NFL Power Rankings: Which Teams Are NFC Favorites?

The NFC schedule is complete for Week 8, as the Chiefs and Chargers finish the slate of games Monday night in Kansas City. Let's take a look at the NFC contenders:

Contenders

Green Bay Packers (7-0, No. 1)

The unquestioned No. 1 team in football got healthy on their week off and will travel to San Diego to take on the Chargers in Week 9. There's nothing to suggest that the Packers will be coming down from the NFL's peak anytime soon. 

San Francisco 49ers (6-1, No. 2)

There was nothing spectacular about the 49ers' 20-10 win over the Browns, but they got to 6-1 by doing the same things well that they have all season: running the football (174 yards rushing), stopping the run (66 yards, 2.9 average) and getting efficient play from Alex Smith (177 yards, one TD, zero INT, 98.8 passer rating).

San Francisco can ride that formula to an 11- or 12-win season in 2011 with the schedule that lies in front of them.  

Detroit Lions (6-2, No. 5)

After dropping back-to-back games, the Lions got healthy in a hurry with a 45-10 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday. Matthew Stafford threw three scores, and the defense feasted on Tim Tebow to the tune of seven sacks and two defensive scores.

The Lions now get a bye before they head to Chicago to take on the division rival Bears. Two weeks later, a Thanksgiving matchup with the Packers looms. We'll learn a lot about these Lions over the next month.  

New York Giants (5-2, No. 9)

Good teams win games like Sunday at the New Meadowlands; bad teams lose them. That's exactly what we saw. The Giants scored 10 fourth-quarter points to keep the Dolphins among the league's winless teams.

At 5-2, the Giants are in control of the NFC East. However, the schedule takes a turn for the worse in the coming weeks. Games against the Patriots, 49ers, Eagles, Saints, Packers and Cowboys in consecutive weeks will decide where New York's 2011 season goes.  

New Orleans Saints (5-3, No. 10)

Their 31-21 loss to the previously winless Rams is the most shocking defeat of the 2011 season. After scoring 62 points the week before, the Saints offense didn't score until the fourth quarter. Steven Jackson ran wild over the New Orleans defense.

The question you have to ask yourself is—was this the Saints sleepwalking in St. Louis, or are the Rams not as bad as we've pegged them? 

Others to consider

Philadelphia Eagles (3-4, No. 16)

They've won two in a row and looked impressive in smacking around the Cowboys Sunday night. The Eagles will be a player in the NFC East, no question. They might be the team that has the best chance of knocking off the Packers. 

Chicago Bears (4-3, No. 13)

With Matt Forte on offense and a defense that is still playing well, the Bears can hang around all season. A matchup with the Eagles in Week 9 looms large. 

Atlanta Falcons (4-3, No. 14)

With a trip to Indianapolis next on the schedule, Atlanta should be 5-3 before welcoming the Saints in Week 10. The next two weeks will be the turning point in the Falcons season.

Week 9 Power Rankings

1. Green Bay Packers (7-0)	17. New York Jets (4-3)
2. San Francisco 49ers (6-1)	18. Oakland Raiders (4-3)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2)	19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-3)
4. New England Patriots (5-2)	20. Tennessee Titans (4-3)
5. Detroit Lions (6-2)	21. Dallas Cowboys (3-4)
6. Baltimore Ravens (5-2)	22. Kansas City Chiefs (3-3)*
7. Buffalo Bills (5-2)	23. Washington Redskins (3-4)
8. San Diego Chargers (4-2)*	24. Minnesota Vikings (2-6)
9. New York Giants (5-2)	25. Carolina Panthers (2-6)
10. New Orleans Saints (5-3)	26. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6)
11. Houston Texans (5-3)	27. Seattle Seahawks (2-5)
12. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2)	28. Denver Broncos (2-6)
13. Chicago Bears (4-3)	29. Arizona Cardinals (1-6)
14. Atlanta Falcons (4-3)	30. St. Louis Rams (1-6)
15. New York Jets (4-3)	31. Miami Dolphins (0-7)
16. Philadelphia Eagles (3-4)	32. Indianapolis Colts (0-8)

* Plays Monday night