There was some adjusting of team placements, but the divisions remain in the same positions. Chicago faced some tough opposition the past two weeks, but their remaining schedule (except a rematch against now division-leading Green Bay) looks good. The Falcons continue to win due to luck (winning after turning over the ball SIX times!!!) with the Colts are rising fast due to Luck.
Top Half of the League [Last week's position]
1. Houston Texans (9-1) [1] : Unquestionably the top team in the league, although allowing Jacksonville to score so much in the first half was a surprise. Chad Henne pulled off some great plays; maybe the Jets should trade for him?
2. San Francisco 49ers (7-2-1) [4] : They slaughtered the Bears with backup QB Jason Campbell, which their rookie backup looks almost better than Alex Smith. Unfortunately that has ignited a quarterback controversy, and those often cause teams to slide.
3. Atlanta Falcons (9-1) [3] : They need to turn the ball over less, and show more consistency, for me to believe they can win their first playoff game with Matt Ryan
4. New England Patriots (7-3) [5] : There is no offense playing better right now
5. Chicago Bears (7-3) [2] : They looked sick this week, but they have a chance to look better this week
6. Denver Broncos (7-3) [6] : Peyton has this team moving, and they have become a true threat in the AFC
7. Baltimore Ravens (8-2) [7] : They manhandled Byron Leftwich, but many teams have done that in his career. The offense needs to improve or they won't move far in the playoffs.
8. Green Bay Packers (7-3) [8] : They now lead the NFC North, but consistency on offense is necessary
9. Tampa Bay Bucs (6-4) [10] : They engineered a phenomenal comeback against the Panthers, scoring 20 unanswered points (six of them in overtime) to maintain their winning streak
10. New York Giants (6-4) [9]
11. Seattle Seahaws (6-4) [11]
12. Minnesota Vikings (6-4) [13] : Three bye teams in a row. There should be a song there somewhere :)
13. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-5) [12] : Leftwich wasn't the answer. Charlie Batch returns, and he was a stable backup for Big Ben over the years. How cold will he be, though? This team could fall below .500
14. New Orleans Saints (5-5) [17] : The Saints are marching into the top half of the league, as the offense has finally found its rhythm
15. Cincinnati Bengals (5-5) [18] : Cincy returns to the top half of the power rankings with a strong win, but it was against KC. Let's see if they can maintain that against tougher opposition
16. San Diego Chargers (4-6) [14] : Their offense looks good, but their defense is faltering. They need to improve or they will be gone from the top of the league.
Division Power Rankings [Last week's position]
1. NFC North [1] : They have three teams in the top half of the league's power and Detroit doesn't stink, although they cannot play up to the potential of their talent. If Chicago recovers their defensive swagger and Adrian Peterson continues to help Minnesota's offense, they could remain on top for the rest of the season.
2. NFC South [2] : New Orleans' offensive improvement gives them three teams in the upper half of the league's power, as well. Carolina will keep dragging them down, though.
3. AFC North [3] : The only AFC division with three teams in the upper half of power, the Steelers are moving down and Cincy can't make up their minds how they want to play
4. NFC West [4] : The 49ers and Seahawks are threats, and even Arizona and St Louis can play teams tough. Don't turn your back on any of these guys
5. AFC East [5] : The Patriots clearly pull this division, but at least they have no atrocious teams (although the Jets are starting to get there). That beats the other AFC divisions that aren't the North
6. NFC East [6] : The Giants bye may give them a chance to get their act together. Washington and Dallas have spurts of brilliance, while the Eagles are falling fast
7. AFC South [7] : Indianapolis is moving up, so it's no longer a one-team division. They might leap over the NFC East within a couple of weeks.
8. AFC West [8] : San Diego cannot play consistently well, and Oakland and KC are pathetic.
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