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Cohen's NFL Power Rankings

As Halloween nears, some teams received some pretty nasty tricks last week, so much so that they fell big time in the power rankings. On the other hand, others received enough treats to garner high ratings.

1) PITTSBURGH STEELERS (5-1): The only reason Pittsburgh is number one, and not the Tennessee Titans, is that Pittsburgh is 5-1 while playing the toughest schedule in the league this year. The Steelers beat up on the bumbling Bengals and will rudely welcome in the New York Giants in what could be a Super Bowl XLIII preview.

2) TENNESSEE TITANS (6-0): Okay, the Titans are 6-0. Their defense is fantastic amassing third position in the NFL in total defense and first in the NFL in points allowed (66). But the Titans have no offense. I know Chris Johnson and LenDale White ran all over the Chiefs, but that was the Chiefs, so take it for what it is. Kerry Collins is doing just enough not to lose the game. Eventually, he is going to have to win a game, and that might not be good for Tennessee. The Titans schedule gets a lot tougher with games against the Colts, Packers, Jaguars, Bears and Jets on the horizon. We will find out who the Titans really are during this stretch.

3) N.Y. GIANTS (5-1): Are the G-Men self-destructing? Plaxico Burress and coach Tom Coughlin have been going at it for weeks now. The latest episode was Coughlin screaming at Burress after a offensive pass interference call during last week's lackluster win against the 49ers. The Giants haven't been playing well lately, and it won't get any better with a extremely difficult schedule for the rest of the season.

4) BUFFALO BILLS (5-1): The Bills are for real. Buffalo ran over the Chargers at home in a huge victory to stay in first place. Trent Edwards gets better with each game, and the Buffalo defense stopped a once high-powered Charger offense in its tracks. It seems like Ralph Wilson Stadium is becoming a great home field again. The Bills seem unbeatable up there, just like the good-ole-days. Imagine January football in Buffalo N.Y.? And you thought Green Bay was cold.

5)TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (5-2): The Bucs rolled past a bad Seahawk team, looking poised to be one of the NFC's best teams this year. This could be a huge year for Tampa, considering that the Super Bowl is in their stadium. Extra motivation? May-haps.

6) WASHINGTON REDSKINS (5-2): The Skins bounced back nicely against the Browns in a 14-11 victory. Clinton Portis ran all day long, rushing for 175 yards in the effort. Portis is by far the best back in the NFL this season. Watch out for the Skins with the Cowboys falling apart, the Giants going through some turmoil, and the Eagles struggling to find themselves, Washington could win the NFC East.

7) CAROLINA PANTHERS (5-2): The Panthers like blowouts. Three of their five victories have been by 15 or more points. You can credit this to a fifth ranked defense, second against the pass, with 11 sacks. Julius Peppers is having a comeback year, a contract year no less, with four sacks to lead the team. Offensively, the Panthers can run the ball and throw it on anyone. DeAngleo Williams and Jon Stewart are both averaging four yards a carry. Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad both have close to 500 yards receiving. The Panthers are a contender.

8) ARIZONA CARDINALS (4-2): The Cards are coming off a bye week where they basked in the glory of a big victory over the Cowboys. Now they have to get ready for the Panthers. This could be a tricky week for Arizona. They have gotten off to a great start and are, by far, the best team in the NFC West.

9) NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (4-2): Is it just me or is anyone else suprised that New England is 4-2 without Tom Brady. Everytime I look at Matt Cassell, he is eating dirt with one sack after another after another after another. Yet the Patriots find ways to win. I can't explain how they beat Denver other than the fact that the Broncos turned it over five times. The Patriots lost running back Lawrence Maroney and saftey Rodney Harrison for the season. Eventually, these problems will come back to bite the Patriots. Right?

10) GREEN BAY PAKCERS (4-3): Miss Brett Favre, Green Bay? Don't think so. Aaron Rodgers has been brilliant. He has thrown for 1668 yards, 12 touchdowns and only four interceptions. That is better than Favre's statistics with the Jets. In spite of a putrid start, the Packers might be figuring it out. They beat up two bad teams in consecutive weeks, the Seahawks and the aging Colts. Green Bay gets the week off to heel and will face a tough second half with games against the Bears, Vikings, Titans and Panthers coming up. We will learn a lot about this team by Thanksgiving.

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