It may feel like the NFL season is already over. Seriously, is someone going to stop the Patriots? We’ll find out next week when Foxborough gets the best chance to take the wind out of New England’s sails. For now, we wait and see and take a look at this week’s results.
Week 8:
1. New England Patriots (8-0) (Previous rank: 1): This is starting to get a little ridiculous. Forget about beating this team, can someone make it a close game? This week’s game against Indy will be the Patriots’ biggest test yet.
2. Indianapolis Colts (7-0) (Previous rank: 2): Carolina was easily put away, now in New England. With a win this week, the Colts can emerge from Pat’s shadow and become the team to beat. But of course that is easier said than done.
3. Dallas Cowboys (6-1) (Previous rank: 3): No change: farewell week.
4. Green Bay Packers (6-1) (Previous rank: 5): Denver didn’t get past them, but they won when they had to. Brett Favre proved that his wonderful career is not over yet. This was a great away win for this team. Who would have thought it would be 6 and 1?
5. New York Giants (6-2) (Previous rank: 4): They are better in the states than Merry Old England, but a win is a win. Despite strong play from Brandon Jacobs, the offense didn’t score many points. They could have lost this one if they were playing someone besides Miami.
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) (Previous rank: 6): The Bengals may not be the team they used to be, but give the Steelers some credit: This was a great road win. They played solid on all sides of the ball. They’re not quite in the class of the Pats and Colts, but they’re not far behind.
7. Tennessee Titans (5-2) (Previous rank: 7): Last week they didn’t have Vince Young, this week practically neither. However, defending him achieved a sloppy victory. It was a win, but Vince needs to get back on track for this team to make the playoffs.
8. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-2) (Previous rank: 8): Their defense allowed big yards, but they also took big turnovers. Quinn Gray did enough to get the job done. His running game was solid.
9. San Diego (4-3) (Previous rank: 12): And here come the Chargers. After a horrible start, San Diego has come back to life. They just played better than the Texans. Phillip Rivers was great, but the Charger’s defense was even better.
10. Detroit Lions (5-2) (Previous rank: 13): Lions against bears, oh my! Even playing against Chicago, Detroit still displayed a solid offense. His defense was also excellent, allowing only seven points and making Brian Griese look like, well, a Chicago quarterback.
11. Seattle Seahawks (4-3) (Previous rank: 11): Without changes; goodbye week
12. Cleveland Browns (4-3) (Previous rank: 15): With consistent solid play, Derek Anderson continues to make fantasy football players around the world wish they had drafted him. It’s going to be tough to make the playoffs in the AFC, but Cleveland could sneak in.
13. Carolina Panthers (4-3) (Previous rank: 9): They had a good start, but in the end it was a bad ending. The Colts are simply a better team than the Panthers. This doesn’t mean the Panthers aren’t good, they just aren’t good enough.
14. Baltimore Ravens (4-3) (Previous rank: 14): No change; goodbye week
15. Washington Redskins (4-3) (Previous rank: 10): um, ouch. When a defense concedes 52 points, there’s really nothing more to say than: Doh! This was a very, very bad game for Washington. Now we will see if he picks up or if his stellar start was in vain.
16. New Orleans Saints (3-4) (Previous rank: 25): There are a few teams that started out slow and are now starting to heat up: the Saints are one of them. With their offense solidifying, this team is starting to look like it used to. They are playing great football.
17. Tampa Bay (4-4) (Previous rank: 16): Losing by one point to Jacksonville has to hurt. Jeff Garcia had a bad day and his defense allowed too many yards. Don’t count them yet, but don’t count them either. The next games will decide their fate.
18. Kansas City Chiefs (4-3) (Previous rank: 18): Without changes; goodbye week
19. Arizona Cardinals (3-4) (Previous rank: 19): Without changes; goodbye week
20. Denver Broncos (3-4) (Previous rank: 17): What happened to Denver’s home winning streak? His defense, despite giving up some big plays, has improved a bit, but now his offense can’t score. They had many chances to win this game; It’s a bit ironic that this time they lost… in a last minute move.
21. Buffalo Bills (3-4) (Previous rank: 22): The Bills could easily have a winning record, were it not for some last minute points. If they continue to freeze, they could become contenders. His defense was excellent against the Jets.
22. Chicago Bears (3-5) (Previous rank: 20): Well, so much for his passing game. Returning to their old offensive self (pun intended), the Bears managed a measly seven points against the Lions. The real problem, however, is his defense: he has gone from dominating to being dominated.
23. Philadelphia Eagles (3-4) (Previous rank: 26): Donovan McNabb stepped in when his team needed him. This was a must win for the Eagles and they got the job done. On defense, they did a good job stopping Adrian Peterson. Still, they have to dig a bit to get out of their hole.
24. Houston Texans (3-5) (Previous rank: 21): What happened to this team? After a fast start, they cannot find themselves in the winning column. They were no match for the Chargers. They need Andre Johnson back, like yesterday.
25. Cincinnati Bengals (2-5) (Previous rank: 23): This loss to the Steelers could have put the proverbial nail in the coffin for the Bengals. His defense just can’t stop anyone and his offense can’t carry the load of the whole team. This season is catastrophic.
26. San Francisco (2-5) (Previous rank: 24): This team seems to be imploding. Before they were 2-0, now they are 2-5. Obviously, they are not getting the results they want. They seem to be getting worse every week.
27. Oakland Raiders (2-5) (Previous rank: 27): They continue to do well on defense and poorly on offense. They kept it close against the Titans, but in the end, they got no cigar. They’re not giving his quarterback enough protection.
28. Minnesota Vikings (2-5) (Previous rank: 28): With their passing game virtually non-existent, they are forced to rely on the run. In other words, if they shut down Adrian Peterson, they’ll lose. That is exactly what happened on Sunday. His defense, unable to stop McNabb, did them no favors.
29. Atlanta Falcons (1-6) (Previous rank: 29): Without changes; goodbye week
30. New York Jets (1-7) (Previous rank: 30): This may have been Chad Pennington’s last game as a starter. Something has to change. They are the opposite of what they were last year. In other words, they are bad.
31. St. Louis Rams (0-8) (Previous rank: 31): This team almost seems destined to lose. When your offense goes up, your defense goes down. They could score on Cleveland, but they couldn’t stop Cleveland from scoring more on them. Your air defense needs some work.
32. Miami Dolphins (0-8) (Previous rank: 32): Even outside of the US, the result is the same. They did it close against the Giants and that says something. But, this team is still looking down the barrel of an 0-16 gun.