TEAM | |
1. NY Giants (11-1) | If that was the next best team in the division then the Giants really have nothing to worry about after easily handling the Redskins, 23-7. |
2. Tennessee Titans (11-1) | Poor Detroit. They didn’t stand a chance before the Titans got tripped up against the Jets. The running attack and defense were back to their usual selves on Thanksgiving. |
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3) | Having two talented runningbacks is a huge plus for any team. Pair that with a steady quarterback and a hard-hitting defense and you’ve got a Super Bowl caliber group. |
4. Tampa Bay Bucs (9-3) | It was a close one, but that’s just the way Tampa Bay wins football games. Nothing flashy, nothing eye-catching, just efficient football when it matters. |
5. Carolina Panthers (9-3) | D’Angelo Williams was bound for stardom when he came out of the University of Memphis, but it never quite happened for him. Until recently. |
6. Indianapolis Colts (8-4) | The Colts and the Browns and the only TD is on a fumble recovery? Not the game I expected, but it notches another win for the Colts who will take as many as they can right now. |
7. Dallas Cowboys (8-4) | This is a whole different team with Romo at the helm. They have so many weapons and their defense can be scary when its not all the field all game long. |
8. NY Jets (8-4) | One week after becoming a legitimate contender they lay a huge egg. If their defense lets up that many yards to a 1st year, college fullback then there are more holes than I thought. |
9. Atlanta Falcons (8-4) | A big moment for Michael Turner, taking on his old team and up-staging his former shadow. This year it’ll be LT who watches Turner, as the Falcons will likely play in the postseason. |
10. Baltimore Ravens (8-4) | I’m used to seeing the Ravens win games 10-6, not putting up thirty points in consecutive weeks. Maybe we are witnessing the re-birth of a franchise. |
11. Arizona Cardinals (7-5) | Not the Primetime showing the Cardinals had in mind when they saw the Thanksgiving schedule. They just got beat up and down the field against Philli. |
12. Washington Redskins (7-5) | A team that at one point looked as good as any in the league has slowly started to falter. Campbell is throwing picks again and Portis couldn’t even break 30 yards against the Giants D. Bad week. |
13. New England Patriots (7-5) | Saw where they really stood in the AFC when they went head-to-head with Pittsburgh this weekend. They seemed more like the conference outcast than part of the clique. |
14. Minnesota Vikings (7-5) | Looked impressive on both sides of the ball while dominating the Bears Sunday night. With Peterson they are always dangerous, but when their passing game works, they can play with most teams. |
15. Miami Dolphins (7-5) | It wasn’t pretty and they needed a lot of help from their special teams, but their seventh win puts the Dolphins in the playoff hunt and makes last year a forgotten memory. |
16. Denver Broncos (7-5) | Pulled out a big win when they needed one to pull ahead further in their weak division. But can they really expect that consistently from Hillis? |
17. Philadelphia Eagles (6-5-1) | Looked like a completely different team this week. Maybe it was the short week, or maybe it was the benching, but McNabb was accurate and dominant. |
18. New Orleans Saints(6-6) | Maybe nobody can stop Drew Bress. Only he can stop himself. The interceptions were costly this week and now the Saints have dug themselves into a deep hole. |
19. GB Packers (5-7) | Sure people are going to talk about Favre when they ask why such a talented team is now under .500. But Rodgers has a 90.5 QB rating on the year. The blame really goes to that defense. |
20. Chicago Bears (6-6) | Were not sharp in a big game against the Vikings. Although Forte proved again that he is going to be a star in this league, regardless of what defense he faces. |
21. Buffalo Bills (6-6) | A heart-breaking loss against the Niners. The Bills outgained SF by almost 200 yards and had four possessions inside the red zone, but came away with one FG. Maybe they are cursed. |
22.Houston Texans (5-7) | Certainly looks like that Mario Williams pick was the right choice for the Texans three years ago. Now if only they wouldn’t turn the ball over so much. |
23. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-8) | Congrats to Fred Taylor for tying the franchise TD record. He is a sure Hall of Famer playing on a inexcusably bad team right now. |
24. SF 49ers (4-8) | Their offense was still woeful, but their defense did enough to keep the Niners close and some luck put another tally up in the win column. |
25. Cleveland Browns (4-8) | A bad season gets even worse for Cleveland. After losing Quinn for the season it looks as though Anderson is gone too. That leaves en Dorsey as the lone QB and this is not the early 2000s in Miami. |
26. SD Chargers (3-8) | When LT has more receiving yards than he has rushing yards, you’re in big trouble. The offensive line has given him no room to run all year. Which might cover up for the fact that his ankle can’t be 100% |
27. Oakland Raiders (3-9) | When you beat a team that’s likely to end up in the playoffs, it seems easy to assume you can beat a team that has one win on the season. Maybe the Raiders assumed that too and didn’t prove it. |
28. Seattle Seahawks (2-11) | They never stood a chance against the Cowboys. Julius Jones got shut down by his old team and Hasselbeck had no help. Luckily they only have four more games. |
29. KC Chiefs (2-9) | Showed some guts after getting blown out last week. No matter how bad a season is going in KC, beating the Raiders is always a good thing. |
30. St. Louis Rams (2-10) | Got into a kicking shoot-out with the Dolphins, but they can’t even seem to win those. It’s a sad sign when you don’t have a WR over 50 yards against one of the leagues worst pass defenses. |
31. Cincinnati Bengals (1-10-1) | Getting blown out by division opponents is never a positive thing. Especially when the division opponent is the team built around defense and you’re the team built around offense. |
32. Detroit Lions (0-12) | Now the whole world has seen just how bad the Lions truly are. It’s going to be very interesting to see who is left once the offseason begins. |
