NFL Week 9 Power Rankings

Five Quick Hits

* No announcing team is as good with the technical details and understanding of the game as Al Michaels and John Madden. My favorite announcers are FOX's top team, but I've only heard them once all season.

* Best studio analysts: Ron Jaworski, Howie Long, and Steve Young. Tom Jackson used to be a fixture on this list, but something's off this season.

* I cannot imagine what would make anyone think television audiences want to see Terrell Owens' gold mouth.

* Jim Nantz was great in the studio, but the booth has been a little rough for him. Unlike Michaels, he apparently doesn't realize that not all no-huddle offenses are hurry-up.

* I watched NFL Films' 1999 history of the New York Giants on ESPN2 after MNF. If I had the NFL Films library at my disposal, I would never watch anything else. I would also never sleep.

I wasn't going to write about the Colts in this space, but it can't be helped. They have scored at least 24 points in every game this season. On Monday night, Marvin Harrison became the fastest player to 800 receptions. Harrison and Peyton Manning broke the record for receptions between a quarterback and receiver. Edgerrin James rushed for 123 yards and added 56 receiving yards.

Harrison's 800 mark is a little misleading because the receiving game has changed so much. What I found interesting wasn't that Harrison was at the top of the list, but that the second and third men down both began their careers in the '80s rather than the '90s. Jerry Rice, number two on the chart, is a Hall of Fame lock when he becomes eligible. Art Monk, number three, has been shamefully excluded four times. Canton won't be complete until Monk is in.

The record Manning and Harrison broke jointly was held by Jim Kelly and Andre Reed, and most fans think of Joe Montana and Rice when discussions of great QB-WR combinations arise. The best comparison for Manning and Harrison, though, is former Colts Johnny Unitas and Raymond Berry, and not just because they wore the same uniforms.

Montana and Rice were great players, but Unitas and Berry had a connection that no other QB-WR tandem possessed -- until now. Manning and Harrison have it, too. That raises the question of whether James is Lenny Moore.

There have been great offenses in recent years: Denver and Minnesota in 1998; the Rams from '99-'01; Oakland in 2002, and Kansas City in 2003. Indianapolis in 2004 is right there with all of them, and its stars shine the brightest. Football fans have a rare opportunity right now, seeing this offense at its peak.

Before we get to the power rankings, I should state that James is probably closer to Lydell Mitchell than Lenny Moore. As always, brackets indicate previous rank.

1. Pittsburgh Steelers [2] -- Last week, I broke one of my own rules by ranking Pittsburgh behind Philadelphia even though I admitted that I thought the Steelers were the better team. When you start using a formula instead of what you really believe, the product of your work becomes dishonest and less valuable. I knew ESPN.com and Dr. Z would have Philly in first place last week, and no one could really criticize me for doing the same. I chickened out. It won't happen again.

2. New England Patriots [3] -- The first half was close, but New England took over in the second half and left no doubt as to which was the better team at the Edward Jones Dome on Sunday. Based on their last two games, you could make a case for Corey Dillon as team MVP.

3. Philadelphia Eagles [1] -- They certainly didn't play like a 7-0 team. The Eagles got outscored 27-3. They went 0-8 on third downs and made only seven during the entire game; Pittsburgh made 25. The Steelers more than doubled Philadelphia's time of possession and nearly quadrupled its offensive yardage. The Eagles didn't just lose; they got demolished.

4. Indianapolis Colts [6] -- It's easy to say the defense played better against Minnesota, but the tone was set by Matt Birk on the game's first play from scrimmage. The Colts' defense just rode that, and the offense it faced was missing its best player. Furthermore, giving up 28 points, even if seven came on special teams, isn't so hot. Indianapolis should probably be lower than this, but I don't like the Chargers or Jets in this spot, either. This is the first of eight consecutive too-high rankings. It's a three-team race for the Lombardi Trophy the way things stand right now.

5. San Diego Chargers [12] -- Before the season began, almost everyone knew that Marty Schottenheimer was going to be fired at the end of the year. At this rate, of course, he'll probably hang on. Looking around the league, more than a quarter of the NFL's head coaches can trace their coaching heritage to Marty. His most famous pupils are Bill Cowher and Tony Dungy, but Herm Edwards was also on Schottenheimer's staff in Kansas City before working for Dungy in Tampa Bay. Marvin Lewis and Dom Capers are two of several Cowher disciples with head coaching jobs, and Lovie Smith was on Dungy's staff before taking over the defense in St. Louis. Cowher is my choice for Coach of the Half-Year, but Schottenheimer has done an impressive job this season.

6. New York Jets [4] -- Buffalo's defense contained Curtis Martin, and its offense nickel-and-dimed the Jets into submission. The Bills averaged just 4.5 yards per play -- New York managed 6.4 -- but controlled the clock and moved the ball consistently. The 22 points allowed by the Jets was their most in almost two months. Quincy Carter can fill in for a game or two and they'll be okay, but if Chad Pennington misses four weeks, the team could be in trouble.

7. Minnesota Vikings [7] -- They aren't the same team without Randy Moss, and haven't had a really impressive victory since Week 1 against Dallas. Minnesota RBs averaged almost six yards per attempt against the Colts, but only got 19 carries. They were really only playing from behind during the second quarter. I hate to beat a dead horse, but I can not understand why Mike Tice doesn't call more handoffs.

8. Baltimore Ravens [10] -- The victory over Cleveland wasn't terribly impressive, but I keep expecting Jonathan Ogden and Todd Heap to come back, and when they do, this will be a better team. The Raven offense is so bad that they basically demand other teams beat themselves.

9. Jacksonville Jaguars [9] -- I occasionally forget that Tom Coughlin now coaches in New York instead of Jacksonville. Which means I probably shouldn't write about Couglin in this space, even during the Jags' bye week.

10. Kansas City Chiefs [5] -- Don't blame the offense. Having the time of his life against KC's pitiful defense, Michael Pittman averaged more than 8.5 yards per carry and scored three TDs. Brian Griese added two more TDs and threw for nearly 300 yards with no interceptions. Shawn Barber's injury further depletes the defense, so things probably aren't going to get any better.

11. Houston Texans [8] -- Last week, I mentioned how well the defense had been playing, and this week it got lit up by the Broncos. This is the last of the too-high rankings. I still haven't seen Houston play this season.

12. Atlanta Falcons [13] -- Since a fast start against weak opponents (combined 9-23 record), the Falcons have gone .500. They're prohibitive favorites to win the NFC South, but Tampa could give them a run for their money, and Atlanta seems more lucky than good.

13. Denver Broncos [16] -- Rebounded from two nasty losses with a convincing win over a good team. The offense was almost perfect, and the defense held its own against a powerful offense, sacking David Carr four times and limiting him to a 53.5 completion percentage.

14. Green Bay Packers [14] -- Having the week off should help a team that has struggled with injuries. Losses by Detroit and Minnesota this week mean that Green Bay has a good shot at its division title.

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers [21] -- Scored more than 30 points against KC, the first time the Bucs have done so since October 12 of last year against Steve Spurrier's Washington. Griese wouldn't be a terrible option for the NFC as its third Pro Bowl QB, behind Daunte Culpepper and Donovan McNabb.

16. Buffalo Bills [22] -- After an 0-4 start, the Bills have rebounded to win three of their last four games, with the lone loss at Baltimore, which is nothing to be ashamed of. I've been in Travis Henry's corner from day one, but the offense seems energized by Willis McGahee. Unlike some other power rankings I know, this column hasn't had Buffalo below 28th all season.

17. New York Giants [11] -- The Giants are certainly frustrating, aren't they? After four wins in a row, they drop a huge duck against Detroit -- maybe they aren't so good after all. They bounce back by embarrassing Minnesota -- I saw them ranked fifth in some polls last week. Now they lose to Craig Krenzel's Bears. How can anyone predict what this team will do in a given week? I was going to drop the Giants only one spot, but injuries move them down for now -- a lot, because teams are tightly packed here.

18. Cleveland Browns [17] -- Lee Suggs looked like he was in slow motion against Baltimore's defense. If he had moved forward instead of hesitating in the backfield, Suggs could have saved his team some yards. The defense did a pretty nice job against the Ravens' admittedly awful offense.

19. Detroit Lions [15] -- Special teams played a big role in two of Detroit's victories this season. Special teams were also the main reason the Lions lost to Washington. All phases of the game are important. I'm shocked that more programs don't emphasize special teams. If I were a coach, I'd pull a George Allen and introduce the special teams during player introductions.

20. St. Louis Rams [18] -- Sad days for the NFC West: this is the highest-ranked team in the division. The Rams had their moments on Sunday, and it was nice to see flashes from Marshall Faulk, but the game was a mismatch, plain and simple. Once invincible in their dome, St. Louis is 2-2 there this season.

21. Seattle Seahawks [19] -- There probably is no more underappreciated RB in the NFL than Shaun Alexander. He's not underrated, precisely, because everyone knows he's good. But when people talk about the greatest running backs, the top tier, his name is invariably left out.

22. Cincinnati Bengals [27] -- Next week, Cincinnati plays Washington. If you live in or near either of those cities, you may want to consider investing in an NFL television package that will allow you to watch a real game.

23. Dallas Cowboys [20] -- It takes a special kind of bad to make Cincinnati's defense look good.

24. Tennessee Titans [24] -- Amazingly, only two games back in the AFC South. If Tennessee unexpectedly begins playing like it did from 1999-2003, the Titans could make a run at the division title.

25. Washington Redskins [28] -- James Thrash made a very compelling case on Sunday that he should be the NFC's special teams Pro Bowler. Mark Brunell made an equally compelling case that he should retire.

26. Arizona Cardinals [25] -- Josh McCown has really settled down, but the usually stiff defense struggled against Jay Fiedler and Travis Minor.

27. New Orleans Saints [23] -- Four of the last five games have been losses, and only one was by less than a touchdown. The win was over the lowly Raiders. This team has fallen totally apart.

28. Chicago Bears [30] -- If they beat Tennessee, they'll start moving up a little faster.

29. Oakland Raiders [29] -- Both teams combined for 106 rushing yards in their matchup against Carolina. The Panthers were missing Stephen Davis and DeShaun Foster, and Oakland was without Charlie Garner. Norv Turner, an offensive guy who's been particularly successful working with running backs, is probably tempted to resign in frustration. He and Dave Wannstedt could sit on the beach in Miami and toast to their time together in Dallas.

30. San Francisco 49ers [31] -- Tim Rattay isn't part of the problem -- except insofar as he's part of the team -- but relying on him to win games is not the way to go. If Kevan Barlow can control the clock, the defense can stay off the field.

31. Carolina Panthers [26] -- It's depressing that a team can fall so far so fast. It makes me long for the 1980s, when the same teams were good every year. I guess that isn't a perfect situation, either.

32. Miami Dolphins [32] -- Wannstedt probably wasn't going to lead them to the Super Bowl, but he's a 10-wins-a-season guy, and the team's failures this year have been largely beyond his control. Next stop, Gainesville?