NFL Power 32 (Week 16 Edition)

With one week to go, the Academy sizes up where your favorite teams stand as the Playoffs lurk on the horizon:

1. (1) Green Bay Packers (14-1): Any NFC Team hoping to make it to the Super Bowl will now have to win somewhere down the line at Lambeau Field. After recovering nicely from their embarrassing loss to the Chiefs, The Packers trounced the Bears on Christmas Day and look strong going into the season finale at home against the upstart Lions.

2. (2) New Orleans Saints (12-3): Asterisk nothing. Drew Brees picked apart the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night and earned every one of the 5,087 yards he has passed for this season. Next weeks game between Brees and Cam Newton should be a track meet and a win for New Orleans puts them in REALLY good position for a first-round bye.

3. (3) New England Patriots (12-3): The Pats looked sluggish in the first half against Miami, but came back in the second half and demonstrated why Tom Brady is Tom Brady. A win against Buffalo gives them Homefield Advantage and as tough as Lambeau Field is in January. NO ONE wants to see Foxboro on the schedule heading toward February.

4. (4) San Francisco 49ers (12-3): They escaped with a narrow victory over Seattle, but the road to a #2 seed seems pretty simple, right? Beat St. Louis and earn a free week off. But Jim Harbaugh wants to take this game VERY seriously. A win over the Panthers for the Saints paired with a loss to the Rams (even if by fluke) means Drew Brees gets a one-week vacation while the 49ers would in all likelihood host a still dangerous Falcons team.

5. (6) Pittsburgh Steelers (11-4): Charlie Batch had no problem blanking the Rams this week. As much as they don't want to be, The Steelers will have to be Bengals fans this week. A Ravens win gives them a first-round bye regardless of how badly the Steelers beat the Browns.

6. (7) Baltimore Ravens (11-4): The Ravens got a good boost from the woeful-as-always performance of opponent Cleveland, but The Bengals are fighting for a playoff spot, and they're not exactly the pushovers that Seneca Wallace and company are.

7. (9) Detroit Lions (10-5): Competing in the same conference with names like Rodgers, Brees and Manning, it's no surprise that Matthew Stafford got snubbed by Pro Bowl voters, but that doesn't make it any less disappointing. Stafford has been a solid performer all season and he proved it again this week by demolishing Pro Bowl quarterback Philip Rivers and his San Diego Chargers, knocking them out of the playoffs. He can further prove that the voters made a mistake this week by knocking off Rodgers' Packers.

8. (5) Houston Texans (10-5): After making Dan Orlovsky and the Colts look good last Thursday, maybe the Texans would be prudent to start a seasoned quarterback who isn't T.J. Yates against the surging Titans, who will be hunting for that final AFC Wild-Card.

9. (11) Cincinnati Bengals (9-6): Thanks in large part to the incredible acrobatics of Jerome Simpson, the Bengals knocked the Cardinals out of contention and are in prime position to lock up the final wild-card spot in the AFC. But can they stick the landing against Baltimore?

10. (8) Atlanta Falcons (9-6): Instead of rising up, the Falcons nearly fall out of the top ten this week after Matty Ice froze up under the lights in New Orleans. Thankfully, the Bears’ loss on Christmas Night means the Falcons won’t be left out in the cold. A win over Tampa Bay this week paired with a Lions’ loss to Green Bay could help Atlanta secure the #5 seed. This would be beneficial, as this would pit them against either Dallas or the Giants instead of San Francisco or worse, those same Saints.

11. (18) New York Giants (8-7): Winning the Battle of New Jersey helped greatly. The ground rules for next week against Dallas now are simple: Win or Go Home.

12. (19) Tennessee Titans (8-7): The Titans could still snag a playoff spot, but they’ll need help in addition to helping themselves to a victory over Houston.

13. (17) Oakland Raiders (8-7): A week after beating the Chiefs, the Raiders will be cheering them on in hopes that they upset the Broncos and present them with the AFC West title, provided that Oakland bests the Chargers first.

14. (10) Dallas Cowboys (8-7): All Jerry Jones can do is watch helplessly as his potential playoff team crumbles. The Cowboys have already had one primetime shot to send the Giants into the cellar and couldn’t get the job done. This Sunday night will be no different.

15. (13) New York Jets (8-7): The Jets teeter on the brink of missing the playoffs after losing in East Rutherford on Sunday. This week the Dolphins host them in Miami. Can’t you just feel the upset coming?

16. (12) Denver Broncos (8-7): Tebow versus Orton. You knew it would come down to this. How fitting is it that Tebow-Mania could be silenced for good by the man who lost his job in Denver to him?

17. (21) Philadelphia Eagles (7-8): The Eagles are finishing strong, unfortunately, the Jets’ loss buried any chance they had of sneaking into the postseason. After knocking around the Cowboys, the Eagles can break even at 8-8 if they can down the Redskins in the season finale.

18. (15) Seattle Seahawks (7-8): The Seahawks hopes were sunk after a two-point loss against the NFC West Champion 49ers. Now for an essentially meaningless game with fellow eliminated rival Arizona.

19. (16) Arizona Cardinals (7-8): Both Seattle and Arizona will have to decide how much draft order means to them as they head into the desert for the season closer.

20. (20) Chicago Bears (7-8): Instead of searching for a proven quarterback when Jay Cutler went down and they still had a chance for the playoffs, Lovie Smith opted to start Caleb Hanie for four consecutive weeks. And it cost them. After finally seeing the error of their ways on Christmas Day, they switched to Luke McCown, which by no means is a step up. Now the Bears can sit home and contemplate how they let the playoffs slip away because they were too stubborn to opt for a Donovan McNabb or even, dare I say it--a Brett Favre.

21. (14) San Diego Chargers (7-8): How does Norv Turner still have a job in San Diego? No, seriously. If Norv Turner maintains his position at head coach after next Sunday’s game with Oakland, I’ll be dumbstruck.

22. (23) Carolina Panthers (6-9): Be on special alert, NFL. Cam Newton is giving you a sample tasting now. Just imagine what he’ll be capable of in two, three seasons with some experience under his belt.

23. (26) Buffalo Bills (6-9): The Bills picked the perfect time to come out of their seven-game funk. After taking a little more wind out of the Tebow-lievers sails this week, they travel to Gillette Stadium to finish the year.

24. (22) Kansas City Chiefs (6-9): The Chiefs were finally dropped from the playoff picture this week after an overtime loss to Sebastian Janikowski and the Raiders, but they can still play spoiler to the Broncos in the much-anticipated battle between Orton and Tebow.

25. (25) Miami Dolphins (5-10): The Dolphins shocked countless NFL fans when they jumped out to a 17-0 lead against the Patriots, but they naturally let the game slip through their, er...flippers. They can still play spoiler to the Jets next week.

26. (24) Washington Redskins (5-10): How long do you suppose Shanahan’s leash is in the Nation’s Capitol? The finale against the Eagles might go a long way in answering that question.

27. (29) Jacksonville Jaguars (4-11): After losing yet another divisional game against the Titans, the Jaguars can deliver their fans another loss this week against the suddenly surging Colts.

28. (27) Cleveland Browns (4-11): With Pittsburgh the only opponent remaining, most Browns fans find themselves repeating the same mantra they chant every season: “Get it over with. Make it quick.”

29. (28) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-11): This is what happens when your Defensive Coordinator thinks he can handle the duties of Head Coach in addition to everything he was already doing. Maybe after the Falcons destroy them, Raheem Morris can retreat back to his original position and they can hire on a full-time head coach instead of a part-time defensive coordinator. I’m sure most Bucs fans are holding out false hope that Jon Gruden comes out of the MNF booth in the offseason...

30. (31) Minnesota Vikings (3-12): Remember Joe Webb? Evidently, Leslie Frazier didn’t. Not until Christian Ponder went down with a concussion. Otherwise, he would have pushed him to starter the same week he released Donovan McNabb instead of trying to throw Ponder into the fire. This week, they finish up the season against another team that doesn’t have a clue which quarterback gives them the best chance to win either.

31. (32) Indianapolis Colts (2-13): Archie Manning may get his wish yet. The Colts may have just won their way out of the Andrew Luck sweepstakes...They would have, if not for one minor detail...

32. (30) St. Louis Rams (2-13): The Rams have already said that if they end up with the #1 pick, they plan to sell it to someone who actually wants to draft Luck. Wow. As if Sam Bradford didn’t have enough pressure on him as it was. Now that the Rams organization has fully invested themselves in Bradford to the point of giving up the most sought-after number one draft prospect since Herschel Walker, how venomous will the hatred be if he doesn’t start to produce next season?

NFL Power 32 (Week 15 Edition)

With only two weeks left to make an impact, the Academy examines who's trending upward who's on the bubble, and who's on the downswing at the worst possible time:

1. (1) Green Bay Packers (13-1): Let the record show that I foresaw this very thing happening just last week. Aaron Rodgers fell into the trap against Kansas City and the perfect season is now over. They can, however, still snatch up Homefield Advantage with a win on Christmas Day over the struggling Bears.

2. (5) New Orleans Saints (11-3): If Drew Brees was being overlooked in the incessant chatter about Rodgers, Brady and Tebow, he definitely isn't now. After slamming the Vikings this week, they face a considerably larger challenge against the persistent Falcons next Monday night.

3. (4) New England Patriots (11-3): In spite of his defense's struggles, Brady and his offense just won't quit. The guy that so many are likening to Montana more and more each day effectively silenced Tebow Mania on Sunday with a three-score victory over the Broncos and have locked up the East as they look ahead to hosting Miami on Christmas Eve.

4. (7) San Francisco 49ers (11-3): After a disappointing loss to Arizona last week, the NFC West Champions bounced back nicely by making Ben Roethlisberger look foolish under the lights of Monday Night Football. Playoff hopeful Seattle awaits on Saturday.

5. (6) Houston Texans (10-4): T.J. Yates could only keep the momentum going for so long. Cam Newton ran all over the Texans on Sunday and its only for the grace of disappointing performances by Pittsburgh and Baltimore that they gained ground in the rankings this week. They can recover with a win on Thursday night against the Colts, who just averted a winless season on Sunday.

6. (3) Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4): What happened? These guys were odds-on-favorite to top San Francisco on Monday night and simply didn’t show up. This better not be the team that shows up in January, or next week when they host the Rams in what should be an easily-won contest.

7. (2) Baltimore Ravens (10-4): So, uh...The Ravens were 10-3 and the Chargers were 6-7? Weird. You wouldn’t have guessed based on their performances Sunday night. The Ravens should have no problem halting their skid against Cleveland next week.

8. (9) Atlanta Falcons (9-5): Matty Ice and the Falcons continue to rise up this week after knocking off the Jaguars last Thursday night. All eyes will be on New Orleans the night after Christmas.

9. (10) Detroit Lions (9-5): Wow. What a clutch drive from Matthew Stafford. The Lions now have their first winning season since 1999 and can add to it with wins over the Chargers and Green Bay in the weeks to come.

10. (14) Dallas Cowboys (8-6): The Cowboys sneak back into the top 10 this week after winning in average fashion against Tampa Bay. They’ll have to up their game for Christmas Eve if we get the same Eagles team that demolished the Jets on Sunday. THOSE Eagles are fighting for their playoff lives and could be just as dangerous as when they picked apart the Cowboys 34-7 earlier this year.

11. (13) Cincinnati Bengals (8-6): Andy Dalton and company gain ground with a routine victory over the Rams on Sunday. A win over Arizona can put them in really good position for a Wild Card spot.

12. (11) Denver Broncos (8-6): Tebow talk was quelled this week as Tom Brady ran roughshod in the second half. Still, the Broncos can sink the Chiefs hopes for good with a win on Saturday over Buffalo.

13. (8) New York Jets (8-6): Mark Sanchez looked lost in Philadelphia this week, but should be right at home on Saturday. Unfortunately, so will the Giants. We’ll find out who owns the Meadowlands in five short days.

14. (18) San Diego Chargers (7-7): The Chargers aren’t dead yet, especially with the Raiders on a steady decline and the Broncos proving that they aren’t exactly consistent. Upcoming games with Detroit and Oakland will make it an uphill battle, though.

15. (19) Seattle Seahawks (7-7): A 24-point blowout over the Bears proved that Seattle is more equipped for another playoff run than Chicago is with Caleb Hanie running the show. A couple more divisional games to get out of the way will tell the tale.

16. (20) Arizona Cardinals (7-7): Arizona and Seattle are both in decent shape to snap up a Wild-Card spot, but Cleveland shouldn’t present as much of a challenge as they did. If they can’t handle the Bengals, it could create a problem going into the season finale.

17. (17) Oakland Raiders (7-7): The Raiders maintain their position despite a devastating last second collapse at home against the Lions. They’ll look to regain traction against the barely breathing Chiefs on Saturday.

18. (12) New York Giants (7-7): It seems that the Redskins have Eli Manning’s number this year. What a pity, just as they start what looked to be a resurgence, they get slapped back down into mediocrity. At this point, a loss to the Jets is one they simply cannot afford.

19. (16) Tennessee Titans (7-7): Might be safe to sleep on the Titans, now. After giving the winless Colts their first win of the season, Tennessee limps back home to host the Jaguars this week.

20. (15) Chicago Bears (7-7): WHY ARE YOU STILL STARTING CALEB HANIE? Christmas Day will turn into “The Year Without a Santa Claus” for the Bears if they continue to start the worst quarterback since Tim Couch against a Packers team whose wounded pride is liable to have them angry and vengeful next Sunday.

21. (21) Philadelphia Eagles (6-8): It’s a long shot, but after eviscerating the Jets on Sunday, the Eagles could swipe the NFC East if all three teams in contention finish the year 8-8. Unbelievable. A good place to start in Christmas Eve in Dallas.

22. (23) Kansas City Chiefs (6-8): They said it couldn’t be done, but Romeo, Orton and the Chiefs felled Goliath on Sunday and still have a ghost of a chance to secure the AFC West, a chance so fragile that it could be wrecked by either failing to put away the Raiders or by a Buffalo loss on Saturday.

23. (26) Carolina Panthers (5-9): We got another glimmer of what Cam Newton might be capable of in the future this week as the Panthers put the brakes on the Texans pursuit of the #1 seed in the AFC. With Tampa Bay coming up, Carolina should collect at least one more win before meeting the Saints on New Year’s Day.

24. (25) Washington Redskins (5-9): Shanahan’s crew may have been out of contention since mid-November but they’ve very proficiently been playing the role of spoiler as Tom Coughlin and the Giants found out Sunday. Another manageable game against the Vikings lies ahead later this week.

25. (28) Miami Dolphins (5-9): The outing at Buffalo was impressive, but the one venue you never want to see on your schedule in December is Gillette Stadium--Foxborough, MA. Sorry Miami, this will NOT end well.

26. (22) Buffalo Bills (5-9): Remember when these guys were 5-2? Well, they show up again next week (I can’t even bring myself to say that they MIGHT win anymore) against the Denver Broncos...So, that should be fun for Tebow.

27. (27) Cleveland Browns (4-10): Do you think Mike Holmgren has begun plotting out what order in the draft his first round pick will fall? With the final two games being Baltimore and Pittsburgh, my wager is that he won’t have to wait too long to make his move.

28. (29) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-10): The Bucs showed a few fading signs of life against a subpar Cowboys team on Saturday night and only gained a spot because it now appears that the Jaguars have also quit. Just sit on the sideline and watch as Carolina and Atlanta pick up wins at your expense in the next couple of weeks.

29. (24) Jacksonville Jaguars (4-10): There was practically no effort to mask the fact that the Jaguars were outmatched and outclassed last Thursday night. Can they pull an improbable upset out of their hats in the next two weeks and save face with a 6-10 record?

30. (31) St. Louis Rams (2-12): Sam Bradford can take heart in the fact that his team was competitive in defeat this week. Against the Steelers, that won’t be the case.

31. (30) Minnesota Vikings (2-12): Christian Ponder and Sam Bradford continue to trade spots in the next to last spot on the chart, this week, Ponder got the worst of it, by fortune of having to play against Drew Brees. That almost never has a promising conclusion. A toss-up game with the Redskins will go a long way in determining draft order.

32. (32) Indianapolis Colts (1-13): The Peyton Manning-less Colts remain in the basement this week in spite of their improbable first win of the season, because, let’s face it, they are still in prime position to secure Andrew Luck. A loss on Thursday night to the Texans will all but seal it up.

NFL Power 32 (Week 14 Edition)

Down the stretch they come.

The Academy presents a look at where your favorite teams stand, with only three weeks left to make a good impression. Let's take a look at whose stock is on the rise, who might be headed for a fall, and who might come out of nowhere in the few weeks that are left:

1. (1) Green Bay Packers (13-0): We said the same thing around Thanksgiving Day. The Green Bay Packers best chance of being defeated lies with the Detroit Lions in the season finale. And it's still true. After a fierce thrashing of the Oakland Raiders, the Pack looks ahead to Kansas City, who just got eliminated from playoff contention and fired their head coach. Be warned, Aaron Rodgers. Fewer things are more dangerous than a team with nothing left to play for and a defensive wizard like Romeo Crennel now at the helm...

2. (5) Baltimore Ravens (10-3): The Ravens got a big boost from playing the listless Colts this week, but as long as they keep winning, they’ve got the AFC North on lockdown having swept the Steelers. A victory over the unpredictable Chargers paired with a 49ers win over Pittsburgh on Monday could give them some breathing room.

3. (3) Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3): The Steelers hold their position with a gritty, in the trenches victory over bitter rival Cleveland this week, but will need help from San Diego to try and push themselves back in front for a chance at a higher seed.

4. (6) New England Patriots (10-3): The Patriots get a jump this week, but questionable defensive play matched with a less-than-perfect outing by Brady clouds an otherwise 100% certainty that they could be the ones to extinguish the recent “Tebow Magic” that has been infecting the league and its analysts.

5. (4) New Orleans Saints (10-3): The Saints snatched up a playoff spot this week, but the win over Tennessee on Sunday was too close for comfort in a division where the Falcons are breathing down their neck.

6. (7) Houston Texans (10-3): Houston has won their division for the first time since the days of “Love Ya, Blue”. And they did it with a third-string quarterback. Wonders never cease. Cam Newton and the Panthers come to town this week, and nothing is for certain when playing against last year’s #1 pick.

7. (2) San Francisco 49ers (10-3): The 49ers REALLY didn’t need that loss to the Cardinals with the Steelers and Seahawks on the docket in the next two weeks...

8. (8) New York Jets (8-5): The Jets are still in really good shape for a position in January, but neither the Eagles nor the Giants will be as easy to dismantle as the Chiefs were on Sunday.

9. (12) Atlanta Falcons (8-5): As the ranking indicates, The Dirty Birds continue to “rise up”, but they have to play much better than they did Sunday against Carolina. Look for the Falcons to go into overdrive on Thursday night against the Jaguars, because Week 16 in the Superdome is going to be CRITICAL.

10. (14) Detroit Lions (8-5): The win against struggling Minnesota was expected, but necessary. With Oakland, San Diego and the undefeated Packers on the way, the Lions need to stop getting in their own way. Making stupid mistakes at this juncture will prove very costly.

11. (10) Denver Broncos (8-5): Does someone want to tell Tim Tebow that he can’t afford to fall behind this week against the Patriots? “Tebow Magic” is real, for what it’s worth, but it has a limit. That limit is the performance of Tom Brady. The clock strikes midnight for Cinderella this week.

12. (17) New York Giants (7-6): Even in loss to the Packers, it’s as though the Giants have had new life breathed into them. Their come from behind victory Sunday night to reclaim the division lead from the Cowboys was impressive to say the least. Can they keep the momentum going against the Redskins next Sunday?

13. (16) Cincinnati Bengals (7-6): The Bengals benefited from several middle-of-the-pack teams dropping their games this week or having a less than stellar win. The defense really let them down in the closing seconds on Sunday. If they hope to find a spot in the playoffs, their issues will have to be fine tuned over the course of this week. No game is a gimmie at this point, even the Rams. The Cardinals proved that they’re not the team to sleep on and Baltimore is a brick wall the Bengals will have to overcome in Week 17.

14. (11) Dallas Cowboys (7-6): Sunday night was the kind of loss that usually heralds how the Cowboys will perform in the closing weeks of the season. With that demoralizing loss in the books, the Cowboys are a psychological wreck. The Eagles and Giants will be the hardest games Dallas has ever played and even Tampa Bay will give Romo a run for his money.

15. (13) Chicago Bears (7-6): WHY ARE YOU STILL STARTING CALEB HANIE? If they don’t put in a decent starting quarterback in the next three weeks, the Seahawks, the Packers and yes, even the Vikings will tear them apart.

16. (9) Tennessee Titans (7-6): Jake Locker was superb again this week, but the loss was crucial. Fortunately, they won’t have to fight too hard to stay in contention over the next couple weeks in games against the Colts and Jaguars.

17. (15) Oakland Raiders (7-6): Oakland is tanking at the most inopportune time, leaving the division wide open to Tebow and the slowly recovering Chargers. A win over the Lions and Chiefs could help silence the whispers.

18. (18) San Diego Chargers (6-7): The Chargers are looking like the team that they should have been during their six-game losing streak. Who knew that a last-second fumble on Monday night football could be so impactful? Big challenges ahead, but San Diego has the potential to drastically change the landscape of the AFC West in the next few weeks.

19. (19) Seattle Seahawks (6-7): The Seahawks effectively handled the Rams Monday night and may yet pull out a 9-7 mark, which may yet earn them a #6 seed, but they’ll need the Bears and Cowboys to fold first. Incidentally, this is very possible.

20. (21) Arizona Cardinals (6-7): An unexpected win over the 49ers keeps Arizona alive, barely. A win over Cleveland next week will help them pull even, but they still need assistance from Chicago, Dallas and Seattle collapses in order to squeeze into the same #6 slot they’re all fighting for.

21. (27) Philadelphia Eagles (5-8): Michael Vick came back just in time. A loss to the Jets next Sunday will sink them for sure, but as long as the Cowboys and Giants are hit-and-miss, the Eagles could still mathematically win out and steal the division out from under both of them.

22. (22) Buffalo Bills (5-8): The AFC East has become a two-team race. So disappointing. Buffalo is 0-6 since shutting out the Redskins. Early hope extinguished by the grind of midseason.

23. (20) Kansas City Chiefs (5-8): Season: Over. Head Coach: Fired. Next opponent: Undefeated. Interim Coach: Defensive Wizard. Odds of Winning: unlikely to mildly probable. Teams with nothing left to play for are unpredictable.

24. (29) Jacksonville Jaguars (4-9): Blaine Gabbert did a serious number on the Bucs on Sunday, but in all likelihood will only pick up one more win (the Colts) on the home stretch.

25. (26) Washington Redskins (4-9): Where did that come from? After nearly upsetting The Brady Bunch on Sunday, Shanahan’s crew meets with the Giants this week (having already upset them in Week One) and has a winnable game against Minnesota followed by a slightly less winnable game against the Eagles still on the horizon.

26. (24) Carolina Panthers (4-9): Cam Newton could tell you that his team knows how to write a formula for losing a game, but the formula won’t be needed this week in Houston or in the season finale at New Orleans.

27. (25) Cleveland Browns (4-9): No offensive production, no progress, no victories. The Browns will finish 4-12. Count on it.

28. (23) Miami Dolphins (4-9): A loss to the Eagles provides another bump in the road for the team that limped to an 0-7 start. They’ll snatch up another win this week against the Bills, but with games against the Pats and Jets still to come, that’s where it ends.

29. (28) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-9): It seems every year you can pick out at least one or two teams that have given up by Week 13. This season, it’s the Bucs. Tampa Bay has quit on themselves. The last three games of the season are merely a courtesy to the NFL Regular Season schedule makers as far as the Buccaneers are concerned, and that’s unfortunate.

30. (30) Minnesota Vikings (2-11): Christian Ponder got them close against the Lions, but at the end of the day, it’s still the Vikings. The Saints, Redskins and Bears will all greatly appreciate the victories coming their way.

31. (30) St. Louis Rams (2-11): Just another day in the miserable career of Sam Bradford. Poor kid, he has no supporting cast other than Steven Jackson. It’s not getting any easier the rest of the way either. At least they’ll only finish with the second worst record in the league...

32. (32) Indianapolis Colts (0-13): The Colts will seal up Andrew Luck in two weeks. They can wrap it up next week in the unlikely event that the Rams and Vikings both win. In any case, the Colts aren’t winning a game this season.

NFL Power 32 Rankings

Four weeks ago, The Academy of One released a Midseason Report Card to give their analysis on the respective performances of each team within the National Football League. In the month since, a few franchises have maintained their spot, others have improved or fallen drastically. To record where each team currently stands, allow us to introduce The NFL Power 32 for the week ending December 5:

1. (1) Green Bay Packers (12-0): The remaining schedule looks comfortable, and Homefield Advantage for the moment is a mere three wins away. These guys know how to do that, right? Be warned though: the last team to finish the regular season undefeated ended up tripping at the finish line...

2. (2) San Francisco 49ers (10-2): Pittsburgh is the greatest remaining challenge, but Jim Harbaugh and company don’t want to take their eyes off the prize. No one knows them better than their division rivals, and they play them all one more time.

3. (4) Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3): After throttling legitimate playoff contender Cincinnati on Sunday, a can’t miss game with the 49ers looms, but bitter rival Cleveland stands in the way tomorrow night.

4. (5) New Orleans Saints (9-3): How is it possible that Drew Brees is being overshadowed by Brady and Rodgers when he’s the only QB this season who has already surpassed 4,000 passing yards and is tied for second in touchdown passes? It doesn’t seem possible, but in the midst of the Packers undefeated season--could the Saints, who just two seasons ago won it all, be getting overlooked? You can bet that the Titans aren’t looking past them this week.

5. (8) Baltimore Ravens (9-3): Yes. The Ravens do own a sweep over the Steelers and thus the undisputed tie-breaker. However, Flacco has been less than prolific as of late, being outdone in passing yards by Colt McCoy last week while Peyton Hillis outperformed all Ravens’ receivers with only 52 receiving yards. In short, Baltimore is investing all hope for their playoffs future in the ground performance of Ray Rice and the stingy play of their defense. Those go, The Ravens go. A date with the winless Colts should push Baltimore to 10-3 this week.

6. (6) New England Patriots (9-3): The fact that the Patriots have arguably the softest remaining schedule of any team in the league borders on suspicious, until you realize that Tom Brady continues to win in spite of a Swiss Cheese Defense. Hate him all you want (I do), but the long and short of it is that Brady has proven time and time again that winning just comes naturally. Look for the Pats to shine again this week against Shanahan’s Redskins.

7. (3) Houston Texans (9-3): How they continue to defy the odds, considering the injury to their first two starting quarterbacks, the loss of Mario Williams and the constant injury patterns of Andre Johnson, is nothing short of baffling. It’s a wonder that the team has held together, let alone is in position to secure a playoff spot for the first time since Bud Adams retired the word “Oilers”. Cincy and Tennessee will be teams to keep an eye out for...

8. (16) New York Jets (7-5): The Jets have bounced back nicely from the disappointing loss against the Broncos on Thursday night and are right back in the race for a Wild Card spot. Their remaining opponents have an aggregate record of 19-29, so the odds favor them for at least the #6 seed.

9. (14) Tennessee Titans (7-5): Don’t rule out the Titans just yet. All eyes could be on Texans-Titans when Week 17 rolls around to see who snatches up the #3 or #4 seed.

10. (18) Denver Broncos (7-5): The Cinderella story is living on borrowed time. The Patriots come to Denver in two weeks, and Tim Tebow is in store for a SERIOUS reality check. The Patriots have a very real capability to send the Broncos into a tailspin for the last three weeks.

11. (13) Dallas Cowboys (7-5): No team is more hit or miss than the Dallas Cowboys. One week, they’re destroying the Bills, other weeks, they squeak by the Redskins, get picked apart by the Eagles or cough up a game that they had won in overtime by icing their own kicker. Tony Romo is consistent in his inconsistency, perhaps the most inconsistent starting quarterback in the league. Knowing the depths of the bad and the limits of the good, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to see the Cowboys miss the playoffs yet.

12. (15) Atlanta Falcons (7-5): A soft remaining schedule makes a playoff appearance very manageable, but they can’t allow themselves to get beaten by a T.J. Yates every week. The loss to Houston and their third-string quarterback is utterly inexcusable.

13. (7) Chicago Bears (7-5): Since losing Jay Cutler, the Bears and Caleb Hanie are 0-2. Yet the Bears, who are still very much alive in the playoff race refuse to extend a hand to Donovan McNabb or another free agent QB who can get the job done. So any subsequent loss is essentially self-inflicted.

14. (11) Detroit Lions (7-5): Suh’s “Two-Step” on Thanksgiving Day has the Lions frantically scrambling to put the cork back in the bottle of lightning that they captured through the first five games this season. Sunday night’s loss to the Saints wasn’t a good start. They might catch a reprieve playing against the Vikings without Suh this week, but they better not let their guard down.

15. (12) Oakland Raiders (7-5): The Raiders got a little too comfortable with their position atop the division and it proved costly. An old fashioned whipping by the Dolphins and another Tebow Houdini act pushes them into a tie for first, and the Broncos own the tie-breaker at the worst possible time, with games against Green Bay, Detroit and the other two division rivals still on the road ahead.

16. (10) Cincinnati Bengals (7-5): After a very impressive performance this season by their rookie QB-WR connection, the nasty loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday is a little unsettling. Can the Bengals shake this off and recover in time to secure a Wild Card spot?

17. (9) New York Giants (6-6): The 6-6 record doesn’t do this team justice. Over the course of this season, they’ve gotten the best of the Patriots, came within a score of tipping the 49ers and were easily the greatest challenge to the Packers’ thus far undefeated season on Sunday. A win over the Cowboys Sunday night could make the NFC East playoff race VERY interesting.

18. (19) San Diego Chargers (5-7): Just when you thought the Chargers were content to roll over and die for the rest of the season, they produce a convincing victory over the sputtering Jaguars on Monday Night. Norv Turner’s not off the hot seat yet, though...If the Chargers can’t somehow escape with the AFC West title, the coach may yet be shown the door.

19. (23) Seattle Seahawks (5-7): After dismantling the Eagles this past week, if the Seahawks can create an upset atmosphere at home when they host the 49ers in two weeks, they could walk away from the season with a respectable 9-7 mark in spite of their rocky start.

20. (20) Kansas City Chiefs (5-7): Tyler Palko produced a pleasant surprise by knocking off the Bears this week. But with a team that is largely still contending for the AFC West title, most Chiefs fans would likely feel more comfortable with Kyle Orton behind the wheel for the last four games. Especially considering the final four games are two remaining divisional games against Oakland and Denver a game against the Jets and another versus the undefeated Packers.

21. (24) Arizona Cardinals (5-7): The Cardinals caught a break this week when somebody made the decision to ice his own kicker (what an idiot). Though they are essentially playing for nothing with the NFC West locked up, The Cardinals look like a team that won’t quit. This is good, because they can’t expect the 49ers, Bengals or Seattle to make the same mistakes Dallas did.

22. (17) Buffalo Bills (5-7): At midseason, this team was one game out of first place in the AFC East. What happened?! Winless since the shutout against the Redskins. Winless since before HALLOWEEN. The team that started with such promise could be finished with a loss to the Chargers this week or a Patriots victory over the Redskins. You can probably count on at least the latter.

23. (28) Miami Dolphins (4-8): The Dolphins are 4-1 since falling to 0-7. The only thing preventing them from being 5-7 is a one-point loss in the final moments of the Thanksgiving Game against the Cowboys. So the question becomes; after drubbing one division leader and nearly knocking off another, why did you wait until this late in the season to start the surge?

24. (30) Carolina Panthers (4-8): The Falcons, Texans and Saints won’t be easy, but if Cam Newton can take advantage of a third string QB in Houston and familiarity among division rivals, The Panthers could conceivably escape with an 8-8 record, but 6-10 looks more likely.

25. (25) Cleveland Browns (4-8): Colt McCoy had the unfortunate duty of playing against the projected AFC North Champion Ravens this week. Tomorrow night, it’s the Steelers, and the Ravens play host in two weeks. Start planning your Draft Position now, because you’ll be somewhere in the first ten picks.

26. (27) Washington Redskins (4-8): The ‘Skins had the Jets on the rope throughout the first half on Sunday. Too bad they didn’t get the memo to finish the fourth quarter...This week’s game with the Patriots will be the biggest remaining challenge, but rivalry games with the Giants and Eagles won’t be cakewalks, either...

27. (26) Philadelphia Eagles (4-8): The wheels have fallen off. Losing to Seattle means the Eagles would have to win out while Dallas and the Giants would in all likelihood have to lose the remainder of the schedule in order for Philly to have a chance. Since the Cowboys and Giants still have two games against each other, that won’t happen. Better luck next season. Maybe don’t hire an Offensive Line Coach to be your Defensive Coordinator next time. Sorry Juan Castillo, you’re in the WRONG position.

28. (21) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-8): The Bucs were handled expertly by Cam Newton this week and still face the season finale with the Panthers in Carolina. However, if Tampa can assume the role of spoiler, they could still send Cowboys and Falcons’ fans home unhappy come January.

29. (22) Jacksonville Jaguars (3-9): Teams that fire their head coach three quarters of the way through the season usually don’t finish well, which means that the Buccaneers might actually reverse their fortune briefly this Sunday. A game against the winless Colts in Week 17 could even be spoiled by a highly unlikely, but still remotely possible return of Peyton Manning.

30. (31) Minnesota Vikings (2-10): Tebow and the Broncos just barely escaped the Metrodome with a win. The Saints game in two weeks is un-winnable, but with the Redskins, the imploding Lions and the Cutler-less Bears on the horizon, the Vikings could conceivably pull three games out of the remaining schedule.

31. (29) St. Louis Rams (2-10): The remaining schedule looks pretty ugly, especially after letting the NFC West Champions shut them out on Sunday. The Rams play under the lights Monday night, but still have games against the Bengals, Steelers and one more round with the 'Niners.

32. (32) Indianapolis Colts (0-12): They can lock up the Andrew Luck sweepstakes in three weeks. Even if Archie Manning and everyone else doesn't think they want it, trust me, they do.