Although it's impressive that both the Saints and Colts are 10-0, it's not clear that those teams are the favorites in their conferences. That's because the recent play of two other strong Super Bowl contenders — the Vikings and Chargers — has stood out more.
Why the Vikings are the NFC's best:
1. A better defensive line. New Orleans has wilted against strong running teams, but the Vikings' Williams Wall continues to stuff ballcarriers. Then when opponents try to pass on Minnesota, Jared Allen cleans up the quarterbacks.
2. A better lead back. The Saints' three-man committee has been effective, but it's hard to see their front seven containing Adrian Peterson in a playoff game, be it in the Superdome or Metrodome.
3. An equally good QB. For as much attention Drew Brees receives, Brett Favre might be playing at a level we've never seen from him. It also should be remembered that Favre has won before on the biggest stage.
Why the Chargers are the AFC's best
1. A better running game. Both San Diego and Indianapolis feature mostly one-dimensional passing offenses, but it's the Chargers who have improved on the ground — see the 203 yards rushing Sunday at Denver.
2. A better defensive bill of health. The teams each sustained a big loss — Chargers NT Jamal Williams
, Colts S Bob Sanders — but San Diego is jelling into the better unit. The Colts' fill-in secondary doesn't match up well with Chargers' receivers.
3. A better track record. The Chargers have won four of the last five games against the Colts, including playoff games the past two seasons. Philip Rivers also has the confidence to outduel Peyton Manning.
7-on-7: Offensive slumpbusters
1. Eli Manning, QB, Giants. He showed some signs against San Diego and got back to elite play with a career-high 384 yards and three touchdowns against Atlanta. His warmup comes at the right time with Denver, Dallas and Philadelphia upcoming.
2. Terrell Owens, WR, Bills. Interim coach Perry Fewell made it a point to make Owens a focal point of the offense, and Owens showed he has plenty of big-play flair left with nine catches for 197 yards and a TD.
3. Matthew Stafford, QB, Lions. He had only six touchdowns in his first nine games, but then posted the best-ever game for a rookie QB — 422 yards and five touchdowns. Now, they wait on MRI results on his left shoulder.
4. Brady Quinn, QB, Browns. Really, his 304-yard, four-touchdown game against those same lowly Leos goes along with what's happening at Notre Dame — big numbers against bad teams.
5. Marion Barber, RB, Cowboys. Dallas barely escaped the Redskins, 7-6, but Barber ran well despite a fumble. His 20 carries and 99 yards were his highest totals since Week 2.
6. Ryan Grant, RB, Packers. Green Bay needs his explosive running to make a playoff push, and he responded by averaging 6.3 yards a touch vs. San Francisco.
7. Mike Bell, RB, Saints. Depth and toughness are two underrated parts of New Orleans' success, and Bell displayed that in fighting through a midgame knee injury to finish with 75 yards and two touchdowns.
Hot seat
Just when Marvin Lewis' team finally is favored in a game, the same old Bengals return. They had a big opportunity to pad their division lead and saw it evaporate in Oakland's black hole. Lewis has done a great job this season, but falling into the Silver-and-Black trap might haunt his team down the stretch.
Injury update
• Kurt Warner, QB, Cardinals (concussion). The good news is, the NFC West is all but wrapped up and Arizona can't really do better than the No. 3 seed. Warner says he might be able to play next week, but the Cardinals can afford to be cautious.
• Ladell Betts, RB, Redskins (knee). So they got one big game of him before he went down with a season-ending injury. They will feel pressed to rush back Clinton Portis (concussion) to invigorate the offense.
• Al Harris, CB, Packers (knee). Harris is out for the year with a torn ACL. That means Tramon Williams will start opposite Charles Woodson and is sure to be the target of every opposing quarterback. Green Bay's pass rush also sustained a big blow in losing Aaron Kampman to a season-ending knee injury.
• Marshawn Lynch, RB, Bills (shoulder). Even if it's not serious, the new coaching regime should considering demoting him in favor of Fred Jackson.
The hangover
The Steelers knew they were in for a fight after their struggling kickoff coverage unit gave up a game-opening touchdown at Kansas City. They carried over other problems from their loss at Cincinnati, including shoddy pass protection and an anemic running game.
Next week brings the first of two matchups with the hated Ravens, who also are well off their AFC championship game level. It's clear that both won't return to the playoffs; Pittsburgh again must dig deep for a Baltimore sweep. Both teams were fortunate the Bengals lost Sunday at Oakland.
Down-and-distant
The Seahawks' defense has some talent, and it has even managed to pitch two shutouts this season, but otherwise, as a group, it has looked listless. The Vikings had only three bad plays against the unit — Brett Favre's only three incomplete passes. Seattle must consider a complete offseason overhaul, building around young first-rounders Aaron Curry and Lawrence Jackson.
Monday night lights
In Week 2, the Texans and Titans combined for 869 yards in Houston's 34-31 victory. Since, both defenses have improved, especially in creating turnovers. The quarterback who protects the ball better will win, and of late it's advantage Vince Young over Matt Schaub.
Why the Vikings are the NFC's best:
1. A better defensive line. New Orleans has wilted against strong running teams, but the Vikings' Williams Wall continues to stuff ballcarriers. Then when opponents try to pass on Minnesota, Jared Allen cleans up the quarterbacks.
2. A better lead back. The Saints' three-man committee has been effective, but it's hard to see their front seven containing Adrian Peterson in a playoff game, be it in the Superdome or Metrodome.
3. An equally good QB. For as much attention Drew Brees receives, Brett Favre might be playing at a level we've never seen from him. It also should be remembered that Favre has won before on the biggest stage.
Why the Chargers are the AFC's best
1. A better running game. Both San Diego and Indianapolis feature mostly one-dimensional passing offenses, but it's the Chargers who have improved on the ground — see the 203 yards rushing Sunday at Denver.
2. A better defensive bill of health. The teams each sustained a big loss — Chargers NT Jamal Williams
, Colts S Bob Sanders — but San Diego is jelling into the better unit. The Colts' fill-in secondary doesn't match up well with Chargers' receivers.3. A better track record. The Chargers have won four of the last five games against the Colts, including playoff games the past two seasons. Philip Rivers
also has the confidence to outduel Peyton Manning.7-on-7: Offensive slumpbusters
1. Eli Manning, QB, Giants. He showed some signs against San Diego and got back to elite play with a career-high 384 yards and three touchdowns against Atlanta. His warmup comes at the right time with Denver, Dallas and Philadelphia upcoming.
2. Terrell Owens, WR, Bills. Interim coach Perry Fewell made it a point to make Owens a focal point of the offense, and Owens showed he has plenty of big-play flair left with nine catches for 197 yards and a TD.
3. Matthew Stafford, QB, Lions. He had only six touchdowns in his first nine games, but then posted the best-ever game for a rookie QB — 422 yards and five touchdowns. Now, they wait on MRI results on his left shoulder.
4. Brady Quinn, QB, Browns. Really, his 304-yard, four-touchdown game against those same lowly Leos goes along with what's happening at Notre Dame — big numbers against bad teams.
5. Marion Barber, RB, Cowboys. Dallas barely escaped the Redskins, 7-6, but Barber ran well despite a fumble. His 20 carries and 99 yards were his highest totals since Week 2.
6. Ryan Grant, RB, Packers. Green Bay needs his explosive running to make a playoff push, and he responded by averaging 6.3 yards a touch vs. San Francisco.
7. Mike Bell, RB, Saints. Depth and toughness are two underrated parts of New Orleans' success, and Bell displayed that in fighting through a midgame knee injury to finish with 75 yards and two touchdowns.
Hot seat
Just when Marvin Lewis' team finally is favored in a game, the same old Bengals return. They had a big opportunity to pad their division lead and saw it evaporate in Oakland's black hole. Lewis has done a great job this season, but falling into the Silver-and-Black trap might haunt his team down the stretch.
Injury update
• Kurt Warner, QB, Cardinals (concussion). The good news is, the NFC West is all but wrapped up and Arizona can't really do better than the No. 3 seed. Warner says he might be able to play next week, but the Cardinals can afford to be cautious.
• Ladell Betts, RB, Redskins (knee). So they got one big game of him before he went down with a season-ending injury. They will feel pressed to rush back Clinton Portis (concussion) to invigorate the offense.
• Al Harris, CB, Packers (knee). Harris is out for the year with a torn ACL. That means Tramon Williams will start opposite Charles Woodson and is sure to be the target of every opposing quarterback. Green Bay's pass rush
also sustained a big blow in losing Aaron Kampman to a season-ending knee injury.• Marshawn Lynch, RB, Bills (shoulder). Even if it's not serious, the new coaching regime should considering demoting him in favor of Fred Jackson.
The hangover
The Steelers knew they were in for a fight after their struggling kickoff coverage unit gave up a game-opening touchdown at Kansas City. They carried over other problems from their loss at Cincinnati, including shoddy pass protection
and an anemic running game.Next week brings the first of two matchups with the hated Ravens, who also are well off their AFC championship game level. It's clear that both won't return to the playoffs; Pittsburgh again must dig deep for a Baltimore sweep. Both teams were fortunate the Bengals lost Sunday at Oakland.
Down-and-distant
The Seahawks' defense has some talent, and it has even managed to pitch two shutouts this season, but otherwise, as a group, it has looked listless. The Vikings had only three bad plays against the unit — Brett Favre's only three incomplete passes. Seattle must consider a complete offseason overhaul, building around young first-rounders Aaron Curry and Lawrence Jackson.
Monday night lights
In Week 2, the Texans and Titans combined for 869 yards in Houston's 34-31 victory. Since, both defenses have improved, especially in creating turnovers. The quarterback who protects the ball better will win, and of late it's advantage Vince Young over Matt Schaub.
...since bye week sd d has been playin like it back on the juice 1 guy in particular
over last 2 years this team has become battle tested and rivers is that guy you need at qb imo and w a healthy(for the moment)LT and the rest of the crazy weapons they have(got v.jackson in 5th round of both my