Power Rankings: Time to play out one seriously long string

Season over.

That's a phrase I like to use a lot. The real end of the NFL regular season isn't for a couple of months, but the phrase applies to a third of the league's teams right now.

(By the way, did you see I went 11-2 against the spread in my expert picks?)

The rest of the season is inconsequential for Dennis Green's Cardinals -- and 10 other teams. (AP)

Take a look at the bottom 11 teams of our CBS SportsLine.com Power Rankings. Do any of them have a chance to make the playoffs?

No, so it's season over before the World Series starts.

Sure, they can play out the string, hoping to win a game here and there, but the reality is that it's time to start looking ahead to free-agency next March and getting those scouts primed for the draft.

(By the way, did you see I went 11-2 against the spread in my expert picks?)

Nobody is worse than the Oakland Raiders. They remain the only winless team in the league, a bona fide mess. At one point during Sunday's loss to the Broncos, NBC announcer John Madden, a former Raiders coach, said the losing was killing owner Al Davis.

Probably not the proper words, considering Davis appears frail and was using a walker to get around when Madden was inducted into the Hall of Fame in August. You could tell Madden wanted those words back as soon as he said them.

But even in his current state, Davis is a competitor, one who lives by the "Just Win, Baby" mantra. So this can't be sitting well with him. Not only are the Raiders losing, they're doing it in embarrassing style. When right tackle Langston Walker went down with a head injury, it forced Chad Slaughter in at that position. He proceeded to get penalized four times for false starts.

Last time I checked, head coach Art Shell and line coach Jackie Slater were Hall of Fame tackles. Not only that, but the Raiders have a third line assistant, former tackle Irv Eatman.

And Slaughter can't stay in his stance?

That's inexcusable.

(By the way, did you see I went 11-2 against the spread in my expert picks?)

The polar opposite of the Raiders are the Chicago Bears, who somehow found a way to win a game they had no business winning Monday night at Arizona. They won without getting an offensive touchdown, getting two defensive scores and a punt return to win 24-23.

That's the sign of a good team. Somehow, when their MVP-candidate quarterback turns into a scatter-armed, brainless passer, they find a way to pull out a victory. Of course, it had to happen against Arizona. Admit it, when Neil Rackers missed that last-minute field goal, you thought to yourself, "Of course. It's Arizona."

That's why the Cardinals, a team I thought would push for a division title, are one of those teams at the bottom of these rankings that are going nowhere, planning for 2007.

Season over.

(By the way, did you see I went 11-2 against the spread in my expert picks?)

The rankings for Oct. 17:

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.