NFL Poll: Week Nine

In last week's big game, the Denver Broncos smashed the Green Bay Packers 29-10, which is a tribute both to the Broncos and to the fact that Denver gets to play all of its important games at home.  And so Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are in their accustomed slot at the top of the board, much as they have been since Americans were first learning about Osama Bin Laden.  But check out who has sneaked back into the ratings at number 8:

1.  New England Patriots:  7-0
2.  Denver Broncos:  7-0
3.  Cincinnati Bengals:  7-0
4.  Carolina Panthers:  7-0
5.  Green Bay Packers:  6-1
6.  Arizona Cardinals:  6-2
7.  Minnesota Vikings:  5-2
8.  Seattle Seahawks:  4-4
9.  Atlanta Falcons:  6-2
10.  St. Louis Rams:  4-3

The Dolphins (3-4) fell from 14 to 17 after losing to New England, while the Redskins went from 20 to 21 after a tough bye week.

The Packers are back in the spotlight again this week, as they travel to Charlotte to face the undefeated Panthers.  I doubt if any other team in the NFL has had to play back-to-back games on the road against undefeated teams this late in the season.  The other "big game" this week involves the St. Louis Rams (?) traveling to Minnesota for a game against the Vikings -- the first time this fixture has been of interest since about 1976.