Another exciting week in the books as we officially reach the half-way mark of the 2010 NFL season. The Steelers continued to show they are one of the best teams in the AFC while the Giants and Falcons appear to be the favorites in the NFC.

Once again, thanks to Johnny Crosskey from BucsPost.com and Jeric Griffin of TheCowboysCentral.com for their contributions for this list. Without further ado, here are the 2010 NFL Power Rankings for Week 8 from www.RantSports.com:

1. Pittsburgh Steelers (1): A questionable fumble by Ben Roethlisberger will be discussed for the rest of the season. Still, the Steelers came through with another big win against a playoff-caliber type team and continue to show they are one of the top teams to beat in the AFC.

2. New York Jets (2): A bye week doesn’t hurt this red-hot team from the Big Apple. Rex Ryan’s group gets the struggling Packers at home this week.

3. New England Patriots (3): Even without an offense, the Patriots still managed a way to leave San Diego with a win over the Chargers. They get a reunion with Randy Moss this weekend as the Vikings come to town.

4. Baltimore Ravens (5): It was closer than they liked, but Baltimore beat the Bills to keep up with Pittsburgh in the AFC North. A bye week will get the Ravens rested and ready for Week 9.

5. Atlanta Falcons (6): Roddy White has been impossible to contain this season and had his way against the Bengals last weekend (11 receptions for 201 yards with two touchdowns). The Falcons enter the bye week as arguably one of the best teams in the NFC.

6. Indianapolis Colts (4): A bye week is just what Indy needed. The Colts will regroup following Dallas Clark’s injury and come out like the Super Bowl contenders we expected.

7. New York Giants (7): Give the Giants credit for bouncing back against the Cowboys after Eli Manning threw two interceptions early on. Everything seems to be going right for the Giants on offense–especially Hakeem Nicks.

8. Tennessee Titans (11): Even without Vince Young, the Titans continue to find ways to win the big games. They are making a strong case as the team to beat in the AFC South.

9. Houston Texans (12): A bye week might get Matt Schaub and Houston’s passing attack back on track. A rematch at Indy will be tough sledding.

10. Green Bay Packers (14): Brett Favre finally fell at Lambeau Field and Green Bay avoided a three-game skid. A road trip against the Jets may decide the Packers’ season.

11. Philadelphia Eagles (9): Well, we’re back to the whole quarterback controversy again after Kevin Kolb struggled against the Titans last weekend. This team appeared to be on their way to 5-2 until the defense collapsed in the fourth quarter.

12. Kansas City Chiefs (16): A huge win over the Jaguars and Kansas City is looking like the team to beat out west. A home game against the lowly Bills will boost the Chiefs’ confidence even more.

13. Washington Redskins (13): Another ugly win for Washington. Four picks by DeAngelo Hall doesn’t hurt, but the ‘Skins keep on winning these grudge matches.

14. Miami Dolphins (10): Another tough loss for the Dolphins at home–and of course, a questionable fumble recovery that could come back and haunt them later in the season. A critical game at Cincinnati awaits them in Week 8.

15. New Orleans Saints (8): It’s clear–the Saints are not nearly as dangerous of a football team without the support of a ground game. Nobody expected Drew Brees–who threw four interceptions–to go down at home against the Browns.

16. Seattle Seahawks (17): Matt Hasselbeck has found the fountain of youth. Seattle is in prime position to win NFC West! Whodathunkit?

17. Chicago Bears (15): So much for Jay Cutler’s interception problem being cured. Despite their 4-3 record, there are still plenty of things to fix with the Bears’ offense.

18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (18): The best team in the NFC? Eh, not so fast Mr. Morris. The Bucs may be 4-2, but they may not even be the team to beat in their own division considering how well the Falcons are playing.

19. Oakland Raiders (28): A franchise record for points scored in a blowout win over the Broncos has the Raiders, yes the Raiders, in contention for the AFC West.

20. Arizona Cardinals (20): How will Max Hall come out of the bye week? With an atrocious Tampa Bay defense coming to town, the undrafted rookie might do all right.

21. Minnesota Vikings (21): Do you think Brad Childress regrets convincing Brett Favre to come back? He looked awful in Sunday’s loss to the Packers.

22. St. Louis Rams (22): A close loss to Tampa Bay is a minor setback for this ever-improving St. Louis team. A home game against Carolina is just what Sam Bradford needs.

23. Cincinnati Bengals (23): 402 passing yards from Carson Palmer–and the Bengals still find a way to lose. Now, it’s the defense facing heavy criticism after giving up 39 points to the Falcons.

24. San Diego Chargers (24): The Chargers have nobody to blame but themselves for their loss to the Patriots. Too many simple mistakes and now this team sits at a disappointing 2-5.

25. Jacksonville Jaguars (19): Let’s cut this team some slack–they put up a good fight in the beginning with a third-string quarterback. Still, it’s safe to say the Jags are now the favorites to finish at the bottom of the AFC South.

26. Denver Broncos (25): An embarrassing blowout loss to Oakland has Denver at the bottom of the AFC West and wondering where this season is going.

27. Dallas Cowboys (26): The Cowboys looked like they were going to be out of their funk at the beginning of Monday night’s game against the Giants. Unfortunately, that slight bit of hope didn’t even last until halftime and they now have to deal without having Tony Romo–who fractured his left clavicle.

28. Cleveland Browns (30): Props to the Browns for going into New Orleans and leaving with a huge win against the Saints. This franchise has now beaten the previous Super Bowl champions in each of the last three seasons.

29. Detroit Lions (27): A bye week and the return of Matthew Stafford could be just what Detroit needs to start building.

30. Carolina Panthers (31): The Panthers finally picked up their first win of 2010. Now, if only their young group of wide receivers could perform as well as they did against the 49ers on a weekly basis.

31. San Francisco 49ers (29): San Fran finally gets a win and then loses to…the Panthers?! That defense we expected hasn’t shown up this year and don’t expect it to anytime soon.

32. Buffalo Bills (32): In the first half against the Ravens, it appeared the Bills were on their way to win No. 1. With the way the offense has played lately, this team is bound for a win soon.

Be sure to check back next week!

Dan Parzych is the Lead NFL Content Editor for www.RantSports.com/NFL,  where he writes and edits NFL content for www.RantSports.com.