NFL Week 9 Power Rankings

Five Quick Hits

* U.S. citizens, don't forget to vote today, Tuesday, November 7.

* Congratulations to Tiki Barber, Julius Peppers, Robbie Gould, Peyton Manning, Champ Bailey, and Justin Miller, the NFL's Players of the Month for October.

* Devin Hester and Santonio Holmes have breakaway potential as returners, but they've caused their teams a lot of problems by not holding on to the ball.

* The Bears signed Olin Kreutz to a contract extension this week, meaning Lance Briggs is probably gone at the end of the season. When your team spends a week thinking about money, there's probably not enough attention about that week's opponent.

* Marques Harris, that was the most impressive TD celebration in a long time.

***

Under Bill Belichick, the Patriots have been consistently successful on the football field, but they win no friends off it. New England is starting to build up a bad reputation for disloyalty to its players. The list of valuable contributors who left New England is long, including marquee names like Lawyer Milloy, Ty Law, Deion Branch, Willie McGinest, and Adam Vinatieri. Even Patriot fans were classless this week, booing Vinatieri and chanting a very naughty word after an obviously correct call by the officials went against their team. If the Pats aren't careful, no one will want to play for them.

On to the power rankings, brackets show last week's rank.

1. Indianapolis Colts [2] — The first team in history to win consecutive road games against teams that were 5-1 or better. Even though the flaws on defense are still there — and Bob Sanders' return should help with that — the Colts are starting to look unbeatable again. If you're looking for likely pitfalls, keep an eye on Week 14 at Jacksonville, and Week 17 against Miami. I'm half-joking on that one, but the Dolphins seems to have a knack for playing spoiler.

2. New England Patriots [3] — Committed five turnovers for the first time since before they'd won a Super Bowl. Cris Collinsworth should publicly apologize for nominating Tom Brady as his player of the day, and shame on the 16% of voters who agreed with him. It didn't affect who won, but the Patriots caught a break when Ron Winter inexplicably gave Brady a first down before the end of the first half, rather than calling for a measurement.

3. Chicago Bears [1] — No one wants Kyle Orton back, but the Bears, with their great defense, might be better with a game-managing quarterback than a gunslinger like Rex Grossman. When Grossman is on, the Bears win by 25 (which they've done an incredible five times this year), but when he's off, Grossman puts Chicago in a position to lose to teams like Miami and Arizona. The Bears don't need him to play aggressively.

4. Denver Broncos [4] — The offense has shown signs of life the last few weeks, with consecutive 31-point performances. Javon Walker, acquired from Green Bay for a second-round pick this April, has proven to be the team's most explosive weapon. The Packers, whose receiving corps has been decimated by injuries and suspensions, really miss Walker.

5. Baltimore Ravens [7] — After a soft schedule to open the season, they've toughened up, going 3-2 against opponents with a combined record of 26-14. The Ravens held Cincinnati to one third-down conversion, and now rank fifth in third-down defense, tied for fourth in sacks, third in total defense and scoring defense, second in rush defense, and first in opponents' average per rush, opponents' completion percentage, and interceptions.

6. New York Giants [5] — Dropped one spot from last week, less because of their uninspiring win over Houston than because of good play by the Ravens and the injury to Michael Strahan, which I believe is really going to hurt this team.

7. San Diego Chargers [6] — Overcame 12 penalties (for over 100 yards) to beat the Browns. The defense, minus Shawne Merriman, still tallied five sacks, but all the talk was about LaDainian Tomlinson, who for some reason is being discussed as the best running back in history. This came up last season, too, and Tomlinson wasn't even the best RB in 2005, much less ever. L.T., great as he is, hasn't earned comparisons to Jim Brown, and he's not a better all-around player than someone like Walter Payton or Marshall Faulk.

8. New Orleans Saints [9] — Embarrassed Tampa's pass defense. Drew Brees had 314 yards, three TDs, and a 136.7 passer rating. Two New Orleans receivers had over 100 yards, Brees wasn't sacked all game, and the Saints averaged nearly 10 yards per pass. Sean Payton and his staff have done a superb job this year.

9. Kansas City Chiefs [11] — Since opening 0-2, they've won five of their last six games, including victories against good teams like the Chargers and Seahawks. Tony Gonzalez has been on fire the last three weeks, averaging over 100 yards per game. Kansas City's offense could struggle if all-pro guard Brian Waters, who was injured on Sunday, misses much time.

10. Atlanta Falcons [8] — The whole team contributed to the loss against Detroit. Michael Vick committed three turnovers. The defense couldn't stop Kevin Jones (140 total yards, 2 TDs) or Roy Williams (138 yards, TD). Lions kicker Jason Hanson hit three field goals and returner Eddie Drummond had a 30-yard punt return. Team effort, losing in all phases of the game.

11. Jacksonville Jaguars [17] — Four times in their eight games, the Jaguars have held the opponent to seven points or less. That includes a shutout win against the Steelers, a 41-0 rout of the Jets, a win at Philadelphia, and Sunday's 30-point blasting of the Titans. It's hard to believe this is the same team that got blown out by Houston a couple weeks ago.

12. Seattle Seahawks [15] — Someone should tell Jerramy Stevens that you're supposed to be good before you get to act like a jackass. But have you seen anything uglier this season than Tyler Brayton kneeing Stevens in the groin? Oh yeah, Albert Haynesworth kicking Andre Gurode in the head. Still, Brayton deserves a multi-game suspension.

13. Cincinnati Bengals [10] — Interviewed after the loss to Baltimore, Chad Johnson seemed like he was on the verge of tears describing his lack of opportunities to do stupid dances. Johnson has changed from being an excellent wide receiver who had fun on the field to a crybaby who hurts his team and only cares about himself.

14. Carolina Panthers [13] — The running game has been a real disappointment, ranking 26th in the league. DeShaun Foster has always shown promise, but he's struggled with injuries and split time with Stephen Davis. Now, as the featured back, he's been okay, but nothing special.

15. Philadelphia Eagles [14] — The bye came at the right time for this staggering team. After their two-touchdown victory over Dallas improved the Eagles to 4-1, they looked like the team to beat in the NFC East. After their third straight loss, in Week 8, they looked like they were reeling. If Philadelphia is for real, it should win the next two games — at home against Washington and Tennessee — without much trouble.

16. Dallas Cowboys [16] — I don't think Terrell Owens minds that everyone is talking this week about his drops and his 15-yard celebration penalty. At least they're talking about him. The blocked field goal at the end of the game clearly involved protection problems, but Mike Vanderjagt sure didn't do anything to change the perception that he's a choker.

17. Minnesota Vikings [12] — Two ugly losses in a row after their impressive win at Seattle in Week 7. The Vikings dominated San Francisco statistically, but couldn't put points on the scoreboard. Brad Johnson had three turnovers for the second week in a row, and if that happens again next week, he's going to get benched.

18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers [18] — Don't make big plays on defense any more. The Bucs are tied for 29th in interceptions (4) and tied for 30th in sacks (12). This despite that the defense is always on the field, since Tampa Bay has no running game.

19. Washington Redskins [22] — What a crazy finish to the Dallas game, another chapter in one of the greatest rivalries in the league. A series of improbable events like that — the blocked kick, Sean Taylor's return, the penalty to extend regulation, the deciding field goal with no time left on the clock — is what makes the NFL so fun.

20. St. Louis Rams [19] — You know a player is good when he's eighth in receiving yards, tied for eighth in receptions, and tied for first in receiving touchdowns. And you know he's great when all of that is true, and it seems like he's having a down year. Torry Holt doesn't generate as many headlines as Chad Johnson, and he doesn't play on a great team like Marvin Harrison, but he just might be the best wide receiver in the league.

21. Pittsburgh Steelers [21] — Frustrating, because they have the potential to be very good, but Ben Roethlisberger can't stop throwing interceptions. The Steelers continue to beat themselves with penalties and turnovers, showing a real lack of discipline, and you blame the coaching staff for that. Right now, the Steelers aren't even the best 2-6 team in the NFL.

22. Green Bay Packers [20] — Outgained the Bills 427-184, with 26 first downs to Buffalo's 11, but they finished -4 in turnovers and lost by two touchdowns. At the halfway point of the season, Brett Favre has 11 TD passes and seven interceptions. At this rate, he'll finish the season with career totals of 418 and 269, respectively. That would leave him second on both lists, two behind Dan Marino in touchdowns and eight behind George Blanda in INTs.

23. New York Jets [23] — At 4-4 and with an easy schedule, the Jets have to be considered playoff contenders, but they're obviously inferior to Jacksonville and the second- and third-place teams in the AFC West. Even if Cincinnati fades and the AFC West teams beat up on each other, I don't see the Jets making the postseason.

24. Buffalo Bills [24] — The irony is killing me. Or at least killing the Bills and Texans. Two weeks ago, I praised David Carr as a potential Pro Bowler, and the next week he played so badly he was pulled out of the game. Last week, I pointed out how much of the workload Willis McGahee was carrying for Buffalo, and on Sunday, he broke a rib.

25. Cleveland Browns [27] — A week after breaking out against the Jets, Reuben Droughns was held to 36 yards and a 1.9 average. Charlie Frye had an interception and a lost fumble against San Diego, and is tied with Roethlisberger for the most turnovers in the league.

26. Houston Texans [25] — Lost their 12th consecutive road game on Sunday, and the fun's just going to continue, because three of the next four games are on the road. The team really misses Domanick Davis. Houston ranks 28th in rushing offense, averaging just 3.5 yards per carry and under half a touchdown per game on the ground.

27. Detroit Lions [29] — The offense can move the ball — Jon Kitna looks like Kurt Warner on the stat sheet — but the defense has some problems. Detroit is 30th in scoring defense, with more points allowed than everyone but Tennessee and San Francisco.

28. Tennessee Titans [26] — Remember when Chris Brown was a really promising running back? Now he's fourth on the team in rushing, and third on the depth chart at RB, behind Travis Henry and LenDale White. Tennessee is 30th in points scored and 31st in points allowed.

29. Miami Dolphins [30] — Similar to the Raiders, with a terrible offense that can't carry its share of the load for a strong defense. Against Chicago, the Dolphins got six takeaways, combined with a big game from Ronnie Brown. Joey Harrington threw three TDs, but he also had two interceptions, completed only half his passes, and averaged just 4.3 yards per pass attempt.

30. San Francisco 49ers [31] — Also had a Raider-esque win, with productive defense and no offense. The Niners had just 133 yards and eight first downs against Minnesota, averaging 1.6 yards per rush and failing to score a touchdown. The 49ers have actually beaten two .500 teams this season, but they've also lost to the Cardinals and gotten blown out four times.

31. Oakland Raiders [28] — Near the end of the first quarter, Andrew Walter was sacked on three plays in a row. The Raiders allowed a total of nine sacks on Monday night, and if they can't do a better job of protecting Walter, they'll keep getting shut out.

32. Arizona Cardinals [32] — Now the only one-win team in the league, they're on a seven-game losing streak and probably won't be favored for the rest of the season. It's never too early to start thinking about next year's draft.

If you're eligible to vote in the United States, please remember to take a few minutes and go to the polls today.