Power Rankings: You win, McDaniels; apologies to you

Updated Oct. 20

It all seems so hard to believe. A coaching star is fired, replaced by a fresh-faced kid whose claim to fame is calling plays for one of the era's great quarterbacks. The kid then jettisons the young franchise quarterback he inherits, brings in "his" guy to play the position, and then fist-pumps his way to a 6-0 start doing things exactly the way he said he would do them.

Who was I to doubt Josh McDaniels?

I'm done being a Denver Broncos skeptic. For weeks, I kept saying they weren't as good as their record. Dallas, I said, would beat them. They didn't. New England surely would. Nope. But, wait, San Diego had to have Monday's game if the Chargers were to have any real chance of winning the AFC West. Plus, they were coming off a bye, a rested, desperate team.

The final was Denver 34, San Diego 23. So much for that angle.

Division race: Over.

My doubts about the Broncos: Over.

The Broncos and McDaniels are proving to many people, me included, that we have no idea what to expect each and every NFL season. Anybody outside the Rocky Mountain region not named McDaniels who thought this would be a playoff team is lying worse than that balloon fool.

I have been a champion McDaniels ripper. Maybe even the gold-medal winner.

He traded away Jay Cutler. I ripped him.

He smugly answered questions at the league meetings about his decision to consider the move -- before it was made. I ripped him.

Let's see. I ripped him for mimicking Bill Belichick -- hoodie and whistle twirling included -- and I ripped him for his apparent disdain for the media, including not making time for his local beat guys at the combine, not even 15 minutes.

At 6-0, none of that matters now. McDaniels could push cameramen around now, just like Bill, and it wouldn't matter. He can browbeat the media, just like Bill, and it wouldn't bother anybody. He can put up all those cliché signs that Bill uses -- "Do Your Job" is a favorite -- and nobody blinks an eye. If he wanted to send Brandon Marshall to Siberia, it wouldn't matter.

That's what winning can do. It makes McDaniels look smarter than everybody else, certainly smarter than me, and leaves those of us who questioned him wondering why we ever did.

The Broncos face a tough schedule the next month or so. They play at Baltimore, home against Pittsburgh, at Washington (OK, not so tough), home against San Diego and then home against the New York Giants on Thanksgiving.

I would say those five games will get the best of the Broncos. But the way they're going, I won't dare.

The Broncos head to their bye week at 6-0, which has them in the fourth spot in our Power Rankings. It's hard to believe they are 6-0 and the Tennessee Titans are 0-6. And who could have imagined Kyle Orton would be an MVP candidate?

That's the beauty of the NFL.

It's also what makes it so maddening to try to figure out.

Power Rankings
Current		Team	Previous
	1	Saints · Trends	4
	What is hidden about the Saints is that there are a lot of good, young players on their roster. I can't imagine them taking a big step back.
	2	Colts · Trends	1
	Let's not forget they get Anthony Gonzalez back next year, which will make the offense better. They are the team to beat in the AFC again.
	3	Vikings · Trends	5
	After blowing a chance to win the NFC title game in regulation, it must have killed the Vikings to see the Saints win the Super Bowl. Now Minnesota has to play the waiting game with Brett Favre.
	4	Chargers · Trends	2
	They have a lot of contracts that come up, and they will have to make some tough decisions. There is still a lot of talent on this team, but they have to get over the hump at some point. Losing to the Jets was a big upset.
	5	Cowboys · Trends	3
	Wade Phillips comes back for another year, and he has to get this team past the first round of the playoffs again. Tony Romo is in the same situation.
	6	Eagles · Trends	6
	Can we stop the Donovan McNabb trade talk? He will be back, and he should be back. Will Brian Westbrook?
	7	Jets · Trends	11
	The next step will be letting Mark Sanchez do more. They have to throw it better in 2010. And they will.
	8	Packers · Trends	7
	Aaron Rodgers showed he's a star in the making this season. That will make Green Bay a Super threat in 2010.
	9	Bengals · Trends	8
	They made big strides to win the division, but they have to improve the passing game. That means getting speed help outside.
	10	Ravens · Trends	12
	It's time for Joe Flacco and that passing game to take a big step forward. You have to get big chunks of yardage to win in this league.
	11	Patriots · Trends	10
	Tom Brady will be a year removed from his knee injury, which means he will be better. The key for the Patriots will be improving their pass rush.
	12	Cardinals · Trends	9
	Matt Leinart takes over for the retired Kurt Warner. There are a lot of questions about the former Heisman winner, but the Cardinals staff believes in him. Do his teammates?
	13	Broncos · Trends	13
	What do they do with Brandon Marshall? Is he back? Is he traded? They need him, that's for sure.
	14	Steelers · Trends	14
	The concerns with this team are on both lines. They have to play better there. Isn't that the Steelers way?
	15	Texans · Trends	15
	They had a winning season, but it's time to make the playoffs. They do have an explosive passing game, which gives them a good chance.
	16	Falcons · Trends	16
	They played the Saints tough twice with a lot of injuries. That has to give them hope heading into next season. They have to work on fixing that defense.
	17	Giants · Trends	20
	There is some talk that Tom Coughlin could be in trouble if he doesn't win next season. I don't buy it. But they do have to improve the defense.
	18	Titans · Trends	17
	Vince Young played well when he took over. Now he has to show he can do it again.
	19	Dolphins · Trends	18
	I think this is a team to watch in 2010. Chad Henne will give the Dolphins a better chance to get to a Super Bowl. He does need a receiver.
	20	49ers · Trends	19
	The Niners have talent, but they have to throw it better to be a playoff team. I think Alex Smith just might be the answer. The offensive line needs fixing.
	21	Jaguars · Trends	21
	Jack Del Rio got another year, which some question. Does his quarterback get the same?
	22	Panthers · Trends	22
	They have to decide who plays quarterback. Is it Matt Moore or Jake Delhomme? It should be Moore. What to do with Julius Peppers?
	23	Redskins · Trends	23
	Mike Shanahan has to decide if Jason Campbell is his quarterback of choice. I bet he decides that he is. Hiring Jim Haslett was a good move for the defense.
	24	Bears · Trends	24
	Lovie Smith has one year to show that he can turn this team around. Hiring Mike Martz as offensive coordinator is a great move.
	25	Seahawks · Trends	25
	Pete Carroll has a long way to go to turn this team around. First decision is if Matt Hasselbeck is the right guy at quarterback.
	26	Bills · Trends	26
	Is Chan Gailey the right choice? Let's put it this way: His hiring was a surprise. He does know offense.
	27	Chiefs · Trends	28
	You can bet the first priority is trying to improve that offensive line. Matt Cassel took a beating.
	28	Browns · Trends	27
	Eric Mangini gets another year, and he probably earned it late. Can Mike Holmgren turn this team around? He has a lot of work to do.
	29	Buccaneers · Trends	30
	Raheem Morris gets another year and his team should be better just because Josh Freeman will be better. Hey, they did beat the Saints late in the season.
	30	Raiders · Trends	29
	Tom Cable is back. Is that a good thing? Who knows? If they don't fix the quarterback position, does it matter?
	31	Lions · Trends	31
	It's all about improving the defense. They need pass-rush help in the worst way. They are another year away from competing -- at least.
	32	Rams · Trends	32
	They have a huge decision at the top of the draft: Do they take a quarterback or do they solve that by acquiring Michael Vick? We'll see.