Lexwhat
09-23-2008, 01:01 PM
http://www.nfl.com/news/story;jsessionid=7212BA5291F0C0C2AF69E069C042130A?id=09000d5d80b0f426&template=without-video&confirm=true
In the hunt
<table class="standard_table" width="720" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr style="padding: 5px; font-size: 12px; font-family: arial;"> <td colspan="5">Teams that look good enough to be among the 12 playoff qualifiers, but not based on conference.</td> </tr> <tr style="padding: 5px; font-size: 12px; font-family: arial; background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);"> <td width="5%">Rank</td> <td width="25%">Team</td> <td width="10%">Record</td> <td width="10%">Prv.</td> <td width="55%">Comment</td> </tr> <tr class="whiteback" style="padding: 5px; font-size: 12px; font-family: arial;"> <td>1.</td> <td>Dallas Cowboys (http://www.nfl.com/teams/dallascowboys/profile?team=DAL)</td> <td>3-0</td> <td>1</td> <td>Explosive offense, strong defense, solid special teams, abundant talent. Everything you could want from the league's best team.</td> </tr> <tr class="ltblueback" style="padding: 5px; font-size: 12px; font-family: arial;"> <td>2.</td> <td>New York Giants (http://www.nfl.com/teams/newyorkgiants/profile?team=NYG)</td> <td>3-0</td> <td>2</td> <td>Should have been easier vs. the Bengals, but the Giants were able to rely on their championship poise when it counted most.</td> </tr> <tr class="whiteback" style="padding: 5px; font-size: 12px; font-family: arial;"> <td>3.</td> <td>Philadelphia Eagles (http://www.nfl.com/teams/philadelphiaeagles/profile?team=PHI)</td> <td>2-1</td> <td>11</td> <td>The defensive pounding administered on the Steelers made up for the no-show vs. Dallas.</td> </tr> <tr class="ltblueback" style="padding: 5px; font-size: 12px; font-family: arial;"> <td>4.</td> <td>Buffalo Bills (http://www.nfl.com/teams/buffalobills/profile?team=BUF)</td> <td>3-0</td> <td>5</td> <td>Should have been easier vs. the Raiders, but Trent Edwards (http://www.nfl.com/players/trentedwards/profile?id=EDW720778) showed once again that he knows when to rise to the occasion.</td> </tr> <tr class="whiteback" style="padding: 5px; font-size: 12px; font-family: arial;"> <td>5.</td> <td>Tennessee Titans (http://www.nfl.com/teams/tennesseetitans/profile?team=TEN)</td> <td>3-0</td> <td>9</td> <td>A strong defense has carried the Titans to the top of the AFC South. It could very well carry them much higher.</td> </tr> <tr class="ltblueback" style="padding: 5px; font-size: 12px; font-family: arial;"> <td>6.</td> <td>Denver Broncos (http://www.nfl.com/teams/denverbroncos/profile?team=DEN)</td> <td>3-0</td> <td>8</td> <td>Regardless of the officiating assists, the Broncos' offense is scary.</td> </tr> <tr class="whiteback" style="padding: 5px; font-size: 12px; font-family: arial;"> <td>7.</td> <td>Green Bay Packers (http://www.nfl.com/teams/greenbaypackers/profile?team=GB)</td> <td>2-1</td> <td>3</td> <td>The Packers discovered first-hand just how wide the gap is between them and the big boys of the league.</td> </tr> <tr class="ltblueback" style="padding: 5px; font-size: 12px; font-family: arial;"> <td>8.</td> <td>Pittsburgh Steelers (http://www.nfl.com/teams/pittsburghsteelers/profile?team=PIT)</td> <td>2-1</td> <td>6</td> <td>If Ben Roethlisberger (http://www.nfl.com/players/benroethlisberger/profile?id=ROE750381) thought he saw a lot of blitzing vs. the Eagles, wait until he sees what the Ravens have in store for him on Monday night.</td> </tr> <tr class="whiteback" style="padding: 5px; font-size: 12px; font-family: arial;"> <td>9.</td> <td>Carolina Panthers (http://www.nfl.com/teams/carolinapanthers/profile?team=CAR)</td> <td>2-1</td> <td>4</td> <td>Wasn't Steve Smith's return supposed to make the Panthers' offense stronger?</td> </tr> <tr class="ltblueback" style="padding: 5px; font-size: 12px; font-family: arial;"> <td>10.</td> <td>Washington Redskins (http://www.nfl.com/teams/washingtonredskins/profile?team=WAS)</td> <td>2-1</td> <td>--</td> <td>Jason Campbell (http://www.nfl.com/players/jasoncampbell/profile?id=CAM375235) is beginning to click in Jim Zorn's offense.</td> </tr> <tr class="whiteback" style="padding: 5px; font-size: 12px; font-family: arial;"> <td>11.</td> <td>Baltimore Ravens (http://www.nfl.com/teams/baltimoreravens/profile?team=BAL)</td> <td>2-0</td> <td>--</td> <td>Who would have ever thought Joe Flacco (http://www.nfl.com/players/joeflacco/profile?id=FLA009602) and the Ravens would be sitting atop the AFC North?</td> </tr> <tr class="ltblueback" style="padding: 5px; font-size: 12px; font-family: arial;"> <td>12.</td> <td>Arizona Cardinals (http://www.nfl.com/teams/arizonacardinals/profile?team=ARI)</td> <td>2-1</td> <td>12</td> <td>After their disappointment in Washington, maybe staying on the East Coast will help the Cards pass their road test vs. the Jets.</td></tr></tbody></table>
In the hunt
<table class="standard_table" width="720" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr style="padding: 5px; font-size: 12px; font-family: arial;"> <td colspan="5">Teams that look good enough to be among the 12 playoff qualifiers, but not based on conference.</td> </tr> <tr style="padding: 5px; font-size: 12px; font-family: arial; background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);"> <td width="5%">Rank</td> <td width="25%">Team</td> <td width="10%">Record</td> <td width="10%">Prv.</td> <td width="55%">Comment</td> </tr> <tr class="whiteback" style="padding: 5px; font-size: 12px; font-family: arial;"> <td>1.</td> <td>Dallas Cowboys (http://www.nfl.com/teams/dallascowboys/profile?team=DAL)</td> <td>3-0</td> <td>1</td> <td>Explosive offense, strong defense, solid special teams, abundant talent. Everything you could want from the league's best team.</td> </tr> <tr class="ltblueback" style="padding: 5px; font-size: 12px; font-family: arial;"> <td>2.</td> <td>New York Giants (http://www.nfl.com/teams/newyorkgiants/profile?team=NYG)</td> <td>3-0</td> <td>2</td> <td>Should have been easier vs. the Bengals, but the Giants were able to rely on their championship poise when it counted most.</td> </tr> <tr class="whiteback" style="padding: 5px; font-size: 12px; font-family: arial;"> <td>3.</td> <td>Philadelphia Eagles (http://www.nfl.com/teams/philadelphiaeagles/profile?team=PHI)</td> <td>2-1</td> <td>11</td> <td>The defensive pounding administered on the Steelers made up for the no-show vs. Dallas.</td> </tr> <tr class="ltblueback" style="padding: 5px; font-size: 12px; font-family: arial;"> <td>4.</td> <td>Buffalo Bills (http://www.nfl.com/teams/buffalobills/profile?team=BUF)</td> <td>3-0</td> <td>5</td> <td>Should have been easier vs. the Raiders, but Trent Edwards (http://www.nfl.com/players/trentedwards/profile?id=EDW720778) showed once again that he knows when to rise to the occasion.</td> </tr> <tr class="whiteback" style="padding: 5px; font-size: 12px; font-family: arial;"> <td>5.</td> <td>Tennessee Titans (http://www.nfl.com/teams/tennesseetitans/profile?team=TEN)</td> <td>3-0</td> <td>9</td> <td>A strong defense has carried the Titans to the top of the AFC South. It could very well carry them much higher.</td> </tr> <tr class="ltblueback" style="padding: 5px; font-size: 12px; font-family: arial;"> <td>6.</td> <td>Denver Broncos (http://www.nfl.com/teams/denverbroncos/profile?team=DEN)</td> <td>3-0</td> <td>8</td> <td>Regardless of the officiating assists, the Broncos' offense is scary.</td> </tr> <tr class="whiteback" style="padding: 5px; font-size: 12px; font-family: arial;"> <td>7.</td> <td>Green Bay Packers (http://www.nfl.com/teams/greenbaypackers/profile?team=GB)</td> <td>2-1</td> <td>3</td> <td>The Packers discovered first-hand just how wide the gap is between them and the big boys of the league.</td> </tr> <tr class="ltblueback" style="padding: 5px; font-size: 12px; font-family: arial;"> <td>8.</td> <td>Pittsburgh Steelers (http://www.nfl.com/teams/pittsburghsteelers/profile?team=PIT)</td> <td>2-1</td> <td>6</td> <td>If Ben Roethlisberger (http://www.nfl.com/players/benroethlisberger/profile?id=ROE750381) thought he saw a lot of blitzing vs. the Eagles, wait until he sees what the Ravens have in store for him on Monday night.</td> </tr> <tr class="whiteback" style="padding: 5px; font-size: 12px; font-family: arial;"> <td>9.</td> <td>Carolina Panthers (http://www.nfl.com/teams/carolinapanthers/profile?team=CAR)</td> <td>2-1</td> <td>4</td> <td>Wasn't Steve Smith's return supposed to make the Panthers' offense stronger?</td> </tr> <tr class="ltblueback" style="padding: 5px; font-size: 12px; font-family: arial;"> <td>10.</td> <td>Washington Redskins (http://www.nfl.com/teams/washingtonredskins/profile?team=WAS)</td> <td>2-1</td> <td>--</td> <td>Jason Campbell (http://www.nfl.com/players/jasoncampbell/profile?id=CAM375235) is beginning to click in Jim Zorn's offense.</td> </tr> <tr class="whiteback" style="padding: 5px; font-size: 12px; font-family: arial;"> <td>11.</td> <td>Baltimore Ravens (http://www.nfl.com/teams/baltimoreravens/profile?team=BAL)</td> <td>2-0</td> <td>--</td> <td>Who would have ever thought Joe Flacco (http://www.nfl.com/players/joeflacco/profile?id=FLA009602) and the Ravens would be sitting atop the AFC North?</td> </tr> <tr class="ltblueback" style="padding: 5px; font-size: 12px; font-family: arial;"> <td>12.</td> <td>Arizona Cardinals (http://www.nfl.com/teams/arizonacardinals/profile?team=ARI)</td> <td>2-1</td> <td>12</td> <td>After their disappointment in Washington, maybe staying on the East Coast will help the Cards pass their road test vs. the Jets.</td></tr></tbody></table>