| 1 |  | Just when we thought the Patriots could be beat, they come out and dominate a really good Steelers team. Tom Brady turned in a remarkable perfomance, throwing for 399 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Giants are the only team remaining on their schedule with a winning record, so 16-0 is looking very possible. | previous rank: 1 |
| 2 |  | Dallas is proving that they have what it takes to go far. We knew they could protect a lead, but that late 4th quarter comeback against Detroit – on the road – proves they could be quite resilient. As good as Romo and Witten played, MVP of the game was Marion Barber, who ran and caught the ball and proved too tough for the Lions. | previous rank: 2 |
| 3 |  | I couldn't have beaten the Ravens more soundly on Madden '08 than the Colts did on Sunday. We should keep in mind that this team isn't even healthy yet, but they still keep winning. Defensively, they caused 5 turnovers. We'll see whether or not traveling in the playoffs will affect them, but I wouldn't give the Lamar Hunt Trophy to the Patriots just yet. | previous rank: 3 |
| 4 |  | The Packers rode their special teamer Will Blackmon and their running back Ryan Grant to victory. Blackmon scored two touchdowns (fumble return, punt retun) and Grant had 156 yards rushing against a decent Oakland defense. Favre did not seem to be effected by the elbow injury suffered a week ago, throwing 2 touchdowns. It actually could have been worse; their kicker missed two field goals. | previous rank: 4 |
| 5 |  | The Jaguars held the Panthers to 149 total yards. That is just amazing. They have all the right ingredients to be a Super Bowl contender: strong running game, stronger defense, and a quarterback that protects the ball. I'm not sure if they can sustain this level of play throughout the playoffs, as the intensity might be too much to bear. With that said, I would not want to play them. They're really tough. | previous rank: 5 |
| 6 |  | Matt Hasselbeck returned to his Pro Bowl form, tossing 4 touchdowns. The Seahawks clinched their fourth straight division title. And to think, some of you thought the Rams would win the NFC West! I don't think this team will go very far because they can't seem to run the football. Both the Cowboys and Packers have enough defense to stop them in the playoffs, but they'll probably win their first round matchup. | previous rank: 8 |
| 7 |  | That was a gutty performance by the Chargers in Tennessee. Philip Rivers, hobbled by a knee injury, brought his team back in the 4th quarter. The win may have come at too big a cost, however. Shawne Merriman is out 1-3 weeks with a strained knee, and Lorenzo Neal is out for the rest of the season with a broken leg. It is a good thing there is absolutely no competition in their division. | previous rank: 9 |
| 8 |  | So much for Anthony Smith's guarantee. As is customary in these rankings, teams don't drop very far after losing to the Patriots. This game proves, though, that Pittsburgh will not be able to compete with the elite teams in January. At times, their defense looked lost. Missing Troy Polamalu really hurts. | previous rank: 7 |
| 9 |  | Great win against their hatred rival Philadelphia. The Giants should clinch a playoff spot next week with a win over the Redskins. Eli Manning still didn't look great, but he played well enough. Brandon Jacob fumbled twice, making one wonder whether or not he's ready. | previous rank: 10 |
| 10 |  | Defensively, the Bucs played well against the Texans, surrendering just 257 total yards. But, the secondary looked out of sorts, allowing Sage Freeking Rosenfels to complete 75% of his passes. Also, they allowed Houston to convert too many third downs. Offensively, help is on the way: Jeff Garcia will be back next week. | previous rank: 6 |
| 11 |  | The final score with the Jets is a little misleading: Browns 24 Jets 18. They needed to recover an onside kick and then Jamal Lewis some how found his way into the end zone. I think the Browns are beginning to falter a bit, but they may have already done enough to make the playoffs. Even they go one-and-done, it was a great season. | previous rank: 12 |
| 12 |  | Believe it or not, their game with the 49ers says a lot about this team. In the past, the Vikings would play to the level of their opponent. On Sunday, they demolished one of the worst teams in the NFL, and that is exactly what playoff-caliber teams are supposed to do. Travaris Jackson is blossoming. | previous rank: 13 |
| 13 |  | It was a hard-hitting, yet disappointing game for the Titans. The defense just couldn't hold on in the fourth. That hit on Shawne Merriman was beautiful. However, the Titans had such high expectations this year after finishing 8-8 a year ago. They haven't clinched anything yet and if they don't tighten things up they'll miss out. | previous rank: 11 |
| 14 |  | One game above .500 and fighting for that playoff spot, the Bills are looking pretty good. I like Losman better, but Edwards looked great, tossing 4 touchdowns. They are almost guaranteed to finish with 9 wins, but 10 would surely get them in. If the defense continues to force 5 turnovers in a game, it would definitely make it a lot easier. | previous rank: 16 |
| 15 |  | In the biggest jump of the week, the Saints move up 8 spots, from 23 to 15. Drew Brees was on fire and the Falcons never really had a chance. Their playoff hopes are slim, but at least they are still playing hard. Even if they win their remaining three games (vs AZ, vs PHI, @ CHI), they will still probably need some help. | previous rank: 23 |
| 16 |  | Losing a lead like that at home really hurts this team's ego. They will not be in the playoffs, but if you ignore Kitna's guarantee this was a pretty successful season. I mean, who outside of Detroit expected more than 6 or 7 wins? They did run the ball well against Dallas, and they have a bright future ahead of them. | previous rank: 15 |
| 17 |  | In relief for the injured Jason Campbell, Todd Collins looked like Peyton Manning against that dreadful Bears' secondary. He threw his first touchdown inan NFL game since 1997! They need to get the running game going, though. They managed only 32 yards against the Bears who came into the game ranked 27th against the run. | previous rank: 18 |
| 18 |  | Kurt Warner threw 5 interceptions and pretty much ended the Cardinals hopes of making the playoffs. Even with an early lead, the Seahawks kept the pedal to the metal and attacked the weak secondary of Arizona. They need to start relying on something other than the arm of Warner, and the legs of the relatively old Edgerrin James. | previous rank: 14 |
| 19 |  | The Texans won and Andre Johnson didn't even turn in a 100-yard performance. Sage Rosenfels did toss him a touchdown, and two other guys as well. Ahead from almost the start, Houston remained one step ahead of the Bucs. I like this team in ‘08. | previous rank: 21 |
| 20 |  | The Broncos had a balanced attack and it proved too much for the Chiefs. Jay Cutler looked like the Future again, tossing 4 touchdowns. But the biggest surprise was the outstanding play of Brandon Marshall, who caught 10 balls for 115 yards and 2 touchdowns. Defensively, the held to Chiefs to an astonishing 129 total yards. | previous rank: 20 |
| 21 |  | The Bears are in a world of hurt. Injuries continue to plague this team. There was a time when losing Rex Grossman would have been celebrated in Chicago, but now it means bringing in Kyle Orton. If I were running the team, I would seriously throw in the towel and get that high draft pick. | previous rank: 17 |
| 22 |  | For a few weeks now, I've been singing Brian Westbrook's praises. Other than him, I don't think any body on this team is any good. Not McNabb, not Dawkins, not Shepard. The whole team is playing flat and I get the feeling that it will be Andy Reid that gets his walking papers at the end of the year, not McNabb.. | previous rank: 19 |
| 23 |  | Look out now, with the Bengals beating the Rams, they could finish at .500. They finish the season against the 49ers, then the Browns (at home, actually giving them a shot) and the Miami Dolphins. It would be a great finish to a terrible start of the season, but it probably won't be enough to save Marvin Lewis' job. | previous rank: 25 |
| 24 |  | I don't know if teams are playing better defense or worse offense, but this Panthers were one of three teams to finish with less than 150 yards of total offense. There is no silver lining for the Panthers, no light at the end of the tunnel. This team is dreadful. | previous rank: 22 |
| 25 |  | Tough two games for the Ravens, but they keep beating themselves. They turned the ball over 5 times. Falling behind 23-0 in the first quarter was too much to overcome for this terrible offense. Scoring a few touchdowns against the backups meant nothing. | previous rank: 24 |
| 26 |  | Wow. I did not expect the Packers to roll over the Raiders like that. But, they had something to prove after dropping a game to the Cowboys. Their special teams, who held Devin Hester in check a few weeks ago, allowed Will Blackmon to go crazy on them. They may be getting a new head coach next year. | previous rank: 26 |
| 27 |  | How the Chiefs allowed their division rival to stomp all over them is beyond me. I thought a Herm Edwards coached team would have a little more pride than that. Tony Gonzalez is having a great year, though, but injuries to those around him are preventing him from parlaying his performances into victories. | previous rank: 27 |
| 28 |  | Brock Berlin got the start and the youngster didn't look too bad. He didn't throw his one interception until late in the fourth quarter. Not the best time to throw one, I know. But if the rest of his team would have played better throughout the game he wouldn't have had the game on his shoulders. | previous rank: 28 |
| 29 |  | Kellen Clemens is taking his lumps right now, but it will be well worth it next season. Lets face it, they exceeded expectations last year and what we are witnessing now is the true nature of the Jets. I think they will be better in '08 than in '07, but not as good as in '06.. | previous rank: 29 |
| 30 |  | Alex Smith is officially out for the season, but he couldn't do anything while he was playing anyway. This team pays too much money for over-hyped talent and I don't think they will be out of the cellar for another decade. | previous rank: 30 |
| 31 |  | Personally, I liked the T-Shirt Roddy White was wearing. If my friend went to jail, I would want him out, too. Especially if my future earning potential depended on that friend throwing me the football. | previous rank: 31 |
| 32 |  | Miami, I'm still pulling for you. Lets go! Win one for Shula! | previous rank: 32 |
