NFL Power Rankings: Week 10

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***My apologies for the lateness on this article, simply forgot to post it earlier this week***

The slate is officially clean on win-less teams thank to Tampa Bay's upset of the Packers, which means maybe the creamsicle orange jerseys are a blessing and not the curse they were once thought to be. The Saints and Colts both dodged bullets to stay perfect, the Bengals continue to impress us, the Giants have us scratching our heads, and the Patriots are right near the top again which altogether make the NFL gloriously unpredictable. Let's make our way from No. 1 all the way down to No. 32...

1. New Orleans Saints (8-0)— It was not a signature performance for the Saints as they toughed out a win against Carolina at home, scoring 24 second-half points. Drew Brees was his usual self after a sluggish first half, but the defense will need to address getting gashed for 182 rushing yards before they visit Steven Jackson and the Rams this week.

2. Indianapolis Colts (8-0) —The Colts were the beneficiaries of a missed field goal and a coaching blunder that allowed them to hang on for a three-point victory over the Houston Texans. QB Peyton Manning threw 40 passes in the first half (!!!) but ultimately raised the Colts’ record to 14-1 versus their AFC South ‘rival’. Now it’s on to an actual real rival in the New England Patriots this Sunday night.

3. Minnesota Vikings (7-1)— The Vikings’ only loss was a tight one at Pittsburgh that left us more impressed than we were when they were undefeated. The 7-1 start is no fluke, as Minnesota has been putting up points (2^nd in the NFL) and stuffed the run on defense (ranked 6^th in the NFL) for much of the year. Hosting Detroit and coming off a bye is a nice way to start the second half.

4. New England Patriots (6-2)— The Dolphins put up a solid fight but the Patriots made big plays to ensure the victory and run their record to 6-2. All the worries from earlier in the season have begun to fade as the offense appears to be clicking again. The Pats are 71-17 in games played after Nov. 1 since 2001, not a good sign for the Colts this week and everyone else for the rest of the year.

5. Cincinnati Bengals (6-2)— The Bengals controlled the ball for 40 minutes exactly as RB Cedric Benson churned out 117 yards on 34 carries. Cincy is now 4-0 versus the AFC North, and will look to run their record to 5-0 when they take on the Steelers this week. They are certainly the surprise team of the first half of 2009.

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2)— After a first half in which the Steelers could not get anything going offensively, they went no-huddle and shredded the Broncos for 173 yards on the ground, and three touchdowns by game’s end. Big Ben and Rashard Mendenhall shined on Monday night for the Steelers to get to 6-2 and will host a big AFC North match-up this Sunday.

7. Denver Broncos (6-2)— Following a field goal on their opening drive, every Broncos possession ended with an interception or a punt. Kyle Orton was forced into three picks and the Broncos’ previously vaunted D had no answers for the Steelers offense in the second half. Time to shake off two consecutive blowouts; the Redskins may be the cure for what ails them.

8. Dallas Cowboys (6-2)— The ‘Boys have ripped off four straight wins and find themselves atop the NFC East at the midway point of the season. Their offense’s ability to run out the last 4:27 of the game was an impressive exclamation point in their win at Philly, and should have them feeling good as they head to Lambeau this week.

9. Philadelphia Eagles (5-3)— The Eagles’ up-and-down season continues as they dropped a home game to Dallas, failing to hold a 4^th quarter lead with a series of miscues including some from the bench. Now Philly travels to San Diego to take on an energized Chargers team, who is surprisingly fighting for first in their division at the halfway mark.

10. Atlanta Falcons (5-3)—

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