Best of the best
There's talk of a repeat in New York and fans around the league are truly starting to believe in the Titans, but below those two, there are very few certainties in the NFL this season. Can Pittsburgh survive with an anemic offense? Is Carolina legit? How many easy calls can the officialls blow in one season? One thing is for certain. Only one team is undefeated right now and remains at the top of the list. That team is...
No. 1 The Tennessee Titans (Last week: No. 1)
It's hard to come up with different ways to say it every week, so here it is, plain and simple. This team wins. No matter how, no matter who does it, this team finds a way to win football games. After being pedestrian for most of the season, Kerry Collins has broken out for passer ratings of over 100 in back-to-back weeks, while Chris Johnson and LenDale White remain one of the top running back tandems in the league. But most importantly, the Titans have given up more than 20 points just once this season. The schedule is soft until they meet Pittsburgh in Week 16, so there's no reason to think this run is sure to end.
No. 2 The New York Giants (Last week: No. 2)
Oh yeah. These guys are pretty good, too. New York has been absolutely rolling since its Week 6 loss to Cleveland. The Giants' stacked arsenal of running backs has proven they can run over any defense in the league after pounding Baltimore for 207 yards and 6.3 yards per carry average. Sunday's win marked the third straight time - and fifth overall - the Giants had scored 30 points or more. With three more divisional games and Arizona and Carolina thrown in there, the Giants will be tested to the very end, but they look to be built for it.
No. 3 Carolina Panthers (Last week: No. 3)
The Lions gave them a bit of a scare, but that was only before the Panthers handily put them away. Four straight wins is a nice way to head into a big divisional game on the road. DeAngelo Williams has a stranglehold on the starting running back job and is maybe the biggest reason for the team's current winning streak. Over the four game tear, Williams has had three games of over 100 yards and has scored four times. When you have a running attack like that, it's ok if your quarterback fails to pass for over 100 yards.
No. 4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last week: NR)
Who the heck is B.J. Askew? Whoever he is, he scored a crucial touchdown on his first rush of the season as the Bucs stayed right in the thick of things in one of the league's tougher divisions. Jeff Garcia, once in Jon Gruden's doghouse, gone 4-1 since returning to the starting role and with Detriot coming up, another win could very well be in the cards. Starting tailback Earnest Graham may be done for the year and how Warrick Dunn responds to being a feature back again merits watching.
T- No. 5 Pittsburgh Steelers (Last week: No. 5)
It's tough to count this team out with a defense as good as Pittsburgh's, but at some point, the lack of scoring has to become a concern. While Ben Roethlisberger didn't hurt the team and Willie Parker ran well, the Steelers have failed to find the end zone for six straight quarters of football now. Sure, Troy Polamalu got robbed of a fourth-quarter touchdown, but he never should have been in a position to score anyway. With some tough games ahead, a high score against Cincinnati could get this team back on track.
T - No. 5 Indianapolis Colts (Last week: No. 4)
So often it's drilled that no one man makes a football team. That may be so, but Bob Sanders comes as close to breaking that rule as anybody. When he's in the game, the Colts are very good against the run. When he's out like he was in Week 11, running the ball gets a lot easier for opponents. Indianapolis plays very solid defense against the pass, but needs to come around against the run. Speaking of the running game, Joseph Addai had his best game since returning from injury. The Colts will need him if they wish to make a legitimate playoff run. Right now the personel and the schedule both are looking very favorable for Peyton Manning and Co.
Worst of the worst
Kansas City (Last week: Last week: No. 3 worst)
Tyler Thigpen is now the Chiefs' quarterback of the future and he's shown improvement. Unfortunately, the rest of the team isn't.
Cincinnatti Bengals (Last week: NR)
A tie coming off the bye week. If that doesn't sum up the Bengals' season, what does?
St. Louis Rams (Last week: No. 4 worst)
Four straight losses. Does that mean the Rams are due for another victory? Not likely. The Bears are going to be looking to slam a team after their embarassment against the Packers.
Oakland Raiders (Last week: No. 2 worst)
Can anybody remember the last time Oakland scored an offensive touchdown?
Detroit Lions (Last week: No. 1 worst)
Daunte Culpepper is surpassing expectations. That's to say he hasn't pulled anything yet.
