With a month of football under our belt, Peyton’s on pace for 5,880 regular season passing yards. Eli and Big Ben are both about to lose out on Hall-of-Fame shrines. And Tim Tebow has cast a swamp curse on Blaine Gabbert and Jacksonville’s hapless franchise. How does ‘London Jaguars’ look and sound to you? I smell the easiest sponsorship money the NFL has ever made #BigPimpin #InAnFTypeV8

Think of our Contender Rankings as the half-breed love-child of traditional “Power Rankings” and the NFL playoff format: from Best to Worst, we rank the 8 divisional leaders and our two favorite wild card teams from each conference. Our Top 12 rankings give you all the fun of a college poll AND a meaningful outlook on the NFL playoff picture!

1. Denver Broncos. (4-0). The Broncos are best in the AFC West. They could beat the Chiefs three times this season (if necessary). Just ask the Eagles who kicked Chip Kelly’s ass harder these past two weeks: Andy Reid or Peyton Manning?

2. Seattle Seahawks. (4-0). The Seahawks looked vulnerable for the first 52 minutes of this game. But a late game collapse by Houston let Seattle back in the game. Let’s see how they fare against the Colts’ stingy defense in Week 5: Indy gave up fewer than 13 points/game in September.

3. New Orleans Saints. (4-0). Monday night matchup on December 2: NO at SEA. We will see if Seattle can hang with the Saints’ high-octane offense late in the season.

4. New England Patriots. (4-0). Despite Tom Brady looking like Tony Romo on a 4th quarter fumble, the Patriots earned a tough road win this week against Atlanta. BTW LaGarrette Blunt– excuse me, Blount– could be the best ball carrier to play behind Brady since Corey Dillon took the rock for 1600+ yards in 2004. Yes, Blount could be the difference maker on a cold January night in Denver.

Best of the Rest: NFL Contender Rankings 5-12

5. Kansas City Chiefs. (4-0). The Chiefs might not even beat the Redskins in December. Don’t expect this team to finish better than 11-5.

6. Detroit Lions. (3-1). If the Lions can win at Green Bay this week, Detroit will gain a huge advantage in the NFC North. Bears and Packers fans needn’t worry though– the Lions are perfectly capable of blowing it (as usual). That said, we still think this Detroit team is different: they’re one of the few NFC teams with enough talent to match the Saints’ offense, and/or to outflank the Seahawks’ defense.

7. Indianapolis Colts. (3-1). The Colts took clear lead of the AFC South this week, primarily because of a regrettable injury to Titans’ QB Jake Locker (out 4-6 weeks, according to ESPN). While Tennessee took second place in the AFC South, Houston plunged to third in the division, thanks to Matt Schaub throwing another interception returned for a touchdown– his third such negative scoring drive in September. It wasn’t all bad in Houston last week– Texans’ fans can take solace in the resurgence of RB Arian Foster during the loss to Seattle. Foster’s 171 yards from scrimmage put Houston’s starting RB back on the radar as one of the top dual threats in the NFL.

8. Chicago Bears. (3-1). Chicago has already circled November 10 on the calendar: their rematch with Detroit in Week 10 is a MUST-WIN. You know, it’s a must-win game if Chicago wants to control its own destiny in the event of a two-way tie atop the NFC North… jk! The NFC sucks, so both the Bears and Lions seem destined for Wild Card Sunday. Let’s see if Green Bay (or even Minnesota) can snatch that second Wild Card spot in the NFC.

9. Miami Dolphins. (3-1). Mike Sherman isn’t your father’s Bill Callahan. But he’s pretty close. We won’t pay much attention to this team unless it beats New England during the regular season.

10. Carolina Panthers. (1-2). The last Wild Card spot in the NFC is very much up for grabs. We didn’t find the 49ers’ victory over a woeful Rams’ team convincing enough to move San Fran ahead of Carolina, who were on bye last week. We’re already looking to the November 10 matchup at Candlestick Park between the Panthers and the 49ers: this game will greatly impact the NFC Wild Card race.

11. Baltimore Ravens. (2-2). This week’s headline: Rookie QB defeats reigning Super Bowl MVP. E.J. Manuel outplayed Joe Cool in Buffalo on Sunday, while the Ravens’ play-callers inexplicably forgot to run the ball for their first 25 offensive plays in the second half. Does anyone in Baltimore remember how to run the playaction pass? On a related note, Norv Turner just turned a third string QB into someone capable of scoring against Marvin Lewis’ defense. Don’t be shocked if Cleveland seizes first place in the division next week.

12. Dallas Cowboys. (2-2). Football’s worst division is only gonna get worse in Week 5. Peyton Manning expects to stomp Monte Kiffin’s son in the testicles, just like Mike Tyson once did. Did I say Tyson? I meant Arizona State.

Heading into Week 4, the NFL is down to seven undefeated teams. Another seven teams are tied for sixth place in the NFC, despite their losing records. Looks like the NFC East isn’t alone in its mediocrity– more than half the Conference is committed to finish September in an underwhelming fashion. Here’s to hoping for better quality games in October! September looked a little too much like extended preseason for a few playoff teams from last postseason (not naming names, but you know who we talkin’ bout…).

Think of our Contender Rankings as the half-breed love-child of traditional “Power Rankings” and the NFL playoff format: from Best to Worst, we rank the 8 divisional leaders and our two favorite wild card teams from each conference. Our Top 12 rankings give you all the fun of a college poll AND a meaningful outlook on the NFL playoff picture! Yes, football fans, you can have your cake and eat it too. At least until you bitch about us dissing your team.

Top 4: Bye-week bound Divisional Leaders

1. Denver Broncos. Let’s see if Chip Kelly’s high speed system can keep pace with Peyton’s no huddle offense in their Week 4 matchup. Probably not. Until Kelly’s system beats one of Cam Newton’s teams, we’re gonna question its championship potential.

2. Seattle Seahawks. The creme de la NFC has an intriguing game against the Texans this week. Can the Texans (or anyone else) figure out how to score more than 20 points on Seattle’s defense?

3. New Orleans Saints. The Saints are on a mission. They will settle for nothing less than a Super Bowl trophy ceremony between Jonathan Vilma and Roger Goodell. In the Octagon.

4. New England Patriots. The Pats’ air attack should only get better from here.

Best of the Rest: NFL Contender Rankings 5-12

5.Chicago Bears. The Bears haven’t played a perfect game yet, but Chicago still has a perfect record. Intradivisional rivals Detroit will say a lot about say about that this Week.

6. Miami Dolphins. Stats from MIA’s win over ATL do not show a sustainable style of offense. That said, their two early road wins and this upset against a Steven Jackson-less Falcons’ squad could give this Dolphins’ team the cushion it needs to limp into a wild card berth.

7. Kansas City Chiefs. Wake us up when they play Denver in Week 11. Then we’ll talk about KC’s championship prospects.

8. Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens beatdown the Texans last week, but an ugly first half performance on offense was quickly erased by two vintage Ravens’ touchdown returns from special teams and their middle linebacker. To Flacco’s credit, his ball control offense worked effectively to keep the ball out of Houston’s hands in the second half. But make no mistake: this team needs Ray Rice healthy. (Editor’s note: Apologies to Cincy fans for breaking this tie in favor of Baltimore. The Bengals have looked consistently better than the Ravens so far this young season. Nevertheless, Ohio’s Other Lovable Losers will have to beat the defending Champs head-to-head if they want to grab PFPod’s AFC North Tiebreaker of the Month).

9. Houston Texans. Yes, Houston, you have two salary cap problems. The guaranteed money owed to Schaub and Foster over the next three seasons could cripple this franchise. Meanwhile, Indy and Tennessee look ready to eclipse the defending divisional champs. Kudos to Jake Locker for leading a game-winning last minute TD drive last week. Let’s hope your Week 1 performance against Pittsburgh was the fluke. Also, we think the national media outlets overhyped the Richardson trade . Yes, the Colts gained a serious goal line threat, but Willis McGahee will average more yards per rush this season than Richardson ever did in a Browns uniform. In other words, 3.6 yards per carry.

10. Dallas Cowboys. The NFC East leaders are looking better than any NFC wild card wannabes. For now.

11. Detroit Lions. Even if you don’t believe in Detroit, the Lions are one of only five NFC teams with a winning record. But don’t doubt this team’s ability to win during the playoffs– if Matthew Stafford can make it through the season, this team could make it way to the NFC Championship Game.

12. Carolina Panthers. Yeah, they looked extremely disappointing in Weeks 1 and 2. But every other 1-2 team in the NFC lost this week. And yes, we really do think the Panthers’ 38-0 win against the Giants could be a turning point for their season. That said, we’d be stunned if Carolina finished better than 9-7.

Dropped from rankings: Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers
New to Top 12: Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers

With two weeks of football under our belts, PFPod.com can now debut its first Contender Rankings of 2013. Think of our Contender Rankings as the half-breed love-child of traditional “Power Rankings” and the NFL playoff format: from Best to Worst, we rank the 8 divisional leaders and our two favorite wild card teams from each conference. Our Top 12 rankings give you all the fun of a college poll AND a meaningful outlook on the NFL playoff picture! Yes, football fans, you can have your cake and eat it too. At least until you bitch about us dissing your team’s crappy division.

Top 4: Bye-week bound Divisional Leaders

1. Denver Broncos. Peyton Manning has been the best offensive player in the league so far. And we’re still waiting for him to show up in the first half of a game! Broncos fans should Thank Eli for hosting big brother in NYC last weekend–Manning Bowl III might have been Denver’s walk-through for this year’s Super Bowl at the new Giants’ Stadium.

2. Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks’ bludgeoning of the defending NFC Champs in Week 2 signals a big problem for the rest of the conference: if Seattle gains home field advantage during the playoffs, there may not be a team capable of derailing their Super Bowl aspirations.

3. Houston Texans. Houston has not looked like the team it did a year ago, but they’re 2-0, and they have a shot to take down the defending champs in Baltimore this week. Look for Ed Reed to inflict a little bit of regret on his former franchise.

4.New Orleans Saints. Last week’s razor thin margin of victory against a mediocre Tampa Bay squad shouldn’t worry Saints’ fans–bizarre lightning delays are as good an excuse as a road team can get for a less than satisfying performance. Look for N’awlins to bounce back with a better game this week.

Best of the Rest: NFL Contender Rankings 5-12

5. New England. Before the season started, the Pats had a clear path to a playoff bye. This perennial powerhouse looked hungry for redemption before the dust had even settled from their season-ending loss in the AFC Championship game. But New England’s offense had the worst off-season in NFL history: Belicheck’s innovative strategy to create coverage mismatches for his top-shelf tight ends has unexpectedly disappeared. With Gronk sidelined day-to-day, and Hernandez for 25 to life, Tom Brady has been relegated to an extended preseason with a relatively fresh receiving corps. Where’s Wes Welker when you need him, New England?

6. Chicago. The Bears have not looked convincing in their two come-from-behind wins, but they are one of only three undefeated teams remaining in the NFC. As the season progresses, however, we would not be surprised if Green Bay, Detroit, and/or Minnesota finished ahead of them in the division. BTW, it is a travesty that the NFC East will get a team into the playoffs ahead of, well, anyone in the NFC North.

7. Miami. Ryan Tannehill’s surprising KO of Andrew Luck’s hapless Colts has kept the Dolphins undefeated. It seems unlikely that the Fins’ record will stay unblemished this week, though–a date with the Falcons should diminish Miami’s hope for a playoff berth.

8. Atlanta. The best 1-1 team in the NFL has to be the Falcons. Their Week 1 loss to the Saints was nothing more than a great advertisement for the divisional rematch in November. Atlanta’s victory over the Rams was a little disconcerting, however; a game that had looked like a blowout in the making nearly slipped from the Falcons late in the fourth quarter. This Atlanta team had better figure out how to finish strong–Falcons’ fans are getting tired of watching Mike Smith’s team falling flat on its face during the playoffs.

9. Kansas City. Chiefs fans might be a little miffed that we placed their undefeated team behind the one-loss Falcons, but let’s all be real here: your win against Jacksonville does not compare to their narrow defeat at New Orleans. That said, a victory against the high-flying Eagles would do a lot to catapult KC in our view.

10. Baltimore. The defending champs have not looked good in its first two games. The defense is still trying to form its identity in its first season EVER without Ray Lewis, and the offense is hoping that Joe Flacco can adapt to life without Anquan Boldin. For now, the Raven’s best chance at a repeat begins with their crummy divisional opponents. Cincinnati has looked strong enough to win the division, but the only thing the Steelers and Browns are gonna win this year are high draft picks for 2014.

11. Green Bay. Sure, it’s hard to say that Green Bay is better than the 49ers team that beat them in Week 1. But San Francisco won’t regain Contender status until they bounce back from the beatdown they took in Seattle on Sunday night. In the meantime, the Packers have looked solid in both games. Their dominating first half against Washington may be a sign that this team has figured out their formula for balancing Aaron Rodgers’ passing attack with an effective running game.

12. Dallas. Congratulations to the Dallas Cowboys for having the least unimpressive team in football’s sh*ttiest division. Sure, the Eagles are right there with the ‘Boys in the middle-third of NFL teams; but for now, we’re gonna bank on Monte Kiffin’s defense taking Dallas into December. Philadelphia is flying high on Chip Kelly’s offense for the moment, but even he doesn’t know if any football player can keep this pace up for more than 13 games a season.