Week 8 of the NFL season has come and gone.  Please forgive this week's omission of the Monday Mash...if you see my dastardly picks from Sunday, I'm sure you understand.  Week 8 of the season was...interesting, to say the least.  The New York Giants were on a bye, but were still able to score as many points as the New York Jets.  The fantasy hero of the week was LeGarrette Blount.  After yet another offensive explosion, the Oakland Raiders now have the 2nd-most points scored in NFL 2010.

So considering all the wack attacks week 8 had to offer, there's only so much I can do about the awful picks.  Maybe just apply rock-solid logic to all the week 9 games and then pick against the team that should win.  We'll see what happens.

But bye weeks aside, it is kinda-sorta midseason.  So let's bust out the annual power rankings!  We'll put a spooky twist on the rankings, in honor of post-Halloween candy week.  Each group will be assigned a horror movie that's appropriate for them.  We'll start with the lowest and work our way up.  New York fans can be excited that both local teams are towards the top of the list.  No skipping down though!  Halloween is over, which means Santa is officially watching.  Let's roll.

32.  Dallas Cowboys (1-6) Playoff Chance: 0%

Yeah, they have a better record than Buffalo.  But in a head-to-head game tomorrow I would honestly pick the Bills.

31.  Buffalo Bills (0-7) Playoff Chance: 0%

Back-to-back heartbreakers in overtime.  They will win 2 or 3 based on their recent performance.

30.  Carolina Panthers (1-6) Playoff Chance: 0%

The Matt Moore era is nothing short of disastrous.  Rebuild, rebuild, rebuild.

29.  Cincinnati Bengals (2-5) Playoff Chance: 5%

Must always be given a puncher's chance with those receivers.  But perhaps the softest team in the league.

28.  Denver Broncos (2-6) Playoff Chance: 10%

Looked like a top-15 team against the Jets.  But losing that game may have sucked the life out of them already.

27.  San Francisco 49ers (2-6) Playoff Chance: 25%

The playoff chance is skewed due to that division.  London win puts them above Denver/still alive in 2010.

26.  Cleveland Browns (2-5) Playoff Chance: 5%

Victory in New Orleans has been the upset of NFL 2010.  We'll see the encore Mangini gives the Pats this week.

25.  Detroit Lions (2-5) Playoff Chance: 15%

Bigtime upset alert for the Jets this week.  Detroit has been smokin' at home all season long.

24.  Arizona Cardinals (3-4) Playoff Chance: 25%

The fact that Leinart couldn't beat out Anderson/Hall duo suggests he maybe a bigger bust than JaMarcus Russell.

23.  Minnesota Vikings (2-5) Playoff Chance: 35%

There's not much left to say.  Except this was one unfavorable Super Bowl pick by yours truly.

22.  San Diego Chargers (3-5) Playoff Chance: 38%

They do the slow-start thing every year.  2010 just seems different though for a team ravaged by injuries.

21.  Washington Redskins (4-4) Playoff Chance: 40%

Um, not to defend Shanahan here... But has anyone realized how mediocre McNabb's stats are this year?

20.  Jacksonville Jaguars (4-4) Playoff Chance: 38%

I have no idea what to make of them.  That Colts win saved face, but this team is just not very good.

19.  Oakland Raiders (4-4) Playoff Chance: 45%

This one's really starting to get nutty.  92 points the last 2 weeks, and now they host K.C. for 1st place in the West.

18.  St. Louis Rams (4-4) Playoff Chance: 49%

Besides one blowout to the Lions (Huh?) they've been in every game.  Their remaining schedule looks tasty, too.

17.  Chicago Bears (4-3) Playoff Chance: 45%

They're a weak 4-3, but cannot be dismissed due to that key Monday Night win over Green Bay earlier this season.

16.  Seattle Seahawks (4-3) Playoff Chance: 60%

The West is theirs if they want it.  But based on last week in Oakland, they don't seem to want it very much.

15.  Philadelphia Eagles (4-3) Playoff Chance: 50%

The Tennessee loss going into the bye was ugly.  The Indy game coming out of the bye will tell us quite a bit.

14.  Miami Dolphins (4-3) Playoff Chance: 49%

Never an easy opponent and should have beaten Pittsburgh, but early divisional losses may doom them in the end.

13.  Houston Texans (4-3) Playoff Chance: 49%

Could have catapulted into the top 5 with a win against Indy, but a season sweep of the Colts is asking a lot.

12.  Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-2) Playoff Chance: 30%

A great Cinderella story in the first half of the season.  But I see reality hitting them soon.  And hitting them hard.

11.  Kansas City Chiefs (5-2) Playoff Chance: 70%

This whole Weis/Crennel/Pioli thing has worked before, right?  SD will make a charge, but KC's schedule is cake.

10.  New Orleans Saints (5-3) Playoff Chance: 60%

Put a pacifier in the mouths of their doubters by beating Pittsburgh.  There are questions, but they're still scary.

9.  Atlanta Falcons (5-2) Playoff Chance: 65%

For my money, not as spooky as the Saints.  But that OT win in New Orleans early this season may loom large.

8.  Green Bay Packers (5-3) Playoff Chance: 55%

Yeah, the Jets royally screwed up that game.  But the Pack have an intensity that'll pay dividends late in the season.

7.  Tennessee Titans (5-3) Playoff Chance: 51%

Hello, Randy, hello running room for Chris Johnson.  Play Indy in 2 of their last 4 games which may decide division.

6.  New York Giants (5-2) Playoff Chance: 75%

May be the NFC's best.  But these days that's kinda like being the smartest person on Jerry Springer's stage, isn't it?

5.  New York Jets (5-2) Playoff Chance: 65%

Responded to their 1st loss by winning 5 straight.  Have the schedule to make a similar response to their 2nd defeat.

4.  Baltimore Ravens (5-2) Playoff Chance: 65%

Wins over the Jets and Steelers on the road were huge.  That Buffalo game was alarming for this defense, though.

3.  Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) Playoff Chance: 65%

It would have been tough for anybody to beat Brees and the Saints on Monday.  They're here to stay.

2.  Indianapolis Colts (5-2) Playoff Chance: 80%

What can you say?  They don't lose in the regular season.  Ever.  Period.  Except twice so far- but now they're back.

1.  New England Patriots (6-1) Playoff Chance: 75%

Yep.  And it's rankings like these the Jets gotta see to get re-focused.  Don't forget who caused that one loss, though.

Thanks for reading, ghosts and ghouls!  Check back Sunday for week 9's Smash.