1. Green Bay Packers (9-3): They're playing the best football of anyone right now, and so long as Aaron Rodgers is healthy, the Packers will have a chance at contending for a Super Bowl this year (well, next year, I suppose if we want to get technical).
2. New England Patriots (9-3): Two things stood out in the Patriots 26-21 loss at Lambeau Field on Sunday: 1) The lack of protection of Tom Brady and 2) The lack of a pass rush. These are two areas in which they need to improve if they want another Super Bowl ring at season's end.
3. Denver Broncos (9-3): While I'm still not 100% sold on the Broncos defense, I'm loving their more balanced approach on offense. If they continue with that approach, they're going to be a tough team to beat come the playoffs.
4. Arizona Cardinals (9-3): I should include "trending downward" in parentheses. If I were ranking teams based on the past two weeks, the Cardinals wouldn't even be in the top 20, let alone the top 5. However, since the Cards are 9-3 overall and have beaten the 5th ranked Eagles head-to-head, I feel the need to rank them at #4. With a loss to Kansas City on Sunday, though, they could drop quite a ways. Drew Stanton and company need to pick things up on offense if Arizona wants to have any chance of winning the NFC West.
5. Philadelphia Eagles (9-3): While the Eagles appear poised to win a second consecutive NFC East title, they're still somewhat of a mystery as far as playoff potential goes. If their defense steps up like it did on Thursday against Dallas and Mark Sanchez gives a solid outing, the team could make the Super Bowl. However, if Sanchez commits some turnovers and the defense bends and breaks, they could get ousted in the first round.
6. Seattle Seahawks (8-4): Remember when analysts were calling the Seahawks defense a disappointment? Following their two 19-3 wins against fellow NFC West foes Arizona and San Francisco, Seattle is now 1st in total yards allowed per game, 2nd in passing yards allowed per game, 5th in rushing yards allowed per game, and 3rd in points allowed per game. They're getting healthy at just the right time and are now starting to resemble the team from last year.
7. Cincinnati Bengals (8-3-1): This team makes me nervous week in and week out. In their 14-13 win against 2-10 Tampa Bay on Sunday, Andy Dalton threw three interceptions, the team kicked an onside kick after taking their first lead of the game at 14-10 (it lead to a Tampa Bay field goal), they seem to have a knack for committing penalties at inopportune times, and if it weren't for head coach Marvin Lewis illegally throwing a challenge flag in the final moments of Sunday's game, which prompted the booth to review the play and resulted in the Buccaneers being flagged for having 12 men on the field, Cincy likely would have followed the rest of the AFC North and fallen. They're now 1.5 games up on Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland, but until they find some more consistency, especially at quarterback, I'm hard-pressed to believe they'll advance far in the playoffs.
8. San Diego Chargers (8-4): After struggling from weeks 8 through 11, the Chargers appear to have found their mojo again. They have a brutal schedule down the stretch, however, so they'll need to eek out another win or two like they did on Sunday against Baltimore if they want to be playing past Week 17. Up next on the slate is a home battle against the Patriots.
9. Detroit Lions (8-4): Before Thursday's game, Detroit's offense hadn't scored a touchdown for two straight games. Then the Chicago Bears and their wretched defense came a-calling, and the Lions went on to score 34. Yes, the best medicine for a struggling offense is to play the Bears. They'll try to keep things going with a home game against the 2-10 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Their schedule is fairly friendly down the stretch, so they'll need to win games like that if they want to make the playoffs.
10. Dallas Cowboys (8-4): Given how bad the Cowboys defense still is, I have trouble seeing them making it very far in the playoffs. However, given the fact they're currently on the outside looking in when it comes to any playoff spot, a Super Bowl appearance is the least of their worries at this moment. If they lose to Chicago on Thursday night, 8-8 memories may start creeping into many of their minds, and it will be an uphill climb to make any playoff spot, let alone a Super Bowl appearance.
11. Indianapolis Colts (8-4): Indy is somewhat similar to Philadelphia. Both teams love to throw the football, are solid on special teams, and have defenses that appear great at times and awful at others. The biggest difference between the two is the fact Philadelphia can actually run the football. This is why some see Philly as a sleeper Super Bowl team, while Indy is still at least one year away.
12. San Francisco 49ers (7-5): It's sad that San Francisco is almost a mirror image of fellow NFC West team Arizona. Both teams have very good defenses and solid special teams units. However, while Arizona's struggles on offense are mainly due due to injuries (Palmer, Fitzgerald, and Ellington), San Francisco's offensive woes are a mystery. Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde form a very capable duo in the backfield. Michael Crabtree, Anquan Boldin, Stevie Johnson, and Vernon Davis form one of the best receiving corps in the NFC, maybe in all of football. Colin Kaepernick was supposed to be one of the best young quarterbacks in the game. However, for as talented as the offense is, they've lacked in production, and will need to pick things up on that end if they want to have any chance of making the playoffs once again.
13. Miami Dolphins (7-5): The Dolphins appear to be turning the corner and so long as Ryan Tannehill keeps playing well, they should be a tough team down the stretch, with a legitimate chance of earning a Wild Card spot.
14. Baltimore Ravens (7-5): While Baltimore appears to be better than they were a year ago, largely due to injuries, they're still not very reliable on defense. In the unpredictable AFC North, anything is possible, but at 1.5 games behind Cincinnati, the Ravens will need to pick things up in a hurry if they want to have any chance at winning a division title this year.
15. Kansas City Chiefs (7-5): The Chiefs are a difficult team to figure out right now. They started the year at 1-2 and looked to be anything but the playoff team from a year ago. They then went 6-1 over their next seven games and looked exactly like the Wild Card team from last season. They then decided to lose to then 0-10 Oakland and Denver (at home) in back-to-back weeks, with a road game against 9-3 Arizona looming. The Chiefs are pretty sound fundamentally on both sides of the ball, but one has to wonder if their lack of a vertical passing game is starting to catch up with them. Through 12 games, no Chiefs wide receiver has caught a touchdown pass. Kansas City has a pair of very good tailbacks, but they'd be even more dangerous if they even presented the threat of a deep passing game. It'll be interesting to see if they make any adjustments on that front in the weeks to come.
16. Buffalo Bills (7-5): Since that crazy blizzard in Buffalo, the Bills are 2-0 and have outscored their opponents 64-13. They'll attempt to continue that trend in Denver. If they find a way to pull off that upset, they could have a legitimate shot at reaching the playoffs this year.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5): Pittsburgh's 35-32 loss to New Orleans wasn't as close as the final score would indicate. It was the Steelers first home loss of the season. Ben Roethlisberger was anything but his 12-touchdown-and-0-interception-in-two-week self. Also, let's face it, for as much as people like to see the Steelers as the prime example for a tough, hard-nosed, rugged defense, this Steelers defense is anything but that. This team will only go as far as its offense takes them, and the offense has been far too inconsistent to expect that to be very far.
18. Houston Texans (6-6): I'm not saying J.J. Watt should be the league MVP. I would honestly rank Aaron Rodgers #1 and Tom Brady #2 before Watt. However, I find the they're-6-and-6-argument to be kind of ridiculous. Houston was 2-14 last year and that earned them the #1 spot in the draft. They've tripled that number of wins this year and could very well compete for a Wild Card spot. This is largely due to Watt's presence on defense (and offense). If Watt leads his Texans from 2-14 to 8-8, 9-7, or 10-6, and in competition for a playoff spot, he should receive serious consideration for the MVP.
19. Cleveland Browns (7-5): Let the quarterback controversy begin. Brian Hoyer got yanked in Sunday's loss to Buffalo in favor of rookie Johnny Manziel. If the Browns don't seriously believe they're a playoff team and want to start looking toward next year, then go ahead and give Manziel a shot. However, at 7-5 and right in the thick of the Wild Card race, if they feel their team can make the post-season, then it would make the most sense to stick with the guy whom helped them get to 7-5 in the first place - Brian Hoyer. With 8-4 Indianapolis coming to town, if the Browns don't reverse some of their troubling trends on offense, they'll fall to 7-6 and be forced to play catch-up for any chance at making the post-season.
20. St. Louis Rams (5-7): In my opinion, the Rams and Browns records should be reversed. Cleveland comes across as more of a 5-7 team, while St. Louis has played more like a 7-5 team. With all the injury problems they've had this year, if they can finish 7-9 or 8-8, the season has to be seen as a success. It'll just be interesting to see what they decide to do as far as a quarterback goes in the off-season, because I have a hard time believing they'll give Sam Bradford yet another chance.
21. New Orleans Saints (5-7): So long as Drew Brees doesn't turn the ball over, the Saints have a shot in most games. They'll need to improve on defense and careless mistakes on offense if they want to have any thought of advancing past the first round in the playoffs.
22. Minnesota Vikings (5-7): This team reminds me of St. Louis and Buffalo. They have a good, underrated defense, solid special teams, appear to be improving as a whole, but have yet to turn the corner on offense. With Teddy Bridgewater garnering quality experience in his rookie season, this should pay dividends for the team in the coming years.
23. Chicago Bears (5-7): Before facing Chicago on Thanksgiving Day, the Detroit Lions had scored just 15 points in their previous two games (all field goals). The Lions then went ahead and scored 34 against the Bears. That tells you about all you need to know.
24. Atlanta Falcons (5-7): For being one of the "best" cornerbacks in the league, Arizona's Patrick Peterson has to be feeling like he's in a nightmare right now, because he got taken to school by Julio Jones on Sunday, time and time again. Atlanta will need more of that in the coming weeks if they want to win the NFC South, which they're sadly the leaders of at this point in time.
25. Carolina Panthers (3-8-1): Carolina is the most disappointing team in football this year and I'll be very curious to see what kinds of changes they make in the off-season, because based on how they've played, they should make many.
26. New York Giants (3-9): My main question concerning this team is, will Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning be given a second year in the West Coast offense, or will the team decide to go in a different direction?
27. Washington Redskins (3-9): It looks like RGIII is officially done in Washington. So, where will he end up and who will Washington turn to next?
28. New York Jets (2-10): Oh, Rex Ryan, we will miss your quotes...
29. Tennessee Titans (2-10): The Titans have lost six in a row, but will have a chance to end that streak when taking on the 3-9 New York Giants at home this week. The Giants lost to then 1-10 Jacksonville this past week, so hey, anything is possible.
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-10): Tampa's had some strange losses this season, which includes the 14-13 defeat at the hands of Cincinnati on Sunday. Just to think if two of those wild finishes had gone their way, they'd be right in the thick of the NFC South race.
31. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-10): To their credit, the Jaguars appear bound and determined to be better than Oakland this year, so that's something.
32. Oakland Raiders (1-11): For as awful as they played in their 52-0 loss to St. Louis on Sunday, it appeared as if the Raiders partied a bit too hard after their first win of the season two Thursday nights ago.
2. New England Patriots (9-3): Two things stood out in the Patriots 26-21 loss at Lambeau Field on Sunday: 1) The lack of protection of Tom Brady and 2) The lack of a pass rush. These are two areas in which they need to improve if they want another Super Bowl ring at season's end.
3. Denver Broncos (9-3): While I'm still not 100% sold on the Broncos defense, I'm loving their more balanced approach on offense. If they continue with that approach, they're going to be a tough team to beat come the playoffs.
4. Arizona Cardinals (9-3): I should include "trending downward" in parentheses. If I were ranking teams based on the past two weeks, the Cardinals wouldn't even be in the top 20, let alone the top 5. However, since the Cards are 9-3 overall and have beaten the 5th ranked Eagles head-to-head, I feel the need to rank them at #4. With a loss to Kansas City on Sunday, though, they could drop quite a ways. Drew Stanton and company need to pick things up on offense if Arizona wants to have any chance of winning the NFC West.
5. Philadelphia Eagles (9-3): While the Eagles appear poised to win a second consecutive NFC East title, they're still somewhat of a mystery as far as playoff potential goes. If their defense steps up like it did on Thursday against Dallas and Mark Sanchez gives a solid outing, the team could make the Super Bowl. However, if Sanchez commits some turnovers and the defense bends and breaks, they could get ousted in the first round.
6. Seattle Seahawks (8-4): Remember when analysts were calling the Seahawks defense a disappointment? Following their two 19-3 wins against fellow NFC West foes Arizona and San Francisco, Seattle is now 1st in total yards allowed per game, 2nd in passing yards allowed per game, 5th in rushing yards allowed per game, and 3rd in points allowed per game. They're getting healthy at just the right time and are now starting to resemble the team from last year.
7. Cincinnati Bengals (8-3-1): This team makes me nervous week in and week out. In their 14-13 win against 2-10 Tampa Bay on Sunday, Andy Dalton threw three interceptions, the team kicked an onside kick after taking their first lead of the game at 14-10 (it lead to a Tampa Bay field goal), they seem to have a knack for committing penalties at inopportune times, and if it weren't for head coach Marvin Lewis illegally throwing a challenge flag in the final moments of Sunday's game, which prompted the booth to review the play and resulted in the Buccaneers being flagged for having 12 men on the field, Cincy likely would have followed the rest of the AFC North and fallen. They're now 1.5 games up on Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland, but until they find some more consistency, especially at quarterback, I'm hard-pressed to believe they'll advance far in the playoffs.
8. San Diego Chargers (8-4): After struggling from weeks 8 through 11, the Chargers appear to have found their mojo again. They have a brutal schedule down the stretch, however, so they'll need to eek out another win or two like they did on Sunday against Baltimore if they want to be playing past Week 17. Up next on the slate is a home battle against the Patriots.
9. Detroit Lions (8-4): Before Thursday's game, Detroit's offense hadn't scored a touchdown for two straight games. Then the Chicago Bears and their wretched defense came a-calling, and the Lions went on to score 34. Yes, the best medicine for a struggling offense is to play the Bears. They'll try to keep things going with a home game against the 2-10 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Their schedule is fairly friendly down the stretch, so they'll need to win games like that if they want to make the playoffs.
10. Dallas Cowboys (8-4): Given how bad the Cowboys defense still is, I have trouble seeing them making it very far in the playoffs. However, given the fact they're currently on the outside looking in when it comes to any playoff spot, a Super Bowl appearance is the least of their worries at this moment. If they lose to Chicago on Thursday night, 8-8 memories may start creeping into many of their minds, and it will be an uphill climb to make any playoff spot, let alone a Super Bowl appearance.
11. Indianapolis Colts (8-4): Indy is somewhat similar to Philadelphia. Both teams love to throw the football, are solid on special teams, and have defenses that appear great at times and awful at others. The biggest difference between the two is the fact Philadelphia can actually run the football. This is why some see Philly as a sleeper Super Bowl team, while Indy is still at least one year away.
12. San Francisco 49ers (7-5): It's sad that San Francisco is almost a mirror image of fellow NFC West team Arizona. Both teams have very good defenses and solid special teams units. However, while Arizona's struggles on offense are mainly due due to injuries (Palmer, Fitzgerald, and Ellington), San Francisco's offensive woes are a mystery. Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde form a very capable duo in the backfield. Michael Crabtree, Anquan Boldin, Stevie Johnson, and Vernon Davis form one of the best receiving corps in the NFC, maybe in all of football. Colin Kaepernick was supposed to be one of the best young quarterbacks in the game. However, for as talented as the offense is, they've lacked in production, and will need to pick things up on that end if they want to have any chance of making the playoffs once again.
13. Miami Dolphins (7-5): The Dolphins appear to be turning the corner and so long as Ryan Tannehill keeps playing well, they should be a tough team down the stretch, with a legitimate chance of earning a Wild Card spot.
14. Baltimore Ravens (7-5): While Baltimore appears to be better than they were a year ago, largely due to injuries, they're still not very reliable on defense. In the unpredictable AFC North, anything is possible, but at 1.5 games behind Cincinnati, the Ravens will need to pick things up in a hurry if they want to have any chance at winning a division title this year.
15. Kansas City Chiefs (7-5): The Chiefs are a difficult team to figure out right now. They started the year at 1-2 and looked to be anything but the playoff team from a year ago. They then went 6-1 over their next seven games and looked exactly like the Wild Card team from last season. They then decided to lose to then 0-10 Oakland and Denver (at home) in back-to-back weeks, with a road game against 9-3 Arizona looming. The Chiefs are pretty sound fundamentally on both sides of the ball, but one has to wonder if their lack of a vertical passing game is starting to catch up with them. Through 12 games, no Chiefs wide receiver has caught a touchdown pass. Kansas City has a pair of very good tailbacks, but they'd be even more dangerous if they even presented the threat of a deep passing game. It'll be interesting to see if they make any adjustments on that front in the weeks to come.
16. Buffalo Bills (7-5): Since that crazy blizzard in Buffalo, the Bills are 2-0 and have outscored their opponents 64-13. They'll attempt to continue that trend in Denver. If they find a way to pull off that upset, they could have a legitimate shot at reaching the playoffs this year.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5): Pittsburgh's 35-32 loss to New Orleans wasn't as close as the final score would indicate. It was the Steelers first home loss of the season. Ben Roethlisberger was anything but his 12-touchdown-and-0-interception-in-two-week self. Also, let's face it, for as much as people like to see the Steelers as the prime example for a tough, hard-nosed, rugged defense, this Steelers defense is anything but that. This team will only go as far as its offense takes them, and the offense has been far too inconsistent to expect that to be very far.
18. Houston Texans (6-6): I'm not saying J.J. Watt should be the league MVP. I would honestly rank Aaron Rodgers #1 and Tom Brady #2 before Watt. However, I find the they're-6-and-6-argument to be kind of ridiculous. Houston was 2-14 last year and that earned them the #1 spot in the draft. They've tripled that number of wins this year and could very well compete for a Wild Card spot. This is largely due to Watt's presence on defense (and offense). If Watt leads his Texans from 2-14 to 8-8, 9-7, or 10-6, and in competition for a playoff spot, he should receive serious consideration for the MVP.
19. Cleveland Browns (7-5): Let the quarterback controversy begin. Brian Hoyer got yanked in Sunday's loss to Buffalo in favor of rookie Johnny Manziel. If the Browns don't seriously believe they're a playoff team and want to start looking toward next year, then go ahead and give Manziel a shot. However, at 7-5 and right in the thick of the Wild Card race, if they feel their team can make the post-season, then it would make the most sense to stick with the guy whom helped them get to 7-5 in the first place - Brian Hoyer. With 8-4 Indianapolis coming to town, if the Browns don't reverse some of their troubling trends on offense, they'll fall to 7-6 and be forced to play catch-up for any chance at making the post-season.
20. St. Louis Rams (5-7): In my opinion, the Rams and Browns records should be reversed. Cleveland comes across as more of a 5-7 team, while St. Louis has played more like a 7-5 team. With all the injury problems they've had this year, if they can finish 7-9 or 8-8, the season has to be seen as a success. It'll just be interesting to see what they decide to do as far as a quarterback goes in the off-season, because I have a hard time believing they'll give Sam Bradford yet another chance.
21. New Orleans Saints (5-7): So long as Drew Brees doesn't turn the ball over, the Saints have a shot in most games. They'll need to improve on defense and careless mistakes on offense if they want to have any thought of advancing past the first round in the playoffs.
22. Minnesota Vikings (5-7): This team reminds me of St. Louis and Buffalo. They have a good, underrated defense, solid special teams, appear to be improving as a whole, but have yet to turn the corner on offense. With Teddy Bridgewater garnering quality experience in his rookie season, this should pay dividends for the team in the coming years.
23. Chicago Bears (5-7): Before facing Chicago on Thanksgiving Day, the Detroit Lions had scored just 15 points in their previous two games (all field goals). The Lions then went ahead and scored 34 against the Bears. That tells you about all you need to know.
24. Atlanta Falcons (5-7): For being one of the "best" cornerbacks in the league, Arizona's Patrick Peterson has to be feeling like he's in a nightmare right now, because he got taken to school by Julio Jones on Sunday, time and time again. Atlanta will need more of that in the coming weeks if they want to win the NFC South, which they're sadly the leaders of at this point in time.
25. Carolina Panthers (3-8-1): Carolina is the most disappointing team in football this year and I'll be very curious to see what kinds of changes they make in the off-season, because based on how they've played, they should make many.
26. New York Giants (3-9): My main question concerning this team is, will Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning be given a second year in the West Coast offense, or will the team decide to go in a different direction?
27. Washington Redskins (3-9): It looks like RGIII is officially done in Washington. So, where will he end up and who will Washington turn to next?
28. New York Jets (2-10): Oh, Rex Ryan, we will miss your quotes...
29. Tennessee Titans (2-10): The Titans have lost six in a row, but will have a chance to end that streak when taking on the 3-9 New York Giants at home this week. The Giants lost to then 1-10 Jacksonville this past week, so hey, anything is possible.
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-10): Tampa's had some strange losses this season, which includes the 14-13 defeat at the hands of Cincinnati on Sunday. Just to think if two of those wild finishes had gone their way, they'd be right in the thick of the NFC South race.
31. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-10): To their credit, the Jaguars appear bound and determined to be better than Oakland this year, so that's something.
32. Oakland Raiders (1-11): For as awful as they played in their 52-0 loss to St. Louis on Sunday, it appeared as if the Raiders partied a bit too hard after their first win of the season two Thursday nights ago.
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