1. Atlanta Falcons (8-0) Last week: 1 We may have to wait until January 20, the scheduled date of the 2012 NFC Championship Game, to see if the Falcons are better than the Bears on the field, but entering Week 10 with a perfect record means the Falcons get to remain at the top of our Power Rankings. 2. Chicago Bears (7-1) Last week: 3 In the first quarter of their 51-20 win over the Tennessee Titans, the Bears scored a touchdown on a blocked punt, an interception, a running play and a passing play. That was the first time in NFL history that had happened. The Bears also have seven interception returns for touchdowns through eight games, which is also an NFL first. This defense is pretty special, folks, and will give the Houston Texans all they can handle on Sunday night. 3. Houston Texans (7-1) Last week: 2 The Texans started slow and weren't dominant in their 21-9 win over the Buffalo Bills, but the defense came through in the red zone and they got the "W". In the end, that's all that matters, but they'll need to be much better to beat the Bears in Soldier Field. 4. San Francisco 49ers (6-2) Last week: 4 The 49ers were off last week, which could be bad news for the Rams. According to Matthew Barrows of The Sacramento Bee, under Jim Harbaugh, the 49ers are 8-1 in games where they had at least one extra day to prepare for their opponent.

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