Ballot and comments from AP Pro 32 panel voter Clifton Brown of Sporting News:
Week 6
CLIFTON BROWN (Sporting News)
1. San Francisco 49ers - Love their intensity, even when holding a huge lead. Face rematch Sunday against Giants.
2. Houston Texans - Losing Brian Cushing will hurt, although they have dealt well with injuries before.
3. Chicago Bears - Opportunistic defense has scored more than Jacksonville's offense the past two weeks.
4. New England Patriots - Building momentum with a reliable running game and Tom Brady playing like Tom Brady.
5. New York Giants - The pass rush has been held in check, yet the offense is more explosive than ever.
6. Atlanta Falcons - Matt Ryan has been the best quarterback so far, the main reason they are 5-0.
7. Minnesota Vikings - Percy Harvin has become a trendy pick for MVP consideration, but he deserves it.
8. Baltimore Ravens - Appeared to take Chiefs for granted, which they won't do in next game against Cowboys.
9. Green Bay Packers - Still believe they are a playoff team, but losing Cedric Benson and coughing up 18-point lead to Colts is concerning.
10. Pittsburgh Steelers - A short week will test their veteran players, yet Ben Roethlisberger still excels in clutch.
11. San Diego Chargers - Facing statement game against Broncos for early supremacy in AFC West.
12. Philadelphia Eagles - Finally lost a close game, and Michael Vick's turnover issues remain troubling.
13. Seattle Seahawks - Physical defense is the core of this team, led by rookie sack-machine Bruce Irvin.
14. Arizona Cardinals - If offensive line issues continue, they will struggle regardless of who plays quarterback.
15. St. Louis Rams - Sure hasn't taken Jeff Fisher long to make this team relevant again.
16. Denver Broncos - Better than their record, but brutal early season schedule has taken its toll.
17. New Orleans Saints - After finally getting first victory, Drew Brees and company could start rolling after their bye week.
18. Dallas Cowboys - Coming off a bye week, the Cowboys will have to play well to win in Baltimore.
19. Detroit Lions - In trouble riding a three-game losing streak, and schedule doesn't get easier.
20. Cincinnati Bengals - That was a costly home hiccup against the Dolphins.
21. Carolina Panthers - Cam Newton needed this bye week. But coach Ron Rivera better fix his porous defense.
22. Miami Dolphins - Joe Philbin is getting consistent effort from this team, and it's starting to pay off.
23. Washington Redskins - Keeping Robert Griffin III healthy is the No. 1 priority for this franchise.
24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - A lot of young quarterbacks are outplaying Josh Freeman.
25. New York Jets - Tim Tebow not starting is a sign that Jets don't believe in his throwing ability.
26. Kansas City Chiefs - Brady Quinn should get his chance to resurrect his career, and the Chiefs.
27. Buffalo Bills - Being embarrassed by 49ers showed how far Bills are from being contenders.
28. Cleveland Browns - Trent Richardson is getting respect, but this team needs a victory.
29. Indianapolis Colts - That was a terrific feel-good win against Packers. Andrew Luck has many more in this future.
30. Tennessee Titans - Not much to hang their hats on offensively, which is not good.
31. Oakland Raiders - One victory and no interceptions is not a good combination.
32. Jacksonville Jaguars - This team needs a serious upgrade in talent to turn the corner.
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