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For the remainder of the season, I'll be doing a weekly set of power rankings on Foxboro Blog. Instead of giving a run down of all 32 teams, I'm limiting the rankings to the Top 12. Before anyone jumps to conclusions, the number of rankings has nothing to do with the man-crush I may or may not have on Tom Brady. It's simply due to the fact that writing worthwhile comments on all 32 teams is pretty time consuming. Also, does anyone outside of Kansas City and St. Louis care about the current battle for the #29 spot? Actually, I'm pretty sure the good people of Missouri are so distraught about their state becoming the nation's capital of stinky football teams, that I'd actually be doing them a disservice by bringing up the Chiefs' and Rams' ineptitudes week after week. So without further ado, here's your Top 12 for Week 9. These are the 12 teams that matter, folks. Or, as I like to think of them, the eleven other teams that will be jealously watching Randy Moss hoisting the Lombardi Trophy this February...
| Ranking |
Team |
Last Week |
Change |
Record |
Next Game |
| 1 |
 |
N/A |
N/A
|
8-0 |
@ Rams
|
There's no arguing with an undefeated record when the team has knocked off the Falcons, Eagles, Giants, and Dolphins. That's two of the Top 12.
|
| Ranking |
Team |
Last Week |
Change |
Record |
Next Game |
| 2 |
 |
N/A |
N/A |
6-2 |
@ Colts
|
Call it homerism if you must. Yes, I have the Patriots ranked above a team with two more wins, and who also happens to be undefeated. However, I fully expect the Pats to prevail on Sunday Night, so ranking the Colts above them wouldn't make sense.
|
| Ranking |
Team |
Last Week |
Change |
Record |
Next Game |
| 3 |
 |
N/A |
N/A |
8-0 |
vs. Patriots
|
I've been saying all season that the Colts have yet to play a good team. Even vitories against Miami and Arizona came early in the season when those teams were floundering. The Texans were Top 12 contenders, so we'll credit them for that. However, the cake schedule is about to turn... New England, @Baltimore, @Houston the next three weeks, with the Jets, @ Jacksonville, and Denver on tap towards the end.
|
| Ranking |
Team |
Last Week |
Change |
Record |
Next Game |
| 4 |
 |
N/A |
N/A |
6-2 |
vs. Bengals
|
Pittsburgh seems to be picking up the pieces after struggling towards the start. I'm backing the defending champs in a huge divisional game at home this week. However, if the Steelers slip, they'll find themselves in a frantic race for a while card slot.
|
| Ranking |
Team |
Last Week |
Change |
Record |
Next Game |
| 5 |
 |
N/A |
N/A |
7-1 |
vs. Detroit
|
Like the Colts, the Vikings have had a veritable plate of cream puffs handed to them this season. However, unlike Indy, the scrubs keep on coming. With the other NFC contenders flailing, Brett Favre could lead the Vikes to the playoffs with a broken arm. I see a first round bye in their future and two indoor playoff games - one in the Metrodome, the other in the Super Dome. Pretty nice for an aging QB.
|
| Ranking |
Team |
Last Week |
Change |
Record |
Next Game |
| 6 |
 |
N/A |
N/A |
6-2 |
@ Redskins
|
Denver has done extremely well for itself given its schedule. The difficulty is starting to ease up a bit, but if they don't rebound off of two straight losses, and, more importantly, don't win their Week 11 game vs. the Chargers, their fairy tale season could come to a crashing halt.
|
| Ranking |
Team |
Last Week |
Change |
Record |
Next Game |
| 7 |
 |
N/A |
N/A |
6-2 |
@ Steelers
|
I'm still not a believer in the Bengals. Win at Pittsburgh on Sunday and that all changes. There's no reason this team shouldn't be as good as it is. It's just, that, well, they're the Bengals...
|
| Ranking |
Team |
Last Week |
Change |
Record |
Next Game |
| 8 |
 |
N/A |
N/A |
6-2 |
@ Packers
|
Like the Bengals above them, the Boys have been so dysfunctional of late that it's hard to take them seriously. Still, the season is half over and they're on pace for 12-4. The G-Men are struggling and the Iggles have been as inconsistent as they come. We may be due for the pleasure of yet another Wade Phillips playoff meltdown.
|
| Ranking |
Team |
Last Week |
Change |
Record |
Next Game |
| 9 |
 |
N/A |
N/A |
5-3 |
@ Panthers
|
Don't sleep on the Falcons. New Orleans may have the South all but wrapped up, but the dirty birds have playoff spoiler written all over them. Then again, can your really "spoil" a playoff game against the 9-7 Arizona Cardinals?
|
| Ranking |
Team |
Last Week |
Change |
Record |
Next Game |
| 10 |
 |
N/A |
N/A |
5-3 |
vs. Eagles
|
San Diego appears to be playing their "sneaky" game again. Everyone has left them for dead, but I would not be shocked to see them win the AFC West yet again.
|
| Ranking |
Team |
Last Week |
Change |
Record |
Next Game |
| 11 |
 |
N/A |
N/A |
5-3 |
@ San Diego
|
Once you start getting towards the bottom of the Top 12, things start to lose their luster. I mean, these guys lost to the Raiders. Now you know why I didn't want to make it the Top 15, let alone the full 32.
|
| Ranking |
Team |
Last Week |
Change |
Record |
Next Game |
| 12 |
 |
N/A |
N/A |
4-4 |
@ Browns
|
Baltimore gave the Patriots one tough game. Seeing as they've lost 3 of 4 since them, that victory may not have been the resounding validation of the Patriots I thought it was. Still, if the Patriots are who I think they are, and Baltimore played them the way they did, I'm not counting out the Ravens. They're still a good team. And any way you look at it @ New England, @ Minnesota, Denver, and two games vs. Cincy is about as brutal of a stretch as any team's had this year. Those are all Top 7 teams.
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For a full run-down of all 32 teams, ranked by all the Bloguin football bloggers, be sure to check out the Week 9 Blog Poll Power Rankings on the Bloguin Network Portal.
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