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* Orson Wells once said, "I hate television. I hate it as much as peanuts. But I can't stop eating peanuts." That's how I feel about Peter King columns these days. I hate them as much as I hate peanuts. But I can't stop eating peanuts.

* Easily the biggest game of the season so far: Denver at Kansas City. If your local television provider isn't showing the game, go somewhere that is. (Editor's Note: Or get NFL Sunday Ticket on DirecTV!)

* Of course, even that game could be eclipsed just a day later, when the Colts travel to Tampa on Monday night. That could be a Super Bowl preview.

* He could stand to shut up once in a while, but I think the media is making too big a deal out of Terrell Owens' latest outburst.

* The Vikings will be high on most people's boards this week, and you have to respect 4-0, but they have yet to play a team in the top-half of my rankings. Their first real test is Denver at home in Week 7.

On to the rankings, and the usual routine about the number in brackets: rank from the previous week.

1) Tampa Bay Buccaneers [1] -- John Lynch is in the new Chunky Soup commercials. Is he next in line for the curse? Terrell Davis got hurt, Michael Strahan lost his mojo, and Donovan McNabb did both. I hope Lynch rested up during the bye week.

2) Kansas City Chiefs [2] -- If you're talking about careers, Brian Mitchell and Mel Gray are the greatest return specialists of the last 20 years. But if you're talking about peak performance over, say, a year, Dante Hall is the best kick-returner since Gale Sayers in his prime.

3) Indianapolis Colts [4] -- "Marvin Harrison has to be more than a decoy in the offense," I wrote last week. 158 yards and 3 TDs later, the Colts had blown out the Saints in New Orleans. I've been skeptical about the radical improvement their defense has been credited with since Tony Dungy arrived in town, but it's for real.

4) Denver Broncos [3] -- I would have been happy to keep Denver third, but Indianapolis had such a dominant game on the road Sunday night that it would be crazy not to have them in the top-three. The most interesting development in the thin air of Colorado is Ashley Lelie's rapid ascent to the top receiving position in the Broncos' offense. We all knew he had speed, but the guy is a fantastic playmaker, too. He could be a surprise Pro Bowl pick.

5) Tennessee Titans [5] -- At this point, I think Steve McNair has to be considered the best quarterback in the NFL, maybe even the best player, period. His game has developed enormously from the days when he was considered little more than a running threat in the mold of Kordell Stewart. Tennessee has a dependable defense and Eddie George isn't completely out of gas yet, but McNair carries the Titans the way Brett Favre has carried the Packers for the last 10 seasons.

6) Miami Dolphins [6] -- The bye week can only be good for Ricky Williams. Dave Wannstedt is desperate to protect his job, and I think he's overusing Williams as a result. Maybe Ricky left all his problems in New Orleans, but it would be a real shame if his injury problems resurface after so many carries. I still haven't gotten over the 1999 season, when four of the game's five best running backs (Terrell Davis, Jamal Anderson, Garrison Hearst, and Fred Taylor) from the previous season went down with injuries after career-highs in touches.

7) Seattle Seahawks [7] -- It's tough to criticize a team that's 3-0, but defying convention is more fun than following it. Shaun Alexander is great. Koren Robinson is very good. Darrell Jackson is good. Matt Hasselbeck, at this point in the season, has only been average. He needs to play better.

8) Minnesota Vikings [10] -- I used the first two picks of my fantasy draft on Marvin Harrison and Randy Moss. I am very, very happy about that this week. Moss, when he plays the way he did this weekend, is as dominant as any player in the game. He made Gus Frerotte look like a superstar. That said, I think Minnesota's rout of the 49ers says more about San Francisco than it does about the Vikings.

9) New York Giants [9] -- I don't really feel like the Giants deserve to be ranked this high, but I can't figure out who else to put ahead of them. They're 2-1 and strong playoff contenders in this year's weak NFC. The defense is above-average and the offense could break out if the offensive line solidifies a bit or Kerry Collins takes his game to the next level.

10) Carolina Panthers [17] -- Stephen Davis had a sensational game against Atlanta, and he's obviously made a huge difference for the Panthers, who have never really had an elite running back. But what amazes me is their special teams. No team -- even the Chiefs -- has gotten more from the third unit than Carolina has. Teams are going to have to devote extra practice time to neutralizing Carolina's special teams, and that frees up the offense and defense a bit.

11) St. Louis Rams [12] -- Finally ran the ball ... now that Marshall Faulk is injured. Bizarre strategy aside, this team is finally starting to utilize its weapons. Kurt Warner is safely planted on the bench, Torry Holt continues to improve, and the defense looks good.

12) Philadelphia Eagles [15] -- This might be a little too high, but I like what I saw of their game against Buffalo. Running the ball with RBs and with Donovan McNabb. Last week, I talked about the Colts' failure to shoot their biggest weapon (Harrison). The Eagles' biggest cannon is unquestionably McNabb. Limiting his role in the offense can only hurt the team. And let's see Brian Westbrook continue to get some carries. I'm surprised he's not already the go-to running back on the team.

13) Pittsburgh Steelers [11] -- Despite the embarrassment they suffered against Tennessee, the Steelers are really in pretty good shape. They're tied with Baltimore for first in the AFC North, and they haven't lost to a team outside of the top-five in my power rankings. If you beat all but the very top teams in the league, you'll make the playoffs, and anything can happen there.

14) Buffalo Bills [8] -- Six spots is probably too big a drop based on their loss to Philadelphia, but my old prejudices against the Bills are coming back into play -- I really just don't believe the offense can stay consistent or that teams won't figure out the revamped defense. And they're a close 14th. They could move back up quickly.

15) Washington Redskins [21] -- I've been skeptical about Washington all season, but I'm finally giving them a big jump. Which is a sure sign that they will lose to Philadelphia this weekend. I don't generally advise betting on my picks, but I'm pretty sure the Eagles will win next Sunday.

16) Baltimore Ravens [16] -- Staying close against the Chiefs will not drop you into the bottom-half of the rankings. The Ravens played tough defense and okay offense, basically losing the game on Hall's kick return. This isn't the 2000 Ravens, but there are some remarkable similarities.

17) Green Bay Packers [18] -- It wouldn't be unreasonable to have them higher after they thrashed Chicago in the first game at the new Soldier Field. But 2-2 Baltimore hung tight with Kansas City, and the Packers (also 2-2) hung tight with Arizona. If they beat Seattle next week, they'll make a move up the rankings, but wins over Detroit and Chicago don't impress me.

18) Oakland Raiders [14] -- With deep threat Jerry Porter out of action, the Raiders need another speedy receiver, and Alvis Whitted is not the answer. But Charlie Garner could be. He's really fast and he's got good hands. Tyrone Wheatley and Zach Crockett can handle the backfield duties if Garner made a temporary move to WR, and I think it would give opponents fits. It's also worth mentioning that Charles Woodson can play receiver.

19) New England Patriots [13] -- Another team that's probably lower than it should be. This will all be sorted out in a few weeks. I didn't see their game against Washington, but one thing that's missing from their recent Super Bowl season is dynamic special teams. The Chiefs and Panthers have made that a vital part of their winning recipes, and New England would be wise to try to do the same.

20) Dallas Cowboys [24] -- They're tied with the Giants and ahead of the Eagles. That won't last, but I'm impressed with what I've seen: a ball-control offense backing up a strong defense. If Quincy Carter can keep the turnovers to a minimum and make a couple big plays every week, the Cowboys will finish around .500.

21) Cleveland Browns [19] -- I don't believe that the Bengals are better than Cleveland, although it was certainly an embarrassing loss in front of the home crowd. William Green was supposed to be a key part of the offense this year, and he hasn't done anything yet. The Browns will continue to struggle if they don't have a running game.

22) San Francisco 49ers [20] -- I think San Francisco is in big trouble, but I can't bring myself to rank them behind Cincinnati. I don't want to echo everyone else, but since I've been saying it for six months I feel pretty comfortable: Dennis Erickson is not as good as Steve Mariucci. The 49er management made a big mistake by firing Mooch, and then another by choosing Erickson over someone like Monte Kiffin or Ted Cottrell.

23) Cincinnati Bengals [26] -- I already had them higher than experts at SI and ESPN last week, and they make a modest jump this week after a win that I don't consider a huge upset. They'll miss Corey Dillon, though.

24) New Orleans Saints [22] -- No word better describes the Saints right now than "reeling." They came into the season confident, but sandwiched a win over Houston between an upset loss to the Seahawks and a blowout defeat in Tennessee. Now they're caught in a spiral. This team is better than it played against Indianapolis, and they'll eventually find their rhythm. But right now, they're reeling, and they could lose to Chicago in Week 6 if Jim Haslett can't get them straight.

25) Houston Texans [30] -- Unlike the folks at ESPN who would be jumping all over Dom Capers if the Texans had lost on Sunday -- that is, if Houston failed to score a TD when Capers chose not to kick a game-tying field goal -- I'm not crazy about the call that sent David Carr into the endzone with the game-winner. But I do think Capers deserves a ton of credit for having this team 2-2.

26) Detroit Lions [29] -- They played the Vikings and Broncos close the last two weeks, and they have a win. That's enough to be ranked 26th right now. The young offense should be a joy to watch next year, when there's a little more chemistry, a little more maturity and experience, and another year with Mariucci. Probably another high draft-pick, too.

27) Atlanta Falcons [23] -- Three-straight losses after an easy opening-week victory over the Cowboys. There's a lot more wrong with this team than Mike Vick can fix. What on earth happened to the defense?

28) San Diego Chargers [27] -- Marty Schottenheimer used to make a business of winning close games like the one they played on Sunday. Of course, he also used to have a good defense.

29) New York Jets [25] -- In another year, the 0-4 Jets could be ranked last. As a matter of fact, in 1994, they would have been worse than last, since there were only 28 teams then and I have them 29th now. Herm Edwards hasn't done a good job so far this season.

30) Jacksonville Jaguars [28] -- It is really hard not to rank the Jaguars last. Hugh Douglas has been invisible, and he was their only real hope for improvement this season. Byron Leftwich is not ready to start in the NFL just yet, as evidenced by his three interceptions against the Texans. There's no need to rush his progress, and I think he should be on the bench for now.

31) Arizona Cardinals [31] -- The announcers in their loss at St. Louis kept mistaking Rams dominance for Arizona's pitifully poor play. They're really not good, especially the defense and rushing game. Time of possession is going to be a problem for the Cardinals all season.

32) Chicago Bears [32] -- It's difficult to find anything particularly good about the Bears this year. The closest thing, I guess, is Brian Urlacher, although I stand by my opinion that he is the most overrated player in the NFL. If he had a better supporting cast, Urlacher would be a lot more effective. Right now, teams are having little trouble neutralizing him.

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