1. New England Patriots (10-2, –)
The Patriots are on their own planet after Monday night’s 45-3 victory over the Jets. If anyone tells you they saw that coming, they’re lying. With the win, New England put itself in prime position for a first round by and home-field advantage, where Tom Brady has been unbeatable.
2. Atlanta Falcons (10-2, –)
Atlanta continues to win big game after big game. They followed a huge win over the Packers with a road win over the Buccaneers. Matt Ryan is proving he has ice water running through his veins, as he’s led fourth quarter game-winning touchdown drives in consecutive weeks.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3, +3)
The Steelers have been struggling recently and were in need of a signature win. Thanks to a fourth-quarter strip sack from Troy Polamalu, they got it. Beating the Ravens in Baltimore was huge for Pittsburgh’s position in the AFC North. Three of their last four are against the Bengals, Browns, and Panthers.
4. New Orleans Saints (9-3, +1)
The mark of a great team is being able to win on the road. It wasn’t pretty, but the Saints are now 5-1 on the road this season after defeating the Bengals in Cincinnati. They’ll need to continue their hot streak to keep pace with the Falcons, who don’t appear to be slowing down.
5. New York Jets (9-3, -2)
All eyes will be on the Jets next weekend when they take on the Dolphins. They were absolutely embarrassed by the Patriots, and they’ll have to show themselves and the rest of the AFC that a 45-3 loss won’t completely derail them. We now get to see how resilient a Rex Ryan team truly is.
6. Green Bay Packers (8-4, +1)
Green Bay had plenty of chances to beat the Falcons last week but came up just short. They started out slow against the Niners but dominated the second half. A lacking run game is still a major issue but Aaron Rodgers is still good enough to cover it up.
7. Chicago Bears (9-3, +1)
I give up. The Bears are good. Jay Cutler has five touchdowns and no interceptions over his last two games and a 9-3 record doesn’t lie. Chicago’s defense is still good and they will face a true test at home this weekend against the league’s best offense.
8. Philadelphia Eagles (8-4, +3)
Philadelphia — most notably Michael Vick — bounced back from a tough loss and beat the Texans. Vick is getting all of the attention, but LeSean McCoy has been the x-factor for the Eagles’ offense. He has the most catches among NFL running backs and good things happen when the Eagles get him the ball.
9. New York Giants (8-4, +1)
The Giants have safely avoided the second half of the season meltdown talk. They dominated the Redskins and are on a crash course with the Eagles for first place in the NFC East. The two teams square off week 15, but the Giants have to take care of the Vikings first.
10. Baltimore Ravens (8-4, -5)
When veteran receiver Derrick Mason says the offense has gone stale, he’s probably on to something. Ray Rice has had an inconsistent year and the Ravens’ offense isn’t clicking. A game against the horrendous Texans’ defense this Monday night should help.
11. Kansas City Chiefs (8-4, +3)
The Chiefs’ win over the Broncos may not have been convincing, but couple it with a Chargers loss and they’re in tremendous position to win the AFC West — even if it was the Raiders who beat San Diego. A two-game lead with four games remaining? No one saw that coming.
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5, –)
Tampa Bay may not make the playoffs, but they’re one of the most improved teams in the NFL. They continue to hang tough with quality competition and challenged the Falcons both times they played them this season. They’ll have a lot of things to build on heading into next year.
13. Jacksonville Jaguars (7-5, +3)
My exact words regarding the Jaguars’ recent success were, “this too shall pass.” It has yet to pass, and David Garrard and company are your AFC South leaders after 12 games. The recent play of Houston and Indy has given Jacksonville a legit shot at the postseason.
14. Indianapolis Colts (6-6, -1)
It may be nearly impossible to believe, but 14th could be a generous ranking for the Colts. What’s even more difficult to believe is that Peyton Manning is losing games for Indy by himself. His 11 interceptions over the last three games could be the biggest surprise across the league. Four of them have been pick-sixes.
15. Oakland Raiders (6-6, +3)
Leave it to the largest underdog of the week to win outright in this crazy 2010 season. The Chargers were one of the league’s hottest teams and the Raiders shocked everyone by cooling them off. I’m still not a believer, but the win certainly makes things in the AFC West interesting.
16. San Diego Chargers (6-6, -7)
The Chargers are still dangerous, but falling asleep against the Raiders could be extremely costly down the stretch. We thought the Chargers had found their stride and would take the AFC by storm, but now it’s the Chiefs’ division to lose. Philip Rivers decided to look like a human at the wrong time.
17. St.Louis Rams (6-6, +4)
After taking care of the Cardinals on the road, the Rams should win the NFC West if they can beat their two remaining divisional opponents — San Francisco and Seattle. St. Louis is a better team than both, so Sam Bradford could be looking at a playoff berth in his first NFL season.
18. Miami Dolphins (6-6, -2)
Word around Miami was that Tony Sparano lit a fire under Chad Henne’s behind by benching him. You wouldn’t have known it on Sunday. Henne’s late interception cost the Dolphins a win against the Browns. A dropped pick-six didn’t help, but Henne has to find ways to beat tough competition at home.
19. Houston Texans (5-7, -1)
With the Jaguars leading the AFC South and only a game separating Houston from the Colts, they’re still very much in the playoff hunt. Their only top-tier opponent remaining is Baltimore, so they have an outside shot if their defense can somehow find a way to get off the field.
20. Dallas Cowboys (4-8, +3)
The Cowboys have shown tremendous resiliency since Jason Garrett took over. They nearly came back to beat the Saints on Thanksgiving and they held off a late push from Peyton Manning at Lucas Oil Stadium. Unlike the Bengals, they know the definition of the word “pride.”
21. Seattle Seahawks (6-6, +1)
The Seahawks’ weak schedule has made it tough to get a read on how good or bad they actually are. Personally, I think they’re not good — or bad. Their two non-divisional games remaining are against Atlanta and Tampa Bay. That won’t do a lot for their chances to win the NFC West.
22. Minnesota Vikings (5-7, +2)
The Vikings are now 2-0 without Brad Childress, including an absolute blowout against a Buffalo team that had been playing well. Maybe they did hate their old coach. They could be a spoiler down the stretch. Think Brett Favre’s shoulder injury will keep him out?
23. Cleveland Browns (5-7, +4)
Winning a game on the road with Jake Delhomme is a feat that can only be accomplished if the other team drops a pick-six in the fourth quarter and has a quarterback with a tendency to implode. Good thing the Browns played the Dolphins on Sunday.
24. Washington Redskins (5-7, -5)
The Albert Haynesworth situation has become the biggest sideshow in football. I’m more interested in seeing if the Redskins’ suspension of Haynesworth will be upheld than I am to even look up who they’re playing next. It’s the Bucs, for those of you who care.
25. Tennessee Titans (5-7, -5)
I’m shocked we have yet to hear from Randy Moss. He’s been completely non-existent since arriving in Tennessee. The Titans have lost five straight. Chris Johnson is lucky to break 1000 yards this season, let alone challenge the all-time record. There’s really nothing positive to say about this team.
26. San Francisco 49ers (4-8, –)
For about a quarter-and-a-half, the Niners looked like they may have a shot to beat the Packers and grab a signature win. Instead, they made life easier for the 6-6 Rams and Seahawks by slipping further out of contention in the league’s worst division.
27. Buffalo Bills (2-10, -2)
It sure looked like the overtime loss to Pittsburgh last weekend took a ton out of the Bills. After showing signs of improvement almost every week heading into this weekend, the Bills turned the ball over five times and were embarrassed by Tavaris Jackson and the Vikings.
28. Denver Broncos (3-9, –)
One videotaping scandal and a 5-17 stretch later, the Broncos have finally decided to cut Josh McDaniels loose. If you thought Mike Shanahan left this team in bad shape, have a look at what McDaniels left behind. The Broncos have a long, long way to go.
29. Arizona Cardinals (3-9, –)
It looks like Derek Anderson’s tirade will be the last interesting thing to happen to the Cardinals in 2010. By last I mean only. Unless John Skelton is the future in Arizona, they may have a more glaring need at quarterback than any team in the league.
30. Detroit Lions (2-9, –)
Fortunately for the Lions, I’m finally convinced the Bears are for real after their 9-3 start. If Drew Stanton’s Dougie was the last we’ll ever see from the Michigan State product, I don’t think many people will be disappointed.
31. Cincinnati Bengals (2-10, –)
Who would have thought that after 12 games in 2010 one could argue that the Bengals are the worst team in football? After taking the lead late against the Saints, the Bengals beat themselves — an art they seem to have perfected.
32. Carolina Panthers (1-10, –)
I’m kind of out of witty things to say about how horrible the Panthers are. Jimmy Clausen didn’t throw an interception on Sunday. That’s gotta count for something, right?
