[myspacepro]

1. (76.01)- Well, they didn't have to do anything to gain the top spot...literally. The Ravens finally getting scored on was enough to drop them down enough points-wise to let the Chargers take over the #1 spot.
2. (64.20)- Well, they still look very solid, despite not playing a top-notch team yet. Braylon Edwards's big day knocks the Ravens from the top spot.
3. (43.54)- It wasn't pretty, but the Bears pulled out another win. Props to PSU alum Robbie Gould for being the top kicker in the NFL right now...at least points-wise.
4. (33.38)- The Bengals nearly allowed the Steelers to come back and beat them. But the defense made a stand, and the Bengals made a statement. They are the team to beat this year in the NFC North.
5. (27.32)- Well, I was wrong. I thought this might be the time the Jags finally took down the Colts, especially without Vinatieri. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Reggie Wayne, who found out after the game that his brother died in a bad car accident.
6. (26.27)- I'm just as surprised as you are. The Rams in the top 10? I don't think anyone saw this coming at the beginning of the season. Yeah, its only through 3 weeks of football, but the Rams are looking like serious contenders, at least in the fairly wide-open NFC West.
7. (25.80)- Nothing made me happier than seeing the Saints crush the Falcons at the re-opening of the Superdome. Not only did they show that Mike Vick is the most overrated player in pro sports, but they also showed that they are for real. Some people might chalk it up to the momentum of being the first game back in NO and on primetime no less. But I say that this is proof that the Saints are real contenders and will make the playoffs.
8. (24.71)- Personally, I still think this is too high. The Falcons are an overrated team, mostly because they have the most overrated player. But those feelings aside, Warrick Dunn was finally cooled down a bit, and Vick was forced to throw the football. When the Falcons have to pass, they are very easy to beat.
9. (20.96)- The Eagles have the most potent offense in the NFL right now, statistically, albeit against 3 of the worst defenses in the NFL. Still, the team only needs to work on one thing: closing out games. Part of it is Andy Reid's conservative style, changing his teams method to even more of a bend-dont-break tone. I would like to see this defense show it doesn't have to rely solely on the blitz to shut down a team.
10. (19.68)- Matt Hasslebeck had the game of his life, but the Seahawks succummed to the Madden Curse, losing Shaun Alexander for an undetermined amount of time. While Mo Morris is a solid backup, he's no Alexander, and by allowing defenses to focus more on the pass, the Seahawks could be in some deep trouble. Mike Holmgren won't let the team slip too badly, but this makes them much more beatable. A team could sneak past them in the West.
11. (18.74)- A large drop, partially for running into the high-powered Colts offense. 21 points to the Colts isn't too shabby, but you can't put up 14 points on the Colts and expect to win. If the Jags want to beat the Colts in their Dec. 10 rematch, they must find a way to exploit the weak Indy defense.
12. (14.42)- The Jets are one of a large group of teams that have made a quick, extreme turnaround (Saints, Rams, Vikings, Bills...just to name a few). And they're doing so in one of a few wide-open divisions, the AFC East. Beating up on division foes is a must, and whichever team can win the bloodbaths are putting themselves in good positions. Eric Mangini has done a very good job with a team that was in a very bad place when he took over.
13. (9.56)- Maybe the Redskins aren't as bad as they looked after all. The team is finally starting to learn and adapt to Al Saunders's playbook. I still don't know that they're that great of a team though...they only beat the Texans, who have possibly the worst defense in the NFL.
14. (7.91)- Lost a heartbreaker to the Bears. One thing I've noticed about the Vikings is that all their games are close, and all their games have very similar scores. Consistency is good, but if the Vikings want to go from a good team to a great team, they have to start increasing that gap, and putting up more points more often, and giving up less points more often. Still, Brad Childress has done a very nice job with this team, who should make the postseason.
15. (5.84)- Yet another team that moves up on their bye week. They didn't do anything, but some other teams have had poor games, causing them to drop. Not much to say, except I can't wait to see TO meet Brian Dawkins when Owens returns against the Eagles.
16. (4.85)- The Bills lost a tough one to "cross-state" rival the NJ-NY Jets. Both teams are looking to steal the division, which is very much up for grabs. I don't know that JP Losman is the guy to do that, though. He makes way too many mistakes. Maybe that will change with time, but Bills fans shouldn't get too excited. Back-to-back overthrows to the RB is pretty bad, no matter how little experience you have.
17. (-2.60)- I thought for sure the Pats had this game in the bag, hosting the Broncos who looked like a midget football team. But the Broncos continued to annihalate the Patriots and came out on top. They are the ugliest 2-1 team in the league.
18. (-2.60)- Their actual score is -2.603, where as the Broncos are even at -2.6. One of this weeks biggest gainers. They only played the hopeless Titans, but this was a much needed victory for the Fins. I'm shocked that this team isn't playing better, but when I look at the offensive line, I remember why. The Dolphins can still do some damage though, with 5 of their 6 divisonal games remaining.
19. (-3.62)- Tom Brady is really missing Deon Branch and David Givens. And losing Corey Dillion certainly will not help. It's managable, as Laurence Maroney is a very talented back. But he's still very raw. Same goes for WR Chad Jackson. Fellow Gator Reche Caldwell has played well and has talent, but he's very fragile and is likely still learning the offense. It could be a rough year in New England.
20. (-4.27)- This team could be in big trouble. They were dominated by the Eagles, but managed to come back when the Eagles stalled. And they got slaughtered by the Seahawks, though the final score suggests it wasn't that far apart. Now, two weeks in a row the coach has been called out. Once by respected RB Tiki Barber, and now this week by not-so-respected, loud-mouth TE Jeremy Shockey. A mutiny is never good for a team, and its even worse when the team has serious character issues to begin with.
21. (-4.49)- I think the Niners are better than this, but they ran into a hot Philly offense, which they met with an average at best defense. Alex Smith may not have been a mistake after all. He's not the most talented QB, but I'll be damned if he's not one of the smartest I've ever seen. And he's still very young. The 49ers have a good young core with Smith and Gore, and Vernon Davis. But they need to improve that defense some more before they become a typical postseason candidate. However, they still could sneak in playing in a wide-open division.
22. (-5.40)- Things aren't getting any better in the Steel City. Ben Roethlisberger doesn't look like he can handle the added pressure he's gotten this year. He also seems as if he's starting to get that invincible feeling many stars tend to get. If Big Ben doesn't step it up, this team misses the playoffs.
23. (-7.54)- Kurt Warner is out and Matt Leinart is in. It could be too early, since Leinart miss significant time in the preseason. But Warner was just horrendous. Leinart will be learning on the job, but he can certainly handle it. I wasn't a huge fan of his coming out of college, mostly because I don't like USC, but I think he'll be fine in Arizona. He's got two great WRs to throw to, and an excellent RB to hand it off to.
24. (-17.08)- Maybe Brett Farve was right...at least that his offense was talented. They've been pouring on the points, but they still need a lot of work on defense. They probably won't do much this year, but at least they're showing that they're on the right track. I don't think anyone predicted they'd still be this productive on offense without Javon Walker.
25. (-18.35)- Will someone please get Roy Williams some duct tape! Seriously. This team is not very good. In fact, they're very bad. They're just full of problems, and will have yet another top 5 draft pick. But come on Roy. Just shut up already.
26. (-18.61)- No change since last week. Trent Green may be back soon, but even if he's not, this team needs to kick themselves in the ass. I really feel bad for people who picked Larry Johnson first in their drafts. Well, only if you did before Willie Roaf decided he didnt feel like playing this year.
27. (-20.92)- Steve Smith's return helped out the Panthers, but they still barelybeat a pretty bad Bucs team. I don't see how this team makes the playoffs unless they turn it around quick. The Saints are playing very well, and the Falcons will make a run, though their success depends upon how much they have to rely on Vick's arm. And yet so many people picked them for the Super Bowl. Oh man, I DONT feel bad for you people.
28. (-31.27)- I really feel bad for Chris Simms. He looked like he was starting to snap out of it, and now this. And talk about scary. But that shows a lot of character playing over half a game with a ruptured spleen. Yeah, he thought it was bruised ribs, but that doesn't change the pain he had to have been in. Now we'll see what Bruce Gradkowski is made of. It could be a rough year in Tampa, but at least they showed they may not be quite as bad as they looked the first two weeks.
29. (-33.08)- Played a good game against a good Ravens team. Braylon Edwards is the real deal, and I think Charlie Frye is, too. I don't know what will happen with Kellen Winslow, yet another loud-mouth out of "The U". One of a few teams I think are on the verge of becoming contenders, despite their low rankings.
30. (-40.61)- Still going through a lot of growing pains. The offense will be fine, as David Carr has been solid and consistent, which is very good considering how poor his offensive line is. It's the defense however, that seems to be the biggest problem. Aside from Dunta Robinson, this defense looks atrocious. Maybe drafting Mario Williams was a smart move after all, because this defense needs all the help it can get.
31. (-40.76)- All I can say is this team is in a really bad place right now. There are so many holes, so many problems, I think the Titans will struggle for quite some time.
32. (-68.42)- Something tells me the Raiders won't be vacating this spot anytime soon. I can't believe I'm saying this, but maybe they would have been better off keeping Kerry Collins. Though now I see why they gave Jeff George a shot. I'd try anything if these were the QBs I had to work with.