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NFL Power Rankings: Titans Stay on Top After Their Biggest Win of the Season

Posted Oct 30, 2008 12:00PM By Michael David Smith (RSS feed)

Filed Under: Titans, NFL Power Rankings

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The Tennessee Titans had their biggest test of the season on Monday night, and they passed it in convincing fashion, beating up the Colts and solidifying their spot atop the AFC South standings and our power rankings.

But Tennessee-Indianapolis was far from the only big game of the weekend, as the Giants' win over the Steelers, the Cowboys' win over the Buccaneers, the Eagles' win over the Falcons and the Panthers' win over the Cardinals all helped shape the NFL playoff race.

We examine the state of the NFL season through eight weeks in our weekly NFL power rankings.


  • 1. Titans (7-0) | Prev.: 1
    The 1972 Miami Dolphins say they're not worried about the Titans, and I don't think they should be. But I do think the Titans have demonstrated that they're the class of the NFL.
  • 2. Giants (6-1) | Previous Week: 2
    It's amazing that the Giants continue to play so well even though Plaxico Burress -- perhaps their most talented player -- is such a nuisance that Lawrence Taylor, of all people, is telling him how he ought to conduct himself.
  • 3. Steelers (5-2) | Prev.: 3
    I'm not going to drop the Steelers in the power rankings after losing a close game to the No. 2 team. That's the type of thing that an AP college football poll voter would do, but not me.

  • 4. Eagles (4-3) | Prev.: 5
    It's still going to be tough for the Eagles to get into the playoffs in the NFC East, but they're the No. 1 team in the league in DVOA, and they should be favored to win all their non-division games the rest of the season.
  • 5. Panthers (6-2) | Prev.: 8
    Panthers coach John Fox claims he thinks of his two running backs as one unit, and he doesn't see a need to pick one as the No. 1 and the other as the No. 2. Which would be fine if they were of approximately equal ability, but in reality, DeAngelo Williams is playing a lot better than Jonathan Stewart. And although Fox won't say so publicly, he knows that, which is why Williams will remain the starter.
  • 6. Redskins (6-2) | Prev.: 7
    Redskins coach Jim Zorn was in a bad mood on Sunday, but he's had a great first half of his first season as a head coach. Zorn took over for a Hall of Famer and has the Redskins looking like a better-coached team than they did in the Joe Gibbs era.
  • 7. Bills (5-2) | Prev.: 6
    Speaking of coaches having surprisingly good seasons, Dick Jauron signed a three-year contract extension last week, and it's an extension he richly deserves: Jauron has a young team going in the right direction. I wonder how the Lions would look right now if Matt Millen hadn't fired Jauron at the end of his brief stint running the team in 2005. (Actually, I'm sure the Lions would look terrible; the players would still be the ones brought in by Matt Millen.)
  • 8. Bears (4-3) | Prev.: 9
    The no-huddle offense is a big part of the Bears' attack, and Kyle Orton's effectiveness running it is a big reason the Bears are going to win the NFC North.
  • 9. Patriots (5-2) | Prev.: 11
    Is Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork the one player in the league who knows how to turn NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell into a softy? Goodell's decision not to suspend Wilfork is a big surprise.
  • 10. Cowboys (5-3) | Prev.: 12
    I like new Cowboys receiver Roy Williams, and I love his sense of humor, but wouldn't you think a guy who's just been traded to a new team would stay in town on his day off and do a little extra film study, rather than fly to his old city to attend a Halloween party?
  • 11. Buccaneers (5-3) | Prev.: 4
    The Bucs had a big opportunity to make a big statement against a wounded team in Dallas, and they couldn't pull it off. Somehow I think they'll manage to put a W on the board against the Chiefs, though.
  • 12. Broncos (4-3) | Prev.: 13
    Denver's defense is still terrible, and it's still probably good enough to win the AFC West, where all the defenses are bad.
  • 13. Packers (4-3) | Prev.: 14
    Do people realize what a phenomenal season Greg Jennings is having? He's on pace to finish with more than 1,500 receiving yards, and he's averaging a ridiculous 18.5 yards per catch. He's the Packers' MVP this season.
  • 14. Colts (3-4) | Prev.: 15
    The Colts' reign atop the AFC South is over, but I still like them to be a good team if everyone is healthy by December. Of course, if they don't beat the Patriots on Sunday, they'll probably be eliminated from wild card contention before everyone gets healthy.
  • 15. Ravens (4-3) | Prev.: 16
    The pass from Troy Smith to Joe Flacco was my favorite play of the NFL season so far. I'd love to see the Ravens put both Smith and Flacco on the field together about five or 10 plays a game.
  • 16. Cardinals (4-3) | Prev.: 17
    The Cardinals' offense is great. Just think how much better still it would be if Edgerrin James weren't looking like a washed-up old man.
  • 17. Falcons (4-3) | Prev.: 18
    I don't condone taking banned substances, but if there's one guy in the league who could stand to take a few weight loss pills, it's Grady Jackson.
  • 18. Saints (4-4) | Prev.: 19
    The Saints are in a fight to make the playoffs, and they can't afford to lose three players to four-game drug suspensions. Coach Sean Payton thinks his players have a good chance of getting those suspensions overturned.
  • 19. Chargers (3-5) | Prev.: 10
    Norv Turner needed a scapegoat and he found one in defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell, but you've got to think that if the Chargers don't make the playoffs -- which would probably require a record of 7-1 over the second half of the season -- Turner is going to be general manager A.J. Smith's scapegoat.
  • 20. Jets (4-3) | Prev.: 21
    It's a good thing Deanna Favre told Brett how to play before his six-touchdown game against the Cardinals. If the Jets are going to win the AFC East, they need Deanna to come up with a big game plan Sunday against the Bills.
  • 21. Browns (3-4) | Prev.: 22
    I liked the offensive game plan against the Jaguars, with more deep passes to take advantage of Derek Anderson's arm strength. I'm just wondering when Braylon Edwards is going to start catching those deep balls consistently.
  • 22. Dolphins (3-4) | Prev.: 28
    Chad Pennington is playing so well that the Jets have to be wondering if it was really such a good idea to cut him and trade for Brett Favre. Of course, that's through seven games of the season, and Favre has been just a wee bit more durable than Pennington over the course of his career.
  • 23. Rams (2-5) | Prev.: 24
    Jim Haslett has a legitimate beef with the officiating after the Patriots' penalty-free game on Sunday. But I like the way Haslett dealt with it: He mentioned it at his press conference but didn't blame the loss on the officials. Come to think of it, I like just about everything Haslett has done since taking over the Rams.
  • 24. Jaguars (3-4) | Prev.: 20
    Jaguars safety Brian Williams says the hardest thing about playing his position is getting everyone lined up properly. Considering the way the Jaguars' pass defense has played this season, I don't think Jacksonville has that worked out yet.
  • 25. Vikings (3-4) | Prev.: 23
    Remember how I said the Saints couldn't afford to lose three players to drug suspensions? Well, the Vikings really can't afford to lose Pat Williams and Kevin Williams, the best pair of defensive tackles in the league. The defensive line is carrying this team.
  • 26. Texans (3-4) | Prev.: 26
    Three-game winning streaks are nice, but when they come against the Dolphins, Lions and Bengals, all at home, they're not too impressive. If they win at Minnesota on Sunday I promise to move the Texans up at least one spot in next week's power rankings.
  • 27. Raiders (2-5) | Prev.: 25
    Sunday's game was the fourth time this season that JaMarcus Russell completed less than half of his passes. Maybe Lane Kiffin was right.
  • 28. Seahawks (2-5) | Prev.: 27
    With Matt Hasselbeck still hurting, the Seahawks may soon be entering Cincinnati Bengals territory: You've got a franchise quarterback who's hurt, and you've got a season that's going nowhere. Wouldn't it be wise just to shut your quarterback down and wait until next year?
  • 29. 49ers (2-6) | Prev.: 29
    Benching J.T. O'Sullivan was the right move, but it was also a move reminiscent of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
  • 30. Chiefs (1-6) | Prev.: 30
    Larry Johnson may have played his last game as a Chief. That might make some Chiefs fans happy at this point, but it makes me sad. There was a time when he looked like he was going to be a superstar in Kansas City.
  • 31. Bengals (0-8) | Prev.: 31
    The jerk store called, and they're running out of Bengals owner Mike Brown.
  • 32. Lions (0-7) | Prev.: 32
    Detroit must have the best football fans in the country. Do you realize that Sunday's game was the first time in the seven-year history of Ford Field that a Lions game didn't sell out? Is there another team in the league that could withstand the record of futility that Matt Millen has inflicted on the Lions and still sell out more than 50 games in a row?

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