1. Indianapolis (1): The eventual champions slumber today.
2. Atlanta (2): Good news for Michael Vick: The Super Bowl is inside.
3. Pittsburgh (4): The Steelers belong to Big Ben.
4. Denver (3): Finish, finish, finish.
5. Carolina (5): It’s time to find consistency.
6. Philadelphia (6): This team always seems to find a way to win.
7. Jacksonville (7): After a bye, the Jaguars can’t afford too many more stumbles.
8. Kansas City (12): That gutsy win in Miami may go a long way.
9. Tampa Bay (9): The Chris Simms era begins in earnest.
10. Seattle (13): Suddenly, the Seattle “D” seems for real.
11. New England (11): The schedule gets a lot easier starting now.
12. Cincinnati (8): Let’s not get too excited.
13. San Diego (10): The world’s greatest 3-4 team.
14. Washington (15): End zone, Clinton, end zone.
15. New York Giants (16): Could be dangerous if they show up for the first three quarters.
16. Dallas (14): When distressed, can the kicker.
17. Detroit (20): Goodbye, Joey Harrington.
18. St. Louis (22): Can interim coach Joe Vitt keep it going?
19. Chicago (27): Oh, why not?
20. Buffalo (17): This season is officially lost.
21. New York Jets (18): Curtis Martin is invisible again.
22. Miami (19): Maybe Nick Saban can win in Baton Rouge, La.; he can’t win in Miami.
23. Baltimore (21): Entire country gets to see this mess on Monday night.
24. Oakland (28): Oh, there’s LaMont Jordan.
25. Arizona (29): That Dennis Green sure is sneaky.
26. Tennessee (23): Is it time for Billy Volek?
27. Minnesota (31): The good ship lollypop.
28. Green Bay (24): They’re losing as many players as coaches.
29. New Orleans (25): This team is tired.
30. Cleveland (26): You’re in trouble when Jeff Garcia sticks it to you.
31. San Francisco (30): The 49ers have back-to-back home games. Those poor fans.
32. Houston (32): If the Texans don’t beat the Browns today, 0-16 is possible.
ON THE MOVE
Chicago
Are the Bears legitimate? We have our doubts, but they have evened their record, and in the NFC North that means they are legitimate threats. Back-to-back wins have given coach Lovie Smith’s team life. Let’s see if Chicago can continue its climb.
