NFL Week 8 Powre Rankings

NFL Week 8 Powre Rankings
M.D. Wright
10.27.09

More shaking at the top, but hey, that's the NFL for ya. The best teams belong at the top, the worst at the bottom, and those with various different holes in their squads move around the most. That's the deal.

1. Indianapolis Colts.
Peyton Manning is better than YOUR QB. Taking a bunch of no-names and a smoke-and-mirrors defense and making it look easy every week -- not needing to score 100 points every game in the process.

2. New Orleans Saints.
They showed a lot in coming back from being blown out in the first half vs. the Dolphins in Week 7, but in the same manner that Manning > Brees, the Colts > Saints.

3. Denver Broncos.
UGH. Still waiting for the other shoe to drop like it did for the Packers in '07.

4. Cincinnati Bengals.
This team is SOLID. Cedric Benson finally playing the way he did in college. Cursin' Palmer not being great with numbers, but rather CLUTCH -- and that's what matters more than numbers.

5. New England Patriots.
They blew out two of the worst teams in football, but they seem to be almost back.

6. Minnesota Vikings.
Caught the short end of the stick due to terrible officiating late and a couple of fluky touchdowns by the Steeler defense, but they can be beaten through the air and they look pretty average when AD gets slowed down.

7. Arizona Cardinals.
Their defense is finally playing up to their capability. When you have a bunch of 1st and 2nd round studs accumulated over the years, YOU OUGHT TO. Their offense (irony?) needs to catch up for them to be taken seriously as contenders.

8. Houston Texans.
Their offense is back, meaning only the Colts and Saints are better in that regard. They are stopping teams, also.

9. New York Football Giants.
The Giants sorely miss Kenny Phillips, whose replacement, (C)an't (C)over Brown is giving up tons of big plays. Also missing Pro Bowl-level CB Aaron Ross and their only LB with downfield coverage speed in Michael Boley (every other week he's out for some reason). The offense is fine, minus mental lapses by the young WR corps at times.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers.
Outside of their blind fans (and the fake ones who have come on board since 2005) you can't tell them that they're paper champions ONLY.

11. Dallas Cowboys.
That's one solid game by Romo, if he has a couple more consecutively, then Dallas may be onto something. Still leading the league in offense.

12. Philadelphia Eagles.
The Iggles are soft as tissue. You can't live down losing to the Raiders even if you go 5-1 in the division.

13. San Diego Chargers.
They officially start playing football this week.

14. Atlanta Falcons.
The most uninspiring 4-2 team in the HISTORY of the NFL.

15. Green Bay Packers.
DITTO.

16. Baltimore Ravens.
Really should be 6-0, but as Parcells said when he coached us, "Y'ARE WHAT YA RECORD SAYS Y'ARE".

17. New York Jets.
The Jets hope Young Mr. Sanchez will stay on track and not eat hot dogs on the sideline anymore.

18. San Francisco 49ers.
Bad road team. Can't expect to win in this league when you don't travel well.

19. Chicago Bears.
The Bears flat out STINK. What else can you say?

20. Miami Dolphins.
Played inspired football, but to invoke their GM/President's aforementioned quote...

21. Buffalo Bills.
???

I mean, really -- what ARE they? Are they the team that won Sunday, beat the Jets and nearly beat the Patriots, or the one that lost 6-3 to the even-lower-than-they BROWNS?

22. Seattle Seahawks.
They are probably the most unwatchable team in the NFL not named the Bears or Falcons.

23. Jacksonville Jaguars.
Another week-to-week enigma.

24. Carolina Panthers.
Time for them to start over. Their best players don't care. Their coach says the same BS after losses as he does after wins (minus any adjustments). Their playmakers aren't making plays and looking old. New GM. New Coach. New QB. New bookend defensive ends. NEW SECONDARY.

25. Detroit Lions.
At least they TRY.

26. Washington Redskins.
SINCE THEY DON'T.

27. Kansas City Chiefs.
They fight, but they stink because the loudmouth chump paper gangster of a RB who averages just over 3 yards a carry but talks like he's Adrian Peterson isn't doing anything else.

28. Oakland Raiders.
Blown out by the Giants. Beat the Iggles. Blown out by the Jets. Makes no sense.

29. Cleveland Browns.
They have SOME fight defensively, but their offense is absolutely ABOMINABLE.

30. Tennessee Titans.
DEAR GOD.

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Why is Raheem Morris a head coach? Is Glazer trying to buy points with the Black community or something? This guy has no business coaching on what seems to be an island. Even the guys he brought in (Jagodzinski) are gone (and HE fired him).

32. St. Louis Rams.
The Rams have never been this bad. Even in the 80s and early 90s before leaving Los Angeles they DID win 4 or 5 games a year. This team may not win again until mid-season... NEXT YEAR.