Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are playing like the two best quarterbacks in the National Football League. Yes, it is still the year 2014. You haven’t gone back in time. The two will meet again this coming Sunday for what could be an early NFL Game of the Year candidate.
Can we fast forward past the midweek?
Week 9 NFL power rankings
32. Oakland Raiders (0-7): Get rookie quarterback Derek Carr some help ASAP. He has the arm, but he needs some weapons.
31. New York Jets (1-7): There’s an argument to be made for the Jets being dead last in NFL power rankings. I’m not sure they'd beat Oakland if the two sides met this coming Sunday.
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-6): Bad teams turn wins into losses. Tampa Bay couldn’t close a lousy Vikings team out at home. Yuck.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-7): Sorry, Jacksonville. You can’t play the sleepwalking Browns every weekend.
28. Tennessee Titans (2-6): Zach Mettenberger isn’t saving the 2014 Titans. He may be the answer for the team’s future, but things won’t get much better for Tennessee this fall.
27. Atlanta Falcons (2-6): A team blowing a 21-point lead at any stadium is a reason coaching staffs lose their jobs. Atlanta is a team in limbo until the offseason.
26. Minnesota Vikings (3-5): Anthony Barr played the hero role for Minnesota on Sunday. Is he on his way to flirting with winning Defensive Rookie of the Year?
25. Chicago Bears (3-5): That Jay Cutler contract looks worse and worse with every loss. That said, his play doesn’t justify Chicago not showing up in New England.
24. St. Louis Rams (2-5): The injuries are piling up over at St. Louis. Things may only get worse for the Rams.
23. Washington Redskins (3-5): Has the Colt McCoy era arrived in Washington? Should he get another shot after winning in Dallas?
22. New York Giants (3-4): One thing can be said about the Giants: They'll be above the Jets in NFL power rankings through the end of the season.
21. Carolina Panthers (3-4-1): Carolina is becoming one of the bigger disappointments in the NFL. The Panthers need to turn things around and quick.
20. New Orleans Saints (3-4): The Saints are, not for nothing, perfect at home. Perhaps some buried New Orleans too early.
19. Houston Texans (4-4): Their record tells you all you need to know about the Texans. Houston is a .500 club.
18. Cleveland Browns (4-3): The offense of the Browns was downright terrible in seven of eight quarters against two of the worst teams in the NFL. Cleveland is still the worst team in the division.
17. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2-1): The Bengals don’t lose at home. Period. That’s the trend for further notice.
16. Indianapolis Colts (5-3): It’s hard to win in Pittsburgh (sometimes), sure, but Indy was run right out of the stadium. The Colts weren’t ready for prime time this past Sunday.
15. Miami Dolphins (4-3): Beating the teams on the schedule is the name of the game. That said, Miami winning at Jacksonville doesn’t result in a massive bump in NFL power rankings.
14. Kansas City Chiefs (4-3): KC posted 34 straight points in a rout over the Rams. They won’t all be that easy for the Chiefs moving forward.
13. Baltimore Ravens (5-3): Here’s the question: Was it or was it not offensive pass interference?
12. Buffalo Bills (5-3): Buffalo is one -- just one -- game out of first place in the division. Just sayin'.
11. Seattle Seahawks (4-3): I guess Russell Wilson is still good enough to get the job done. Seattle didn’t miss Percy Harvin on Sunday.
10. San Francisco 49ers (4-3): San Fran moves up in NFL power rankings despite not playing. Not too shabby.
9. San Diego Chargers (5-3): There is no shame in losing to Peyton Manning. Denver may be the best team in football.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3): That loss at Cleveland quickly left minds. Are the Steelers finding their form as fall goes on?
7. Green Bay Packers (5-3): Worried about the Green Bay defense after it was torched by Drew Brees and the Saints? R-E-L-A-X.
6. Philadelphia Eagles (5-2): Philly was a completed pass away from winning in Arizona. The Eagles are still a very good team.
5. Dallas Cowboys (6-2): Tony Romo suffered another back injury. If only Johnny Football was there as a backup.
4. Detroit Lions (6-2): It’s not pretty, but the Detroit is playing winning football. The Lions are winning 75 percent of their games.
3. Arizona Cardinals (6-1): Arizona just keeps on winning. Don’t sleep on the Cards, as they are for real.
2. New England Patriots (6-2): Remember when Tom Brady was “finished?” Those days seem like they never even happened.
1. Denver Broncos: The Broncos are back as kings of all NFL power rankings. Denver is the best team in football once again.
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