1. Seattle
Seahawks (10-1) Last
Week: 2
Russell Wilson continues to play at an elite level, looking flawless in the Seahawks’ blowout
win over the Vikings. Wilson completed 13 of 18 passes for 230 yards and two
touchdowns, registering a career-best 151.4 passer rating.
2. Denver
Broncos (9-1) Last
Week: 3
The Broncos moved into a tie for first-place in the AFC West (currently holding the tiebreaker)
with their statement win over the Chiefs on Sunday night. Rookie running back
Montee Ball had his best game of the season, punching in two of the Broncos’
three touchdowns in the red zone.
3. Kansas
City Chiefs (9-1) Last
Week: 1
How will the
Chiefs react following their first loss of the season? A home contest at the
rowdy Arrowhead Stadium versus the slumping Chargers could be the perfect
medicine for the Chiefs as they look to regain their swagger for its rematch against
the Broncos the following week.
4. New
Orleans Saints (8-2) Last
Week: 5
Rob Ryan’s ability
to transform the Saints’ defense, which allowed a NFL-record 7,042 yards in
2012, into one of the most tenacious defenses (3rd ranked) in the
league, is nothing short of amazing.
5. Carolina
Panthers (7-3) Last
Week: 6
Cam Newton played
arguably the best game of his young career versus the Patriots. Newton ran
seven times for 62 yards and completed 19 of 28 passes for 209 yards with three
touchdowns, including the game-winning 25-yard strike to Ted Ginn Jr. with 59
seconds to play.
6. New
England Patriots (7-3) Last
Week: 4
Two of the
Patriots’ three losses this season have come in controversial fashion. In Week
5 against the New York Jets, the Pats appeared to be in great position to win
in overtime after Jets kicker Nick Folk missed wide left on a 56-yard field goal
attempt. However, the miss was negated when New England's Chris Jones was called for unsportsmanlike conduct on a 15-yard penalty that never had
before been called in an NFL game. Following the penalty, Folk connected
on a 41-yard field goal to win the game for the Jets. Flash-forward six weeks
to last night’s “Monday Night Football” contest that witnessed Rob
Gronkowski being clearly held in the end zone (on what turned out to be the
final play of the game) by linebacker Luke Kuechly, grabbing him with both hands. A flag was thrown, but then the officials quickly gathered together and
inexplicably waved off the flag.
7. Indianapolis
Colts (7-3) Last
Week: 9
The Colts need to
start off games better come playoff time, but for now it’s hard not to marvel
at Andrew Luck’s ability to fire up his troops with his halftime speech.
Running back Donald Brown gained 51 of his 80 yards in the second half,
recording a pair of second-half rushing TD’s. Luck was 11-of-15 for 124 yards
after intermission, running for a TD score of his own in the third quarter of
the Colts’ 30-27 victory.
8. Cincinnati
Bengals (7-4) Last
Week: 11
The Bengals scored a franchise-record 31 points in the second quarter of their 41-20 win over the
Browns via their outstanding, opportunistic defense (interception that led to
TD, fumble return for TD) and special teams (blocked punt return for TD)…The
play of Andy Dalton remains a concern. He threw two interceptions, including a
pick-six and posted a 3.7 Total QBR Sunday, the lowest Total QBR of his
career, and the lowest by any quarterback in a win since Jake Delhomme (2.2) in
2008. (Via ESPN Stats and Information)
9. Detroit
Lions (6-4) Last
Week: 7
What was Jim
Schwartz thinking by calling for a fake-field goal attempt facing a fourth-and-5 on the Steelers' 10-yard line with a 27-23 lead early in the fourth quarter?
Momentum shifted following the Lions failed fake-field goal attempt, making
Schwartz’s inauspicious play call even more dubious.
10. Chicago
Bears (6-4) Last
Week: 10
Backup QB Josh
McCown has played phenomenal in each of his two starts for the Bears. McCown
was 19-of-31 for 216 yards and a touchdown to finish with a passer rating of
92.9 versus the Ravens. The Bears are now 2-0 in games started by McCown after
he engineered a game-winning drive in overtime against the Ravens, completing two
of three passes for 57 yards to set up Robbie Gould's game-winning 38-yard field goal.
11. Philadelphia
Eagles (6-5) Last
Week: 18
Nick Foles is
playing the quarterback position at an elite level. Not only has he led the
Eagles to three straight wins and sole possession of first-place in the NFC
East, he has posted a NFL-best 128.0 passing rating. Foles, who has thrown 16
touchdowns versus zero interceptions, has the second best QBR (78.2) in the
league.
12. San
Francisco 49ers (6-4) Last
Week: 8
The 49ers’ hopes
of winning the NFC West were all but shattered following their loss to the
Saints, coupled with another win by Seattle.
13. Arizona
Cardinals (6-4) Last
Week: 15
Carson Palmer
ended his dubious streak of nine straight games with an interception thrown,
tossing 419 yards in the Cardinals’ 27-14 win over the Jaguars…The Cardinals’
stingy defense has allowed just 27 third-quarter points all season.
14. Dallas
Cowboys (5-5) Last
Week: 14
The Cowboys had
their bye week at the perfect time after getting clobbered by the Saints last
Sunday night…A win against the Giants at the Meadowlands this Sunday will give
the Cowboys a season-sweep of their division-rivals, moving them back into
first-place in the NFC East, likely squashing the Giants’ playoff hopes in the
process.
15. Miami
Dolphins (5-5) Last
Week: 20
Despite all the
off-the-field distractions, the Dolphins managed to defeat the Chargers 20-16
in front of their home crowd in Miami. The Dolphins are now tied with the Jets
for the final AFC playoff spot.
16. Green
Bay Packers (5-5) Last
Week: 12
The Packers’
season is slipping away after stumbling to their third straight defeat. The
Pack are hoping third-string QB Scott Tolzien can lead the team to victory over
the lowly Vikings at Lambeau Field on Sunday, with Aaron Rodgers looking to
return to action on Thanksgiving day in a pivotal NFC North showdown against
the Lions.
17. New
York Jets (5-5) Last
Week: 13
The Jets’ 37-14
loss to the Bills could soon be referred to as the “Dave and Buster’s Game”
after Rex Ryan took the team out to the arcade restaurant on Saturday night, a
time period when the coaches usually conduct meetings with players. The Jets’
inconsistency is quite remarkable as they are the first team in NFL history to
alternate wins and losses in each of its first 10 contests… Geno Smith is
becoming a turnover machine for the Jets. Smith leads the NFL with 20
turnovers, courtesy of 16 interceptions (four have been returned for TD’s) and
four fumbles lost.
18. Cleveland
Browns (4-6) Last
Week: 17
Don’t let the 41
points scored by the Bengals fool you, the Browns’ ferocious defense still came
to play as usual on Sunday. Joe Haden intercepted two passes, returning one to the house for his first career pick-six. The Browns also held Andy Dalton to 93 yards
passing. However, the offense and special teams were a disaster all afternoon
for the Browns, turning the ball over four times and allowing the Bengals to
score a TD on a blocked punt.
19. Pittsburgh
Steelers (4-6) Last
Week: 24
Big Ben has given
the Steelers life after another impressive outing. He completed 29 of 45 passes
for 367 yards with four touchdowns and zero interceptions. Suddenly, the
Steelers are right in the thick of the race for the final playoff spot in the
AFC.
20. Baltimore
Ravens (4-6) Last Week: 19
Joe Flacco’s
interceptions are becoming a major problem for the Ravens. He gave the Bears
life in a game the Ravens were dominating after throwing an interception to David Bass, who ran it back 24 yards for the TD. If the Ravens are to make the
playoffs, the reigning Super Bowl MVP must revitalize his mojo from last year.
21. New
York Giants (4-6) Last
Week: 23
The Giants’
underrated defensive unit is the biggest reason for the team’s four-game
winning streak. The G-Men have allowed just 47 points in the past four contests
and now rank 11th in total defense (7th in rushing
defense).
22. San
Diego Chargers (4-6) Last
Week: 16
Things were
looking up for the Chargers after entering their bye week with a 4-3 record.
However, three straight losses following the bye have all but ended San Diego’s
playoff aspirations, especially with contests against the Chiefs, Bengals and
Broncos looming.
23. Saint
Louis Rams (4-6) Last
Week: 22
The Rams return
from their bye week with a home contest against the Bears in a battle of backup
quarterbacks.
24. Oakland
Raiders (4-6) Last
Week: 26
Incredible
performance by undrafted QB Matt McGloin in his first career start. McGloin,
playing against the Texans’ top ranked defense, threw touchdown passes of 5, 16
and 26 yards to help the Raiders score their most points of the season.
25. Buffalo
Bills (4-7) Last
Week: 25
Why is it
plausible to think the 4-7 Bills can make a run at the final playoff spot in
the AFC? Because following its bye week, Buffalo will host the listless Atlanta
Falcons (2-8) in Toronto before traveling to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
(2-8) and lowly Jacksonville Jaguars (1-9).
26. Tennessee
Titans (4-6) Last
Week: 21
As if losing to
the Jaguars at home last Sunday wasn’t humiliating enough, the Titans managed
to further their embarrassment four days later on national television. The
Titans jumped out to a 14-0 lead over the slow-starting Colts on “Thursday
Night Football”, only to be dominated in the second half (outscored 17-0 in 3rd
quarter) in a deflating 30-27 loss.
27. Washington
Redskins (3-7) Last
Week: 25
Times are tough
for the Redskins, who now have a war of words developing between their
franchise quarterback and their head coach. Robert Griffin III and Mike Shanahan’s relationship has been strained since RG3 tore his ACL in the fateful
NFC Wild Card game against the Seahawks last postseason.
28. Tampa
Bay Buccaneers (2-8) Last
Week: 31
5-foot-8,
212-pound running back Bobby Rainey, who was cut by both the Ravens and the
Browns earlier this year, scored on first-half runs of 43 and 3 yards, then
caught a 4-yard TD pass from Mike Glennon to propel the Bucs to a win for the
second straight week.
29. Minnesota
Vikings (2-8) Last
Week: 30
Has there ever
been a more pointless signing than Minnesota’s 1 year, $3 million deal with
Josh Freeman, who has seen the field just once with the Vikings?
30. Houston
Texans (2-8) Last
Week: 28
Matt Schaub and
Andre Johnson got into a heated confrontation following another puncturing
loss. A frustrated Johnson left the door for a potential departure once his
contract expires after the 2016 season. What hasn’t gone wrong for the Texans
this season?
31. Atlanta
Falcons (2-8) Last
Week: 29
The hapless Falcons
can’t even stay competitive against the Buccaneers…University of South
Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney appears bound to become an Atlanta
Falcon…
32. Jacksonville
Jaguars (1-9) Last
Week: 32
The Jaguars have
scored just 35 points in five home contests in 2013.
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