Week Nine Power Rankings

...And then there were two. With the Ravens knocking off the Broncos, we are down to two unbeatens in the league. Consequently, there is only one team that has yet to win a game.
1. New Orleans Saints (7-0, LW: 1): The Saints took care of business yet again this week, knocking off the Falcons. The defence did a good job shutting down Matt Ryan, but Michael Turner was able to run it on them. They face a tough task in shutting down the running game of Carolina.2. Indianapolis Colts (7-0, LW: 2): They proved that they can get the tough wins as well against the 49ers, and now they have a tough division game at hand against Houston. The defence did a good job, but the Texans have a lot of weapons at their disposal.3. Minnesota Vikings (7-1, LW: 5): The Vikes rebounded nicely after the loss in Pittsburgh. Brett Favre got his revenge in Lambeau, and the Vikes have a three game lead in the NFC North heading into the Bye. The defence got to Aaron Rodgers all day.4. New England Patriots (5-2, LW: 4): The Pats come off their Bye with a home game against Miami. We will see if they can stop the Wildcat this time around. On the plus side, Tom Brady was red-hot before the break.5. Denver Broncos (6-1, LW: 3): It was a tough loss against Baltimore, and now they have the defending Champs coming into the Mile High City. They may need Kyle Orton to come alive and get them the win this week.6. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2, LW: 6): The Bengals stay put for this week, but have a tough home game on the slate against Baltimore. Carson Palmer has been great all year, and they will likely need him to be huge again against a tough Ravens D.7. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2, LW: 7): The Steelers come off their Bye with a tough showdown in Denver. On the plus side, the defence played very well in their last game, and they are catching the Broncos after thier first loss. Advantage: Champs.8. Dallas Cowboys (5-2, LW: 9): The Cowboys avoided a let down against Seattle, and now they get a chance for revenge in Philly. Tony Romo has been on fire lately, and the defence has come alive in recent weeks.9. Philadelphia Eagles (5-2, LW: 12): The Eagles dominated the Giants from the get-go, and may be the best team in the NFC East. To prove it, they will have to beat a red-hot Dallas team. DeSean Jackson is a beast.10. Baltimore Ravens (4-3, LW: 14): The Ravens handed the Broncos their first loss of the season, and they did it with (surprise) defence. That was the best showing of the year from that unit, and the offence keeps rolling as well behind Joe Flacco and Ray Rice.11. New York Giants (5-3, LW: 8): The Giants are losers of three straight, and are in trouble as the playoff run begins. Eli Manning has been brutal in recent weeks, and that will have to change if the G-Men want to win this division.12. Green Bay Packers (4-3, LW: 10): Green Bay exits the top 10 after a tough home loss to Minnesota. They fell behind early, but did a good job rallying for a decent comeback. Aaron Rodgers has nothing to be ashamed about...the offensive line does though.13. San Diego Chargers (4-3, LW: 17): The Super Chargers are rolling again, and nothing like back-to-back games against the Chiefs and Raiders to cure what ails a team. LT is back scoring touchdowns, and the defence has played well.14. Atlanta Falcons (4-3, LW: 11): Another tough loss, this time at the hands of the Saints, has the Falcons thinking Wild Card. They have the Redskins coming to town this week, so they should get back on track. Michael Turner finally got going.15. Chicago Bears (4-3, LW: 15): We are not going to count this win over the Browns. They stink, and Chicago beat them down. This might be a confidence boost for Jay Cutler, who had really struggled in recent weeks. They have a tough home game against the Cards on tap.16. Arizona Cardinals (4-3, LW: 13): After the huge win over the Giants, the Cards suffered a letdown against the Panthers. They couldn't stop the run, and that was the difference. Where is the offence? Now they go to the Windy City for a critical NFC matchup with the Bears.17. Houston Texans (5-3, LW: 19): The Texans have a good chance of locking up their first winning season, and playoffs are a definite possibility. A victory in Indianapolis would be massive for this team. They have to figure out who is going to run the ball.18. Miami Dolphins (3-4, LW: 23): The Dolphins can only beat the Jets. Now, they take the Wildcat to New England to try for a big upset to keep their division hopes alive. The defence will have to play its best game of the year.19. New York Jets (4-4, LW: 16): Why can't they beat the Dolphins? The defence continues to struggle, and now the Jets are not looking like a playoff team. At least the running game has been solid. Thomas Jones is having another huge year.20. Carolina Panthers (3-4, LW: 24): A huge upset over the Cards has this team pumped up again. It's amazing how a team can play when their QB throws the ball to the right team. They key will be keeping him upright if he plays.21. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-4, LW: 18): Typical Jags. Just as you think they are getting hot, they go and blow a game against a winless team. At least the move to Maurice Jones-Drew has worked out. David Garrard continues to struggle.22. San Francisco 49ers (3-4, LW: 20): The Niners provided a tough test for the unbeaten Colts, but couldn't get the job done. Now, they face the Titans coming off thier first win. If the Niners lose here, their playoff hopes likely go as well.23. Buffalo Bills (3-5, LW: 21): The Bills had a chance at .500 go down with that loss to Houston. They need to spend this Bye week finding an offence. If they do, they could still make a decent run.24. Seattle Seahawks (2-5, LW: 22): The Hawks got smoked in Dallas, and they have to do a better job protecting Matt Hasselbeck. They should get back on the winning track this week, as they play host to the lowly Lions.25. Tennessee Titans (1-6, LW: 29): Is this a sign of life from this team? They got the job done in Jacksonville, and now they travel to the Bay Area to take on a reeling 49ers squad. The move to Vince Young was one that should have been made way earlier.26. Kansas City Chiefs (1-6, LW: 25): The Chiefs come off the Bye with a matchup in Jacksonville. The signing of Chris Chambers should open up the passing game. If they can run the ball, the offence should pick it up. If only they could stop somebody...27. Washington Redskins (2-5, LW: 27): The Redskins come off the Bye in need of some wins. They travel to Atlanta to face a Falcons team that has lost two straight. If the offence can do anything, this is a winnable game.28. Oakland Raiders (2-6, LW: 28): The Raiders continue to lose, but at least they are keeping games close. Justin Fargas is running hard, and the offence is playing a bit better. The defence has to turn it around now.29. St Louis Rams (1-7, LW: 32): The Rams finally exit the NFL's gutter, ending their 17-game losing skid against the Lions. Steven Jackson would be in the MVP running if his team was winning games. 30. Detroit Lions (1-6, LW: 25): The Lions are officially back. They have dropped their last four after their unlikely win, and the latest was to the Rams. The Lions are showing no hope for the future, and until Calvin Johnson is healthy, they won't.31. Cleveland Browns (1-7, LW: 30): Browns fans should all send Trent Edwards Christmas presents this year. His struggles are the only reason this team has a win. What a mess. Firing the GM won't make a difference, they have no talent.32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-7, LW: 31): The Bucs are now officially the worst team in football. It will be interesting to see if rookie Head Coach Raheem Morris makes it out of this year. They have to make the move to Josh Freeman.