NFL RANKINGS

Sam Farmer’s NFL rankings and comments

1 ST. LOUIS

(3-0) Scored 42 on Miami defense.

2 GREEN BAY

(3-0) Brett Favre has thrown three TD passes in consecutive games.

3 DENVER

(2-1) Brian Griese is better than he looked Sunday.

4 INDIANAPOLIS

(2-1) OK, so the Colts can’t win at Foxboro. So what?

5 PHILADELPHIA

(2-1) He’s rail-thin, but Todd Pinkston is a good receiver.

6 BALTIMORE

(2-1) Beating Denver was huge morale boost.

7 MIAMI

(2-1) Faster receivers make Jay Fiedler’s job easier.

8 OAKLAND

(2-1) Get a breather Sunday against the Cowboys.

9 NEW YORK GIANTS

(2-1) Secondary looked great against Saints.

10 TAMPA BAY

(1-1) Buccaneers need to finish drives.

11 NEW ORLEANS

(1-1) Need to keep penalties in check.

12 SAN DIEGO

(3-0) LaDainian Tomlinson faces a Brown defense that has not given up a rushing TD.

13 TENNESSEE

(0-2) Where did you go, Eddie George?

14 SAN FRANCISCO

(2-1) 49ers suddenly have a ground game.

15 CINCINNATI

(2-1) Can the Bengals bounce back after a tough loss at San Diego?

16 JACKSONVILLE

(2-1) Jaguars’ fate hangs on the questionable health of Mark Brunell.

17 NEW YORK JETS

(1-2) Can’t lean on Curtis Martin so much.

18 CLEVELAND

(2-1) Tim Couch finally looks comfortable in this offense.

19 CHICAGO

(1-1) Bears might bring back the deep ball now that Jim Miller is running things.

20 MINNESOTA

(1-2) Vikings are living and dying by the pass.

21 PITTSBURGH

(1-1) Good victory Sunday but, hey, it was Buffalo.

22 KANSAS CITY

(1-2) Chiefs beat Washington. Now, they’ll try a real NFL team.

23 CAROLINA

(1-2) After dropping sure TD passes in consecutive weeks, Muhsin Muhammad will go for three.

24 ATLANTA

(2-1) Losing Jamal Anderson is devastating blow.

25 SEATTLE

(1-2) Strange but true: Mike Holmgren is on the hot seat.

26 NEW ENGLAND

(1-2) Patriots face Miami on Sunday, so it’s back to reality.

27 ARIZONA

(0-2) Jake Plummer is back to throwing interceptions aplenty.

28 BUFFALO

(0-3) Bills are winless, and often witless.

29 DETROIT

(0-2) What are these guys doing on ‘Monday Night Football?’

30 WASHINGTON

(0-3) Thank goodness for Dallas, because the Skins are horrible.

31 DALLAS

(0-3) Emmitt Smith’s yardage watch is the only attraction.