Ballot and comments from AP Pro 32 panel voter Bob Glauber of Newsday.
Week 9
BOB GLAUBER (Newsday)
1. Atlanta _ No fourth-quarter magic necessary for Matty Ice this time. Falcons easily handle Iggles to remain NFL’s only unbeaten.
2. New York Giants _ The Giants are 6-2 at the halfway mark. Sound familiar? It should. Tom Coughlin has started off 6-2 six times in his nine seasons in New York.
3. Houston _ Matt Schaub figures to be a good fantasy play this week against Bills’ ugly defense.
4. San Francisco _ Alex Smith losing confidence? “Just gobble, gobble, gobble, turkey from jive-turkey gobblers,” says Jim Harbaugh after Smith sets completion percentage record in 24-3 romp over Arizona. Got it, coach.
5. Chicago _ Tim Jennings with another magnificent play, this time to win it for the Bears in a thriller against the Panthers. Defensive player of the year honors ahead for this emerging cornerback?
6. Green Bay _ That’s three straight for a Packers team that is hitting its stride, thanks mostly to Aaron Rodgers showing his MVP form with two more TD passes against an unexpectedly tough Jaguars team.
7. Baltimore _ Suddenly vulnerable Ravens, coming off bye following that beatdown in Houston, now calling Browns game must win. Lead over Steelers now down to a game.
8. New England _ Pats show the Brits a thing or two about how to score touchdowns in 45-7 blowout of Rams in London.
9. Denver _ Peyton says he isn’t really all the way back from recent neck problems. Could have fooled us.
10. Pittsburgh _ Stillers stay unbeaten at home (3-0) with impressive win over Redskins. We’ll find out a lot more about this team this week, though. With a 1-3 road record, they’re at the Giants on Sunday.
11. Seattle _ Pete Carroll says the Seahawks are oh-so-close to 8-0. Another woulda-should-coulda moment against Detroit, as a late lead slips away.
12. Detroit _ Lions hanging in by the skin of their teeth thanks to another heart-stopping comeback by Matthew Stafford, this one over Seattle.
13. Washington _ Robert Griffin III gets his first taste of Heinz Field, and it’s not a good one. Stillers’ D all over the Redskins in this one.
14. Minnesota _ Christian Ponder looks like a different guy. After a 4-1 start with six TDs, 2 INTs and nine sacks, he’s 1-2 in his last three with four TDs, five INTs and 10 sacks.
15. Dallas _ Cowboys have been alternately brilliant and awful, and sometimes in the same game. Look no further than hideous first half against the Giants and stirring second half comeback that winds up just inches from a win over the Giants. Now it’s off to Atlanta to face the unbeaten Falcons.
16. Miami _ The beatdown of the Jets was extra special after a week’s worth of trash talk. Dolphins win the game and the war of words.
17. Indianapolis _ More Andrew Luck magic, this time with the winning touchdown pass in OT as Indy’s resurgence continues. Wild card contender? Could be.
18. Arizona _ Cardinals were the surprise team of the first month with a 4-0 start. Second month? Not so much.
19. Philadelphia _ Another loss and more speculation about whether Michael Vick will get the hook. Might only be a matter of time. Andy Reid next?
20. New Orleans _ Not quite the return Joe Vitt had wanted after a six-game suspension, as the Saints’ reeling defense springs a few more leaks.
21. New York Jets _ The calls for Tim Tebow grow louder, but Rex Ryan isn’t ready to abandon Mark Sanchez. Another loss or two, and there might be no choice.
22. Tampa Bay _ Bucs come up with the upset special in Minnesota, as rookie running back Doug Martin has a breakout game and the Bucs’ defense handles Adrian Peterson & Co.
23. San Diego _ The wheels are coming off.
24. Cincinnati _ Bengals had the bye week to ponder three-game losing streak. Now they get to ponder facing red hot Peyton Manning at home. Good luck with that.
25. Oakland _ Raiders still a factor in AFC West race with second straight win. Not sure how much longer they hang with Broncos, but they’re still within a game of first.
26. Tennessee _ This much remains consistent in Tennessee: They can’t beat the Colts. That’s now seven losses in last eight games against AFC South rivals.
27. Buffalo _ Bills’ defense couldn’t deal with Tennessee at home. Can’t see how things get any better on the road in Houston after the bye.
28. Carolina _ Panthers were within minutes of the upset of the week until Cam Newton threw it away with a late interception.
29. St. Louis _ At least the Rams got to do a little sightseeing on their trip to London. Certainly nothing to see from their offense against the Patriots at Wembley Stadium.
30. Cleveland _ Pat Shurmur sees small signs of improvement every week from his young team. It may not look pretty but a 7-6 win over San Diego sure beats the alternative.
31. Jacksonville _ Jags keep it close in Green Bay, but finally succumb to the reigning MVP at Lambeau.
32. Kansas City _ Chiefs fans should concentrate more on what happens on Saturdays than Sundays. There’s a star college quarterback out there who will be their salvation next April. Or so they hope. In the meantime, it’s grin-and-bear-it the rest of the way.
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Online: https://pro32. ap.org/poll and https://t witte r.com/AP_NFL
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