1. Chargers
2. Packers
3. Colts
4. Eagles
5. Saints
6. Patriots
7. Cowboys
8. Ravens
9. Vikings
10. Jets
11. Panthers
12. 49ers
13. Texans
14. Falcons
15. Cards
16. Bengals
17. Steelers
18. Titans
19. Dolphins
20. Broncos
21. Bears
22. Giants
23. Browns
24. Bills
25. Jaguars
26. Raiders
27. Bucs
28. Chiefs
29. Seahawks
30. Redskins
31. Lions
32. Rams

Some may wonder why division winners (Cards and Bengals) are ranked so low. To those people I say, keep in mind how the teams finished the season, specifically the last 5 games. A team’s last 5 games is apart of the ranking formula, and several teams dropped a few positions because of the last 5 (Colts, Saints) and many teams gained because of the last 5 (Chargers [5-0] and Eagles [4-1]).

Heading into the playoffs I like the Chargers and Packers to make the Superbowl and for each game I will make my official football picks on the NFL Picks page.

Last week was a terrible week for MikesPickz. I experienced my worst game picking week in the 4 year history of picking games with the spread, but the positive news is that I am still on pace to have the best season of my 4 year history.

Now to the NFL action from week 15. There were several notable stories including the Cowboys handing the Saints their first loss of the season, leaving the Colts as the only remaining unbeaten team. Josh Cribbs set the NFL record for most career kick returned for a touchdown (he had 2 against the Chiefs giving him 8 on his amazing and young career) and in the same game his teammate, Jerome Harrison, rushed for 285 yards, the 3rd most in NFL history.

On of the biggest stories of the day was the Steelers – Packers instant classic. The Steelers took the lead late in the 4th quarter and decided to onside kick, they touched it early and that gave the Packers a chance to take the lead back. The Packers scored quickly and it turns out they scored 1 second too quick. The Packers got a 2 point conversion and then kicked it off to the Steelers. The Steelers marched down the field and with zero seconds left on the clock Big Ben threw for his 503rd yard. It was a perfect pass and a perfect catch by Mike Wallace. In fact if you missed it, you must check it out below:

Now it’s time for the rankings:

1. Colts- The only unbeaten team in the NFL is clearly the #1 team in the league.
2. Saints- The loss to the Cowboys was big because it was in New Orleans. I think New Orleans takes that game as a wake up call, because they had been close to losing the past few weeks. I expect the Saints to play hard the remainder of the season.
   

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   Tier 2

   ---

3. Eagles- The Eagles are a very talented team and every team should be on the watch for them. My one concern with the Eagles is that they live on the big play. DeSean Jackson is an amazing player, but he might have an off game and that would really hurt the Eagles offense.
4. Chargers- The Chargers have the best receiving core in the NFL and I think at this time, they could beat any team in the NFL (including the Colts). I can not wait to watch the Chargers play the Colts for a chance at the Superbowl.
   

   ---

   Tier 3

   ---

5. Packers- I don’t take the loss to the Steelers as a set back for the Packers. The Packers will make the playoffs and they did not play poorly in the Steelers’ game. The offensive line is still not great, but it is much improved from the beginning of the season and that is making a huge difference. It doesn’t hurt that they have the league’s beat turnover differential at +18.
6. Vikings- I am starting to worry about the Vikings. Another blow-out loss, this time to a team they should have blown out. Favre is in the news with drama and that is not a good thing for the team. Even more alarming is the fact that Adrian Peterson has been MIA on the field for the past 3 weeks.
7. Patriots- Everyone was talking about how the Patriots are finished and all the Moss drama, but to me that will comeback to bite people. You can not rule out a team with Brady, Moss and Welker that is coached by Belichick.
8. Ravens- The Ravens have been playing some of the league’s best football over the past two weeks, albeit against bad teams. This week against the Steelers will be a real test because of the intense rivalry.
9. Cowboys- OK, before Cowboy fans start hating on the #9 ranking, take the time to look at weeks 10-15 and tell me how impressive it was. The win in New Orleans was huge, but the real test is how they follow it up in Washington. I am glad that they replaced Folk, but Suisham is not much better.
   

   ---

   Tier 4

   ---

10. Giants- The Giants have played well enough to be in the hunt for the playoffs. The blowout they handed the Redskins was huge, but I am not convinced they have what it takes to get to the Superbowl.
11. Bengals- The Bengals have had two tough losses in Minnesota and in San Diego, but the losses give me some doubt about their chances in the playoffs. The past two losses are against playoff bound teams, and they needed to be able to win at least one of those games.
12. Titans- The Titans have done it- they went from 0-6 to 7-7 and now have a legit chance at making the playoffs, and honestly I don’t think they can pull it off. They are one game behind the Broncos and they have to play the Chargers on Christmas. I don’t think that they can beat the Chargers, but the good news is that I don’t think the Broncos can beat the Eagles this week either.
13. Broncos- The Broncos have a chance at choking a sure thing playoff bid for the second year in a row. I am worried if I am a Denver Broncos fan.
14. Cards- The Cards are lucky that they played in the NFC West, otherwise they would not be making the playoffs this season. They got embarrassed by the 49ers and then almost blew the game to the Lions last week.
15. Dolphins- A poor conference record has the playoffs looking like a distant memory.
16. Jets- Out of all the 7-7 AFC teams, the Jets are in the most interesting scenario. They have the toughest remaining schedule (Colts and Bengals), but I think they have a shot at winning out. The Colts and Bengals won’t have anything to play for when they versus the Jets and that could lead to some benchings which would give the Jets a chance, BUT that is a lot to bank your season on.
17. 49ers- The 49ers should be able to win the last 2 games and finish at .500, which is a perfect building block for next season. Watch out for the 49ers in 2010.
18. Falcons- The Falcons didn’t beat the Jets last week, the Jets beat themselves.
    

    ---

    Tier 5

    ---

19. Texans- The Texans are the least likely team on the AFC bubble to make the playoffs because of their below .500 conference record. The Texans have been far too inconsistent this season (they should have blown the Rams out last week).
20. Panthers- The Panthers’ win over the Vikings kept the NFC interesting- now the Eagles have a shot to get a first round BYE.
21. Jaguars- The loss to the Colts in week 15 left the Jaguars’ playoff fate out of their control, not the situation they were hoping for. I don’t like the Jaguars chances to make the playoffs this season. It is scary that they are 7-7 with a -56 point differential.
22. Steelers- The Steelers are still this low in the rankings because an unconvincing win against the Packers does not erase a 5 game losing streak (in which they lost to some pretty bad teams). It was unconvincing because they won on the last play of the game, they could easily be on a 6 game losing streak right now. But, a win against the Ravens this week will cause their stock to rise quite a bit.
23. Bills- The Bills don’t have much to look forward to this season. They can beat the Falcons this week and maybe they can beat the Colts in week 17 (if the Colts bench EVERYONE).
    

    ---

    Tier 6

    ---

24. Raiders- The Raiders continue to play spoiler this season. They now have victories against the Eagles, Bengals, Steelers and Broncos.
25. Seahawks- I think last week assured me that the Seahawks have given up on this season.
26. Bears- Jay Cutler has been exactly what they thought they were getting rid of with Orton. This shows that maybe the issue is deeper than the QB position?
    

    ---

    Tier 7

    ---

27. Chiefs- The Chiefs at home in December used to be extremely tough to beat, not anymore.
28. Browns- The Browns have a 2 game winning streak right now. Wow, I didn’t think I’d say that this season.
29. Redskins- The Redskins forgot that they had a game on Monday Night, and they certainly got embarrassed for that.
    
30. Bucs- Nice win against the Seahawks, but the win cemented the Rams getting the #1 overall pick in the upcoming draft.
    

    ---

    Tier 8

    ---

31. Lions- The Lions played the Cards tough last week, but without Stafford this week, the 49ers might shut them out. The Lions played much better than they did last season and they should hopeful looking into the future.
32. Rams- I don’t see a win in their last two games (Cards and 49ers). They will get the #1 pick in the draft and they will look to rebuild in the future, but I don’t see them being competitive next year either (they are missing too many pieces).

That is going to do it for this week’s rankings. Feel free to comment below, or send me a tweet (@MikesPickz).

And I hope all my readers have a Happy Holidays!

Welcome back to the MikesPickz NFL Power Rankings!

Welcome back to the MikesPickz NFL Power Rankings!

The Saints – Patriots game was exciting, but not in the way many people expected. Everyone expected a game to come down to the wire, but the Saints had other ideas. The Saints destroyed the Patriots on Monday Night and proved to their many doubters, that they are for real this season. The best part if you are a Saints fan -> they need to keep winning because the Vikings only have one loss and can possibly win out the season. The Saints want home-field badly because they are dominant in New Orleans (as the Patriots know).

The other undefeated team (Colts) are not so lucky. They already clinched the division and can clinch home field rather early this season (they have a 3 game lead on the closest competitor). The Colts are notorious for benching players when everything is locked up and it will be curious to see if they do the same with a new head coach and an undefeated season on the line.

There will not be any of my thoughts on each team this week, because well Finals are coming and I have been very busy of late (another reason the rankings are much later than usual). Next week’s rankings should be back to normal, though.

Now on to the rankings:

*Tiers are teams that are within 20 points of each other using my formula*

Tier 1

1. Saints
2. Colts
   Tier 2

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3. –Vikings
4. Chargers
   Tier 3
   

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5. Patriots
6. Bengals
7. Cowboys
8. Packers
9. Ravens
10. Eagles
    Tier 4
    

    ---

11. Titans
12. Cards
13. Broncos
14. Steelers
15. –Dolphins
16. Falcons
17. 49ers
    Tier 5
    

    ---

18. Texans
19. Jaguars
20. Giants
21. Jets
22. Seahawks
    Tier 6
    

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23. Bills
24. Panthers
25. Chiefs
26. Bears
    Tier 7
    

    ---

27. –Raiders
28. –Redskins
29. Bucs
30. Rams
    Tier 8
    

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31. –Lions
32. –Browns

That will do it for the Week 13 rankings. I hope you come back next week!

The Steelers’ hopes at winning the division were shot to death when the Chiefs beat them in overtime last week, that was assuming the Bengals would be able to beat the lowly Raiders. If there is one thing I learned last week, you can never assume in the NFL. The Bengals lost to the Raiders and that gave the Steelers some hope. The bad news is that Polamalu is injured and Roethlisberger suffered an injury during the OT. Roethlisberger has still not been ruled out for Sunday, but he will not be 100% either way.

I can not wait for Monday Night Football this week. The undefeated Saints will host the New England Patriots, in what should be a high scoring and explosive game. It has the possibility to be the best game of the entire season.

Now on to the rankings:

This week the rankings will be short because of the holiday, but do not worry, back to normal next week.

*Tiers are teams that are within 20 points of each other using my formula*

Tier 1

1. –Colts- Another close one.
2. –Saints- Still undefeated, with toughest test against the Patriots this week.
   Tier 2
   

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3. –Vikings- Favre = MVP
4. Patriots- The Patriots were motivated against the Jets.
5. Chargers- The Chargers are a great football team.
   Tier 3
   

   ---

6. –Cards- Hopefully Warner won’t miss much time (if any), they need him.
7. Bengals- Loss to the Raiders was a set-back, but they are still solid.
8. Cowboys- The Cowboys’ offense has gone on vacation.
9. Eagles- McCoy is a solid replacement for Westbrook and Jackson is fast!
10. Packers- They only allowed 2 sacks last week, but the 49ers are at the bottom in total sacks.
11. Steelers- It’s crazy how different they are without Polamalu.
12. Ravens- They gave the Colts a run for their money.
13. Jaguars- Never pretty, but a win is a win. They are looking at the wild card right now.
    Tier 4
    

    ---

14. Texans- They still have hope for a winning season.
15. Dolphins- Ricky Williams has still got it and he is looking as good as ever.
16. Titans- Vince Young knows how to win.
17. Giants- The Giants were lucky to hold on against the Falcons.
18. Broncos- 0-4 since starting 6-0. Orton has to step up as a leader for this team.
19. Falcons- Matt Ryan continues his sophomore slump.
    Tier 5
    

    ---

20. Chiefs- 3-2 in their last 5 and on a 2 game winning streak.
21. –49ers- They need to play the first half as hard as they play the second half.
22. –Jets- Mark Sanchez is a rookie, in case you forgot.
23. Panthers- They missed their playoff opportunity against the Dolphins last week.
24. –Bears- Cutler needs to protect the ball better.
25. –Bills- There was a T.O. sighting last week, too bad they lost.
    Tier 6
    

    ---

26. Seahawks- Maybe next season.
27. Raiders- Another surprising upset. The Bengals can ask the Eagles about big upsets.
28. –Redskins- Their defense will continue to keep them in games, but they will need offense to win games.
    Tier 7
    

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29. Rams- Bulger going down might hurt, but it might help. At least Jackson is still there.
30. Bucs- Johnson looked like a rookie against the Saints, but I think he will be a solid Pro in the future.
31. Lions- Great comeback (twice) against the Browns. They need to take it slow with Stafford’s injury.
    Tier 8
    

    ---

32. Browns- The Browns officially have no hope and no luck. Maybe in 2012.

That will do it for the Week 12 rankings. As I said before, next week they will be back to normal.

I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving!

No tweaks to the formula this week, I think it is ranking the teams very accurately.

The two biggest stories of Week 10 were the Bengals showing the NFL that they are for real. They completed the season sweep of the defending champion Steelers, with an impressive defensive showing. The biggest story was the Patriots- Colts game on Sunday Night. If you missed the end of the game, you certainly missed a wild one. You can read about it here.

And here are the rankings for Week 11:

*Tiers are teams that are within 20 points of each other using my formula*

Tier 1

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1. Colts- The Colts were able to comeback and outscore the Patriots 21-10 in the 4th quarter, proving how scary they can be. Looking at their remaining schedule, there is a chance that they will run the table during the regular season, however; I think they are beatable.
2. Saints- Only beating the Rams by 5 is not good enough. The offense looked a little sloppy and the defense looked vulnerable. They will need to improve if they want to beat the Patriots in 2 weeks.
   Tier 2

   ---

3. Vikings- Sidney Rice and Brett Favre are looking pretty comfortable together, and not to mention they have Peterson to run the ball. The Vikings have another easy game next week against the Seahawks
4. Bengals- As I stated last week, the Bengals did have what it takes to beat the Steelers. The Bengals are for real this season. They played some solid defense against the Steelers and that is why they won the game. The Bengals are playing great football on all sides of the ball, and I would love to see them play the Colts in the playoffs.
5. Patriots- Don’t let the 6-3 record fool you. Each loss has come to a team that was undefeated at the time, and each loss was a close game. Back-to-back pressure games await the Patriots, so they will have to have a short memory about the way they just lost to the Colts.
6. Cards- The Cards are in first place of the weakest division in the NFL, but that doesn’t mean that they are a bad football team. The core of last year’s Super Bowl team is still with the team and they have the experience and talent to be in the hunt again this year. Don not let the egg that they laid against the Panthers distract you from the talent that this team has. Boldin finally being healthy is a huge addition to the team.
7. Chargers- The Chargers are a dangerous football team, especially when Tomlinson is playing well. The improved running game will open the passing game for Rivers and that means trouble for defensive coordinators. The Chargers can score with anyone in the NFL.
8. Steelers- They lost to the Bengals for the second time this season and this loss pretty much ensures that they will not win the division this year. The Bengals have a favorable schedule to end the season and the Steelers, despite being only 1 game back, have to make up 2 games because of the tie breaker.
   Tier 3

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9. Cowboys- The Tony Romo that started the season that showed up against the Packers. Costly turnovers lost the game for the Cowboys, and they were lucky to even score in the game. The Cowboys are still in first place and are still looking good to make the playoffs this year.
10. Broncos- The Broncos weakness is a good defense. Three straight games against top ten defenses equaled three straight losses for the Broncos. Those games really exposed their offense and too make things worse, Orton went down with an injury and does not look good for this week.  This week they will have a tough game against the Chargers, with the division on the line.
11. Ravens- The win against the Browns did nothing for me. The Ravens won the game 16-0, only scoring 10 points on offense against the Browns. The Ravens will have to play much better offense if they want to make the playoffs this season (and I don’t like their chances).
12. Texans- The Texans had a BYE week and move up one spot as a result. In week 11, they play the Titans on Monday Night and it should be a very high scoring game. The Texans will need to win to legitimize any chance they may have at making the playoffs.
13. Packers- Only 4 sacks allowed on Sunday, not too bad considering recent weeks. The Packers are a very underrated football team. They are top ten in all major defensive categories and they are top 12 in all major offensive categories.
14. Eagles- The Eagles blew another opportunity this week. A week after the Cowboys took the division lead from them, they had a chance to make that game up. They were not able to capitalize on a Cowboys loss and their playoff hopes are starting to deteriorate. The Eagles offense has been terribly inconsistent this season and that will be problem for them. My heart goes out to Westbrook, who suffered another concussion and his season/career may be in jeopardy.
15. Falcons- The Falcons are in trouble. Their best offensive player (Turner) went down with an injury against the Panthers (he had over 100 yards rushing in the first half) and Matt Ryan looks like he is in the midst of a major sophomore slump.
    Tier 4

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16. Dolphins- The Dolphins were very lucky to beat the Bucs last week, and it should not have been that close. The positive is that Ricky Williams is dominating this season, the negative Ronnie Brown did not play in the 4th quarter because of an injury.
17. Jaguars- The Jaguars gave up the lead and were very lucky to be able to win against the Jets. Maurice Jones-Drew destroyed the hopes of many fantasy owners when he decided to take a knee at the 1 yard line to set up the game winning field goal, rather than take the go ahead TD and give the ball back to the Jets. It was a smart football move, but not fantasy football. The Jaguars are a quite 5-4 on the season and they still have an outside shot at the playoffs.
18. Giants- The Giants had a BYE week and move down one spot as a result of the games played in week 10. Hopefully they are rested and prepared to play the Falcons this week.
19. Panthers- Another week has passed that Delhomme has not turned the ball over. If the Panthers are to keep winning, that must keep happening. Everyone knows that the Panthers can run the ball, but teams need to respect some sort of passing game.
20. Titans- Undefeated since Vince Young took over, the Titans have found an offensive rhythm over the past few weeks. Chris Johnson continues to improve from his rookie of the year season. He had over 100 yards both rushing and receiving against the Bills and he leads the team in rushing and receiving on the season.
    Tier 5

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21. 49ers- The 49ers got back in the win column in Week 10, thanks to pressure defense that forced Jay Cutler into 5 interceptions. It was the 49ers first win outside of the division. It was not an impressive win, but it might be a spark to team that was in dire need of one.
22. Jets- What happened to the 3-0 Jets that beat the Patriots?
23. Seahawks- The Seahawks continue to play poorly on the road, and they will not get any where if they can not win on the road.
24. Bears- The Bears continued their downward spiral behind 5 interceptions thrown by Cutler. The Bears gave up a lot to get the Pro Bowl QB in the off-season, and he has been a bust so far.
25. Bills- The Bills are in major trouble, the offense is terrible and it is causing Owens to start to talk. Owens complaining is never a good thing for a team, just ask the 49ers, Eagles and Cowboys.
    Tier 6

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26. –Chiefs- In the NFL a win is a win, but the Chiefs are still not a good football team.
27. Redskins- The Redskins defense is pretty good. They are ranked number one against the pass, but the rushing defense leaves some to be desired. They looked inspired against the Broncos in Week 10 and if they can match that intensity; they might be able to come away with a win in Dallas (although I wouldn’t bet on it).
    Tier 7

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28. Raiders- The Raiders should start preparing from the 2012 season, because they are going nowhere in the near future.
29. Bucs- The Bucs almost won back-to-back games with Freeman at the helm. Freeman is not having too bad a season, at least he is keeping his team in the game.
30. Rams- The Rams had two weeks to prepare for the Saints, and they gave them everything they had. The Rams played well against the undefeated Saints and almost pulled the upset of the season. Steven Jackson is the man, and the Rams need him to continue to play at a high level if they want to get back into the win column this season.
31. Browns- The Browns need a new QB. Quinn looked horrible attempting to throw the deep ball (several weren’t even close to landing in bounds) and he pretty much looked horrible every time he dropped back to throw the ball. To make things worse, the Browns best player, Cribbs, was carted off the field after the meaningless last play of the game.
32. –Lions- The Lions might get win #2 when they play the Browns in Detroit in week 11. They should be excited, because it will most likely be their last win of the season. I am going to go out on a limb and say it will be blacked-out on local TV (just like their first win).

That will do it for the Week 11 rankings. Questions and comments are always welcome, leave a comment below or send me a tweet @MikesPickz

I have looked over the formula that I introduced last week and I have tweaked it slightly to what I think will be the perfect formula for the rest of the season.

Last week the biggest story was the Bucs beating the Packers by 10 points. Let me preview the rankings by saying the Bucs are actually not last this week. The Packers are in trouble, it is inexcusable that Aaron Rodgers has been sacked 37 times this season. If they don’t figure out how to protect him, the Packers will have a long season and a possible record breaking season (David Carr was sacked 76 times in a season, the NFL record).

And here are the rankings for Week 10:

*Tiers are teams that are within 20 points of each other using my formula*

Tier 1

---

1. Saints- Imagine if they started games as well as they finished them.
2. Colts- Without 2 of their key defenders, they were still able to beat the Texans. Biggest game of the year for the Colts this week (excluding the playoffs, of-course).
   Tier 2

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3. Patriots- If they win this week, they are the team to beat in the AFC.
4. Steelers- The Steelers are 5-0 since their mediocre start of the season. Everything is clicking on offense and defense, but I still think that the Bengals have what it takes to beat them this week (and they already beat them this year).
5. Vikings- The Vikings get Detroit coming off the BYE week, which continues the pattern of weak competition for the Vikings. Currently, Vikings opponents have a winning percentage of 36.
6. Bengals- Do not overlook the Bengals this week. The Bengals are a complete football team- their defense is underrated in the league and I think they can win in Pittsburgh.
7. Broncos- The Broncos have hit a rough patch in their amazing season. Despite the two losses in a row, they are still playing solid defense and outside of last week, Kyle Orton has not been making mental errors. I expect them to rebound nicely against the Redskins this week.
8. Cowboys- The Cowboys have proven that they are the team to beat in the NFC East this season. The emergence of Miles Austin has been the key to this team (and the fact that Romo has not been making poor decisions over the last 5 games).
   Tier 3

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9. Falcons- The difference between the Cowboys and Falcons in my rankings is quite large (over 10 points) despite the one position difference in the rankings. The Falcons have been somewhat inconsistent this season and will have a tough game against an emerging Panthers team this week.
10. Eagles- The Eagles blew a big opportunity last week. They could have proven that they are the team to beat in the NFC East, but they didn’t show up at home (even though they only lost by 4, it could have been worse).
11. Cards- The Cards are exactly where they were last season at this point. 5-3 and in first place of the NFC West. Can they repeat and make it to the Super Bowl again? I don’t think so. They must play better at home, but I don’t expect them to have home field advantage if they do in fact make the playoffs.
12. Chargers- Watch out for the Chargers in the second half of the season. Against the Giants, Merriman had 2 sacks, which was 2nd game in a row that he had 2 sacks. With Merriman waking up and the offense as good as it is, they will be a tough game for anyone.
13. Texans- The Texans are off to a great season and I think they will finally make it over the 8 win plateau. They played a tough game against the Colts and I think that they might be able to beat them in Houston.
    Tier 4

    ---

14. Dolphins- Do not let the Dolphins record fool you. They are a solid football team with very bad luck. They have had by far the toughest schedule in the NFL to this point. Their opponents are 39-17, which is a 70% winning percentage.
15. Ravens- Last week’s loss to the Bengals was huge. Now the Bengals own the tiebreaker against the Ravens and I am fairly confident that the Ravens will not make the playoffs this season. On a positive note, Ray Rice is amazing!!
16. Packers- I think I could block better than the Packers’ O-Line.
17. Giants- The Giants can not seem to beat anyone these days. They sure miss the easy stretch of their schedule. I will say it again, the Giants are crazy for making Eli Manning the highest paid player in the NFL- so not worth it. I bet after last week they wish they had Phillip Rivers.
18. Bears- The Bears are another team that I don’t see going anywhere this season. They really miss Urlacher in the middle on defense. Losing by 20 in  your building (a notorious tough place to play) is not acceptable.
19. Jets- Fun fact- the Jets have the best rushing offense in the NFL this season, averaging over 170 yards per game.
20. Jaguars- The Jaguars almost blew the game last week against the lowly Chiefs, just further proving that you never know what Jaguars team will show up each week.
    Tier 5
21. Panthers- The Panthers have found their offense groove over the last two weeks. DeAngelo Williams is a monster at running back and as long as Delhomme does not turnover the ball (0 INTs in the past 2 weeks), they will be able to remain in any game.
22. Seahawks- If the Seahawks play as well as they do at home on the road, watch out. Till then, enjoy tier 5 of the NFL.
23. Bills- I am not sold on Fitzpatrick at QB. He is not the answer for the future of the team.
24. 49ers- Yes, Alex Smith is moving the ball on offense and yes, they play great defense, but they have terrible special teams (which kills their field position) and Alex Smith is susceptible to the INT (3 last week).
25. Titans- I understand that they beat the 49ers, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are a better overall team. If the Titans are able to blow out the Bills this week (which I can see happen), they will certainly make a big jump in next weeks rankings.
    Tier 6

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26. Chiefs- Chris Chambers is looking like a nice addition (2 TDs last week).
27. Raiders- Al Davis…JaMarcus Russell…Tom Cable…ouch
28. Bucs- The Bucs pulled off a nice win against the Packers. The key to the game was the 6 sacks that they were to able to get on Rodgers. It was a nice win for rookie Josh Freeman, but he wasn’t the main reason that they won the game.
29. Browns- Eric Mangini is not a good head coach. Let’s see how Brady Quinn does this week.
30. Redskins- Fun Fact- the Redskins have the NFL’s best passing defense (159.9 yards per game). It is slightly misleading, because they have the 25th worst rushing defense, so teams don’t need to pass on them.
31. Rams- The Rams were lucky enough to have a BYE after their first and possibly only win of the season. I hope they enjoyed the feeling of coming off a win, because against the Saints this week- it will not be pretty.
32. Lions- The Lions actually average over 20 points a game, which is not terrible. BUT, they still have an average loss of 13 points! They need to work on the defense if they want to win another game this season. They also have a -7 turnover differential, further-proof that they need to work on defense (and holding onto the ball on offense).

That will do it for the Week 10 rankings. Questions and comments are always welcome, leave a comment below or send me a tweet @MikesPickz

I want to thank everyone that commented to me on Twitter, e-mail and the comments section about the original week 9 rankings. I have taken a long hard look at the formula that I introduced as a BETA this week, and I have made a minor tweak and I must say that the resulting rankings are even better now.

Be sure to read my original rankings, here, for my thoughts on each of the teams.

Here are the new rankings:

*Once again, tiers consist of teams that finished within 20 points of each other using my ranking formula*

Tier 1


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1. Saints
2. Colts
   Tier 2
   

   ---

3. Broncos
4. Vikings
5. Bengals
6. Patriots
   Tier 3
   

   ---

7. Ravens
8. Cowboys
9. Steelers
10. Falcons
11. Eagles
12. Cards
13. Giants
14. Chargers
15. Dolphins
16. Texans
17. Packers
18. Jets
    Tier 4
    

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19. Bears
20. 49ers
21. Panthers
    Tier 5
    

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22. Jaguars
23. Seahawks
24. Bills
25. Raiders
26. Titans
    Tier 6
    

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27. Browns
28. Lions
29. Chiefs
30. Redskins
31. Rams
    Tier 7
    

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32. Bucs

Two quick things to mention from last week: The New York Giants had their secondary exposed again, this time by the division rival Eagles. The Giants lost their 3rd straight game and now are sitting at 3rd in the division. They will need to fix the secondary issues before heading into this week’s game against the Chargers, if they don’t, Rivers will pick them apart. The Arizona Cardinals, who had the number 1 ranked rushing defense got torched on the ground for 270 yards by the Panthers.

I must say I think the formula is quite accurate, but some teams were ranked so close to each other that they could go either way. For this week, I want to show you the raw rankings. These are not including my opinion, I do have a few minor disagreements, which will be mentioned in the description. Without further ado, here are the ranking:

*Tiers consist of teams that finished within 20 points of each other using my ranking formula*

Tier 1

1. –Saints- I don’t think there is much question here
2. –Broncos- This is probably the one that will draw the most disagreement. I have to admit #2 is slightly high for them, and that the Colts should be #2 but the Broncos have had a great season against good competition.
3. –Colts- Immediately I can tell why the Colts got bumped to #3 despite being undefeated this season- they have had the 2nd easiest schedule in the NFL (Redskins are first). The Colts opponents are a combined 17-33 and the Colts have had 3 games end with less than a TD difference, despite Manning’s amazing season.
4. –Bengals- I don’t have a huge problem with the Bengals being ranked this high, if you look at their team they are pretty solid all around.

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Tier 2
5. –Vikings- The Vikings just missed the cut for Tier 1, they have the same problem as the Colts- their schedule has been super easy to date. They have had the 3rd easiest schedule in the NFL with their opponents record being 19-32.
6. –Falcons- The Falcons have a moderate record of 4-3, but they have played the 4th toughest schedule in the league (Opponents record 30-19). I think the Falcons are ranked slightly higher than they should be, the Patriots I believe should be ranked higher than them (there was only a 3 point difference in their grades).
7. –Steelers- I had ranked the Steelers #7 last week, so I have no problem with them remaining #7 after their BYE week.
8. –Patriots- It will be interesting to see how they play against the Dolphins this week, since they are coming of the BYE after pounding two of the worst teams in the NFL in back-to-back weeks.
9. –Ravens- The Ravens rebounded from their 3 game losing streak with a dominant win against the Broncos last week.
10. –Cowboys- The Cowboys have an explosive offense especially with Miles Austin opening up the passing game.
11. –Cards- They should be embarrassed after losing to the Panthers last week. The #1 ranked rushing defense allowed 270 yards rushing? Wow, it didn’t help that Kurt Warner did his best Delhomme impression by throwing 5 INTs.
12. –Eagles- I have a small disagreement with the Eagles at 12, I think they should flip with the Cards and Cowboys. I think the Eagles should be 10 followed by the Cowboys and then the Cards. The main killer of the Eagles was the loss to the Raiders.
13. –Dolphins- The Dolphins are a better team than their record indicates, they have just faced some bad luck to start the season. They have the toughest schedule in the NFL to date with their opponents having a combined record of 29-15 (tied for toughest with the Titans).
14. –Giants- The Giants are opposite of the Dolphins, they are not as good as their record indicates. They have been exposed the last 3 weeks and I think they will be exposed again this week. Their 5 wins include the Redskins, Bucs, Chiefs and Raiders (who have 5 combined wins).
15. –Chargers- The Chargers offense is explosive and with LT starting to run effectively, I think they are a team to watch over the 2nd half of the NFL season.
16. –Texans- The Texans are off to their best start in franchise history thanks to the play of Matt Schaub (one of the most underrated QBs in the NFL). They are trying to eclipse the 8 win mark for the first time ever and I think they will be able to do it this season.

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Tier 3
17. –Bears- They need to perform better on the road.
18. –49ers- They are able to beat the bad teams and play competitive against the good teams. I think the 49ers are a team to watch for in the 2nd half of the NFL season. With Smith at QB and Crabtree at WR, the 49ers offense has seemed to actually have some life in it. I expect Crabtree to have a big 2nd half.
19. –Jets- The Jets hopefully have practiced some special teams defense this week. I still can’t believe that Ginn was able to return two kick-offs 100+ yards for a TD in the SAME QUARTER. Their defense played well, but it has played well most of the season, and it is proven they need more than just a defense (even though they have the #1 ranked rushing team).
20. –Packers- The Packers seem a little low in the rankings, but it is because they are the king of beating up on bad teams. They beat the Browns, Rams, Lions and Bears this season, while losing to the Vikings twice and Bengals.
21. –Panthers- The win against the Cards was huge, will it be a turning point for their season?
22. –Jaguars- The Jaguars have one of the beat RBs in the league on their team (MJD), but they are not a good football team. Just look at their last 3 games: Wk 5- Shut out by Seahawks, Wk 6- Need OT to beat Rams, Wk 8- Lose to the winless Titans.
23. –Bills- Their 3-4 record is deceiving, they are not that good.
24. –Raiders- They beat the Eagles and held them without a TD, yeah I still can’t get over it.
25. –Seahawks- The Seahawks are an interesting team. They are interesting because it amazes me how they can play so well at home and so terrible on the road.

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Tier 4
26. – Titans- They have had some bad luck this season with the fact that they have had the toughest schedule (opponents are 29-15) in the NFL, but for a team that went 13-3 last season, they should have more than 1 win this season. Chris Johnson is a monster at RB and switching to Young was a great decision. They will have a tough game this week against the 49ers, who rank second in stopping the run.
27. –Browns- There really isn’t much to say about the Browns. Mangini is a terrible head coach
28. –Lions- The Lions that went 0-16 last season have not had an easy schedule to start this season (opponents are 30-21), but they missed a huge opportunity against the Rams last week. They need Calvin Johnson back on the field.
29. –Chiefs- The Larry Johnson mess is a huge distraction and this team does not need any distractions, I have a feeling this week could be a long one for them.
30. –Rams- They got a win! I think it will be their only one of the season. Steven Jackson owners must be happy that he finally got in the end-zone, despite the fact that he is tied for second in the NFL with 784 yards. St. Louis really is a one man show.
31. –Redskins- The Redskins have had the easiest schedule in the NFL to date (opponents are 16-35), yet they only have 2 wins? Their offense is terrible, and I feel bad for Jim Zorn because it wasn’t just his fault, it was poor execution by his players. Who will be fired first Zorn or Mangini? The race is on.

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Tier 5
32. –Bucs- The remaining schedule for the Bucs is:  Packers, @Dolphins, Saints, @Falcons, @Panthers, Jets, @Seahawks, @Saints, Falcons. If you see a win in there, let me know.

Tier 1

1. –Saints- The Saints are the real deal, no question in my mind. After watching the performance that they put on against the Dolphins on Sunday night, I don’t know who will be able to beat the Saints. They were down 21-3, but were able to comeback and not only win the game, but win the game by double digits. The Saints quick score ability (22 unanswered points in the 4th quarter) is remarkable. The team is full of playmakers- Brees, Colston, Shockey, Sharper, and the human-plane Reggie Bush.
2. –Colts- The Colts crushed the Rams, as they should have. They get a good defense this week against the 49ers, but the 49ers defensive weakness is the secondary and the Colts have Peyton Manning, so they should be 7-0 in the next rankings.
3. Broncos- Josh McDaniels is looking like the easy choice for Coach of the Year. The Broncos lose a pro-bowl QB and have huge issues with Brandon Marshall in the off-season, and yet they are undefeated. As I have been saying since week 1, Kyle Orton is an underrated QB.

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Tier 2
4. Patriots- The Patriots are using the easy part of the schedule to find their offensive rhythm. They have outscored opponents 94-7 over the past two weeks (both opponents were win-less).Let’s see how they play against the Colts in 2 weeks.
5. Vikings- No Favre magic last week, as the Vikings lost their first game of the season. The Steelers defense just proved to be too much for the Vikings. The Steelers were able to run a fumble back and an interception back for a TD in the 4th quarter and that was the difference in the game. Favre returns to Green Bay this week, in what will be a great match-up.
6. Steelers- The Steelers are a much better team with Polamalu playing safety. The defense is back to its dominating self and Roethlisberger is having a great season. The lack of a running game may prove to be a significant weakness as the season comes to a close, but for now the Steelers are very solid team in the NFL.
7. Packers- The Packers beat up on another bad opponent in week 7. They held the Browns to only 3 points and are coming into the match-up with the Vikings playing their best football. If they can protect Rodgers against the solid Vikings’ pass rush, they might be able to beat the Vikings.

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Tier 3
8. –Eagles- The Eagles rebounded from their terrible loss against the Raiders, by beating the Redskins on Monday Night Football. The Eagles didn’t look overly impressive in the win, but in the NFL a win is a win. It will be interesting to see how they handle the Giants this week.
9. Giants- The Giants lost two games in a row. Maybe the Giants weren’t as good as I thought they were coming into the year. They were able to beat up on bad teams early in the year, but now that they are playing some competition they look confused.
10. Bengals- The Bengals rebounded from the loss to the Texans by destroying the Bears 45-10. Cedric Benson got revenge on his former team, and Carson Palmer looked like his Heisman self connecting for 5 TDs.
11. –Ravens- Hopefully the Ravens are rested and prepared coming into their week 8 match-up with the Broncos, if they don’t show up with all aspects of their game, they will have a 4 game losing streak.
12. Chargers- The Chargers looked really good in their week 7 win against the Chiefs, granted it was the Chiefs. The Chargers have one of the most dynamic offenses in the league and if they are clicking they will be tough to beat, and it doesn’t hurt that LT is starting to play well.
13. Cowboys- The Cowboys that everyone expected finally showed up last week against the Falcons. Romo was able to protect the ball and for the second straight week, Miles Austin was able to gain over 100 yards receiving. Austin’s play seems to be the catalyst of the success of the Cowboys. They should be able to continue their role against the Seahawks in week 8.

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Tier 4
14. Cardinals- The Cards look like they are back as the favorite to win the NFC West. They traveled to the Meadowlands and beat the Giants by 7. I am still concerned about their lack of a rushing game, but they should be able to keep their winning ways against the Panthers this weekend.
15. Falcons- The Falcons had a bad game against the Cowboys in week 7, and unfortunately for them, many teams had statement games at the same time causing the Falcons to drop 9 spots in the rankings. Michael Turner will need to start rushing the ball better for the Falcons to return to contention for the NFC South title (although, it will be unattainable [Saints will win it]). Turner has 7 TDs this season, which puts him among league leaders, but he is only averaging a little over 3 yards per carry which is not good enough.
16. –Dolphins- The Dolphins played extremely well for 3 quarters against the Saints, but they fell apart when the game mattered most. The Dolphins are better than their 2-4 record indicates.
17. Jets- OK, the Jets showed up against the Raiders in week 7. They shut the Raiders out, in the 38 point rout. They lost Leon Washington in the process, but Shonn Greene filled in nicely, rushing for over 100 yards. I think the loss of Washington will hurt the team in the long run (he is out for the year). I am still not a believer in Mark Sanchez, yet.
18. 49ers- The 49ers offense was anemic once again last week, until the second half that is. The 49ers trailed the Texans 21-0 at halftime and it was looking like they would be blown out again for the second straight week, but Singletary decided to bench Shaun Hill in favor of Alex Smith. This was probably going to be Smith’s last chance to shed his draft bust label, and he did not disappoint. He threw for over 200 yards and 3 TDs in the 2nd half. He did throw a costly interception on the 49ers last drive of the game, which left the 49ers just short of pulling off the comeback win. Smith’s play was encouraging, and if they are able to finally open up a passing game, it should free up Gore in the rushing game. They will need everything to work against the Colts, if they want any chance at winning the game.
19. Texans- The Texans have a small 2 game winning streak going, but they are still way to inconsistent for me to think about ranking in the top 15 of the NFL. Matt Schaub is definitely underrated by mainstream fans, but it is not the offense that the Texans need to work on- they need some defensive consistency.

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Tier 5
20. Bears- In week 6 the Bears couldn’t capitalize in the red-zone, in week 7 they fixed that problem by not getting in the red-zone very often. The Bengals had their way with the Bears. Cutler will need to perform better on the road for the Bears to have a chance in the toughest division in the NFC.
21. –Seahawks- The Seahawks had a BYE in week 7 and have a tough game against the Cowboys in week 8.
22. –Jaguars- The Jaguars also had a BYE in week 7, and should be able to win against the Titans in week 8, but then again the Jaguars are terribly inconsistent.
23. Bills- The Bills were able to capitalize on 3 INTs by Delhomme in week 7. I am not sold on the Bills, despite their 3 wins. The Bills had 167 total yards against the Panthers and they allowed 425 total yards, the fact that they won the game 20-9 shows more of how bad the Panthers are, then how good the Bills are.
24. Panthers- Delhomme… they need a change… but they have no-one else… long season… see Bills (above)

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Tier 6
25. –Chiefs- The Chiefs played bad against the Chargers and I don’t see them winning many games this year.
26. –Raiders- They Raiders were back to being the Raiders last week. Finally, Russell was benched. He plays so uninspired, it’s just sad that he got such a large contract.
27. –Lions- Get ready Detroit, I think this week is the week for the 2nd win of the season.
28. –Redskins- The Redskins are bad, how do you outsource play calling to a guy in a booth that hasn’t even been with the team all season? Jim Zorn will be the first coach fired this year.

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Tier 7
29. –Titans- The Titans have a shot at a win this week against the Jaguars, let’s see if they were able to regroup over the BYE week. We should see some more Vince Young this week (finally).
30. –Browns- Traveling into Soldier Field the week after the Bears got embarrassed is not promising for the Browns.
31. –Bucs- The remaining schedule for the Bucs is:  BYE, Packers, @Dolphins, Saints, @Falcons, @Panthers, Jets, @Seahawks, @Saints, Falcons. If you see a win in there, let me know.
32. –Rams- The Rams will have their best chance for a win this week against the Lions, but I don’t expect them to get it, especially with Stafford and Calvin Johnson returning for the Lions.