Gridiron Experts Power Rankings Top 15

[1] New Orleans Saints 8-0: At this point, Saints fans should cheer for a loss just to keep this team grounded. There is a good chance they could run the table and take a shot at the perfect 16-0 record, but we all know how the New England Patriots perfect season went down (lol). The Saints seem like they’re giving their opponents a 1st quarter head start to make games interesting.

[2] Indianapolis Colts 8-0: Even though this team has a goose egg in the loss category, they don’t seem that strong. If the Texans hadn’t panicked through the first half of last week’s game, the Colts would be a couple spots lower on this list. Peyton Manning is playing some amazing football but the team has a few weak spots. I’m not saying we’re picking the Patriots this week, I’m just saying the Colts are not untouchable.

[3] Pittsburgh Steelers 6-2: The Steelers started off the season a little slow, looking almost hungover despite winning it all last year. After a couple embarrassing losses, the Steelers are now looking like the champs we know they are. Not to mention the emergence of Rashard Mendenhall; this guy adds an element that they didn’t have last year.

[4] Minnesota Vikings 7-1: Brett Favre is playing like he’s in his 20′s again, and with the passing game finally a viable weapon, Adrian Peterson is saving extra juice for the second half of the season. In fact at this point last year (the halfway point) Adrian Peterson had 18 more carries on his tab, which is like a free game. Fantasy owners might miss those carries now, but a rested AP is more of a threat than a guy who is overworked.

[5] Cincinnati Bengals 6-2: This team is getting zero respect, but with a great defense and powerful running game the Bengals are for real. The second half of the season has a couple pushover teams on the menu, but the Bengals will still have to prove themselves with 5 of their remaining 8 games on the road against the likes of Pittsburgh, Minnesota, San Diego, and the Jets.

[6] New England Patriots 6-2: The Patriots are nowhere near as strong as the team they were a couple years ago…but they’re close. Tom Brady and the offense are back in top form, and the defense is making strides. The Pats are sleepers in a conference they once owned, and they miss their comfy throne at the top.

[7] Dallas Cowboys 6-2:  The Cowboys win was huge last week, but an ass kicking by no means. Sure, the Eagles were not sharp, but the game could have easily gone the other way.  Romo to Austin is becoming a regular thing and should continue to be a great fantasy combo. The race in the NFC East will likely come down to the wire.

[8] Denver Broncos 6-2: Slippery slope from top dogs to middle of the pack. The Broncos are a good team but need to regroup and move forward. New young coach Josh McDaniels has proven that he is the right man for the job, but with the Chargers on their tail the Broncos will need to pick themselves up and forget about the 2 game losing streak.

[9] Philadelphia Eagles 5-3: The Eagles never change; even with all the off-season additions and great drafting they’re in the same boat they were in last year. The ups and downs with play calling, injuries, and streaky quarterback play from McNabb keep fans angry and annoyed. We had mentioned that after the Raiders loss the Eagles would bounce back, but the the Cowboys had revenge on their minds last week. The schedule is tough but the Birds soar in the cold; this weekend’s trip to San Diego might be their toughest opponent to show how the season will unfold.

[10] San Diego Chargers 5-3: The Chargers have their eyes set on stealing the division once again from the Broncos. The team is stronger this season, and maybe more arrogant with Rivers and his big mouth. The win over the Giants on the road was easily the biggest of their season thus far.

[11] Arizona Cardinals 5-3: The Cardinals have proven that their trip to the Super Bowl wasn’t a fluke, and after a bad loss to the Panthers they’ve shown they can overcome any setback.

[12] Atlanta Falcons 5-3: The Falcons are loaded with talent but have yet to win a big game. They have only won 1 game on the road, and in the next 2 weeks we will see if the Falcons are playoff bound or a .500 at best.

[13] Houston Texans 5-4: The week off will give this team time to shake off a heartbreaking loss. The Texans have a handful of easy opponents on tap, but a rematch against the Colts is all this team is thinking about.

[14] New York Giants 5-4: A bye week couldn’t have come at a better time. How does a team start 5-0 and head into their bye week 5 -4?

[15] Baltimore Ravens 4-4: This is not the same team from a year ago; the Ravens are struggling on defense against the pass and are totally undisciplined. The Ravens need to win a big game or they will end their season just as they are now: average.