What about Bob? Glauber's NFL Blog

The off-season power rankings started the day after the Giants beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl, but they'll all meaningless now that Brett Favre is back in the NFL. So we'll provided an updated version (wait, we haven't done any off-season power rankings) in short order.

We've got a busy travel week planned, so we're not sure when it will run. But be sure to check back frequently, if for no other reason to provide page views in my pathetic attempt to catch up to Best).

And if you have any teams you think should be placed higher or lower than you might expect, let me know.

Happy New Year to one and all. Enjoy the day.

1. Patriots (16-0) (1): Who ever thought we’d see a 16-0 team in the era of free agency and the salary cap? Bill Belichick pulls off the improbable run with a comeback win over his old Giants team.

2. Colts (13-3) (2): Colts jayvee team loses to Titans, but Indy is still the biggest threat to the Pats’ Super Bowl hopes. Or should we say that the Pats are the biggest threat to the defending champion Colts.

3. Cowboys (13-3) (3): Cowboys play out the string and lose to Washington, but they’re still the favorites to come out of the NFC.

4. Jaguars (11-5) (4): Jack Del Rio rests starters against Houston, realizing that bigger prize awaits with wild card road game in Pittsburgh.

5. Packers (13-3) (5): Packers complete wondrous regular season with win over Lions. Now we’ll see if they can make it to that long-awaited NFC Championship Game against Dallas.

6. Chargers (11-5) (6): Maybe the hottest team going into the playoffs. But as Charlie Chilkoot and the rest of Charger Nation understand, winning in January isn’t always in the cards.

7. Steelers (10-6) (7): Steelers rest up for playoffs in losing meaningless game at Baltimore. Now we’ll see if Big Ben & Co.. are up to the task.

8. Seahawks (10-6) (8): Is this Mike Holmgren’s last dance?

9. Giants (10-6) (10): Tom Coughlin plays his starters against the Patriots and gives us one of the year’s best games. Now we’ll see if there’s any hangover in Tampa on Sunday.

10. Buccaneers (9-7) (9): Bucs’ defense is their strong suit, but they know they’re in for a tough afternoon with Brandon Jacobs running at them.

11. Redskins (9-7) (11): Feel-good team of the playoffs. Joe Gibbs and Todd Collins combine forces to give Washington an improbable playoff berth.

12. Titans (10-6) (12): Titans barely get by Colts’ second-stringers, but it’s good enough to get into the tournament. With Vince Young and Keith Bullock hurting, might not be a very long stay.

13. Browns (10-6) (14): The long and tortured history of Browns fans takes another painful turn as Cleveland is ousted from the playoffs because Tennessee beats a Colts team wholly uninterested in playing to win on Sunday night.

14. Eagles (8-8) (15): Andy Reid insists Eagles will be contenders again in ’08.

15. Vikings (8-8) (13): Vikings had it all there for the taking. Two-game losing streak to end the season dashes their playoff hopes.

16. Texans (8-8) (17): Plenty of reason for optimism in Houston moving forward.

1. Patriots (15-0) (1): History is upon us. Pats about to become first team to go 16-0 after becoming first team to go 15-0. Beating Giants will be a layup, considering Big Blue will almost surely rest some players.

2. Colts (13-2) (2): Are you betting against the Colts in the playoffs? Don’t. At least not yet. They’re playing well enough that you have to think they’ll give the Pats a run in the AFC Championship Game.

3. Cowboys (13-2) (4): Cowboys have homefield advantage for the playoffs, which could mean all the difference in whether or not they make a Super Bowl run.

4. Jaguars (11-4) (5): This is the last team anyone wants to face in the playoffs. Great running game. Great defense. Mistake-free quarterbacking. A terrific combination in January.

5. Packers (12-3) (3): Brett Favre goes belly-up in Chicago, and the Packers lose out on homefield advantage throughout the conference playoffs.

6. Chargers (10-5) (6): Bolts are hot at the right time. They’re one win away from getting the No. 3 seed.

7. Steelers (10-5) (7): They win the division, but they lose Willie Parker for the playoffs. A terrific season all-in-all, but can’t expect much in the playoffs.

8. Seahawks (10-5) (11): Lay-up win over reeling Ravens expected. Even so, problems with the running game will ultimately cause problems in the playoffs.

9. Buccaneers (9-6) (8): All Jon Gruden is thinking about is how to beat the Giants in the first round of the playoffs.

10. Giants (10-5) (13): Giants face unbeaten Pats, but the bigger issue is how Tom Coughlin uses his starters. Memo to Tom: Hardly use them at all.

11. Redskins (8-7) (17): For the first time since Joe Gibbs returned to the sidelines, the Redskins looked like the well-oiled machine they were when he won three Super Bowls on his first go-round. One more win over the Cowboys, and they’re in the tournament.

12. Titans (9-6) (14): With narrow win over Jets, Titans now control playoff fate. A win over a Colts team likely to rest its key players is all that stands in the way of a postseason berth.

13. Vikings (8-7) (9): Minny chokes at home to Redskins, who take Vikings’ playoff fate out of their hands.

14. Browns (9-6) (10): Derek Anderson has had a spectacular season, but he came up small in a big-game scenario with four picks against Cincy.

15. Eagles (7-8) (16): Eagles thump Saints on the road. Too little, too late.

16. Saints (7-8) (12): All Sean Payton wants for Christmas is a defense.

Plenty of action at the top and bottom of the rankings, thanks to a bunch of upsets.

Emily G. and her dad thank all for the birthday wishes.

On to the gridiron!

1. Patriots (14-0) (1): Rest the starters now that homefield advantage is in the bag? Not a chance. Bill Belichick knows you don’t take your foot on the gas now.

2. Colts (12-2) (3): Colts were vastly undermanned against Raiders on the road because of injuries, but they continue to show the resilience of the champions that they are. Impressive effort, gentlemen, even if it's against the lowly Raiders.

3. Packers (12-2) (4): Brett Favre surpasses Dan Marino in yet another statistical category (passing yards) as Packers magical season rolls on.

4. Cowboys (12-2) (2): Haven’t been many hiccups this year, but losing to the Eagles at home was one of them. A bunch of injuries, too. We’ll see how Pokes respond. Maybe Tony Romo will respond by telling Jessica Simpson to stay away from games. She's bad luck, I tell ya! (Btw, someone please tell Newsday Knicks beat reporter/blogger Alan Hahn that Simpson is off the market.)

5. Jaguars (10-4) (6): David Garrard is terrific, and so is the Jags’ running back tandem of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew.

6. Chargers (9-5) (11): Chargers clinch the division and look like they’re getting hot at the right time.

7. Steelers (9-5) (5): Suddenly, the defense is a sieve. That loss to the Jets really did something to this team.

8. Buccaneers (9-5) (8): Bucs clinch the division – and a sure contract extension for Jon Gruden – by wasting the pitiful Falcons at home.

9. Vikings (8-6) (9): Adrian Peterson to the rescue … again. Vikings still have issues at quarterback, but the running game is spectacular and the defense is emerging.

10. Browns (9-5) (12): Looked more like an Indians score, but 8-0 win over Bills in snow-swept Cleveland was sweet nonetheless. Romeo Crennel is one of my contenders for Coach of the Year.

11. Seahawks (9-5) (7): Seahawks’ Achilles heel is the running game. It was awful against the Panthers.

12. Saints (7-7) (15): Saints are still in it thanks to another fine performance from Drew Brees and a solid effort from Reggie Bush fill-in Aaron Stecker.

13. Giants (9-5) (10): How do you make Eli Manning put the ball up 52 times in the kind of wind that swirled Sunday night? Ridiculous.

14. Titans (8-6) (13): Man, these guys play some ugly football, but it’s still good enough to hang around the wild card race. Jets coming to town on Sunday.

15. Texans (7-7) (16): Is there a quarterback controversy brewing now that Sage Rosenfels hasn’t missed a beat in Matt Schaub’s absence? Not with all that money the Texans have invested in Schaub, but Rosenfels sure makes things interesting.

16. Eagles (6-8) (21): Defense shines in upset in at Dallas. Brian Westbrook not too shabby either with 144 yards from scrimmage.

1. Patriots (13-0) (1): If the 1972 Dolphins aren’t worried about the Pats equaling their historic mark, then they’re in denial. Outside of a cataclysmic run of injuries – i.e. Tom Brady – how in the world can the Patriots lose their last three (Jets, Dolphins, Giants)? Giants, maybe, but only if they have something to play for on the final weekend. Even then, it’s iffy, unless the Pats rest players. And that ain’t gonna happen, folks.

2. Cowboys (12-1) (2): Tony Romo engineers another thrilling second-half comeback in Detroit, as the Pokes erase deficits of 20-7 and 27-14.

3. Colts (11-2) (3): In 2 ½ quarters, Peyton Manning throws four touchdowns as the Colts smash the woebegone Ravens, whose defense is a shell of the 2000 unit that won the Super Bowl.

4. Packers (11-2) (4): Brett Favre’s streak lives on and Ryan Grant is the toast of the town as he rolls for 156 rushing yards and a touchdown. Bet the Giants wish they had him now.

5. Steelers (9-4) (5): Maybe the Jets did the Steelers a favor a couple weeks back. By beating Pittsburgh at the Meadowlands, they let Steelers fans know that their team is good, just not great. The Patriots simply reinforced that fact with Sunday’s blowout win at Foxboro.

6. Jaguars (9-4) (6): Don’t think I’d want to be playing the Jaguars in the playoffs. They may not be in the Colts’ league – at least not yet. But give them a return match in Indy, and things might change. At Foxboro? Not quite. Still, a formidable opponent.

7. Seahawks (9-4) (8): They’re getting on the kind of roll that helped them get to the Super Bowl two years ago. Still not quite in the Cowboys’ class, but pretty darn close.

8. Buccaneers (8-5) (7): Bucs hope Jeff Garcia comes back this week.

9. Vikings (7-6) (9): They’re the Jaguars of the NFC – the team that no one wants to face in the playoffs. Even with Adrian Peterson having an off day (14 carries, 3 yards), they smacked around the hopeless Niners for their third straight blowout win.

10. Giants (9-4) (10): They win ugly, but they win. Give this team a little confidence on offense, and maybe Tom Coughlin gets his first playoff win for the Giants.

11. Chargers (8-5) (11): Still not believing in the Chargers just yet. They’ve won three straight, but we still say they should be better. Now a few players nicked, including Philip Rivers and Shawne Merriman.

12. Browns (8-5) (14): Romeo Crennel beats former assistant Eric Mangini, as the Browns’ improbable playoff run continues.

13. Titans (7-6) (12): Still a young team. Even so, they could have and should have put away San Diego with a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter.

14. Bills (7-6) (15): Give Dick Jauron credit. His defense has had a ton of injuries, and he’s going with a rookie quarterback. But the Bills are still alive in the playoff race.

15. Saints (6-7) (16): No Reggie Bush? No problem. At least against the Falcons. Saints roll in Hot ‘Lanta and keep their playoff hopes alive, albeit barely.

16. Texans (6-7) (20): Sage Rosenfels wins the battle of the backups against the Bucs.

1. Patriots (11-0) (1): A nailbiter against the Eagles, but the Pats do just enough to stay unbeaten. We’ve gotten so used to the blowouts, but don’t forget, this is the way they used to beat teams in their three Super Bowl seasons. They were rarely as dominant as they’ve been this year.

2. Cowboys (10-1) (2): Cowboys feast on Jets on Thanksgiving Day, and now it’s on to the Game of the Century against the Packers at home on Thursday. The game will go a long way toward deciding homefield advantage in the NFC playoffs. Which could go a long way toward deciding who goes to the Super Bowl.

3. Packers (10-1) (3): Brett Favre has lost his last eight against the Cowboys in Dallas, so he suggested to coach Mike McCarthy that perhaps he’s not the best one to talk about what it’s like to play in Big D. Good advice. Then again, the last time the Packers played in Dallas was 1999.

4. Colts (9-2) (5): Peyton Manning looks more like himself in Thanksgiving night win. Then again, he was playing the junior varsity in Atlanta. Now it’s on to the big boys against Jacksonville at home.

5. Jaguars (8-3) (4): What I like most about David Garrard is he doesn’t turn the ball over. I assume Jack Del Rio likes that, too. Now we’ll see if it’s good enough to beat the Colts in a game that could decide the AFC South title.

6. Steelers (8-3) (6): Never seen anything quite like this one. With monsoonal rains pelting a newly sodded field, the Steelers get a field goal in the final seconds to beat winless Miami 3-0. Unbelievable. Honestly, I don't know if the Patriots could have scored more than three points last night on that surface.

7. Browns (7-4) (8): The Browns are getting better by the day. Now we’ll see if they can win on the road in Arizona and stay within striking distance of the Steelers.

8. Buccaneers (7-4) (10): Bucs hope Jeff Garcia’s bruised back won’t keep him out against Saints on Sunday.

9. Seahawks (7-4) (9): Had it not been for Gus Frerotte’s fumbled snap on fourth and goal from the 1, the Seahawks might be licking their wounds from a colossal upset in St. Louis. Instead, they get the win and take a decisive step forward in the NFC West race.

10. Giants (7-4) (7): Eli Manning at his worst with four picks, three of which were returned for touchdowns and the other that set up another TD. At Chicago on Sunday. Not easy.

11. Chargers (6-5) (12): All’s well again in San Diego, where the Chargers thumped the Ravens. Then again, it could be catastrophe next week, the way this team has been all season.

12. Saints (5-6) (18): Drew Brees is back in business after a two-game slump, and the Saints are alive again in the wild card race.

13. Eagles (5-6) (17): Andy Reid says Donovan McNabb is his guy once he’s 100 percent. Question is: Who determines when or if he’s 100 percent?

14. Bears (5-6) (22): If the Bears beat the Giants at home on Sunday, this is going to be one hell of a wild card race.

15. Broncos (5-6) (11): Broncos nearly pulled it off in Chicago, but their decision to kick and punt to Devin Hester proved disastrous.

16. Titans (6-5) (14): Vince Young does a whole lot of nothing against the Bengals’ awful pass defense, and Tennessee suffers a major blow in Cincy.

1. Patriots (10-0) (1): Eagles, Ravens, Steelers, Jets, Dolphins, Giants. Can any of these teams remaining on the schedule beat the Patriots? Not if New England keeps playing like this.

2. Cowboys (9-1) (2): So this is what it’s like when Terrell Owens decides to concentrate on football and not the other nonsense. Four more TDs on Sunday ties Bob Hayes’ single-game franchise record.

3. Packers (9-1) (3): We keep talking about Brett Favre, and that’s all well and good. But it’s Green Bay’s defense that’s every bit as good as the offense.

4. Jaguars (7-3) (6): Jags smack Chargers at home and pull to within a game of Colts. If the teams played today, Jacksonville would win.

5. Colts (8-2) (5): Give credit to the Colts for hanging in, but these injuries are really starting to take a toll.
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6. Steelers (7-3) (4): How do you lose to the Jets?

7. Giants (7-3) (9): Giants do just enough to get past Lions on road. Hardly dominating, but you never apologize for a win, no matter how ugly.

8. Browns (6-4) (13): One of the strangest endings to regulation you’ll ever see. Phil Dawson’s kick goes off the upright, caroms off the curved poll holding the crossbar and is initially called no good. Then the officials reverse the call, and Cleveland then wins it in OT. Holy smokes.

9. Seahawks (6-4) (14): Matt Hasselbeck one of the hottest QBs in the game. He’s hurting with a rib problem, but is expected to play at St. Louis.

10. Buccaneers (6-4) (11): Bucs go into Atlanta and thump punchless Falcons. Looks like they’re a safe bet to win the NFC South now that New Orleans is stumbling again.

11. Broncos (5-5) (18): The Broncos have losses of 44-7 and 41-3 this season, leaving Lance to ask us to just put the Broncos out of their misery already. But right here, right now, they were good enough to pound Tennessee at home to move into a first-place tie in the AFC West. C’mon in off the ledge, Lance.

12. Chargers (5-5) (7): Up one week, down the next. That’ll get you 8-8. Not acceptable after a 14-2 record last year. Marty Schottenheimer, where have you gone?

13. Lions (6-4) (10): Jon Kitna says the Lions were the better team, even though they lost to the Giants. Okkaaaaaayyy.

14. Titans (6-4) (8): Still a ways to go for Vince Young, who makes some electrifying plays, but needs to concentrate on the basics – like not throwing interceptions – a lot more.

15. Texans (5-5) (21): Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson are back, and so are the Texans, who beat New Orleans at home and keep their playoff hopes alive.

16. Cardinals (5-5) (22): Love what Ken Whisenhunt has done with this team. After losing three straight, the Cardinals have won two in a row and are right in the thick of the NFC West race and the wild card hunt.

(We had a couple of wacky rankings last week that led to plenty of great comments, so we figure that the combination of jet lag and general stupidity will lead to a few more this week. But hey, at least we offer a couple more tidbits from our journey to London below. If you just clicked onto the Power Rankings, hit "main" at the top and you'll see the London stuff. Cheers! BG)

1. Patriots (8-0) (1): Are the Patriots too good? Bill Belichick now taking heat for running up the score on Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs. In fact, he’s been accused of running it up the last several weeks. We'll see if Indy has a thing or two to say about that on Sunday.

If you want to weigh in on whether Belichick was write or wrong running up the score, state your case.

2. Colts (7-0) (2): So much for the trap game scenario. Coming off huge Monday night win over Jags, Colts pound Panthers a week before they take on Pats in what figures to be the best game of the regular season and perhaps a preview of the AFC Championship Game. (Note to all my grammar teachers: I know, that was a run-on sentence. I've still got a little jet lag, ok?)

3. Cowboys (5-1) (3): Massive stretch coming up for Pokes after a bye week: At Philly, at the Giants, home to the Redskins before facing the Jets on Thanksgiving. If the Cowboys are gonna stumble, this is where it happens. But at least Tony Romo gets his dough.

4. Packers (6-1) (7): We’ve made this request of Brett Favre before, and now we’ll make it again after some more of his Monday night magic, this time in OT against the Broncos: Please, do not retire. Ever.

5. Giants (6-2) (4): They hold serve against the winless Dolphins across the pond, and get a week off to contemplate their six-game winning streak. Then it’s home to the Boys in a huge NFC East game.

6. Steelers (5-2) (5): Big Ben never loses when he plays NFL games in the state of Ohio. He chalked up another one against the Bengals. (Memo to Black N Gold and Big Ben Is Back: Go ahead and start whining about us putting the Packers ahead of the ‘Lers.)

7. Chargers (4-3) (8): Chargers look like they’re back. All the way back. After dealing with the massive wildfires in southern California, San Diego returns home to rout the Texans.

8. Jaguars (5-2) (6): Somehow, some way, the Jags find a way to beat the Bucs on the road with QB David Garrard out of action (ankle). Quinn Gray does just enough in relief, but it’s the ball-hawking defense that deserves the credit in thisone.

9. Titans (5-2) (9): Vince Young comes back, but is not quite the conquering hero. Had only 42 passing yards in beating the Raiders in a clunker. It’s LenDale White who steals the show with 133 rushing yards.

10. Lions (5-2) (13): The Lions are halfway to making Jon Kitna’s once outlandish prediction of double-digit wins come true.

11. Seahawks (4-3) (10): Mike Holmgren gave the Seahawks the entire bye week off. Let’s see if they’re rusty when they take on the Browns on the road.

12. Panthers (4-3) (11): David Carr gets his job back by default. Vinny hurts an ankle, and Carr is back at QB. Not that it makes much difference, because he couldn’t do much of anything against the Colts’ ever-improving defense.

13. Chiefs (4-3) (16): Chiefs-Packers on Sunday, which is a much bigger game for both teams than might have appeared at the start of the season. Herm Edwards vs. Mike McCarthy. Not quite Hank Stram vs. Vince Lombardi in Super Bowl II, but we’ll take it.

14. Saints (3-4) (23): Don’t look now, but Saints have won three straight and are right back in the NFC South race.

15. Buccaneers (4-4) (14): Jeff Garcia hadn’t thrown an interception the first seven games. Then he served up three against the Jags as Tampa blows a golden opportunity to beat a Jaguars team without Garrard.

16. Redskins (4-3) (15): Ouch. Joe Gibbs absorbs the worst beating of his career in New England. But the schedule is kind to coach Gibbs. Skins are at Jets on Sunday.

Team, record, last week’s ranking

1. Patriots (7-0) (1): History in the making?

2. Colts (6-0) (2): Peyton Manning & Co. do their part to make sure Colts-Pats on Nov. 4 is battle of the unbeatens.

3. Cowboys (5-1) (4): Cowboys recover from home drubbing to Pats and hold serve against Vikes.

4. Giants (5-2) (7): Giants’ defense best in the business at rushing the passer. Eli Manning getting better by the week.

5. Steelers (4-2) (3): Black N Gold won’t be puffing his chest about the Steelers this week. Not after losing shootout in Denver. Big Ben is Back won’t be talking trash, either … but we are glad he’s back.

6. Jaguars (4-2) (5): Jags not only lose to Colts – badly – but may lose QB David Garrard a week or two with a sprained ankle.

7. Packers (5-1) (6): A huge one awaits Pack after a bye week: at Denver on Monday night.

8. Chargers (3-3) (8): Chargers forced to move practice to Arizona because of smoke from southern California wildfires. They come off bye to face the Texans at home.

9. Titans (4-2) (13): No Vince Young, no problem. Kerry Collins and kicker Rob Bironas combine to beat Texans on the road. Bironas leads the way with eight field goals.

10. Seahawks (4-3) (15): Now that’s more like it. After dispiriting loss at home to Saints, Seahawks come back to thrash division rival St. Louis. The defense smokes Marc Bulger on his return to the lineup from broken ribs.

11. Panthers (4-2) (11): Vinny T. or David Carr? John Fox not saying which QB plays against Indy. Then again, the way the Colts are playing, it probably doesn’t matter.

12. Broncos (3-3) (19): Broncos come off bye rested and ready and get the offense going against what was supposed to be a dominant Steelers unit. As Black N Gold and Big Ben Is Back will tell you, it ain’t so dominant.

13. Lions (4-2) (16): Jon Kitna is 4/10ths of the way there to coming through on his prediction of double digit wins this season.

14. Buccaneers (4-3) (9): Jeff Garcia turns the ball over twice, and the Lions cash in both times for touchdowns. Now it’s home to Jacksonville.

15. Redskins (4-2) (14): Ugly, ugly win by Redskins, who do just enough to get past mistake-prone Cardinals at home and hover near Giants and Cowboys.

16. Chiefs (4-3) (17): Chiefs have beaten the Raiders nine straight times. Man.

Team, record, last week’s ranking

1. Patriots (6-0) (1): Enjoy watching Tom Brady, folks, because he’s having a career year. Five more TDs against the Cowboys, and the Patriots are making it awfully tempting to think they can go unbeaten this year. Still a long way to go, though.

2. Colts (5-0) (2): Colts get well-earned week off to heal their bumps and bruises. Won’t be easy, though. They’re on the road at resurgent Jacksonville.

3. Steelers (4-1) (4): By virtue of the Cowboys’ loss to the Patriots, combined with a spotty effort the week before against the Bills, we bump up the Steelers one notch even though they didn’t play. They’re take on Denver on Sunday.

4. Cowboys (5-1) (3): Back down to earth for the Cowboys, who talked a better game than they played against New England. Now the Pokes are talking about a rematch, which could only happen in the Super Bowl. As former Cowboys coach Bill Parcells would say at a time like this - relax, ok?

5. Jaguars (4-1) (5): David Garrard hasn’t thrown an INT yet, and he’s working on four straight games with a rating of 100.0 or better. Huge one at home against Indy on Sunday.

6. Packers (5-1) (6): It was downright ugly at times, but the Packers will take the win over the Redskins. A week off for Brett and the boys. .

7. Giants (4-2) (8): No wonder Tom Coughlin's feeling younger these days. That’s four straight for Big Blue, after they dispose of the pitiful Falcons on the road. This one looked like an interesting matchup before Michael Vick got himself in trouble. It turned into a yawner.

8. Chargers (3-3) (14): If they keep playing like they did against the Raiders, the Chargers will enjoy the kind of success we expected of them in the first place. LT runs wild and turns back into a fantasy football scoring machine.

9. Buccaneers (4-2) (9): We’ll resurrect a quote from Bucs coach Jon Gruden, who says this of Tampa’s 37-year-old quarterback, Jeff Garcia: “I learned a long time ago from [former Vikings coach] Bud Grant that every coach that is alive needs three things. He needs a loyal dog, he needs a faithful wife, and he needs a heck of a quarterback. Finally, we've got a guy that is really giving us good, consistent play.”

10. Ravens (4-2) (10): Kyle Boller comes to the rescue in place of the injured Steve McNair and beats up on the hapless Rams. Brian Billick says McNair is still his starter, but we’re wondering if all these injuries are getting to the point where he’ll once again consider retirement.

11. Panthers (4-2) (15): Vinny Testaverde gets off the couch and into the huddle, and stuns the Cardinals in the desert. Panthers’ season lives on … if just barely.

12. Texans (3-3) (11): Matt Schaub & Co. get waxed in Jax.

13. Redskins (3-2) (13): Very sloppy effort in Green Bay. Redskins look just above average to us.

14. Titans (3-2) (12): Vince Young hurts his quad, and Kerry Collins can’t do the job in relief against Bucs.

15. Seahawks (3-3) (7): What the hell is wrong with these guys? At home … in prime time … against winless New Orleans … and they give us that? Guess it was a bad omen when an NBC overhead camera nearly came crashing down on the Seahawks during a first-half timeout.

16. Lions (3-2) (16): Jon Kitna licks his wounds during the bye week after a thumping in Washington. Now it’s home against Tampa.

Team, record, last week’s ranking

1. Patriots (5-0) (1): What’s wrong with the Patriots? For the second week in a row, they couldn’t score more than 34 points. 

2. Colts (5-0) (2): Injuries to five starters against a solid Bucs team? No problem. Colts romp, as understudies excel.

3. Cowboys (5-0) (3): omg … can you believe what you just saw? Six turnovers by Tony Romo … and the Cowboys still win?!?!? Can’t get away with that next week at home against Pats.

4. Steelers (4-1) (5): In rematch of Super Bowl XL, Steelers leave no doubt about who’s the better team. They smash listless Seahawks 21-0 at Heinz Field behind methodical offense and punishing D.

5. Jaguars (3-1) (8): Ok, so it was only the Chiefs, and it wasn’t pretty. But it was on the road, and the Jaguars did what they had to do. Excellent defense, combined with solid running game and adequate quarterbacking might add up to playoffs.

6. Packers (4-1) (4): Brett Favre throws two critical picks against Bears, and Packers’ unbeaten season is no more.

7. Seahawks (3-2) (6): What’s it gonna be, fellas? Up one week, down the next … that usually ends up to be a .500 team.

8. Giants (3-2) (14): Giants look dreadful in first half against Jets, but pour it on in second and use powerful 1-2 punch of Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward to crush Jets’ D. Rookie CB Aaron Ross comes up with two key picks in second half.

9. Buccaneers (3-2) (7): First Cadillac Williams, now Michael Pittman. Bucs are running out of runners.

10. Ravens (3-2) (10): Man, is this offense painful to watch. They can go up and down the field, but they can’t punch it in. End result on Sunday: 9-7 yawner over Niners.

11. Texans (3-2) (12): Kris Brown kicks 5 FGs and the Texans hang on in what’s turning out to be a better than expected AFC South.

12. Titans (3-1) (13): Five turnovers usually means curtains, but Titans overcome the mistakes and get by punchless Atlanta at home.

13. Redskins (3-1) (19): Shades of things to come? Jason Campbell looks like the real deal as ‘Skins roll over Lions.

14. Chargers (2-3) (25): We’re gonna move these guys up a good ways this week, but only on the belief that they can put the myriad problems of the first month away and start playing like a team with this many stars should play.

15. Panthers (3-2) (16): Jake Delhomme is done for the season. With David Carr at QB, not sure if Panthers can recover.

16. Lions (3-2) (9): Lions’ dismal streak continues. They’ve never, ever beaten Redskins in Washington. Btw, the Lions’ defense is atrocious.

Team, record, last week’s ranking

1. Patriots (4-0) (1): Could you ever have imagined that we'd be talking about Randy Moss as an MVP candidate? Say what you will about the guy, but he has been the difference maker for the Patriots, who haven't scored less than 34 points in a game so far.

2. Colts (4-0) (2): Colts go through September perfectly, but doesn’t it feel like the defending champs are under the radar? Injuries may begin to take a toll though. Joseph Addai, Marvin Harrison, Bob Sanders, and Rob Morris are hurting.

3. Cowboys (4-0) (3): Memo to defensive coordinators: You want to keep Terrell Owens under wraps, then look for Patrick Crayton to do the damage, like he did Sunday against Rams.

4. Packers (4-0) (5): Brett Favre takes over first place in career TD passes. More importantly, Pack in firm control in NFC North after spotless September.

5. Seahawks (3-1) (9): ‘Hawks always seem to struggle in San Fran, but not this time.

6. Steelers (3-1) (4): Ben Roethlisberger might have been too consumed with beating his old offensive coordinator, Ken Whisenhunt. Instead, the Cardinals rookie head coach gets the better of his former pupil.

7. Buccaneers (3-1) (17): Nice performance in Carolina, but a costly one. Bucs lose Cadillac Williams for the season with a knee injury.

8. Jaguars (2-1) (10): After week off, Jags visit a Chiefs team that suddenly looks more dangerous after road win in San Diego.

9. Lions (3-1) (19): Jon Kitna is 3/10ths of the way there in making good on his prediction of double-digit victories this season.

10. Ravens (2-2) (7): Is Ravens’ defense living in the past? Cleveland makes Baltimore pay for ineffective blitzes.

11. Broncos (2-2) (11): No matter the quarterback, the running back or the defensive formation, Mike Shanahan just can’t find a way to beat the Colts in Indy.

12. Texans (2-2) (8): Matt Schaub goes back to Atlanta and hopes to give his old fans a look at what they’ve been missing. Instead, Joey Harrington steals the show.

13. Titans (2-1) (18): After further review, we had the Titans too low last week.

14. Giants (2-2) (23): Back-to-back wins over Redskins and Eagles put Giants back in it. A dozen sacks against Donovan McNabb, and the possibilities of this defense look dynamic. Let’s see if they can keep it going.

15. Bengals (1-3) (14): Bengals are 6-11 in their last 17. No defense, people.

16. Panthers (2-2) (6): No Jake Delhomme. No chance.

Plenty of movement at the top, thanks to yet another string of upsets. Pats look Super to us. Cowboys starting to make us believe … a little, anyway. Jets get a break in the schedule. Giants have turned into a break in the schedule for whoever they play.
Read on. Rip us if you must. We listen, Black N Gold. We pay attention, Craig.

Team, record, last week’s ranking

1. Patriots (2-0) (1): Patriots haters now refer to the coach as Bill Belicheat. Say what you want about him getting nailed by commish Goodell last week, but you cannot deny that this is the best team in football right now. They pounded a very good Chargers team on Sunday night.

2. Colts (2-0) (2): Tony Dungy told his players there’d be games like this in 2007. When you’re the defending champs, you’re not always gonna be at your best. Case in point: Colts’ 22-20 nail-biter over inferior Titans team.

3. Cowboys (2-0) (8): Another nice performance by Tony Romo, who will cash in big-time with a few more now that he’s in the final year of his contract.

4. Steelers (2-0) (6): The early-season schedule is soft – they’ve beaten Cleveland and Buffalo – but the Steelers are using the same formula that won them the Super Bowl two seasons ago. Great defense, excellent running game, and efficient passing from Big Ben.

5. Chargers (1-1) (3): Mistake No. 1 by Norv Turner: Hiding the playbooks from the Patriots for fear Belichick’s staff would steal them. Please. You think with all the scrutiny on Belichick now that he’s been nailed that he’s gonna try something this soon? Chargers no match for Pats at Gillette.

6. Broncos (2-0) (13): Two last-second wins via field goals. Not a bad way to start off in Jay Cutler’s first full season as the starter. Great move by Mike Shanahan for calling timeout a split second before Raiders K Sebastian Janikowski nailed a 52-yarder through the uprights in OT. On the re-kick, Janikowski hit the left upright.

7. Bears (1-1) (9): The boo birds were out in force to greet Rex Grossman, who threw two more picks on Sunday. Good thing for the Bears it was only the Chiefs, who don’t scare anyone these days.

8. Texans (2-0) (17): Most improved team of the early part of the season. Texans have stability at QB with Matt Schaub, and their defense is now better than good.

9. Panthers (1-1) (4): If Panthers underestimated Texans, they made a massive mistake. Schaub completed 20-of-28, and even though Jake Delhomme had three more TD passes, the Panthers had just seven second-half points.

10. Ravens (1-1) (11): Kyle Boller actually looked decent against the Jets, so it looks like the Ravens were justified in signing him to a one-year extension. He’ll hit the bench again once Steve McNair is healthy, but don’t be surprised to see Boller figure in later this season.

11. Bengals (1-1) (5): Chad Johnson had a brilliant game with 209 receiving yards and two TDs. But the Bengals defense might have trouble containing St. Anthony’s High.

12. Seahawks (1-1) (7): There’s something about playing in Arizona that always seems to bring out the worst in the Seahawks.

13. Packers (2-0) (23): Man, how long has it been since we’ve seen the Packers make an early-season statement like this. They might have gotten lucky beating the Eagles at home in Week 1, but they were nothing short of dominant against the pitiful Giants.

14. 49ers (2-0) (24): Niners still far from being a complete team, but they are definitely making strides. They take advantage of Rams mistakes and win what could be a key NFC West matchup in St. Louis.

15. Lions (2-0) (20): Jon Kitna saved the day after going back into the game despite suffering what he called the worst concussion of his career. We’re not fans of this kind of macho stupidity, and neither is the NFL brass. Then again, Lions fans aren’t complaining about 2-0 getaway.

16. Redskins (2-0) (25): The Redskins are an exceedingly boring team to watch … but at 2-0, no one in Washington is complaining. Up next: Giants at home.

A wild ‘n wacky Week 1 is in the books, and we’re ready to break out the Power Rankings, which will be a weekly event every Tuesday.

As with the early part of every season, there are upsets galore that threaten to throw Power Rankings into complete disarray, but it’s our job to sift through the rubble and rank teams appropriately. For instance, just because the Lions won and the Bears lost doesn’t mean we put Detroit ahead of Chicago. After all, the Lions beat an inferior Raiders team, but the Bears lost to a superior Chargers team.

Anyway, here goes. Fire away if you disagree. (And, oh, yes, you will disagree on some of these. I guarantee it.)

1. Patriots: Why would the Pats even think about stealing defensive signals when they’ve got a team this good. They blow away the Jets and stake their claim as the preseason Super Bowl favorites.

2. Colts: Colts looked every bit as good as the team that won it all last year. They thumped the Saints offensively, and they looked even better defensively than last season.

3. Chargers: Not perfect by any means, but the Bears are about as good a defense as any out there. What we liked most about the Chargers was their adaptability. With LaDainian Tomlinson shut down in the running game, the key play was Norv Turner calling for Tomlinson to throw an option pass for a touchdown.

4. Panthers: Does this look familiar? Smothering defense that contains the high-powered Rams’ offense, a strong running game, and a resurgent performance from Jake Delhomme. That’s what turned the Panthers into a Super Bowl team in 2003.

5. Bengals: They forced the Ravens into five turnovers in a huge AFC North game in Cincy, and Carson Palmer did the rest.

6. Bears: Some folks thought Bears-Chargers was a sloppy game, but we thought it was more like a playoff game than anything else. Two heavyweights slugging out with great defenses. Rex Grossman couldn’t overcome San Diego’s D, but they are a tough team that will be there in the end.

7. Steelers: They beat up on the jayvee team in Cleveland, but they did it with the formula that helped them win the Super Bowl two years ago.

8. Seahawks: Shaun Alexander runs for 105 yards and a touchdown, as the Seahawks beat what was supposed to be a much-improved Bucs team.

9. Cowboys: We still have our doubts about the Cowboys long-term, but you can’t argue with an impressive offensive performance against the Giants. Then again, the Giants’ defense was absolutely atrocious, so we’ll have to see a few more performances like this out of Tony Romo before we’re ready to anoint the Cowboys.

10. Saints: Saints would love a do-over against the Colts, but we suspect it wouldn’t be that much different. Big problem here is the New Orleans secondary, although the fact that they couldn’t run against the Colts was a disturbing sign as well.

11. Ravens: Way, way, waaaay too many turnovers against the Bengals. And with Steve McNair’s groin injury acting up, Jonathan Ogden’s toe threatening his season and Ray Lewis suffering an apparent triceps injury, things suddenly look dicey in Baltimore.

12. Eagles: Philly just wasn’t ready to play in Green Bay. Plain and simple. Sure, Donovan McNabb was coming back from a knee injury, but this should have been a better effort, no question.

13. Broncos: Gritty last-second win over Bills shows Broncos can be a factor. Travis Henry gives them a legit running game for the first time since the Clinton Portis days.

14. Rams: Shoddy effort on opening day against Panthers. Steven Jackson only 58 yards rushing. That just won’t cut it.

15. Giants: Eli Manning’s shoulder problem will be the determining factor as they move forward. That and a defense that couldn’t stop a high school quarterback.

16. Bills: Forget about the last-second loss to the Broncos. Bills are praying for the health of Kevin Everett, who suffered what is likely a paralyzing neck injury.

With just days to go before the start of the regular season, it's time for our first Power Poll. Take a look and see what you think.

1. Patriots: Bill Belichick loaded up a very, very good team with a bunch of good free agents. He’s ready to make a run.
2. Chargers: Norv Turner has inherited a potential Super Bowl team.
3. Colts: Defending champs lost a ton in free agency, more than even Peyton Manning can overcome.
4. Eagles: As long as Donovan McNabb is right, Eagles are tops in NFC East.
5. Ravens: Steve McNair has another good year left in him, and so does the defense. Addition of Willis McGahee is huge.
6. Saints: Can’t get much better than last year, but Sean Payton will figure out a way.
7. Bears: We’re not nearly as critical of Bears quarterback Rex Grossman as the next guy, but we’re still convinced the loss of Thomas Jones will be huge.
8. Rams: Why so high? Because we think the Rams will be one of the surprise teams of the season. Great quarterback-running back tandem in Bugler-Jackson. Defense has to get it done against the run.
9. Bengals: This just in: No Bengals player has gone to jail in the last five minutes.
10. Broncos: If Jay Cutler takes a huge leap forward, and if Travis Henry invigorates the running game like he should, Broncos will be fun to watch.