1 Dallas Cowboys: Despite what Randy Moss says, the Cowboys are the team to beat. They are the favorites to win the Super Bowl. They have all the pieces, tons of weapons and they will only get better. I hate to say this, but I like Tony Romo as a player and an individual. He might be the only quarterback in the NFL that can deal with T.O. as a teammate.

2 Pittsburgh Steelers: Not a very impressive win against Cleveland, but it was against a divisional opponent on the road. So, maybe it was an impressive win? The AFC is up for grabs and I feel the Steelers are the front-runners because they play in the weakest division. I see them sweeping Cincinnati, Baltimore, and Cleveland.

3 Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers is a better quarterback right now than Brett Favre was last year. For a team that went 13-3 in 2007, I don’t see any reason why they can’t repeat that performance. Once Rodgers collects his first win via fourth quarter comeback, Brett Favre’s name will be forgotten in Wisconsin…forever. Alright, that’s a little too dramatic.

4 Buffalo Bills: Anyone jump on the Buffalo train with me yet? With Brady going down two weeks ago and the Jets not being able to beat New England at home, the Bills are starting to look like the team to beat in the AFC East. I’m still looking at a 5-0 start for this Bills team. Their defense is very, very good. After a Week 6 showdown with a bye, the Chargers will travel to Buffalo to give the Bills a huge test.

5 New York Giants: If you are in a survivor pool, take whoever is playing the Rams. It was New York’s turn to man-handle St. Louis last week. Speaking of looking ahead, the G-men could be looking at a 6-0 start with their next four games against Cincinnati, Seattle, Cleveland, and San Francisco.

6 Denver Broncos: They squeaked out a controversial win against the Chargers, but inadvertent whistles happen in the NFL. It’s part of the game, but it was definitely bad timing. However, don’t hold that against Denver. They are a very good, young team. Jay Cutler looks like he is the real deal and if Brandon Marshall can catch 18 passes per game from here on out, that’s 270 catches. That will shatter the all-time record.

7 Philadelphia Eagles: It’s hard to criticize Donovan’s McNabb’s performance last night against Dallas. He played brilliantly and showed all of us that he can play with anyone when he is 100% healthy. However, despite everything that happened in the first 55 minutes, McNabb had two chances to take his team down the field for the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter and couldn’t get it done. McNabb has to step it up at the end of games if he wants to show the NFL that the Eagles are a Super Bowl contender. He can’t fumble away losses.

8 New England: Whatever, they will start losing soon. Suck it, Boston?

9 Carolina Panthers: Carolina is 2-0 with both of those games being won in the fourth quarter. This is usually a sign of a good team. Steve Smith comes back this week for the Panthers as they travel to Minnesota to play the 0-2 Vikings. Look for him to play catch-up like Brandon Marshall did this past weekend.

10 Indianapolis Colts: They showed us nothing for six straight quarters, then they scored 18 straight points against the Vikings to avoid starting the season 1-1. This was an early must-win game for the Colts as they go home to face the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 3. It’s evident that Peyton Manning isn’t at 100%, but as the season progresses I expect him and the Colts to improve and be right in the mix.

11 Tennessee Titans: I love watching Kerry Collins play football. I was explaining to my friend Ben on Sunday that he is the only player in the NFL that is allowed to play drunk. It helps his game. He drinks before games and at halftime, and also smokes cigars on the sidelines. It’s quite phenomenal. All Tennessee needs is solid quarterback play and they will be in contention for a playoff spot. Cheers, Kerry Collins.

12 Chicago Bears: Kyle Orton hasn’t thrown a TD pass this year. That means he is on pace to not throw any TD passes for the whole year. Can the Bears stay in contention if that’s the case? With a strong running game, an even stronger defense, and solid special teams, the answer is yes. But Devin Hester must remain healthy. I don’t know what I mean by contention. As last week, I’m realizing this spot belongs to another team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

About The Author

Perry is a Blast Magazine staff writer. He's usually seen on our Off the Record sports blog.

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