The Patriots are so strong it's freaky, and the Colts just keep winning. But the movement is at the next few spots, where the Steelers and the Cowboys are in a virtual dead heat, the Packers are making big noise, and the Chicago Bears dropped right out of the Top 20.
1. (1) New England Patriots (3-0). There should have been a skunk rule in effect this week for the pathetic Bills. You felt sorry for them.
2. (2) Indianapolis Colts (3-0). For the second week in a row, the Colts won a close game against a lesser division opponent. Skeptics say the fact that the champs didn't dominate shows they're weak. I say this team is built to win, not to dominate.
3. (6) Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0). It could have been the Cowboys in this spot, but I'm giving the Steelers a slight edge based on the all-around balance they've shown in running up those three wins. Beating the 49ers was a quality win.
4. (4) Dallas Cowboys (3-0). That wasn't just another game the Cowboys won Sunday night. In the second half the Pokes dismantled a division champion and, to some extent, a franchise. Meanwhile, Dallas is now the team to beat in the NFC, and Tony Romo is on his way to becoming an elite QB.
5. (16 ) Green Bay Packers (3-0). Everything about their win over the Chargers was legit: Great defense, mental toughness, a rejuvenated QB. I watched a bunch of this game, and lemme tell you: I haven't seen Favre play like this in forever. This simply isn't the QB we watched last year, and that's as stunning and unexpected a turnaround as we're likely to see. I know he wasn't hurt last season, but Favre gets my vote for comeback player of the year.6. (7) Baltimore Ravens (2-1). Letting the Cardinals back into things wasn't part of the plan, but maybe the Cardinals will be better than usual this season. And let's give Kyle Boller a shout-out. He's quietly putting together a nice resume.
7. (3) San Diego Chargers (1-2) For the second week in a row I have ask this question: What went wrong? With three minutes to go, the Chargers were winning and looked ready to take it home with a hard-fought victory. One play later they were stunned. This is a disaster for Norv Turner, a talented coordinator who simply hasn't ever gotten it done as a head coach. They need a get-well game, and Kansas City should provide that this week.
8. 13) Seattle Seahawks (2-1). I'm not completely sold on these guys, but on the other hand, they're an Alexander fumble away from being undefeated.
9. (14 ) Tennessee Titans (2-1). Count me as a sincere fan of this team. They beat the Saints in a game New Orleans simply had to win. All respect to the Titans.
10. (8) Houston Texans (2-1). Losing to the Colts without their best player is no shame. Matt Schaub is THE MAN.
12. (13) Carolina Panthers (2-1). Jake Delhomme is hurt, which makes me wonder. Are we getting ready to see a David Carr rebirth already? I'm not so sure that's good for this team, but we'll see. DeShaun Foster had one of his better games, and that's key.
13. (21) Philadelphia Eagles (1-2). Talk about timing: Had the Eagles not turned their season around against the Lions we'd be looking at a burn-it-down-and-start-over program in the City of Brotherly Love. Donovan McNabb would be on his way out of own. The defense gave up garbage yards but played better than the numbers, and McNabb and Westbrook were just sick, scoring at will. Thing is, if they stay true to form, they'll lose their focus at least four or five more times this season.
14. (10) San Francisco 49ers (2-1). The Steelers ain't chopped liver, and the Niners played them tough. A couple of injuries are hurting them right now.
15. (15) Cincinnati Bengals (1-2). If not for a kickoff fumble in the 4th quarter, Carson Palmer might have had a last chance to beat the Seahawks. The offense isn't the problem.
16. (23) Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1). I don't like ranking them this high, because they've done nothing to suggest they're going to be good when they play in a should-win game, but David Garrard is getting things done, and they finally got their RB combo rolling.17. (9) Denver Broncos (2-1). Remember back in the preseason when I talked about how Jay Cutler was going to struggle some weeks? This was one of those weeks. This was a winnable game that the Broncos let get away from them.
18. (18) Detroit Lions (2-1). Talk about coming back to Earth. They didn't simply lose to the Eagles, they got schooled, humiliated, exposed. Still and all, that's quite an offense.
19. (22) New York Jets (1-2). Three good things happened to the Jets in Week 3: They got Pennington back, they didn't play the Patriots or Ravens and they beat the Dolphins.
20. (11) Arizona Cardinals (1-2). I can't chew on them too much for the close loss, but the apparent QB controversy isn't a good thing.
21. (5) Chicago Bears (1-2) If you watched the disintegration of the Chicago Bears Sunday night, you saw the sad end of a program that once had much promise. Already down two defensive starters, the Bears lost three more (length of time unknown). But the big collapse was the failure of QB Rex Grossman and the continued under-achievement of RB Cedric Benson. Grossman hasn't simply failed to progress: he's gone into retrograde, and there's simply no rationale for letting him keep the starting job he seems so intent on giving away. There's not a plan for this in Chicago, which means that (barring surprises), the Grossman Era is over. He'll depart with the expiration of his contract at the end of the season and perhaps benefit from a change of scenery, and Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith will go looking for their next quarterback. That's too bad, because they really handled the Rex situation in 2006 the way a smart organization should. Brian Griese is an adequate stopgap, and they'll be better with him playing mediocre ball than with Rex melting down. But he won't take them to the next level. The Bears are in desperate need of making a play, and until that happens, they belong down here with the downtrodden, beaten and injured.
17. (26) Washington Redskins (2-1). They lost a close one to the Giants, but I'm going to give them more love than I've been doing lately. They're playing decent football. Seriously. I don't think they belong in the playoffs, but they're a threat.
30. (25) New York Giants (1-2). Eli Manning to Burress isn't a bad combination, and when the Giants play their best ball they can beat people.
24. (15) Minnesota Vikings (1-2). Adrian Peterson is a find, and if Kelly Holcomb can get integrated, they'll have a shot at winning games. Unfortunately, they seem committed to sticking with Tarvaris Jackson, who has talent but can't avoid the turnover.
19. (19) Tampa Bay Bucs (2-1). They might be a little better than this ranking, but I suspect they've been lucky with scheduling. They're certainly improved.26. (26) Oakland Raiders (1-2). After playing competent football in the first two weeks, the Raiders finally got a win. Look out: They're not doormats anymore.
20. (20) New Orleans Saints (0-2). From bad to worse to worse.
27. (31) Kansas City Chiefs (1-2). I know it wasn't pretty, but I like the way they came back from a defict to beat the Vikings. They were patient and tough. Here's hoping they get a nice boost of confidence. Getting Jared Allen back helps a bunch, too.
28. (29) Miami Dolphins (0-3). Things might have been different had Zach Thomas not been out with a concussion, but they are what they are. Ronnie Brown had his best week as a professional, and if you give the guy the chance to do something, the Fins could improve.
29. (27) Cleveland Browns (1-2). What? You thought they were going to score 50 every week?
31. (24) Buffalo Bills (0-3). They looked like the JV team in a scrimmage with the varsity.
32. (32) Atlanta Falcons (0-3). Still no cigar, but the Falcons did some competent things this week. The problem? They're going to unplug QBs again soon and put in Leftwich, and he's no savior.
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