How aprapo that the Vikings go down on Monday Night Football the same weekend that the Colts get their first loss and the Saints stumble against the Bucs. The NFC playoff picture is pretty clear now as far as which teams will be playing - it’s only a question of seeding.  The AFC, however, is still a knock-down, drag ‘em-out affair that will go down to the wire. Meantime, the Colts “surrender” is getting ripped locally, as well as nationally while the Saints are teetering on the brink of a total implosion after the remarkably stunning collapse at home against the Bucs. So here are the next to last week of NFL Power Rankings, complete with a couple of changes that shouldn’t be too surprising but still makes for a shift that is felt through most.

1.(1) Indianapolis (14-1) – Most sports fans and those who travel around the country have probably heard of the phrase “Hoosier hospitality”, which underscores one of the best traits of the folks from this state and of the midwest in general. Nice people, easy going and friendly. Except when you decide to pull the rug out from under their feet and make one of the most clueless coaching / management decisions in NFL history. Up just 5 points with a little over 5 and a half minutes to go in the game (and having been just been pinned at their own 9 yard line following a punt by the Jets) Indianapolis coach Caldwell (most likely at the direction of GM Bill Polian) pulls Peyton Manning out of the game and inserts rookie QB Curtis Painter against the #1 defense in the NFL.

The collapse was on and so was the very uncommon response from the Colt faithful – which really can’t be reprinted here. Suffice it to say that the partisan crowd was extremely livid, boisterous and sometimes ……fanantical in their response. And it wasn’t directed at Curtis Painter per se, but rather the decision itself. No one wants to see a win turned into a loss – especially when you are pretty much driving up and down the field. But that’s basically what happened in Indianapolis in their game with the Jets and it will now remain to be seen if the players can just move on and put it out of their minds.
The only thing it shows for certain is just how valuable Manning is to this franchise, and should seal the MVP voting if wasn’t already. No other team in the league would self-destruct as much or as quickly as the Colts did post-Manning removal. It also just created havoc for some other teams with playoff aspirations.

2.(3) San Diego (11-3) – I’m moving the Chargers to #2 even though they have one more loss than New Orleans. But also because they don’t screw up play-calling like the Saints tend to do. They had a road game with the #2 seed in the balance, and just went out and blasted a Titan team that had been on fire in 7 of their last 8 games. And San Diego didn’t let up when they took a 17 point lead, unlike New Orleans. Nor did they try to get cute with some of the play calling that trended away from what they are good at doing, unlike New Orleans. Bottom line is the Chargers are peaking and the Saints are now scratching their heads two weeks in a row.

3. (2) New Orleans (13-2) – The Saints back into the homefield advantage thanks to the Vikings loss at Chicago. But they have issues in New Orleans, especially with playing a full four quarters. How you can be up 17-0 on one of the more beatable teams in the NFL, the just shut down and lose is beyond me. If it weren’t for the Colts pulling Manning and basically surrendering a game to the Jets, this would be the biggest story in the NFL today. Not sure what the idea was with the playcalling after going up 17-0, and I know Pierre Thomas went out with an injury, but allowing your players to become complacent or start straying away from finishing what you started is not a good sign that you’re ready to make a Super Bowl run. Much will be made of the special team play for the Saints – and it too should be criticized – but there is absolutely no reason for the NFL’s #1 offense to be forced to punt against a last place divisional opponent that has but two wins on the year coming into this game. Additionally, the defense couldn’t stop the potent (?) Bucs offense down the stretch. At home in the dome. And I won’t even mention the abhorrent performance from the placekicker. Oops – I just did, but I won’t elaborate.

4.(7) Philadelphia (11-4) – Clinched the NFC East with a close shave over the inspired Denver Broncos. When Denver reeled off 17 unanswered points, many in the Philly crowd were growing noticeably nervous and upset. However, the Eagles prevailed and have won six in a row. Now having clinched the division, the Eagles look to their final game with the Cowboys with a little less pressure on them. In fact, it could be a game where Michael Vick and others play if they so desire.

5.(7) Dallas (10-5) – The Cowboys forced 8 punts in the final nine possessions for the Redskins…and shut out a ballclub that have not scored a TD in both games against Dallas this year. What’s more, the Cowboys have erased the horrid memory of December’s past with Romo firing for 286 yards and a TD, while Marion Barber and Felix Jones combined for 120 yards and a TD on the ground.

6.(4) Cincinnati (10-5) – Any other week I’d be concerned about struggling to beat the Chiefs as much as the Bengal did at home. However, we must take into consideration everything this team has gone through in the past 10 days: The news of Chris Henry’s accident, followed by news of his death the next day. The inspired game they played against San Diego only to fall a last second FG away. Then going to New Orleans for the funeral of Chris Henry. Christmas with family. Gametime. Not exactly a norm in the path of a playoff bound ballclub, so give the Bengals organization a tip of the cap getting through a horrendously difficult week and getting the job done against an opponent they were supposed to beat.

7.(8) Arizona (10-5) – Made it look easy and this is why so many people have absolutely no clue what to expect from this team from week to week. In this game against the over-matched Rams, the Cards scored on four of their five visits to the redzone and had good production from RB’s Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower, who collectively rushed for 100 yards and two TD’s.

8.(4) Minnesota (11-4) – Great comeback and great drama, but never should’ve been in that situation. The Vikings fall down 16-0 at the half and then 23-6 before deciding there might be a reason they should win this game. Favre was his usual legendary self down the stretch, but Adrian Peterson is quickly establishing himself as the greatest runner that can be counted on to fumble at the most inopportune times in a ballgame. And the missed FG earlier in the game came back to haunt Minnesota as well.

9.(10) New England (10-5) – Up 28-0 in the 3rd quarter and the Pats go for it on 4th down? Oh yes, I remember….they sit Brady in the 3rd quarter when they give up, not when the other team can’t come back. That would be my main focus if it weren’t for the fact that Jacksonville isn’t a cupcake ballclub.

 10. (9) Green Bay – (10-5)  Just crushed the Seattle, who played more like Seachickens than Seahawks. The running game was especially impressive in this game as they gashed Seattle for over 125 yards and 3 rushing TD’s. Ryan Grant was just a monster, while Aaron Rodgers fired it all over the field against the Seahawks as well as the Pack led 38-3 going into the 4th quarter.

11.(11) Baltimore (8-7) – Had a huge opportunity to gain solid footing for a playoff run, but couldn’t quite grasp it because of the same achilles heel that has been bothering them all year: Self-destructive mistakes that lead to penalties.

12.14) Denver (8-7) – Could not capitalize on a few critical plays and allowed Philly to pull out a close one, ruining what could’ve been a huge day for the Broncos. Now for Denver to make the playoffs, the Jets must beat Cincy, Ravens must lose to Oakland and Pittsburgh must lose to the Dolphins. ]

13.(18) Pittsburgh (8-7) – The Steelers get a post-Christmas Day gift with a football that bounces off the back of Ravens helmet, then watch as the Ravens self-destruct and give Pittsburgh a stronger pulse for a possible post-season run.

14.(16) N.Y. Jets (8-7) – The Jets were the beneficiaries of the football gods on this weekend. The Ravens, Dolphins and Jags all lost while the Colts pull Peyton Manning off the field late in the 3rd quarter with a 5 point lead. This didn’t look like a #1 defense until the JV unit came on the field for Indy.

15.(20) Houston (8-7) – Up 27-3 at the half, the Texans probably had flashbacks of the Indy comeback as Miami scored 17 points in the 2nd half while shutting out Houston, to cut the lead to 27-20. However, an failed onside kick ended the comeback and now the Texans need help to get to the playoffs. They can still sneak in if they beat New England and then get Miami, Oakland and Cincy to post wins. What a game for QB Matt Schaub, who led the Texans to five scores on their first five drives. No doubt next week will be Houston’s Super Bowl. Like it was against Tennessee and Indianapolis in recent weeks.

16.(15) Atlanta (8-7) – The Falcons keep at it, even though they are out of playoff contention, this time stomping Buffalo. Roddy White with a big game, scoring twice on passes from Matt Ryan, who also did well with 250 yards and 3 touchdown passes.

17.(12) New York Giants (8-7) – That was simply the most atrocious job by any NFL team since …..well, ……ever. 41-9? At home ? Fighting for the playoffs?

18.(13) Tennessee (7-8) -  KA-BOOM! Or is it: ” And BOOM goes the dynamite?” Either way, that was a pretty sad showing at home. Chris Johnson was pretty much the lone bright spot of this effort, ringing up 142 yards and a TD and is just 74 yards shy of the record for most rushing yards in a single-season ( Marshall Faulk, 1999). Is he out of the MVP picture now? Not sure, but the loss may have helped to elevate Philip Rivers past Johnson and Brees, and a little more closer to Peyton Manning.

19.(17) Miami (7-8) – This team seems to have fallen right off the cliff for no seemingly no solid reason whatsoever.

20.(18) Jacksonville (7-8) – Well that was an inspiring performance on behalf of the Jags. Note that this is dripping with sarcasm. Unbelievably, the Jags could still make the playoffs if they beat Cleveland and Baltimore, Cincy, Miami and New England all win. The irony there is that if it came true, they’d face the Patriots once again.

21.(21) San Francisco (6-9) – A big third quarter by Frank Gore ensured the Niners wouldn’t relinquish the lead to the Lions and notched their 6th win of the year.

22.(23) Chicago (6-9) – Jay Cutler and the Bear defense showed up in the first half and in overtime, as the Bears stun the Vikings and temporarily muzzle the raging fans and media of Chicago. Temporarily, I said.

23.(25) Buffalo (5-10) – Well, at least TO got his 1,000th catch even though his ballclub was drubbed. This team has too much talent to be pounded that badly.

24.(22) Carolina (7-8) – Where the hell did that team come from? And how about Mike Moore everyone? Wow. 41-9 in the Meadowlands? And kudos to Steve Smith for a great game.

25.(26) Washington (4-11) – MNF vs New York Giants

26.(24) Oakland (5-10) – Blasted by the Browns as this team just continues to baffle everyone.

27.(27) Seattle (5-10) – Sad, inept performance.

28.(29) Cleveland (4-11) – Kept the “W’s” coming in with a thorough butt-kicking of the Raiders. Looked like a few players are interested in sticking around to play for Mike Holmgren & Co.

29.(30) Kansas City (3-12) – Gave the Bengals all they wanted but still not enough to win the game.

30.(28) Detroit (2-13) – Great effort, but too many mistakes to overcome
.
31.(31) Tampa Bay (3-12) – Offensively this team is very, very close to being a unit that can do some damage – and their young. Defensively, they stepped it up more than many expected and pulled out a surprising win on the road against a powerful Saints ballclub.

32.(32) St. Louis ( 1-14) – Continue to show why they are very deserving of the #1 pick in the 2010 draft. Now the question is: do they trade it away or use it? And on whom?

Two unbeatens still remain and three powerhouses fall in week 13, as the playoff plot thickens. The Saints nearly fell to a gallant effort by the Redskins, thanks to an incredible miss of a rather easy fieldgoal late in that game. Say goodbye to all the folks in Washington Mr. Suisham, as the Skins will probably no longer require your services. Pittsburgh continues its descent on defense, dropping yet another game and is now .500 on the season, while New England loses yet again on the road and the Vikings seemed rather inept on offense against the Cardinals Sunday night.

 
The Giants and Eagles take advantage of the Cowboys now that December has fallen once again, while Jacksonville, the Jets and Dolphins battle for the wildcard spots in the AFC. In the NFC, it’s wide open among a handful of teams for those wildcard spots, and the Packers must knock off Baltimore on Monday Night to stake their claim to one of the two.

Here’s a look at this week’s edition of Mac’s NFL Power Rankings

1. (1) New Orleans (12-0) – The Saints never led the Redskins the entire day…..until overtime. And two excellent moves by coach Sean Payton helped set up the final outcome. One, he brought Garret Hartley in as the Saints kicker to replace the struggling Jon Carney, and he called a timeout in overtime to allow the booth time to review the play that was ultimately ruled a fumble by Mike Sellers, giving New Orleans the ball in Redskin territory. The biggest play other than the missed field goal by Suisham was the strip of the ball by Robert Meachem from the DB who intercepted a Drew Brees pass. Oh yeah, speaking of Drew Brees, he just threw for over 400 yards and a couple of TD’s.

2.(2) Indianapolis (12-0) – Tied the NFL record for consecutive wins in the regular season and now can decide to either coast into the playoffs or continue playing for a perfect season. Perhaps they will go full tilt one more week as the Denver Broncos come to Indy next week. One thing is certain and that is the “Waiter” has been setting the table effectively for the Colts passing game lately. The Waiter? Pierre Garcon, who has to be one of the great underdog stories of the year. Peyton Manning now has at least 25 touchdown passes in each of his 12 years in the league, while the Colts defense holds MVP candidate Chris Johnson to a little over 100 yards but no scores on the day.

3.(3) Minnesota (10-2) – For the first time all year long Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson and the Viking defense looked like an average football team at best, failing to keep pace with the Cardinal offensive output. Favre threw two picks in the same game for the first time this year, while Adrian Peterson could generate little on the ground. Meantime, the defense allowed Kurt Warner to torch them for 3 scores in the first half to effectively put the game away by halftime. More importantly the loss drops the Vikings two games back of New Orleans in the battle for home-field advantage in the playoffs. Minnesota will face the Bengals next week in the dome, so this team will have their hands full yet again.

4.(5) Cincinnati (9-3) – Some big plays to Ochocinco and the steady running game allowed the Bengals to control the clock and build a lead after spotting Detroit the early 7-0 lead. Interesting stat on the NFL Network during Gameday: The Bengals are running the ball over 49% of the time offensively, which is quite a difference than what had been the case the past two or three years.

5.(6) San Diego (9-3) – . Nine straight years that Ladanian Tomlinson has rushed for multiple TD’s in a season and the Chargers stay a game ahead of Denver in the AFC West division by holding off a pesky Cleveland team. While the game against the Browns may have been a bit closer than many expected, San Diego had the game in hand and probably had a subconscious eye on the coming battle with the Cowboys in Dallas.

6.(14) Arizona (8-4) – The Cardinals are pretty inconsistent but definitely pounded the Vikings like no other team has this year. Arizona’s defense was the big story in this game, swarming and smothering the Viking offensive machine at all angles, rendering it nearly useless. Kurt Warner looks to have a clear head and was on target throughout the first half when the Cardinals jumped out to a big cushion, then dared Minnesota to try and come back. They couldn’t and they didn’t. Now we’ll see if they can remain consistent for another week as they travel to face division rival San Francisco.

7.(9) Philadelphia (8-4) – The big story wasn’t the return of Vick to the ATL, but rather the Eagles facing a nearly decimated Falcon offense. But Philly’s offense was just fine, and so did Michael Vick who scored a rushing TD and threw for his first TD pass late in the 4th quarter to help blow Atlanta out of its own dome. Mc5 and the Eagles overcame key injuries to its own offense, playing without DeSean Jackson and Brian Westbrook. The Eagles now have a divisional road matchup with the Giants which will certainly have playoff implications.

8.(10) Denver (8-4) – It’s the best the Denver running game has looked since early in the season, as rookie Knowshon Moreno teamed up with Buckholter to pile up over 260 yards rushing. However, the koolaid drinkers should be mindful that it was the KC Chiefs that they dropped the 40-burger on. Then again, didn’t the Chiefs whip the Steelers and almost upend the Cowboys? So maybe it’s a bit better win than all the pundits will give Denver credit. And one final “Mile High Salute” to the “Bucket Man”, who passed away this week in Denver.

9.(12) Green Bay (8-4) – The Pack overcome several turnovers and penalties to stop the Ravens, 27-17. Green Bay’s defense was reminiscent of the Ravens D of old, holding  Baltimore to just 185 yards of total offense while Aaron Rodgers fought through two interceptions to deliver 3 touchdown passes to give Green Bay its fourth win in a row. Now we’ll see if they can maintain focus when they travel to Chicago to face their arch-rivals the Bears.

10.(14) New York Giants (7-5) – The GMen sweep the Cowboys on the season and find their running game. And despite some bad drops by Stephen Smith, they got just enough passing offense to help parlay a good defensive effort to stop the previously streaking Cowboys in a critical division game in New Jersey. The win for New York sets up a wild race to the finish in the NFC East, as Philly and Dallas are deadlocked at 8-4, while the Giants are right behind at 7-5 with four games to go. And speaking of the division race and the Eagles, Philly is up next for the New York at Giants Stadium.

11. (7) Dallas (8-4) – It’s December and you know what that means for the Dallas Cowboys. Well, so far so good on the recent tradition of dropping big games in the holiday month. Speaking of months of the year, November (of 2007) was the last time we witnessed Roy Williams snag two TD passes in a single game – whe he was a member of the Detroit Lions. Unfortunately for Dallas, the running game and the defense fizzled against New York.

12.(4) New England (7-5) – The Pats lose for the second week in a row, drop their 5th of 6 road games and the 3rd when leading by 10 points at one time. The so-called potent offense of the Patriots showed little power while the Dolphins scratched and clawed (or should it be flipped and swam) their way back into the lead late in the game. Methinks they’ll get a much needed breather next week at home against the Panthers. New England has now split the season series with both the Dolphins and the Jets, with a game remaining at Buffalo looming big. There is also a tough matchup with Jacksonville and a seaon finale at Houston. Next up, however, is Carolina.

 13.(19) Jacksonville (7-5) – David Garrard, tossed two TD passes and threw for over 238 yards on just 15 completions, while getting hit hard and often. Maurice Jones-Drew added 76 yards on the ground, but it was the Jags defense that clamped down enough to edge the Texans and hold onto the wildcard playoff spot for another week. Next up is a home game against in-state rival Miami who is also fighting for an AFC playoff spot of their own.

14.(7) Pittsburgh (6-6) – Hell was unleashed in Pittsburgh Sunday, and it came in the form of Pittsburgh native Bruce Gradkowski. Now the Steelers will have to do what they did a few years back – regroup and make a strong run into and through the playoffs. However, after four losses in a row, that resolve will be strongly tested. They’ll begin that test with a short week and a visit to Cleveland on Thursday – a team they have beaten the last 12 times they’ve met. But then they have tough contests at Green Bay, Baltimore and home to Miami to end the regular season.

15.(11) Baltimore (6-5) – Baltimore could not move the ball against Green Bay when it counted and the defense was missing two of its most important players on Monday night. Those two problems combined to give the Packers a decided advantage as the Ravens fell to .500 on the season, and dangerously close to out of the playoff hunt. Joe Flacco had a horrid night at QB, throwing 3 picks against one TD pass, completing only half of his passes. The running game wasn’t much better, not even reaching 100 team rushing yards, and fumbled the ball away once. The Ravens have a chance to change course starting next week as they host the Detroit Lions, then follow up with Chicago.

 16.(20) Miami (6-6) – Back to .500 and still hunting for a post-season berth, the Dolphins rebound from a 14-0 deficit to upend New England. The defense held in key moments in the 2nd half, while Chad Henne and the offense came back to get the go-ahead field goal late in the game. Next up is a huge battle with Jacksonville that will have a direct impact on who plays in the playoffs.

17.(18) Atlanta (6-6) – With the Falcons medical staff working overtime, it was fortunate for the Falcons to even be able to field a team against Philadelphia. But even though they had players on the field, it just didn’t look anything like the Falcon offense we’ve been accustomed to since Matt Ryan arrived on the scene. Looks like it’ll be a wait-till-next-year venture unless the Dirty Birds upset New Orleans.

18.(21) N.Y. Jets (6-6) – Can’t believe the Jets coach and others criticize Mark Sanchez for trying to make a play on 3rd down. Talk about knuckleheaded. He should’ve slid and accepted 4th down, huh? Yeah, I guess that’s pretty much the way we ALL learned to play the game over the years. The Jets come out a winner over Buffalo and travel down to Tampa Bay for a warm vacation, er, a matchup with the Buccaneers.

19.(15) Houston (5-7) – With Steve Slaton out the Texans had to rely mainly on the arm of Matt Shaub. And give some props to Schaub for playing through a possible shoulder separation and trying to lead Houston to their own version of the 17-point comeback that they allowed Indy to do twice in two years. But it wasn’t to be and they fell a little short against Jacksonville, 23-18. It probably will seal the fate of coach Gary Kubiak, who has now had the exact same amount of time ( 4 years ) as Dom Capers had to get Houston to the playoffs.

20.(16) Tennessee (5-7) – Okay, can we now dispense with all the glorious talk about Vince Young and the unstoppable Tennessee Titans already? It was the most hyped 5-6 team in the history of sports, derailed by the most under-the-media-radar (and 12-0 team) in the history of sports. While Vince Young played well and Chris Johnson ran for over 100 yards, the Titans could not put the ball in the endzone enough, including a 1st and goal series that ended with an incomplete pass on fourth and goal.

21.(17) San Francisco (5-7) – Alex Smith threw for over 300 yards and two TD’s, but when the defense stopped Seattle late in the game the 49ers could not come up with at least a FG, and dropped a division game against the Seahawks that means no playoffs again this year. That’s both a shame and a surprise, as this team has lost to Minnesota, Houston, Indy, Tennessee and Green Bay by less than a TD in each game.

22.(22) Chicago (5-7) – Booed at various times by the home fans in the game, the Bears get just enough out of their offense and defense to hold off St. Louis and help to lower the decibel level of said booing. It was the Bears first win in the past five games and might give them a spark to help play spoiler next week when Green Bay comes to town.

23.(26) Seattle (5-7) – Seattle outlasts division rival San Francisco by taking advantage of the 49ers not taking advantage of Seattle, who did not take advantage of San Francisco mistakes earlier. Got all that? Despite the win over San Fran, I can’t move them up any further because they split with the Niners and lost to Chicago.

24.(27) Buffalo (4-8) – The up and down Bills go to Toronto to endure another down, this time to the Jets. By the way, what the hell is the deal going to Toronto for an NFL game? Canada has hockey and the CFL already, so isn’t this like trying to bring soccer to the U.S?  What’s that? We have soccer ?

25.(21) Carolina (5-7) – Is it a coincidence that Jake Delhomme doesn’t play and the Panthers win behind unknown QB Matt Moore? Moore threw ZERO interceptions, while the defense clamped down on the Bucs all day long. I think it was no mere coincidence. Matt will likely do battle in camp next summer with Colt McCoy or Tony Pike.

26.(27) Oakland (3-9) – Aright everybody, get off your butts and stand up…..and give a round of applause to QB Gradkowski and the surprising Oakland Raiders for one helluva comeback against the Steelers in Pittsburgh. ‘Ol uncle Al must surely be proud of that group out there for the silver and black.  He’s probably not the long-term QB solution for Oakland, but he sure did do the franchise proud with his 3 touchdown performance. This team really has nothing at all to play for except each other and the future, the latter of which perhaps became just a tad bit brighter. Maybe.

27.(28) Washington (3-9) – Were it not for a blown “chip shot” FG by kicker Suisham, we would be talking about the Saints first loss and a tremendous day for Jason Campbell. As it stands now, this is just another example of how Jim Zorn is going to be fired for a whole lot of on-field play that just isn’t his fault while the team gets a standout peformance from the much-maligned QB.

28.(26) Kansas City (3-9) – Were just blasted out of the stadium by the Broncos in all phases of the game. It’s the second week in a row they’ve been thumped, and it was by divisional opponents each time. Otherwise, the Chiefs have played everyone tough all year long.

29.(29) Detroit (2-10) – Like Oakland, big props to this team for battling and not just going through the motions and cashing a paycheck. They came out swinging (and scoring), kept fighting, but just couldn’t handle a clearly better team….but made the Bengals earn a victory in their own stadium.

30.(30) St. Louis ( 1-11) – The Rams, like they’ve done all year, made it more difficult for the opponent than many expect and like their fellow bottom-feeders, really have some talent to build upon. It’s just going to take that one exceptional player or coach or moment to get it started.

31.(31) Tampa Bay (1-11) – Could not get their offense untracked while the defense did a pretty fair job holding down the Panthers.

32.(32) Cleveland (1-11) – Brady Quinn came out on fire but the Chargers just have too much offense for the Cleveland defense to handle. Even so, the Browns hung in when they could’ve closed shop and allowed a blowout.

Whewwwwwweeeeee that was a wild one at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Colts pull off an improbable victory at the “Drama in the Drum”. while all the pundits and armchair QB’s discuss the Bellicheck decision to go for it on fourth down on their own 28 yardline.

Meantime, check out the amazing turnaround of the guys in orange and black. The Cincinnati Bengals are in command of the AFC North division and continue to shock the NFL with their 7th win in 9 outings.How about that first loss on the deflection to Denver’s Brandon Stokely? Looks even larger now than it did a month ago.

And if THAT wasn’t enough, the tundra wasn’t frozen, but the ‘Boys certainly looked awfully frigid as Green Bay pounded Dallas at Lambeau – nearly shutting them out altogether. This will certainly give new life to the Giants, and help keep the Eagles hanging around after their pasting at the hands of the charging San Diego Chargers.

The top ten is getting topsy turvy, while quite a few teams still hang by their figurative fingernails to a playoff spot. Here’s a check of Mac’s NFL Power Rankings for Week Eleven, prior to what should be a yawner on Monday Night Football.

1.(1) New Orleans (9-0) – Much, much closer than anyone could’ve imagined. Reggie Bush with an excellent game to help push the Saints over the top. New Orleans definitely missed Sharper and Greer and they almost turned the ball over one too many times and allowed St. Louis to edge much too close to a huge upset.
2.(2) Indianapolis (9-0) – With no running game to speak of, rookie wideouts dropping key passes and numerous injuries to the defense, it’s a wonder the game was as close as it was and that it turned into the “Drama in the Drum”. Colts win a wild one and remain undefeated.

3.(3) Minnesota (8-1) – Couldn’t quite shrug off the Lions as easily as expected, but then pulled away in the 4th quarter for the win. Adrian Peterson gave Favre a rest from climactic game-winning TD drives, even though he still threw for a gob of yardage and a TD.
4.(4) Cincinnati (7-2) – GREAT Scott! As in RB Bernard Scott. The rookie filled in admirably for the injured Cedric Benson while the Bengals D put the clamps on Pittsburgh in the steel city. Bengals have swept season series from Pittsburgh for first time since 1998. And they’ve also swept season series from Ravens. Bengals now need to only beat Browns for an entire, tidy AFC North sweep.
5.(5) Pittsburgh (6-3) – Polamalu goes down in first half with injury and the Steelers lose the ballgame.Not sure of the exact record, but when Troy is out of the game, Pittsburgh isn’t above .500 in winning percentage. No touchdowns and only 4 field goals in the game.
6.(7) New England (6-3) – Brady came out firing on all cylinders in the first half and the defense stymied the running-less Colts. Until the end. The fourth down call by Bellicheck is one that will go down in football lore. Certainly ruined a solid night from Brady and rookie OT Sebastian Vollmer who gave Dwight Freeney fits most of the night. I’m just curious that IF you’re going to try and go for a first down in that situation, why not go to your #1 target – the big man – Randy Moss? Wierd. On a side note, I will be very interested to see how Roger Goodell deals with the Robotron security bozo who tossed a cameraman out of the way while Bellicheck made his way off the field last night. Classy.

7.(11) San Diego (6-3) – Rivers lights up the Philly defense while getting solid effort in the running game from LT. The Chargers are nearly unbeatable at home and with the young wideouts starting to gain more and more experience, and QB and receivers getting more familiar with one another, San Diego could be extremely dangerous for years to come.

8.(12) Arizona (6-3) – Up and down Kurt Warner was all upside after spotting Seattle a 14-0 lead.

9. (6) Denver (6-3) – Orton does what everyone says he couldn’t: Throw long for TD’s. Then goes out with injury. Broncos have now lost three straight and have allowed the Chargers to join them in first place in the West.

10. (8) Dallas (6-3) – Wait a second, it’s not December yet? What gives?

11.(9) Atlanta (5-4) – The Dirty Birds lose Michael Turner to an injury and then lose to division rival Carolina.

12.(10) Philadelphia (5-4) – Not sure what it is about traveling to the west coast, but Mc5 and the Eagles aren’t very good at it. Well, except for that 450 yard passing part.

13.(13) New York Giants (5-4) – BYE

14.(14) Houston (5-4) – BYE

15.(15) Baltimore (5-4) – Ugly win, but a win nonetheless.  No scoring  (against Cleveland?) in the first half?

16.(22) Jacksonville (5-4) – Still a sliver of a thread that the Jags are hanging by for a potential playoff berth.

17.(17) Green Bay (5-4) – Stunning win after two glaring failures in back-to-back weeks.

18.(17) San Francisco (4-5) – Big win over the Bears at home helps keep the slim playoff hopes alive.

19.(20) Miami (4-5) – Ronnie Brown gets hurt and goes out of the game, Chad Henne tosses an INT that gives Tampa the lead late, but redeems himself by driving the Dolphins into FG position (with a big thank you to Ricky Williams) and the win.

21.(21) Carolina (4-5) – Two solid games in back to back weeks within their division, and this time they finish off their opponent for the “W”.

22.(16) N.Y. Jets (4-5) – That’ll pretty much do it for the playoff hunt this seasonfor the Jets. 5 losses in a row now for the New Yorkers.

23.(19) Chicago (4-5) – Those calls for Lovie’s head were just an over-reaction. They should be calling for Ron Turner’s.

24.(27) Tennessee (3-6) – Three starts for VY, three victories. Wonder what would’ve happened had he been inserted as the starter about 3 games ago?

25.(23) Seattle (3-6) – Jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead and then just fell apart.

26.(25) Washington (3-6) – Scored over 17 points for the first time all season and used long, time-consuming drives to keep Denver off the field.

27.(25) Buffalo (3-6) – I’m really not up to trying to explain what is happening with the Bills. However, the word I keep thinking of is tumultuous.  

28.(28) Kansas City (2-7) – Held on to win when rookie Heyward-Bey made the fatal mistake of missing a perfect pass inside KC terroritory. Terrific job by RB Jamaal Charles who scored once and tallied over 100 yards.

29.(26) Oakland (2-7) – Jamarcus Russell gets a seat on the bench and Grabowski almost pulls off the miracle comeback.

30.(29) St. Louis ( 1-8) – Gave the unbeaten Saints all they wanted and save for the clock-management fiasco on the last drive, did well all day.

31.(30) Detroit (1-8) – The team withstood the challenge and kept it close until the 4th quarter. Not good for a win, but good for experience.

32.(31) Tampa Bay (1-8) – Almost pulled off the shocker for the second week in a row. Josh Freeman has giving the offense a boost.

32.(32) Cleveland (1-8) – The new Browns get shut out by the old Browns at the same place the old Browns played.

For the week ending October 19th (Week 6 of action in the NFL) The strong got stronger and the weak ….hey, wait a minute, some of the weak got ……uhhhhh, less weak? Surprising wins from Oakland and Kansas City on Sunday raises those two bottom dwellers up a little bit. They were helped out by a team that decided not to show up for the snow party in New England.

Meantime, the undefeated Saints didn’t have to march very far – but they did keep marching up and down the Superdome field – all over the previously unbeaten and formerly #1 ranked Giants, 48-27, to move to 5-0 on the season. While a big win for New Orleans, the Vikings had a big win of their own, keeping Minnesota unbeaten at 6-0, one game better overall than the Saints.

But the team folks will probably now admit they’ll need to keep a much closer eye on is the surprising Denver Broncos, who are kicking butt and taking names through 6 games of this young NFL season. If anyone doubted them through the first five weeks, this win over San Diego should put those doubts completely to rest.

So Mac’s Power Rankings has a few changes in the order after week six in the NFL.

1.(2) Minnesota (6-0) – Looked like the Vikings were celebrating a little prematurely after taking a 27-10 lead late in the 4th quarter. It almost did them in. But the HOF’er came in and led them on yet another game-winning drive, while the defense finished them off one final time late. The Viking defense is starting to get a little leaky and I haven’t quite decided yet whether it’s  letdown when getting a good lead, or just poor play at critical times. They’ll have to button it up over the next two weeks with road games against Pittsburgh and Green Bay.

2.(3) Indianapolis (5-0) – BYE

Drew Brees

3.(4) New Orleans (5-0) – Completely manhandled the Giants from start to finish. A bit shaky on defense the first series, but really got it going after that. Drew Brees got a little lucky on a pass in his first series, as it looked like Corey Webster had a pick sail right through his hands for a reception by the Saints. After that, it wasn’t even close as New Orleans racks up over 500 yards in offense on the top rated defense in the NFL while the Saints D did some damage of its own.

4.(5) Denver (6-0) – If there’s a better defense in the NFL, I don’t know if I’ve seen it yet. The Bronco D went on the road to San Diego and held that potent offense to just 23 points – only THREE after halftime – enroute to a 34-23 whipping of their arch-rivals in the AFC West.  What’s more, Kyle Orton was able to guide the Bronco offense up and down the field behind one of the best offensive lines in the league, converting the majority of their 3rd downs to keep the ball moving and the Charger offense on the sidelines.

It is extremely difficult for me not to move the Broncos further up the ladder in Mac’s Power Rankings, but I think I’ll wait and see what happens with this club after their bye in week 7. After that, they go on the road to Baltimore, then host the Pittsburgh Steelers on another MNF showdown. One thing is for sure, Josh McDaniels is leader of the pack for Coach of the Year at this point.

5.(1) New York Giants (5-1) – Was this on purpose? I mean, did the Giants allow the Saints to march up and down the field on them in order for New York to get a good game film on them come playoff time? It just nags at me that this team looked not at all like it usually does defensively. The offense didn’t do all that much better, but didn’t look AS messed up. Now that Brees has torched them for 4 touchdowns, they get to face Kurt Warner in the Big Apple.

While the Giants are no doubt a good quality team, the rather weak early schedule has hurt them.  Fortunately for them the NFC East isn’t as strong as some other divisions in the NFL this season, so they shouldn’t stumble in the East. ( Unless you consider Oakland a powerhouse by beating Philly, or KC clubbing Washington and almost beating Dallas last week.)

6.(8) Atlanta (4-1) – Great stands by the Falcon defense throughout the game as they kept the Bears out of the endzone on several trips inside Falcon terrority. Jonathan Babineaux’s big hit and forced fumble was key as the Bears tried to get the ball in the endzone. Matt Ryan continues to impress, throwing two TD passes with nearly two hundred throwing yards. Next up is a trip to Big D.

7.(7) Cincinnati (4-2) – Kinda saw this coming after the roller-coaster ride the Bengals have been on the last week with the passing of Coach Zimmer’s wife, the funeral and then a kind of “trap” game against Houston. Not that you don’t take the Texans seriously – that’s my point, they did – but it just looked like everyone in the orange and black was one step slower and one second off their timing. They are still atop the division even though both the Bengals and Steelers have identical records.

8.(9) New England (3-2) – And just like that, the Pats are back on top of the AFC East division. Can’t move them up too far, after all, the Titans didn’t even bother showing up. However, it looks as if Brady is back, the defense is coming along and the running game showed up along with the snow. While this all looks and sounds good, we still might want to consider this was against a Tennessee Titans team that wreaks right now.

9.(13) Pittsburgh (4-2) – It looks like the Steelers might be getting out of their funk, but it might also be awhile still. At least Polamalu is back and the Steelers handled their business against an inferior divisional opponent. But Pittsburgh hasn’t been kicking the crap out of anyone either (except for the 3 quarters against San Diego), edging Tennessee by 3, Detroit by 8 and now the Browns by 13. I do, however, see a pattern developing here.

10.(6) N.Y. Jets (3-3) – Losers of three in a row, the Jets were rocked with even more bad news when they found out NT Kris Jenkins is out for the season. No reason to panic with QB Mark Sanchez, who tossed 5 picks in the loss to Buffalo. Much of it is still timing and knowing his receiving corp, and he just got Braylon Edwards on board a little over a week ago. The defense now bears watching with the loss of Jenkins in the middle.

11.(10) Baltimore (3-3) – Used to be you could count on the defense to hold opponents down and allow their field goal kicker to win close games for them. Not anymore. Now it’s an offense based on throwing (why, I don’t know, when they have Ray Rice, McGahee and McClain running for them. But yeah, Joe Flacco is the real deal – too bad his “D” didn’t have his back as the Ravens (and the D) tumbled for the 3rd consecutive week.

12.(11) Chicago (3-2) – The Bears blew several opportunities to put points on the board, but penalties and turnovers did them in. Just when you thought the team had turned the corner, they implode on national TV. They need to correct their course pretty quick, as they face the surprising Bengals in the Queen City next week.

13.(12) Philadelphia (3-2) – ROTFLMAO @ the Eagles. Nuff said.

14.(14) San Francisco (3-1) – BYE

15.(16) Dallas (3-2) – BYE

16.(17) Green Bay (3-2) – Nothing to get all ecstatic about, as the Packers SHOULD be able to go out and dominate the Lions at home in Lambeau. Which they did, and Donald Driver and Aaron Rodgers had outstanding games. Rodgers passed for an amazing 350+ yards and 2 TD’s while Donald Driver surpassed Sterling Sharpe for the career reception record (956). Let’s see if the Packers can keep from looking ahead to the Minnesota rematch and not forget the Browns are next on the schedule.

17.(18) Arizona (3-2) – Moved back within striking distance of the 49ers at 3-2, with a 27-3 thrashing of Seattle. Warner was hitting his big play targets and racked up 276 yards passing with 2 TD’s, while the running game was just “okay” but not all that big a factor even though the ‘Zona offense had the ball for 42 and a half minutes of the 60 minute game.

18.(15) San Diego (2-3) – Could not keep the Bronco pass-rush from creating havoc in the backfield, and never could establish a running game of any kind on offense. All the while the Bronco offense ran the clock with long, time-consuming drives that eliminated the usual second and third opportunities for the Charger offense to get back on the field. It is quite apparent at this point that San Diego has problems in several areas. 1) Their running game is non-existant. 2) Their pass rush isn’t what it used to be at all. 3) The offense would be dead in the water if it weren’t for Antonio Gates and Rivers.

19.(19) Houston (3-3) – Matt Schaub, doing his best Peyton Manning imitation, tossed 4 TD passes and hit seven different wideouts. He also racked up 390+ passing yards as he led his team to a triumphant 28-17 win over the Bengals. Big game coming up next week against the 49ers at home.

Samurai Schaub

20.(20) Miami (2-3) – BYE

21.(22) Jacksonville (3-3) – Evidently Jack del Rio didn’t want his decoy sitting around doing nothing this weekend, and decided to give him the ball. He only responded with 3 TD’s with 133 yards on 33 carries. David Garrard, meanwhile, threw for nearly 400 yards but almost cost the Jags the game with two picks – one returned for a game-tying TD by the Rams Leonard Little.

22.(23) Carolina (2-3) – Before commenting on the win, let me just say that the NFL should suspend Dante Wesley indefinitely for that atrocious hit on the Bucs Clifton Smith. That was completely uncalled for AND worse, it was premeditated as he clearly ramped up to strike him with the forearm. At any rate, that’s just a personal thought on a ridiculously stupid action.

The Panthers did just enough to beat Tampa Bay after looking to have the game in hand early on. Luckily, Carolina turned away from Delhomme’s arm and got the running tandem going – to the tune of 252 yards rushing. Up 21-7 at one point, the Panthers allowed Tampa Bay back in the game and were fortunate to pull out a seven point win to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.

23.(21) Seattle (2-4) – For the Seahawks, this game should’ve been a big one for the offense against the Cardinal pass defense. Or lackthereof. However, Seattle could manage only a measley 112yards passing, their rushing attack was even more inept. At least it wasn’t a shut-out. The big hit came after the game with news that Seahawk LB Lofa Tatupu is out for the year.

24.(24) Washington (2-4) – Watching paint dry can probably be more entertaining than watching the Redskins these days, but I doubt then I can’t figure out why that should even be a possible comparison. It’s gotten that bad. Jim Zorn says he’ll give up play-calling duties. And focus on what, the defense? Special teams? Cheerleading? Okay, okay, it’s not all Zorn’s fault. Can someone help clue us in and what IS the problem then?

25.(29) Buffalo (2-4) – I’m not sure, but I think Buffalo has invented several new ways to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory. But THIS time, they reversed trend and captured a close one – in OT. Although it looked like it was a game destined to end in a tie. The win temporarily gives their head coach, Dick Jauron, another week on the job.

26.(31) Oakland (2-4) – I don’t bet much, but I ALMOST put money on this game for some strange reason. I just had that feeling that the Raiders would be “up” and the Eagles “down” a bit. And that’s the way it played out much of the day. Oakland’s defense was dominating most of the day and the lone TD ( a hilariously long, 10-bottom-plow-dragging rumble run after catch by TE Zach Miller) gave the Raiders their only touchdown.

27.(27) Kansas City (1-5) – Congrats to a ballclub that has been “right there” in most games this season but couldn’t quite get over the hump. Until today. Now let’s see if that can carry over into a home contest against the Chargers next Sunday at 1 p.m.

28.(25) Detroit (1-5) – Probably the only game they’ve been “out of” from start to finish this year. Culpepper going out early had something to do with it, but I expected more out of the Lion defense. Then again, they DID hold the Packers to four FG’s after the 1st quarter and left Green Bay with a 20% mark in redzone efficiency. It was just that all the yardage (and time) the Packers consumed didn’t leave much time for the Lions to do anything. Well, that and the fact Detroit was 0-10 in 3rd down conversions.

29.(28) Cleveland (1-5) – Except for Big Ben, Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes and Rashard Mendenhall, I think the Browns did a pretty good job of containing the Steelers. Well, except for that 17-point barrage in the 2nd quarter that Pittsburgh put on ‘em. And there WERE those 4 turnovers, 3 by Derek Anderson. Next up for Cleveland is a Dawg Pound visit by Green Bay.

30.(30) Tampa Bay (0-6) – Trailing 21-7, the Buc’s Sammy Stroughter returned a kickoff 97 yards for a TD and gave Tampa Bay new life heading into the final quarter. Then the Bucs tied it on an pick-6 by Jackson and the stage was set for the Bucs to pull off their first win of the season. However, it wasn’t meant to be as the Panthers scored one more time and Tampa Bay couldn’t answer.

31.(32) St. Louis ( 0-6) – That was painful to watch as the Rams were oh-so-close to nailing down their first win of the season, only to see it slip away. Of course, if SOMEONE had stopped MJD a couple times, it may have made the difference. That said, the Rams DID pick off Garrard twice and forced a fumble, so they had their chances. I was listening to someone talking about an idea of the Rams trading away Stephen Jackson for multiple draft picks….and I’m thinking that’s a pretty sound idea.

32.(26) Tennessee (0-6) – Yeah, that’s right, I’ve got this team dead last. At least the Bucs, Rams, Chiefs, Lions and Browns show up to play every weekend knowing that they likely will get their heads handed to them. For the Titans to not even show up for the game with New England proves their lack of mental toughness. They just quit before the game had started. It looked like they didn’t want to be there, didn’t like the weather and probably didn’t like playing in the Houston throwbacks again. Poor babies. Jeff Fisher has some serious problems in Tennessee.

A rare successful Titans play

I really don’t believe (at least fully, at this point) that all of the top five teams I have listed from 1-5 at present, are going to hold onto that distinction for very long. However,  I do consider it both prudent and proper to give them their due for the time being. And who knows, maybe they continue to prove pundits and skeptics wrong. Denver and Minnesota are the newcomers to this lofty perch, while the Saints have been on again/off again (even with the standout leadership of Drew Brees) while piecing together a defense.

The Colts are seemingly always in the mix throughout the regular season, New England is also starting to regain its footing after that wobbly start, and the Steelers looked more like their old selves Sunday night. And for Ravens’ fans, don’t freak out by the drop this week for your team. It’s probably just temporary because that club is going to be a force come playoff time.

An illustration as to why I think the rankings in week 4 are just temporary for those at the top, middle or bottom? Look no further than the week 5 schedule, starting with the matchup between Oakland and the Giants or Tampa Bay at Philadelphia.  Think the Giants or Eagles will move down after those two game? Or how about Cincinnati at Baltimore and New England at Denver? Now those two will ultimately help define the top tier a little better. Or create true mayhem for yours truly if both the Bengals and Broncos win. Nevertheless, there’s a slight shuffle in the top ten for this week, along with a little wiggle at the bottom. In between, there’s some movement as well.

Here’s the week 4 rundown.

1. New York Giants (4-0) – The game was never in doubt but the interesting thing about this game is the emergence of Steve Smith as a top wideout for New York. It looks like Eli Manning is gaining more and more confidence (and comfort) looking for Smith in the game and Smith has come through big. Rookie Hakeem Nicks caught a 54-yard TD for the Giants as well, and those two along with Manningham are giving this team a formidable offense. The defense is what it is – a force of its own. limiting KC to a mere 193 total yards in offense.

2. Minnesota (4-0) – Classic game, classic Favre. The “old man” gets round 1 of the series with an incredible passing performance on MNF, leading the Vikings to a 30-23 win over Favre’s former Packer team. Jared Allen tallied 4.5 sacks of Green Bay’s Aaron Rogers, who had little protection from his O-line. Even so, the Vikings rather odd playcalling late gave the Packers an opportunity to stay in the game, but Sydney Rice made two excellent fielding plays during onside kick attempts to help seal the victory. The running game will no doubt get some scrutiny as Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor didn’t rack up much yardage, but added just enough to force Green Bay to look for the run.

Mark down Sunday, November 1st at Lambeau Field for round 2 between the two rivals. But between then and now Viking fans may want to proceed with caution on the celebrating. After a road game with the Rams next week, they host Baltimore and then travel to Pittsburgh…3 tough games in a row after the Rams matchup. They’ll need that bye week due to them after the November 1st game in Green Bay.

3. Indianapolis (4-0) – Sure, the Colts had the advantage of a banged up Seahawks defensive unit to face, but it wasn’t like Seattle was playing without some studs on defense. The key was Peyton Manning and his 4th consecutive 300 yard passing game, along with a defense playing much better, building a 31-3 lead through the first part of the 4th quarter. After that, it was just a matter of how the final score looked. And it looked a lot closer than the game was really played. Manning had his way all day and the defense held Seattle in check until mop up duty allowed some cheap scores late in final stanza. Rookie Austin Collie caught his first pro TD pass from Manning while rookie RB Donald Brown added a rushing score.

Dwight Freeney, who looked like he’d be out for this game, tallied a sack and a few tackles but it was Robert Mathis who had the biggest impact defensively day with 3 sacks and a couple of forced fumbles. And to think the Colts still have a banged up defense missing a few key players. Indy’s next opponent is 0-4 Tennessee, on a Sunday night telecast.

4. New Orleans (4-0) – For the second week in a row the Saints didn’t need the power passing game thanks in part to a couple of rookie mistakes by the Jets Mark Sanchez. And once again, Pierre Thomas came storming out in the second half to lead the Saints on the ground and into the endzone, ripping a Jet defense that was keeping the offense in check for the first two and a half quarters. New Orleans, with an improved defense and strong running game, will be hard to beat in the NFC South, and that could help propel them for a long run in post-season play. But first things first. After the bye week, they take on what looks to be their main competition in the NFC – the N.Y. Giants. But remember, the Saints don’t do well (historically) after a bye week. If that changes this year, look out!

5. Denver (4-0) – Sure, when they went 3-0 folks said they haven’t really beat anyone too good. Well, can they say the same thing about the Cowboys? Maybe. Maybe not. Certainly the Broncos had to face a tough Dallas defense, so maybe it was “half” a tough team. Once Brandon Marshall snagged that jump ball from Kyle Orton late in the game, he practically danced through the entire Cowboy defense enroute to the endzone. The Bronco D was just nasty and CB Champ Bailey was the wrong guy for Romo to be messing with when the game was in the balance.

6. N.Y. Jets (3-1) – Matt “Sanchize” learned some of the same lessons many other rookies have learned in their first go-round at the QB position: Things won’t always go smoothly. And so it was that while the Jets defense clamped down on the Saints most of the day, the Jets offense basically crashed upon takeoff and never recovered. Nothing to get to torn up about and with a divisional game next week vs the faltering Bills, Sanchez and the Jets need to wipe this one out of their collective minds and move on.

7. New England (3-1) – Although the win is skewed a bit in my book (the roughing calls were just silly) the Pats did get back on track offensively with the return of Wes Welker. Brady looks to be more confident in what he’s doing and the defense has done a bit better in their playmaking. I still think their secondary is extremely vulnerable and the offense isn’t anywhere near 100% just yet. Even so, they’ve won 3 of 4 against quality teams and that’s good enough for a move up.

8. Atlanta (2-1) – BYE

9 . Baltimore (3-1) – It’s only one loss and it WAS on the road to New England, but the Ravens slide back behind the other undefeated teams and Atlanta, who shouldn’t get punished for a bye week. If Clayton had caught that fourth down pass from Flacco, and there hadn’t been some of the more ridiculous “Brady” calls, the Ravens would surely still be undefeated and at #2 in these rankings. As it is, there’s a drop to #9 but still plenty of time to go, especially considering how well 2nd year QB Joe Flacco is doing.

10. San Francisco (3-1) – The 49ers did what they were expected to do – and need to do – in order to remain a top contender for the playoffs. They whipped an inferior team. St. Louis was no match for the Niners, especially that defense, as San Francisco steam-rolled the Rams for a shutout – the first time they’ve shutout the Rams since September of ‘96, and their first shutout overall since 2002 when they stomped the Saints, 38-0. The Niners have the Falcons next, then a bye followed by road games to Houston and Indianapolis.

11. Chicago (3-1) – Matt Forte returned to the spotlight for the Bears once again, punctuating a solid performance by Jay Cutler, as Chicago pulled away from a determined Lions team late in the 3rd quarter. The first half was nip and tuck the entire way, but once Forte ran for the 37-yard TD in the 3rd quarter, the jig was up for Detroit. And is Johnny Knox fast, or what?! Now the question is, how banged up is Devin Hester?

12. Philadelphia (2-1) – BYE

13. Cincinnati (3-1) – Whhhhhoooooooaaaaa! 3-1 Cincinnati? The Bengals? Seriously? And tied for FIRST PLACE with Baltimore in the AFC North? Who’d a thunk it, right? And imagine if that wierd deflection against Denver hadn’t of ended up in the hands of Brandon Stokely….the Bengals would be in first place alone, with a 4-0 record. The Cincinnati defense has led the way all season, but Carson Palmer and the offense has started to get some action going as well. Had Shayne Graham not missed the easy PAT, the game would’ve been over in regulation. Instead, the Bengals needed a tough QB run on fourth down to keep a drive alive in OT, and subsquent redeeming FG by Graham to give the Bengals a big win…. and it’s their 6th in the last 7 games.

14. Pittsburgh (2-2) – Looks like Mendenhall gets a pass out of the Mike Tomlin doghouse, as he rushes for two TD’s and helps the Steelers put away the Chargers early at 28-0. But hold on a minute, the Steelers relax a little too much and scramble to keep the jaws of defeat from snatching away what seemed like a sure win. It’s obvious Pittsburgh was amped up and ready for this game, but it is still not the same team without Polamalu. Detroit and Cleveland are up next – probably just tune ups – before a big showdown at the Metrodome with the Minnesota Vikings.

15. San Diego (2-2) – Blasted out of the stadium most of the game, the Chargers tried to rally late and fell short, but at least put up a valiant effort in the final quarter. The running game was non-existant (15 yards rushing for LT and none for Sproles) while the defense didn’t fare too much better allowing the Steelers to run the score to 28-0 through almost 3 full quarters of play. One thing is certainly true about this Charger team…they’re never really out of striking distance, so teams with a lead going into the 4th quarter – even a 28 point lead like Pittsburgh – better not let up.

16. Green Bay (2-2) – Excellent job by Aaron Rodgers to keep his team coming back and trying to pull off the big win on the road. Showcasing his accuracy and laser-guided missile throws, he demonstrated why Green Bay’s management made the ultimate decision to go with youth over the veteran two years ago. If his offensive line gave him better protection, there’s no doubt in my mind that the game would’ve come down to a final play for whichever team had the ball. As it was, it pretty close and the rematch in Green Bay will probably go to the Packers IF Rodgers can get some better protection.

17. Dallas (2-2) – Tony WOE-mo strikes again ! The Dallas defense keeps the Broncos in check while the offense had multiple opportunities to improve on a 10-0 score but could not help take the pressure off the defense. The Broncos finally wore the Dallas D out just enough to allow Brandon Marshall the wild effort on a catch and run that gave Denver their first (and ultimately the game-winner) lead of the day, while WOE-mo (and his OC) decided Miles Austin wasn’t open both times on the last two offensive plays for Dallas, throwing instead in the direction of Bronco DB Champ Bailey, who knocked two passes in a row away Hurd.

By the way, where was Roy Williams during that final series? Oh yeah, his tummy hurt and was on the sidelines. Wonder how “The Playmaker” feels about that? I’ll just say that big time players WILL themselves back onto the field and ultimately make a difference. He didn’t, and it may have cost his team a “W” even with WOE-mo missing a wide-open Miles Austin. Twice.

18. Jacksonville (2-2) – The Jaguars help keep del Rio employed by laying the beat down on division rival Tennessee. Newcomer Mike Sims-Walker was the star of the day, catching 2 TD passes for the Jags and helping David Garrard to a career day at QB, passing for 323 yards and 3 TD’s. The defense limited the Titan rushing attack to under 100 yards rushing and picked Kerry Collins twice, before giving up 2 TD’s later in the game. Next up is a road trip to the great Northwest and see how well they can do against the Seattle team that Indy ripped apart.

19. Arizona (1-2) – BYE

20. Houston (2-2) – Interesting that the defense who hasn’t been too effective stopping the run found a way to stop Oakland’s running game dead in its tracks. That and RB Steve Slaton getting untracked helped the Texans corral the moribund Raiders. While the Texans are still in hopes of cracking into the playoffs for the first time, they won’t be able to do so if they cannot correct their deficiencies on defense. Next up is the air attack of the Arizona Cardinals, which the #10 passing defense in the league hopes to shut down. Schaub and Andre Johnson, meanwhile, are licking their chops looking at that 30th ranked passing defense of ‘Zona. Could be a shootout in Glendale.

21. Washington (2-2) – Every single aspect of the worst-case scenario possible was playing out in front of Jim Zorn’s very eyes. Offense not making plays and not scoring points. Defense allowing Josh Johnson to throw a TD pass on his first passing attempt of the game. Down 10-0 at halftime. After that, the game changed completely and the Redskins woke up from a long, long slumber and held on for a 16-13 win. But the fact they had this much trouble with Tampa Bay still speaks volume about the recurring nightmare theme for Skins fans.

22. Miami (1-3) – Give this ballclub a ton of credit. They could’ve just closed up shop and looked to next year after the heartbreaking losses they’ve endured in their last two games. Instead, Chad Henne is making the most of his opportunity to play and the Miami defense just suffocated Trent Edwards and the Bills offense. Could be a turning point for this team, who has not played badly in any game this year and could’ve been 2-2 at this point if not for a future Hall of Fame QB named Manning.

23. Buffalo (1-3) – Football fans and pundits are left to scratch their heads in collective amazement. Think about it. I was just marveling above at the resilence of the Miami Dolphins, and we now look at the opposite end of the spectrum. SOMETHING is wrong with this ballclub and I’m thinking it’s NOT a guy named Owens. Although that movie (Part III) may be coming soon to a big flatscreen near you. Getcha popcorn ready!
 

24. Seattle (1-3) – Just overwhelmed from the get-go in Indianapolis with only T.J. Houshmanzadeh showing any signs of life. The defense was ripped to shreds by Manning and allowed a rookie wideout and running back to score TD’s. The lone bright spot was the exceptional standing ovation and video tribute given to former Colts running back Edgerrin James at the end of the 3rd quarter. Other than that, it was almost as dreary as a typicaly rainy, cold and foggy Seattle day.

25. Detroit (1-3) – I feel horrible for the Lions and Lion fans. Just as the franchise savior at QB was starting to feel comfortable and gain confidence, trading scoring plays with division rival Chicago – WHAM! And I’m not talking about the 80’s pop group. Hopefully Matthew Stafford can bounce back quickly from his knee injury and lead the charge once again. In the meantime, it’ll be Duante Culpepper trying to put points on the board, which really hasn’t been a problem for Detroit thus far in 2009.

The defense, on the other hand, needs to tighten up a bit more as they allowed 21 points in the first half, and 27 in the second. They’ve done well in two of the games (last week vs Washington, allowing only 16 and Week two, allowing 27 in a loss to the Vikings. Against the Saints they gave up 45, to with the 48 the Bears put on the board. You cannot win giving up that many points.

26. Tennessee (0-4) – This coming Sunday, October 11th, 2009, will be D-Day for the Tennessee Titans. (Do It Or Die Day). After the crushing defeat suffered to Jacksonville, they have one shot left to re-group and recover to try and salvage a disastrous start to this season. Cue the music and the video clips of a red-hot Peyton Manning and his Indianapolis Colts, who will come into Nashville with an unblemished record. If the Titans can’t prevail in this one, it could be a seriously long season.

27. Carolina (0-3) – BYE

28. Oakland (1-3) – Hmmmm. So the Raiders, with a decent running game, come into a game to face a defense that allows rushing yardage by the bushel basket. Well, guess what? The Raiders racked up an astonishing 45 yards on the ground to go along with their blistering 120 yards passing, and managed to score via two field goal kicks. IM-pressive. How many top ten draft picks do these guys have again? Al? Al? Wake up Al ! That’s right Al, it’s all the fault of Rich Gannon. Silly announcer-guys.

29. Kansas City (0-4) – It took every fiber in my body not to jump these next four teams over the Raiders just for the basic reason that KC’s ownership and coaching staff are in the midst of resurrecting a franchise. Cleveland and St. Louis have had years to do this, while Tampa Bay is experiencing their first huge tailspin since BD. (Before Dungy). KC has some talent and some potential, but it’s also going to take some time.

30. Tampa Bay (0-4) – I really don’t know where to start with this team. Is the coach in over his head? Is the QB situation really that stark? Is the defense bad or the glue holding what’s left of the team together? Many, many questions and no answers. One thing that is certain is the Bucs have a long, tough hill to climb back to the top of the mountain.

31. Cleveland (0-4) – Good news for the Browns: they held a running back under 100 yards rushing. The bad news? They couldn’t stop Carson Palmer, either on the ground or in the air, letting him pick up a back-breaking first down that cost them the game in OT. The other bad news for Cleveland is they travel to Pittsburgh next week. Yikes!

32. St. Louis ( 0-4) – Once again the defense didn’t play too bad, but that offense…….well, it just blows. I mean, let’ s be serious – they just got taken a part In fact, the Rams have been outscored about 120-something to 24 so far this year. I’m not making this up….and it’s not all because of the defense. Sometimes they’re complicit, but not on this day. Bulger or Boller have not been able to move this offense. Time for the rookie Knull to get his shot. On second thought, maybe they should wait until after next week’s game at Minnesota. Or the following week against Jacksonville. And then Indianapolis.

Pretty exciting Sunday of football, especially if your team happened to be on the winning end of some of those close games. And if you’re a Lions fans, here’s an extra congratulations and best of luck – you deserve it for being a diehard fan. I’m sure Monday was one of the more pleasant mornings for those who love their Lions. At least more pleasant than has been the case in recent years during football season. Elsewhere in the NFL, six games were decided by a touchdown or less, there was one shutout, four blowouts, the defending Super Bowl champs were upended for a second consecutive week and the team that started off 10-0 last year (Tennessee) had lost its first three games of the year. Oh, and there was that minor miracle of a comeback you may have heard about up in Minneapolis. Some old geezer threw one on a rope into the back of the endzone, and after a great catch, his team won.

There was a bunch of movement in the third installment of Mac’s Power Rankings. For this week, I moved all undefeated teams into the top positions (yes, including Denver) while two of last week’s top ten teams fell out. The biggest mover was the Bengals who, by virtue of some great defense the past three weeks and their come-from-behind win vs the defending champs, jumped up 14 spots this week. The team that fell the furthest was the Tennessee Titans, who have been having close games but now find themselves in danger at 0-3 (though by no means out of a playoff spot) and must take on division rival Jacksonville in Florida next weekend.

So while the New York football Giants hang onto to the top spot for a second consecutive week, that OTHER New York team is closing in on the Giants. Here is week 3 of Mac’s NFL Power Rankings. Let me hear from those of you who cannot believe your team is ranked too low.

1. New York Giants (3-0) – It’s a rarity to pitch a shutout in the NFL anymore, but this was one of those convincing kinds of shutouts. From start to finish the Gmen had it under control and just sliced and diced Tampa Bay in all facets of the game. The Giants didn’t allow the Bucs a first down until late in the 3rd quarter while Eli Manning and the offense ran and passed all over the Bucs. Bye week #2 comes up next with a relaxing trip to Kansas City, followed with bye week #3 at home against Oakland, before having to get down to business with a trip to New Orleans in week six. For now they stick at #1.

2. Baltimore (3-0) – This is a completely different Ravens team and one that could be tough to handle later in the season. Some will say the Ravens haven’t played that tough a schedule yet, but Baltimore doesn’t create the schedule – they just show up to play it. And while the Ravens still have the tough defense, Joe Flacco and the running game has now given the offense the ability to put points on the board seemingly by the bushel full. Ray Lewis must think he’s died and gone to football heaven. It’s especially nice to know that when a guy touches the ball a total of seven times, he can score twice, which is what Willis McGahee did against Cleveland. Now comes an interesting trip to New England to see if the pundits mutterings about strength of schedule will be put to the test.

3. Minnesota (3-0) – This is why they signed Favre. He’s not Mr. Smooth, not always perfect and sometimes frustrates the hell out of you. But he always gives you a chance to win. For the 42nd time in his storied career, he engineered a game-winning or game-tying drive and he did it by finding Greg Lewis for his first catch of the young season. Now be honest Viking fans, just prior to this TD you were getting ready to blast him as an old, washed-up waste of time. What’s really ironic is this is the first QB under Childress to pass for over 300 yards in a game. My question is how in the world does that defense give up so many points to an offense lacking Frank Gore? Some tweaking will need to take place before the Monday night showdown with Green Bay.

4. Indianapolis (3-0) – The Colts seemed cut through Arizona like a hot knife into butter. Over 500 yards of offense while the defense wreaked havoc on Kurt Warner all evening long, as the Colts move to 3-0 and find themselves with a big lead in the AFC South division. Addai and Brown added some nifty running behind an offensive line that played as well as they have in a long time, while Peyton Manning surgically dissected the Cardinals all evening after initally sputtering on their first three possessions. If the Colts can get everyone healthy following the bye, the offense continues to gel and the defense comes around, this will be the team to beat. Of course, those are quite a few “if’s” to have happen.

5. New Orleans (3-0) – The offense and Drew Brees returned to Earth against the Bills in the first half, then decided to add some french pastry. Enter Pierre. Thomas. Over 100 yards and a TD later (all in the second half) the Saints knock off the Bills on the road and move to 3-0 on the year – minus the potent passing attack. Think about this for a second. New Orleans now has Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush and Lynell Hamilton in the backfield, and when Mike Bell returns from his injury the Saints will have a 4th solid back that will give them the missing running game they MUST have to go to the next level. Will be a seriously interesting game next week when the Jets come to the Superdome.

6. N.Y. Jets (3-0) – For the first time in 5 seasons the Jets are 3-0 to start the year. It was a great start to the game for Matt “Sanchise” and the Jets, jumping out to a 14-0 lead until mistakes began to give Tennesse some life. Facing some inclement weather and battling the mind games associated with mistakes for a rookie QB, Sanchez came back and helped lead his team to a 7 point win over the Titans. Rex Ryan has this team amped up and the fact that the first year starter at QB is playing so well only makes it that much more impressive. They have little time to celebrate though, as they get ready for a big road game to New Orleans next.

7. Denver (3-0) – Kiss of death for the Broncos probably, as I move them up (as promised) to the upper-rung of undefeated teams. This is by no means an endorsement of them to actually stay here, but hey, if they do – good for them. I like the way Kyle Orton has started to get more and more comfortable with the system and doesn’t try to force the issue in the passing game. The fact that Denver had a running game come alive is a huge shot in the arm and the Broncos are currently 9th in total offense in the NFL. The defense is #1 in total yards allowed, #2 against the pass and #7 against the run after three weeks. f the defense can keep on doing what it’s doing, there’s no reason to believe this team can’t be the sleeper of the playoffs. But it’s still early.

8. Atlanta (2-1) – No Roddy White and no Tony G., which means not much Falcon offense. Especially so if the “Burner” isn’t getting any fuel to the flame. So the Falcons were given a dose of reality in a game that did present opportunities, but none were taken advantage of at all. The loss isn’t too damaging in the overall scheme of things, as their biggest focus will remain the divisional title. That said, it was surprising the offense couldn’t put up more points against one of the weaker Pats defenses they’ve had in quite some time.

9. San Diego (2-1) – Started out slow and rather sloppy, but the Chargers got it going in the second half and picked off a Chad Henne pass for a touchdown. Until then it was a tight ballgame that saw LT miss a second straight game and Phillip Rivers go without a TD pass. Someone find out what Kevin Burnett ate or drink before the game. Whatever it is, get it to your favorite player on your favorite team. That guy was a one-man wrecking crew out there.

10. New England (2-1) – Tom Brady was still suffering from some unknown ailment until he apparently had a halftime epiphany (and eloquent rah-rah speech according to some) and promptly fired up the Patriots to a convincing 26-10 win over the previously unbeaten Falcons. The biggest boost came from veteran running back Fred Taylor who ran for over a hundred yards and scored his first TD as a Patriot, while all the other offense came off the foot of kicker Stephen Gostkowski. Five field goals and the Taylor TD was all the Patriot offense could muster. New England’s defense kept Michael Turner under wraps for the most part and the secondary did a good job not allowing Matt Ryan to really get going in the passing game. Huge game next week when undefeated Baltimore arrives for what should be a helmet-cracking good time.

11. San Francisco (2-1) – Seemingly had the game in hand late and just needed another first down or two to help run out the clock, but couldn’t come up with the final nail. Earlier it looked like the defense had stifled Favre for the final time, only to see him get the ball back and drive against them for the winning TD pass with 2 seconds left. This one will hurt for awhile but the team is definitely a bonafide contender. The injury to Frank Gore doesn’t appear to be too severe, maybe two to three weeks or less, but they need him back soon. Nice game for TE Vernon Davis and another solid job for QB Shaun Hill.

12. Chicago (2-1) – The Bears pull out a close one on the road behind Jay Cutler for the second week in a row, this time hitting Devin Hester who took it 35 yards for what turned out to be the game winner. Cutler had a 3-touchdown game but the Bear defense could not keep Seneca Wallace and the Seattle offense from matching scores and forcing Chicago into the see-saw battle. The Bears were fortunate the last pass from Wallace went off the hands of Julius Jones to end any hopes for the Seahawks to pull it out at the end. Next up for the Bears are the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field.

13. Philadelphia (2-1) – Kudo’s to Kevin Kolb for bouncing back from last week and leading the Eagles to a rather easy win over the Chiefs. Kolb was 24 of 34 for 327 yards and a couple of touchdowns, while relegating Michael Vick to a rather mundane roll for a few plays in the wildcat. Another terrific day for DeSean Jackson and also TE Brent Celek, who both added TD’s for the cause. Next week is the Eagle bye week, followed by…oh yeah, another bye week – against Tampa Bay.

14. Cincinnati (2-1) – Look who’s in second place in the AFC North! The Bengals defense and a rejuvenated offense are a fluke Brandon Stokely deflected reception away from being 3-0. Next up is in-state rival Cleveland.

15. Dallas (2-1) – Well, it wasn’t pretty but they did what needed to be done – in spite of Romo’s continued odd choices at QB. What’s probably the biggest boost to the morale of the team is the fact the ballclub got it done with Marion Barber on the sidelines. The win comes against a Panther team that isn’t anywhere near the team they were last year prior to the playoffs, and it shouldn’t have been this close. However, a win is a win and perhaps this will be the nudge they needed to get untracked. I still think ultimately Pittsburgh will be the better team, but for now, the Cowboys move by them.

16. Pittsburgh (1-2) – For those that thought the Polamalu absence was something the Steelers could handle, think again. 0-2 since Polamalu has been out with his injury and the defense (especially the secondary) doesn’t look anything like it once did. Add that to the surprising Bengal defensive effort and you can see why Pittsburgh ran into trouble. Up 13-0 at the half and looking like it was going to storm right through the Bengals, Big Ben threw a pick that was returned for a TD and that was enough to give the Bengals momentum it had lacked earlier. Hines Ward became only the 32nd wideout in NFL history to surpass 10,000 yards receiving.

17. Green Bay (2-1) – This ballclub is just not clicking yet. In what should’ve been one of their less difficult propositions thus far, Green Bay couldn’t put away the Rams until midway through the 3rd quarter. Aaron Rodgers continues to play well while getting battered ( and that has to be fixed soon ) throwing for nearly 300 yards and 2 touchdowns. Ryan Grant finally got going a little in this game – still didn’t score – but at least he’s getting some better yardage. The Packer defense is still giving up too much through the air and maybe the cure for that is their next game. The Pack heads to Minnesota to take on a certain QB who used to wear the Green and Gold.

18. Buffalo (1-2) – Buffalo was bottled up by the Saints defense (stunning on its own) and didn’t score on ANY of its offensive possessions with the exception of one – a field goal. (Really stunning and probably a feat that makes T.O. feeling all “peachy” around the Bills complex this week. A fake punt and pass for a TD by the Buffalo punter was the only way Buffalo made it into the endzone. The Bills defense did an excellent job taking away the passing attack of New Orleans, but evidently someone forgot to mention Pierre Thomas to the defense in the second half. Will we hear it from Mr. Popcorn this week? We’ll see how it all plays out as the Bills head down to Florida next week to face the Dolphins.

19. Arizona (1-2) – Looking to go up 10-0 on the Colts, Tim Hightower fumbles and the Colts then march back the other way for the first of their four TD drives on the night. The offensive line couldn’t stop the rushing onslaught of Freeney and Mathis, while missed opportunities elsewhere frustrated Arizona throughout the game. Rodgers-Cromartie was targeted time and again by Manning while the Cards allowed an otherwise mediocre Colts running game to run seemingly at will.

20. Jacksonville (1-2) – We had a MJD sighting (and a big one) on Sunday as he ran all over the Texans enroute to an important win for the Jags. 119 yards rushing and 3 TD’s for the former Bruin.

 21. Houston (1-2) – Down near the goalline the Texans make 2 mistakes that cost them the game against divisional opponent Jacksonville.

22. Seattle (1-2) – Great attempt at knocking off the Bears, but just couldn’t pull it off in the end. By the way, did the Oregon Ducks athletic department send Seattle those loud lime green jerseys? Whoever thought that one up needs clinical help. Seriously, dayglo green coupled with tungsten steel green? What’s next, plaid pants with wings? Wait…I’m only kidding Seahawks wardrobe manager!

23. Tennessee (0-3) – For the first time this year Kerry Collins was off-track down the stretch and couldn’t keep the Titans from dropping their 3rd consecutive game of the ‘09 season. Collins threw 13 incomplete passes in his final two possessions and the Titans vaunted Smash & Dash running game was slowed down, giving Tennessee a painful loss and an 0-3 record. For the record, I think the Titans are a much better team than

　24. Washington (1-2) – You’d think a 320 yard passing, 2 TD performance from your QB would equal a victory, but it didn’t work out that way for the Redskins. The sad thing is everyone will blast Jim Zorn for the state of the team when he never should’ve been placed in this position to begin with. He was an offensive coordinator – not a head coach, and owner Dan Snyder made a bad decision. Meantime, here’s a sample of the “leaders” Zorn has in the locker room from cornerback Fred Smoot when asked if there are enough vocal leaders like him on the Redskins: “Well yeah, yeah there are. I’ve got a motto, and you might not believe it’s my motto, but it’s, ‘do so much so loud I can’t hear myself talking.’ So don’t worry about whose doing the talking and what’s being said.”

You’re right Fred, I don’t believe it. Nor do I understand what the hell that even means. 

25. Miami (0-3) – It was probably too much to ask that the Dolphins come off their MNF heartbreaker and travel across the U.S. to play in San Diego a mere 5 days later. But they played well and were in the game until Chad Pennington went out of the game with a shoulder injury. Chad Henne came in and helped seal their fate by tossing a pick-6 when the Dolphins already trailed 17-6 in the 3rd quarter. Brown and Williams rushed collectively for over a hundred yards and one score, but the passing game lagged and finished just 4 of 12 in 3rd down efficiency for the game. At 0-3 and without Pennington, the Dolphins need to regroup and turn it around if they can.

26. Detroit (1-2) – THEY DID IT ! Congrats to the Detroit Lions for breaking the losing streak. Although it wasn’t a certainty until the Redskins final pass went off the mark with a few ticks left, it was still sweet to finally taste what has eluded the organization for almost two years. December 23rd, 2007 to be exact. Welcome to the basement Cleveland Browns!

27. Carolina (0-3) – Trailing 13-7 and hanging in with the Cowboys, Jake Delhomme did what he has done so often in recent games and made a critical mistake at an inopportune time. The pick-6 to Terrence Newman pretty much killed any momentum the Panthers had up to that point. Carolina had stymied the Cowboy offense through 3 quarters and trailed only 10-7 at the close of the third period. Of course, the long TD pass to Mushin that was called back hurt almost as bad, but Delhomme is in a funk. Some of the hometown fans have started calling him “Joke” Delhomme. Wow….what have you done for me lately, indeed.

28. Oakland (1-2) – Would SOMEONE please get JaMarcus Russell out of the lineup! Al? Al? Wake up Al.

29. St. Louis ( 0-3) – The Rams are on a 13-game losing streak of their own but continue to play pretty good defense at times, and Kyle Boller actually moved the ball on Green Bay. Still, the Rams are miles away from turning the corner.

30. Tampa Bay (0-3) – Just tore up by the Giants all day long and never really mounted much of a threat. I know the Bucs have a shot next week – they travel to D.C. to take on the Skins. And Skins CB Fred Smoot says that his team needs to “do so much so loud I can’t hear myself talking.” Got that Tampa?

31. Kansas City (0-3) – Hard to get on the winning track by traveling to Philly and taking on the Eagles a week after their humbling loss to New Orleans. Although in the game early on the Chiefs soon faded into their 3rd loss in 3 tries while stuck near the bottom of the league in total offense (30th), pass offense(28th) and rushing (22nd). The defense is a bit better at 22nd, 20th and 18th, so there is a foundation.

32. Cleveland (0-3) – So Mangenius thinks the time to pull his starting QB is after the first half, game three of the season? Interesting. So how many interceptions in one game does Anderson get before it’s Quinn’s turn to get back in?

Two quarterbacks, both named Manning, lead their team to victory in front of a vast television audience on back to back nights, including the Giants ruining of the opening game party of Jerryworld in Dallas. Mac’s NFL Power Rankings see a bit of a shuffle with the loss of the defending champs in Chicago, the defeat of New England to rival New York and the Ravens big win in San Diego.

Keep in mind it’s only week two and this season has all the markings of a topsy-turvy one that could see several different combinations in the top ten all year long. Here’s the week two rundown.

1. New York Giants (2-0) – The GMen and Eli Manning ruin the party at the palace with a last-second win to move them to 2-0 on the year. Once unheard of wideouts are coming through for Manning on a regular basis, while the running game still requires defenses to play honest. But it was the passing game in full force Sunday night with both Steve Smith and Mario Manningham stepping up big time against the Cowboys, helping Manning to pass all over the field against the Dallas defense. Speaking of defenses, the Giants were without Justin Tuck for much of the night and he was missed. And what a game by rookie CB Bruce Johnson with an pick-6 for the Giants

2. Baltimore (2-0) – One of the most incredible defensive plays I’ve ever seen by a guy who has made many. The stop by Ray Lewis on Darren Sproles to thwart the Chargers game-winning effort will be legend one day. It was amazing and capped a rather un-Raven like shootout with San Diego. But that’s what makes this team more interesting than usual. While the defense stopped a running back from rushing for 100 yards for the 27th straight time, the offense has put up 30+ points in back to back games. Unheard of for Baltimore in recent history. Joe Flacco looks extremely confident and has thrown as many touchdowns this season as he did the first 8 games as a rookie. Meantime, the Raven running attack is helping chew yardage and time.

3. Minnesota (2-0) – The Vikings aren’t really the 3rd best team in the NFL. But at the present time, they will deserve this ranking because they’ve done what they needed to do – win games. Favre is looking a more and more comfortable with his receiving corps, and even though the Vikes fell behind early to the Lions, no one panicked or lost their bearing. The defense shut down Detroit after the 10-0 score and the offense reeled off 27 unanswered points to put the game away. Better get the hatches battened down Vike fans….cause the up and coming 49ers visit next.

4. Atlanta (2-0) – How valuable has the off-season grab of Tony Gonzalez turned out to be for Atlanta? And Michael Turner continues to be the same in his second Falcon season. Matt Turner, meanwhile, stays strong at the QB position throwing for over 200 yards and 3 touchdowns as the Falcons hold off divisional foe Carolina. Now we’ll see what they can do handling the media hype associated with traveling to New England to face one of the AFC’s best.

5. New Orleans (2-0) – Like a hot knife through butter, Drew Brees led the Saint offense up and down the field all day long. The defense did a good enough job making Kevin Kolb miserable and returning the ball back to the offense for another scoring drive. A road trip to Buffalo (hey, at least it’s in October and not December) plus a home game with the Jets are next up for the Saints. At the end of week 4,we’ll see if New Orleans can stay in the top 5.

6. N.Y. Jets (2-0) – Sure, it’s probably just temporary, but with two big wins to start off the season and the rookie QB doing so well in the metropolis, you can’t help but enjoy the success the Jets have had in their first two games. And one thing different about this team than in recent years – the defense looks smothering. Ask the Patriots. If they can continue to lock down teams with that defense, keep the running game going and allow Mark “Sanchise” to get even more comfortable as a pro QB, then the J-E-T-S, JETS,JETS, JETS are a team that could make a run.

7. Indianapolis (2-0) – After watching the Colts allow Miami to stay on the field all night long, it’s hard to move the Colts into the top 3 or 4 right now. There are times when winning ugly is so overused that it’s just trite, and then there are times when it is absolutely spot on. The latter was true of the Indianapolis Colts victory over Miami, as the Colts touched the ball on offense 13 times in the second half, while the defense was turning into butter in Landshark Stadium. While it seemed to take forever for Miami to score, Manning and the Colts score 14 of their 27 points in under a minute. Next up is a trip to Arizona.

8. San Diego (1-1) – With a decimated offensive line and LT out for the game, it’s a wonder the game was still within reach for San Diego. And that speaks volumes about the capability of Phillip Rivers and the Charger offense. However, Rivers is also trying to do too much and making some silly mistakes. Like that silly heave to the middle of the field that was intercepted. But it is the defense that continues to frustrate the Charger faithful, especially the sedcondary, this time allowing 30+ points to the normally low-scoring Ravens. And the loss of NT Jamal Williams is a serious setback. Miami visits next (so we’ll see how they do against the Wildcat) and then it’s a trip to Blitz-burgh.

9. Pittsburgh (1-1) – Certainly there are some components missing for the defending Super Bowl champs thus far in 2009. Namely Troy Polamalu. Without him, that defense looks pretty decent. WITH him, they’re so much better. But Troy doesn’t play offense and the Steelers needed more production at key times against Chicago and could not make it happen. Jeff Reed’s two misses were killers as the Steelers had put together two long drives in the final quarter, but came away both times empty handed after Reed missed. Still way too early to count these guys out of anything and will most certainly rebound soon. Why? They have the Bengals, Lions and Browns in 3 out of their next 4 games.

10. San Francisco (2-0) Yes, yes….I know, this might be too high for the Niners, but it’s still very early and they ARE undefeated. And they haven’t played Cleveland or Detroit either, so it’s not like they’re squeaking by some lesser ballclubs by the skin of their teeth. Love what Singletary is doing with that defense and also that Shaun Hill continues to impress while flying under the radar. Big game next week at Minnesota. If they can spring the upset in the Twin Cities, watch out.

Best of the rest:

11. New England (1-1) – Someone got into Tom Brady’s head prior to Sunday’s game vs the Jets. And they never got out of it until the game was over. Sure, Wes Welker’s absence didn’t help, but it wasn’t as if he didn’t have a top wideout to hit or capable runners to hand off ( or throw the screen to) out of the backfield. The Pats are a Leodis McKelvin fumble away from 0-2. The Falcons and then the Ravens come to the Razor in successive weeks and so 1-3 is a distinct possibility if they can’t find their offense soon. The defense is still a little questionable too with injuries playing a part in that area.

12. Chicago (1-1) – Looks as if Jay Cutler got the message and understands what he did (or didn’t do) last week in the loss to Green Bay. He looked much more relaxed and the receivers were running a much crisper route than they had in week one. Put that together with a pretty solid effort by the defense, and the Bears upend Pittsburgh….which, historically, that’s the way it usually goes for the Bears at home vs the Steelers. 11-1 all time against Pittsburgh playing in Chicago.

13. Philadelphia (1-1) –  Until McFive gets back and Michael Vick is being given some plays in the wildcat, Philly won’t win with that offense. It just doesn’t click without Donovan in there. What’s worse was the Philly D just looking plain while the Saints carved them up all day long. It seemed like they never really had anyone putting pressure on Brees, which is fatal, and it was fortunate the Saints didn’t put a 50-spot on them. The Chiefs, a bye week and the Bucs will help calm things down for awhile until “normalcy” returns. Maybe.

14. Dallas (1-1) – Tony WOE-mo probably felt better in his uniform during the game than he did afterwards sitting in the office of Jerry Jones getting that butt-chewing. I mean, how is it that he continually chokes away games of import and still keep his job? If he was Tavaris Jackson they would have run him out of town on a rail after the botched FG two years ago. Three picks and another turnover cost the Cowboys 24 of the Giants points. Remember now, this off-season they got rid of “the problem” (T.O.), so no more pressure, right Tony? I guess not. That one will come back to haunt Dallas – mark my words. It was fortunate that Dallas had a solid running game or it would’ve been a blowout. Now everyone is looking closely for the injury report concerning both Marion Barber and DeMarcus Ware.

15. Tennessee (0-2) – Best winless team in the NFL. But if they don’t start closing out the close games, they could go in reverse order of one year ago when they started 10-0. At the Jets, Jags and Patriots with the Colts at home prior to the New England journey. That could be a quick 0-5 if they aren’t careful.

All that said, don’t you just love watching Chris Johnson run the rock? Or should I say jet down the field with the rock? Amazing speed on that guy.

16. Buffalo (1-1) – Should be 2-0 right now, but after starting out that way a year ago, perhaps it’s better that they not get off to a flying start this time around. Little more trouble with Tampa Bay than many figured, but they snapped out of it in time to secure the win. Will be interesting to see how the return of Marshawn Lynch affects the club, not to mention the playing status of Fred Jackson, who had done exceptionally well the first two weeks.

17. Arizona (1-1) – Now THAT was the Arizona Cardinals we’ve been accustomed to seeing in the past couple of seasons. Warner just dismantled the Jags missing on just two passes out of 26 attempted. However, methinks the braintrust allowed the fellas to get a little to lax after going up 31-17. Imagine if the Jags Nate Hughes had caught that pass for a TD and made it 31-24 early in the final quarter.

18. Green Bay (1-1) – Not sure what to make of this loss. There was no reason why the Pack should’ve had to turn a late on-side kick into a tying score (which they failed to do anyway) because this team is much better than the Bengals. Not on this day they weren’t. But I will say this: If the Green Bay offensive line continues to allow Aaron Rodgers to get used as a pinata, he won’t be there by November. And I’m not sure where the running game went…is the Bengals D that good?

19. Denver (2-0) – Yes, they’re unbeaten, but …..well, okay, let’s give ‘em a push up the ladder for now. But I just can’t lift up too much further than this because they are still struggling on offense. Defensively, they’ve been impressive thus far – and how about Elvis Dumervil’s big day crushing the quarterback!? And for all the Orton haters, I heard Shannon Sharpe on the live telecast tell Bronco fans that if they boo Orton, they need to boo the receivers too. Why? He said that they rarely get open. Ouch.

20. Miami (0-2) – They did everything but win the game.  In my opinion, they never should’ve even attempted a pass all night. Had they kept running the ball, mainly out of the wildcat, they could’ve won. However, when they needed a late scoring drive the Dolphins couldn’t produce. Why is Miami still at #20? Because their two losses have come to the Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts by a total of 16 points.  I should move them ahead of Denver, but I’ll wait till next week what each team does.

21. Houston (1-1) – Big win and a gutty comeback (several, in fact) by the Texans. All looked dismal after Chris Johnson blew downfield for a 91 yard TD, but Houston failed to pack their bags and head home. The defense still has some serious problems but the offense pulled through in critical situations to put the Texans in 2nd place in AFC South.

22. Seattle (1-1) – Seahawk fans hope Hasselbeck is able to return soon, but the defense was gashed by Frank Gore and the Niners via the run. Chicago and Indy are up next, so no time to rest.

23. Washington (1-1) Thus far the multi-million dollar acquisition isn’t paying dividends in terms of definitive domination. And to make things worse, where has the offense gone? 0 for 5 in the redzone vs St. Louis.

24. Carolina (0-2) – Better played game than a week ago, but mistakes still plagued the Panthers offensively.

25. Jacksonville (0-2) – The Jags are looking pretty rusty thus far in 2009 but did do a good job trying to mount a game-tying comeback late.

26. Tampa Bay (0-2) – The Bucs aren’t able to shut down teams defensively like the good ‘ole days, so the running game isn’t going to be the force it once was if they continue to start from behind.

27. Oakland (1-1) – Not pretty at all for Jamarcus Russell, but for the 2nd time in as many games, he leads an important go-ahead scoring drive in the waning moments. Can’t move them up further just yet.

28. Cincinnati (1-1) – Big win at a time when many (like me) were thinking the Bengals were in the last throes of relevance in the NFL. Let’s see if they can do anything with this victory, like beat the Steelers next before moving them up a notch or two.

29. St. Louis (0-2) – Tip ‘o the hat to the Rams for going into D.C. and playing the Skins to a near draw.

30. Kansas City (0-2) – Question. How does one team have a 3-1 edge in total offense, 2-1 edge in time of possession, and still lose by a 13-10 score? I guess the same way Miami does. ( And at home like the Dolphins, too.)

31. Cleveland (0-2) – Horrendous. The Dawg Pound can’t even stand the smell. One TD for the offense in the last 8 games?  And no, it’s not only Brady Quinn stinking it up folks….everyone is taking ownership right now. 

32. Detroit (0-2) – 19 “L’s” in a row now….but things were looking bright with that 10-0 lead late in the 2nd Qtr. This is definitely not the winless schmucks of a year ago, so look for a “W” for the Lions before Turkey Day. Speaking of Thanksgiving and football, the Packers are going to be a bit nervous going to Motown for that game.

Well, it’s finally time for the new season to get underway - just mere hours away from another NFL season. 2009 should be a wild one with chances for several nail-biting division races. While teams make last-second adjustments (like canning some more offensive coordinators maybe?) the odds-makers, fantasy owners and every other football fan begin to settle in to watch the drama unfold. As we begin anew, you’ll notice there are a few new faces in the top ten of Mac’s Power Rankings to begin the ‘09 season.

1. Pittsburgh – The Champs stay at the top and look to remaing strong in trying to defend their title. Their biggest concern will be staying ahead of the Ravens, who will battle them for the AFC North title.

2. Philadelphia – The Keystone state has two teams heading up the season opener of Mac’s Power Rankings, but injuries could cause the Eagles to fall off a bit in the early part of the season. However, with Michael Vick and rookie wideout Jeremy Maclin giving the offense more firepower, the Eagles might not have to ride their defense (or conservative playbook) all season long.

3. San Diego – If the Chargers are going to do it, then this will be the year. It MUST be the year. Rivers has a new contract. His receivers aren’t household names but they’ve improved significantly. They’re almost a complete lock for AFC West division champs and should get a top seed into the playoffs, which means they’ll be at home until at least the AFC Championship game. However, if LT doesn’t return to form, receivers fail to take it to the next level and the defense doesn’t lock it down like they did prior to the Merriman injury, look for things to get a little ragged.

4. Baltimore – With a solid running game, consistent play at QB and still one of the best defenses in the league, the Ravens have a chance to play the spoiler in the hopes for a Steeler repeat. Or a Charger Super Bowl berth. If Joe Flacco can maintain his consistency and improve a little more, the Ravens offense can keep the chains moving and let the defense do what it does best: grind down opponents. Big question is: “Will the Ravens D have lost too muchanything with the departure of Bart Scott and former coach Rex Ryan.” Keep a close eye on their first 6 games, as they have 3 against top teams (San Diego, New England and Minnesota in weeks 2, 4 & 6) and 3 against what should be fairly easy “W’s” ( KC, Cleveland and the Bengals)….but we all know “easy W’s” don’t really exist in the NFL.

5. Minnesota – With the addition of Brett Favre, the Vikings are a complete team. Now some will say that Brett isn’t the top caliber QB he once was but that’s really not the point. He can add stability and veteran savvy to the offense and allow the tandem running threat carry the load. Favre can still occassionally fire the deep ball to keep defenses from stacking the box against AP. All Minnesota has to do is take care of business in the NFC North and they will be two or three wins away from a Super Bowl visit. The Vikes start off the year against Cleveland, Detroit and San Francisco, so this will give them time to get a tempo going on offense. Weeks 6, 7 and 8 will be a good litmus test as they face Baltimore before going on the road to Pittsburgh and then Brett’s return to Lambeau Field. This team is set – right now.

6. New England – I hesitate a bit putting the Pats up this high early on for two reasons. One: the overall health of Tom Brady coming off a year sitting out of the league and his recent shoulder crunching (compliments of Albert Haynesworth). Two: the New England secondary. Add to that veteran leaders like Bruschi and Vrabel being gone and it will be interesting to see how well the defense gels. Make no mistake, with a healthy Brady and the dangerous Randy Moss, points won’t be a problem…..unless the Patriot defense can’t keep the other side from scoring them.

7. Indianapolis – For Indy to have an impact this season they will need to keep away from the injury bug, but more importantly hope two things occur: Solid running game and stop the run. For that to happen, the newcomers must contribute. Marvin Harrison is gone and Anthony Gonzales teams up with Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark as Peyton Manning’s main weapons. But will those be enough? After those three the depth is questionable at TE and WR. Questions also still linger about the running game and Joseph Addai. While the Colts added rookie Donald Brown, Indy still doesn’t know if that will be the tandem that works to move the chains. Meanwhile, the defense got bigger up front but it still remains to be seen if they can get off the field or continue allowing 3rd down conversions. If they can get better stopping opponents on 3rd down, they’ll be in the hunt for the Super Bowl. If not, they’ll have another quick playoff exit.

8. Tennessee – Starting off 2009 I have the Titans right behind their divsional arch-rival mainly due to the loss of Albert Haynesworth. He helped the Titans defense give Peyton Manning and the Colt OLine fits. If Tennessee can’t continue to do that without Big Al, they won’t stop Indy. But the Titans are still a solid football team and have one of the best running back tandems in the league. While the loss of Haynesworth hurts, the defense is still going to be tough and should keep the team within striking distance in most games. The secondary has come on in the last two seasons and if they can still get some pressure on the pocket, it will continue to help the secondary pick off some errant passes.

9. New York Giants – With the loss of Plaxico Burress the Giants have a void in the passing game. That means defenses, especially NFC East defenses, can load up the box and try to stuff the run. It will be interesting to see if rookie wideouts Hakim Nicks and Ramses Barden break out enough to help to take the pressure off Eli Manning and the running game. Otherwise, it could be a long, long year for the offense. Defensively the Giants should still be a force and keep the team in the division title chase, but the offense will be the key to post-season success.

10. Atlanta – So the rookie season of Matt Ryan turned out to be a little bit better than expected. And that’s like saying we think Twitter did fairly well after its inception. Well, we’ll see if the Dirty Birds can meet expectations and get back to the playoffs in year two for both Ryan and head coach Mike Smith. If the Falcons can continue to run the ball behind Turner and Norwood, while getting the same heady play from Ryan, the offense should be able to keep putting points on the board. It’s the Atlanta defense that has folks concerned. Especially the secondary. While the Falcons need to generate a better pass rush, I wonder what happens if they find one with that leaky secondary! Yikes. Fortunately Atlanta opens the season against Detroit and St. Louis, although both are road games. If they don’t start out 2-0 then things will get interesting in a hurry, as they come back for their home opener in week 3 against San Diego and week 4 against the Ravens.

Quick glance at the rest:

11. New Orleans – The Saints go to the Super Bowl IF running game can keep defenses from keying on passing game.
12. Miami – If the Pats falter in any manner, the Dolphins are poised to snatch the division with their young club.
13. Dallas – It’s all up to Romo now that T.O. was banished to Buffalo. Can he lead the ‘Boys to the Super Bowl?
14. Chicago – Cutler is a rocket arm, but who is the target? If defense is strong they can battle for playoff position.
15. Arizona – Can Warner and the Cards duplicate a phenomenal year? The running game will decide.
16. Carolina – If Delhomme can regain his pizazz, the Panthers could spring a surprise inside the NFC South.
17. Houston – The defense is still extremely suspect against the run. Offense will keep them in games, but how long?
18. Washington – Sleeper team of the 2009 season. With Big Al wreaking havoc, pressure might be off Campbell.
19. Green Bay – Key: Packer D not imploding while switching over to the 3-4 scheme. The offense will be just fine.
20. N.Y. Jets – Young team that could cause division headaches, but rookie QB’s rarely get team to the playoffs.
21. Jacksonville - A future-deciding season for Jack del Rio. If the Jags tank again he may be unemployed.
22. Seattle – Can Matt Hasslebeck and the offense reignite? Is there enough of an Edge? Can the D be the difference?
23. Buffalo – Dumping OC after pre-season isn’t the most optimistic of signs. Could it be a stroke of genius?
24. San Francisco – Pre-season is over and now the Niners look at two straight division games to open the season.
25. Cincinnati – All eyes are focused on Carson Palmer as the offense will need to carry the load for this team.
26. Tampa Bay – The running game and consistency at QB will keep Bucs in most games, but it will be a rough year.
27. Oakland – Thanks to the mess in the Mile High city, the Raiders might actually have a chance for second place.
28. Denver – Well now, wasn’t that an interesting off-season for the new headcoach in Denver.
29. Cleveland – No matter who the QB is, the Browns don’t have a prayer with that defense in the AFC North.
30. Kansas City – Don’t look for the Chiefs to be this far down for very long. The turnaround has begun already.
31. St. Louis – Nowhere to go but up for the Rams, but it’ll still take about 2 more set of draftpicks to complete.
32. Detroit – Winless all last year, the first five weeks of this season don’t bode well for snapping that streak.