2008 Power Rankings

FINAL REGULAR-SEASON
POWER RANKINGS (DONE!)
(Updated January 1)

Happy New Year!: The Patriots are the highest ranked team not in the playoffs. They're the first 11-5 team to miss the playoffs since the 1985 Broncos. They finished the season with four straight wins. The last team to beat them was the Steelers. That means that the Steelers essentially eliminated the Patriots with their 33-10 win in Foxboro on Nov. 30.

I originally posted the rankings wearing a Steelers cap at a Panera in Hingham, Mass., which is south of Boston. I'm flying the Steelers colors in conquered territory. Now all I have to do is find a giant Bill Belichick statue to tear down.

So even if the Steelers are a flop in the playoffs, we'll always have Foxboro!

(Records and previous week’s rankings in parentheses)

1. Giants (12-4, 2): Derrick Ward and Brandon Jacobs are the fifth pair of teammates to both rush for 1,000 yards in a season.

2. Colts (12-4, 3): Allowed only six touchdowns through the air this season, the fewest ever in a 16-game season.

3. Titans (13-3, 1): Shut out for the first time since a 17-0 loss at Miami on Nov. 7, 1999.

4. Steelers (12-4, 4): Hines Ward became the 22nd player in NFL history with 800 career receptions and reached 1,000 yards receiving for the first time since 2004.

5. Panthers (12-4, 5): DeAngelo Williams averaged 5.5 yards per carry this season, the highest average for a player with at least 1,500 rushing yards since Barry Sanders in 1997.

6. Ravens (11-5, 6): Joe Flacco finished the season with an 80.3 quarterback rating, 91.7 on the road.

7. Dolphins (11-5, 10): Ran the Wildcat just five times for four yards when they hosted the Ravens Oct. 19. They lost 27-13.

8. Falcons (11-5, 7): Ninth playoff appearance in franchise's 42-year history. They've never made the playoffs in consecutive seasons.

9. Patriots (11-5, 9): No one has ever wanted to help the Patriots, even before Spygate was a twinkle in Belichick's eye. They needed another team to win to make the playoffs in 1977, 1980, 1983, 1987, 1988, 2002 and this year. They missed the playoffs each time.

10. Vikings (11-5, 11): Forty-five percent of season-ticket holders opted not to buy playoff tickets.

11. Eagles (9-6-1, 14)
12. Chargers (8-8, 16)
13. Cowboys (9-7, 8)
14. Bears (9-7, 13)
15. Jets (9-7, 15)
16. Cardinals (9-7, 20)
17. Buccaneers (9-7, 12)
18. Saints (8-8, 18)
19. Redskins (8-8, 17)
20. Broncos (8-8, 19)
21. Texans (8-8, 23)
22. 49ers (7-9, 22)
23. Bills (7-9, 21)
24. Raiders (5-11, 28)
25. Jaguars (5-11, 25)
26. Packers (6-10, 26)
27. Bengals (4-11-1, 27)
28. Seahawks (4-12, 24)
29. Browns (4-12, 29)
30. Chiefs (2-14, 30)
31. Rams (2-14, 31)
32. Lions (0-16, 32)

Sources: Elias Sports Bureau, nfl.com, baltimoresun.com, palmbeachpost.com, Minneapolis Star Tribune, The Providence Journal, Boston Globe (For the last two, I used the actual paper, not the Web site)

WEEK 17
POWER RANKINGS

Christmas edition: I am the Bob Cratchit of sports bloggers this week. I have the rankings, but I need a week off from doing factoids on the top 10 because it's Christmas and I'm too damn busy. So don't Scrooge me or I'll haunt you with the Ghost of Steelers Past (It's Alfred Pupunu).

My only comment is on Towel-gate. If the Steelers want to use the Titans' desecration of the Terrible Towel as motivation if they go back to Tennessee, fine. But the Titans were in their house, and if you don't want them to stomp on or blow their nose on the Terrible Towel, then beat them. Merry Christmas!

(Records and previous week’s rankings in parentheses)

1. Titans (13-2, 5)
2. Giants (12-3, 4)
3. Colts (11-4, 3)
4. Steelers (11-4, 1)
5. Panthers (11-4, 2)
6. Ravens (10-5, 6)
7. Falcons (10-5, 8)
8. Cowboys (9-6, 7)
9. Patriots (10-5, 13)
10. Dolphins (10-5, 14)
11. Vikings (9-6, 11)
12. Buccaneers (9-6, 9)
13. Bears (9-6, 16)
14. Eagles (8-6-1, 10)
15. Jets (9-6, 12)
16. Chargers (7-8, 20)
17. Redskins (8-7, 21)
18. Saints (8-7, 19)
19. Broncos (8-7, 18)
20. Cardinals (8-7, 17)
21. Bills (7-8, 23)
22. 49ers (7-8, 22)
23. Texans (7-8, 15)
24. Seahawks (4-11, 28)
25. Jaguars (5-10, 24)
26. Packers (5-10, 25)
27. Bengals (3-11-1, 27)
28. Raiders (4-11, 30)
29. Browns (4-11, 26)
30. Chiefs (2-13, 29)
31. Rams (2-13, 31)
32. Lions (0-15, 32)

Sources: Me!

WEEK 16
POWER RANKINGS

Look who's No. 1: Mike Tomlin has accomplished something that Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher couldn't. He's the first Steelers coach to win division titles in his first two seasons.

(Records and previous week’s rankings in parentheses)

1. Steelers (11-3, 3): Ben Roethlisberger has two career game-winning touchdown passes in the last 60 seconds of the fourth quarter. The only other Steelers quarterbacks to do that were Terry Bradshaw and Jim Finks.

2. Panthers (11-3, 4): Owner Jerry Richardson, who needs a heart transplant, surprised the team by showing up at Sunday's game. How humble is Richardson? He doesn't even own a cell phone.

3. Colts (10-4, 7): Seven straight 10-win seasons. Only the 49ers (1983-1998) had more.

4. Giants (11-3, 1): I think this losing streak's getting to Tom Coughlin. He did jumping jacks at Wednesday's press conference. He's losing it!

5. Titans (12-2, 2): Cornerback Cortland Finnegan made the Pro Bowl but is afraid to fly. He's considering taking a cruise ship to Hawaii. How does he travel to road games during the season?

6. Ravens (9-5, 5): Still haven't allowed more than 13 points at home this season.

7. Cowboys (9-5, 9): DeMarcus Ware leads the NFL with 19 sacks. Michael Strahan holds the NFL single-season record with 22.5. Harvey Martin holds the Cowboys team record with 23 in 1977, before sacks were kept as an official stat in 1982.

8. Falcons (9-5, 8): Michael Turner broke Jamal Anderson's franchise record with 15 rushing touchdowns this season.

9. Buccaneers (9-5, 6): Members of the 1976 team, who went 0-14, don't want company in their infamy. They want to see the 0-14 Lions get a win. Pat Toomay, who played for the Bucs in '76, said of the Lions' plight, "It's pretty miserable, and indelible." Maybe having guys who know what "indelible" means is one of the reasons the Bucs couldn't win that year.

10. Eagles (8-5-1, 10): Safety Brian Dawkins has played a franchise-record 181 games with the team.

11. Vikings (9-5, 17)
12. Jets (9-5, 12)
13. Patriots (9-5, 13)
14. Dolphins (9-5, 15)
15. Texans (7-7, 20)
16. Bears (8-6, 18)
17. Cardinals (8-6, 11)
18. Broncos (8-6, 16)
19. Saints (7-7, 14)
20. Chargers (6-8, 23)
21. Redskins (7-7, 19)
22. 49ers (6-8, 21)
23. Bills (6-8, 22)
24. Jaguars (5-9, 27)
25. Packers (5-9, 24)
26. Browns (4-10, 25)
27. Bengals (2-11-1, 30)
28. Seahawks (3-11, 25)
29. Chiefs (2-12, 26)
30. Raiders (3-11, 29)
31. Rams (2-12, 31)
32. Lions (0-14, 32)

Sources: nfl.com, ProFootballTalk.com, Elias Sports Bureau, pittsburghpostgazette.com, www.charlotteobserver.com, www.startelegram.com, www.detnews.com

WEEK 15
POWER RANKINGS

No room at the inn: How competitive is the NFL? Six teams in my rankings either stay in their spot or move down in the rankings after winning. The Cardinals stay at 11 after beating the Rams at home. The Patriots fall from 12 to 13 after barely winning in Seattle (will another impressive Steelers' road win get cheaper by the week?). The Broncos fall from 14 to 16 after struggling to beat the Chiefs at home. The Vikings fall from 15 to 17 after struggling to beat the winless Lions (That's an 8-5 ballclub at No. 17). The Bears stay at 18 after beating the Jaguars at home. And the Chargers don't move from 23 after beating the Raiders at home. BFD, Chargers.

(Records and previous week’s rankings in parentheses)

1. Giants (11-2, 1): Had 30 sacks in their first eight games, but just seven in their last five.

2. Titans (12-1, 2): Face Steve Slaton and the Texans Sunday. Slaton is the only running back to gain 100 yards against them this season.

3. Steelers (10-3, 3): William Gay is tied with Ike Taylor for the team lead with 11 passes defensed this season.

4. Panthers (10-3, 5): Scored four rushing touchdowns Monday against the Buccaneers, who allowed just one rushing TD in their first 12 games.

5. Ravens (9-4, 10): Have not allowed more than 13 points at home this season.

6. Buccaneers (9-4, 4): Click here for a few laughs and click here for a few more laughs.

7. Colts (9-4, 9): Signed Najeh Davenport. Good luck with that.

8. Falcons (8-5, 6): 8-0 this season when they score first, 5-0 when they don't.

9. Cowboys (8-5, 8): Adam "Punkman" Jones will miss Sunday's game against the Giants with a neck injury and could be out for the season.

10. Eagles (7-5-1, 17): Brian Westbrook passed Harold Carmichael as the team's all-time leader in yards (9,042).

11. Cardinals (8-5, 11)
12. Jets (8-5, 7)
13. Patriots (8-5, 12)
14. Saints (7-6, 19)
15. Dolphins (8-5, 16)
16. Broncos (8-5, 14)
17. Vikings (8-5, 15)
18. Bears (7-6, 18)
19. Redskins (7-6, 13)
20. Texans (6-7, 22)
21. 49ers (5-8, 23)
22. Bills (6-7, 20)
23. Chargers (5-8, 23)
24. Packers (5-8, 21)
25. Browns (4-9, 25)
26. Chiefs (2-11, 28)
27. Jaguars (4-9, 26)
28. Seahawks (2-11, 29)
29. Raiders (3-10, 27)
30. Bengals (1-11-1, 30)
31. Rams (2-11, 31)
32. Lions (0-13, 32)

Sources: nfl.com, ProFootballTalk.com, Elias Sports Bureau, pittsburghpostgazette.com, newsday.com, tennessean.com, charlotteobserver.com, indystar.com, Dallas Morning News

WEEK 14
POWER RANKINGS

Triskaidedaphobia?: Regular readers of this site will notice that last week's rankings were called the Week 12 rankings, and this week's are being called the Week 14 rankings. I'm not skipping a week. I just figured that since the games now start on Thursdays each week, I might as well use the rankings as a lead-in to a new week of games rather than a review of the previous week. No, it's not a fear of the number 13. That's what triskaidekaphobia means, by the way. It's this week's Steelahs.com vocabulary word.

(Records and previous week’s rankings in parentheses)

1. Giants (11-1, 1): It looks like the Steelers made the right decision keeping Hines Ward and letting Plaxico Burress go after the 2004 season.

2. Titans (11-1, 3): Their 47 points on Thursday were the most ever against the Lions on Thanksgiving.

3. Steelers (9-3, 4): Check this out. My father and I sat in Section 112, Row 33 Sunday at Gillette Stadium. The Steelers scored 33 points. Ben Roethlisberger attempted 33 passes. The game's final touchdown was scored by No. 33, Gary Russell. And for good measure, the 33rd point was kicked by No. 3, Jeff Reed. Play the lottery lately?

4. Buccaneers (9-3, 5): Will have back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1999-2002.

5. Panthers (9-3, 6): First team in NFL history to score five 1-yard touchdowns in a game.

6. Falcons (8-4, 7): Michael Turner gained 120 yards on 31 carries Sunday against the Chargers. LaDainian Tomlinson, the man he backed up in San Diego, had 24 yards on 14 carries.

7. Jets (8-4, 2): Nose tackle Kris Jenkins, who is listed at 349 pounds, revealed that he got up to 420 (that's pounds, wiseasses) in 2004 and 2005 when he was injured with the Panthers.

8. Cowboys (8-4, 10): Played their last Thanksgiving game at Texas Stadium. They were 22-14 all-time.

9. Colts (8-4, 9): Won 10-6 Sunday at Cleveland, going without an offensive touchdown for the first time since Sept. 7, 2003, a 9-6 win at Cleveland.

10. Ravens (8-4, 13): Have played six road games in the last eight weeks. The bad news for Steelers fans is they have just one road game remaining. Winning the AFC North won't be easy.

11. Cardinals (7-5, 8)
12. Patriots (7-5, 11)
13. Redskins (7-5, 12)
14. Broncos (7-5, 21)
15. Vikings (7-5, 18)
16. Dolphins (7-5, 17)
17. Eagles (6-5-1, 20)
18. Bears (6-6, 14)
19. Saints (6-6, 16)
20. Bills (6-6, 15)
21. Packers (5-7, 19)
22. Texans (5-7, 23)
23. Chargers (4-8, 22)
24. 49ers (4-8, 27)
25. Browns (4-8, 24)
26. Jaguars (4-8, 25)
27. Raiders (3-9, 26)
28. Chiefs (2-10, 30)
29. Seahawks (2-10, 28)
30. Bengals (1-10-1, 29)
31. Rams (2-10, 31)
32. Lions (0-12, 32)

Sources: nfl.com, ProFootballTalk.com, Elias Sports Bureau

WEEK 12
POWER RANKINGS

Fun week: I get to hear about how great three teams are this week. First, there's all the New Yorkers predicting a Giants-Jets Super Bowl. Then, I go to New England for the Steelers game, where some of those people forget they haven't won a Super Bowl since 2004.

(Records and previous week’s rankings in parentheses)

1. Giants (10-1, 2): Only the second team in NFL history to win five straight games over teams with winning records. The 1970 Vikings won six straight.

2. Jets (8-3, 7): Brett Favre has won in 32 stadiums, passing Dan Marino for the most all-time.

3. Titans (10-1, 1): Have converted five of their last 23 third downs over their previous two games.

4. Steelers (8-3, 4): Ben Roethlisberger has 47 career wins, passing John Elway on the list of most wins in a quarterback's first five seasons. He's one win behind Otto Graham, Dan Marino and Tom Brady for most since 1950.

5. Buccaneers (8-3, 5): Ronde Barber has 11 career touchdowns off interceptions or fumble recoveries, third most all-time behind Rod Woodson (13) and Aeneas Williams (12).

6. Panthers (8-3, 3): Lost for the first time with DeAngelo Williams gaining at least 80 yards. They had been 10-0.

7. Falcons (7-4, 11): Their 45 points scored Sunday were the most since they scored 51 against the Panthers in 1998, the year they went to the Super Bowl.

8. Cardinals (7-4, 6): Kurt Warner threw a touchdown pass for the 19th straight game, tying Neil Lomax for the franchise record.

9. Colts (7-4, 10): Adam Vinatieri has 22 career game-winning field goals in the final minute of the fourth quarter or overtime. Sunday's 51-yarder against the Chargers was his longest in that situation.

10. Cowboys (7-4, 8): Held the 49ers to 26 rushing yards, their fewest since 1975.

11. Patriots (7-4, 12)
12. Redskins (7-4, 9)
13. Ravens (7-4, 14)
14. Bears (6-5, 18)
15. Bills (6-5, 19)
16. Saints (6-5, 16)
17. Dolphins (6-5, 16)
18. Vikings (6-5, 22)
19. Packers (5-6, 15)
20. Eagles (5-5-1, 13)
21. Broncos (6-5, 17)
22. Chargers (4-7, 21)
23. Texans (4-7, 26)
24. Browns (4-7, 20)
25. Jaguars (5-6, 24)
26. Raiders (3-8, 29)
27. 49ers (3-8, 25)
28. Seahawks (2-9, 28)
29. Bengals (1-9-1, 27)
30. Chiefs (1-10, 30)
31. Rams (2-9, 31)
32. Lions (0-11, 32)

Sources: giants.com, nfl.com

WEEK 11
POWER RANKINGS

Great. Just great: I'm tired of the Steelers' quality wins being cheapened. First, they beat the Jaguars in Jacksonville, now the Jags are 5-5, and that win doesn't look so great. Then they beat the then-6-2 Redskins in Washington, another road win over a good team they could put at the top of their resume. Then the Redskins go and lose to the Cowboys at home. Maybe the Jaguars and Redskins are both good teams, but the Steelers broke their will. Let's train ourselves to believe that.

(Records and previous week’s rankings in parentheses)

1. Titans (10-0, 1): Eleventh team to start 10-0 since 1970.

2. Giants (9-1, 2): Ran for 207 yards against the Ravens, the first team to gain 200 or more yards against Baltimore since 1997.

3. Panthers (8-2, 3): 8-2 for the first time since 2003, when they went to the Super Bowl.

4. Steelers (7-3, 4): Hines Ward has 18 career 100-yard receiving games.

5. Buccaneers (7-3, 6): 5-0 at home for the first time in franchise history.

6. Cardinals (7-3, 7): Can clinch first division title since 1975 Sunday with a win and losses by the 49ers and Seahawks.

7. Jets (7-3, 13): Click here. Parental discretion is advised.

8. Cowboys (6-4, 15): Wondering what to get that Cowboys fan on your Christmas shopping list? Go to Bidspotter.com. For $300, you can get a urinal from the Cowboys locker room at Texas Stadium. Or, you can get a toilet, including the stall, billed as the "Throne of Champions."

9. Redskins (6-4, 5): Issued 50,000 "Redskins Rally Rags" to fans Sunday night to restore home-field advantage after FedEx Field was taken over by Terrible Towels two weeks earlier.

10. Colts (6-4, 14): Peyton Manning passed Fran Tarkenton for seventh all-time on the career completions list. That's Incredible!

11. Falcons (6-4, 9)
12. Patriots (6-4, 10)
13. Eagles (5-4-1, 8)
14. Ravens (6-4, 12)
15. Packers (5-5, 20)
16. Dolphins (6-4, 17)
17. Broncos (6-4, 21)
18. Bears (5-5, 11)
19. Bills (5-5, 16)
20. Browns (4-6, 22)
21. Chargers (4-6, 18)
22. Vikings (5-5, 19)
23. Saints (5-5, 23)
24. Jaguars (5-5, 24)
25. 49ers (3-7, 27)
26. Texans (3-7, 26)
27. Bengals (1-8-1, 31)
28. Seahawks (2-8, 25)
29. Raiders (2-8, 28)
30. Chiefs (1-9, 29)
31. Rams (2-8, 30)
32. Lions (0-10, 32)

Sources: The Associated Press, nfl.com, Profootballtalk.com, dallasnews.com

WEEK 10
POWER RANKINGS

OK, I'm stubborn: Everyone in the English-speaking world is saying the Giants are the best team in football. But I'm keeping the Titans at No. 1 until they lose. That doesn't mean a team can't drop after a win. The Chargers fall from 14 to 18 after beating the crappy Chiefs by the skin of their teeth. Speaking of crappy teams, the Chiefs, 49ers, Seahawks and Raiders all moved up despite losing to accommodate the Rams' freefall after they fielded a Pop Warner team on Sunday against the Jets.

(Records and previous week’s rankings in parentheses)

1. Titans (9-0, 1): Sunday's win guarantees the Titans a .500 or better road record for the 11th time in Jeff Fisher's 14 full seasons as coach.

2. Giants (8-1, 2): Tom Coughlin won for the first time in his coaching career when his team has given up more than 30 points.

3. Panthers (7-2, 4): Jake Delhomme became the first quarterback to win a game with at least 20 incompletions/interceptions and fewer than 100 yards passing since Steelers Hall of Shamer Mark Malone in 1987.

4. Steelers (6-3, 3): Fell to 6-3 all-time against quarterbacks named Manning. That includes 3-0 vs. Archie (one of those wins came when Archie was with the Oilers. Bet you didn't know that.)

5. Redskins (6-3, 5): Former linebacker LaVar Arrington blasted former coach Joe Gibbs, hinting that the reason he came back to coach was to make money for his NASCAR team.

6. Buccaneers (6-3, 7): Took running back Cadillac Williams off the physically-unable-to-perform list. He hasn't played since September of 2007.

7. Cardinals (6-3, 8): Kurt Warner leads the NFL with a 106.4 passer rating.

8. Eagles (5-4, 6): Boxer Bernard Hopkins, a Philadelphia native, is the latest to point out Donovan McNabb's tendency to lose control of his bodily functions when the game's on the line.

9. Falcons (6-3, 11): Matt Ryan hasn't had a passer rating under 115.0 in any game this season.

10. Patriots (6-3, 12): Wes Walker became the first player to have at least six receptions in his team's first nine games of the season. Not only that, but he shaved his mustache, which means I can't accuse him of looking like a gay porn star anymore.

11. Bears (5-4, 13)
12. Ravens (6-3, 16)
13. Jets (6-3, 17)
14. Colts (5-4, 19)
15. Cowboys (5-4, 10)
16. Bills (5-4, 9)
17. Dolphins (5-4, 18)
18. Chargers (4-5, 14)
19. Vikings (5-4, 23)
20. Packers (4-5, 15)
21. Broncos (5-4, 22)
22. Browns (3-6, 21)
23. Saints (4-5, 20)
24. Jaguars (4-5, 24)
25. Seahawks (2-7, 27)
26. Texans (3-6, 26)
27. 49ers (2-7, 28)
28. Raiders (2-7, 29)
29. Chiefs (1-8, 30)
30. Rams (2-7, 25)
31. Bengals (1-8, 31)
32. Lions (0-9, 32)

Sources: The Associated Press, nfl.com, Elias Sports Bureau, titansonline.com, atlantafalcons.com, Profootballtalk.com, profootballreference.com,

WEEK 9
POWER RANKINGS

What did I say?: Shit! I've been dragging my ass on these this week and forgot that we start with Thursday-night games tonight. By the way, did I know what I was doing or what last week? Heading into Monday night's game, I had the Steelers ranked third and the Redskins ranked fourth. I knew the Steelers were better. I know my regulars will back me up on this.

(Records and previous week’s rankings in parentheses)

1. Titans (8-0, 1): Former Steeler Chris Hope has been kicking ass lately. He had three interceptions in a span of six days and registered his first career sack Sunday against Green Bay.

2. Giants (7-1, 2): Super Bowl hero David Tyree is on injured reserve, which means he's out for the year.

3. Steelers (6-2, 3): Became the first team in 22 years to hold the Redskins without a touchdown and sack their quarterback seven times in a game.

4. Panthers (6-2, 5): Brian Bernhardt said he'd name his son after Jake Delhomme while praying for a Panthers touchdown during Super Bowl XXXVIII. On Oct. 3 of this year, he and his wife, Glenda, gave birth to Jacob Edward Bernhardt.

5. Redskins (6-3, 4): Will add Sean Taylor to their Ring of Fame before their home game against the Giants on Nov 30. Taylor, a former Redskins safety, was killed on Nov. 27, 2007.

6. Eagles (5-3, 6): Todd Herremans scored the team's first touchdown by a lineman since Oct. 7, 1934, on Sunday. He caught a pass from Donovan McNabb on a tackle-eligible play.

7. Buccaneers (6-3, 9): Their win over the Chiefs Sunday was the first time they ever won a game when trailing by at least 21 points.

8. Cardinals (5-3, 11): Kurt Warner had his 14th 300-yard passing game in 25 career starts at the Edward Jones Dome. That's 56 percent, the highest percentage of 300-yard games for any player in any stadium in NFL history.

9. Bills (5-3, 7): Defense is banged up. Strong safety Donte Whitner is out indefinitely with a separated shoulder and defensive end Aaron Schobel could be out for the season with a foot injury.

10. Cowboys (5-4, 8): DeMarcus Ware has at least 10 sacks in three straight seasons.

11. Falcons (5-3, 12)
12. Patriots (5-3, 10)
13. Bears (5-3, 13)
14. Chargers (3-5, 14)
15. Packers (4-4, 15)
16. Ravens (5-3, 16)
17. Jets (5-3, 23)
18. Dolphins (4-4, 19)
19. Colts (4-4, 22)
20. Saints (4-4, 20)
21. Browns (3-5, 17)
22. Broncos (4-4, 18)
23. Vikings (4-4, 24)
24. Jaguars (3-5, 21)
25. Rams (2-6, 25)
26. Texans (3-5, 26)
27. Seahawks (2-6, 27)
28. 49ers (2-6, 29)
29. Raiders (2-6, 28)
30. Chiefs (1-7, 30)
31. Bengals (1-8, 32)
32. Lions (0-8, 31)

Sources: The Associated Press, nfl.com, Elias Sports Bureau, titansonline.com, redskins.com, buffalonews.com, charlotteobserver.com

WEEK 8
POWER RANKINGS

Unfamiliar foes: The Steelers will play their second straight interconference game Monday night in Washington. These interconference games have a way of exposing quirks in the NFL schedule. After the Giants' first visit to Pittsburgh since 1991, the Steelers will play in D.C. for the first time since 1988. Before that, they hadn't played in Washington since 1968. Their 1988 visit to the nation's capital was on Sept. 11, before that date became infamous. They also played in Washington on Nov. 17, 1963, five days before the Kennedy assassination. Spooky stuff for Halloween. The Steelers haven't won in Washington, by the way, since Dec. 6, 1964.

(Records and previous week’s rankings in parentheses)

1. Titans (7-0, 1): Haven't thrown for 200 yards in any game this season. The last team to start a season 7-0 without a 200-yard passing game was the 1985 Rams, who had Dieter Brock at quarterback and Eric Dickerson at running back.

2. Giants (6-1, 2): Benefited Sunday from only the second game-tying, fourth-quarter safety in NFL history.

3. Steelers (5-2, 3): Ben Roethlisberger passed Neil O'Donnell for third place on the Steelers' all-time list with 13,025 passing yards. He trails Terry Bradshaw (27,989) and, yes, Kordell Stewart (13,328).

4. Redskins (6-2, 4): Jason Campbell hasn't thrown an interception in 252 attempts this season.

5. Panthers (6-2, 8): Have never lost when DeAngelo Williams has run for at least 80 yards in his three-year career.

6. Eagles (4-3, 7): The Eagles and Phillies both played at home on Sunday for the first time since Sept. 28, 1969.

7. Bills (5-2, 5): Lost to the Dolphins for the first time since 2005.

8. Cowboys (5-3, 11): Their 172 total yards was their fewest ever in a win.

9. Buccaneers (5-3, 6): Held without a touchdown Sunday for the first time since Week 1 of 2007.

10. Patriots (5-2, 14): Have won 13 straight regular-season games vs. NFC teams.

11. Cardinals (4-3, 10)
12. Falcons (4-3, 12)
13. Bears (4-3, 13)
14. Chargers (3-5, 9)
15. Packers (4-3, 16)
16. Ravens (4-3, 19)
17. Browns (3-4, 20)
18. Broncos (4-3, 18)
19. Dolphins (3-4, 24)
20. Saints (4-4, 25)
21. Jaguars (3-4, 15)
22. Colts (3-4, 17)
23. Jets (4-3, 23)
24. Vikings (3-4, 22)
25. Rams (2-5, 21)
26. Texans (3-4, 27)
27. Seahawks (2-5, 30)
28. Raiders (2-5, 28)
29. 49ers (2-5, 26)
30. Chiefs (1-6, 29)
31. Lions (0-7, 32)
32. Bengals (0-8, 31)

Sources: The Associated Press, nfl.com, www.pittsburghpostgazette.com, Elias Sports Bureau

WEEK 7
POWER RANKINGS

Small world: Well, well, well. Look who's next to each other in this week's rankings. The No. 2 Giants and No. 3 Steelers will meet Sunday at 4:15 at Heinz Field, and World Series cities Tampa Bay and Philadelphia are at No. 6 and No. 7, respectively.

(Records and previous week’s rankings in parentheses)

1. Titans (6-0, 1): LenDale White and Chris Johnson became the first teammates to score rushing touchdowns of 60 yards or more in the same period. White ran 80 yards for a TD in the fourth quarter of Sunday's win over the Chiefs and Johnson ran 66 yards for a touchdown.

2. Giants (5-1, 2): Quarterback Eli Manning and offensive linemen David Diehl, Rich Seubert, Shaun O'Hara, Chris Snee and Kareem McKenzie have started every regular-season game since the start of 2007, an NFL-long streak of 22 games.

3. Steelers (5-1, 3): What do the top three teams have in common? Stingy second-half defense, that's what. The Steelers are tied with the Giants with 42 points allowed after halftime. The Titans have allowed the fewest second-half points with 27.

4. Redskins (5-2, 4): Clinton Portis gained 175 yards in Sunday's win over the Browns. It's the second time in his career he's put together four straight games of at least 120 yards. The only other running backs to do that? Jim Brown and O.J. Simpson.

5. Bills (5-1, 6): Trent Edwards set a franchise record Sunday by completing 83.3% of his passes (25 for 30).

6. Buccaneers (5-2, 8): Jeff Garcia has not thrown an interception in 14 of his last 17 games.

7. Eagles (3-3, 7): DeSean Jackson could be in the World Series right now. The rookie receiver also played baseball in high school, and the Rays and Phillies both expressed interest in him.

8. Panthers (5-2, 11): Former Steeler Keydrick Vincent is the team's only offensive lineman to start every game this season. Despite that, they've allowed just 10 sacks this season.

9. Chargers (3-4, 9): LaDainian Tomlinson has run for just 150 yards with no touchdowns in the last three games.

10. Cardinals (4-2, 10): Ken Whisenhunt spent his bye week Sunday watching football at a sports bar. I wonder if he got drunk and said what he really feels about the Steelers.

11. Cowboys (4-3, 5)
12. Falcons (4-2, 12)
13. Bears (4-3, 13)
14. Patriots (4-2, 17)
15. Jaguars (3-3, 15)
16. Packers (4-3, 18)
17. Colts (3-3, 14)
18. Broncos (4-3, 16)
19. Ravens (3-3, 24)
20. Browns (2-4, 19)
21. Rams (2-4, 26)
22. Vikings (3-4, 22)
23. Jets (3-3, 20)
24. Dolphins (2-4, 21)
25. Saints (3-4, 23)
26. 49ers (2-5, 25)
27. Texans (2-4, 27)
28. Raiders (2-4, 30)
29. Chiefs (1-5, 28)
30. Seahawks (1-5, 29)
31. Bengals (0-7, 31)
32. Lions (0-6, 32)

Sources: The Associated Press, nfl.com, www.giants.com, www.buffalobills.com, www.philly.com, www.panthers.com, www.azcentral.com, Elias Sports Bureau

WEEK 6
POWER RANKINGS

Taking stock: I'm scaling back my weekly power rankings to include comments on just the top 10 teams. In these rough economic times, there are cutbacks everywhere in the media industry. Not even the burgeoning blogosphere is immune to downsizing. This isn't a financial decision made by bean counters at Steelahs.com corporate headquarters (OK, so maybe there's no Steelahs.com corporate headquarters, and with the one-tenth of a cent per hour I make on this site, there's really no beans to count). It was a time decision. I just don't have time to do comments on 16 teams. Nonetheless, I think my rankings can help turn the economy around, because Wall Street can learn a lesson from me this week. The No. 27 Browns beat the No. 1 Giants, the No. 32 Rams beat the No. 3 Redskins, and the No. 16 Cardinals beat the No. 4 Cowboys. Yet each of those teams are falling just one spot in the rankings. Look up parity in the dictionary, and you see the NFL logo. Every team has a bad game once in a while. It's not causing wild swings in my rankings. If only the stock market could be that stable.

(Records and previous week’s rankings in parentheses)

1. Titans (5-0, 2): Pacman Jones' suspension costs the Titans their fifth-round pick in the 2009 draft, as part of the deal they made with the Cowboys. Looks like Jones causes trouble wherever he goes, even after he's gone.

2. Giants (4-1, 1): Fell to 270-270-17 all-time on the road with Monday's loss to the Browns.

3. Steelers (4-1, 5): Willie Parker returns and will go for his fifth 100-yard game against the Bengals.

4. Redskins (4-2, 3): Signed former league MVP Shaun Alexander to back up Clinton Portis at running back.

5. Cowboys (4-2, 4): Receiver Roy Williams, acquired in a trade with the Lions, said he was more happy to be a Cowboy than he was when he got his first bike. We'll see how long that lasts.

6. Bills (4-1, 7): Maybe losing to the Cardinals isn't so bad.

7. Eagles (3-3, 9): Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid won their 76th game together Sunday, passing Joe Montana and Bill Walsh for the most all-time among quarterback-coach tandems.

8. Buccaneers (4-2, 11): John Madden won't announce Sunday night's game against Seattle on NBC. His streak of 476 straight games announced will end to avoid making three straight cross-country trips. It's not like he has to drive the Madden Cruiser.

9. Chargers (3-3, 14): Prevented the Patriots from scoring after they reached the Chargers' 1-yard line Sunday, becoming the first Patriots' opponent to do that since the Bills in Week 1 of 2003.

10. Cardinals (4-2, 16): Was that Ken Whisenhunt running the perimeter of the stadium and slapping hands with Cardinals fans after Sunday's OT win over the Cowboys?

11. Panthers (4-2, 6)
12. Falcons (4-2, 18)
13. Bears (3-3, 8)
14. Colts (3-2, 15)
15. Jaguars (3-3, 17)
16. Broncos (4-2, 10)
17. Patriots (3-2, 12)
18. Packers (3-3, 19)
19. Browns (2-3, 27)
20. Jets (3-2, 20)
21. Dolphins (2-3, 13)
22. Vikings (3-3, 22)
23. Saints (3-3, 23)
24. Ravens (2-3, 21)
25. 49ers (2-4, 24)
26. Rams (1-4, 32)
27. Texans (1-4, 30)
28. Chiefs (1-4, 25)
29. Seahawks (1-4, 26)
30. Raiders (1-4, 29)
31. Bengals (0-6, 28)
32. Lions (0-5, 31)

Sources: The Associated Press, nfl.com, www.giants.com, ESPN, Elias Sports Bureau

WEEK 5
POWER RANKINGS

Distant early warning: Since the Bengals have an 0-5 record, the worst record of the four winless teams, you'd expect them to be dead last in my rankings, or at least in the Futile Four. But despite their 31-22 loss to the Cowboys Sunday, they move three spots to No. 28 by virtue of taking the Super Bowl-champion Giants to overtime and giving the Cowboys all they could handle, both on the road. That means the Steelers can't sleep on them when they come back from the bye and play the Bengals in Cincinnati Oct. 19.

(Records and previous week’s rankings in parentheses)

THE TERRIFIC 12

1. Giants (4-0, 1): Their 44-6 win over the Seahawks was their biggest margin of victory since a 41-0 win over the Vikings in the 2000 NFC championship game, and their biggest regular-season margin of victory since a 62-10 win over the Eagles on Nov. 26, 1972.

2. Titans (5-0, 2): Sunday's game against the Ravens went a little bit better for Kerry Collins than the last time he faced the Ravens. He was the Giants quarterback in Super Bowl XXXV.

3. Redskins (4-1, 4): Jason Campbell hasn't thrown an interception in 153 attempts, and the Redskins have committed just one turnover this season.

4. Cowboys (4-1, 5): When talking about the Cowboys' new stadium, owner Jerry Jones said "The Cowboys have never been about checkered tablecloths and boots and hats. They’ve been about glitz and glitter. Leave the other stuff to the Houston Texans.” Jones apologized even though Texans' owner Bob McNair wasn't offended. Still, reason No. 742 to hate the Cowboys.

5. Steelers (4-1, 7): With his 90 receiving yards Sunday, Hines Ward surpassed 9,000 receiving yards for his career.

6. Panthers (4-1, 8): Sunday's 34-0 win over the Chiefs was the most lopsided win in franchise history.

7. Bills (4-1, 3): Came into Sunday's game ranked first in the NFL in third-down defense (19 percent), but the Cardinals converted their first six third-down attempts, and were 9-of-15 overall on third down, in their 41-17 win over the Bills on Sunday.

8. Bears (3-2, 10): 10-2 in games in which Devin Hester scores a touchdown.

9. Eagles (2-3, 6): Had nine first downs in their first two drives, then just five the rest of the game in Sunday's 23-17 loss to the Redskins.

10. Broncos (4-1, 13): Have scored in 250 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the NFL, and the fourth longest streak in NFL history. The streak began with a 16-13 overtime loss at Seattle on Nov. 30, 1992.

11. Buccaneers (3-2, 9): Made their first visit Sunday to Invesco Field at Mile High, which opened in 2001. They were the last team that hadn't played there.

12. Patriots (3-1, 14): Won in San Francisco for the first time in franchise history on Sunday. That leaves Washington as the only city where the Patriots have never won.

THE MIDDLE CLASS

13. Dolphins (2-2, 19)
14. Chargers (2-3, 11)
15. Colts (2-2, 16)
16. Cardinals (3-2, 21)
17. Jaguars (2-3, 15)
18. Falcons (3-2, 23)
19. Packers (2-3, 12)
20. Jets (2-2, 20)
21. Ravens (2-2, 17)
22. Vikings (2-3, 26)
23. Saints (2-3, 18)
24. 49ers (2-3, 22)
25. Chiefs (1-4, 24)
26. Seahawks (1-3, 25)
27. Browns (1-3, 27)
28. Bengals (0-5, 31)

THE FUTILE FOUR

29. Raiders (1-3, 28): A special video tribute: Click here to see why the Raiders are so fun to cover these days.

30. Texans (0-4, 29): Sage Rosenfels, filling in for ailing quarterback Matt Schaub, lost two fumbles, one of which was returned for a touchdown, and threw an interception in the final four minutes Sunday as the Texans blew a 27-10 lead over the Colts with less than five minutes to go.

31. Lions (0-4, 30): Trailed the Bears 31-0 Sunday before converting their first third-down opportunity.

32. Rams (0-4, 32): Lawrence Phillips, the Rams' first-round draft pick in 1996, gets 10 years in jail for driving onto the field and striking three people with his car three years ago because he was upset after losing a pickup football game. Nice guy.

Sources: The Associated Press, nfl.com, ProFootballTalk.com, www.giants.com, www.buffalonews.com, www.denverbroncos.com, www.buccaneers.com

WEEK 4
POWER RANKINGS

A short week: It's Wednesday. That usually means it's Prince spaghetti day. But this week, it mean's it's Steelahs.com power rankings day. I know, I know. I usually have them out Tuesday. But the Steelers had a Monday-night game this week. Then they went and signed retread Najeh Davenport, which forced me to post an update and put off the rankings. Just like last week, one game produced the biggest climb and drop in the rankings. The Chiefs moved from 31 to 24 with their 33-19 win over the Broncos. Denver, which is second only to the woeful Rams in points allowed with 117, fell from 6 to 13.

(Records and previous week’s rankings in parentheses)

THE TERRIFIC 12

1. Giants (3-0, 2): The bye week worked wonders. They moved up without even playing. I guess that's what championship teams do.

2. Titans (4-0, 5): They're 4-0 for the first time in franchise history. That goes back to 1960, when they started out as the Houston Oilers in the AFL.

3. Bills (4-0, 3): Have two starters 30 or older, the fewest in the NFL.

4. Redskins (3-1, 10): Sunday's win was only their second win in Dallas in 13 years.

5. Cowboys (3-1, 1): Never mind Terrell Owens. Felix Jones is the one who should be complaining. After gaining 148 yards with two touchdowns on 18 carries in the first three games, he didn't touch the ball in Sunday's loss to the Redskins.

6. Eagles (2-2, 4): Just four sacks on Sunday?

7. Steelers (3-1, 7): Rashard Mendenhall's best series Monday night came when he had Sean McHugh as the lead blocker.

8. Panthers (3-1, 8): Steve Smith scored his first touchdown of the season in Sunday's win over the Falcons. He gave the ball to teammate Ken Lucas, whose nose he broke in training camp. That's got made-for-TV movie written all over it.

9. Buccaneers (3-1, 11): Brian Griese has won eight of his last nine starts for Tampa Bay.

10. Bears (2-2, 13): Only one penalty for 5 yards in Sunday's win over the Eagles. That's the least they've been penalized since the 2006 NFC championship game.

11. Chargers (2-2, 12): Have beaten the Raiders 10 straight times, the longest streak any team has had against the Raiders.

12. Packers (2-2, 9): Before throwing three interceptions and hurting his shoulder Sunday, Aaron Rodgers hadn't thrown a pick since 2005.

THE MIDDLE CLASS

13. Broncos (3-1, 6)
14. Patriots (2-1, 14)
15. Jaguars (2-2, 15)
16. Colts (1-2, 16)
17. Ravens (2-1, 17)
18. Saints (2-2, 19)
19. Dolphins (2-2, 18)
20. Jets (2-2, 24)
21. Cardinals (2-2, 20)
22. 49ers (2-2, 21)
23. Falcons (2-2, 22)
24. Chiefs (1-3, 31)
25. Seahawks (1-2, 25)
26. Vikings (1-3, 23)
27. Browns (1-3, 28)
28. Raiders (1-3, 26)

THE FUTILE FOUR

29. Texans (0-3, 29): Have a four-game homestand against the Colts, Dolphins, Lions and Bengals, teams with a combined 2-11 record.

30. Lions (0-3, 30): WKQI-FM organized a funeral procession last week to mourn the Lions' season. Then when Matt Millen was fired, the mock funeral was still held, but it turned into a celebration of Millen's firing. A picture of Millen was placed in a casket that was painted in the Lions' blue and silver colors. An $85,000 Harley Davidson hearse led the procession to Ford Field.

31. Bengals (0-4, 27): Out in cyberspace, the words "Carson Palmer" and "Tommy John surgery" have appeared in the same sentence.

32. Rams (0-4, 32): Have allowed 147 points in the first four games, the most points any team has allowed in the first four games since the 1975 Browns allowed 148 in their 0-4 start.

Sources: NFL.com, The Associated Press, ProFootballTalk.com, Elias Sports Bureau, www.buffalonews.com, www.freep.com, www.chicagotribune.com

WEEK 3
POWER RANKINGS

Go Joey, Go: Let's keep living vicariously through teams that CAN beat the Patriots. With five tackles, three sacks and one forced fumble, old friend Joey Porter backed up his trash talking by helping the Dolphins bitchslap the Patriots 38-13 Sunday in Foxboro. This week's biggest rise and fall in the rankings come from that game. The Patriots drop from 6 ot 14 and the Dolphins rise from 30 to 18.

(Records and previous week’s rankings in parentheses)

THE TERRIFIC 12

1. Cowboys (3-0, 1): Won at Lambeau Field for the first time ever, including playoffs, making them 1-5 all-time at Lambeau. Their previous three road wins against the Packers came in Milwaukee

2. Giants (3-0, 2): Have gone two straight games without a turnover for the first time since going three straight Dec. 1-15, 2002.

3. Bills (3-0, 5): Best start since 1992, when they started 4-0. That turned out to be the third of the four straight Super Bowl trips.

4. Eagles (2-1, 7): Donovan McNabb set the franchise record with 176 career touchdown passes.

5. Titans (3-0, 10): Head coach Jeff Fisher tied Sid Gillman for 26th on the all-time list with 123 career wins.

6. Broncos (3-0, 9): Have allowed 84 points this season, third most in the NFL.

7. Steelers (2-1, 3): Didn't get into the red zone Sunday until their final possession.

8. Panthers (2-1, 4): Line of the Week comes from Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer: "The Panthers false-started so often Sunday in Minnesota that they reminded me of my first car, a 1976 Ford Pinto." The Panthers have 11 false-start penalties in their last two games, including six Sunday in the noisy Metrodome.

9. Packers (2-1, 8): Allowed 217 rushing yards Sunday against the Cowboys, the first time they allowed more than 200 yards on the ground since yielding 235 to the Seahawks on Nov. 27, 2006.

10. Redskins (2-1, 14): Santana Moss became the first Redskins player with touchdown catches in six straight games since Bobby Mitchell in 1961.

11. Buccaneers (2-1, 17): Broke a streak of 50 consecutive losses in games where they trailed by more than seven points.

12. Chargers (1-2, 13): All-pro cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who led the NFL with 10 interceptions last season, had his first two of the season Monday night, returning one for a touchdown. The Chargers were 6-0 when he had interceptions last season.

THE MIDDLE CLASS

13. Bears (1-2, 11)
14. Patriots (2-1, 6)
15. Jaguars (1-2, 20)
16. Colts (1-2, 12)
17. Ravens (2-0, 19)
18. Dolphins (1-2, 30)
19. Saints (1-2, 15)
20. Cardinals (2-1, 16)
21. 49ers (2-1, 21)
22. Falcons (2-1, 22)
23. Vikings (1-2, 24)
24. Jets (1-2, 18)
25. Seahawks (1-2, 25)
26. Raiders (1-2, 26)
27. Bengals (0-3, 29)
28. Browns (0-3, 23)

THE FUTILE FOUR

29. Texans (0-2, 27): Rookie Steve Slaton was a bright spot on Sunday, rushing for 116 yards and a touchdown against a Titans defense ranked No. 2 against the run. He gained 104 of those yards on nine carries in the first half.

30. Lions (0-3, 28): William Clay Ford Jr. says his father should fire GM Matt Millen. Is he going to be sent to his room?

31. Chiefs (0-3, 31): Since the merger, just the fourth team to start three different quarterbacks in the first three games of a non-strike season.

32. Rams (0-3, 32): Trent Green starting in place of Marc Bulger Sunday against the Bills. Rams ranked dead last in both offense and defense.

Sources: NFL.com, The Associated Press, ProFootballTalk.com, Elias Sports Bureau, kcchiefs.com, packers.com, giants.com, charlotteobserver.com

WEEK 2
POWER RANKINGS
(FORMAT REVISED)

Editor's note: I think I finally figured out how to do these rankings. I posted my Week 2 rankings on Tuesday, but I'm adding rankings, without comments, for the 13-28 spots. That way I'll have rankings for each team, with comments for the top 12 and the bottom four. I'm not doing comments on all the teams because it's just not worth it for the two cents an hour I'm making on this site, and that's after getting a raise.

(Records and previous week’s rankings in parentheses)

THE TERRIFIC 12

1. Cowboys (2-0, 1): Since 2006, no quarterback-wide receiver duo has more touchdown connections than Tony Romo and Terrell “That’s my quarterback” Owens. They’ve hooked up for 29 TDs in that span.

2. Giants (2-0, 6): Of all the 2-0 teams, they have the two most convincing wins, and it shows in their plus-37 point differential, which leads the league. Their 41-13 win at St. Louis is their largest margin of victory on the road since a 35-7 win over the Lions on Oct. 27, 1996.

3. Steelers (2-0, 3): Ben Roethlisberger leads the NFL with a 136.3 passer rating, despite the creaky shoulder on which Pittsburgh’s mood rests.

4. Panthers (2-0, 2): They slip because they’ve had to come back for their two wins, which is going to catch up to a team at some point. Their two wins are by a total of five points. Muhsin Muhammed became the 29th player in NFL history to reach 10,000 career receiving yards.

5. Bills (2-0, 8): Quarterback Trent Edwards broke Jim Kelly’s team record with 16 straight completions spanning two games.

6. Patriots (2-0, --): The last time they won a game without Tom Brady starting was Dec. 17, 2000, a 27-24 win over the Dolphins.

7. Eagles (1-1, 9): Despite his bonehead move, DeSean Jackson is the team’s first wide receiver to start his career with back-to-back 100-yard receiving games since Don Looney in 1940.

8. Packers (2-0, 10): Aaron Rodgers is the team’s first quarterback to start 2-0 since Scott Hunter, who replaced Bart Starr, in 1971.

9. Broncos (2-0, 12): Since the 2-point conversion was instituted in 1994, only seven teams have gone for two down by one point in the final two minutes. The Broncos were the third team to convert.

10. Titans (2-0, 11): Haven’t been 2-0 since 1999, the year they went to the Super Bowl.

11. Bears (1-1, 7): Chris Harris, who used to play for the Bears, forced the fumble that sparked the Panthers’ rally from a 14-point deficit in the Bears’ 20-17 loss Sunday.

12. Colts (1-1, --): The last time they played in Minnesota before Sunday was a 39-28 loss in 1997. The loss clinched the No. 1 overall draft pick, which they used to take Peyton Manning.

THE MIDDLE CLASS

13. Chargers (0-2, 5)
14. Redskins (1-1, --)
15. Saints (1-1, 4)
16. Cardinsls (2-0, --)
17. Buccaneers (1-1, --)
18. Jets (1-1, --)
19. Ravens (1-0, --)
20. Jaguars (0-2, --)
21. 49ers (1-1, 30)
22. Falcons (1-1, --)
23. Browns (0-2, --)
24. Vikings (0-2, --)
25. Seahawks (0-2, --)
26. Raiders (1-1, 32)
27. Texans (0-1)
28. Lions (0-2, 29)

THE FUTILE FOUR

29. Bengals (0-2, --): Carson Palmer’s 41.3 passer rating Sunday was the second worst of his career. This after the lowest completion percentage of his career in the opener.

30. Dolphins (0-2, --): I’m going to keep writing about Kendall Langford until he gives me a reason not to, or if the Dolphins can stay out of the Futile Four for two straight weeks. He had one sack Sunday to become the first Dolphins rookie to get sacks in his first two games since sacks became a stat in 1982.

31. Chiefs (0-2, --): Three quarterbacks combined for 173 yards passing in Sunday’s 23-8 loss to the Raiders.

32. Rams (0-2, 31): Defense has allowed 963 yards in two games.

Sources: NFL.com, The Associated Press, ProFootballTalk.com, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, San Diego Union-Tribune, Elias Sports Bureau, miamidolphins.com, detroitlions.com, buffalobills.com

WEEK 1
POWER RANKINGS

It’s not how you start: Tom Brady’s season-ending injury cast a pall over the NFL. It was one of many unexpected events in Week 1. The topsy-turvy week has everybody talking about the balance of power shifting in the NFL. That might sound like a good thing for the Steelers considering the Chargers, Colts, Jaguars and Browns all lost. But keep in mind it’s just Week 1. There’s a lot of season left.

THE TERRIFIC 12

Record and previous week’s ranking in parentheses

1. Cowboys (1-0, 4): With a salary of about $3 million a year, offensive coordinator Jason Garrett is the highest paid assistant coach in the history of the NFL.

2. Panthers (1-0, 9): Jake Delhomme’s last-second touchdown pass Sunday against the Chargers completed his 14^th career game-winning drive, including playoffs. Ten of those have come in the last two minutes.

3. Steelers (1-0, 6): Troy Polamalu had his first interception Sunday since Oct. 22, 2006. LaMarr Woodley had his first interception at any level.

4. Saints (1-0, 3): After gaining 82 yards rushing and receiving in the first three quarters in Sunday's win over the Buccaneers, Reggie Bush gained 81 yards in the fourth quarter.

5. Chargers (0-1, 1): The only losing team in the top 12. The fans are bigger losers than the team. The Chargers, who many are picking to go to the Super Bowl, couldn’t sell out the game until the local FOX affiliate bought the remaining tickets to prevent a TV blackout. Of course, the game was on FOX.

6. Giants (1-0, 8): So did Michael Strahan get paid for his appearance in the Super Bowl champions’ pre-game ceremony on Thursday? The Newark Star-Ledger says he was paid $75,000. ProFootballTalk.com says that’s not true. Hmmm.

7. Bears (1-0, --): Matt Forte is the first Bears rookie to start at running back since Walter Payton in 1975. Forte rushed for 123 yards on 23 carries and a touchdown.

8. Bills (1-0, 11): In Sunday’s win over the Seahawks, Brian Moorman became the first NFL punter to throw a touchdown pass since the Steelers’ Josh Miller did in on Dec. 28, 2003.

9. Eagles (1-0, --): 9-0 when Brian Westbrook has a rushing and receiving touchdown in the same game.

10. Packers (1-0, --): Monday night’s win was their fifth straight over the Vikings, the longest streak in the series since the Packers won five straight from 1983-85.

11. Titans (1-0, 12): Even before his injury Sunday, Vince Young’s career was going downhill. Reminds me of Kordell Stewart.

12. Broncos (1-0, --): In Monday’s win over the Raiders, Jay Cutler completed 16 passes with an average of 18.7 yards per completion. Tom Brady averaged 12.1 yards per completion during last year’s MVP season.

MOVING OUT

Patriots (1-0, 2): Matt Cassel started one game at USC – at tight end. Even without Tom Brady, the Patriots will win 10 games.

Jaguars (0-1, 5): Could end up starting two backups, Uche Nwaneri and Tutan Reyes, at guard Sunday against Buffalo. Vince Manuwai is out for the season with a torn ACL and Mo Williams’ status is uncertain after he suffered a shoulder injury before Sunday’s loss to the Titans.

Colts (0-1, 7): Loss to the Bears Sunday ended a 21-game winning streak in September and October. Their last September loss came Sept. 9, 2004 at New England.

Vikings (0-1, 10): Have lost 38 consecutive games when trailing after three quarters.

THE FUTILE FOUR

29. Lions (0-1, --): Quarterback Jon Kitna and receivers coach Shawn Jefferson were seen bickering on the sidelines during Sunday’s loss to the Falcons. Kitna says it’s the kind of thing that happens all the time. Just like Lions losses.

30: 49ers (0-1, --): Apparently, J.T. O’Sullivan isn’t the answer. J.T. O’Sullivan sounds more like the name of a bar anyway. The team is reportedly shopping for another quarterback.

31: Rams (0-1, 29): After starting 4-1 under head coach Scott Linehan, they have gone 7-21.

32. Raiders (0-1, --): Committed five personal fouls in Monday night’s loss to the Broncos, including two on the same drive by cornerback D’Angelo Hall.

MOVING UP

Dolphins (0-1, 30): My buddy Kendall Langford had three tackles and a sack Sunday against the Jets.

Falcons (1-0, 31): Michael Turner ran for a franchise-record 220 yards, and Atlanta ran for a franchise-record 318 yards in Sunday’s win over the Lions.

Chiefs (0-1, 32): Defense held Patriots offense to fewest points at Gillette Stadium since the Bears held them to 17 in a 17-13 Patriots’ win on Nov. 26, 2006. With or without Tom Brady, it’s a big step for the Chiefs to have a chance to tie the Patriots in the final minute.