The New York Giants, capable of beating anyone, but also capable of losing to anyone, have not looked good for a few weeks now, ever since they went to San Francisco and won convincingly.

The team that beat them, Pittsburgh, appears to be on the rise and vaulting into the top tier, which now consists of nine teams I think are most likely to win the Super Bowl. Pittsburgh has overcome early bad form, and now if they can sweep the Baltimore Ravens or otherwise make up that game, they could be looking at a home game or even a bye. They should win handily at home against Kansas City this week and keep it going.

San Francisco was off last week, and remains atop my rankings. They are the most dominant team at their best, but have shown us in this season that they can be beaten when they play poorly. Likely a preview of what looks like a wide open playoff affair.

Atlanta remains undefeated, and I compared them to the other 8-0 teams yesterday. They are among the best, but unlike some other historic 8-0 teams, do not look like a clear favorite at the halfway point. The top nine teams in my power rankings were in the playoffs last year and look to be on target to return.

As for the evictions, we finally got rid of the Eagles, who will be undergoing their own changes this offseason. The Arizona Cardinals bit the dust as well after five straight losses. This week, we’ll go with one. I give the Colts a reprieve for the emotional win and getting to five, so this week’s candidates are the Bengals, Redskins, Rams, Chargers and Cowboys.

1. San Francisco 49ers (6-2)
2. Green Bay Packers (6-3)
3. Houston Texans (7-1)
4. Atlanta Falcons (8-0)
5. Chicago Bears (7-1)
6. Denver Broncos (5-3)
7. New England Patriots (5-3)
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3)
9. New York Giants (6-3)
10. Seattle Seahawks (5-4)
11. Baltimore Ravens (6-2)
12. Miami Dolphins (4-4)
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4)
14. Detroit Lions (4-4)
15. Minnesota Vikings (5-4)
16. Indianapolis Colts (5-3)
17. Dallas Cowboys (3-5)
18. St. Louis Rams (3-5)
19. San Diego Chargers (4-4)
20. Washington Redskins (3-6)
21. Cincinnati Bengals (3-5)

EVICTED: New Orleans (3-5), New York Jets (3-5), Carolina (2-6), Buffalo (3-5), Philadelphia (3-5), Arizona (4-5), Oakland (3-5), Tennessee (3-5), Cleveland (2-7), Jacksonville (1-7), Kansas City (1-7)

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[photo via US Presswire]