Originally published Saturday, September 29, 2012 at 5:16 PM
Danny O'Neil's NFL power rankings
Danny O'Neil's NFL power rankings Last week's rankings in parentheses Team Comment 1. Houston (2) Texans truly are 3-0 for the first time...
| Danny O'Neil's NFL power rankings | |
| Last week's rankings in parentheses | |
| Team | Comment |
| 1. Houston (2) | Texans truly are 3-0 for the first time in forever. They've never been perfect after three games. |
| 2. Atlanta (3) | Unbeaten Septembers aren't remembered if you forget to show up in the playoffs. |
| 3. Baltimore (6) | Ravens' three prime-time victories this year have Deion Sanders worried about his nickname. |
| 4. San Francisco (1) | As good as it gets? That's a question every 49ers fan is asking about Alex Smith. |
| 5. Arizona (11) | Cardinals rule? They're 10-2 over past 12 regular-season games, best in the NFL. |
| 6. Philadelphia (5) | At what point does Andy Reid's mustache become a public-health issue? It can't be sanitary. |
| 7. N.Y. Giants (7) | Closing time: Giants have outscored opponents 42-14 in the fourth quarter. |
| 8. New England (8) | Illegal contact costs a defensive back 5 yards, but a coach $50,000. Ask Bill Belichick. |
| 9. Green Bay (9) | Cheddar isn't typically the kind of cheese that pairs well with whine. |
| 10. Seattle (15) | Read how a sticky-fingered Seahawk snatched a victory in "The Tale of the Golden Fleece." |
| 11. San Diego (4) | A river runs through it? Nah. Philip Rivers would prefer to pass. |
| 12. Dallas (12) | Coach Jason Garrett has total autonomy as long as owner Jerry Jones says it's OK first. |
| 13. Cincinnati (18) | Bengals LB Dan Skuta sounds like he's a fairly mobile player. |
| 14. N.Y. Jets (14) | Tim Tebow going shirtless so often Jets just may have themselves a convertible of a QB. |
| 15. Pittsburgh (10) | Immaculate Reception hasn't been replayed as much as Golden Tate's inaccurate reception. |
| 16. Washington (16) | Homeland security? Not in Washington. This team has lost seven in a row at home. |
| 17. Denver (13) | Fourth-and-too-long: Broncos 1-2 despite outscoring opponents 45-6 in final period. |
| 18. Minnesota (24) | Vikings a win away from matching last season's victory total. |
| 19. Chicago (19) | Nice to see Jay Cutler pushing himself instead of his offensive linemen. |
| 20. Tampa Bay (20) | Tacking on a late touchdown vs. Bucs wouldn't be running it up so much as karma. |
| 21. Detroit (17) | No defense for Lions allowing more than 20 points in every game this season. |
| 22. Buffalo (23) | The Bills beat the Browns! It was only 25 years ago that would've actually meant something. |
| 23. Miami (22) | It's not the Heat that's bad in Miami, nor the humidity, but the Dolphins who are awful. |
| 24. St. Louis (21) | Rookie WR Brian Quick sounds like he'd get off to a fast start, but he has no catches. |
| 25. Tennessee (28) | Chris Johnson was not listed among the injured, but it's possible there's a fork stuck in him. |
| 26. Oakland (30) | Say what you want about K Sebastian Janikowski, he's got lots of guts. Literally. |
| 27. Indianapolis (25) | Only half bad: Colts have outscored opponents 45-33 in 1st half, been outscored 50-16 in 2nd. |
| 28. Kansas City (30) | We have a regional designation for Chiefs' ineptitude: They stink Royally. |
| 29. Jacksonville (32) | Don't let the name fool you. Cecil Shorts' 80-yard TD catch was the game-winner last week. |
| 30. Carolina (27) | QB Cam Newton underwent an MRI this week; Panthers worried he lacked a backbone. |
| 31. New Orleans (26) | Saints winless without Payton, which sounds very similar to what happened in Indy last year. |
| 32. Cleveland (29) | Remember when the Browns at least waited until the fourth quarter before collapsing? |
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