Week 10 NFL Power Rankings

1. New York Giants- I think it is pretty clear that the Giants are the best all-around team in the NFL, ripping through their first round of NFC East games and continuing to physically overwhelm opponents. Don't look now, but Brandon Jacobs is putting together an MVP-caliber season.
2. Tennessee Titans- The Bears dared Kerry Collins to beat them on Sunday, and he did just that, throwing for 289 yards and two touchdowns. Still, despite being the only undefeated team remaining in the NFL, you have to be somewhat skeptical of Tennessee in the postseason.
3. Carolina Panthers- Although the Giants are in a class of their own in the NFC, the Panthers are clearly the second best team in the conference. Their defense has been outstanding, and DeAngelo Williams is having a breakout season running the football.
4. New York Jets- Could we see a New York/New York Super Bowl? The possibility is looking pretty strong, as the Jets appear to be clicking on all cylinders. Brett Favre has finally figured out the offense, and Thomas Jones has been revitalized. A huge divisional matchup with New England looms on Thursday.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers- There are some concerns with Pittsburgh, particularly along the offensive line. That might have something to do with the putrid numbers Ben Roethlisberger has posted over his last three games (one touchdown, eight interceptions).
6. Baltimore Ravens- Joe Flacco has looked very good the past several weeks, and the defense, as usual, has been phenomenal. Don't be shocked if the Ravens wind up winning the AFC North, as the Steelers are very banged up at the moment.
7. New England Patriots- Somehow, some way, Bill Belichick always manages to find different ways to win ball games. This past week, it was BenJarvus Green-Ellis (who?) rushing for 105 yards and a touchdown. Their Thursday matchup with the Jets could decide the AFC East.
8. Washington Redskins- It looks like they are the same old Redskins; good enough to win 10 games and make the playoffs, but not good enough to go deep into them. Clinton Portis is listed as 50-50 for this week's game againt Dallas. They need him desperately.
9. Arizona Cardinals- Although they didn't look too good in barely beating the pathetic 49ers on Monday night, you have to give them credit for rallying back and holding San Francisco down at the goal line. Kurt Warner is the MVP of the NFL so far.
10. Indianapolis Colts- That was a huge win in Pittsburgh this past weekend, and it probably saved their season. The AFC South title is out of reach, but with the relative easiness of the rest of their schedule (they play HOU, CLE, CIN, and DET), they could very well sneak into the postseason as a wild card.
11. Atlanta Falcons- How about Matt Ryan? This kid certainly does not look like a rookie, posting 130+ quarterback ratings the past two games. He has been outstanding, as has Michael Turner. Atlanta could very well be for real.
12. Minnesota Vikings- All of a sudden, they have won four of their last five games and are tied for first place in the NFC North. But, like always, the Vikings' lack of a passing attack will be their ultimate downfall, even if they make the playoffs.
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- They have looked pretty bad in their past two games (they had a bye this week), losing 13-9 at Dallas and then needing to mount a large comeback to beat the lowly Chiefs. A game against Minnesota with playoff implications looms on Sunday.
14. Chicago Bears- Who knows; if Kyle Orton is healthy, they might have beaten Tennessee this past week, but he wasn't, and now the Bears have fallen into a first-place tie with Minnesota. Fortunately for Chicago, they have an easier schedule than the Vikings the rest of the way.
15. Philadelphia Eagles- I think it's pretty obvious that the Eagles are never going to win anything with the way they are constructed. It might finally be time to end the Donovan McNabb era and start from scratch. They just aren't good enough.
16. Miami Dolphins- Kudos to Anthony Sparano (and Bill Parcells) for transforming a 1-15 into a playoff contender overnight. Take a look at some of the teams remaining on their schedule: OAK, STL, SF, KC. January football is a realistic possibility in Miami.
17. Denver Broncos- They might be one of the worst division leaders we've ever seen, but nonetheless, they are in first place, and that's all that matters. Still, I just don't see Denver holding off San Diego with that horrible defense.
18. San Diego Chargers- It wasn't pretty, but that was a season-saving win against Kansas City, even though they should have never been in that position against the Chiefs at HOME in the first place. In any other division, they'd be toast, but they play in the NL West of football.
19. Buffalo Bills- Buffalo has been exposed over its past five games, losing four of them. It's become pretty apparent that the Bills were simply feasting off their schedule schedule early on and were really never that good. They'll need a pretty big turn-around to make the postseason.
20. Dallas Cowboys- Tony Romo returns this week against Washington, but is it too late? The Cowboys have a brutal schedule the rest of the way, and Romo doesn't play defense, either. And if the offensive line can't provide any protection, it doesn't matter who lines up behind center.
21. Green Bay Packers- They have been one of the most inconsistent teams in the NFL this year, and, consequently, one of the most injury-plagued, as well. To make things worse, Nick Barnett is now out for the year with a torn ACL. Still, the Packers are only a game out.
22. Jacksonville Jaguars- What has happened to the Jaguars? They have gone from a team nobody wanted to face to a middle-of-the-pack squad with no identity. Their biggest problem may be their lack of a pass rush, as their sack leader, Daryl Smith, has only 2.5 of those.
23. New Orleans Saints- Someone tell Drew Brees that screaming in your teammates' faces does nothing, especially when you're the one throwing three picks, one of which was taken back for a touchdown. The loss to the Falcons was the dagger in the heart for the Saints.
24. Cleveland Browns- It looked like they were on the verge of turning things around, but then they go and lose two straight to take themselves out of the playoff picture. Brady Quinn looked solid in his debut, but Cleveland has to do something about that defense.
25. Houston Texans- Too bad Matt Schaub is done for the next few weeks, as he was starting to turn his miserable start to the season around drastically. Either way, the Texans may have drafted one of the biggest steals of the 2008 class in Steve Slaton.
26. San Francisco 49ers- Give them credit for fighting hard and nearly upsetting the Cardinals in Arizona. But, obviously, a lot of changes need to be made here, starting at quarterback; Shaun Hill is not San Francisco's signal-caller of the future.
27. Kansas City Chiefs- They may have a worse record than some of the teams below them, but you have to like the way they've played the past three weeks. They could easily be sitting at 4-5 right now, as the Chiefs have lost their last three games by a combined eight points.
28. Seattle Seahawks- Oh how the mighty have fallen. The Seahawks are a mess, with question marks at running back, wide receiver, and even quarterback (Matt Hasselbeck isn't getting any younger). Their secondary has also been subpar this season.
29. St. Louis Rams- That 47-3 loss to the Jets may have been the most pathetic performance in the history of the franchise. I have never seen a team have that much trouble holding on to the football. Poor Jim Haslett.
30. Oakland Raiders- Al Davis has officially lost his mind, and this organization is spiraling out of control. The only solace the Raiders have is the fact that JaMarcus Russell and Darren McFadden could serve as cornerstones to a possible turn-around (and I use that term loosely).
31. Cincinnati Bengals- Carson Palmer now looks like he is done for the season, and their ground game has been downright awful. Oh, and the defense isn't too good either. Still, there is no denying that there is some talent here, and they aren't in as bad of shape as some other franchises.
32. Detroit Lions- With the first pick of the 2009 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select Michael Crabtree, from Texas Tech University. Sorry; I couldn't resist.