NFL Power Rankings: Week Nine

This is the debut of my NFL power rankings. After eight weeks, there are some surprises, as well as disappointments from some teams.

32. Indianapolis Colts (0-8) - Its clear that Peyton Manning is the most important player to his teams' success. A perennial playoff team with him, they're now one of only two winless teams left in the league without him.
31. Miami Dolphins (0-7) - No coach is under more scrutiny than Tony Sparano. The Dolphins have been competitive in a lot of their games, and are only a few plays away from being 3-4. That said, their pass defense has been abysmal.
30. Arizona Cardinals (1-6) - A win over Carolina in the season opener seems a long time ago, especially after blowing a 21 point first half lead at Baltimore this past week. Kolb hasn't been performing to the contract he signed this off season. I wonder if Larry Fitzgerald regrets signing his 7 year, $100 million extension before the season?
29. St. Louis Rams (1-6) - Were it not for their inspired 31-21 home win over the Saints, they'd probably be at #32. It seems Steven Jackson is now healthy, and they exploited New Orleans' poor run defense. The return of Sam Bradford will help, but this team has not played consistent enough football to avoid a losing season.

28. Denver Broncos (2-5) - The Tim Tebow experiment has produced a 1-1 record, but Tebow is not a traditional drop-back passer, which is how the Broncos' coaching staff is using him. It also doesn't help the offensive line can't protect the quarterback this year, and their defense is allowing 28.6 points/game.
27. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5) - Their defense has kept them in some games this year, but if your offense only scores 14 points per game, that's the only way you're going to be able to have a chance. Blaine Gabbert is struggling, which isn't a surprise considering the Jags receiving corps lacks talent.
26. Seattle Seahawks (2-5) - The offense has lacked consistent production, hardly a surprise considering the average age of their starting O-line is under 25 years of age. Injuries early to Sidney Rice, and later on with Tarvaris Jackson and Marshawn Lynch doesn't help.
25. Carolina Panthers (2-6) - Cam Newton is almost surely going to be Offensive Rookie of the Year, and WR Steve Smith has seen a resurgence with Newton at quarterback, but they lack a consistent running game and Newton does turn the ball over too much. The defense is banged up, and really misses starting middle linebacker Jon Beason, who is currently on IR. A lot of close losses bodes well for the team in the future, but they're not playoff contenders this year.
24. Minnesota Vikings (2-6) - Two Christian Ponder starts has produced a 1-1 record, but Ponder has acquitted himself very well. After a close loss to Green Bay, Minnesota went on the road and beat a game Panthers team behind solid QB play and Adrian Peterson's solid game.
23. Cleveland Browns (3-4) - Peyton Hillis' contract situation and injuries have not helped the Browns this year, and their overall lack of weapons in the passing game is a concern. Without a true game-breaker, they're going to have to win a lot of ugly, low-scoring games this season (see their 6-3 win over Seattle).
22. Washington Redskins (3-4) - The rash of injuries this season has hit the Redskins especially hard this year. TE Chris Cooley and RB Tim Hightower have already been lost for the season, and Trent Williams, Corey Lichtensteiger and Santana Moss are all currently on the list. Their fast start seems a long time ago.
21. Dallas Cowboys (3-4) - It seems every year Dallas has the talent on paper to make the Super Bowl, and every year, they seem to disappoint. Three close losses (Jets, Lions and Patriots) had them at .500 entering their Sunday night game against the Eagles, where they were promptly thumped 34-7. How much longer until Jason Garrett is on the hot seat?
20. Tampa Bay Bucs (4-3) - This team is a bit of an enigma. They can look very sharp one week, then play completely uninspired football the next. It takes a young team time to gel, but that should have been last season. The health of LeGarrette Blount is also a concern now that his spell, Earnest Graham, is out for the season.
19. Tennessee Titans (4-3) - Matt Hasselbeck has seen his career revitalized since signing with the Titans this off season, allowing rookie QB Jake Locker time to develop and learn. Chris Johnson, however, has gone the opposite way after getting his new contract, and without Kenny Britt (IR), it'd be foolhardy to expect Hasselbeck to consistently win games without a running attack.
18. San Diego Chargers (4-3) - Another team that on paper has too many weapons to play so inconsistently. This team goes as Philip Rivers goes, and right now, he's turned the ball over 14 times through their first seven games (11 INT, 3 Fumbles), and has only accounted for 8 (7 pass, 1 rush). His quarterback rating of 80.4 is the lowest since he's been a starter in the NFL.
17. Kansas City Chiefs (4-3) - Hard to believe that this is the same team that lost their first two games by a combined score of 89-10. Matt Cassel has been solid, and they've found a capable replacement for Jamaal Charles in Jackie Battle. The potential emergence of rookie wideout Jonathan Baldwin (5 catches, 82, 1 TD against the Chargers) opposite Bowe will have a large impact on this teams playoff chances.
16. Philadelphia Eagles (3-4) - Is there a scarier team in the league to play right now than the Eagles? I don't believe so, as they've won their last two games, and are figuring out how to take care of the football. I'm fairly certain there's not a team in the league that wants to see a focused Eagles team on their schedule.
15. Oakland Raiders (4-3) - Forget the 28-0 home loss to the Chiefs. Without QB Jason Campbell and RB Darren McFadden, they had to rely on Kyle Boller and Carson Palmer (who'd been with the team only four days) to quarterback them. They threw a combined six interceptions. The good news is that the Raiders are coming off a bye, and should have McFadden back healthy for the stretch run, and Carson Palmer should have most of the rust shaken off and a better understanding of the playbook.
14. New York Jets (4-3) - Its a good thing their defense is so talented, because the lack of any semblance of consistency on offense is concerning. If they can't find a consistent running game, they'll have to rely on Mark Sanchez to win them games on his own, which is something he's not suited for at this point of his career.
13. Atlanta Falcons (4-3) - They've seem to found their rhythm as of late, winning two straight entering their bye week. Julio Jones should be back in the lineup this weekend, and if their defense can just be average, I believe this team will be in the playoffs.
12. Chicago Bears (4-3) - Amazing what balanced play-calling will do for a team. After Lovie Smith "suggested" to coordinator Mike Martz they find balance, this team has been performing much more consistently, and their much maligned line has done a better job at protecting Jay Cutler.
11. New York Giants (5-2) - I'm not sure if I'm buying the Giants this season. Their only loss in their last six games was at home to the Seahawks, but they've either trailed or been tied going into the fourth quarter of every other game in that stretch. Their offensive line was re-shuffled this off season, and has not been as strong as in years past. Their next five games are at New England, at San Francisco, vs Eagles, at Saints, vs Packers. Yikes.
10. New Orleans Saints (5-3) - Perhaps no team is better at home than the Saints, winning those games by a combined 132-53 (3-0). Their problems are on the road, where they're 2-3 and their two wins were by a combined 16 points over the Jaguars and Panthers. If they can't find consistency on the road, it'll likely be an early exit from the postseason.
9. Houston Texans (5-3) - Only once this year were the Texans soundly beaten (29-14 at Baltimore). Their other two losses are in New Orleans (a game they were winning in the fourth quarter) and home against Oakland (the day after Al Davis' passing). The astonishing thing is this team is on pace for 10 wins despite not having Andre Johnson and Arian Foster play together for an entire game this year.
8. Baltimore Ravens (5-2) - For all this teams' talent, they've rarely looked like serious contenders this year. Excluding their big week one win over Pittsburgh, they've yet to play a complete game on both sides of the ball. Their last two games saw them lose to the previously 1-5 Jacksonville Jaguars and require a huge second half comeback against then 1-5 Arizona to avoid an embarrassing home loss.
7. Buffalo Bills (5-2) - My favorite team has tied its best start since 1999 (ironically the last year they made the playoffs), and a lot of that has to do with the development of the offense under Chan Gailey. Fred Jackson is leading the league in yards from scrimmage per game, and Ryan Fitzpatrick has thrown 14 touchdowns. The defense also is forcing over two turnovers per game, and discovered a pass-rush this past week against the Redskins (9 sacks that game, only 4 on the season entering week 8).
6. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) - There's a lot to like about the Bengals. Their offense has been solid, and rookies Andy Dalton and AJ Green have a lot to do with that. Their front seven is tenacious, and they're leading the league in fewest points per game, and are also top five in total defense. Their remaining schedule includes two games each against the Steelers and Ravens, but even if they don't make the playoffs this year, they'll likely be a team to reckon with in the future.
5 New England Patriots (5-2) - The two losses this year for the Patriots are by a combined 11 points in road contests at Buffalo (which saw Brady throw a career high 4 interceptions) and Pittsburgh. Despite their defensive deficiencies (can't stop the pass, or rush the passer), this team is still 5-2. As long as Brady is their quarterback, you can pretty much be guaranteed to have a tough game on your hands.
4. Detroit Lions (6-2) - Teams with a power running game give them trouble (see the Atlanta and San Francisco losses), but few teams have the offensive firepower this team does. Their defense generates a solid pass rush from their defensive line, and as long as they can keep Matthew Stafford healthy (which is still a pretty big "if"), you'll see the Lions break their 11 year postseason drought.
3. San Francisco 49ers (6-1) - Would you have thought before the season that the 49ers would be five games over .500? Yeah, neither did I. Their defense has been very solid, and a solid running attack has allowed much-maligned QB Alex Smith to manage the game, which is something he's better suited for. You can mark them down as locks for a home playoff game come January.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) - The Steelers have won four straight, and their defense has regained some of the mystique it had seemingly lost earlier in the season. If Big Ben can continue playing the way he has of late, there's no reason to believe they won't have the opportunity to return to the Super Bowl.
1. Green Bay Packers (7-0) - The defending champions seem better than last year. Aaron Rodgers is likely going to be a runaway MVP this year (2,372 yards, 20 TD, 3 INT, 71.5% completions, 125.7 QB rating), and their defense is good at getting pressure on the quarterback (17 sacks) and forcing turnovers (18).