1. New York Giants – My preseason pick to win it all has two tough divisional victories under their belts, and Eli Manning may have had his best day as a pro on Sunday night in Dallas. Unless the Justin Tuck injury is more serious than expected, look for the G-Men to go on a little run here with the Bucs, Chiefs and Raiders in their immediate path.
2. Baltimore Ravens – Are we sure this is the Baltimore Ravens? Are they really going out there and winning shootouts? Yes, they are. Joe Flacco and a potent running game have put Baltimore in first place even before that ferocious defense gets into high gear.
3. New Orleans Saints – Peyton Manning may be my favorite quarterback, but the best one in the league right now is Drew Brees. Lighting up the Lions for six touchdowns is one thing. Going into the Linc and running up 48 on a tough Eagles team is quite another. Their defense will have to ratchet it up a bit, but look out world, the Saints are doing some damage.
4. Indianapolis Colts – Close victories against both Jacksonville and Miami weren’t incredibly confidence-inspiring, but they were hard-fought wins by a team in some transition. And for all that is changing these days in Indy, number 18 has stayed the same – top notch.
5. New York Jets – This won’t last long, because they aren’t nearly as good as they’re showing. But the Jets have had a nice couple of weeks to open the year, including knocking off the Patriots.
6. Atlanta Falcons – Sophomore Matt Ryan is picking up where he left off last year. Just wait until Michael Turner really gets going. It could get toasty in Hot-lanta.
7. New England Patriots – Tom Brady may have left his magic in Foxboro on Sunday, but that seems unlikely to continue.
8. Dallas Cowboys – The ‘Boys had every opportunity to beat the Giants to open their new cathedral, but too many mistakes by Tony Romo and an inability to stop Eli Manning was their undoing. I expect the “D” in Dallas to return, but where is Romo headed?
9. Minnesota Vikings – They let the lowly Lions stick around for a while before hitting the throttle. You have to wonder what might happen when they go up against a real team for the first time after toying with Cleveland and Motown in the first two weeks. Any team with Adrian Peterson, that defense, and a surprisingly game-manager-esque No. 4 has precious few reasons to worry.
10. Tennessee Titans – This is it, Jeff Fisher. A couple of very close losses to two very good teams has put them in a hole. With one of the best coaches in the NFL and a ton of talent, I doubt the Titans lose for long… but one more against MarkSanchez & Co. this weekend, and I will be forced to adjust my Super expectations of them.