Huard and the Chiefs have been surprisingly good this season.

9. Seattle Seahawks
Seattle started 3-1 and then suffered back to back losses before getting back on track last week by demolishing St. Louis 33-6. A fairly easy schedule for the Seahawks will land them a playoff spot, but how long they last in the six-team tournament is a different story. Shaun Alexander has still not returned to his form of two seasons ago, but with two 100-yard rushing games this season; it appears he is on his way back to beginning a top running back.

8. Pittsburgh Steelers
Big Ben has been inconsistent after eight weeks, but Pittsburgh is still looking good at 5-2. With an easy schedule after the first half, the Steelers should have won on the road at Denver, but did not-- making that their second loss thanks to a defeat at the hands of Arizona. Hines Ward has been doing his part to lead the offense for the Steelers, but the main focus has to be on their QB and defense that tend to take some weeks off.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars
They lost out on being a spot higher because of their 13-10 loss to the Titans, but they will get another shot at Vince Young’s club in Week 10. The Jags could use a step up in their offensive game after beating Atlanta by only six, but with wins at Denver and Kansas City (and the poor records of others) the Jags find themselves sitting pretty so far, now they need to hope for a healthy David Garrard.

6. Tennessee Titans
The Titans are getting the job done with or without Vince Young. At 5-2, their only losses came in a two-point loss to Indianapolis and a three-point loss to Tampa Bay on the road. With a win over Jacksonville and a convincing victory over struggling New Orleans, the Titans still have Carolina, Jacksonville, San Diego, and Indianapolis ahead, but given their strong play in the first half, Titans fans can punch their playoff tickets once again.

5. Green Bay Packers
The Packers had an exciting win in overtime at Denver as Brett Favre proved his critics wrong with the assumption he had lost his arm. Green Bay is off to a very nice start at 6-1, but there is something about this group that you just can’t trust when push comes to shove. Sure, they have answered the bell over their first seven contests, but with Minnesota, Carolina, Dallas, and Detroit twice looming in future weeks, the Packers true tests have yet to come.

4. Dallas Cowboys
How are they ranked lower than the Giants? Simply because the Giants have become the better team since their Week 1 loss to Dallas. Tony Romo has toned it down a little since his little run at the beginning of the season, though Marion Barber continues to impress week in and week out, complimented nicely by Julius Jones. The Cowboys’ defense needs to improve drastically if they plan on advancing deep into the playoffs because as of right now they could be a one and done deal following Week 17. If the Cowboys think their defensive strategy from their first meeting with the Giants will work in Week 9, they have another thing coming.

3. New York Giants
At 0-2 everyone though the Giants season was over before it had even started, including me. But now the Giants are putting together lengthy drives and sacking opposing quarterbacks with ease. Eli Manning looks extremely comfortable this season and Plaxico Burress looks like a completely different player for the G-Men. Their opening night loss against the Cowboys will be avenged in Week 9 at Giants Stadium where New York will win and officially become the top team in the NFC. Sure they lost to “America’s Team” in Week 1, but that was before the Giants defense knew who they were or what they were capable of. At this point in the season, there may be no one in the NFC who can play with the Big Blue. An Eli/Peyton Super Bowl? Not so farfetched.

2. New England Patriots
They embarrassed the Redskins, embarrassing themselves in the process as they ran up the score on Joe Gibbs’ weak squad going for deep passes on fourth down. But aside from the disrespectful play of Bill Belichick, the Patriots are 7-0 and a 4.5 point favorite at Indianapolis this week. Randy Moss has obviously brought the New England offense to another level along with Wes Welker. The Patriots defense is still one of the best, if not the best, in the NFL as they continue to shutdown the opposition-- even if the competition has been awful over the first eight weeks. This weekend is the true test for the Patriots as they will not face the Redskins, Dolphins, Jets, or Bills, but rather the defending Super Bowl champions.

1. Indianapolis Colts
Everyone is forgetting who the defending Super Bowl champions are. Well, they’re the team that has won for 12 straight weeks including a historic comeback against the amazing New England Patriots back in the AFC Championship last winter. The difference between this undefeated club and their competition this week is that the Colts have played against some of the league’s top defensive teams and have come out victorious each time, and while the Pats are 8-0, they have beaten up on the NFL’s basement. Peyton Manning has found a way to adjust to the pressure of the Jacksonville and Carolina defenses the past two weeks and returning home with the quest for the undefeated season on the line, there is no way the reigning champ will lose to Tom Brady in his own house.