It may seem like the NFL season has already ended. Really, is anyone going to stop the Patriots? We’ll find out next week when the best chance to take the wind out of New England’s sails comes to Foxborough. For now, we wait and see and take a look at this week’s results.

week 8:

1. New England Patriots (8-0) (Previous rank: 1): This is starting to get a little ridiculous. Forget beating this team, can someone make it a close game? This week’s game against Indy will be the Patriots’ biggest test yet.

2. Indianapolis Colts (7-0) (Previous rank: 2): Carolina was put away easily, now in New England. With a win this week, the Colts can emerge from Pat’s shadow and become the team to beat. But of course, this is easier said than done.

3. Dallas Cowboys (6-1) (Previous rank: 3): No change: farewell week.

4. Green Bay Packers (6-1) (Previous rank: 5): Denver didn’t get past them, but they won when they had to. Brett Favre showed that his wonderful career is not over yet. This was a great away win for this team. Who would have thought it would be 6 and 1?

5. New York Giants (6-2) (Previous rank: 4): They are better in the states than they are in Merry Old England, but a win is a win. Despite Brandon Jacobs’ strong play, the offense didn’t score many points. They could have lost this one if they were playing someone besides Miami.

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) (Previous rank: 6): The Bengals may not be the team they used to be, but give the Steelers some credit: This was a great road win. They played solid on all sides of the ball. They’re not quite in the class of the Pats and Colts, but they’re not far behind.

7. Tennessee Titans (5-2) (Previous rank: 7): Last week they did not have Vince Young, this week practically neither. However, defending him achieved a sloppy victory. It was a win, but Vince needs to get back on track for this team to make the playoffs.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-2) (Previous rank: 8): Their defense allowed big yards, but they also took big turnovers. Quinn Gray did just enough to get the job done. His running game was solid.

9. San Diego (4-3) (Previous rank: 12): And here come the Chargers. After a horrible start, San Diego has come back to life. They just played better than the Texans. Phillip Rivers was great, but the Charger defense was even better.

10. Detroit Lions (5-2) (Previous rank: 13): Lions vs. bears, oh my! Even playing against Chicago, Detroit still displayed a solid offense. His defense was also excellent, allowing only seven points and making Brian Griese look like, well, a Chicago quarterback.

11. Seattle Seahawks (4-3) (Previous rank: 11): No change; bye week

12. Cleveland Browns (4-3) (Previous rank: 15): With a consistent and solid game, Derek Anderson continues to make fantasy football players around the world wish they had drafted him. It’s going to be tough to make the playoffs in the AFC, but Cleveland could sneak in.

13. Carolina Panthers (4-3) (Previous rank: 9): They had a good start, but in the end it was a bad ending. The Colts are simply a better team than the Panthers. This doesn’t mean the Panthers aren’t good, they just aren’t good enough.

14. Baltimore Ravens (4-3) (Previous rank: 14): No change; bye week

15. Washington Redskins (4-3) (Previous rank: 10): Um, ow. When a defense concedes 52 points, there’s really nothing more to say than: Doh! This was a very, very bad game for Washington. Now we will see if it rebounds or if its stellar start was in vain.

16. New Orleans Saints (3-4) (Previous rank: 25): There are some teams that started off slow and are now starting to get hot — the Saints are one of them. With their offense solidifying, this team is starting to look like it used to. They are playing great football.

17. Tampa Bay (4-4) (Previous rank: 16): Losing by one point to Jacksonville has to hurt. Jeff Garcia had a bad day and his defense gave up too many yards. Don’t count them yet, but don’t count them either. The next games will decide their fate.

18. Kansas City Chiefs (4-3) (Previous rank: 18): Without changes; bye week

19. Arizona Cardinals (3-4) (Previous rank: 19): No change; bye week

20. Denver Broncos (3-4) (Previous rank: 17): What happened to Denver’s home winning streak? His defense, despite allowing some big plays, has improved a bit, but now his offense can’t score. They had plenty of chances to win this game; It’s a little ironic that this time they lost… in a last minute play.

21. Buffalo Bills (3-4) (Previous rank: 22): The Bills could easily have a winning record, were it not for some last minute points. If they continue to freeze, they could become contenders. His defense was excellent against the Jets.

22. Chicago Bears (3-5) (Previous rank: 20): Well, so much for his passing game. Reverting to their old offensive selves (pun intended), the Bears put together a paltry seven points against the Lions. The real problem, however, is his defense: he’s gone from dominating to being dominated.

23. Philadelphia Eagles (3-4) (Previous rank: 26): Donovan McNabb stepped in when his team needed him. This was a must win for the Eagles and they got the job done. On defense, they did a good job stopping Adrian Peterson. Still, they have to dig a bit to get out of their hole.

24. Houston Texans (3-5) (Previous rank: 21): What has happened to this team? After a fast start, they can’t find themselves in the winning column. They were no match for the Chargers. They need Andre Johnson back, like yesterday.

25. Cincinnati Bengals (2-5) (Previous rank: 23): This loss to the Steelers might have put the proverbial nail in the coffin for the Bengals. His defense simply can’t stop anyone, and his offense can’t carry the load of the entire team. This season is catastrophic.

26. San Francisco (2-5) (Previous rank: 24): This team looks like it’s imploding. Before they were 2-0, now they are 2-5. Obviously, they are not getting the results they want. It seems they are getting worse every week.

27. Oakland Raiders (2-5) (Previous rank: 27): They continue to do well on defense and poorly on offense. They kept it close against the Titans, but in the end, they didn’t get a cigar. They’re not giving the quarterback enough protection from him.

28. Minnesota Vikings (2-5) (Previous rank: 28): With their passing game virtually non-existent, they are forced to rely on the run. In other words, if they shut down Adrian Peterson, they’ll lose. That is exactly what happened on Sunday. His defense, unable to stop McNabb, did them no favors.

29. Atlanta Falcons (1-6) (Previous rank: 29): No change; bye week

30. New York Jets (1-7) (Previous rank: 30): This may have been Chad Pennington’s last game as a starter. Something has to change. They are the opposite of what they were last year. In other words, they are bad.

31. St. Louis Rams (0-8) (Previous rank: 31): This team almost seems destined to lose. When your offense goes up, your defense goes down. They could score on Cleveland, but they couldn’t stop Cleveland from scoring more on them. Your air defense needs some work.

32. Miami Dolphins (0-8) (Previous rank: 32): Even outside of the US, the result is the same. They did close against the Giants and that’s saying something. But, this team is still looking down the barrel of an 0-16 gun.