Week Eight: Saints Atop 'AHN Top Ten' NFL Power Rankings For Third-Straight Week

November 3, 2009 12:04 p.m. EST

The New Orleans Saints withstood a tough Atlanta Falcons squad on Monday night to retain the top spot in the 'AHN Top Ten' NFL Power Rankings for the third-straight week.

The rest of AHN's hot list continues to grow and evolve, as would-be powerhouses begin to fade away and new contenders step up to the spotlight.

The Indianapolis Colts remain second as the only other undefeated team in the league.The Vikings jump back to third after a win over last week's No. 9, the Green Bay Packers.

The Giants dropped to the bubble after suffering their third-straight loss. The Ravens and Eagles jump from the bubble and into the mix after wins over Top Ten teams.

Here's how teams stand after Week Eight, Nov. 3:

No. 1: New Orleans Saints (7-0) - There is no questioning the strength of undefeated Drew Brees, who easily leads one of the strongest offenses of any football team in the last 10 years. His receivers share catches, his running backs split carries and the Saints boast one of the finest offensive lines in the league. (Last Week, 1)

No. 2: Indianapolis Colts (7-0) -  Still on par for a record breaking season, Peyton Manning leads one of the strongest offenses in the league - and the Colts defense is nothing to scoff at either, breaking into the top 10. (Last Week, 2)

No. 3: Minnesota Vikings (7-1) - Brett Favre seems to have been a gamble that has paid off for head coach Brad Childress. Ever since acquiring Adrian Peterson, Vikings have been known for their blitzkrieg running game - but with the acquisition of Favre, they've added an entirely new dimension. Favre to Sidney Rice or Percy Harvin has become a popular call, while tight end Visanthe Shiancoe has roped in six touchdown passes. The Vikes also boast one of the top defenses in the league. (Last Week, 5)

No. 4: Denver Broncos (6-1) - While the Broncos opened the season against some fairly weak teams, which gave them a considerable boost, they have proven themselves worthy competitors by knocking down the Cowboys, the Patriots, and the Chargers in three consecutive weeks. Though melted down this week by the Baltimore Ravens, Kyle Orton's offense doesn't show much sign of slowing down - and the Broncos defense continues to be the most formidable in the game. (Last Week, 3)

No. 5: New England Patriots (5-2) - After putting on a clinic of raw dominance over the Tennessee Titans 59-0, the Patriots made a repeat performance against the Bucs in merry old London, 35-7. The Pats boast Tom Brady's strong play, an offensive line playing like the solid unit they were in 2007, and a defense that is beginning to click after a slow start. The Miami Dolphins better bring their best game next week - because the Pats have had two weeks to prepare. (Last Week, 4)

No. 6: Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) - While off to a slow start, the Steelers have picked up their momentum and are surging forward in the AFC North, with four-straight wins to bring them in line with the Cincinnati Bengals. The former Super Bowl Champions have finally clicked, and their historically awesome defense is playing like the team they were in 2008. In the second half ot the season, expect them to climb even higher than five - maybe even return to the Super Bowl to defend their title. (Last Week, 6)

No. 7: Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) - Last year, Bill Parcells turned the Miami Dolphins from 2007's 1-15 team, to 2008's AFC East Division Leaders. This year the Bengals have turned things around. Just 4-11-1 in 2008, they now lead the AFC North going into the halfway point, with neither a dominant offense nor a top 10 defense. How or why they are such a dominant force, outside of a recent spark of inspiration for Carson Palmer, is... well...a question for finer coaching minds than ours. (Last Week, 7)

No. 8: Philadelphia Eagles (5-2) - The Eagles have pushed to the front of the NFC East, on a two-game winning streak. Donovan McNabb is having one of his most accurate seasons on record, and hasn't protected the football this well any other time in his career, with only one interception thus far. His solid play has given the Eagles defense more field to work with, and they've taken advantage. (Last Week, Bubble)

No. 9: Baltimore Ravens (4-3) - Though 4-3, young quarterback Joe Flacco has all the makings of the next Tom Brady or Peyton Manning and is only improving. While Flacco matures, the Ravens brings one of the strongest rush defenses in the league to bear. Their secondary has been picked on, however, and remains an Achilles heel to this otherwise strong team. (Last Week, Bubble)

No. 10. Dallas Cowboys (5-2) - The Cowboys dominated the Falcons 37-21 and Seattle 38-17 the last two weeks. While much has changed for Tony Romo and the Cowboys, one thing that has gone nowhere is their ability to rack up yardage. Number 2 in the league for total yards, they just need to find a way to turn punts into field goals and field goals into touchdowns to reclaim their former glory. (Last Week, 10)

"Bubble" Teams: New York Giants (5-3), Atlanta Falcons (4-3), Green Bay Packers (4-3), San Diego Chargers (4-3), Arizona Cardinals (4-3), Houston Texans (5-3)

The "AHN Top 10" NFL Power Rankings are compiled by taking the votes of AHN's NFL writers and polling them together.

Contributors attempt to balance power rankings based on each team's most recent performance, while keeping in mind the overall scope of each team's place in the league