Exclusive Week 9 Power Rankings. Take a Look.
1. Colts- The metaphoric monkey is finally off the back of Peyton Manning. Not only did he and his Colts defeat the Pats on their home turf, but they did so by putting up 40 points. Now, the light comes at the end of the tunnel, as week 10 will give us an Indy match up with the Texans (at home nonetheless). 9-0 seems to be a definite for Tony Dungy unless something goes miserably wrong.
2. Steelers- Beating Green Bay these days is nothing to brag about, however, the Steelers did so with Charlie Batch starting. To make things better, Charlie will be starting next week against Cleveland. This opponent should prove to be a bit more difficult than Green Bay, but not much. Charlie Batch 2-0? Believe it!
3. Chargers- San Diego narrowly avoided a last minute defeat at the hand of the New York Jets. Although this game was almost another fourth-quarter meltdown, the Chargers took control of their own destiny by keeping New York out of the end-zone. Good momentum and a sigh of relief will accompany the Bolts into their bye-week.
4. Bengals- Carson Palmer should be a favorite in the MVP race as the Bengals head into their bye. Cincy has a 7-2 record to show for his superb play.
5. Falcons- Are you a Falcons fan waiting for Mike Vick to pass for 300 yards this season? Next week’s home game against a dreadful Packers squad should present a fantastic opportunity.
6. Broncos- Bye
7. Panthers- Desecrating a division rival, The Bucs, in Tampa is mighty impressive considering their 5-2 record before Carolina came to town. Panthers are hot, winning 5 games in a row and looking for more against the downtrodden Jets in week 10.
8. Seahawks- No surprise that the Seahawks annihilated the Cardinals, as they are a miserable team. What is surprising, however, is the fact that Seattle is 6-2 and is looking for home field advantage in the playoffs, coming out of last year’s laughable NFC West. Mike Holmgren, this is your year to take your team out of the first round.
9. Giants- Wiping the floor with the 49ers has become routine for most decent teams, the Giants were no exception. Next week presents the Giants with the Vikings, a team whose number they have had for years past. This notion, however, should not give the Giants a reason to sleep on the Vikes, as they are coming off a large win against the Lions.
10. Jaguars- Almost losing to Houston is frightening for a playoff contender. Still, Jacksonville pulled it out at the last minute and a win is a win. Next week versus Baltimore will allow the Jags an opportunity to welcome back Kyle Boller after multi-week layoff. It will be a “warn” welcome, to say the least.
11. Chiefs- Dick Vermeil has guts going for it to win his game. This move has possibly made him more popular in his locker room than any other coach in the league. Even though Priest Holmes is out for the year, Larry Johnson will surely fill in and will likely be even better.
12. Redskins- The Skins enjoyed sweet redemption (after being waxed by the Giants) by defeating the Eagles. Clinton Portis was apparently fined $20,000 for wearing the wrong shoes and socks this week. That is a harsh penalty for a harmless mistake.
13. Cowboys- Bye
14. Patriots- The magic is gone. A wide-margin loss to Indy was an embarrassment at home. Now the Pats must grind their way into the playoffs, which shouldn’t be that tough of a task in their sorry division, but their postseason is by no means a gimme.
15. Bears- Was their week nine victory a Chicago triumph or a Saint blunder? This seems to be the standard for the Saints this season, so I will choose the later. At least the Bears can rest easy knowing their two-game division lead is safe, no matter what the Vikes or Lions do since next week’s match up is one against San Francisco.
16. Bucs- This Bucs team started out smoking and has fizzled ever since, which can mean only one thing. Tampa Bay is the front-runner in this year’s “Team That Starts Out 5-1 and Sputters Down the Stretch Award” (won by the Vikings last year).
17. Raiders- Heartbreaks are becoming routine for Raiders. They are clearly better than their record states, no question about that and next week’s showdown with the Broncos will simply be another glaring example of Oakland’s brutal schedule.
18. Dolphins- Keeping it close against an NFC elite in the Falcons was a step in the right direction for the young Phins. Next week will allow Nick Saban to gain ground on the division rival Patriots, as they face off directly (yes, they are rivals because they both are mediocre this year).
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9. Eagles- Philly is in a state of utter chaos all thanks to number 81, not to mention the fact that they are sitting at the bottom of the NFC East. Was this just a matter of time?
20. Browns- Defeating the Titans is good progress for the young Browns. To make things better, Cleveland will get a shot at the Steelers next week sans-Rothlisberger. Charlie Batch, Charlie Batch, could be the chant after week 10.
21. Rams- Bye
22. Bills- Bye
23. Ravens- Will the return of Kyle Boller assist the bottom-feeding Ravens in their quest for glory? To sum it up in one word: No.
24. Jets- Keeping it close against the Chargers was likely all one could ask for from this injury-ridden squad. This team is going to need an overhaul in the off-season to potentially contend for the AFC high-ranks next year. Perma-injured, overpaid players don’t help a team one bit and the Jets clearly have a bunch of them.
25. Vikings- Brad Johnson really is not that bad when you think about the year Culpepper was having. Maybe the Vikes aren’t out of it just yet…
26. Lions- Joey Harrington is not capable of winning football games. Period.
27. Titans- It certainly is tiring talking about the Titans problems every week. Steve McNair is the only player keeping this team out of the 30’s.
28. Cardinals- Kurt Warner didn’t do so hot against the Seahawks. Haven’t we been saying this since the end of his glory days with the Rams? There could, however, be a revival of the greatest show on turf, next week, as Kurt takes to the surface at Ford Field against the Lions.
29. Saints- This team has shot itself in the foot so many times, the bullet holes are becoming meaningless. The Saints would be well-advised to tank it the rest of the season and pick up Matt Leinart in the draft, a guy who is not prone to bone-headed mistakes like the rest of this Saints crew.
30. Packers- The latest development in the Pack’s worst season in ages: A loss to Charlie Batch. No hall of fame player (Favre) deserves to see their career end in team destruction.
31. Texans- If the Texans wind up with a number one or two pick, will they trade it down? Domanik Davis and David Carr both are quality starters if given the correct protection. The Texans are so bad that they are already allowing draft speculations out of the gate.
32. 49ers- What will the Niners and the Indiana Pacers (NBA) have in common in a few years? The same season Reggie Miller is inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame and the crowd is roaring to the tone of “Reggie, Reggie” San Francisco fans will be shouting the same chant as Reggie Bush propels the 49ers back into the playoffs.
1. Colts- The metaphoric monkey is finally off the back of Peyton Manning. Not only did he and his Colts defeat the Pats on their home turf, but they did so by putting up 40 points. Now, the light comes at the end of the tunnel, as week 10 will give us an Indy match up with the Texans (at home nonetheless). 9-0 seems to be a definite for Tony Dungy unless something goes miserably wrong.
2. Steelers- Beating Green Bay these days is nothing to brag about, however, the Steelers did so with Charlie Batch starting. To make things better, Charlie will be starting next week against Cleveland. This opponent should prove to be a bit more difficult than Green Bay, but not much. Charlie Batch 2-0? Believe it!
3. Chargers- San Diego narrowly avoided a last minute defeat at the hand of the New York Jets. Although this game was almost another fourth-quarter meltdown, the Chargers took control of their own destiny by keeping New York out of the end-zone. Good momentum and a sigh of relief will accompany the Bolts into their bye-week.
4. Bengals- Carson Palmer should be a favorite in the MVP race as the Bengals head into their bye. Cincy has a 7-2 record to show for his superb play.
5. Falcons- Are you a Falcons fan waiting for Mike Vick to pass for 300 yards this season? Next week’s home game against a dreadful Packers squad should present a fantastic opportunity.
6. Broncos- Bye
7. Panthers- Desecrating a division rival, The Bucs, in Tampa is mighty impressive considering their 5-2 record before Carolina came to town. Panthers are hot, winning 5 games in a row and looking for more against the downtrodden Jets in week 10.
8. Seahawks- No surprise that the Seahawks annihilated the Cardinals, as they are a miserable team. What is surprising, however, is the fact that Seattle is 6-2 and is looking for home field advantage in the playoffs, coming out of last year’s laughable NFC West. Mike Holmgren, this is your year to take your team out of the first round.
9. Giants- Wiping the floor with the 49ers has become routine for most decent teams, the Giants were no exception. Next week presents the Giants with the Vikings, a team whose number they have had for years past. This notion, however, should not give the Giants a reason to sleep on the Vikes, as they are coming off a large win against the Lions.
10. Jaguars- Almost losing to Houston is frightening for a playoff contender. Still, Jacksonville pulled it out at the last minute and a win is a win. Next week versus Baltimore will allow the Jags an opportunity to welcome back Kyle Boller after multi-week layoff. It will be a “warn” welcome, to say the least.
11. Chiefs- Dick Vermeil has guts going for it to win his game. This move has possibly made him more popular in his locker room than any other coach in the league. Even though Priest Holmes is out for the year, Larry Johnson will surely fill in and will likely be even better.
12. Redskins- The Skins enjoyed sweet redemption (after being waxed by the Giants) by defeating the Eagles. Clinton Portis was apparently fined $20,000 for wearing the wrong shoes and socks this week. That is a harsh penalty for a harmless mistake.
13. Cowboys- Bye
14. Patriots- The magic is gone. A wide-margin loss to Indy was an embarrassment at home. Now the Pats must grind their way into the playoffs, which shouldn’t be that tough of a task in their sorry division, but their postseason is by no means a gimme.
15. Bears- Was their week nine victory a Chicago triumph or a Saint blunder? This seems to be the standard for the Saints this season, so I will choose the later. At least the Bears can rest easy knowing their two-game division lead is safe, no matter what the Vikes or Lions do since next week’s match up is one against San Francisco.
16. Bucs- This Bucs team started out smoking and has fizzled ever since, which can mean only one thing. Tampa Bay is the front-runner in this year’s “Team That Starts Out 5-1 and Sputters Down the Stretch Award” (won by the Vikings last year).
17. Raiders- Heartbreaks are becoming routine for Raiders. They are clearly better than their record states, no question about that and next week’s showdown with the Broncos will simply be another glaring example of Oakland’s brutal schedule.
18. Dolphins- Keeping it close against an NFC elite in the Falcons was a step in the right direction for the young Phins. Next week will allow Nick Saban to gain ground on the division rival Patriots, as they face off directly (yes, they are rivals because they both are mediocre this year).
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9. Eagles- Philly is in a state of utter chaos all thanks to number 81, not to mention the fact that they are sitting at the bottom of the NFC East. Was this just a matter of time?
20. Browns- Defeating the Titans is good progress for the young Browns. To make things better, Cleveland will get a shot at the Steelers next week sans-Rothlisberger. Charlie Batch, Charlie Batch, could be the chant after week 10.
21. Rams- Bye
22. Bills- Bye
23. Ravens- Will the return of Kyle Boller assist the bottom-feeding Ravens in their quest for glory? To sum it up in one word: No.
24. Jets- Keeping it close against the Chargers was likely all one could ask for from this injury-ridden squad. This team is going to need an overhaul in the off-season to potentially contend for the AFC high-ranks next year. Perma-injured, overpaid players don’t help a team one bit and the Jets clearly have a bunch of them.
25. Vikings- Brad Johnson really is not that bad when you think about the year Culpepper was having. Maybe the Vikes aren’t out of it just yet…
26. Lions- Joey Harrington is not capable of winning football games. Period.
27. Titans- It certainly is tiring talking about the Titans problems every week. Steve McNair is the only player keeping this team out of the 30’s.
28. Cardinals- Kurt Warner didn’t do so hot against the Seahawks. Haven’t we been saying this since the end of his glory days with the Rams? There could, however, be a revival of the greatest show on turf, next week, as Kurt takes to the surface at Ford Field against the Lions.
29. Saints- This team has shot itself in the foot so many times, the bullet holes are becoming meaningless. The Saints would be well-advised to tank it the rest of the season and pick up Matt Leinart in the draft, a guy who is not prone to bone-headed mistakes like the rest of this Saints crew.
30. Packers- The latest development in the Pack’s worst season in ages: A loss to Charlie Batch. No hall of fame player (Favre) deserves to see their career end in team destruction.
31. Texans- If the Texans wind up with a number one or two pick, will they trade it down? Domanik Davis and David Carr both are quality starters if given the correct protection. The Texans are so bad that they are already allowing draft speculations out of the gate.
32. 49ers- What will the Niners and the Indiana Pacers (NBA) have in common in a few years? The same season Reggie Miller is inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame and the crowd is roaring to the tone of “Reggie, Reggie” San Francisco fans will be shouting the same chant as Reggie Bush propels the 49ers back into the playoffs.
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