Just to clean up the Dallas/Vikings game, I never expected the Vikings defensive line to dominate us the way that they did. Edwards played like a man possessed and ate Columbo alive at RT. There are no woulda-coulda-shouldas in that game: the Vikings were a better team than the Dallas Cowboys.

I know this is going to alienate a number of NFL and New Orleans Saints fans, but if the Saints played Minnesota on a neutral field they would get beat 9 out of 10 times. The Vikings were clearly the better team, but playing on the road in a dome is a very difficult proposition. How about this for domination:

The Vikings had 475 total yards to the Saints 257. Drew Brees didn’t even throw for 200 yards. The leading Saints receiver, Devery Henderson, caught four balls for 39 yards. So much for the vaunted Saints offense.

Minnesota put the ball on the carpet six times and lost three fumbles. Favre threw a terrible interception at the end of regulation and A.P. dropped a handoff at the end of the first half that could have swung the momentum toward the Vikings. I am happy for the community of New Orleans, but the Saints are just not that good. Saints starting linebackers Shanle & Fujita wouldn’t even make the practice squad in Dallas. I also believe if the Saints had to play any of the other five NFC playoff contenders on the road, they wouldn’t beat any of them. God bless their hearts, but next year this team will be 10-6 at best.

I will tip my hat to the Jets and Rex Ryan and want to congratulate them on a solid cinderella run. With that being said, thank God they got beat because nobody wanted to see this bush league squad in the Super Bowl. The Jets defense was not the 85 Bears, 86 Giants, or 2000 Ravens. The Jets offense was like watching grass grow and this team did not deserve to play in Miami. I like the Jets offensive line and defensive moxy, but if you give Peyton Manning enough looks at your scheme, he is going to figure you out.

Peyton came out in the second half and flat out attacked the aggressive Jets secondary. Needless to say he made the Jets pay to the tune of 24 unanswered points. When Manning marched the Colts down the field to answer the Jets score at the end of the first half, you knew it was the beginning of the end. The Jets schemed to take away Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, so Peyton lit them up with Pierre Garcon (11 rec., 151 yards, 1 TD) and rookie Austin Collie (7 rec., 123 yards, 1 TD). What other QB could make these receivers look this good on this big of a stage? The best QB’s I have ever seen play: Marino, Montana, Elway, and Manning.

On the other side of the ball, let’s give the Colt’s defense their due as they held the league’s best rushing attack to 86 yards. Also, the Jets hit them with a couple of big plays including an 80 yard TD pass and a gimmick pass from wildcat QB Brad Smith. If you take these two plays off the board, the Jets didn’t make much hay against a fast, aggressive Colts unit.

I literally had a heart attack when I saw that the initial line for the Super Bowl was the Colts -4. Are you kidding me? I know that I am right and am not going to argue with anyone: the Colts are a LOCK to win the Super Bowl.

I know the Saints are the emotional story: Hurricane Katrina, the team representing a city rebuilding and putting so much stock and faith into their beloved Saints, etc. etc. etc. The Colts didn’t come all this way to botch it against this rubbish front seven. Peyton Manning is ready to crystalize his legacy and he knows he needs at least one more ring to solidify his legend. The Vikings should be playing in Miami against Indy and the Favre redemption storyline would have generated tremendous hype. I wanted it to happen so bad so that my co-host Jim would have eaten crow over his constant Favre criticism. Instead, Jim was vindicated and Favre choked it away just like many expected him to do.

I hope everyone enjoys this last season without my beloved Cowboys being in the Super Bowl. The Cowboys will be back with a vengeance in 2010 and will have the opportunity to have home field advantage in next years Super Bowl. Sorry Eagles fans, but the balance of power has shifted in the NFC East and there is a new sheriff in town. Dallas has a young nucleus of stars and they are only going to get better.

Last but not least, Drew Brees doesn’t even hold Peyton Manning’s jock strap. So let’s stop the Brees should have been MVP hype. The world will see who is clearly the best QB in the league in two weeks. And yes Patriots fans, that includes Tom Brady as well.

Colts will cover the spread, put your house on it.

Woodman – Cowboy apologist for life

1. Giants (2) – What a coming out party for Steve Smith and Mario Manningham on the National stage. Jerry Reese shows, yet again, why he’s one of the top executives in the NFL. As some of the fan base and media alike went into panic mode over who would be able to fill the void left by Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer, Reese just sat back and relaxed. I’ll do the same from now on when it comes to how the Giants go about their personnel decisions. You’ve got to be worried about how the Cowboys gashed the front seven via the run though. They’ll need to shore that up if they hope to be celebrating in Miami in February.

2. Ravens (5) – 69 points in two games? I guess these Ravens are a bird of a different feather from the days of Stoney Case. Is the 50 points given up by the defense over the first two games just an anomaly though?

3. Falcons (6) – Big test this week against a Patriots team who will be out for blood after their debacle in the Meadowlands last week. Are the Falcons for real? Seeing Matt Ryan and company in Foxborough should be a good early season indication. How good was the Tony Gonzalez signing in the off-season?

4. Colts (9) – Congrats to Peyton Manning on passing Johnny Unitas on the all-time Colts win list. Has to be a little tough for a Baltimorean to watch but, at least it’s an honor still held by a standup guy. That run defense has to scare you a bit if you’re a Colts fan though.

5. Saints (12) – It’s like watching a video game week in and week out. Drew Brees is on pace for 72 TD’s. As absurd as that sounds, I wouldn’t put it past him or this offense. They have a tough road game against a pretty solid Bills squad this week though. The game should be another high scoring affair.

6. Vikings (11) – With all due respect to Peter King of Sports Illustrated, having this team at #1 on your fine 15 probably had a lot more to do w/your man crush on Brett Favre as opposed to reality. This team is very capable of winning a Super Bowl but, let’s hold off on the crowning until we see them play teams who have more than 4 wins in their last 36 games combined.

7. Steelers (1) – The defense is still great, even without Polamalu, but where is that vaunted run offense? They better get it going or the gap between them and the Ravens will just get wider and wider.

8. Jets (14) – The defense has been on point under the new Rex Ryan regime. The most impressive thing about that is the fact that they’ve done it against two great offenses in the Texans and Patriots. Mark Sanchez looks very good thus far. His footwork and decision making skills are years ahead of where they should be at this stage of his career. Should be a good one against the Titans this week.

9. Eagles (3) – I’m going to give this team a pass with McNabb sitting on the sideline. Kevin Kolb was actually pretty decent but, this team is just not the same without Donovan back there. Look for McNabb to sit out at least one more week though with the Chiefs coming to town.

10. Patriots (4) – Something I haven’t heard anyone bring up in the past few weeks is the possible impact the loss of Scott Pioli may be having on this team. He was able to find some diamonds in the rough over the years and Bill Belichick was able to fill in injured roster spots accordingly. I know it’s blasphemy to say anything but “…Belichick is a genius…” but, maybe the Patriots are more than just a team who wins because of their system. Maybe, just maybe, Pioli was good at finding players, especially on the defensive side of the ball, which people had just overlooked and were actually talented. Maybe Belichick has gotten a little more credit than he deserved over the years. Then again, it’s only week 2. Look for an angry Pats squad on Sunday.

11. Chargers (7) – It seems like every year they have to face injury after injury and just battle to stay afloat. Good thing for them that division is as weak as it is. What was Norv Turner doing not allowing Phillip Rivers (436 Yds. 2 TD’s) try and make a play on that 4^th and 2 call? Big game against the Fins this week.

12. Bears (16) – Wait…Jay Cutler isn’t the worst QB in the league? Relax Bears fans, it’s a long season and getting to 1-1 this week against the defending champs was definitely a step in the right direction. Is it just me or, does that defense look pretty good even w/out Urlacher? We’ll see if they can hold up.

13. 49ers (17) – As I stated last week, this team will be in the hunt in the NFC West all year. I’m circling their Week 14 Monday night game against Arizona, in San Francisco, as the game which will decide the division this year. Singletary and company are living by a formula which works year in and year out…run the football and play defense. And how bout Shaun Hill for all you Terps fans…9-3 as a starter. It should be a big test for the latter with Adrian Peterson lining up across from them this week.

14. Broncos (20) – 2-0 with a chance to go 3-0 against the Raiders…not happening. I’m sorry but, I still don’t see this team winning more than 5 games this year. They are definitely much improved and I give Josh McDaniels a ton of credit in regards to how he has that defense playing but, after this week, the schedule gets a lot tougher. I don’t even really see them beating the Raiders who should be 2-0 themselves at this point.

15. Bengals (27) – Big road win against the Packers. The offense showed up for the first time in what seems like an eternity and Chad Ochocinco looked great. Do they deserve to be this high? Who knows. They did just go into Lambeau though and beat a lot of peoples NFC Super Bowl pick. Big game against a banged up Steelers team this week. This is my sleeper pick of the week to pull off a victory at home.

 16. Packers (8) – That was an ugly game. This team looked more like the Raiders of the past five years than the disciplined team we’ve grown accustomed to. Look for a big bounce back performance against the Rams this Sunday.

17. Cowboys (13) – When will Wade Phillips just stick with a formula that’s working? First, he had to swap out Flutie for Johnson. Then, he had to ditch the sideline attire and force us to watch him in a bathing suit on Hard Knocks last year. Now, he can’t just let Barber and Jones do continue to do their thing when it was clearly working. The Cowboys ran all over the Giants but failed to secure the game because of their need to go for the big play in a game where the really didn’t need the big play to win. You’ve got a beast of a line and two stud RB’s…use them. The secondary did not show up either letting two Giants (Manningham and Smith) go for over 100 yards. Fortunately, they have the overrated Panthers coming to town on Monday night. Look for a double digit victory and getting back on track.

18. Cardinals (18) – Big game in the desert this Sunday night…is 100 points too much for an over/under? Kurt Warner looked incredible on Sunday and seems to be as accurate as ever. For the first time in a while though, the division is looking up at the 49ers.

19. Bills (19) – 2-0…that’s where this team should be. They have to be kicking themselves still for having let that one slip away against the Pats. They showed great resolve in dominating the Bucs on Sunday though. This could be one of those sleeper teams as the season goes on. The no huddle, at the very least, is keeping teams off guard.

20. Titans (10) – They absolutely need to find a way to beat a very tough Jets team this weekend or they will not have much of a shot of making the playoffs in a tough AFC. The weird thing is that they haven’t looked horrible in their two close losses but, unlike last year, they’re finding a way to lose the close games as opposed to winning them. A few more early season losses and we could see Vince Young back under center.

21. Seahawks (15) – When did Matt Hasselback become so injury prone? Over the past 2 years he has seemed more fragile than anyone else in the league. Weeks where he is unable to play are weeks where I don’t give this team much of a chance. With him at the helm, they can compete for the NFC West title. Without him, look for another horrible season.

22. Raiders (23) – The Raiders are another team that really should be 2-0. They are much improved and way more disciplined than they have been in the past 5 years. I really like the direction Tom Cable has this team headed and love their running game. Richard Seymour has brought a swagger with him that must be rubbing off on his teammates as well. The big question mark still has to be JaMarcus Russell. For how long can this team sit back and watch his subpar play until they sit him on the bench? Would this be a playoff contender if they had held onto Jeff Garcia?

23. Texans (24) – What a difference a week makes. That offense looked explosive against a good Titans defense. If they can avoid their traditional rough start and be above .500 come week 6 or so, maybe this could finally be the year they make the playoffs. Andre Johnson is either 1 or 1a when it comes to receivers in this league. Did you see the catch he made in the end zone on Sunday?

24. Redskins (25) – This is not a very good football team. A lot of people are saying they are getting a gift to get back to back games w/the Rams and Lions but, don’t be surprised to see the Lions finally get a win at home against the ‘Skins this week. My gut feeling is that Washington will go lower on this list of Power Rankings before all is said and done this season.

25. Dolphins (21) – I told one of my co-workers that, that game reminded me of the Giants game plan in Super Bowl XXV. Only problem is they couldn’t finish some brilliant execution. This team just can’t play from behind when it gets to the waning minutes of the 4^th quarter. Too many gimmicks with a lack of a players who can stretch the field could equate to a long season. When you look at how tough their schedule is, don’t be surprised if this team is 0-7 or 0-8 come November.

26. Chiefs (26) – This team has a long way to go. The good teams in this league win those close ones at home. Matt Cassel didn’t look horrible but, the lack of playmakers around him are going to wear on him as the season goes on. Still look for this team to fight and claw their way to a few victories against better teams.

27. Jaguars (22) – How the mighty have fallen. It was only 1 ½ years ago as we watched David Garrard go into Pittsburgh and win a playoff game then, take New England to the limit in the divisional round. He still looks good to me but, the team around him has disintegrated on both sides of the ball. When was the last time you heard John Henderson’s name even brought up in a conversation for best DT’s in the league. This team has no playmakers at WR as well. It’s definitely rebuilding mode in Jacksonville and, with the economy as tough as it is and the lack of fans in the seats, one has to wonder if this franchise will be able to stay afloat in Florida.

28. Carolina (28) – Overrated. I picked them to go 5-11 at the beginning of the year and am beginning to think that was generous. They’ll be 0-3 after traveling to Arlington this Monday night. Delhomme looked better but would still be on pace for an 8 TD 40 Interception year if you could really go by projections after week 2. They also happen to be playing in one of the tougher conferences in the league with two quality teams in New Orleans and Atlanta already off to a hot start.

29. Bucs (29) – Turnovers and growing pains are what Bucs fans have to look forward to this year.

30. Lions (31) – This is your week Detroit. A 27-21 victory is what I see happening with a bad Redskins teams coming to town. Stafford looked good at times last week and clearly has a big arm. If he can get better w/his decision making, he reminds me of a more mobile Drew Bledsoe who had a pretty solid career in this league.

31. Browns (30) – Is it possible that this team took a step back in the off season by bringing Mangini in as the Head Coach? This team is more bland and painful to watch than ever.

32. Rams (32) – At least they played the Redskins tough on the road. For a young team w/a rookie coach, you have to find positives wherever you can. 4 wins on the season would be a successful year when you look at the talent they’re putting on the field. When Laurent Robinson is your top receiver, you’re not going to win too many football games.

~ Tim Rescigno, JAS NFL Correspondent