From the NFL Sporting News.
"1. New Orleans Saints (last week: 3). No question they have the NFL's best resume after the 48-27 beatdown of the Giants.
2. Indianapolis Colts (2). First they got a week off, and next they play the Rams. Talk about easing back into work.
3. Denver Broncos (5). Kyle Orton has been terrific, and their second-half defense has been dominant.
4. Minnesota Vikings (4). After another great escape, Brett Favre & Co. face a tough test at Pittsburgh.
5. New York Giants (1). With the Cardinals coming to town, the Giants' defense better regroup quickly.
6. New England Patriots (9). Tom Brady's passing show against Tennessee might be the spark they needed.
7. Atlanta Falcons (10). Their excellent red-zone defense faces another test at Dallas this week.
8. Cincinnati Bengals (7). Losing DE Antwan Odom for the season is more crushing than losing to Houston.
9. Green Bay Packers (11). When the offensive line keeps Aaron Rodgers upright, he will move it against anyone.
10. Chicago Bears (12). If losing to the Falcons was a minor blip, they must prove it this week by beating the Bengals.
11. Pittsburgh Steelers (13). WR Hines Ward is like fine wine — he gets better, not older.
12. Baltimore Ravens (14). They're stronger than their 3-3 record says, but close losses and poor cornerback play is killing them
13. Dallas Cowboys (16). They must've enjoyed their bye week, watching Giants, Eagles and Redskins all lose.
14. Philadelphia Eagles (6). Loss to Raiders raises serious concerns. The Eagles haven't beaten a team that is above .500.
15. San Diego Chargers (15). They have dug another early-season hole, and this time they may not escape.
16. Miami Dolphins (17). Still face an uphill climb despite two-game winning streak with Saints up next.
17. San Francisco 49ers (18). Maybe WR Michael Crabtree will begin to pay dividends after a few weeks of practice.
18. Arizona Cardinals (19). Talk of demise is premature: Blitzed the Seahawks on Sunday to put the NFC West on notice.
Things went from bright to bleak in a hurry for Mark Sanchez and the Jets.
Things went from bright to bleak in a hurry for Mark Sanchez and the Jets.
19. New York Jets (8). NT Kris Jenkins is out for the year, and QB Mark Sanchez has gone from wonderful to woeful.
20. Jacksonville Jaguars (21). Inch-for-inch, Maurice Jones-Drew might be the best player in the league.
21. Houston Texans (22). Few teams are harder to figure, but a hot QB Matt Schaub makes them dangerous.
22. Carolina Panthers (23). The more they rely on RB DeAngelo Williams, the better off they will be.
23. Seattle Seahawks (20). Losing MLB Lofa Tatupu will hurt the defense. They have a lot to address during the bye week.
24. Buffalo Bills (28). Will a victory and Trent Edwards' injury open the door for backup QB Ryan Fitzpatrick?
25. Oakland Raiders (30). After being ridiculed for a week, the Raiders responded. Jets beware on Sunday.
26. Kansas City Chiefs (31). Todd Haley finally gets his first win. Real victories beat moral victories any day.
27. Cleveland Browns (26). Starving for offense, they should continue to feature Joshua Cribbs in the Wildcat.
28. Detroit Lions (25). For a team going nowhere, better to be safe than sorry with QB Matthew Stafford's health.
29. Washington Redskins (27). You get the feeling coach Jim Zorn will soon give up much more than just play-calling.
30. Tennessee Titans (24). Showing against the Patriots was disgraceful. Coach Jeff Fisher must be nervous.
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (29). Enjoy the sights in London. Playing the Patriots probably will not be much fun.
32. St. Louis Rams (32). On the rare occasions when they have a late lead, they must learn how to finish games.
Clifton Brown is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at cliftonbrown@sportingnews.com." NFL power poll: Saints take over top spot - Clifton Brown - NFL - Sporting News
No comments:
Post a Comment