NFL Season: Week 10 Power Rankings
1. Green Bay Packers (9-0)
What can you say? The Packers are still on course for a perfect season and looking hot for the Super Bowl right now. With their BYE in the rear view mirror, Mike McCarthy’s Champions can keep the foot on the gas all the way through to January. Rodgers is a tough kid and plays efficiently, but should they bench him for Matt Flynn once the Number 1 seed has been wrapped-up we may see the Packers ship a few games towards the season’s close as the Colts did after starting 13-0 in preparation for Super Bowl XLIV. That said, the continued pressure coming from San Francisco may force McCarthy to play his starters all the way to Week 17, because should the 49ers take finish in the top two along with the Packers, premier seeding becomes exponentially important when their NFC Championship game opponent figures to be a warm-weather team. Nothing like a postseason Ice Bowl to tip the balance in favour of the Cheeseheads…
2. San Francisco 49ers (8-1)
By beating the storming Giants, a team riding high after felling the Patriots last week, the 49ers continue to decrease the doubters out there and stay locked at number 2 in my Power Rankings. It is amazing to think that a single loss by the Packers levels these teams given that one has played under intense media scrutiny and due hype since Week 1 and the other floated confidently under the radar until now. Having a hard time giving the 49ers respect? Just take a look at their record and the exceptional run game/game management of Alex Smith. As the Ravens proved in 2001, a quarterback of a run-first team need not be stellar, only responsible. Can they go all the way? Even now we should be talking about an NFC Championship clash with the Pack, which you’d still fancy the defending champs to win. But as the season progresses and the injuries rack-up in Wisconsin, there’s every chance the 49ers could be this year’s 2007 Giants and dethrone the undefeated at the most crucial time.
3 (4). New Orleans Saints (7-3)
By virtue of beating the Falcons, the Saints move up one spot to 3rd. Drew Brees and his men may not have a mind-blowing record, but own a 1.5 game lead over Atlanta and have snared the early advantage in the 2-game intra-divisional series between the teams that concludes in Week 16 in what could shape-up to be a showdown for the division. But that doesn’t seem likely as New Orleans have a BYE coming up over which they can prepare for the rattled Giants, then a sliding Detroit, followed by what should be a piar of walkovers against Tennessee and Minnesota before rounding off the season with a Week 17 feast versus the Panthers. For those reasons, the Saints take number 3 on the rankings and will likely take the same seed in the NFC.
4 (8). Houston Texans (7-3)
The biggest movers in the Big 12 this week are the Houston Texans. I’ve been rooting for this team since the start of the season, but having thus far been unable to take a real strangle hold on a severely weakened division, have erred on the side of caution and kept their ranking low, but no longer. The Texans possess the same record as the Steelers but have a two game lead over their nearest rivals and a 4 games jump on the third placed Jaguars, whereas the Steelers are just one game ahead both the Ravens and Bengals, two teams with plenty left to play for. Furthermore, the Texans actually beat the Steelers this year, so by virtue of their identical records, head-to-head victory and bigger lead in their division, the Texans get the nod, jump four places and sit prettily at number 4. Incidentally, they are currently the AFC’s number one seeds thanks to that win over Pittsburgh. Who’d have seen THAT coming?
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3)
The Steelers did well to beat an unpredictable, hungry and threatening team in the Bengals this week. Having lost to the Ravens who headed this week to the Pacific North West to play the rubbish Seahawks, the Steelers must have felt like they were riding some rough luck. No better time, then, for a season-defining performance as a tough-nosed win against a competitive Cincinnati preceded the humiliating loss of the Ravens to the Seahawks, handing the division back to the Steelers. Granted, the Ravens own tiebreakers and are only half a game behind by virtue of the Steelers having enjoyed they BYE week already, but the Black and Gold are a far more mature unit than the mind-bogglingly inconsistent Ravens.
6 (3). Baltimore Ravens (6-3)
Really? Win a last second thriller against one of the toughest teams in the NFL and grab control of the most brutal division in pro football and then lose to the Seahawks? Ravens fans must be sick. This year has been typified by the Purple and Black taking their eye off the prize when confronted with an opponent they should steamroll. The Jaguars? Yeah, one of their wins came against the Ravens. The Seahawks made the Ravens look below average at times and for a team with Super Bowl aspirations playing at THAT level, THIS late in the season, such a performance is unacceptable. Although they have the power in their hands, their hands don’t appear capable of opening a door right now, let alone catching a football against a decent opponent.
7. New England Patriots (6-3)
The Pats shocked the Jets this week by winning by an unexpectedly juicy 21 point margin to sweep the season series and regain control of the division. However, an injury to starting Cornerback Devin McCourty, a huge loss for an already underperforming secondary, could make life very difficult down the stretch. For that reason the Pats stay locked-in at 7 as other teams shuffle above them and the Texans leapfrog them from 8th to 4th.
8 (6). New York Giants (6-3)
Losing to the 49ers should not be a shock given the records and win-streaks of the two teams going into the contest, but somehow, no one took San Fran seriously until they proved they had the muscle to stop a bubbling juggernaut like New York. The Giants still have a game lead over the strengthening Cowboys, but will have to regroup fast to avoid being caught by America’s Team. The Eagles’ loss to the poor Cardinals has lessened the pressure in the NFC East and news that Michael Vick has sustained 2 broken ribs has left the once eminent division a 2-horse race.
9 (13). Chicago Bears (6-3)
The Bears are rolling and at this time of the season there’s no better statistic to build optimism than a heavy dose of win-streaking. Their win against their main Wild Card rivals, division buddies the Lions, and their 4 consecutive victories, added to the excellent play of Jay Cutler makes these boys my new Number 1 contenders for the 5th Seed in the NFC.
10 (9). Detroit Lions (6-3)
Hitting the skids is never good. It’s all the worse when it includes a loss to the team that needs tiebreakers over you to make it to the playoffs in your place. The Lions and Bears are heading in opposite directions and while they are both still in the running to qualify, Detroit need to pull their socks up or risk having their trousers pulled down.
11. Cincinnati Bengals (6-3)
Still in the mix for the 6th Seed thanks to the Jets and the Bills losing, the Bengals had a real chance to take control of the AFC North with what would have been an unlikely win against long-time problem rivals, the Steelers. As it is, young Red Dalton and his surprising Cincinnati Bengals find themselves in a tight race for Wild Cards as we edge into the second half of the season. As with the Lions in the NFC North, we will see the true character of these inexperienced units as every contending team’s mettle is thoroughly examined as the season strides towards the close. Can they make it? They will struggle with the Jets keen to rebound after losing control of their own destiny, but if they can just keep doing what they have been doing so far, there’s every reason to think they have a shot.
12 (10). New York Jets (5-4)
In a week that many expected to see the Jets ascend to the top of the pile in the AFC East, the boisterous boys in Green and White slid two places in the rankings after a blow out loss to a Patriots team that looked like they knew they were playing for more than just another win. The loss means New England has swept the season series for the first time since Rex Ryan took charge, and now own the East and all the tiebreakers they need should it come to that. The Jets still figure to feature in the playoffs, but every game must now be treated as a playoff contest, with the Bills, Bengals and Ravens all in the mix for those valuable Wild Card spots. With a similar run-in to the Patriots, save for their clash with the Giants and the Pats tussle with the listless Colts, they can’t afford to dream of the division crown this year. I think they will make it; they are too good not to, but the play of Mark Sanchez could damage their chances unless he picks up the slack.
The Bottom Half…
13 (12). Buffalo Bills (5-4)
14 (18). Dallas Cowboys (5-4)
15 (14). Atlanta Falcons (5-4)
16. Oakland Raiders (5-4)
17 (15). Kansas City Chiefs (4-5)
18 (17). San Diego Chargers (4-5)
19 (24). Denver Broncos (4-5)
20 (21). Tennessee Titans (5-4)
21(19). Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5)
22 (20). Philadelphia Eagles (3-6)
23 (25). Miami Dolphins (2-7)
24 (26). Arizona Cardinals (3-6)
25 (31). Seattle Seahawks (3-6)
26 (27). St Louis Rams (2-7)
27 (22). Cleveland Browns (3-6)
28 (29). Jacksonville Jaguars (3-6)
29 (23). Minnesota Vikings (2-7)
30 (28). Carolina Panthers (2-7)
31 (30). Washington Redskin (3-6)
32 . Indianapolis Colts (0-10)
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