NFL Power Rankings 2013: Let's Ride The Crazy Train

I'll give the SBN mothership some props. They're consistent. From beating the Packers, to losing to the Browns, then beating the Patriots, SBN has given Cincinnati the No. 6 slot every week. There's something to conviction that should be recognized. The others? Not so much.

Pete Prisco, who gave the Bengals four spots to No. 8, writes:

The defense came up huge against the Patriots, shutting down Tom Brady and his offense. The offense still isn't good enough for all the talent on it.

Elliot Harrison, who does the Power Rankings for NFL.com, ranks the Bengals No. 8.

Huge performance by the Bengals' defense on Sunday, with a wee bit of assistance from the kind of downpour not seen since Roy Hobbs knocked the cover off a ball. Terence Newman was particularly clutch, batting down a Tom Brady bomb that would have tied the game at 13 apiece with 3:26 to play. Quarterbacks have thrown 25 times this season on the 11th-year vet, completing just 14 passes with no touchdowns. Newman Island? Uh, call it Newman Timeshare.

Brian Billick, who jumped the Bengals two spots, writes:

The classic formula to make the playoffs in the NFL is win at home and split on the road. Well the Bengals are 3-0 at home, but have yet to win on the road this season.

ESPN:

There are worse recipes for winning than defense and rushing. Cincinnati held Tom Brady to under 200 yards without Leon Hall or Michael Johnson and rushed for 162 yards.

Mike Florio with Pro Football Talk was probably the hardest on Cincinnati, moving the Bengals up one spot to No. 14.

They’re learning how to win; they now need to figure out how to learn not to lose.

The list.