(Won-Loss Record and Last Week’s Ranking in parentheses)
1. Seattle Seahawks (12-2) (1) – The proverbial road goes through Seattle.
2. Denver Broncos (11-3) (2) – That was the one they could afford, but no more.
3. San Francisco 49ers (10-4) (5) – Peaking at the right time.
4. Carolina Panthers (10-4) (7) – They get a crack at the #2 seed. And they get it at home.
5. New Orleans Saints (10-4) (3) – Turns out they will have to win a big one on the road after all.
6. Kansas City Chiefs (11-3) (8) – Have scored 101 points in the last two weeks and no one noticed.
7. New England Patriots (10-4) (4) – Have to deal with red hot Baltimore next.
8. Indianapolis Colts (9-5) (9) – Have to be glad their postseason is locked in given all the turmoil in the AFC.
9. Cincinnati Bengals (9-5) (6) – New problem: they’ll lose the tiebreaker with Baltimore if they lose the final game of the year.
10. Arizona Cardinals (9-5) (11) – Probably as high as they’re gonna get, but they can make all this count if they can beat Seattle and San Francisco.
11. Baltimore Ravens (8-6) (12) – One down. Two to go.
12. Miami Dolphins (8-6) (13) – New opportunity: they lose the tiebreaker with Baltimore, but they win it with Cincinnati.
13. Chicago Bears (8-6) (14) – Eventually, other team’s screw-ups work out for someone else.
T-14. Philadelphia Eagles (8-6) (10) – That final game against Dallas will be for the division – because neither of these teams can beat anyone else.
T-14. Dallas Cowboys (7-7) (15) – Decemberrrrrrrrrr. . .
16. Green Bay Packers (7-6-1) (17) – Rodgers? We don’t need no stinking Rodgers.
17. San Diego Chargers (7-7) (18) – Impressive win. Won’t matter for anything, but still.
18. Detroit Lions (7-7) (16) – Epic fail, they name is Lions.
19. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-8) (20) – Haven’t quit, but time’s running out.
20. St. Louis Rams (6-8) (23) – Over .500 against teams not in the AFC West.
21. New York Jets (6-8) (19) – Jets officially out. Wait, they were still in?
22. New York Giants (5-9) (21) – One more chance to play spoiler at Detroit next week.
23. Tennessee Titans (5-9) (22) – Headed for a rebuild or a retool?
24. Buffalo Bills (5-9) (28) – How you view this season all hinges on what you think of E.J. Manuel.
25. Cleveland Browns (4-10) (24) – Another tough break in a year of them.
26. Minnesota Vikings (4-9-1) (29) – Imagine if they got that kind of QB play every week.
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-10) (25) – Better than their record. A little, anyway.
28. Atlanta Falcons (4-10) (30) – I still say this team comes right back next year.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-10) (26) – For Christmas, what do you get the team that needs everything?
30. Oakland Raiders (4-10) (27) – Putrid defense has given up 134 points in the last three weeks.
31. Houston Texans (2-12) (31) – LOL, they play Denver this week.
32. Washington Redskins (3-11) (32) – It’s not the quarterback, stupid.
Power image of the week belongs to Ursula the Sea Witch from The Little Mermaid
