NFL Power Rankings Week 9: Are Bucs and Falcons Really NFC’s Best?

NFL Power Rankings Week 9 time. and I am trying to make sense of what was a great NFL weekend. 

As Randy Moss leaves Minnesota, the Vikings sink in the rankings. We also had a couple of great games pitting some of the top teams in the NFL against each other.

Here is my take on the NFL and how each team fits in. See where you favorite team sits this week and feel free to send me a scathing comment below. 

Bottom Feeders: No. 32-21

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INDIANAPOLIS - NOVEMBER 01: Indianapolis Colts cheerleaders perform during the NFL game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 1, 2010 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

32: Bills (0-7 )lost to Chiefs 

Last Week's Ranking: 32

I do enjoy watching the Bills.

They have a fun offense. Too bad they have a bad team, otherwise.

31: Cowboys (1-6) lost to Jaguars 

Last Week's Ranking: 29

How the mighty have fallen.

As soon as the Bills get a win, I will stick the Cowboys in the back where they belong. 

30: Panthers (1-6) lost to Rams 

Last Week's Ranking: 30

They are mediocre all over the place except for their passing game, where they are awful. 

28: Broncos (2-6) lost to 49ers 

Last Week's Ranking: 27

They just let a rookie backup walk all over them.

29: 49ers (2-6) beat Broncos 

Last Week's Ranking: 31

It will take more than a win over the reeling Broncos to salvage the season. 

27: Browns (2-5) BYE 

Last Week's Ranking: 26

I like their defense.

It is sad they will be dropping in the rankings after this week's impending loss to the Patriots. 

26: Lions (2-5) beat Washington 

Last Week's Ranking: 28

The Lions looked like a real football team this week.

Now please thank the Redskins. 

25: Bengals (2-5) lost to Dolphins 

Last Week's Ranking: 25

The season is quickly getting away from them.

Why not sign Randy Moss? At the very least, I will be entertained. 

24: Vikings (2-5) lost to Patriots 

Last Week's Ranking: 20

Favre is hobbled, Childress hates Favre, Moss is gone.

This is going quite well. 

23: Cardinals (3-4) lost to Buccaneers 

Last Week's Ranking: 19

The Bucs are a beatable team, but not if you throw four interceptions. 

22: Chargers (3-5) beat Titans 

Last Week's Ranking: 23

Glad they decided to show up in their eighth game.

It may be a little late, though. 

21: Jaguars (4-4) beat Cowboys 

Last Week's Ranking: 24

Just what a horrible team needs to feel good about themselves; a game against the Cowboys. 

20: Rams (4-4) Beat Panthers

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ST. LOUIS - OCTOBER 31: Steven Jackson #39 of the St. Louis Rams rushes against the Carolina Panthers at the Edward Jones Dome on October 31, 2010 in St. Louis, Missouri. The Rams beat the Panthers 20-10. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

The Rams are simply good at home.

They get comfortable and are able to run their high-risk defense effectively. Perhaps taking a shot at Randy Moss would shore up the questionable receiving corps. 

Last Week's Ranking: 22

19: Seahawks (4-3) Lost to Raiders

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OAKLAND, CA - OCTOBER 31: Head coach Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks gets ready to throw the red flag after Tyvon Branch of the Oakland Raiders made an interception at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on October 31, 2010 in Oakland, California. The c

One week, they are beating the Cardinals with defense.

The next week, they are getting smoked by the Raiders. The Seahawks lack consistency, and it may be Pete Carroll's fault. 

I will give him a pass so far, but their record should be taken with a grain of salt. This team has looked shaky at times. 

Last Week's Ranking: 17

18: Raiders (4-4) Beat Seahawks

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OAKLAND, CA - OCTOBER 10: Oakland Raiders cheerleaders, the Raiderettes, cheer for their team during their game against the San Diego Chargers at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on October 10, 2010 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Image

I could have sworn this was a bad team.

The Raiders have surprised me with a couple of blowout wins this year. They seem to sidestep their questions at quarterback and put up solid numbers. 

This week was the most impressive win, as it came at the hands of a usually-stout Seahawks defense. 

Last Week's Ranking: 21

17: Redskins (4-4) Lost to Detroit

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DETROIT - OCTOBER 31: Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan watches the action during the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on October 31, 2010 in Detroit, Michigan. The Lions defeated the Redskins 37-25. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Imag

Mike Shanahan benched his star quarterback with two minutes to go this weekend.

This will either spark Donovan McNabb to start playing like his old self, or it will tear apart the chemistry of the team. 

Either way, it was one of the most ridiculous moves I have seen in quite some time. 

Last Week's Ranking: 13

16: Packers (5-3) Beat Jets

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 31: Scott Wells #63 of the Green Bay Packers in action against the New York Jets on October 31, 2010 at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.The Packers defeated the Jets 9-0. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Get

The Packers may have the win.

But that game was very hard to watch. Both offenses were sluggish and sloppy.

This may be the best the Packers have to offer.

They have too many questions at rushing and offensive line to be considered among the elite in the NFL. 

Last Week's Ranking: 18

15: Bears (4-3) BYE

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CHICAGO - OCTOBER 24: Matt Forte #22 of the Chicago Bears avoids a tackle attempt by London Fletcher #59 of the Washington Redskins at Soldier Field on October 24, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Redskins defeated the Bears 17-14. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel

The Bears had a much-needed bye week, and they did not lose any ground.

Next up for them is the very soft Buffalo Bills. 

Jay Cutler may look like an actual QB this week. Either way, Matt Forte will once again be the best player on the field. 

Last Week's Ranking: 15

14: Buccaneers (5-2) Beat Cardinals

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GLENDALE, AZ - OCTOBER 31: Josh Freeman #5 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hands off to LeGarrette Blount #27 against the Arizona Cardinals during the third quarter at University of Phoenix Stadium on October 31, 2010 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Harry H

Josh Freeman, LeGarrette Blount and Mike Williams are forming what has become a pretty good offense.

Now if they could stop teams from scoring, they would be unstoppable. 

Last Week's Ranking: 16

13: Texans (4-3) Lost to Colts

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INDIANAPOLIS - NOVEMBER 01: Arian Foster #23 of Houston Texans runs with the ball during the NFL game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 1, 2010 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Arian Foster had a couple of great runs last night.

The Texans showed they are a good football team. They just ran into a better one last night. 

I am very interested in seeing how this team fares next week against the Chargers. That game will dictate the rest of the season for both teams.

Last Week's Ranking: 11

12: Dolphins (4-3) Beat Bengals

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MIAMI - OCTOBER 24: Receiver Brandon Marshall #19 is brought down by the Pittsburgh Steelers at Sun Life Stadium on October 24, 2010 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)

Brandon Marshall continued to be the best that the Dolphins have on the field.

His production allowed the Dolphins to get into field-goal range. In the end, that was all it took to take down a very suspect Bengals team. 

Last Week's Ranking: 14

11: Chiefs (5-2) Beat Bills

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KANSAS CITY, MO - OCTOBER 31: Kicker Ryan Succop #6 of the Kansas City Chiefs kicks a field goal in overtime to win the game against the Buffalo Bills on October 31, 2010 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Image

They beat the Bills, but they were tested.

The Bills had trouble scoring all day. In the end it took a field goal in overtime to win. 

If Bills kicker Rian Lindell did not succumb to the pressure, the Chiefs would have given the worst team in football their first win. 

Last Week's Ranking: 12

10: Titans (5-3) Lost to Chargers

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SAN DIEGO - OCTOBER 31: Quarterback Vince Young #10 of the Tennessee Titans drops back to pass against the San Diego Chargers in the second quarter at Qualcomm Stadium on October 31, 2010 in San Diego, California. The Chargers defeated the Titans 33-25.

Kerry Collins has proved to be a valuable backup.

Unfortunately, the Titans missed Vince Young when he left for injury with about six minutes left to play. Collins came in and just could not get any production going. 

The Titans are a good team. But when Vince Young is in, they are a great one. 

Last Week's Ranking: 6

9: Eagles (4-3) BYE

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PHILADELPHIA - SEPTEMBER 12: Michael Vick #7 of the Philadelphia Eagles rushes during a game against the Green Bay Packers at Lincoln Financial Field on September 12, 2010 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Mike Vick is almost 100-percent healthy.

After Kevin Kolb's pitiful showing last week, that means he will be starting this week.

He will get tested early, as the Eagles play the Colts and their tough defense. 

Last Week's Ranking: 9

8: Falcons (5-2) BYE

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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 24: Roddy White #84 of the Atlanta Falcons scores a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals at Georgia Dome on October 24, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The Falcons were able to savor their victory over the Bengals for an extra week.

Next up is Tampa Bay. This could be a tough one.

A promising team like the Falcons would do well to not take the Bucs lightly. 

Last Week's Ranking: 8

7: Giants (5-2) BYE

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ARLINGTON, TX - OCTOBER 25: Running back Brandon Jacobs #27 of the New York Giants runs for a touchdown past Brandon Williams #59 of the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium on October 25, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The Giants are one of the hottest teams in the NFL.

So a week off may hurt them. 

That is doubtful when you consider that they play Seattle first and then play the Cowboys again at home. Just what they need to continue their great season. 

Last Week's Ranking: 7

6: Jets (5-2) Lost to Packers

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 31: Mark Sanchez #6 of the New York Jets throws a pass against the Green Bay Packers on October 31, 2010 at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Packers defeated the Jets 9-0. (Photo by Jim McIsaa

I forget sometimes that this is only Mark Sanchez's second year.

At times he looks like a seasoned vet. Then there are times like this Sunday against Green Bay where he looks lost. 

He will find his way to consistency. It is just scary to think that he may have to play in a Super Bowl soon. 

Last Week's Ranking: 3

5: Ravens (5-2) BYE

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FOXBORO, MA - OCTOBER 17: Joe Flacco #5 of the Baltimore Ravens paces the sideline in the second half during a game against the New England Patriots before a game at at Gillette Stadium on October 17, 2010 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash

The Ravens had the week off, which troubles me.

Joe Flacco was just starting to play like himself, and then he gets a rest. This might not be good for the Ravens or my fantasy team. 

Last Week's Ranking: 5

4: Saints (5-3) Beat Steelers 10

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NEW ORLEANS - OCTOBER 24: Members of the Saintsations cheerleaders of the New Orleans Saints perform during the game against the Cleveland Browns at the Louisiana Superdome on October 24, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Im

The Saints have been up and down all season.

I jumped them up this far because I know in my heart of hearts that they are an elite team. 

They proved that to all of us by knocking off the toughest team in the NFL. The Steelers were the best, and the Saints beat them. 

Last Week's Ranking: 10

3: Steelers (5-1) Lost to Saints 1

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NEW ORLEANS - OCTOBER 31: Fans dressed as Troy Polamalu #43 of the Pittsburgh Steelers pump their fist during the game against the New Orleans Saints at Louisiana Superdome on October 31, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints won 20-10 over the Ste

But I could not in good conscious bump the Saints above the Steelers.

The Saints have to prove they can produce on a consistent basis. 

Also, the Steelers are afforded one week to lay an egg. Pittsburgh should bounce back next week at Cincinnati. 

Last Week's Ranking: 1

2: Colts (5-2) Beat Texans

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INDIANAPOLIS - NOVEMBER 01: Peyton Manning #18 of Indianapolis Colts throws a pass during the NFL game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 1, 2010 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

The Colts are once again near the top.

They are showing yet again that they are real contenders to play in February. 

They have a solid pass rush and one of the best quarterbacks in the league. There is a lot to like here. 

Last Week's Ranking: 4

1: Patriots (5-1) Beat Steelers 2

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FOXBORO, MA - OCTOBER 31: Tom Brady #12 of New England Patriots reacts after a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings at Gillette Stadium on October 31, 2010 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

The Patriots are simply amazing.

They traded away one of their best players and got better. Bill Belichick is not afraid to make crucial chemistry decisions.

They are the one team that wins and wins the right way. Their entire roster is made up of team-first personnel, and they plan to keep it that way. 

Last Week's Ranking: 2