NFL Picks: AFC Power Rankings Week 9

We have had another outstanding week of football. Here is a breakdown of how we see the Power Rankings for Week 9 of NFL Football. Hopefully, this assesment will help you to make succefull NFL picks this week.

AFC Power Rankings Week 9

Week 8 is in the books and here is how we see the power rankings going into the ninth week of the season.

1. Houston Texans - The boys in top spot last week and throughout most of this season remain the team to beat in the AFC even though they enjoyed a Week 8 bye. But visions of their dominating performance over the Ravens in Week 7 still dance in our heads.

2. New England Patriots - In the minds of Patriots fans their globetrotting annihilation of the Rams in London should be the norm not the exception, particularly when you have more weapons than a Navy Seal. But perhaps the best part of their 45-7 destruction of St. Louis is not the 45 points scored but the mere seven allowed.

3. Denver Broncos - Peyton Manning may have lost a bit of velocity off his fastball but boy has he made up for it in terms of field savvy, gamesmanship and guile. His touchdown trifecta paved the way for a lopsided victory over Drew Brees and the Saints.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers - If there's one word to describe this year's edition of the Pittsburgh Steelers it would be gritty. Ugly would be the word to describe their throwback uniforms but that didn't deter the Steelers from bottling up RG3 and getting a decisive victory over the Redskins despite their bevy of injured players.

5. Baltimore Ravens - The Ravens were humiliated in Week 7 by the Texans and had their bye week to think about it but woe to the Browns who will be hosting Baltimore in Week 9.

6. Miami Dolphins - You have to love the way this Miami team has rebounded from last season's 6-10 record, unless of course you believed the naysayers and bet them Under 6 wins for the season. They backed up their new found swagger with a big win over the slumping Jets.

7. Indianapolis Colts - No team has ascended greater this season than the Colts who had more than Luck on their side when they captured a crucial road win over the Titans on Sunday.

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8. Cincinnati Bengals - Unfortunately it's the lesser of nine evils once you get to number eight in the AFC power rankings list. Cincinnati didn't win in Week 8 but more importantly they didn't lose so we will reserve this spot for the bye week Bengals who host the Broncos this week.

9. Oakland Raiders - The Raiders have now won two straight with a fairly thorough handling of the Chiefs this past week preceded by an overtime win over Jacksonville and a three point loss to the best team in football, the Atlanta Falcons. Maybe this Oakland team has more than a pulse - maybe they have, dare I say it - talent! Let's not get carried away.

10. Buffalo Bills - After their high-priced defense failed again in Week 7 against the Titans, the Bills were assured that they would disappoint no one in Week 8. Yes, they had a bye.

11. Cleveland Browns - I'm not really sure a 2-5 team should be ranked this high but dammit, at least they try hard each time they take the field and this past Sunday beat those bums from the West Coast, the San Diego Chargers.

12. New York Jets - The loss to the Dolphins this past week was devastating and it may have just broken the backs of the mouthy New Yorkers who will have two weeks to relive the massacre at the Meadowlands.

13. San Diego Chargers - I honestly wanted to put this heartless group of repeat pretenders at the very bottom of the pile but I am nothing if not intellectually honest. Norv Turner's lease on his office should be terminated immediately after they failed to manage even a touchdown against the Browns in a 7-6 loss.

14. Tennessee Titans - I think I have been a bit unfair to the Titans and continue to be so with a ranking that is perhaps more deserving of some of the teams above. Yet, they're a colorless club that is maybe a bit better with Matt Hasselbeck pulling the trigger despite their overtime loss to the Colts this past week.

15. Jacksonville Jaguars - They hung around and covered the number against the Packers. That was their Super Bowl.

16. Kansas City Chiefs - Underachieving, disappointing and lost this past week to the Raiders. They remind me of the Chargers only without as much talent.