Week 9 Power Rankings: 11 & 12

11 (15). Cincinnati Bengals (6-2)
Nobody, probably not even the Bengals, though that the AFC North would be a 3 horse race this year. Oddly, after 8 games the Bengals actually TOP the division, leading both Baltimore and Pittsburgh on tiebreakers.

That is likely, however, to change. This Bengals team, captained admirably by rookie QB Andy ‘Red’ Dalton have performed beyond expectations, and done so with a welcome dose of poise and verve, but they lack the season-closing skills possessed by their more mature rivals.

That said, the Bengals have benefited from having a long-term coach in place and have been working consistently to improve over the past few seasons. Maybe they are for real? We will know more after week 10, when the Bengals are scheduled to play the Steelers. A win for the Bengals will put them in control of the division and seriously dent Pittsburgh’s chances of making the playoffs due to the horrendous tiebreaker ramifications another intra-divisional loss will have.

12 (11). Buffalo Bills (5-3)
The Bills only just made it inside the top 12 and I expect them to fall away from the leading pack in the next fortnight. The Jets are soaring on the back of a 3 game win streak and have the chance to dismantle the patriots hopes of another division title in Week 10, while the Bills have to play a desperate Dallas outfit that must win to keep the pressure on NFC East frontrunners, the New York Giants.

The following week sees the Jets feast on the Broncos and the Bills playing the Dolphins, another tricky team that has improved in recent weeks (hard to get any worse, really) and look much more potent with matt Moore under centre.

Feasibly the Bills could find themselves back on top of the division if they win while the Patriots continue to lose, and for that mathematical unlikelihood alone, they remain in the top 12. Just…


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