Ballot and comments from AP Pro 32 panel voter Clifton Brown of Sporting News:
Week 8
CLIFTON BROWN (Sporting News)
1. New York Giants - Who's better than Eli Manning in the last two minutes? Nobody.
2. San Francisco 49ers - Defense makes them the class of NFC West, but Alex Smith needs to play better.
3. Houston Texans - Head into their bye week as the team to beat in the AFC, after whipping Ravens.
4. Chicago Bears - Jay Cutler is tough. Bears' defense is even tougher.
5. Atlanta Falcons - Undefeated, and that's what matters most. But still not buying them as the best team.
6. Green Bay Packers - Aaron Rodgers is rolling. But Charles Woodson's injury will hurt defense.
7. New England Patriots - This isn't a dominant Patriots' team. But it's still a dangerous one thanks to Tom Brady.
8. Minnesota Vikings - Adrian Peterson can still carry the rock, and still carry an offense.
9. New Orleans Saints - Watch out for them in the season's second half. Sunday night game in Denver will be huge.
10. Baltimore Ravens - They need this bye week after getting hammered in Houston. At least Terrell Suggs is back.
11. Denver Broncos - Chemistry between Peyton Manning and receivers only figures to keep growing.
12. Seattle Seahawks - Few teams are more physical, but they need to generate more passing offense.
13. Washington Redskins - Running out of superlatives for Robert Griffin III. But he'll keep running away from defenders.
14. Pittsburgh Steelers - In clutch situations, even when battling injuries, this team still makes plays.
15. Miami Dolphins - The season's most pleasant surprise. Joe Philbin is doing a superb coaching job.
16. San Diego Chargers - If they don't make playoffs, Norv Turner may need Stickum to hold onto his job.
17. Philadelphia Eagles - Andy Reid, Michael Vick, and new defensive coordinator Todd Bowles all on the spot.
18. Dallas Cowboys - Close win against Panthers was huge. But can Cowboys back it up by beating Giants?
19. New York Jets - Give them credit for getting better. Getting to the playoffs will still be tough.
20. Detroit Lions - A disappointment. Matthew Stafford-Calvin Johnson combo just isn't as potent.
21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Buccaneers hope that Josh Freeman's strong Week 7 is a sign of things to come.
22. Carolina Panthers - With Marty Hurney out as general manager, plenty of coaches and players should also worry.
23. St. Louis Rams - Trip to London will be a lot sweeter if they can upset the Patriots.
24. Cincinnati Bengals - Marvin Lewis is 1-10 at home against Steelers, and Sunday night loss really hurt.
25. Arizona Cardinals - Fading fast after a fast start. Monday night matchup vs. 49ers will be critical.
26. Indianapolis Colts - Andrew Luck will keep giving opponents headaches, and giving Colts chance to win.
27. Tennessee Titans - Chris Johnson is starting to heat up, and wishes he could face Buffalo more often.
28. Buffalo Bills - Defense is a joke, and Bills' fans aren't laughing. Not playing up to talent level.
29. Cleveland Browns - Pat Shurmur should be gambling more, with coaching job on the line.
30. Kansas City Chiefs - Romeo Crennel is going with Brady Quinn at quarterback, but that won't be cure-all.
31. Oakland Raiders - We'll see if comeback win over Jacksonville helps build momentum.
32. Jacksonville Jaguars - What will offense do without Maurice Jones-Drew? Don't expect much.
---
Online:
