were some positive signs in their latest loss to the Colts. The biggest one being the fact that Stephen Jackson ran for 132 yds. But this offense still can't seem to score TDs. This week's game against DET may be their only shot of winning. NEXT @ Detroit
16. Tampa Bay (0-7) - Apparently, playing overseas doesn't make this team better either. One has to wonder if playing Josh Freeman in that game was a short-term or long-term switch. We'll just have to wait and find out after the bye. NEXT: Bye Week
Slowly but surely, the teams that will be competing for playoff spots are starting to separate themselves from the pack. Meanwhile, the teams competing for the services of Sam Bradford and Eric Berry are just staying bad. Seems like the past two weeks, there have been an inordinate amount of games involving good teams against really bad teams, making for a lack of excitement on Sunday. But hopefully we've got the majority of those games out of the way. Let's get to the power rankings.
1. Indianapolis (6-0) - The Colts just keep on truckin. Peyton didn't have his first 300-yard passing game but something tells me he didn't mind one bit. So far, this team looks even better than the one that won the Super Bowl. Yeah, that good. NEXT vs. San Francisco
2. Denver (6-0) - I'm still not sure how this team got this good so fast. What Josh McDaniels and his staff has done is donwright impressive. They somehow resurrecting Kyle Orton's career and proved Denver can have a good defense. NEXT @ Baltimore
3. Cincinnati (5-2) - Maybe that loss to Houston is what this team needed to light a fire. That or Cedric Benson playing his former team. Whatever it was, if the Bengals play like that every week, they'll have no problem winning the AFC North. NEXT: Bye Week
4. Pittsburgh (5-2) - The offense wasn't as dynamic as they had been but when the defense scores two touchdowns, it doesn't have to be. I still think the run game needs to be more prevalent in the offense but you ca't dispute how good the pass offense is. NEXT: Bye Week
5. New England (5-2) - It's been a couple of easy weeks for the Pats, taking on the Titans and Bucs so no need to skyrocket them up the rankings for those wins. And with Miami playing better, the Pats better be ready for a fight to win the AFC East. NEXT: Bye Week
6. Baltimore (3-3) - They have lost three in a row to three tough opponents but they are still the 6th best team in the AFC. They'll get a chance to prove they are with a tough home test against the Broncos. We'll see just how good Joe Flacco is. NEXT: vs. Denver
7. Miami (2-4) - This may seem high for them but they are playing like a team worthy of this ranking. The loss to the Saints stings with the lead they had but most teams don't recover like New Orleans did. They've bounced back from their rough start. NEXT: @ NY Jets
8. Houston (4-3) - Back-to-back wins have bumped them up to contender status. Losing Andre Johnson to injury would really hurt this offense though. And the defense still needs to play better if they plan on winning crucial ballgames down the stretch. NEXT @ Buffalo
9. San Diego (3-3) - The Chargers look re-energized against the Chiefs, putting up 37 points. But again, they were playing the Chiefs so that is to be expected. If they can stay away from the injury bug, they can still fight for a wild-card spot. NEXT vs. Oakland
10. NY Jets (4-3) - Playing the Raiders may have been just what the doctor ordered for Mark Sanchez and the Jets. They were solid on both sides of the ball but that's pretty easy against Oakland. Now, they have to handle the Dolphins. NEXT vs. Miami
11. Buffalo (3-4) - For a little while, it looked like the Bills were just gonna pack it in at 1-4. But they've won 2 in a row, both on the road, and seem to want to compete again. Ryan Fitzpatrick has done an admirable job fillinf in for Trent Edwards at QB. NEXT vs. Houston
12. Jacksonville (3-3) - Through 6 games, the Jags are right where they began at .500. If they're going to make a run at a playoff spot, they need to keep the balance on offense. With a player like Maurice Jones-Drew, there's no reason not to. NEXT @ Tennessee
13. Kansas City (1-6) - The game they played against the Chargers was just absolutely dreadful. Matt Cassel threw 3 INT and the defense gave up 37 pts. And now, Larry Johnson calls out his coach via Twitter. And we're just halfway Chiefs fans. NEXT: Bye Week
14. Cleveland (1-6) - The Browns are probably just waiting for the bye week before they start being competitive. Or maybe not. The switch to Derek Anderson at QB hasn't produced any better offensive numbers. Eric Man-genius is not living up to his nickname. NEXT @ Chicago
15. Oakland (2-5) - It's hard for me not to put them in the 16th spot because despite their two wins, they're terrible. It's mainly QB JaMarcus Russell, who despite nearly a season and a half of game experience, looks confused in and out of the pocket. NEXT @ San Diego
16. Tennessee (0-6) - I don't know if things will get any better in Tennessee after the bye week. What I do know is that I respect Jeff Fisher even more for the whole Peyton Manning jersey event. Any coach with a sense of humor at 0-6 is a classy coach. NEXT vs. Tennessee
1. New Orleans (6-0) - Is there any doubt just how good this team is now? They get down 24-3 and then come back to win by 12. The defense showed some chinks in the armor but with an offense like they have, they can sometimes afford to have a bag game. NEXT MON vs. Atlanta
2. Minnesota (6-1) - The Vikings did finally lose but they didn't play that bad. The turnovers are what did them in against the Steelers but they played a solid game other than that. But now all eyes are on this week's game. Cue ESPN's annoying coverage. NEXT @ Green Bay
3. Arizona (4-2) - Great quality win for the Cards in New York. It was a team effort too with the offense and defense coming through. Before this win, they've kinda flown under the radar despite the fact that they were NFC champs just a season ago. NEXT vs. Carolina
4. NY Giants (5-2) - Just that quick, the Giants have lost two in a row against two of the NFC's best. It's still the regular season though so no need to freak out. Still waiting to see a game in which Brandon Jacobs takes over so Eli doesn't have to. NEXT @ Philadelphia
5. Philadelphia (4-2) - Beating Washington isn't anything special but Desean Jackson sure is. Between he and Maclin, that pass attack of Philly is no joke. That's good to know too with Brian Westbrook probably out for a couple weeks with that concussion. NEXT vs. NY Giants
6. Dallas (4-2) - There's not a lot of confidence in Tony Romo these days but there should be after the performance he put in against the Falcons. That and the defense played a great game, proving that maybe, just maybe, the Cowboys are a contender. NEXT vs. Seattle
7. Atlanta (4-2) - This is a big fall for a team that I think will be near the top all year but they deserve it after the performance they put in against Dallas. All 3 phases were terrible and with a trip to NO next, falling to 4-3 is a real possibility. NEXT MON @ New Orleans
8. Green Bay (4-2) - Good solid victory over the Browns. Aaron Rodgers had yet another solid game and Ryan Grant and the running game was there to help him out. Now, all attention should be focused in on the Vikings. NFC North division on the line. NEXT vs. Minnesota
9. Chicago (3-3) - Ever since the bye week, they haven't looked the team that went into it with 3 straight wins. Jay Cutler has reverted back to his erratic play and the defense was extinct in the loss to the Benglas. Better turn it around soon. NEXT vs. Cleveland
10. San Francisco (3-3) - I figured it would be a good bet that the Niners would come out of the bye week firing on all cylinders, especially after the embarassment from the Falcons. That obviously wasn't the case and now, they're switching QBs. Yikes. NEXT @ Indianapolis
11. Seattle (2-4) - Having Matt Hasselbeck back was supposed to be enough to keep this team in the NFC West race but is hasn't been so far. This is a big game this week on the road as they try to stay in the race, because Arizona isn't slowing down. NEXT @ Dallas
12. Carolina (2-4) - John Fox needs to make a big coaching decision. Bench Jake Delhomme or hope he turns his play around sooner rather than later. I say bench him. 13 INT in 6 games is not assuring, especially against the teams they've played. NEXT @ Arizona
13. Washington (2-5) - The Jim Zorn saga continues. They didn't play all that bad against the Eagles but two things are for sure. Zorn isn't coming back as head coach next year and Jason Campbell's future is not as an NFL quarterback. NEXT: Bye Week
14. Detroit (1-5) - The bye week may have done the Lions some good. Matthew Stafford (the better QB) is back practicing, which should spark the offense. Plus, they come back and get to play a team worse than they are in the Rams. NEXT vs. St. Louis
15. St. Louis (0-7) - There were some positive signs in their latest loss to the Colts. The biggest one being the fact that Stephen Jackson ran for 132 yds. But this offense still can't seem to score TDs. This week's game against DET may be their only shot of winning. NEXT @ Detroit
16. Tampa Bay (0-7) - Apparently, playing overseas doesn't make this team better either. One has to wonder if playing Josh Freeman in that game was a short-term or long-term switch. We'll just have to wait and find out after the bye. NEXT: Bye Week
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