Foxboro Blog Top 12: Week 9

There’s chaos brewing on the board this week, with teams flying up and down all over the place.  Both Pittsburgh and New England plummet four positions, but not as far as the Bills who went from #7 last week, to off the board this time around.  Then there’s the Giants who have strung together some impressive wins and are rewarded with a swift climb up the rankings.  And despite all the volatility last week, there’s no way of telling what we’re in for now as 8 of our 12 teams are going head to head this week.
 

Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
1		1	0	8-0	vs. Vikings
		The Packers continue their fairly breezy schedule this week against the Vikings.  8-0 is 8-0, but the Pack have hardly been tested thus far.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
2		10	+8	6-2	@ 49ers
		I have a hard time remembering the last time that a team leaped up 8 spots in the rankings.  Then again, I have a hard time remembering the last time Tom Brady lost a regular season game at home.  Give the G-Men credit, they pulled off a very tough victory and deserve a big jump in the rankings.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
3		3	0	7-1	vs. Giants
		SF could have been the #2 team, but an 8 point win against the Skins wasn’t nearly as impressive as NY’s win.  They can make up for it this weekend in a big-time #2 vs. #3 matchup.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
4		5	+1	6-2	@ Seahawks
		Baltimore was apparently just faking it the past few weeks, roaring back to sweep the Steelers.  They’re now in the driver’s seat for the AFC’s top seed.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
5		6	+1	6-2	@ Chicago
		Detroit continues it’s climb up the rankings, being gifted with a small bump during the bye week.  Now they face a real challenge with Chicago looking hot and ready to reclaim the #2 spot in the NFC North.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
6		2	-4	6-3	@ Bengals
		After a big win against New England, the Steelers fell into the trap.  They don’t look so unstoppable after all, do they?
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
7		8	+1	6-3	@ Falcons
		The Saints have shot themselves in the foot a few times already, but took care of business against Tampa.  Now they can cement their divisional dominance by taking down the Falcons.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
8		4	-4	5-3	@ Jets
		One play here or there and the Pats don’t lose to Buffalo or New York and they’re sitting up at the top of the standings as the #2 team.  But football is a game of inches, and turnovers, and when you make four in one game, you end up with a big fat mark in the loss column.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
9		9	0	6-3	@ Buccaneers
		The South is all but Houston’s at this point. The question is whether they can keep pace with the AFC East winner to grab the bye week.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
10		12	+2	6-2	vs. Steelers
		Believe it or not, at the season’s mid-point, the Bengals are in 1st place in the entire AFC. The reality check is that they still have five games left against Pittsbugh, Baltimore, and Houston.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
11		11	0	5-3	vs. Saints
		This week’s game determines whether the Falcons go back to being contenders or mediocre.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
12		N/A	N/A	5-3	vs. Patriots
		As usual, the #12 spot could have gone a number of ways.  I felt torn leaving Buffalo off the list, but seeing as they’ve lost to both the Bengals and Jets, it was hard to justify leaving them on the board.  The Jets have come on strong the past couple of weeks and have certainly earned a return to the Top 12.