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.
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