NFL Week 9 Power Rankings

Five Quick Hits

* This weekend, the NFL and its television partners highlighted Veterans Day, including players with combat experience. One you've probably never heard of, but should have: All-Pro tackle Al Blozis.

* All anybody wants to talk about is the drama, but how about some love for Greg Camarillo, who probably saved Sunday's game for the Vikings by hustling and knocking the ball away from Kerry Rhodes for a touchback?

* As bad as their defense is, the Cardinals actually lead the NFL in defensive touchdowns (5). Should be 6.

* Brett Favre passed for over 400 yards in the overtime win, the first time he's topped 400 since December 1993. For all the records he holds, it's surprising to hear about things like this. Favre is now tied for 24th in 400-yard passing games. Actually, I think he's even a little lower than that, but it's tricky finding game data for players like Norm Van Brocklin and Johnny Unitas who had some big games before 1960.

* The record for 400-yard games: Dan Marino, 13. Peyton Manning will probably break a lot of records before his career is over, and he's second to Marino (8), but I actually don't think he's likely to catch him.

***

Philadelphia fans, what the hell is wrong with you?

Do you have no sense of shame? Do you have any conception of the difference between right and wrong, between what is and is not okay? How did it strike you as remotely acceptable to boo at the top of your lungs after Austin Collie's injury? I realize the penalty call was questionable, but there's another person lying on the field, completely motionless. A man's long-term health is in question, and you're concerned about a 15-yard penalty in a game? When you come up with priorities, how do you arrive at the conclusion that the 15 yards are more important?

I realize there are plenty of Eagle fans who didn't boo this weekend, even plenty who were probably appalled by the behavior of their compatriots. But to those of you who did boo ... what the hell is wrong with you?

As we get to the power rankings, this is your midseason reminder that we're looking at current power, a right-now ranking. Week 1 is ancient history; let's look at, if two teams met next weekend, who's better? Brackets show last week's rank.

1. New York Giants [2] — Average 401 yards per game on offense, 251 on defense. They average a 150-yard advantage compared to their opponents. The Giants have won five in a row, including some ugly blowouts, but there are some questions about this team. It hasn't faced quality opposition during the win streak, and injuries on the offensive line could become a problem. The Giants, and specifically their quarterback, Eli Manning, have had some consistency issues over the years, so that's worth keeping an eye on, too. This team has a terrific pass rush, but a week after the Seahawks yielded eight sacks against Oakland, the Giants registered none in the 41-7 victory this weekend.

2. Tennessee Titans [3] — Lead the NFL in points per game. They've scored at least 20 in seven of their eight games, failing to meet the mark only against Pittsburgh in Week 2. The Titans also have a good defense, with unheralded stars. Jason Babin and Dave Ball combine for 13 sacks. Michael Griffin has 4 interceptions. Middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch is among the league leaders in tackles, a player who has earned serious Pro Bowl consideration.

3. Baltimore Ravens [5] — Five wins in their last six games, with the loss in overtime against the Patriots. Beat the Dolphins easily, winning time of possession by 17 minutes, but settled for too many field goals. Baltimore went 1/7 in the red zone this week, kicking three field goals under 30 yards. It wasn't a big deal this time, but against stronger opponents — like New England — it's the difference between winning and losing. You need to get a couple of those into the end zone.

4. Philadelphia Eagles [11] — Sacked Peyton Manning three times and intercepted him twice, the most success any team has had against him this season. The defense as a whole has just been okay this season, above-average but not really special. Ernie Sims, though, has really been a positive addition. The stars of the show, however, are still Trent Cole (7 sacks) and Asante Samuel (5 INT). The Eagles have been flagged for double-digit penalties in consecutive games and are now 2nd in the NFL in penalty yardage (652). Philadelphia is a remarkable 12-0 after the bye under Andy Reid.

5. Indianapolis Colts [4] — For those who haven't already heard, Collie apparently suffered a concussion, but nothing that should impact his immediate health or ability to continue his career. With so many receivers going down, Jacob Tamme has stepped up and become a productive weapon. If he has somehow slipped through the cracks and is available in your fantasy league, he looks like a must-add right now. But Tamme is not Dallas Clark, and on Sunday he missed a couple passes Clark probably would have reeled in. The Colts are 2-3 on the road.

6. Pittsburgh Steelers [6] — Tied (with Philadelphia) for the best turnover differential in the league (+9). The AFC playoff picture is really crowded. Three divisions have very strong wild card contenders, and only two of them can qualify. Among the Jets and Patriots in the East, Colts and Titans in the South, and the Ravens and Steelers in the North, someone's getting left out. Maybe even two of them depending on what happens with the Chiefs, Chargers, and Raiders in the West. Pittsburgh has a critical game in Week 10, at home against the Pats. It's not a must-win, but the loser could have an uphill climb to the postseason. LT Max Starks, perhaps the team's best offensive lineman, will likely miss the remainder of the season with a neck injury.

7. New York Jets [7] — Allowed 20 points for the third time in four games, and easily could have lost to Detroit this weekend. Trevor Pryce should (but won't) be fined and suspended for diving at Jason Hanson's knees. The NFL's injury prevention program needs to be about more than P.R., and taking out someone's knees can destroy his athletic ability, end his season or career. Both teams were called for 11 penalties this weekend (22 total), resulting in over 200 penalty yards.

8. Green Bay Packers [10] — Best defense in the NFL. Only the Jets allow fewer points per game, but the Packers lead the NFL in sacks (28), interceptions (14), and opponents' passer rating (68.3). They've also scored 4 defensive touchdowns. Cris Collinsworth dissed Aaron Rodgers on Sunday night, although it sounded like he meant to compliment him: "Aaron Rodgers now is just becoming one of those elite quarterbacks in the league, maybe not up there yet with the top three, top four, but just behind them." Really? I don't see how you can rank Rodgers any lower than fourth or fifth at this point. The top group, in my mind, is Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, Rodgers, and maybe Tom Brady. Rodgers is accurate, athletic, and has a fantastic quick release. I can't imagine who else might be ahead of him at this point. Maybe a healthy Tony Romo?

9. Atlanta Falcons [8] — Lost in Week 1, 6-1 since. A pair of long returns by Tampa's Micheal Spurlock made this week's game closer than it should have been, but the Falcons were clearly the superior team for the other 59½ minutes, with an advantage of 12 first downs, 8 minutes' time of possession, and almost 100 yards. Roddy White, who injured a knee last weekend, has indicated he'll be ready for the team's Thursday night matchup with Baltimore in Week 10.

10. New England Patriots [1] — They were a weak no. 1 last week ("I'm not happy about this"), so this shouldn't be interpreted as a diss of the Browns, or even a major re-evaluation of New England. The Browns dominated them in Week 9, and the Patriots' highlight may have been the versatility of Wes Welker, who kicked the second successful extra point of his career. Most fans first became aware of Welker in 2004, when he was a special teamer for the Dolphins, scoring on a kickoff return and filling in at kicker after Olindo Mare got hurt.

11. New Orleans Saints [15] — Lead the NFL in third down percentage (47.5%), and they've held three of the last four opponents to 10 points or less. But the Saints have played very probably the easiest schedule in the NFL this season. Their opponents are a combined 30-42, which is bad (.417), but are even worse than that record implies. It seems like the Week 5 loss to Arizona was a wake-up call for the sleepwalking Saints, who are 3-1 since, including a victory over the Steelers and a pair of serious beatdowns against division foes, the kinds of win New Orleans had last season.

12. Oakland Raiders [16] — Three straight wins. Remarkable game from rookie Jacoby Ford, who had 6 catches for 148 yards and scored on a kickoff return. The Raiders probably aren't a favorite to win the AFC West, because the Chiefs have an easy remaining schedule and the sky is the limit for San Diego, but Oakland is 3-0 in the division, with wins over all three other teams, and has to at least be considered a playoff contender at this point.

13. San Diego Chargers [14] — Look out, AFC, the Chargers are making their annual belated run. Even without Antonio Gates and despite getting another punt deflected, the Bolts went on the road and beat a decent Houston team. People talk about what Peyton Manning is doing without Dallas Clark, Austin Collie, and Anthony Gonzalez. How about what Rivers is doing minus Gates, Malcolm Floyd, and Legedu Naanee?

14. Cleveland Browns [20] — Consecutive wins over the Saints and Patriots, by a combined 33 points. In 2008, innumerable injuries forced Peyton Hillis, the 14th-string fullback for the Broncos, into a starring role. Hillis was effective, averaging 5.0 yards per carry and scoring 5 TDs in four starts at tailback. In '09, Hillis got a grand total of 13 carries, and the team traded him after the season. Now, the Broncos have the worst run game in the NFL (538 yds, 2.9 avg, 5 TD) and Hillis is a monster (644 yds, 4.8 avg, 7 TD). It's not like Hillis came out of nowhere as a runner. The Broncos saw what he was capable of as a rookie two years ago. But who needs ball-carriers when you can pass 50 times a game?

15. Miami Dolphins [9] — Maybe the hardest schedule in the league so far, with games against the Ravens, Steelers, Jets, Packers, and Patriots. Miami's offense is bad, 28th in points per game, with a season-high of just 23. Chad Henne has thrown an interception in six straight games, and is one of only four players with more INTs than TDs (Brett Favre, Matt Hasselbeck, Henne, Donovan McNabb) in at least 200 attempts this season.

16. Kansas City Chiefs [12] — The last undefeated team in the league this season, they're 2-3 since the bye. This is a legit defense, though. Rookie safety Eric Berry has already shown a lot of promise, and if not for Ndamukong Suh, would probably be the midseason front-runner for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Berry has two sacks, two interceptions, and is second on the team in solo tackles (34). The ever-improving Tamba Hali is tied for third in the NFL with 8 sacks. Kansas City is 4-0 at home, 1-3 on the road.

17. Washington Redskins [13] — Dropped four spots in their bye week, partly because I'm re-evaluating the team — they're +8 in turnovers, which is third-best in the NFL, but they're not good at anything else — but mostly because I elevated the Saints, Raiders, Chargers, and Browns after good performances. If Washington completes a season sweep of Philadelphia next Monday night, it'll jump right back up to the edge of the top 10.

18. Minnesota Vikings [19] — The inmates are running the asylum. I know they squeaked out a win over Arizona this week, but Brad Childress just has no meaningful authority. This is what happens when you have someone like Brett Favre or Terrell Owens on your team. If you had asked me in 2004, I never would have believed this, but at this point I'd rather have Owens in my locker room than Favre. They're basically the same person, but Favre is desperately trying to keep himself relevant, and Owens for now is largely letting his play speak for itself.

19. Houston Texans [17] — Best rushing team in the NFL. They're sixth in yards per game, but first in average per carry, touchdowns, and first down percentage. The Texans balance their excellence on the ground with perhaps the worst defense in the league, and Matt Schaub continues to disappoint after his excellent '09. He hasn't been terrible, but he hasn't been a standout, either. Arian Foster lost a TD to the Calvin Johnson Rule this week. I know it goes against every instinct we have as humans, but receivers have got to stop breaking their falls on these catches. Both hands on the ball, guys.

20. Detroit Lions [18] — Two wins in their last four, with the losses against the Giants and Jets. Here's how they beat the Jets instead of losing in overtime: kicker Jason Hanson gets injured, and the Lions score a touchdown following the penalty. Instead of sending out a rookie defensive tackle to kick the extra point, go for two. Almost half of all two-point conversions succeed, and the Lions have one of the best offenses in the NFL. Their chances of making the two were probably about as good as their chances of making the kick, but it's twice as valuable.

21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers [21] — For years, you could count on it. Watch the Bucs play on television, and at some point, one of the announcers would mention that they had never returned a kickoff for a touchdown. This was true from the team's inception in 1976 up until 2007, when 24-year-old Micheal Spurlock finally took one back all the way. And there was much rejoicing. Then, in 2008, Clifton Smith returned a kickoff for a TD. So did Sammie Stroughter last year, and Spurlock again yesterday. After 31 seasons in the wilderness, the Bucs now have a KR TD in each of the past four years.

22. St. Louis Rams [22] — Only three home games left, which is bad news when you're 4-1 at home, 0-3 on the road. The Rams are tied for first place in the worst division in football. The NFC West is a combined 9-15 in non-division games (.375).

23. Jacksonville Jaguars [24] — There are six 4-4 teams. All six have been outscored by their opponents this season. This ranges from the respectable (St. Louis and Washington) to the miserable: Miami, Houston, Seattle, and Jacksonville have all been outscored by more than 30 points, the Jags by 61.

24. San Francisco 49ers [25] — Considering how good Frank Gore is, the offense is sort of magnificently bad. Gore puts up huge numbers, but — like Corey Dillon in his prime, or Steven Jackson now — he's kind of tough to evaluate because the people around him are so bad. I would entertain arguments that Gore is the best RB in the NFL.

25. Chicago Bears [26] — Jay Cutler is this baffling mixture of great and terrible. Every once in a while, he'll make a truly exceptional throw, but just as often he's way off-target or forcing one into double-coverage. I just don't see much difference between Cutler the last year and a half and Rex Grossman in 2006. Chicago has wins over 0-8 Buffalo, 1-7 Carolina, 1-7 Dallas, 2-6 Detroit, and 6-3 Green Bay, though the division wins were a fluke (GB) and arguably a robbery (DET). You'd be hard-pressed to find a 5-3 club with lower quality of victory.

26. Seattle Seahawks [23] — Two straight blowout losses, a combined 74-10 beating. This was Seattle's third game of the season held to single-digit scoring, and the team now ranks 31st in points per game (16.2). The Giants out-gained them 487-162 on Sunday.

27. Cincinnati Bengals [28] — Five losses in a row since their 2-1 start. Last season, when they won the AFC North, the Bengals had an average pass rush, about 2 sacks per game (34). This season, they're 31st, averaging less than one per game (7). Defensive ends Antwan Odom and Jonathan Fanene are both out, Odom for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs, and Fanene because of a hamstring. The only Bengal with more than 1 sack is a safety, Chris Crocker.

28. Denver Broncos [29] — Brandon Lloyd leads the NFL in receiving yards, by a huge margin (82). He's on pace for 1,756, which would be the third-highest mark in history. This is Lloyd's 8th season, and he's already set a career high for yardage. Lloyd looked like an emerging superstar way back in 2005. Looking back at my columns from that year, I wrote that he was "emerging as a receiver", "may have the best hands in the NFL," and voted for him to make the Pro Bowl. He didn't have the numbers, but watching him, you saw the potential. I never thought it would re-surface, but the skills have always been there.

29. Arizona Cardinals [30] — Somehow started 3-2, including a win over the Saints. They're 0-3 since the bye. This week, up 24-10 in the fourth quarter, they blew a lead and lost in overtime. Honestly, they were outplayed. Minnesota had twice as many yards, twice as many first downs. The Cardinals also allowed the Vikings to double their previous sack total, giving up 6 to a team that had been averaging less than 1 per game. Arizona stuck around with special teams, red zone defense, and luck.

30. Dallas Cowboys [27] — The ugly game on Sunday night was even uglier with NBC trying so hard during the broadcast to fire Wade Phillips. Well, it worked. This marks Wade's third partial season as an NFL head coach ('85 Saints, '03 Falcons), which has to be some kind of record. For a guy who's 82-61 (81-54 before this year's debacle), he sure doesn't get much respect. The Cowboys have allowed at least 35 points for three weeks in a row.

31. Buffalo Bills [32] — Yeah, they're 0-8, but at least they're putting up a fight. The last three losses are all by just a field goal. A good team wins one or two of those, and the Bills are a bad team, but the Panthers have cornered the market on badness right now. Next week, in a home game that will actually be in Buffalo, the Bills host the team that invented repeated close losses to good opponents, the Detroit Lions. These teams don't seem able to win, no matter how well they play, so I'm betting on a tie. Jairus Byrd, who intercepted 9 passes as a rookie, has none this year.

32. Carolina Panthers [31] — Held to 7 points or fewer in half their games, and now they've lost starting QB Matt Moore, who had the lowest passer rating in the NFL (55.6). Their loss to the Saints in Week 9 was so sufficiently ugly that I would prefer not to provide any details, in consideration of more sensitive readers.