Week 9 NFL power rankings

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.