NFL notes: Patriots No. 1 in AP poll
Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are back where they have been for so much of the Bill Belichick era.
On top of the NFL.
The Patriots dominated Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos 43-21 on Sunday in the much-anticipated matchup between two of the top quarterbacks in the league.
“Tom Brady and Peyton Manning have played a regular season’s worth of games against one another, and Brady owns the rivalry,” Newsday’s Bob Glauber said.
“He’s now 11-5 all-time against Manning, putting on yet another transcendent performance. Since that Week 4 blowout loss in Kansas City, Brady now has 18 touchdowns and just one interception, and Pats have won five straight.”
The Patriots (7-2) received eight of 12 first-place votes Tuesday for the AP Pro32 power rankings, which are decided by a media panel that regularly covers the league.
“The Patriots quieted a lot of doubters with that performance over Denver,” ESPN’s Herm Edwards said.
The Arizona Cardinals (7-1), tied with the Patriots for the most wins in the league, received the other four first-place votes, but stayed at No. 2 in the poll.
“You can’t run on them, and you can’t hide from the coaching acumen of (Arizona’s) Bruce Arians,” Ira Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune said.
The Broncos (6-2) fell from No. 1 to 3 followed by the Philadelphia Eagles and the Detroit Lions.
The Eagles (6-2) will have to get by without Nick Foles, who is out because of a broken clavicle. Former Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez will make his first start in 23 months under the prime-time lights next Monday night against the Carolina Panthers.
“(Coach) Chip (Kelly) won’t panic with injury to Foles,” NBC Sports’ Tony Dungy said.
The Patriots’ dominating win gives them pole position for home-field advantage should they face the Broncos in the playoffs.
“Going to New England in January not good for Broncos,” Fox Sports’ John Czarnecki said.
The Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys round out the top 10. Seattle was 10th last week.
Heartfelt game ahead for Still
Devon Still figures it will be the most emotional game he’ll ever play.
The Bengals defensive tackle will have his 4-year-old daughter, Leah, watching from a seat at Paul Brown Stadium on Thursday night when Cincinnati (5-2-1) hosts the Cleveland Browns (5-3). The girl is being treated for cancer.
After the first quarter, the team will present a check for more than $1 million to Children’s Hospital for cancer treatment and research. The money was raised from sales of Still’s jersey.
On Sunday, Still supported collegiate basketball player Lauren Hill by wearing her name on his eye black strips. Hill is a freshman at Mount St. Joseph who has inoperable brain cancer. She scored two baskets in her first game.
Around the league
A Charlotte Mecklenburg District Attorney’s office spokeswoman has announced the Nov. 17 jury trial involving Panthers DE Greg Hardy has been moved to 2015. Hardy is appealing his July 15 conviction on charges of assault on a female and communicating threats. … Steelers safety Troy Polamalu will miss Sunday’s game at the Jets with a sprained knee. … Robert Griffin III doesn’t see the final seven games as a chance to prove he’s definitively the Redskins’ franchise quarterback. One day after coach Jay Gruden said “the jury is still out” on the quarterback position, Griffin said: “When it comes to being the franchise guy, that is what it is. I believe that I am. I believe that this organization knows that I am, and I know those guys in the locker room believe that I am.”