Oct. 28
Editor's Note: Chris Mortensen offers his usual array of NFL Top-Five Lists to summarize Week 8.

Best Games
1. Bengals 27, Seahawks 24 -- Back-and-forth drama in which the Bengals got huge plays from WR Chad Johnson and LB Brian Simmons to move into AFC North contention.
2. Panthers 23, Saints 20 (OT) -- Carolina's third big-time road win had some breathless moments before Stephen Davis busted one.
3. Eagles 24, Jets 17 -- Jets actually led in fourth quarter in Chad Pennington's debut; Donovan McNabb was much better for the Eagles.
4. Giants 29, Vikings 17 -- The G-men scored two fourth-quarter TDs to pin first loss on Vikes.
5. Cardinals 16, 49ers 13 (OT) -- Kicking follies still had entertainment value.

Most Impressive in Victory
1. Chiefs 38, Bills 5 -- By far their most impressive victory, the Chiefs head into bye with flawless mark.
2. Rams 33, Steelers 21 -- The score is not indicative of how the Rams dominated, holding the ball for 40 of 60 minutes.
3. Bucs 16, Cowboys 0 -- After the first quarter, this was your Super Bowl champion, even with injuries.
4. Titans 30, Jaguars 17 -- Against a pretty good defense, the Titans got physical, especially on a fourth-quarter drive that killed more than 11 minutes.
5a. Ravens 26, Broncos 6 -- True, it was vs. Danny Kanell, but the Ravens were ravenous and rookie QB Kyle Boller is coming around.
5b. Dolphins 26, Chargers 10 -- Brian Griese looked pretty comfortable in a dumbed-down offense.

Best Performance: Quarterback
1. Marc Bulger, Rams -- He made so many good throws in a 375-yard performance, the Steelers had to wonder where they were when Bulger -- a hometown guy -- was just floating around a couple of years ago.
2. Trent Green, Chiefs -- He barely missed a read or a throw in slicing up Bills.
3. Jon Kitna, Bengals -- His former coach, Mike Holmgren, witnessed first-hand that Kitna has enjoyed a remarkable and admirable transition.
4. Peyton Manning, Colts -- He's such a perfectionist that even a 22-for-30, three-TD performance appeared to leave him a little disappointed.
5a. Kerry Collins, Giants -- Uneven, yes, but 375 yards and two TDs to upend Vikings in the Metrodome.
5b. Brian Griese, Dolphins -- Either Dolphins offensive coordinator Norv Turner made it easy for Griese, or Griese made it look easy. Probably both happened.

Best Performance: Receiver
1. Tory Holt, Rams -- Let's see, 174 yards on seven catches ... the NFL's leading receiver is sniffing the same air as Marvin Harrison and Randy Moss.
2. Joe Horn, Saints -- The numbers don't scream (six catches for 74 yards) but you had to see the great grabs he made vs. the Panthers, including two TDs.
3. Ike Hilliard, Giants -- Nine catches, 100 yards and two TDs on Moss' turf.
4. Reggie Wayne, Colts -- Ex-first rounder keeps playing like one, this time getting two TDs and 96 yards.
5a. Chad Johnson, Bengals -- Explosive WR continues to show cousin Keyshawn that he can do more with the ball; his 53-yard catch-and-run for TD was the game-breaker.
5b. Dante Hall, Chiefs -- So if teams are going to crack down on kicking to him, Dick Vermeil will find a way to get him the ball. Sunday night, it happened for 107 yards and a TD on four catches.

Best Performance: Running Back
1. Stephen Davis, Panthers -- His 32 carries for 178 yards and two TDs, including a perfectly executed 34-yarder that set up the winning field goal in OT, was one of the year's best performances.
2. Marcel Shipp, Cardinals -- So, after his 35-carry, 165-yard afternoon, I'm wondering whether the Cards feel a little bit foolish about signing Emmitt Smith. After all, they did tear up Shipp's contract at the end of last season because he showed so much promise.
3. Jamal Lewis, Ravens -- After a 134-yard day -- on 32 carries and including a TD -- we get to wonder about the 2,000-yard mark for Lewis.
4. Domanick Davis, Texans -- Went over the century mark for the second straight week since being named the starter, this time for 109 yards on 25 carries, scoring twice. Is it okay to ask "Where did he come from?"
5. Correll Buckhalter, Eagles -- Surprise! With Brian Westbrook nicked up and Duce Staley relegated to part-time duty, Buckhalter delivered 100 yards on 15 carries and scored two TDs.

Defensive Notables
1. Warren Sapp, Bucs DT -- He dominated Cowboys G Larry Allen during a stretch that made it clear the Bucs were not giving another inch. Allen eventually retired to the sidelines, drawing the disgust of Bill Parcells.
2. Brian Simmons, Bengals LB -- Simmons had an interception and tipped a Matt Hasselbeck pass that was intercepted by Jeff Burris to clinch the Bengals' third victory.
3. Julius Peppers, Panthers DE -- He blew up Saints TE Ernie Conwell and nailed Deuce McAllister for a loss and fumble on a fourth-and-short run in OT. The Panthers took the ball and scored a few plays later for a big win.
4. Patrick Surtain, Dolphins CB -- Put on a clinic that Drew Brees wishes he had never seen.
5. Peter Boulware and Ray Lewis, Ravens LBs -- Lewis dominated while Boulware had two sacks and two forced fumbles.
6. Ronde Barber, Bucs CB -- Intercepted a pass and was all over the place after a week in which he didn't practice because of injury.
7. Mike Vrabel, Patriots DE -- Heck, he could be the No. 1 guy after three sacks and a forced fumble. Give an assist to DT Richard Seymour, who drew a lot of Cleveland blockers.
8. Eric Warfield, Chiefs CB -- Two interceptions and a crushing sack of Drew Bledsoe can't be ignored.
9. John Abraham, Jets DE -- Herm Edwards has gotten his attention: Registered 3.5 sacks on Donovan McNabb.
10. Michael Strahan, Giants DE -- The Vikings had a lead and were driving in the fourth quarter when Strahan crashed the party with back-to-back sacks of Daunte Culpepper, setting up the Giants' go-ahead score in the fourth quarter.

Top Games: Week 9
1. Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings -- The Packers know what this NFC North game is: must win.
2. Indianapolis Colts at Miami Dolphins -- The Dolphins' defense against the Colts' offense, and maybe a whole lot more.
3. Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys -- Ol' ball coach meets the real ol' ball coach.
4. New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- The Bucs have to prove a couple of things, namely that they can win two big games in a row and beat a Saints team they couldn't a year ago.
5a. New York Giants at New York Jets -- It's New York, New York with the Giants working for .500 and the Jets working for oxygen.
5b. St. Louis Rams at San Francisco 49ers -- We have to pay attention because the 49ers beat the Bucs two weeks ago in the same stadium.