(last week’s ratings in parentheses)
1. San Diego (1): Fit these guys for their rings right now.
2. Chicago (4): How good would Devin Hester look in Denver?
3. Baltimore (6): Ravens’ defense still goes a long way.
4. New Orleans (8): This amazing story really could get fun.
5. Indianapolis (2): Colts will rue the day they lost the home field.
6. Cincinnati (10): Bengals will be dangerous in January – if they ca stay out of the clink.
7. Jacksonville (11): Have the Jaguars finally found a happy place?
8. New England (3): Bill Belichick’s teams aren’t supposed to be shut out in December.
9. Dallas (5): Cowboys don’t want any part of the Saints come January.
10. Seattle (7): Defending NFC champs not looking Super these days.
11. Philadelphia (14): Here come the Eagles.
12. New York Jets (9): Loss to the Bills will haunt the Jets the rest of the season.
13. New York Giants (16): Giants make noise by winning. Nice concept.
14. Atlanta (17): Who knows about this team?
15. Tennessee (18): Titans on an incredible ride.
16. Kansas City (12): Chiefs have an uphill battle toward the postseason.
17. Denver (13): Who would think a game at Arizona would be a must win?
18. Miami (19): The Dolphins are dangerous. Just ask New England.
19. Buffalo (20): Bills are no late-season patsy.
20. Pittsburgh (22): Steelers are trying to make a statement for next year.
21. Carolina (15): Panthers are a major disappointment.
22. San Francisco (21): Still plenty of work to be done.
23. Minnesota (25): Now coaches are getting busted in Minnesota. Classy.
24. Arizona (27): Just the Broncos’ luck. The Cardinals are getting hot.
25. Cleveland (23): Browns are the most boring team in the league.
26. St. Louis (24): Maybe, just maybe, the Rams’ special teams are worse than the Broncos’.
27. Green Bay (30): Just good enough to win at San Francisco. Big deal.
28. Houston (26): Denver South has taken some tough losses this season.
29. Washington (28): Why would Joe Gibbs want to come back?
30. Tampa Bay (29): Remember when Jon Gruden won a Super Bowl?
31. Detroit (31): Forget firing Matt Millen. Fire everyone.
32. Oakland (32): Raiders really look comfy at the bottom.
Note: Rankings compiled before Thursday’s game between San Francisco and Seattle and Saturday’s game between Dallas and Atlanta.
ON THE MOVE
Carolina
In the NFC, even a 6-7 team is not out of it. But the Panthers aren’t going anywhere. This team has stumbled down the stretch and is floundering terribly. This was supposed to be a serious Super Bowl contender, but it’s just not happening.
