(Last week’s ratings in parentheses)
1. New England (1): Yes, the Patriots can go 16-0.
2. Indianapolis (2): Colts could beat the Patriots in the playoffs.
3. Dallas (3): Cowboys will control NFC with a win over Giants.
4. Green Bay (4): Is Brett Favre actually getting better at age 38?
5. New York Giants (5): Giants won’t be scared of the Cowboys.
6. Pittsburgh (6): Steelers have looked great since loss to Broncos.
7. Tennessee (7): The Titans are a very underappreciated team.
8. Detroit (9): OK, the Lions look like they are for real.
9. Jacksonville (8): Problems on and off field are piling up for Jags.
10. Washington (12): Oh, there you are, Clinton Portis.
11. Cleveland (15): Browns are AFC version of Lions – big surprise.
12. Tampa Bay (17): Tad inconsistent but Bucs lead their division.
13. New Orleans (18): The Saints are coming hard.
14. Buffalo (21): Bills deserve a lot of credit for this bounce back.
15. San Diego (10): Loss to Vikings prove this team has not turned the corner.
16. Seattle (11): The Seahawks have to stop messing around and run away with the division.
17. Carolina (13): Injuries are piling up for Panthers.
18. Baltimore (14): This offense is horrendous.
19. Kansas City (16): Chiefs are lucky Chargers are floundering.
20. Houston (23): A road win at Oakland isn’t much but it’s something for the scuffling Texans.
21. Minnesota (28): Adrian Peterson is a special player.
22. Philadelphia (19): You got to feel for Andy Reid.
23. Denver (20): Yes, it probably can get worse.
24. Arizona (22): Cardinals are still not out of it in the NFC West.
25. Chicago (24): Bumbling Bears have to beat Raiders. Don’t they?
26. Atlanta (30): Falcons are alive. Not really, but they won a game.
27. Cincinnati (25): Just puzzling.
28. San Francisco (26): The 49ers are getting worse. A lot worse.
29. Oakland (27): Put in JaMarcus Russell now.
30. New York Jets (29): Nothing is helping this team these days.
31. St. Louis (31): Scott Linehan post-bye week fire watch is on.
32. Miami (32): The Dolphins return from their bye. Anyone care?
ON THE MOVE
Buffalo
This is a feel-good story. The Bills have had a ton of injuries, starting with the neck injury suffered by tight end Kevin Everett against the Broncos on opening day. The Bills also lost heartbreakers to Denver and Dallas. They looked lost. But suddenly, this team has turned it on and has won three games in a row. The Bills may not make the playoffs, but they have shown great resiliency.
