NFL Power Rankings Week 9: NFC South Race Is About to Get Interesting

Just when you thought it was safe to declare the New Orleans Saints the champions of the NFC South, they lost a 31-21 jaw-dropper to the previously winless St. Louis Rams (i.e. the dregs of the NFL).

As a result, we might have a big, Southern mess on our hands when all is said and done in Week 9.

The Game of the Week in the division pits the Saints against the Buccaneers in New Orleans, the winner of which will take over first place at the midway point of the 2011 season. These two teams met at Raymond James Stadium in Week 6, with Tampa Bay emerging victorious thanks to an incredibly strong effort by quarterback and Bill Simmons boy toy Josh Freeman (303 yards, two touchdowns).

Drew Brees, on the other hand, finished that day with three picks while Nawlins' trio of 'backs—Pierre Thomas, Darren Sproles and Mark Ingram—combined for just 49 yards on 17 carries.

The Rams' defense followed that very same script in holding down the Saints' prolific attack this past Sunday, limiting their ground game to just 57 yards on 19 carries and picking off Brees twice.

Chances are, the Saints will be better prepared this time around. It's likely that they simply got cocky after dismantling the Colts 62-7 on national TV in Week 7. Hubris has a way of getting to even (and especially) the best and most experienced teams, particularly when the next opponent in line also has nary a win to its name.

But if the Saints really are the Super Bowl contenders that they think they are, they'll parlay their lingering disappointment and the support of the home crowd in a big win to stay atop the division.

Even so, New Orleans will hardly have the time and space to relax—not with Atlanta creeping up from behind.

The Falcons will have the privilege of doing what the Saints did two weeks ago—beating up on the hapless and hopeless Colts—to move to 5-3 overall, just a half-game back of the lead in the NFC South. Matt Ryan and company have had a whole extra week to rest up and prepare for their trip to Indy.

Not that they needed it—not after upending the Lions in Detroit in Week 7. Nonetheless, the Falcons seem to have sorted out their once-ruffled feathers—their running game is racking up yardage again, their defense is much-improved—just in time to welcome the aforementioned Saints to the Georgia Dome for a monumental matchup in Week 10.

Of course, if the Bucs beat the Saints for a second time this Sunday, then New Orleans-Atlanta in Week 10 may well be an elimination game in the race for first place.

Either way, don't expect the picture in the NFC South to take shape so much as reshape this weekend.

Josh Martin's Week 8 NFL Power Rankings

1. Green Bay Packers

2. San Francisco 49ers

3. Pittsburgh Steelers

4. New England Patriots

5. Baltimore Ravens

6. Detroit Lions

7. Atlanta Falcons

8. New York Giants

9. New Orleans Saints

10. Buffalo Bills

11. New York Jets

12. Cincinnati Bengals

13. Kansas City Chiefs

14. Houston Texans

15. Philadelphia Eagles

16. Chicago Bears

17. San Diego Chargers

18. Dallas Cowboys

19. Oakland Raiders

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

21. Tennessee Titans

22. Cleveland Browns

23. Minnesota Vikings

24. Carolina Panthers

25. Washington Redskins

26. Denver Broncos

27. Seattle Seahawks

28. Jacksonville Jaguars

29. Arizona Cardinals

30. Miami Dolphins

31. St. Louis Rams

32. Indianapolis Colts