| 1 |  | Sure, they caught some breaks. But as long as they continue to put themselves in position to win, they will continue to do so. If they get passed Pittsburgh next, there should be no stopping them from finishing the regular season 16-0. Two close games against teams that will not be in the playoffs has to raise some concern, though. | previous rank: 1 |
| 2 |  | I'm just going to come right out and say it: offensively, this team is as good as any, even the Pats. Defensively, they almost let Aaron Rodgers beat them. In the playoffs, they better step up on that side of the ball because teams can rarely win it all without all three facets playing well. | previous rank: 2 |
| 3 |  | It's official: the Colts still own the AFC South. They have swept the season series with their only threat to divisional supremacy. They will only be that much better when they recover from all of their injuries. Bob Sanders might be the next safety in the NFL this side of Ed Reed. | previous rank: 4 |
| 4 |  | Even after losing their incomparable quarterback, the Packers stayed in the game all the way until the end. They fought back, but didn't play well enough defense to beat the ‘Boys. They are a young unit, and they sorely missed Charles Woodson. I think this loss will feed their hunger when the playoffs begin. | previous rank: 3 |
| 5 |  | Even though they lost to Indianapolis, I still think this is a very good football team. David Garrard finally threw his first interception of the season, and he fumbled to boot. That proved to be the difference in a 3-point ball game. They are not on the same level as the two dominant AFC teams right now, but they will be soon. | previous rank: 5 |
| 6 |  | In past articles, I have campaigned for Jeff Fisher and Mike Tomlin for Coach of the Year. I changed my mind. I am now stumping for Jon Gruden. They dominated the Saints, and proved it by running the ball on fourth and two and getting the first down. You don't make a call like that unless you have enormous confidence. Watch out, NFC! | previous rank: 6 |
| 7 |  | Rarely does a team win when they finish the game -3 in the turnover ratio. But, that is exactly what the Steelers did against the Bengals. Willie Parker put the ball on the ground 4 times! Luckily, only two were challenged and overturned. It is a good thing Ben Roethlisberger is playing so well, they may have to rely on him more than anticipated with Najeh Davenport injured. | previous rank: 7 |
| 8 |  | Lofa Tatupu willed the Seahawks to victory, intercepting 3 passes and making 11 tackles. He had a lot of help from his friends on defense who, despite giving up 24 points, stiffened when they needed to. Maurice Morris looked good, Shaun Alexander did not. It's about time the carries were split 50/50. | previous rank: 8 |
| 9 |  | The Chargers have won two in a row and now are in complete command of the AFC West. With their remaining schedule, they should make the playoffs for sure. A first round matchup with Jacksonville would be disastrous; a matchup with Cleveland could be just what the doctor ordered. As long as they keep L.T. involved, they have a decent shot at it. | previous rank: 10 |
| 10 |  | Say what you will about the Giants, but they're sitting pretty at 8-4. They have the league's most intimidating pass rush, which Rex Grossman would attest to. Eli Manning did not have his best game, but he got it done when it counted most. They are a lock for a wild card spot, and other than the Packers and Cowboys, the NFC is wide open. | previous rank: 11 |
| 11 |  | Vince Young's pass attempts were down last week and it translated to the win column. Together, LenDale White and Chris Brown ran effectively and both found the end zone. What this team really needs a little bit more pass rush and they'll improve drastically. | previous rank: 13 |
| 12 |  | Turnovers proved costly for the Browns against Arizona. On defense, they allowed Edgerrin James to run wild on them. I still think this team is in good position to make the playoffs, but they have a lot to work on if they want to advance to the second round. Derek Anderson has my vote for the Pro Bowl. | previous rank: 9 |
| 13 |  | Travaris Jackson is coming alive for Minnesota. If he keeps it up, the Vikings will shore up that second wild card spot for sure. And, with the way they play defense and run the ball, they'll be a tough team to beat come January. Adrian Peterson is unreal. | previous rank: 19 |
| 14 |  | You just never know what you're going to get with Arizona. I am pretty sure we won't be getting any more defense out of them, as losing their stud safety Adrian Wilson will surely catch up to this team. Kurt Warner is playing inspired football right now. If Anquan Boldin misses significant time, they might struggle on offense. | previous rank: 20 |
| 15 |  | The Lions have to win out to fulfill Jon Kitna's prophecy. With Dallas up this week, it ain't gonna happen. This is huge let down after such a fantastic start to the season. Now word is Roy Williams might miss the rest of the season. It is over for Detroit, but it was fun watching them while it lasted. | previous rank: 12 |
| 16 |  | At 6-6, Buffalo is still very much alive in the playoff hunt.. They stepped big on defense last week, keeping Washington's running game in check. Trent Edwards looked good, but they can't keep this carousel at QB going. They need to pick one and stick with him. | previous rank: 21 |
| 17 |  | Chicago had the game won, but collapsed on defense in the 4th quarter. Rex Grossman – brace yourself – had another strong outing. Adrian Peterson is an improvement on Cedric Benson because he is a threat in the passing game. If Devin Hester makes that catch, Chicago beats New York. They aren't mathematically eliminated yet, but its only a matter of time. | previous rank: 15 |
| 18 |  | I'm sure the Redskins will make no excuses, but you have to wonder if they were affected down the stretch. Classy move by only putting 10 guys out on the first defensive play. They will miss out on the dance, too, but I can't say enough about the emergence of Jason Campbell as one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFC, but taking that sack in the end zone hurt.. | previous rank: 14 |
| 19 |  | AJ Feeley threw one too many interceptions and it cost Philly the game. Brian Westbrook must be frustrated, knowing that he is the only one showing up week in and week out. David Akers is missing kicks left and right, and they might as well dump him, too. | previous rank: 16 |
| 20 |  | Denver has now lost two straight games and don't have an easy go at it for the last quarter of the season. Jay Cutler's progress has slowed significantly and he doesn't look too confident. I think he has the ability and the coaches should let him loose. He is only average a little more than 27 pass attempts a game. The successful teams in The League today, if you've noticed, let ‘er rip. | previous rank: 17 |
| 21 |  | Matt Schaub keeps getting hurt, and Houston keeps losing. With Ron Dayne as their premier back, they can't afford to play with a second-string quarterback. No matter who throws the ball, however, Andre Johnson is there to catch it. He's gone over 100 yards in every game he's played this year except one. | previous rank: 18 |
| 22 |  | The Panthers finally won a home game, beating the 49ers soundly. Imagine where they would be if they could go just .500 at home. The defense played well, holding S.F. to a meager 195 yards, getting 6 sacks, and forcing 6 turnovers. Offensively, they weren't too hot, but they didn't lose the game, either. | previous rank: 25 |
| 23 |  | Why call a trick play when you're winning late in the 4th quarter? Sean Payton has taken credit for that mistake, but it might end up costing them a playoff berth. Their secondary remains their weak spot, letting Luke McCown throw for over 300 and two touchdowns. Reggie Bush needs more than 16 touches, by the way. | previous rank: 22 |
| 24 |  | Ray Lewis and Company played extremely well for 90% of the game. Then, on New England's last drive, mistakes were made by both the players and coaches. They should probably look at that game as a win and get some confidence going into this week's game with the Colts. | previous rank: 24 |
| 25 |  | The Bengals were simply overmatched. They played a decent game, yet never really had a shot. They stalled on offense, but the defense kept giving them opportunities that they couldn't capitalize on. Rudi Johnson had 14 carries with a long of 4. That's just terrible. | previous rank: 23 |
| 26 |  | Winners of two straight, Oakland is building for the future. Speaking of which, we finally got a peek at what JaMarcus Russell can do. He was 4 of 7 for 56 yards, and even ran the ball a few times. This win had to be sweet for Oakland, who were probably still stinging from the icing of their kicker the first time they played Denver. | previous rank: 29 |
| 27 |  | If you can believe it, the Chiefs are a dreadful 2-5 at Arrowhead Stadium. Worse yet, they've lost 5 in a row and travel to Denver to this week. Rookie running back Kolby Smith looks really good, though. We shouldn't have even had the pleasure of watching him run but injuries are killing this team. | previous rank: 26 |
| 28 |  | The Rams are 3-2 in their last 5 games. Gus Frerotte started off hot and they just rode him to victory. Steven Jackson turned in another solid performance as well. Too bad this team waited so long to right the ship; they may have had a chance to make the playoffs in the pitiful NFC. | previous rank: 27 |
| 29 |  | The Jets scored 40 points for just the second time in 3 years. They scored 30 unanswered to deliver the Dolphins yet another defeat. Those throwbacks uniforms made me feel like I was watching the Steelers. Maybe they should keep ‘em if it means Steeler-like performances. On a side note: Thomas Jones scored his first touchdown as a Jet, in Week 13. | previous rank: 31 |
| 30 |  | Too many turnovers, too may penalties. Not to mention the discrepancy in time of possession. I'm sorry to inform all the 49er fans out there, but this team will be bad for many years to come. Frank Gore cannot do it all by himself, as good as he is. | previous rank: 30 |
| 31 |  | The Falcons just plain suck, but wide receiver Roddy White is having a pretty good year. He is only 80 yards shy of going over the 1,000-yard mark. How would Brian Brohm look in a Falcons uniform? | previous rank: 28 |
| 32 |  | What can I say? I'm pulling for you, Miami. I do not want to see any team go 0-16, but it looks like it might happen. Can anybody tell me if they can win any of these last four games: @ BUF, vs BAL, @ NE, vs CIN? | previous rank: 32 |
