Seeing every team has played either 7 or 8 games, I compiled my first power rankings of the season.  While some people like to release power rankings from week 1 to week 17; I have a little different philosophy on that.  I am not a big fan of power rankings after the first week, because it is going to mostly be based on last season.  Some teams start 2-0 because of the schedule, while some teams start out 0-2 because of the schedule. 

However, after 7 or 8 games, you are what your record says you are.  I think we have seen enough games that we can start making judgments about these teams.  However, I am not someone that likes to rank teams week in and week out.  For instance, why would I drop the loser of the Patriots or Colts game a couple spots because they lost that game?  Why would I raise the Jets 5 spots if they happen to win this week?

I usually view the season as I do games.  4 quarters.  I will probably rank the teams again with 4 games left and then again at the end of the season.   I hereby present the midseason Power Rankings:

1. New England Patriots (8-0) – Have outscored the opposition 331-127, or by 204 points this season.  The only teams that have scored 204 points this season are the Colts and Cowboys.  One of the most dominating starts to a season in NFL history.   

2. Indianapolis Colts (7-0) – Who would have thought the Colts could have improved their defense, won their first 7 games of the season, and still not be number 1.  Next week will answer a lot of questions about who the dominant team in the AFC is this season.     

3. Dallas Cowboys (6-1) – Only blemish is a 48-27 wipeout by the New England Patriots.  Have two divisional games the next 2 weeks against the Eagles and Giants.  2-0 would give them a season sweep of the Giants and could seal the divison.  Their secondary needs to improve if they are going to succeed in the playoffs. 

4. Green Bay Packers (6-1) – So much for the Packers not having a deep ball in the offense.  While the Packers did run the ball better on Monday Night, the fact of the matter is that with the game on the line Brett Favre had to throw to move the changes with a lead against the worst run defense in the league.  Nice start to the season, going 3-0 against the NFC East (minus Dallas), which is arguably the most competitive division in the NFC.  Need to find consistency in the running game to contend in the playoffs in cold weather. 

5. NY Giants (6-2) – After giving up 80 points in the first 2 weeks, have given up 79 combined points in their 6 game winning streak.  The only thing keeping them from position number three is their two losses were to the Cowboys and Packers.  Streak came at the expense of bottom feeders in the AFC East and some weak NFC teams.  We get to find out where this team is at in 2 weeks, when they face the Cowboys at home. 

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) – The Steelers are 4-0 when Big Ben has fewer than 30 pass attempts.  They are 1-2 when he has over 30 pass attempts.  Sunday was an imperative bounce back win.  Had the Steelers lost, the Browns, Ravens, and Steelers would all be tied, with the Bengals one game back.  The Steelers did what playoff teams do, bury teams in must win situations.  They must do the same against the Ravens on Monday Night.

7. San Diego Chargers (4-3) – Have recovered nicely from a 1-3 start to win 3 in a row.  Have won their last 3 games by a score of 104-27.  The key has been getting back to what makes this team successful, LT & Gates.  The defense actually stopping people helps too.

8. Tennessee Titans (5-2) – How does a team that has their QB pass 14 times for 42 yards still win the football game?  Playing the Raiders helps, but this team is one of the most confusing teams in the league.  They aren’t a sexy stats team, but they have it where it counts, and that’s the win column. 

9. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-2) – It is amazing that a team can be 5-2, yet be third in their own division.  That was a big win by a team playing without their starting QB, against a Tampa Bay team that is fading as of late. 

10. Detroit Lions (5-2) –The Lions are halfway to Kitna’s prediction of 10 wins.  That was a big win in Chicago.  While it wasn’t pretty, it gave them a season sweep and 3.5 game lead on the defending NFC Champs.  That is what a playoff team does.  Their second half schedule is pretty tough.  They must beat the Broncos and Cardinals the next 2 weeks before the fun begins:  Green Bay twice, NY Giants, Dallas, and San Diego. 

11. Seattle Seahawks (4-3) – Seattle has gone from a veteran team to an old team since last season.  Alexander has to get it going in the second half of the season.  A bad division and a good head coach is saving their season.  If they were in the AFC South, they would be in last place. 

12. Cleveland Browns (4-3) – The Browns are in 2nd place in the NFC North???  That was a big win, because it gave the Browns their first road win of the season.  While it was against the Rams, you have to crawl before you can walk.  The Browns deserve a lot of credit, seeing they looked to be sending the first pick in the draft to Dallas after that opener against Pittsburgh. 

13. Baltimore Ravens (4-3) – Same old story.  A great defense combined with a below average offense.  The Ravens have really put themselves in a bind.  They play at the Steelers, Browns, Bengals, at Chargers, Patriots, and Colts.  They will probably need to go 4-2 to have any hopes of making the playoffs.  The problem is they will only be favored in one of those six contests.   This is probably the team with a winning record that has the best chance to fall in the 2nd half of the season. 

14. Kansas City Chiefs (4-3) – They don’t win pretty, but somehow they are in first place in their division.  How they respond to 2 home games against the Packers and Broncos and a road game against the Colts will go a long way to determining if they stay in the race as the Chargers are heating up. 

15.  Washington Redskins (4-3) – That was probably as embarrassing of an effort as you will ever see.  The Redskins have proven that they can beat the Cardinals, Eagles, and Dolphins, but have lost to 3 of the 4 good teams on their schedule (Giants, Packers, and Patriots), with their only good win being against the (5-2) Lions.  While they will compete for the #6 seed, this team hasn’t made the jump to the upper echelon of the NFC. 

16. Carolina Panthers (4-3) – While Vinny is a feel good story, the fact of the matter is that the Panthers will not be able to stay in the playoff picture with him at the helm.  For all the problems the Saints had in the first 4 games of the season, they are only one game behind the Panthers in the division. 

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4) – Another team that has faded, losing 3 of their last 4 games.  The good news is they actually have a lot of winnable games on the schedule, with their toughest games being at home.  That said, you have to beat the Jags at home with Gray at QB.  Garcia was looking like the old Detroit QB, not the one that came from Philly.

18.  Denver Broncos (3-4) – The Broncos biggest problem is that they can’t stop the run to save their life.  The Packers had a 100-yard rusher against them.  Grant was a waiver wire pick up at the beginning of the season.  While they are mathematically alive in the division, how is a team that can’t stop the run going to survive in a division with LT & LJ?  

19. Philadelphia Eagles (3-4) – They somehow keep hanging around, but clearly are not the same team they were a few years ago.  They beat Minnesota 23-16 with Bollinger and Holcomb leading the Vikings.  Three years ago, they destroy that team by 30+ points.  Other than the Lions game, this team hasn’t showed they can put up points on a consistent basis.

20. New Orleans Saints (3-4)  – Have won 3 straight after starting (0-4).  They have the Jaguars, Rams, and Texans in the next 3 weeks.  If they can be (5-5) after that stretch, they get 3 straight divisional games that will make or break their season. 

21. Arizona Cardinals (3-4) – The Cards are who we thought they were.  The Cardinals are headed in the right direction, but appear to be where the 49ers were last season.  They will give some teams fit, hang around in a weak division, and challenge for .500.  That will be a successful season in the Desert, considering that last season they were coming off a coaching change and the 5th pick in the draft. 

22. Buffalo Bills (3-4) – If the Bills hadn’t gift-wrapped the Cowboys game, they would be 4-3 right now.  They have a nice young team.  With the Dolphins and Jets a combined (1-15), they are the only team mathematically in the division race.  Probably can get close to .500, with two games against the Dolphins.  Will probably still lose their division by 7-8 games. 

23. Chicago Bears (3-5) – Probably the most disappointing team in the NFL this season.  What was a trendy NFC Super Bowl pick along with the Cowboys and Saints to start the season is (1-3) in what was suppose to be a terrible division.  Their once mighty defense has failed them this season. 

24. Minnesota Vikings (2-5) -  The Vikings have to have 2 priorities in the offseason.  Find a new Head Coach and find a QB.  If they can fix that, Adrian Peterson is a player you can build around in a division where the Bears window appears to be closing and the Packers are nearing the end of the Favre era. 

25. Houston Texans (3-4) – Had a nice 2-0 start, but were not able to hang in a tough division and without their best offensive weapon, Andre Johnson.  The rest of the division is a combined (17-4).  This team is slowly moving in the right direction and with another good draft and offseason, they may be able to compete for a wildcard.  They just don’t have the talent to hang in this division. 

26. Cincinnati Bengals (2-5) – Another underachiever.  The Bengals are going to have a lot of decisions to make.  Do you keep Marvin Lewis?  Do you keep Chad Johnson?  The Bengals are wasting some valuable years of Carson Palmer’s career.  They need to get not only fix the defense, but they need to fix the attitude on this team.  There probably is not a weaker team mentally in the NFL.   

27. Oakland Raiders (2-5) – They were a nice story at 2-2 and in first place.  Three losses later and they are back at the bottom.  The Russell era will probably begin in the near future.  This team is still probably a few years away from competing. 

28. San Fran 49ers (2-5) – The problem isn’t Nolan.  This team can flat out not score.  They need to get some new receivers and a new QB.  The defense has shown signs at times, but isn’t good enough to play without an offense.  Bill Walsh in the prime of his coaching career couldn’t score with these guys. 

29. Atlanta Falcons (1-6) – The Falcons are a mess right now, which is expected, seeing the offseason this team had.  The Falcons need to find a QB as the two they have are clearly not the answer.  The defense has shown some promise and if they can get the offense repaired, they should be able to compete in a few years.  The team needs a new corner as well.  Hall needs to go back to his younger days.  Sometimes it is best to be seen and not heard, especially when your family is 1-6. 

30. NY Jets (1-7) – BENCH CHAD PENNINGTON!!! The Man Genius finally heard the call and will start Clemens this week.  The Man Genius should have made that move after the Baltimore game.  Don’t waste a wasted season by not at least finding out if Clemens can lead this team in the future.  Now if they could just bench the entire defense and offensive line, they might actually be able to win a few games. 

31. St. Louis Rams (0-8) – While the defense is the main problem on this team, the rash of injuries on offense has ruined what could have been a promising season.  The offensive effort improved with Jackson and Bulger back, but the defense is still very average.  Cleveland had yet to win on the road this season.  That was a winnable game that Rams did not capitalize on.  The Rams have a bye, followed by winnable games against the 49ers, Falcons, and Bengals on the horizon.  If they can get healthy over the bye, and start playing well on offense, this team could get 3-4 wins in the second half of the season.  There are some nice pieces there.  A return to health and high draft picks could help this team fix this mess rather quickly.

32. Miami Dolphins (0-8) – I know the weather had a lot to do with that game.  But if the 10 points scored in that game is a sign of things to come, the Dolphins are a lock to go (0-16).  That defense is awful, and they weren’t winning when the offense was playing well.  This franchise is probably in the biggest mess of any in the NFL.  An aging defense, a star running back with a knee injury, uncertainty at QB, and a first year head coach.   It is a dark time of the Dolphins.