A loss by the Baltimore Ravens shouldn't hurt them much, as they have already beaten the Jets and Steelers, and they took the Patriots to overtime.
Oh, and all those games were on the road.
That's not so bad. Since the best record in the NFC is 4-2, there's a jumbled mess of humanity in the top ten. Enjoy!
* 1. JETS (5-1) | LAST WEEK: 2 A five-game win streak with no end in sight. A Week 15 trip to Pittsburgh could wind up being a battle for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Chris Burke
* 2. STEELERS (4-1) | LAST WEEK: 3 Now that Ben Roethlisberger is, the Steelers are much more dangerous. They still have the Saints, Patriots, and a trip to Baltimore on the schedule, so it won't be easy, but Pittsburgh can establish themselves as a contender.
* 3. PATRIOTS (4-1) | LAST WEEK: 4 So that 2011 first-round pick that the Patriots acquired from Oakland in exchange for Richard Seymour? Imagine if New England uses it to take Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram. A dominant RB is a definite missing piece for the Pats right now. CB
* 4. RAVENS (4-2) | LAST WEEK: 1 There's not much shame in not being able to put New England away on Sunday, but it's not a good thing when you blow a ten-point lead in the fourth quarter, either. The Ravens will get better, though, as Ed Reed is ready to roll after missing six games.
* 5. COLTS (4-2) | LAST WEEK: 6 After winning on the road, the Colts go into their bye with two straight wins. It's still a logjam atop the AFC South, but it looks like Indianapolis is starting to hit their stride.
* 6. SAINTS (4-2) | LAST WEEK: 9 The Saints have been killed by injuries this season, most notably at the running back position where both Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas have missed considerable time. Christopher Ivory stepped in on Sunday and dropped 158 yards on Tampa Bay and gave New Orleans a reason to believe that momentum is turning and the Saints are ready to defend their Super Bowl title. Knox Bardeen
* 7. TITANS (4-2) | LAST WEEK: 8 An impressive win over Jacksonville Monday much of it accomplished with starting quarterback Vince Young on the sideline keeps Tennessee in the mix in the AFC South. They have a key interconference game Sunday against Philadelphia, and they don't play another division game until Thanksgiving weekend, so this race will probably be tight for a while.
* 8. EAGLES (4-2) | LAST WEEK: 12 Michael Vick? Kevin Kolb? Does it matter? The Eagles enjoyed their first quality win of the season with Kolb under center, but they paid a big price for the win when DeSean Jackson had to be removed from the game with a severe concussion. The Eagles go to Tennessee in Week 7 before heading into a much-needed bye week. R.J. White
* 9. GIANTS (4-2) | LAST WEEK: 11 The G-Men took care of business in Week 6, and after fracturing Detroit quarterback Shaun Hill's arm, the Giants defense has put fear into the hearts of quarterbacks around the league. New York looks like the favorite in the NFC six weeks into the season, and they can put the stamp on that title in Dallas this week. RW
* 10. FALCONS (4-2) | LAST WEEK: 5 Had Saints kicker Garrett Hartley not missed a 29-yard field goal in overtime of Week 3 or had 49ers cornerback Nate Clements slid to the ground instead of trying to run back an interception in Week 4, this Falcons team would be 2-4 instead of 4-2. Sooner or later Atlanta is going to have to thump a top-rated team to show me they are ready to be an elite force in the NFL. KB
* 11. TEXANS (4-2) | LAST WEEK: 13 Big win for Houston Sunday against Kansas City ... one they needed badly. Now it's a matter of getting that momentum to carry through their bye this week, so they don't fall behind in a very good division.
* 12. BEARS (4-2) | LAST WEEK: 7 A loss to Seattle did nothing to hurt the Bears' standing in the floundering NFC North, as the Packers also lost. That doesn't mean Chicago is free and clear, because the Vikings are getting better, and the Bears aren't going to overwhelm anyone with their talent.
* 13. DOLPHINS (3-2) | LAST WEEK: 17 Big win at Green Bay in Week 6, but the Dolphins face a major uphill battle in the AFC East, having already lost at home to the Jets and Patriots. They're far from dead, though they could use a nice winning streak. CB
* 14. REDSKINS (3-3) | LAST WEEK: 10 A three-point loss against Peyton Manning in primetime is about as good as you can expect from the Redskins, who may have found a feature back in the form of Ryan Torain. Washington has played three good games in a row against quality opponents, and now they face trips to Chicago and Detroit before a Week 9 bye. RW
* 15. CHIEFS (3-2) | LAST WEEK: 15 Here's the test for the upstart Chiefs: off tough road losses at Indy and Houston, can they bounce? Amazingly, they look like the division's best team right now. CB
* 16. BUCCANEERS (3-2) | LAST WEEK: 16 Despite losing 31-6 last week to New Orleans, this Tampa Bay team has won three of its first five games and shouldn't be hanging their heads. Yes, Tampa running back Cadillac Williams would like to improve his 2.5 yards per carry average and rookie defensive linemen Gerald McCoy and Brian Price would like to slow the gap that's allowing teams to run against the Buccaneers as if they were running downhill, but this team wasn't supposed to be good this year one deflating loss shouldn't derail the improvement they've seen thus far. KB
* 17. CARDINALS (3-2) | LAST WEEK: 20 Cardinals fans were given a glimpse of the Max Hall era in Week 5, and the rookie QB has had two weeks of practice to develop chemistry with Larry Fitzgerald. Steve Breaston is rejoining the team just in time for a critical road game in Seattle that will decide which team will be the early favorite to win the division. RW
* 18. SEAHAWKS (3-2) | LAST WEEK: 23 The Seahawks held an opponent to exactly 20 points for the third straight game in Week 6, and it was enough to beat the 4-1 Bears. Now they have the Arizona Cardinals on tap in Week 7 for the first of two games within the span of four weeks. The NFC West could be won by Week 10. RW
* 19. VIKINGS (2-3) | LAST WEEK: 22 The Cowboys did just enough to lose to Minnesota Sunday, but the Vikings deserve credit. They got big plays from the defense and special teams, and they overcame another rather uneven performance from Brett Favre, who is getting hit far too often for anyone's comfort in Minnesota.
* 20. JAGUARS (3-3) | LAST WEEK: 18 There might not be a more inconsistent team. Jacksonville figured out a way to beat the Colts and Broncos, but has been blown out by the Titans, Eagles, and Chargers. It's far from over, but Monday night was not a good sign.
* 21. PACKERS (3-3) | LAST WEEK: 14 At some point, the Packers have to get healthier, right? More injuries Sunday in an overtime loss to Miami, and one has to wonder how this team will stay in games as the schedule gets undeniably tougher. They need to get on a roll, and it starts Sunday night with Favre and the Vikings coming to Green Bay.
* 22. BRONCOS (2-4) | LAST WEEK: 21 Tough loss to the Jets means that anything less than 3-0 in upcoming stretch (Oakland, at San Francisco, Kansas City) would just about end any playoff hopes. Someone other than Tim Tebow has to save the running game. CB
* 23. BENGALS (2-3) | LAST WEEK: 24 The bye week gave the Bengals a chance to reassess things. Struggling at 2-3 and looking up at the Ravens and Steelers in the AFC North, it's time for the Bengals' stars to show up consistently.
* 24. RAMS (3-3) | LAST WEEK: 28 One week the Rams are getting blown out by the Detroit Lions; the next, they turn the Chargers black and blue en route to a huge home win. Undrafted rookie free agent Danario Alexander is poised to pair up with No. 1 pick Sam Bradford to form the most exciting QB-WR connection in St. Louis since Bradford and Mark Clayton. RW
* 25. CHARGERS (2-4) | LAST WEEK: 19 It's easy to write off a 2-4 start to San Diego's usual early-season struggles. But make no mistake this is a team with major issues all over the field. All those missing and departed players might be catching up with the Chargers. CB
* 26. LIONS (1-5) | LAST WEEK: 25 The Lions continue to inch toward respectability, and now they just need to get their young gunslinger, Matthew Stafford, healthy. The bye should help that, and they come out of the bye with a home date against a beatable Washington team.
* 27. RAIDERS (2-4) | LAST WEEK: 26 Bruce Gradkowski's hurt. Now Jason Campbell's hurt. If you thought things couldn't get any worse for Oakland, just wait until Kyle Boller gets a start in Denver on Sunday, if Campbell's unable to go. CB
* 28. COWBOYS (1-4) | LAST WEEK: 27 Things just keep getting worse for the Cowboys, who dropped their fourth game of the season, all by seven points or less. Poor discipline by the players has led to a plethora of penalties called against the team, and it's safe to say that Wade Phillips is on the hot seat as a result. RW
* 29. 49ERS (1-5) | LAST WEEK: 30 Resting squarely on the hot seat, Mike Singletary managed to pull out a must-win game against Bay Area rival Oakland in Week 6. Was the victory a product of improved defensive play or the ineptitude of the Jason Campbell-led Raiders? Probably a little of both. San Francisco will look for another win this week against Carolina. RW
* 30. BROWNS (1-5) | LAST WEEK: 29 Peyton Hillis can run, but the Browns are lacking in the passing game. Give Colt McCoy credit for playing hard and staying upright for the most part, but he's still fighting an uphill battle to get the Browns moving consistently.
* 31. BILLS (0-5) | LAST WEEK: 31 The opportunities for victory are few and far between on the Bills' remaining schedule. If Buffalo's 0-9 after hosting Detroit in Week 10, you can sound the winless-season alarm. CB
* 32. PANTHERS (0-5) | LAST WEEK: 32 Unfortunately the best news all season for the Panthers was a bye week their first non-loss of the season. It's going from bad to worse in Charlotte when the starting quarterback gets benched for a rookie who turns out to be so inept at leading an NFL team that the starter has to return to his leading role. All of this happened over the course of six weeks. Matt Moore is back under center and Jimmy Clausen will have a headset on. My question is who got the better end of that deal? KB
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