NFL Power Poll
Week Nine Power Poll (5 November 2009)
Week eight is in the books and we saw some of the teams that used to sit close to the top of this poll, such as the New York Giants and the Denver Broncos, lose games while the lowly St. Louis Rams and Tennessee Titans finally won a game this season.
The top spot still belongs to the Saints with the Colts coming in a close second while the bottom of our poll changed a little bit thanks to the wins by the Rams and Titans. The middle of the poll has seen a little bit of shuffling but nothing too drastic compared to last week.
So here it is, this week’s NFL power poll for week nine.
1. New Orleans Saints-(LW 1) It took some last minute heroics but the Saints staved off the Falcons and now have a comfortable lead in the NFC South along with being the number one team in the NFC this week. We saw that turnovers are a little bit of a problem for the Saints so they will have to work on that but this team still looks pretty solid all the way around and is poised for bigger things at the end of this season.
2. Indianapolis Colts-(LW 2) The Colts keep on winning although this one was a little bit closer than they would have liked to have had but a win is a win and this team is still undefeated. There should be some concern about their run defense as they let San Francisco 49ers running back run all over them to start but this team made plays when they had to and that’s the mark of good teams. The question now is, can they go undefeated?
3. Minnesota Vikings-(LW 5) The Vikings passed another test by beating the Packers for the second time this season in what was billed as a bigger than normal game thanks to it being quarterback Brett Favre’s return to Lambeau Field. The Vikings got great play on all sides of the ball and look like the best team in the NFC North now but could see some trap games coming up real soon. They still have to face the Bears who traditionally play the Vikings tough but this is a team clearly destined for the playoffs.
4. New England Patriots-(LW 4) The Patriots were off this week but remain ranked pretty high thanks to the resurgence of both their offense and their defense and are looking good heading into the second half of the season. If the Patriots can continue to play well on both sides of the ball, there will be no question that they will end up making the playoffs and quite possibly return the Super Bowl at the end of this season.
5. Denver Broncos-(LW 3) The Broncos got their first loss of the season and this didn’t come as a surprise to many as the time that they would lose at least one game was bound to come. The Broncos offense was stopped cold going up against the Raven’s defense and now the Broncos will go back to the drawing board to figure out what works and what doesn’t. Their defense was taken advantage of as well as they couldn’t hold the Ravens back allowing 30 points. Let’s see how they recover from the loss and see if they can get back on a winning track.
6. Pittsburgh Steelers-(LW 6) The Steelers has a bye this past week and will use the time to rest up and heal and get ready to continue defending their NFL title in the second half of this season. The Ravens win puts a bit of a bind on the Steelers but they have enough of what it takes to continue winning and make it a fight for the lead in the AFC North. It will be interesting to see how their second game with the Ravens goes because the winner of that game should win the North when it’s all said and done.
7. Cincinnati Bengals-(LW 7) The Bengals, like the Steelers, were on bye last week and come back next week to start making a run for the AFC North title. With the Steelers and Ravens playing much better, it may take a bit of a miracle for this team to win the division but they have the running game as well as the wide receivers to make a difference. Their biggest questions will be on defense where it remains to be seen if they can overcome the loss of pass rushing specialist Antwaan Odom.
8. Dallas Cowboys-(LW 11) The Cowboys are starting to look like the team that we thought that they would be and are now poised to take the NFC East. They have a tough game coming up against the Eagles and the winner of that game will take control of the NFC East but they have enough talent to come out ahead and win that game. It appears as if things are finally starting to work for one of the NFL’s most talented teams.
9. Philadelphia Eagles-(LW 14) The Eagles smashed division rival New York and now sit atop the NFC East, right where many people thought that they would be when the season started. The Eagles are finding other playmakers (aside from the injured Brian Westbrook) and are now looking like a much more complete team. The defense still has a few issues but if their offense can keep putting up points like they have been, it could be a good season for them. They are definitely one of the most exciting teams to watch right now.
10. Baltimore Ravens-(LW 12) The Ravens knocked off the undefeated Denver Broncos with a combination of solid defense and good offense. Perhaps their bye week helped them figure out what it was they were doing wrong and thus they fixed it and got back on a winning track. This team has a lot to face in the AFC North but can’t be counted out for a run at the playoffs if they can get past the Bengals and Steelers.
11. Houston Texans-(LW 16) The Texans are showing us that they are a talented team that just lacks consistency. Their victory over the Bills was a good one and this team is now in second place behind the Colts in their division and if they keep on winning, they can start to think about getting into the playoffs for the first time in their short history. The defense still needs a little work but this is a team with a lot of potential and will be interesting to watch for the remainder of this season.
12. New York Giants-(LW 9) The Giants slide continues following a loss to division rival Philadelphia and now the questions are starting to arise and the biggest one is what is wrong with the Giants? The Giants started out the season hot but injuries on offense, particularly at the wide receiver position, along with some struggles on defense have set them back and now they have fallen behind the Eagles and the Cowboys in the NFC East. If they don’t start getting back to winning soon, they will find themselves behind and unable to catch up.
13. Arizona Cardinals-(LW 8) The Cardinals drop back a little thanks to a loss to the Carolina Panthers at home. The game featured a pretty sloppy effort by Kurt Warner and the rest of the Cardinal’s offense and hopes are high that they can get things back on track and take advantage of the demise of the other teams in their division. They will travel to Chicago to take on the Bears this Sunday and if Warner can keep from making a ton of mistakes in this game, they should win and help keep their distance from the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks.
14. Green Bay Packers-(LW 10) The big matchup between the Packers and the Vikings was just that, a big one but Green Bay came out on the losing end and is now sitting down looking up at the Vikings for the division lead. The Packers offense looked decent but the breakdowns in protection for Rodgers have cost them a lot and if they don’t get that fixed then they won’t be going to the playoffs this year. Their defense is also struggling to keep opponents passing games at bay but remember it’s just their first year in the 3-4 defense so they are bound to have some problems.
15. Atlanta Falcons-(LW 13) The Falcons fell to the Saints and are now way back in the race for the NFC South division title and would lose tiebreakers to the Saints if they ever ended up tying for it. The Falcons need to be more consistent of on offense and Ryan has to do better at getting the ball to his receivers. The defense has issues as well and will probably be the thing that keeps this team out of the playoffs if they fail to make them this year.
16. Chicago Bears-(LW 17) The Bears may have won and had the largest margin of victory this past weekend but this team still looked like a disaster on offense and have more work to do than they can finish this season. Their offensive line has been horrible and if they don’t start playing better quarterback Jay Cutler may not make it through the season. They have to do a better job of protecting him.
17. San Diego Chargers-(18) The Chargers continue to look like the team that we though they would be in the preseason and gained a little ground on the Broncos thanks to their win and the Broncos loss. San Diego needs to continue doing what they do best and run the football with running back LaDanlian Tomlinson and keep the ball moving through the air. Their defense looks better too so it looks like the Chargers may be able to make a run at the Broncos for the lead in the AFC West as the season moves on.
18. Miami Dolphins-(LW 20) The Dolphins beat the Jets thanks to an opportunistic defense and good ball control on offense and one can still say that this team does indeed have playoff potential. Quarterback Chad Henne has been pretty solid despite the fact he has just recently been handed the starting job and is helping to keep this offense moving along with the running game which has been pretty good at times. If they can keep on winning, they will give New England fits in their quest to win the division title but at the least they may earn wildcard berth.
19. New York Jets-(LW 15) The Jets continue to struggle against teams that have solid running games but the key breakdowns in their loss to the Dolphins came on offense and special teams. The Jets are on bye this week and will spend some time working on their offense and trying to get quarterback Mark Sanchez more accustomed to the offense while their defense will get a look as they try to figure out why they have problems stopping the run.
20. Carolina Panthers-(LW 24) The Panthers are starting to win some games and have done better now that they are getting their running game going. The biggest issue lies with quarterback Jake Delhomme who is struggling to get the ball downfield and is prone to making mistakes. With a big test coming up against the Saints, it’s hard to imagine this team winning this weekend. And if Delhomme makes a lot of mistakes, the calls for his benching will get louder.
21. Buffalo Bills-(LW 19) The Bills started out well in their game against the Texans but ended up losing in a big way showing us that their defense still has a ways to go. Their offense could only manage ten points in the game and needs something to happen there. Could we be seeing the last games of Dick Jauron’s coaching career in Buffalo? If they don’t end up with a winning record we could see a change at the end of this season.
22. Seattle Seahawks-(LW 21) The Seahawks were beat up by Dallas this past Sunday raising several questions about the team particularly on defense where they have lost Lofa Tatupu and just aren’t the same defense as they have been in the past. It looks like it might be a bit of a rebuilding year now for head coach Jim Mora who has to find some playmakers on both sides of the ball.
23. Jacksonville Jaguars-(LW 23) The Jaguars lost a game that they should have won and showed us that they have a lot of issues on defense that need to be figured out before they can be considered a real playoff contender. The loss also brings the possibility of head coach Jack Del Rio getting fired at the end of the season into a closer reality as this team will most likely miss the playoffs again this season.
24. San Francisco 49ers-(LW 22) You have to give the 49ers a lot of credit as they hung in with the Colts for almost the entire game before finally losing. This team is much better than their record indicates and needs just a few key pieces to get on a winning track but it’s likely that it won’t get these pieces or get on a strong winning track yet this season. With a great offseason, they should be much more competitive in 2010.
25. Kansas City Chiefs-(LW 25) Kansas City had a bye week last week and will continue trying to search for some continuity on both sides of the ball. They did acquire wide receiver Chris Chambers and he should give them a little bit of a boost in the passing game but without proper protection Matt Cassell isn’t going to do much. The defense is still horrid and needs to work on finding something that works out for them.
26. Washington Redskins-(LW 26) The Redskins were on bye last week and continue their march forward pretty much in the same boat they were in before the bye. This team is not going to get to the playoffs this season and it’s almost assured that head coach Jim Zorn isn’t going to be around when the season concludes. It’s time to start thinking about next year for the Redskins.
27. Tennessee Titans-(LW 31) The Titans finally got their first win of the season and did it by running the ball a lot which is what they did best in 2008. Chris Johnson finally looked like the player that we saw in 2008 and his offensive line did a near flawless job. Quarterback Vince Young did well and looks like he could be the quarterback of the future there as long as he can keep from making mistakes and keeps his memory short when he does make a mistake.
28. St. Louis Rams-(LW 30) The Rams earned their first win in 17 games and gained a little confidence as a result of the victory. Granted, it probably isn’t the start of a major winning streak by this team but it is a step in the right direction. Look for head coach Steve Spagnolu to build on this victory and keep moving this team in the right direction.
29. Oakland Raiders-(LW 28) The Raiders were pounded by the Chargers in a division matchup that was actually much better than the score indicates. With new troubles coming up centering on their head coach, this team is a model for everything that is wrong in the NFL and a complete housecleaning may be needed before this team can get back to being respected. At any rate, this is a team that isn’t going to win much more this season and will see better days ahead.
30. Detroit Lions-(LW 29) The Lions lost to the Rams on Sunday and showed us that they still have a lot of work to do in order to become competitive at any point in the future. They are on the right path however and are developing a young quarterback who should be a star at some point but need a lot of help on defense and this is where they should concentrate in the offseason. A better defense would have helped them beat the Rams so they will need to work hard on that side of the ball.
31. Cleveland Browns-(LW 27) The Browns are truly a bad team as was seen in Chicago this past weekend and there are too many questions about them to list here. Firing their general manager is only the tip of the iceberg but perhaps bringing someone else in will help get this team on the right track. Quarterback Derek Anderson looks pretty bad and the team should get Brady Quinn more work as the season goes on.
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers-(LW 32) Tampa was on bye last week and will bring rookie quarterback Josh Freeman into the mix to try to get something going but it’s not going to be easy for Freeman or the Bucs. This team has a ton of issues that need to be taken care of before they can consider themselves to be a playoff contender and won’t be seeing too many wins this season.
