Ranking the Top 6 NFL Teams in Each Conference Before Week 10

The 2011 NFL season has been a surreal one. In many ways, it has been a transitional year, both from recent traditional powers such as New England and Philadelphia to new kids on the block like Green Bay and San Francisco, and from superstars such as Tom Brady and Chad Ochocinco to young studs like Calvin Johnson and Cam Newton. 

It's also the first time in 20 years that Brett Favre hasn't been on an NFL roster, and the first time in 13 years someone other than Peyton Manning is taking meaningful snaps for the Colts. 

Perhaps most notably, it's the first time in a long time that the best conference is almost universally believed to be the NFC. 

But the changes aren't all good. Thanks to new rules which are almost impossible to follow, and poorly officiated to boot, defense is at a premium in the NFL. Could this be related to the fact that the best offenses belong to the top teams in the league, and defense is something they can live without? 

One thing that never changes is how we argue over who's better than who, which is why I'm here. I won't waste your time by listing the bottom teams in the league (do you really care if the Colts are ranked lower than the Dolphins?). Instead, I'll only talk about those magical 11—the six best teams in each conference. Not necessarily the six best record-wise (though in most cases, yes, they will be), but the six best teams in the conferences as I see them. 

I'll also take a look at the one team from each conference who missed the cut, but were close enough to earn a mention. As a bonus, I'll even give you one team to keep an eye on in the upcoming week(s). You're welcome. 

Who Missed the Cut?

NFC: Dallas

The most consistent aspect of the Dallas Cowboys over the last few seasons is their inconsistency, and 2011 might be the best example. Tight losses to the Jets and Patriots aren't anything to be ashamed of, and their win over the 49ers still stands as San Francisco's only blemish, but losing to Philadelphia in blowout fashion and too-close contests with Washington and Seattle should be enough to give any Cowboys fan indigestion. 

They're .500 at the halfway point, but inconsistent play from their quarterback and their defense doesn't inspire confidence. They can beat anyone on any given Sunday...but they're just as likely to lose, too. I need to see some impressive wins against good teams before I put them on the list. 

Who Missed the Cut?

AFC: Buffalo

Even two years ago, had you shown me a team with a high-powered offense and no defense, they wouldn't come anywhere near this list. I would have pegged them for a 7-9 record and told you to call me when they stopped somebody. 

But this is 2011, where defense is virtually illegal in the NFL. Case in point: The Green Bay Packers boast one of the NFL's worst defensive units, and yet they are the undisputed best team in the NFL, all because of their machine-like offense. 

Offense wins in this league, so Buffalo has a chance. But a humbling loss at home against the rival Jets in which the vaunted offense had trouble picking up a first down has soured me on the Bills' chances. Next week in Dallas they have a chance to beat an inconsistent yet on-the-cusp team. Do that, and we'll talk about getting back on the list. 

Now, without further ado, the list proper!

NFC 6. Chicago Bears

One of those wildly inconsistent teams at the quarter-season mark, the Bears are now everyone's darling, mostly thanks to impressive wins over the once-resurgent Vikings, Bucs and Eagles. Truly, the Bears are the regulators of the NFL, putting bad teams back in their places before they got any ideas. 

To be honest, there really aren't all that many truly impressive wins on their resume. The best teams they've played—Green Bay, Detroit, New Orleans—beat them, and their first win over a borderline contender came this past Monday over the Eagles. But that win pretty much ended the Eagles' hopes for a playoff berth, since 11-5 isn't likely to make a Wild Card—and even if it was, they'd have to win out to finish with that record—and ending Philly's playoff hopes at the midway mark is a worthy feat. 

AFC 6. Houston Texans

As much as I'd like to take these guys off my list, I just can't. 

As much as I'd like to move these guys up my list, I just can't. 

Both statements are true. I love and hate the Texans. Unlike anyone else on the AFC side of the list, they haven't put up a clunker against a bad team, but their resume isn't that impressive.

Their best win came against the Steelers in Week 4, but as far as impressive wins go, that's about it. A blowout of Tennessee in Week 7 looks less and less meaningful as the Titans' season goes on, and though they lost to Oakland before the Carson Palmer experiment, they followed it up with a blowout loss in Baltimore. 

They'll only play more "meh" teams in the coming weeks, with stops in Tampa, Jacksonville and a home game against Atlanta after the bye. Their only true test anytime soon is in Week 14 against Cincinnati, but I doubt we'll have any better understanding of just who the Texans are by then, or even after. This team reminds me a lot of last year's Kansas City squad, with a ton of wins over nobody teams and no truly season-defining victories. 

NFC 5. New Orleans Saints

The NFL's enigmas are back in the win column this week with an impressive effort against the overhyped Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There really isn't much to say about this Saints squad that I didn't say last week: They're inconsistent, they lose games they should win and they have too much trouble on the road. 

This week's win was a road game, though, so maybe things are looking up for Dem Saints. They head into their matchup with Atlanta at 6-3, but that inconsistency might not allow them to hold onto their spot on the list in the meantime. And when they resume play after their bye, they have the Giants, which means we might not be talking about these fellas for a while yet, so enjoy this while it lasts. 

AFC 5. Cincinnati Bengals

Much like my position with the Texans, I can't really move the Bengals out of last week's spot. They won, but it was over Tennessee. Before that it was a win over Seattle. And before that it was a win over Indianapolis.

Their last (and only) quality win came against the Bills—a team not even on the list this week. 

So even with the Patriots and Steelers losing, I can't move the Bengals up. And with the Bills losing, I can't move them off the list, so here they sit. I suppose I could have swapped them with the Texans, but I think they're the better team. 

NFC 4. Detroit Lions

I had the Lions at No. 3 last week, so it probably seems odd that I'd move them down a spot during a bye week. Contrary to what others will tell you, power rankings aren't about who you'd think would win nine out of 10 games against the team next to them, or whatever ludicrous measure bad journalists use. Instead, power rankings are about resumes and performance on the field.

While the Lions are 6-2, they haven't always looked great on the field. Stafford's play hasn't been consistent all season, they can't run the ball, they can't stop the run and the teams around them are racking up higher-quality wins. 

The last three Lions games have gone like this: loss at home to San Francisco, loss at home to Atlanta, blowout win at Denver. Not exactly the best resume, is it? They were on a bye this past week, so while teams around them were making great impressions (see: Giants), Detroit wasn't doing anything. Not their fault, I grant you, but that's how it breaks for everyone, so there's no use in whining. 

AFC 4. New England Patriots

Again, no movement from last week. A tough loss at home to the Giants exposed once again how porous that secondary is, and how it will hold them back from a long playoff run. A win would have given them sole possession of first in the AFC East, but the loss knocks them back into a three-way mess with the Jets and Bills. 

Their offense is still amazing, but as the Giants demonstrated, pressure on the quarterback can slow them down. It won't stop them, but it will make them beatable. 

The Patriots have a pivotal Sunday night affair with the Jets next week. It will be hard to fall off of the list in an unimpressive AFC, but a loss almost certainly would knock them out of the top four, as well as first place in the AFC East. 

NFC 3. New York Giants

It was another close one for the G-Men this week, but to the great relief of their fanbase, it was over a quality opponent on the road. In fact, this win was the first of its kind in several years, as the Giants became the first team to beat Tom Brady's Patriots in Foxboro in 20 games. 

That in and of itself is probably the most impressive statistic you'll see all year, but what makes it important in real terms is that it puts the Giants firmly in first place in the NFC East, as well as firmly in the top three in my NFC rankings. 

It's a tough road ahead (literally) for the Giants, however, as they next head to the West Coast to take on San Francisco. They return home for the Eagles, but then head back on the road to take on the Saints in the Big Easy, which is a tough place to win no matter what the Saints look like. Winning a couple of these games will have the Giants sitting pretty on this list, for sure. 

AFC 3. New York Jets

They manhandled one of the league's best offenses, and after a troubling first half in which they couldn't score against Buffalo's interception-happy defense, they cracked the code and put up 17 points just a few minutes into the third quarter. 

This Jets team has returned to their ball-control roots. It took a bad start for Rex Ryan to realize that Mark Sanchez isn't a franchise quarterback, and one you can't build your offense around. He requires a solid running game and huge receivers—which he now has—in order for the Jets to win games. 

And winning games they are. But this hot streak will be put to the test against the reeling Patriots (who for the first time in years might benefit from being away from home). After a brief layover in Denver, they'll once again butt heads with the Bills, in what is likely to be a make-or-break game for one or both of these teams. 

NFC 2. San Francisco 49ers

Much like the Houston Texans, the 49ers have been for the past few years the team that was supposed to be good, but never could quite figure it out. Some of the blame for these disappointing seasons went to the head coach, where it belonged. Most of the blame went to Alex Smith, who was almost universally believed to be an NFL bust. 

Well, Jim Harbaugh has proven, much in the same way Bill Belichick proved with Matt Cassel a few years ago, that any quarterback with NFL talent can succeed in the right system. Smith is suddenly one of the most efficient hurlers in the league, and with the help of MVP candidate Frank Gore, has the 49ers five games up in the NFC West, a horrible division they have virtually won already. 

They don't knock your socks off offensively, but they have the league's top-scoring defense, and haven't allowed a rushing touchdown all season. A great defense paired up with an efficient, ball-control offense can win championships in this league, and that's precisely where I see the 49ers heading. 

AFC 2. Pittsburgh Steelers

It turns out that their Week 1 drubbing at the hands of the Ravens was a fluke. It also turns out that the Ravens are still better than them. 

Still, Pittsburgh can't fall further than No. 2 just yet. They're still playing the best football over the longest period of just about any team in the AFC, and they'll be the Bengals' toughest test when they face off next week in Cincinnati. A win there will keep them up near the top of the AFC list...but a loss will (or should) dramatically alter the way this list looks going forward, so keep an eye out for that. 

NFC 1. Green Bay Packers

Sunday's 45-38 win over the Chargers proved two things: 1) The Packers have the best offense in the NFL, and the margin isn't close; and 2) The Packers have a terrible defense that can't cover anyone.

If the Chargers couldn't win in a shootout, it's hard to imagine who could. I'd like to see the 49ers have a crack at them, but alas that is not to be, at least not until the playoffs.

Their greatest tests remaining on the schedule come in Week 13 against the Lions, and Week 16 against the Bears...though by then they'll have at least their division and a first-round bye locked up, so that intriguing matchup isn't likely to mean as much to the Pack as it will to the Bears. 

AFC 1. Baltimore Ravens

An inconsistent offense came to play football this week against the conference's best team, and now the Ravens can lay claim to that honor. But as with the Bills dropping clear off the list from the No. 2 spot last week, a loss to Seattle next week could be disaster for the Ravens. 

But if they continue to play the way they did against Pittsburgh, they'll have the most complete team in the AFC and should have no issue holding on to the top spot. 

Keep an Eye On: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa hasn't been impressive since their comeback wins early in the year, but they've played some good teams close and have an opportunity to jump onto this list in the next couple of weeks.

Their next two opponents are Houston and Green Bay. As unlikely as it would be for Tampa to prevail in those contests, should they win, they'd have a better resume than the Saints, who play the Falcons and then go on their bye week, and possibly a better one than the Bears, should Chicago split or worse against Detroit and San Diego.