1. Cardinals (9 last week): It's hard to believe they are the best in football, but they have beaten more good teams and answered more challenges than any other team.
2. Falcons (3): A quarterback who takes great care of the football and a defense that takes it away is a lethal combination.
3. Texans (6): Isn't it time to start calculating the Texans' magic number to clinch the AFC South?
4. Ravens (5): The offense is looking really good; the defense is looking really disappointing. But somehow, the Ravens still are one of the NFL's best.
5. 49ers (1): Oops. Let's give them a mulligan. Next time we count that drive into the woods.
6. Giants (10): After a rough start, they might be starting to put it together. Sound familiar?
7. Packers (2): Something is missing from the Packers offense, and they might not be the team we thought they were.
8. Eagles (4): If the Eagles could take care of the football better, they might be the NFL's best team, but how much can you like a team that is on pace for 64 turnovers?
9. Patriots (7): Are the Patriots starting to look a little old, or are the replacement refs looking really bad?
10. Bears (12): They won't get to the top of this list unless Jay Cutler starts pulling his weight.
11. Chargers (8): Losing to the Falcons does not mean they still are not the class of the AFC West.
12. Seahawks (19): Could they be the surprise team of 2012? Russell Wilson apparently thinks so.
13. Cowboys (14): If Tony Romo and the offense can keep pace with DeMarcus Ware and the defense, the Cowboys can be special.
14. Steelers (11): The absences of Troy Polamalu and James Harrison really started to show up Sunday.
15. Bengals (17): If you are a fan of points and yards, you should be a fan of the Bengals. They rack them up and give them up.
16. Broncos (13): Peyton Manning still is dangerous, but he can't win playing catch-up all the time.
17. Lions (15): They are digging themselves a hole, and now they might be without Matthew Stafford.
18. Vikings (25): It's starting to look like Adrian Peterson and Christian Ponder can be quite an effective combination for the Vikings.
19. Bills (27): Their high scoring offense will be put to the test without C.J. Spiller.
20. Chiefs (26): They are a different team with the Jamaal Charles who showed up Sunday, and they might have turned the corner against the Saints.
