Nov. 03--Last week's rank in parentheses.
1. Patriots 7-0 (1): With the Redskins on their way to Foxborough, the Patriots are just about halfway to 16-0.
2. Bengals 7-0 (2): A 31/2-game lead in the division after seven games is getting after it.
3. Broncos 7-0 (5): Peyton Manning, we never should have doubted you and we never doubted your defense.
4. Panthers 7-0 (4): Ridiculous drop by Ted Ginn Jr. in overtime win proof of just how well Cam Newton is playing this season.
5. Cardinals 6-2 (6): Week off before prime-time meetings with the Seahawks and Bengals. They're going big time.
6. Packers 6-1 (3): Butt-kicking at Denver the kind of midseason wake-up call that can serve a team well down the stretch.
7. Vikings 5-2 (10): Are there only six really good teams out there?
8. Steelers 4-4 (9): Big Ben comes back just in time for Le'Veon Bell to exit. Sometimes it just isn't your year.
9. Rams 4-3 (11): The last time the Rams were over .500 this late in a season was 2006, four years before Stan Kroenke took full control of the club.
10. Seahawks 4-4 (12): Still doubting them after they beat the Matt Cassel-led Cowboys by only one point on the road.
11. Falcons 6-2 (8): Suspicions they were not as good as their record were confirmed when they fell at home to the Bucs.
12. Raiders 4-3 (16): When is the last time you even daydreamed about the Raiders making the playoffs?
13. Saints 4-4 (17): They don't play a lick of D, but with the Titans, Redskins and Texans in the next three, the roll could continue.
14. Jets 4-3 (7): Whoever thought losing Ryan Fitzpatrick would mean so much?
15. Giants 4-4 (14): The only thing that saved them from being skewered more was Lucas Duda's bad throw and the Mets' Game 5 meltdown.
16. Dolphins 3-4 (13): Reality sets in for an interim coach when he goes to Foxborough and gets his tail kicked.
17. Cowboys 2-5 (18): Dez Bryant's pet monkey drawing concern from animal rights groups and, oh, yeah, Tony Romo could return in two weeks.
18. Eagles 3-4 (15): The second half of the season is going to be interesting for Chip Kelly if things don't start to break for the Eagles.
19. Bills 3-4 (19): Deep thinker Sammy Watkins on Instagram referred to fans as "losers" and told them to "continue working y'all little jobs for the rest of y'all lives."
20. Chiefs 3-5 (26): Followed up win over short-handed Steelers by mauling the Lions in London, and now they get a week off.
21. Colts 3-5 (21): Heads are gonna roll. It's just a matter of how soon and how many.
22. Redskins 3-4 (23): Remember all the excitement after the comeback over the Bucs? After getting a week off, they face the Patriots.
23. Ravens 2-6 (25): The only possible silver lining to Steve Smith being lost for the year to a torn Achilles tendon is he might be back for one more go-round in 2016.
24. Texans 3-5 (31): From "Hard Knocks" to "Ripley's Believe It or Not," they're tied for first!
25. Buccaneers 3-4 (29): Lovie Smith did what Lovie Smith does, he got his team to bounce back from a wretched loss and beat a decent Falcons team.
26. Bears 2-5 (20): John Fox is 2-0 against the AFC West so an excursion to San Diego ought to be perfect.
27. Chargers 2-6 (22): Injuries continue to pile up and now WR Keenan Allen, who was putting up huge numbers, is out with a lacerated kidney.
28. Browns 2-6 (24): On a short week headed across state to face the unbeaten Bengals sounds like a program not fit for a national television audience.
29. Jaguars 2-5 (28): Just a half-game out of first place!
30. 49ers 2-6 (27): Colin Kaepernick has been deemed the problem, but Blaine Gabbert is not the solution.
31. Titans 1-6 (32): After firing coach Ken Whisenhunt on Tuesday, now they just need a bunch of new players.
32. Lions 1-7 (30): It has been seven years since Matt Millen was fired, but by golly this looks like his work.
bmbiggs@tribpub.com
