Power Rankings: Turkey and football in Motown is sweet

Instead of my usual Thanksgiving Day fare, which would be stuffing my ample gut to the max, then unbuttoning the pants for comfort and spending the day wishing I hadn't devoured so much food and watching plenty of football, I'll be working Thursday.

Thanksgiving in Detroit? Who can resist. (Getty Images)

For the first time in my years covering the NFL, I will be in Detroit for a Turkey Day affair. I can remember many a day in my 20s watching the Lions play the early game, a severe hangover from the night before (after all, Thanksgiving Wednesday is one of the best drinking days of the year, at least when you're young) thinking how cool it would be to be there.

I can remember my brothers and father imploring my mother to time our turkey feast between the early and late games. I can remember my wise-guy brothers and me making fun of John Madden as he gushed over turducken and we wondered if he really wasn't Brett Favre's father.

Now I'll actually be in Detroit. I did Dallas on Thanksgiving a few years back, and that was a fun experience. But Detroit for the early game is what it's all about. Get those damn parades off and let's see some football.

We can only take so much of watching blown-up balloons go passing by. Give me blown-up offensive tackles instead.

What's even better about this year's game is there is a really good team involved, maybe the best in the NFC. Favre plays his last Thanksgiving Day Game Thursday -- unless, of course, he plays into the next decade. Watching him is always a treat, but it's even better when his Green Bay Packers are playing so well.

At 9-1, they're the best team in the NFC right now, in my opinion. Yes, better than the Dallas Cowboys and here's why: They can cover.

Jason Campbell showed that the Cowboys have some issues defending the pass Sunday and the Packers can counter with the best pair of corners in the league in Charles Woodson and Al Harris. They'll be on the Detroit receivers like Madden on a turkey leg.

Those two are a big reason I've kept the Packers ranked ahead of the Cowboys in the CBSSports.com Power Rankings. They're also a big reason why I think the Packers might be able to match up with New England. I said "might," so don't stone me, New England fans.

The Packers didn't get a good hand dealt them by the schedule-maker, though. They play a desperate Lions team on the road Thursday and then come back a week from Thursday to play the Cowboys at Texas Stadium.

If they can win the next two, the division will be over and they will put themselves in a good position to have the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Unreal.

So it's off to Detroit this week for a Turkey Day tradition that will be a first-time event for me. And I promise, I won't unbutton my pants until I get back to my hotel later that night after I tear into my turducken, whatever the hell that is.

Power Rankings
Current		Team	Previous
	1	Titans · Trends	1
	If Kerry Collins plays like he did against the Bears, they will be a Super Bowl team. It's that simple. The passing game is the one area of this team that worried some.
	2	Giants · Trends	2
	They run it better than anybody, which controls the football. And when they get a lead they have a pass rush that can get after it. They're the best team, even if they are in the second spot here.
	3	Panthers · Trends	3
	Can I really put a team that had a quarterback throw for 72 yards and get picked four times in the third spot? At 7-2, you have to do it.
	4	Buccaneers · Trends	6
	Jon Gruden has to be thrilled with his 6-3 start and the way Jeff Garcia has played. We know the defense will be good.
	5	Redskins · Trends	7
	They come off the bye with a huge game against the Cowboys at home. They need to win it to try to keep pace with the Giants in the division -- or they will be taking the wild-card route.
	6	Patriots · Trends	10
	As Matt Cassel grows, they will only get better. They have two huge games in the next two weeks against the Jets at home and at Miami. Win them, and they will win the division.
	7	Jets · Trends	8
	They've done what they've been asked to do, which is beat up on a weak schedule. We'll know if they're any good Thursday after they play the Patriots.
	8	Cardinals · Trends	9
	They're going to the playoffs. Barring a late-season collapse of epic proportions, even by Cardinals standards, they will win the division. That means we'll get the treat of watching that offense more in the postseason.
	9	Cowboys · Trends	11
	The most important question in Dallas since Who shot JR is this: How's the pinkie? That's Tony Romo's pinkie.
	10	Falcons · Trends	12
	Matt Ryan isn't playing like a rookie, that's for sure. But the most impressive thing is how well the defense is playing. Brian VanGorder is doing a nice job with that unit.
	11	Colts · Trends	18
	The past two weeks have saved their season. They appear to be getting it right in time to make a second-half push.
	12	Steelers · Trends	4
	I worry about their passing game. Ben Roethlisberger isn't playing well. He needs to get it going or they'll be watching come playoff time.
	13	Ravens · Trends	14
	Joe Flacco is the real deal and the defense is playing good football. Nice job, John Harbaugh.
	14	Eagles · Trends	5
	They get the Bengals this week, which is a must-win if they are to have any chance to win the division. They're 0-3 against the NFC East, with two losses at home. That's not good enough.
	15	Vikings · Trends	19
	Will they ever get good quarterback play? Not with the group they have, which means it's all about Adrian Peterson and the defense.
	16	Bills · Trends	13
	Trent Edwards has cooled and so have the Bills. He just hasn't been smooth the past three weeks. The Bills are fading fast.
	17	Bears · Trends	15
	Get better, Kyle Orton. Soon. The offense isn't the same without you, and the Bears head to Green Bay this week.
	18	Dolphins · Trends	20
	They get Oakland at home, a game they should win, which will set up a huge division game in two weeks with the Patriots. Is that possible?
	19	Packers · Trends	16
	They lost two tough road games and now must try to regroup against division rival Chicago at home. One thing that is missing is the running game from last season.
	20	Broncos · Trends	21
	Here's the deal: Jay Cutler will have to win shootouts for this team to be in the playoffs. He's capable, that's for sure.
	21	Jaguars · Trends	23
	Jack Del Rio's tough talk worked against Detroit. But that's the Lions. We'll know if they're back for sure next week when they play the Titans.
	22	Saints · Trends	17
	At 4-5, they're in last place in the division. They still have games left against all three teams, but they better get it going.
	23	Chargers · Trends	24
	Even when they win, like they did Sunday, it's not pretty. The pass defense made Tyler Thigpen look like Len Dawson.
	24	Browns · Trends	22
	The change to Brady Quinn matters none if the defense can't stop anybody. Where is the pass rush or the coverage?
	25	Texans · Trends	25
	They are a different team without Matt Schaub. Sage Rosenfels just can't get it done. To think there was a controversy of sorts before the season between those two.
	26	Rams · Trends	26
	The past three games have taken the luster off Jim Haslett's first two games. That's what happens when the talent base isn't that good.
	27	Seahawks · Trends	27
	At least this time when they came east they didn't get blown out. Seneca Wallace played better, but their season is over.
	28	Bengals · Trends	28
	Coming out of the bye, coach Marvin Lewis just might be playing for his job. At least his team showed life the last time out.
	29	Raiders · Trends	29
	They did play better on defense against the Panthers. Now we'll see if it holds up on a long road trip to Miami.
	30	49ers · Trends	30
	They battled Monday night, which has to make feisty Mike Singletary happy. The good thing is some young players are starting to step up.
	31	Chiefs · Trends	31
	Tyler Thigpen has played well the past couple of weeks. The next seven games should be to find out if he can be a long-term answer.
	32	Lions · Trends	32
	Drew Stanton should play the rest of the season. They have to see what he can do. If not, they need to hope Matt Stafford comes out.