2009 NFL Power Rankings: Week 8

The final NFL game in October has come to an end and it's time for some new power rankings. These power rankings and my picks are for week 8 of the 2009 NFL season.

These wouldn't be the most controversial NFL power rankings on Associated Content if I didn't get at least a few complaints. A handful of Miami Dolphins fans believed I had the Fish a little too low in my NFL power rankings last week. They were almost right, too. Sorry, Dolphins fans, but your team needs to play four full quarters in order to move up in my NFL power rankings.

There is one major change to my NFL power rankings. I've finally moved a different team to the top spot. That's right, football fans. Last Sunday finally changed my mind.

Which NFL fans will I upset this week? Let's find out. Here are my week 8 NFL power rankings.

32. St. Louis (0-7): Hope might be on the way for you Rams fans. St. Louis has Detroit this week. The Rams can get out of the cellar of my NFL power rankings with a win.

31. Tampa Bay (0-7): Have the Bucs contacted Brooks Bollinger of the UFL yet? Tampa Bay has a bye this week, meaning they'll be at the bottom of my NFL power rankings a week from today.

30. Tennessee (0-6): The Titans are winless and have a head coach that wishes he was a winner. Tennessee had a week to prepare for Jacksonville. Will it help?

29. Cleveland (1-6): The Browns anger me as a Cleveland fan, football follower and member of this planet. The saddest part? I don't think this is the first time I've written that sentence in 2009.

28. Washington (2-5): The Redskins probably aren't going much higher in my NFL power rankings, if at all. I'm convinced Washington is just punishing Jim Zorn at this point. Maybe they can get him to quit.

27. Kansas City (1-6): How meaningless are the Chiefs? I actually forgot that the Chargers killed them last Sunday. KC is off this week, meaning they're going nowhere in my NFL power rankings.

26. Oakland (2-5): Speaking of football teams who should be looking at the UFL for talent. Thank you, New York Jets, for reminding us all just how bad the Oakland Raiders really are.

25. Detroit (1-5): Detroit will need to beat the pitiful Rams in order to stay above Cleveland in my NFL power rankings.

24. Carolina (2-4): Football fans want to know why Jake Delhomme is playing professional football. Next on the depth chart for Carolina is Matt Moore and A.J. Feeley. How low can the Panthers go in my NFL power rankings?

23. Seattle (2-4): Will the week off help the Seahawks? They play in Dallas in this weekend. A big win in big D will move Seattle back up on these NFL power rankings.

22. Miami (2-4): The Dolphins have only themselves to blame for having two losses and being this low in my NFL power rankings.

21. Buffalo (3-4): The Bills being 21 in NFL power rankings remind me just how lame half of this league really is. Buffalo could actually be .500 if they beat Houston this week.

20. Jacksonville (3-3): On paper, the Jags should move up in NFL power rankings after beating the Titans this Sunday and thus moving above .500. As they say, though, that's "why you play the games."

19. San Francisco (3-3): My, how the mighty have fallen. Things aren't looking up for the 49ers, either, as they have to travel to Indianapolis and face the Colts.

18. San Diego (3-3): The Chargers blew out Kansas City last week and now they get Oakland. Does anybody think the Chargers won't be 4-3 a week from today?

17. Chicago (3-3): 45-10. Remember when the Bears beat the Steelers?

16. Baltimore (3-3): Baltimore doesn't have to beat the undefeated Broncos this coming Sunday in order to save the season. You'll know quite a lot about the Ravens, though, if they fall flat at home after a week to prepare for Denver.

This is where NFL power rankings get interesting.

15. New York Jets (4-3): What's one guaranteed way to break a three game losing streak? Play the Oakland Raiders!

14. Green Bay (4-2): The Packers beat up the Browns in Cleveland. Yawn. They'll move up in these NFL power rankings if they can defeat Hollywood Brett Favre in Green Bay.

13. Houston (4-3): I'm beginning to believe in the Houston Texans, thus I've moved them up in my NFL power rankings. Which me is right when it comes to the Texans?

12. Atlanta (4-2): Just when you wondered if the Falcons were an elite team, the Bears were ca-rushed by the Bengals and Atlanta fell flat in Dallas. I've been saying it all football season. NFL power rankings can change dramatically with every week.

11. Dallas (4-2): Don't look now but here comes Dallas. Could the Cowboys be in the top ten of my NFL power rankings in week 9?

10. Arizona (4-2): Regardless of the injuries plaguing the Giants, it's always impressive when a team goes into the Meadowlands and defeats Big Blue in prime time. The Cardinals earned the ten spot in my NFL power rankings.

9. Philadelphia (4-2): Eagles-Giants in Philadelphia. Yankees-Phillies in the World Series. Huge weekend for the rivalry between these two sports cities.

8. New York Giants (5-2): Big Blue will be out of the top ten of all NFL power rankings if they lose to the Eagles. I am very nervous about this game.

7. Pittsburgh (5-2): Yes, the Steelers did beat the Vikings. They did so in Pittsburgh, though. I can't put the Steelers ahead of Cincinnati or New England, either. Let's hear it, Steeler Nation.

6. Cincinnati (5-2): Crushing the Bears puts the Bengals at the six spot in my NFL power rankings. Cincy definitely looks like a division contender.

5. New England (5-2): Patriots-Bucs. Yeah, that's the game I'd send overseas.

4. Minnesota (6-1): Hollywood Brett Favre finally looked a little like the Favre from last season. Figures that it happens when I pick the Vikings. Minnesota could fall further down these NFL power rankings if they lose to the Packers.

3. Denver (6-0): The Broncos were off this past week and yet football fans still talked about them being overrated. Don't look now but I've actually picked against Denver this week.

2. New Orleans (6-0): Even though the Saints came back in Miami, their play did not justify the number one spot in my NFL power rankings. Not this week, at least. Things could change once more in seven days.

1. Indianapolis (6-0): Peyton Manning is ridiculous. Simply absurd. After 7 weeks of football, the Colts have no doubt earned the top spot in any NFL power rankings.

The Colts aren't the undisputed best team in football, though. Three teams remain undefeated and, truth be told, you couldn't go wrong placing any of those teams at number one in your NFL power rankings. Be sure to check previous versions of my NFL power rankings to see how teams have moved. Come back next Tuesday for my week 9 NFL power rankings.

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