Week 9 recap

NFL POWER RANKINGS

(Before Monday night's game)

1. New England (9-0)

2. Indianapolis (7-1)

3. Dallas (7-1)

4. Green Bay (7-1)

5. Pittsburgh (6-2)

6. N.Y. Giants (6-2)

7. Tennessee (6-2)

8. Detroit (6-2)

9. New Orleans (4-4)

10. Cleveland (5-3)

11. Jacksonville (5-3)

12. Washington (5-3)

13. Tampa Bay (5-4)

14. Baltimore (4-3)

15. San Diego (4-4)

16. Seattle (4-4)

17. Kansas City (4-4)

18. Carolina (4-4)

19. Vikings (3-5)

20. Buffalo (4-4)

21. Houston (4-5)

22. Philadelphia (3-5)

23. Chicago (3-5)

24. Denver (3-5)

25. Arizona (3-5)

26. Atlanta (2-6)

27. Cincinnati (2-6)

28. Oakland (2-6)

29. San Francisco (2-6)

30. Jets (1-8)

31. Miami (0-8)

32. St. Louis (0-8)

NFC NORTH FLEXING ITS MUSCLES

The NFC hasn't won the season series with the AFC since 1995. Last year, the AFC's advantage was a record 40-24 mark. It's also obvious the two best teams in the league this season are in the AFC (New England and Indianapolis). However, the AFC advantage through Week 9 this season is only 20-19. And the NFC North, a laughingstock not long ago, is 7-2 against the AFC West. Green Bay (3-0) and Detroit (2-0) haven't lost an interconference game this season.

TITANS TEEING OFF ON QBS To have a chance at dethroning the Colts in the AFC South, teams must have the ability to at least put a finger on quarterback Peyton Manning every once in a while. The Tennessee Titans realize that, and have been brushing up on beating up quarterbacks the past two weeks. They sacked Oakland's Daunte Culpepper four times two weeks ago and Carolina's David Carr seven times on Sunday. The Titans now have 22 sacks, which is only four fewer than they had all last season. Of course, Manning is a much harder target than Carolina's Carr, the human tackle dummy. When a Tennessee reporter asked Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth about his three sacks in Sunday's 20-7 victory, he said, "You've got to credit David Carr, too, since he held the ball and allowed me to get there."

Look out for the Saints

The Saints stunned everyone by losing their first four games, but now that they've won four consecutive games, they're only one game behind Washington for the second wild-card spot in the NFC. So what's changed in New Orleans? Look no further than quarterback Drew Brees. In the first four games, he completed 63.3 percent of his passes but averaged only 232.3 yards per game with one touchdown, nine interceptions, four sacks and two lost fumbles. In the next four games, he completed a Brady-esque 71.5 percent with an average of 311.5 yards per game with 11 touchdowns, one interception, one sack and one lost fumble.

LOOK OUT, DON SHULA

Now that the Patriots (9-0) have beaten Indianapolis (7-1) at Indy, it's time to start taking seriously the possibility of this being the season that Don Shula and his '72 Dolphins aren't able to uncork those champagne bottles and toast the only undefeated season in NFL history. The Patriots' seven remaining opponents are a combined 24-33 (.421). Of those seven teams, one is winless (Miami), one has one victory (Jets) and only two have winning records (Pittsburgh and the Giants).

MARK CRAIG

Drew Brees