BetUS Week 9 NFL Rankings

Week 8 was hectic and exciting, as we saw a one-win team upset a division leader, one team almost blow a four-touchdown lead and one heavy favorite nearly lose in primetime. There was quite a bit of moving and shaking in the rankings. Miami made the biggest jump of the week, while the Jaguars dropped off the most. Other teams such as New England and the Giants were significant winners, while Kansas City and Minnesota went the wrong way.  

All comments concerning the rankings can be sent to FaceOff@BetUS.com. We’ll post them online in this section.

Rank   (LW)                           Team & Reason

32        (30)                            Green Bay Packers

The Packers nearly escaped the basement with a good effort on Sunday, but it was not to be. Say hello to the league’s new doormats.

31        (27)                            Cleveland Browns

We have a soft spot for the Browns, as their weekly effort is great. Unfortunately, their QB situation is brutal, as is their confidence.

30        (31)                            Houston Texans

Don’t let their win fool you. This club has a lot of problems on the offensive line and their defense is suspect as well. The Texans could very well move right back down after Week 9. 

29        (32)                         San Francisco 49ers

Was their huge win more a product of a lousy Tampa Bay offense or a solid 49er defense? We tend to prefer the former. Ken Dorsey was pathetic and Cody Pickett wasn’t much better.           

28        (28)                            Tennessee Titans

A valiant effort in a loss at home versus Oakland last week pretty much cemented the Titans as a bottom feeder. They are well coached and they mean well, but the talent, particularly on defense, is just not NFL ready right now.

27        (26)                            Arizona Cardinals

They were in their game against Dallas, that is until they remembered to make their customary blunders. The Cardinals are underachieving terribly right now. But then again, no one expects more out of them.

26        (25)                            New Orleans Saints

We refuse to believe this team is not talented enough to at least be near .500. We still believe the problem lies with Aaron Brooks. Enough is enough already. Bring back John Forcade.

25        (20)                            Minnesota Vikings

From bad to worse. Then again, the injury to Daunte Culpepper might make the Vikings offense more cautious, thus more productive. Let’s wait and see how Brad Johnson does before we think about dropping them even lower.

24        (29)                            Miami Dolphins

A big win in Louisiana. Did anyone catch that guy wearing number 34 run? I think it was some guy named Ricky Williams. He kind of looked like the Ricky Williams who used to play with the Dolphins. Remember? He was a top ten rusher in this league.

23        (23)                            Baltimore Ravens

We can’t pick on them too much for their Monday night loss. Missing some key components really hampered their defense. However, we can certainly make fun of an anemic offense, the likes of which we haven’t seen since, well, last year’s Ravens team.

22        (24)                            New York Jets

How about that, the Jets climb two spots on a bye week, pretty sweet! New York has had a full week off to come up with some sort of QB plan. Let’s hope for their sake it nets them more than 150 yards in the air.

21        (21)                            Detroit Lions

Injuries and a lackluster effort caused the Lions to pretty much put first place out of their heads for a while and concentrate on wining a ball game. Jeff Garcia continues to carry the offense. Anyone seen running back Kevin Jones? We think he is still on their team.

20        (22)                            Oakland Raiders

Beating up on the league’s youngest defense in Tennessee does wonders for your confidence, but let’s see what they do this week against an old rival- the Chiefs.

19        (16)                            Washington Redskins

Can you say fraud? That’s what BetUS’ our expert calls the Redskins. We tend to agree. How could they pull a no-show in the biggest game of the season in New York? Will the real Mark Brunell please stand up? Is he the one who looked awesome vs. SF or the one that should have retired after the Giants game? 

18        (17)                            Buffalo Bills

How they managed to blow that game in Foxboro, we’ll never know. Had Buffalo won that game, we’d be talking about a top 15 team. Now, we’re wondering how low they’ll slip, as clearly the team has got to be deflated right now.

17        (19)                            Chicago Bears

Now that’s a defense! Still no offense to speak of, but the Bears are playing Bears football right now and Illinois is jumping with joy over the thought of a division title. Easy fans, there’s still more than half a season to go, still time for the requisite Chicago injuries to pile up. Sorry, just had to give you a reality check.

16        (14)                            Kansas City Chiefs

Man, has their defense slipped back to 2003 or what? Kansas City just can’t seem to get a consistent effort out of their D, leading us to wonder if Dick Vermeil only cares about one side of the football. A win versus Oakland this week would go a long way towards rectifying the situation.

15        (18)                            St. Louis Rams

So, no Holt, no Bulger, no Bruce, no problem? Indeed, the Rams are showing the type of resilience that playoff teams display. Can they really rally behind the limp arm of Jamie Martin and his 10-yard passes? It’s working so far.

14        (15)                            Dallas Cowboys

Finally, a dominating game from start to finish. Could these Cowboys actually be primed for a winning streak? Wait, wait a second, it was Arizona they beat in Week 8 right? Never mind.

13        (7)                               Jacksonville Jaguars

How could the Jags not get it done in St. Louis? They had the running game going and they faced an injury-ravaged team. The answer is dropped passes. We haven’t seen this many things dropped in three hours since Florida Republicans were fumbling Gore votes. 

12        (10)                             Cincinnati Bengals

It’s rare you’ll see a top team drop two places after a win, but they did not look impressive against the Packers. Carson Palmer was great, but he needs more help. Stop the run and run the ball a little more boys.

11        (13)                             Carolina Panthers

Now that’s what we’re talking about! Finally, a win worthy of their preseason rankings. Jake Delhomme needs more games with minimal mistakes. If he can accomplish this, then Carolina is a contender ladies and gentlemen.

10        (12)                             San Diego Chargers

Arguably, San Diego has the worst schedule of all-time. Yet, here they are, at .500 and with half a season so go. We believe the Chargers will be a force to be reckoned with when it’s all said and done.

9          (6)                                Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Now that was a pathetic offense versus a porous defense. Can you say Jeff George? No, the Bucs won’t sign the retired rear pivot, but his name is synonymous with a team leaving no stone unturned in their quest to upgrade the quarterback position. Chris Simms is on a very short leash right now.

8          (11)                              New York Giants

Wellington Mara’s Giants are alive and well, and are riding his wave of emotion. New York is getting better and better offensively. Look for the G-Men to battle for the division right down to the wire.

7          (8)                                Seattle Seahawks

A bye week will make you drop down a rung if the competition is fierce. Luckily for them, Seattle’s divisional competition is less than scary at the moment. It’ll be a cake walk for the crown, a shame when you consider they’re just not that good.

6          (5)                                Philadelphia Eagles

Don’t hurt yourself falling off the bandwagon. At 4-3, all is not lost. Even without T.O. for a couple of weeks, Philly will gut it out like they always do. Do you want to bet against Andy Reid in the regular season? I didn’t think so.

5          (9)                                New England Patriots

Welcome back Defensive Player of the Week Ted Bruschi. Now that was a comeback for the ages. Speaking of comeback, a nice win over Buffalo on Sunday has suddenly put the Pats back in the minds of all AFC contenders.

4          (3)                                Pittsburgh Steelers

Wow, almost laying a stinker at home to a hobbled team would have been a disaster. Amazingly, they are now right on track to win the AFC North (take a look at the Bengals’ schedule and you’ll see what we mean).

3          (4)                                Denver Broncos

Things were nerve-wracking in the second half for a while, but Denver simply flexed their defensive muscles and away they went. Quietly, Jake Plummer is putting together a potential MVP season if he can keep up his pace from the last six games.

2          (2)                                Atlanta Falcons

A bye week ensured that they did not move any. But, the Falcons will fall mightily after Week 9 if they fail to beat Miami. A three-way tie in their division necessitates winning every week right now.

1          (1)                                Indianapolis Colts

Another week and another week without a loss- this time because of a bye. Still, no one is questioning the Colts’ credentials as the top ranked team right now. Although, we’re still not convinced their defense can win them games in December. Then again, their offense is quite capable of picking up the slack on occasion (understatement of the year).