32. Indianapolis Colts (1-13) - The Colts got off the schneid with a 27-13 win over the visiting Titans. Thanks in large part to Donald Brown busting loose for 161 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown with 3:26 left to clinch it.
31. Minnesota Vikings (2-12) - The Vikings got Adrian Peterson back for their game against the Saints, but could do little to stop the passing attack of New Orleans. Percy Harvin also had a quiet day, recording three catches for only eight yards. The offensive line again struggled to protect Christian Ponder (4 sacks), and their pass defense is abysmal.
30. St. Louis Rams (2-12) - Kellen Clemens played well for the injured Sam Bradford, but St. Louis fell to the visiting Bengals 20-13. Steven Jackson again was solid, racking up 71 yards rushing against a good Bengals rush defense, and 72 yards receiving as well. The team needs to improve the offensive line play, which allowed three sacks, and is worst in the league in protecting the quarterback.
29. Tampa Bay Buccanneers (4-10) - The Bucs are clearly in a downward spiral, which continued in their 31-15 loss to the Cowboys. The Bucs were only able to muster 190 total yards in the loss, and Raheem Morris could find himself on the hot seat, as the Bucs have lost eight straight.
28. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-10) - The Jaguars got demolished by the Falcons last Thursday, and trailed 41-0 before the Falcons rested the majority of their starters for the fourth quarter. Maurice Jones-Drew broke the 100 yard barrier, but this team needs to add a play-making receiver either through the draft or free agency to help QB Blaine Gabbert.
27. Cleveland Browns (4-10) - The Browns were in control for much of their game with the Cardinals, but fell 20-17 in overtime. Peyton Hillis was able to grind out 99 yards on the ground, and rookie WR Greg Little racked up 131 yards and a touchdown. This is back-to-back games where this team has been competitive on the road, and could be starting to turn the corner under first year coach Pat Shurmur.
26. Buffalo Bills (5-9) - The Bills feel for a seventh straight game, and Ryan Fitzpatrick threw three more interceptions, bringing his total to a league-worst 19. C.J. Spiller showed well, racking up 91 yards rushing (on 12 carries) against the #3 run defense in the NFL, and also caught 10 passes for 76 and a touchdown. It appears as though Spiller is finally starting to break out in his second NFL season.
25. Miami Dolphins (5-9) - Reggie Bush ran wild on the Bills' defense, totaling 203 yards on the ground (a career high) and Matt Moore continued his solid quarterback play, tossing two touchdowns, and the 'Fins held off a Bills comeback attempt to get Todd Bowles his first win as an NFL head coach.
24. Washington Redskins (5-9) - Washington dealt a significant blow to the Giants' playoff hopes with a huge 23-10 road win. The defense picked off Eli Manning three times, and were able to keep him off balance with great pressure, including three sacks.
23. Carolina Panthers (5-9) - Carolina beat down the Texans in Houston 28-13, and Cam Newton threw for two touchdowns against a very good Houston secondary. If the team can find a bit more production on the ground from DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, this offense could be unstoppable.
22. Tennessee Titans (7-7) - The Titans laid an absolute egg in Indy, and got beat 27-13 by the previously winless Colts. Whether the team switches to Jake Locker for the remaining two games isn't a foregone conclusion, he's played well when given the opportunity this season, and is clearly the long-term option at quarterback in Tennessee.
21. Chicago Bears (7-7) - The Bears played a stinker of a game against the Seahawks, falling at home 38-14. Hanie threw three touchdown passes, but unfortunately, two of them were to Seattle defenders. Despite dropping four straight, they still have a (SLIM) chance to make the playoffs, and Hanie will be replaced by Josh McCown.
20. Kansas City Chiefs (6-8) - As crazy as it is, the Chiefs are still alive in the playoff hunt in the AFC West following their victory over previously unbeaten Green Bay. New head coach Romeo Crennel got everything (and then some) out of his players, and Kyle Orton looked worlds better than Tyler Palko. This team could be serious contenders for the AFC West crown next season if they can look up Orton long-term and get Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry back healthy.
19. Oakland Raiders (7-7) - The Raiders appeared to have the game wrapped up leading 27-14 with less than eight minutes to play, but Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson ate up the secondary for two touchdowns, and the returning Ndamukong Suh blocked Janikowski's 65 yard field goal attempt as time expired. Carson Palmer did look better than in previous weeks, but the defense has to be able to get a stop if they want to make the postseason.
18. Philadelphia Eagles (6-8) - Much like the Chiefs, Philly kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a thumping of the Jets. Jason Babin is now up to 19 sacks on the season, and their defense forced four Jets turnovers. It may be too late for the playoffs this year, but watch out for them in 2012.
17. Arizona Cardinals (7-7) - Despite looking sloppy for the first three quarters, QB John Skelton led the Cardinals to score the last ten points of regulation, and hit Larry Fitzgerald for big-gainer in overtime that led to the game-winning field goal against the Browns. It'll be interesting to see what Ken Whisenhunt does with Kevin Kolb, as Skelton has had success as a starter.
16. Seattle Seahawks (7-7) - Seattle thumped the Bears 38-14 in Chicago this past week. Marshawn Lynch scored a touchdown for the tenth straight game, breaking Shaun Alexander's consecutive games with a TD streak. Brandon Browner had a pick-six, and now has five interceptions in the past four games after playing the past four years in the CFL.
15. San Diego Chargers (7-7) - San Diego absolutely dominated the Ravens' dominant defense on Sunday night, routing Baltimore 34-14. RB Ryan Matthews is now over 1,000 yards on the season, and the offense and defense are both clicking, as they've won their past three games by a combined score of 109-38, and are now just a game back of the Broncos for first place in the AFC West, as well as the Jets for the final playoff spot (though due to the Jets' head-to-head win, they'll need to win out and have the Jets drop their last two).
14. New York Jets (8-6) - In a game that could have given them a bit of a cushion in the Wild Card hunt, the Jets got throttled by the Eagles. The offense turned the ball over four times, and the defense allowed the Eagles to rack up 420 yards and 38 points (Juqua Parker also scored on a fumble return). The Jets still control their own destiny for the postseason, but have got to put forth better effort the next two weeks.
13. Cincinnati Bengals (8-6) - The Bengals beat the St. Louis Rams on Sunday, but have looked shaky over their past five games, going just 2-3. If the Jets falter, the Bengals could scratch and claw their way into the playoffs.
12. New York Giants (7-7) - The G-Men let a golden opportunity slip away just one week after taking the division lead, falling at home to the Redskins 23-10. Every time Eli Manning starts to play his way to elite status, he seems to have a clunker game (23-40, 257 yards, 3 INT).
11. Denver Broncos (8-6) - The Broncos fell to New England 41-23 on Sunday, but were it not for three second quarter turnovers by the Broncos, this game could have turned out differently. The good news for Denver is they are a full game up on both Oakland and San Diego, and play the Bills this weekend, who haven't won since October 30th.
10. Dallas Cowboys (8-6) - Dallas, as expected, beat down the Bucs on Saturday night. Tony Romo accounted for four touchdowns (3 passing, 1 rushing), and the running game produced 160 yards despite not having DeMarco Murray. Dallas will need a win this weekend AND a Giants loss to clinch the division.
9. Detroit Lions (9-5) - Matthew Stafford threw for 391 yards and four touchdowns, and Calvin Johnson set a career-high with 214 yards receiving as Detroit overcame a 13-point fourth quarter deficit for a big road win in Oakland. The team is a virtual lock as a wild-card, but will need the defense to perform better in the postseason, as they allowed Oakland to rack up 477 yards of offense.
8. Houston Texans (10-4) - The Texans fell at home to the visiting Panthers this past week. T.J. Yates struggled for the first time since becoming the starter for this team, throwing two interceptions, and the Panthers were able to put up yards against a good Texans defense. While Andre Johnson will miss Thursday's game against the Colts, the Texans should have him back for their first playoff game in franchise history.
7. Baltimore Ravens (10-4) - The offense was never able to get in-synch, and the defense struggled mightily against a revitalized Chargers team, and got thumped in San Diego by 20 points. Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron has to find a way to keep the offense balanced, as Ray Rice only had three carries in the second half.
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4) - The Steelers had a very difficult time against a VERY good and VERY underrated 49ers defense, as Big Ben was intercepted three times, and the running game wasn't able to get going in their 20-3 road defeat. Pittsburgh is still likely destined for the #5 seed in the playoffs due to Baltimore's season series sweep, but should get Maurkice Pouncey back by that time.5. Atlanta Falcons (9-5) - The Falcons showed very well against the Jaguars this past week, and won 41-14 in a game that wasn't even that close. Atlanta doesn't have the record it does last year, but possesses a more explosive offense, and its pass rush is getting better as well, as John Abraham recorded three sacks of Blaine Gabbert.
4. New England Patriots (10-4) - For at least one week, a team was able to beat the Broncos. Aaron Hernandez reminded everyone that there's more than just one great receiving tight end on this team, and the defense was able to force three Denver turnovers that turned a 16-7 deficit into a 24-16 lead just before halftime.
3. New Orleans Saints (11-3) - The Saints did what good teams do, beat the team's they're supposed to. Drew Brees is now just over 300 yards shy of breaking Dan Marino's all-time passing record, and threw for five touchdowns in their romp over the Vikings. The offense has so many weapons that it makes them nearly impossible to game-plan for.
2. San Francisco 49ers (11-3) - The 49ers played what I felt is their best game of the year, controlling the entire game against the Steelers and winning 20-3. This team showed me more of what I wanted to see, mainly scoring touchdowns in the red zone on two of three drives.
1. Green Bay Packers (13-1) - The '72 Dolphins and Mercury Morris can un-cork the champagne, as the Packers quest for an undefeated season ended in Kansas City. The Packers missed Greg Jennings, and are still an elite team, but have looked very human in three of their last four game. The good news is that with one more win, the road to the Super Bowl in the NFC goes through Lambeau.
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