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	Colts · Trends	1
	They won four games in November by a total of 10 points. They're not dominating, but they are winning.
	2	Saints · Trends	2
	They get a major test next week when the Patriots come to town for a Monday night game. Is that the end of the unbeaten season?
	3	Vikings · Trends	3
	Brett Favre might be having his best season. Who said he would flop? Oh, me.
	4	Patriots · Trends	5
	They bounced back nicely against the Jets and have a two-game lead in the division, but the Saints will be a great barometer for where they are now.
	5	Cowboys · Trends	7
	They beat the Redskins, but they still looked off. They'll get it going Thursday against the Raiders.
	6	Bengals · Trends	4
	What was that in Oakland? That reminds us a little of why they're still the Bengals. They had no business losing that game.
	7	Chargers · Trends	9
	They are rolling again after a slow start. What else is new for this team? They are the class of the AFC West, just like we thought they'd be.
	8	Cardinals · Trends	10
	They played a decent road game against the Rams, even if they made it interesting in the end. The running game is getting cranked up, which is great for the playoff run.
	9	Eagles · Trends	11
	They snapped a two-game losing streak against the Bears to keep their playoff chances solid. This is the time when the Eagles usually get it going.
	10	Steelers · Trends	6
	They just haven't looked that good this season. Something is off. It might be wise to work on that kickoff coverage.
	11	Giants · Trends	12
	Eli Manning's big game saved their season against Atlanta. Now they face a tough road game at Denver on a short week.
	12	Broncos · Trends	8
	Was their start a fraud? It sure looks like it. They aren't playing well on either side of the ball, but especially on offense.
	13	Jaguars · Trends	16
	If the playoffs started today, they'd be in. Wow. They aren't winning pretty, but they're finding a way.
	14	Packers · Trends	17
	Losing Al Harris and Aaron Kampman for the season will impact that defense in a big way. It's good that the offense is playing better now to help offset it.
	15	Falcons · Trends	14
	They have three consecutive homes games to turn their season back around. The defense just gives up too many big plays.
	16	Dolphins · Trends	21
	Chad Henne is growing up. As he does, they will be better. The playoffs are still possible. But don't lose at Buffalo.
	17	Ravens · Trends	15
	They've been a disappointment so far. If they lose to the Steelers this week, they can say goodbye to the playoffs.
	18	Texans · Trends	13
	That loss at home to the Titans is a big hit to their playoff chances. They just never got it going on offense. Kris Brown choked two weeks in a row. Now the Colts come to town.
	19	Titans · Trends	22
	They are somehow still alive at 4-6. Winning four consecutive games after opening 0-6 is impressive. Vince Young is doing a nice job.
	20	Jets · Trends	18
	Mark Sanchez is playing like a rookie. But it doesn't mean he should sit down. He needs to grow and playing is the right way.
	21	Panthers · Trends	19
	They will likely have a new coach next season and that could mean the end for Jake Delhomme. He just isn't good enough.
	22	Bears · Trends	20
	Is Lovie Smith in trouble? He might be. Cutler sure hasn't lived up to the expectations. He needs help.
	23	49ers · Trends	23
	They can forget the playoffs now. The rest of the season is about finding out if Alex Smith is the long-term answer at quarterback.
	24	Bills · Trends	25
	Perry Fewell's first game showed a team that will still fight. And there was a Terrell Owens sighting. Amazing.
	25	Seahawks · Trends	24
	Count this team as one of the biggest flops of the season. But injuries have played a big part. Is Mike Holmgren coming to the rescue?
	26	Chiefs · Trends	26
	They're on a two-game winning streak. Beating the Steelers is a big step for this young team. The Chiefs are improving.
	27	Redskins · Trends	27
	The best thing to come out of the Cowboys loss is that Jason Campbell played better. They're still fighting.
	28	Raiders · Trends	28
	Say hello to the bench, JaMarcus Russell. Bruce Gradkowski is the guy the rest of the way.
	29	Lions · Trends	31
	Matt Stafford showed against the Browns that he was the right pick last April. They have their building block.
	30	Rams · Trends	29
	Do you feel sorry a little for Steven Jackson playing on this team? He's having a huge season. And now Marc Bulger is out? Ouch.
	31	Buccaneers · Trends	30
	Josh Freeman played like a rookie against the Saints, but he will have those days. It's hard to believe that's a Bucs defense we've been watching. It tells us why Jim Bates was fired.
	32	Browns · Trends	32
	The good news is Brady Quinn is looking better. The bad news is the defense regressed. They have a long way to go to being able to compete for a playoff spot.