At the half

The NFL officially hit the halfway mark two weekends ago but the Patriots were on a bye so it didn't register here. Now that the Pats have played their eighth game in Week 9 it's time to rank, again, the top 10 teams. The depth and balance of the NFL has never been better. Any team on this list could win the Super Bowl. Name another pro sport where 10 teams have a shot at the title? There have been some big changes in slightly more than a month. Like, what happened to the Giants?

1. Indianapolis Colts (8-0): One thing that hasn't changed is Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. They may have barely pulled out a win against the Texans, but that is exactly what makes them the best team in the NFL. Like their nine-game winning streak to close out the regular season in '08, the Colts are that veteran team that never gets rattled and knows how to win. Indy, like the Pats, has been hit by some key injuries. And they have yet to lose. Yet.

2. New Orleans Saints (8-0): The Saints seem to be head-and-shoulders above the rest of the NFC at this point. Brees and the offense have already scored 303 points. 303. The Pats record is in serious jeopardy. The next closest team is the Vikings with 244 points. New Orleans just keeps piling up the touchdowns. Can they win in the playoffs? It's still too early to go there. What we do know is that they will almost certainly be playing their playoff games in the comfort of the Dome. If the Pats can't get that fourth Lombardi, the Saints are the team I'll be rooting for.

3. Minnesota Vikings (7-1): A Viking-Saints NFC title game would be one of the best ever. No doubt. (If it was paired with a Pats-Colts AFC title game -- oh what a day that would be!) Brett Favre and the Vikes bounced back from their tough loss to the Steelers by going into Green Bay and handling the circus atmosphere of Favre's return to Lambeau with ease. They are the class of the NFC North. For what that's worth. Will there be a Favre fade again this year?

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2): The defending champs, who were nowhere to be found on most rankings at the quarter pole, are back in the mix. Largely because Polamalu and his hair are back. That's trouble. Big Ben already has two Super Bowl titles to his credit so maybe it's time I acknowledged the guy's a heck of a quarterback. The Steelers get the nod at #4 over the Pats because they did what the Pats couldn't -- go into Denver and get a win.

5. New England Patriots (6-2): The Patriots passed their first test in the stretch of four huge November games with their win over Miami. Now it's on to the game everyone has been waiting for since the schedule came out. At Indy. Sunday night. We'll know a lot more about just how good the Pats can be come midnight Sunday. The Pats are looking strong going into the game. The offense is showing solid balance and the defense is playing as physical a style as any team in the league. They'll need to be even better on both sides of the ball going forward.

6. Denver Broncos (6-2): I know, the Broncos beat the Patriots in their first "real" challenge of the season. Josh McDaniels did his best Howard Dean impersonation on the field after that game but it was fitting. So why put the Pats ahead of a team that beat them? The Broncos have lost two-in-a-row since then, and Kyle Orton is starting to play a little more like Kyle Orton. Thus the Broncos' offense is suspect. If the Pats get another shot at Denver -- even in Denver -- I think they'll win that game.

7. Cincinnati Bengals (6-2): The Bengals probably should be higher. Maybe as high as #4. After their tough-luck loss to Denver in the opener, the men in stripes have gone into places like Green Bay and Baltimore and won. And they beat the Steelers. Those are quality wins. But the Bengals still have to prove they can maintain their level of play into the second half. They get a big chance to do that in Pittsburgh. They don't have to win to prove they are a contender, they just have to give the Steelers a real battle. Because after that their schedule gets a lot easier.

8. Dallas Cowboys (6-2): The 'Boys get the last spot for the 6-2 teams. Until they beat the Eagles they were not a top 10 team, their winning streak being built on the likes of the Chiefs and Seahawks. But going into Philly and knocking off the Eagles is proof the Cowboys are starting to figure it out. Tony Romo has found someone to share a little of his man-love of Jason Whitten -- Miles Austin. He's became the playmaker that Roy Williams (and TO) were supposed to be. And the defense is starting to play up to its capabilities. Of course as long as Wade Phillips is high-fiving in his too-snug sweater I really can't take this team seriously.

9. Arizona Cardinals (5-3): The defending NFC champs get this spot mostly due to the fact that they will probably win the weak NFC West. That makes them a playoff team. Road wins against the Giants and Bears are a sign that Kurt Warner and the offense is capable of winning away from the desert. But the loss at home to the Panthers in between those two games is a sign that they will be winning the division with a 9-7 record again. And this time I don't think there'll be any magic carpet rides to the Super Bowl.

10. Atlanta Falcons (5-3): A lot of contenders for the 10 spot. Certainly the Chargers, Giants, Eagles, and Texans can all make a claim they are as good as the Falcons. And they are. But the Falcons get it because Michael Turner is running like Michael Turner can. Add that to Matt Ryan and the Falcons' offense is difficult to stop. And they played the Saints as tough as you can without beating them. Falcons are a playoff team.

Dishonorable mention: The Baltimore Ravens and Ray Lewis. Someone should put together a YouTube video of Ray Lewis's pre-game scream-a-thons spliced together with the Ravens' D getting shredded. Lewis beating his chest ... cut to a picture of Ray Ray getting smoked by Hines Ward. Lewis yelling "We'll hit them all day!" ... cut to a picture of Ray Ray on the ground as OchoCinco pulls in a touchdown. Aren't his teammates sick of his act? Everyone else is.