NFL Power Rankings Week 9: Looking at the Worst Teams in Each Conference

So much attention gets paid to the best teams in the NFL that I only thought it fair to examine the worst team in both conferences, division by division, and see just why they have performed so poorly through the first eight weeks of the season.

NFC EAST: Washington Redskins (3-4)

The Redskins began their season impressively enough, notching three wins in their first four games and looking, briefly, like the favorites to win the hotly contested NFC East division.

But, they followed up those first four weeks with a major loss against the Philadelphia Eagles in which quarterback Rex Grossman was picked four times and promptly benched, replaced by backup John Beck.

Losing running back Tim Hightower for the season didn't do the team any favors, nor did the other injuries suffered by wide receiver Santana Moss, linebacker London Fletcher or tight end Chris Cooley, and they've dropped their last three consecutive games.

The Redskins have struggled to overcome their many issues on both sides of the ball that the injuries have caused. In such a strange division, Washington is slipping into irrelevance with every loss.

NFC NORTH: Minnesota Vikings (2-6)

The Vikings have reason to feel confident about the rest of their season, even if they won't likely make it to the playoffs. With rookie quarterback Christian Ponder under center rather than veteran Donovan McNabb, the team looks re-energized.

Of course, running back Adrian Peterson has a lot to do with why the Vikings aren't one of the league's winless teams, as does the defense.

Still, the team has to do more to gain and hold onto leads, with their 2-6 record a testament not only to what the Vikings have done well but also what they need to do better.

NFC SOUTH: Carolina Panthers (2-6)

The Panthers may just be the best team in the NFL under .500, and that has everything to do with the performance of rookie quarterback Cam Newton and his revived veteran receiver, Steve Smith, who has the third-best yardage total of any back or receiver in the league. 

Carolina's offense has done its part to build leads and beat opponents, but it's the defense that has struggled to maintain them, costing the Panthers a number of close games.

Until both sides of the ball can perform at a high level, it looks like the Panthers won't find its way out of the basement of one of the most dynamic divisions in the NFL. 

NFC WEST: Arizona Cardinals (1-6)

While both the Cardinals and the St. Louis Rams sit at 1-6 at the bottom of the NFC West, it's becoming more and more evident that Arizona is the worse squad.

Take Week 8, for example: The Cardinals built an impressive 24-6 halftime lead over the Baltimore Ravens before giving up 24 points to Baltimore while only putting up an additional three of their own, falling 27-30.

Meanwhile, the Rams built a second-quarter 17-0 lead over the New Orleans Saints, allowed 21 points, but still managed to produce on offense on their way to their first win of the season.

Clearly the momentum is on the Rams' side this week, with the Cardinals faltering and quarterback Kevin Kolb not likely to play. St. Louis will notch a second win, as they face Arizona, while the Cardinals drop to the very bottom of the league's worst division.

AFC EAST: Miami Dolphins (0-7)

The Dolphins' problems are clear: a flat offense, an underperforming defense and an inability to close out games in which they find themselves ahead.

They've parlayed these mistakes to a winless record that puts the jobs of practically every player and coach on the team in jeopardy once the season comes to a merciful end.

It's hard to see a way that the Dolphins can realistically manage more than a single win on the year, considering that they've found more ways to lose than I thought existed.

AFC NORTH: Cleveland Browns (3-4)

The AFC North has emerged as the league's strongest division, and it's clear by the record of its weakest team that this is certainly the case. At the same time, however, the Browns' record could be much worse, considering the way they've been playing.

Two of those three wins have come from teams who still have yet to notch a victory and the third, a 6-3 game against the Seattle Seahawks, provides little for the team to be proud about.

Cleveland has struggled on both offense and defense, with the former suffering from poor offensive line play and flat throwing from quarterback Colt McCoy, and the latter departing significantly from its optimistic preseason projections.

In such a tough division, it's hard to imagine a way the Browns can turn their season around in any significant way. Better luck next year, I suppose.

AFC South: Indianapolis Colts (0-8)

One thing the Colts need—aside from a win, of course—is a break. Unfortunately, they won't get that until Week 11, when they finally go on the bye.

The Colts are the worst team in the NFL, with a winless record and an uninspired roster. They managed to lose to the Tennessee Titans in Week 8 despite outgaining the Titans both in the air and on the ground, thanks to two interceptions thrown by quarterback Curtis Painter.

The failures, at one time, could have have been blamed on the absence of Peyton Manning, but now it  has hemorrhaged into a wholesale collapse of the entire team.

AFC WEST: Denver Broncos (2-5)

Perhaps Kyle Orton wasn't the answer at quarterback, but it's clear that Tim Tebow isn't either. It is just a matter of time before the Brady Quinn era begins in Denver, as Tebow's critics are being proven right with every wobbly, off-target pass he throws.

But it's not just Tebow, or any other quarterback, that has left the Broncos with the worst record in the AFC West; it's also the fault of Denver's weak defense and inconsistent running game, both doing the young Tebow no favors.

The AFC West is clearly not one of the more intimidating divisions in the league this season, but the Broncos, with two wins (perhaps the only ones they will notch on the year) certainly have earned their status as the division's worst.

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