NFL 2012 Week 9 power rankings

The NFC won nearly all of the AFC v NFC battles this week (Pitt v Giants being the exception), and the NFC dominance on the top is swinging back again.  All 16 of the top half of the league have positive point differentials, and the gap between the top 17 teams and the rest of the league is growing.

Top half of the league [Last week's position]
1.  Chicago Bears (7-1) [1] : There isn't a more dangerous defense than that of the Bears, as they have forced more turnovers and scored more touchdowns than any other defensive squad in the league.
2.  Houston Texans (7-1) [2] : More defensive dominance from the top AFC defense.  The offense is working, too, which makes them the favorite to win the conference.
3.  Atlanta Falcons (8-0) [3] : Strange game against Dallas, where field goals ruled, but they remain unbeaten.  Not all wins are going to be smooth.
4.  San Francisco 49ers (6-2) [4]
5.  New England Patriots (5-3) [5] : Helpful and timely bye, as all active East division teams (in both AFC and NFC) lost this week
6.  New York Giants (6-3) [6] : Close loss against Pitt, but the Giants now look vulnerable.  I don't think any NFC East team can exploit those vulnerabilities, but other teams might.
7.  Denver Broncos (5-3) [7] : Peyton three touchdowns again, for the third game in a row.  Denver is on the move, and perhaps the biggest threat to Houston (they have an easier schedule than the Pats).
8.  Green Bay Packers (6-3) [8] : A strong victory over Arizona keeps them 1.5 games back from Chicago in the NFC North.
9.  Baltimore Ravens (6-2) [11] : Reports of their defense's demise (mostly from me) very obviously premature.  Their two stars go down, but other teammates stepped up as Baltimore shut down a surging Browns offense in the fourth quarter.
10. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3) [9] : After a strong defeat of Washington last week, they frustrated Eli and the Giants this week.  The Steelers are back, and that means trouble for their remaining opponents.
11. Tampa Bay Bucs (4-4) [13] : I said I didn't think the Bucs losing record would last, and it didn't. The Raiders gave them a scare in the fourth quarter, but the Bucs recovered two onside kicks and stopped them on fourth down to secure the win.
12. Seattle Seahawks (5-4) [14] : Seattle dominated Minnesota to chase San Francisco.  Russell Wilson continued his magic, making this offense very dangerous.
13. San Diego Chargers (4-4) [15] : They had a strong win over KC, but that was KC
14. Miami Dolphins (4-4) [10] : Close loss to Indy, but that's only because Andrew Luck set a new rookie passing record of 433 yards.  Ryan Tannehill and the Dolphins offense looked good, too.
15. Minnesota Vikings (5-4) [12] : They were mangled by Seattle.  There are some questions being asked about Minnesota's stability.
16.  Detroit Lions (4-4) [18] : The NFC North pushes all of their teams into the top half of the league as the Lions coast over Jacksonville.

Divisional rankings [Last week's position]
1.  NFC North [1] : With no team having a losing record and all four teams in the top half of the league, was there any doubt which division is the best?
2.  NFC South [4] : Atlanta remains unbeaten, the Bucs are surging, and the Saints are righting the ship.  Even Carolina won this week.
3.  NFC West [3] : Half the division had a bye, and the other two split.  This division is good, but cracks are showing.
4.  AFC North [2] : This division is only one quarter of a point below the NFC West, so don't discount their strength.  Pitt is getting stronger and even Baltimore looks like they will survive defensive injuries.  The Browns surgied until the Ravens stiffened, and even Cincy tried to keep pace with Peyton Manning.
5.  AFC East [5] : The Jets prevented embarrassment by having a bye.  Miami looked good in a loss, but Buffalo looks flat.
6.  NFC East [6] : Every single team in the division lost, and only New York has more than 3 wins.  This division needs an enema!
7.  AFC West [7] : Denver is on the rise, San Diego had a good week, and even Oakland showed life in the second half.  KC is competing for the top draft pick, though.
8.  AFC South [8] : The Colts have a winning record but negative point differential; they need to have some big games to wipe out huge early losses.  Houston remains strong, but the Titans and Jags bring this division down.