Touchdown Dance: NFL Power Rankings @ Week 9 Re-Cap

As all teams have reached the half way mark of their seasons there looks to be a good amount of changes to the Power Rankings on the horizon. Here's our look at this week's Power Rankings after week 9 of this NFL season.

1. Minnesota Vikings (7-1) (2) The Vikings slide into the top spot without even having to play a game. On the bye week the Vikings watched their two top competitors struggle at home against division opponents. At this moment the Vikings possess the most weapons in all three phases of the game. Lets just hope Brad Clueless doesn't screw it up.
2. New Orleans Saints (8-0) (1) Still undefeated the Saints have shown some definite chinks in the armour the past three weeks. This weekend they let division rival Panthers tally a 17-0 lead before coming back to win the game by 10, 30-20. The Saints run defense has regressed greatly due to injuries along the interior of the defensive line. The offense has started to make mistakes, but has enough firepower to make up for them. Luckily, for the Saints they have a very easy schedule remaining.
3. Indianapolis Colts (8-0) (-) As usual the Texans played the Colts very tough, but even more as usual the Colts came out on top 20-17. The Colts have injuries piling up all over the field and it is going to become increasingly difficult for them to stay perfect as far as record goes. Another tough test comes this weekend when the Patriots visit Lucas Oil Field on Sunday Night football.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) (5) The defending champs have found a nice rhythm both on offense and defense in their 5 game win streak. The offensive line is blowing people off the ball on the run and Ben Roethlisberger is having one of his best statistical seasons. The defense which is always strong looks back to normal after a slow start and had 4 turnovers, 1 for a touchdown in a win against the Broncos in Denver.
5. New England Patriots (6-2) (6) The Patriots played their toughest opponent in their past three games, but yet the Dolphins are still under .500. The game was a typical hard hitting battle between division foes, but Dolphins mistakes let the Patriots come out on top.
6. Cincinnati Bengals (6-2) (8) For the second time this season Cedric Benson and the Cincinnati Bengals ran over the Ravens defense. We can't forget to mention the nice job the Bengals did in holding the improving Ravens offense to 7 points in a 17-7 win in the Queen City.
7. Denver Broncos (6-2) (5) The defense is good, but not good enough to make up for absolutely no offensive output. That's what the Broncos have done for the most part since coming out of the bye. The Broncos could be having flashbacks from last season as their division lead is being eaten up by the Chargers once again.
8. Dallas Cowboys (6-2) (11) While Tony Romo has found the "Mistake Free Fountain" the defense has been even more impressive while stopping the run and finally getting after the quarterback a bit. A important victory this past weekend in Philly to take sole possession of first place in the NFC East.
9. Atlanta Falcons (5-3) (13) The play hasn't been overly impressive since coming off the bye week, but they have won 2 of 3 and have a good of chance as any as getting a wildcard slot. This past weekend the Redskins came calling and they took advantage of the many mistakes made by the Washington offense.
10. Philadelphia Eagles (5-3) (7) Is Andy Reid's love for the forward pass the reason for the Eagles inconsistent offense? This past weekend the Cowboys showed the league take away the small, fast receivers and the Eagles have a very difficult time pounding yards out. The Eagles are very talented on offense, but must find a better run/pass balance in order to find their way to the playoffs.
11. Houston Texans (5-4) (10) Going into a bye week on with a loss isn't ideal, but the Texans played tough against the Colts in Indianapolis and have become more balanced between offense and defense. This is a interesting team to watch after their bye week to see if they can finally break away from mediocrity.
12. San Diego Chargers (5-3) (18) While still not meeting preseason expectations the Chargers are playing much better since the home loss to the Broncos. This weekend was an ugly win, but any win against a tough Giants team against the road is a quality one. The Chargers have another tough task this weekend when the Eagles come to town. This game will go along way for which ever team comes out on top.
13. Arizona Cardinals (5-3) (16) Maybe the Cardinals should play the rest of their games on the road. So far this season they are undefeated at (5-0). This past weekend they beat up on the Bears in Chicago 41-21. Now they must go back home and give the Cardinals fans something to cheer about when the Seahawks comes to sunny Arizona.
14. NY Giants (5-4) (12) Even being called out by their own coach hasn't stopped the Giants from falling apart at some point in time during the last four games. The team heads into the bye week with a last minute loss to the Chargers and a huge need to re-invent themselves of what they once were.
15. Baltimore Ravens (4-4) (9) How do you show your age, either young or old in the NFL? Play as inconsistent as the Ravens have this season. This past weekend the team lost to the Bengals for the second time and fell two games behind both the Bengals and the Steelers for the AFC North division lead.
16. Miami Dolphins (3-5) (-) The Dolphins are headed in the right direction and will continue to improve and give their opponent fits. The bad news is is that they won't make the playoffs like they did last season.
17. NY Jets (4-4) (-) The Jets stay put as they rested on their bye. The Jets have a good chance to get back over .500 as the Jaguars come to town this weekend.
18. Carolina Panthers (3-5) (21) Where would this team be with a semi-decent quarterback? The running game is one of if not the best in the league. While Julius Peppers and his defensive cohorts are playing very well as of late. With a decent quarterback a win in New Orleans could have happened this past weekend, but Jake Delhomme is still under center thus the Panthers lost again 30-20.
19. Green Bay Packers (4-4) (15) The biggest surprise of the weekend when the Packers lost to the Buccaneers down in sunny Tampa Bay. The 3-4 defense doesn't have the correct personnel to properly run the scheme. The offensive line is one of the worst in the NFL and if Aaron Rodgers takes any more damage, he could be missing for a long, long time.
20. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-4) (23) The Jaguars are the definition of a mediocre team in the NFL blob of just "OK." They played well enough to beat the a bad Chiefs team, but didn't do all that impressively.
21. Tennessee Titans (2-6) (22) Vince Young doesn't put up huge numbers, but what he does do is win. This weekend the Titans continued their winning streak 9now at two) and beat the 49ers in San Francisco. The Titans defense has been playing better and Chris Johnson has been a stud.
22. San Francisco 49ers (3-5) (19) The 49ers lost their 5th in a row this past weekend when they let another slip away. This time it was the Titans capitalizing on 49ers offensive mistakes and the defense loos to be regressing. The 49ers have no time to pout about the loss as they play the first Thursday night game of the season as the Chicago Bears come to visit.
23. Seattle Seahawks (3-5) (24) The Seahawks received just what the doctor ordered for a injury riddled team, a visit from the Detroit Lions. After spotting the Lions the early lead the Seahawks decided to play defense and record five interceptions which helped paved the way for the 32-20 victory.
24. Chicago Bears (4-4) (20) The Bears are undisciplined, unprepared and most of all lack the talent to compete with the good team within the league. The Bears defense was a sieve as the Cardinals score on their first five possessions of the game in a 41-21 loss in the Windy City. Look for a complete melt down from the Midgets of the Midway.
25. Buffalo Bills (3-5) (-) The Bills got some much needed rest as they were on the bye. Lets see how many players they get back from injury as they visit the Titans this coming weekend.
26. Washington Redskins (2-6) (-) Another team that lacks offensive talent that causes their defense so much pain. The Redskins defense is decent enough to be a .500 team, but the offense is too bland while making to many mistakes to be any more than a four win team. This weekend the offense took another beating in a loss to Atlanta.
27. Oakland Raiders (2-6) (-) The Raiders stay put while on the bye. The Raiders biggest concern is whether their coach will beat them for talking back. The Raiders get a visit from the Chiefs who they have beat already this season.
28. Kansas City Chiefs (1-7) (-) The Chiefs made a game look much closer than it was this past weekend in Jacksonville in 24-21 loss. Not much else needs to be said for the sad sack Chiefs.
29. St. Louis Rams (1-7) (-) The Rams come off their bye weekend with their first victory, but will come out facing another loss, because the Saints come to town to face off against one of the worst teams in the league.
30. Detroit Lions (1-7) (-) The Lions came out strong against the Seahawks this past weekend, but then rookie quarterback Matt Stafford decided to have a rookie moment and throw five interceptions while the Lions lost again 32-20.
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-7) (-) The Buccaneers come up with their first victory of the season with a nice victory against the Packers. A three phase victory with scores on all teams. Lets not forget to mention a first victory for rookie quarterback Josh Freeman and rookie coach Raheem Morris. Love the old uniforms.
32. Cleveland Browns (1-7) (-) Even during the Browns bye week, quarterback Derek Anderson was only able to complete 5-24 passes during a scrimmage versus the local Pop Warner team. The Browns face another tough task as the very angry Ravens come to town to play on Monday night.