| 1 |  | The Pats handled their business. Now there is no doubt as to who is the best team in the NFL. Now their fans all over the country can stop crying about them not being on top of the rankings. | previous rank: 2 |
| 2 |  | It seemed the Colts had the game won. The defense was hitting hard and the running game was successful. Maybe we should have known something was up when Adam Vinateri missed his first kick at the RCA Dome. They have a chance for redemption in the playoffs. | previous rank: 1 |
| 3 |  | Wow. I knew the Steelers would win the game but damn. The defense was scary and if the two teams ahead don't take notice then Pittsburgh might creep up and win another title. | previous rank: 5 |
| 4 |  | Philadelphia was no match for the Cowboys, and no team in the NFC East is. This team will cruise to a division title and possibly a first-round bye. How great was it to see Terrell Owens flap his arms like he used to do as an Eagle? Especially after all the booing. | previous rank: 3 |
| 5 |  | The Packers went into Arrowhead Stadium and managed to win thanks to Brett Favre and his new favorite target Greg Jennings. Could you imagine the Packers coming back in the fourth quarter in Arrowhead a year ago? Oh, what a difference a year makes. | previous rank: 4 |
| 6 |  | The NFL was gracious enough to give the G-Men the week off after traveling to the Old World. The coaching staff should have been working on a gameplan to stop the Cowboys, though. If the defensive line can create the type of pressure they usually do, they have a shot. | previous rank: 6 |
| 7 |  | Jeff Fisher is one of the most underrated coaches in the NFL. This team has mediocre talent, yet they come like they know their going to win. Coach of the Year without a doubt. | previous rank: 8 |
| 8 |  | What is the world coming to? The Lions are in the top 10! I'm almost speechless. But, when teams ranked 9-14 from last week's rankings all lose, you have give credit to the teams that are still performing, even if it is beyond expectations. | previous rank: 15 |
| 9 |  | I think the Chargers, because they won a few games in a row, took a relaxed attitude into Minnesota and got a real wake up call. It happened earlier in the year, too. That spells inconsistency. That falls on the head coach. What idiot decided to turn the world's most talented team over to Norv Turner? | previous rank: 7 |
| 10 |  | I still believe in this team. When David Garrard gets back, this team will be better. However, Garrard doesn't play defense. Giving up 41 points to New Orleans should not have happened. | previous rank: 9 |
| 11 |  | They started slow, but Washington—specifically Clinton Portis—took the game over. With so much bad football being played around the NFL, I'd guess that ‘Skins have the same chance as anybody to advancing in the playoffs. | previous rank: 16 |
| 12 |  | The Browns beat one the best teams in football over the past few years. Every week this team's confidence grows. They know they can score with anybody, and if the defense tightens up they could really shake up the playoff picture. | previous rank: 18 |
>| 13 |  | The Ravens are pretty disappointing. Everyone knew that they were getting old, but sometimes they play like they're just as hungry as the next team. After their recent embarrassment, don't be surprised if this team goes on a run. | previous rank: 11 |
| 14 |  | The Buccaneers dominated the Cardinals, yet they only won by seven. The held Arizona to 195 total net yards and less than 17 minutes of possession. They have a bye week this week, then they play Atlanta. They have to be happy about their position this late in the season. | previous rank: 17 |
| 15 |  | Despite their great play of late, I'm reluctant to jump them too high in the rankings. They are surely one of the hottest teams in football right now and Drew Brees is the man responsible. | previous rank: 19 |
| 16 |  | I thought that David Carr would redeem his career in Carolina. Well, it doesn't seem so anymore. Having Albert Haynesworth in his face all day didn't help. Like I've said over and over about this team: they to run the football. Why even pretend to have a passing game? | previous rank: 10 |
| 17 |  | It is the complete opposite with the Seahawks. Why pretend to have a running game? Stop pretending that Shaun Alexander can still carry the team and let Matt Hasselbeck throw the ball in Tom Brady-like fashion. | previous rank: 14 |
| 18 |  | Getting whooped by the Lions will either mark a turn around for the good, or deflate this team. The fact that their 3-5 is shocking. With the Chargers stumbling, the AFC West theirs for the taking. It will be interesting to see how this team reacts. | previous rank: 12 |
| 19 |  | With a fourth quarter lead against the Packers, the Chiefs were set to take sole possession of first place in their division. They couldn't capitalize and now they play games against the Broncos and Colts. Obviously, the Broncos are beatable, but the Colts will ensure they remain a .500 team for at least two more weeks. | previous rank: 13 |
| 20 |  | This team is better with J.P. Losman at the helm. Marshawn Lynch stole the show with his first 100-yard performance and he also threw the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. | previous rank: 23 |
| 21 |  | Adrian Peterson is emerging as the best pure runner in the NFL but their quarterback woes will keep this team on the fringes of a playoff birth for a few years. By the time they get a good quarterback, however, the defense will probably stink. So goes the saga of the Vikes; they can never put together a team that has both an offense and a defense. | previous rank: 26 |
| 22 |  | The defense better improve in a hurry because two out of their next 3 games come against the Lions and the Browns. Despite their offensive talents, this team cannot keep up with those two squads. Their season is all but over. | previous rank: 20 |
| 23 |  | For the past several weeks, the Eagles have rotated wins and losses. With the Redskins up this week, they might just go on a losing streak. It just doesn't seem like the chemistry is there this year. Maybe the do need a fresh start at quarterback. Or head coach. | previous rank: 21 |
| 24 |  | This team needed a bye week, but now they get the Raiders, Seahawks, and Broncos. All of these games can go either away but if the Bears don't win at least 2 of them, they might as well tank and get a high draft pick. Darren McFadden might look good in a Bears uniform.. | previous rank: 24 |
| 25 |  | We were all teased with early flashes of this teams potential. Injuries have plagued them, though. Ron Dayne looked like a poor man's Jerome Bettis, rushing for over 100 yards on a pretty good Raiders defense. Even though they won, I wasn't impressed. | previous rank: 22 |
| 26 |  | Oakland can win some more games this year, but I am not sure they should. They seem to be so close from turning it around, yet so far. They should play JaMarcus Russell at let him learn and then draft a receiver with a top ten pick that he could bond with for next decade. | previous rank: 25 |
| 27 |  | The Falcons beat the 49ers and they very well should have. With that said, I feel bad for their owner, Arthur Blank. I wonder if he's going to take it out on first year coach Bobby Petrino? | previous rank: 28 |
| 28 |  | Losing to Atlanta ensures that this team will probably only win two more games this year. They get the Rams in two weeks and the Bengals later on in the year. Alex Smith throwing 3 interceptions was disheartening. Even though he was under-performing, Frank Gore is sorely missed in the Bay Area. | previous rank: 29 |
| 29 |  | Who can explain this team's lackluster of performance this year? It's crazy, all that talent being wasted. I wouldn't be surprised to see Marvin Lewis fired as soon as the whistle blows on the last play of the game in Week 17. | previous rank: 27 |
| 30 |  | The Jets blew a big lead, but you can't blame Kellen Clemens. I didn't know he could like that, gaining 48 yards on the ground. I guess necessity is the mother of invention. The defense surrendered nearly 300 yards rushing to the Redskins, though. That is a result of a lack of effort. | previous rank: 30 |
| 31 |  | I can't bash the poor play of the Rams because they didn't play. A bye week was the only thing that could save this from another bout with shame. They are seriously threatening to go 0-16.. | previous rank: 31 |
| 32 |  | See above analysis on the Rams and simply substitute ‘Dolphins' for ‘Rams.' Just pitiful. | previous rank: 32 |
